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CHAMPION—September 28, 2015

Super Moon over Sister City, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Totally Eclipsed Harvest Moon

        Moon watching parties were all the rage in Champion and around the world on Sunday night.  Images from Great Britain, from the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, from the Rabbit Ears formation near Sedona, Arizona and from Lannie Hinote up in Mountain Village, Alaska filled the internet and revealed the big luminous orb in its fullness, disappearing a bite at a time only to reemerge in bloody garb which was then sluffed off altogether as the moon moved on its regular course through the dark night sky.  No light pollution interfered with a clear viewing in Champion and the clouds that had lingered over the area for the previous two days seemed to dissipate on cue.  “Wow,” was a standard comment in Champion together with the questions wondering how ancient peoples might have responded to such dramatic celestial events if they had no forewarning.

The Bee Tree

        A bee keeper from Texas has been in town for a few days enjoying the quiet country life and examining the magnificent Champion Bee Tree on the South side of the Square.  His studies have told him that before bees move into a hollow tree they first clean it free of all debris, sawdust, insects and the like.  They then line the entire space with glue or varnish called propolis (named from the Greek pro—before and polis-city) which they manufacture from sap collected from the growing buds of trees and other plants.  As they set up housekeeping they build exactly 4.83 hexagonal wax cells per square inch (maximizing available space) to use for storing honey and raising their family.  There is local speculation about the age of our tree (probably more than 200 years) but no exact date for when the bees took up residence.  They are such good neighbors; they may have been there for a long time before they were noticed 30 or more years ago.  Hopes are that the new growth which sprouted atop the colossal walnut stump (First Base to Champion School alumni) will continue to grow to provide some shade for the colony next summer.  The relatively cool and wet summer this year may have contributed to its survival after the so called ‘pruning.’  Look for regular updates on the Champion Bee Colony at www.championnews.us.

        Helen Batten at the Skyline R2 School reminds readers that the Douglas County Health Department will be at the school from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. on the first Tuesday of the month to do blood pressure checks.  It was a grant from the DCHD that is responsible for the lovely quarter mile walking trail just south and a little to the west side of the school.  It is a paved trail skirting the edge of the woods, going down toward the fire department picnic grounds and back up around the new greenhouse.  School Superintendent Jeanie Curtis says that all residents in the area are welcome to use the trail.  It is a nice regular surface suitable for older folks to navigate safely.  Four times around will make a mile and enough walking will keep a person healthy.  Ms. Batten also provides The Champion News with birthdays of students and staff at Skyline.  October starts off with Ms. Brixey, prekindergarten teacher and second grade student Lydia Harden celebrating on the 1st.  Malachi Fulk is in the third grade and has his birthday on the 4th.  Former Skyline students, Fae and Kaye, share that day with Malachi and then the 7th is the birthday of Skyline Auxiliary President Betty Dye.  Wishes are for happy days to all of them and to those shy people born on September 30th and October 1st who decline to be recognized.  To them we say, “Remember, if you act like you are having a good time, soon you will forget that you are acting and you will really be having a good time.”  Cathie Alsup Reilly had her birthday on September 27th.  She lives over in Tennessee but is a regular visitor to Denlow where she had a good time exhibiting her hula hoop prowess last Memorial Day.  She indicated in an email that someone had made off with her hula hoop recently, so she might have to borrow one from Ms. Quiet Timber when she is next in town.

        Dale and Betty Thomas will host the Pioneer Descendants’ Gathering on the week end down at Yates on the Edge of the World.  There will be a church service there from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.  The event starts at 10:00 on Saturday and both days will be full of music, all kinds of demonstrations, good food and the chance to see old friends who will come smiling at you across the meadow.  The Champion News is asking Sami McCleary, Tanna Wiseman, Sherry Bennett and everyone who will to post many pictures and observations on Facebook for the benefit of unfortunates who will not be able to attend this year.

        There was good attendance in the meeting room of the Historic Emporium on the North Side of the Square in Downtown Champion on Wednesday.  The General had just blown into town from Wyoming and spent some time avoiding questions.  Someone said, “I know who robbed the Rockbridge Bank!”  Groucho Marx said, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”  In the 1932 comedy, ‘Horse Feathers,’ he sang, “I don’t know what they have to say/ It makes no difference anyway/ Whatever it is, I’m against it/ No matter what it is or who commenced it/ I’m against it/  Your proposition may be good/ But let’s have one thing understood/ Whatever it is, I’m against it/  And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it/ I’m against it….”  It sounds very appropriate for today’s political situation.  There was a movie with James Stewart called “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” that also is reminiscent of today’s circumstances.  Circumstances with current Mr. Smiths are ambiguous amid federal investigations as to use of tax money for political junkets and lavish vacations.  Come down to the wide, wild, wooly, welcoming banks of Old Fox Creek to express your opinion, speculation, doubts or amazement.  Share those things, your stories, poetry and songs at champion@championnews.us or at The Champion News, Rt. 72 Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717.  Get a look at the Behemoth Bee Tree down on the Square or on line at www.championnews.us where the complete and unedited version of these remarks can be found…almost like a visit to Champion—Looking on the Bright Side!