This September Kenzie Fairchild’s culinary arts class traveled to a local apiary to learn about harvesting honey, and recently they completed the project by bottling some of the sweet golden liquid they had collected.

The bee hives are owned by Tamara Trail’s family, and are located at various places on the Trails’ ranch.

“My father-in-law manages the bees, and feeds them through the winter,” said Trail. “He harvested all the supers and brought them to the barn for us.”

Downtown merchants will host their annual trick-or-treat event on Halloween.

Store owners hold the event to offer a safe place for local students and pre-schoolers to make their Halloween rounds.

Children can visit participating stores from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 with merchants providing candy and other treats.

Groups will also be at the Bank Park, according to Albany Chamber of Commerce office manager Mary Beth Jones.

The Shackelford County Law Enforcement Center will be welcoming trick or treaters that day as well.

The Junior Garcia Memorial Golf Tournament has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 27.

“The golf course was already too wet, and more rain was expected on Saturday, so everything was postponed until Oct. 27,” said organizer James Sanders. “We hope everyone can still make it.”

Golfers that can not fit the rain-out date into their schedules can contact Sanders at 325-201-4770 if they need a refund on their entry fee.

“We will have the meal and auction, along with live music after the tournament,” said Sanders. “The raffle drawing will also be held on Oct. 27.”

The city of Albany received a sales tax allotment of $48,272 from the state in August of 2018, up 12.37 percent from the $42,957 payment received in August of 2017, and received an allotment of $44,955 this September. The September payment is 1.76 percent less than the $45,763 sales tax allotment received from the state during the corresponding month in 2017.

Payments to date for the 2018 year to the city of Albany are $388,741, up by $41 (0.01 percent) compared to $388,700 received at the same time last year.

The City of Moran Volunteer Fire Department is hosting “Fall Fun in the Park” at the Moran City Park this Saturday, Oct. 20, starting at 5:00 p.m.

Free activities include live music by Southern Trail, Trunk or Treat, games, and a bounce house.

“Bring a chair and enjoy a fun night of community fellowship,” said organizer Michelle Taggart. “Come join the fun!”

The caravan celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Texas Forts Trail arrived at Fort Griffin on Thursday morning, with park employee Eric Abercrombie presenting a history of the fort, the Flat, and the Fandangle.

According to Susan Waller of the Friends of Fort Griffin, who was among the greeters at the park, several of the visitors took golf carts out to see the buildings during their 30-minute stay.

Dr. Tim Chandler of Hardin-Simmons University and several of his history students were among those in the caravan, which numbered close to 40.

An enthusiastic but smaller than normal group enjoyed the 15th annual Friends of Fort Griffin Gala Saturday night at the “Flat” on the Collins Creek Ranch.

The Gala, held the second weekend of October each year, is sponsored by Friends of Fort Griffin as a fundraiser. Proceeds are earmarked to restore buildings at Fort Griffin State Historic Site, where the frontier military post was located.

SPOKEN: Ardon B. Judd Jr. Oral History Project opened to the public this Tuesday, and all visitors to the Old Jail Art Center can now view the recorded stories and life histories of several Albany residents anytime the museum is open, according to archivist Molly Sauder. 

An assortment of canvas tarps and tents are being erected at Fort Griffin today in preparation for this weekend’s Living History Days, but heavy rain tomorrow could cause student participation numbers to be lower than normal, according to program specialist Eric Abercrombie.

“We have had additional school districts contact us this week to confirm they are planning to attend,” he said. “But if it is raining hard on Friday, some schools may decided not to come after all.”

Albany native Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Dyess is the focus of “4-4-43,” a documentary produced by historian John D. Lukacs, and directed by Lukacs and Tim Gray, that will be shown at the Aztec Theater on Saturday morning, Oct. 13, during the Ex-Students Association’s 10:00 a.m. business meeting.

The hour-long movie is based upon Lukacs’ book Escape From Davao subtitled the Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War.