The final two performances of the 2018 Fort Griffin Fandangle will take place this weekend, wrapping up the 80th anniversary edition of the show.

Good seats are still available for both of the final two shows including a very limited number of box seats as of Monday evening.

“The stands were full Saturday and we are anticipating a lot of ticket sales this week,” said artistic director Lorna Ayers.

Review

Sixty-four entries, including floats, antique vehicles, wagons, horses and riders, fire trucks, and longhorns braved temperatures in the triple digits last Saturday afternoon to take part in the 2018 Fort Griffin Fandangle Parade.

Some of the horse-drawn wagons and old cars only went through town once, and then opted to drop out because of the heat, and the blacksmith shop/horseshoeing float pulled out because of hitch problems.

Parade Lineup

The parade was led down Main Street by Louann George playing the calliope, a Fandangle parade tradition.

The annual Fandangle Pet Parade will take place near the Picket House at the Bank Park at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29 (tomorrow), and everyone is invited to bring their favorite pet to the parade and compete for prizes in several categories.

Along with a Best in Show, winners will be named in Swimsuit, Best Costume Duo (of either two pets or one pet and their owner).

Also selected will be Most Creative Costume, Most Unique Pet, Best Celebrity Look-a-like, and Best Wild West Costume.

Native Americans will don brightly colored outfits inspired from those worn by their tribal ancestors and entertain visitors at the Old Jail Art Center this Saturday, June 30, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. with music, dancing, and story-telling. 

“Enrich your exploration of Texas history through a celebration of Native American cultures,” invited educational director Erin Whitmore. “Bring the whole family for this entertaining and educational experience!” 

The event will take place in the Marshall R. Young Sculpture Courtyard at The Old Jail.

Tickets are still available for a local quilt raffle, and the quilt remains on display, with many other local fabric treasures, at the annual quilt show inside the Whitney Theatre.

This year’s Study Club raffle quilt has 20 blocks, each containing a western themed black silhouette centered in various colored sunset skies.

Hours for the free quilt show are 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30.

McLennan Jones is the last of several Albany Life Scouts who have recently worked to complete the requirements to achieve the Eagle Scout award, the highest award available through the Boy Scouts of America organization.

To be eligible to apply for the Eagle Scout award, a Life Scout must have earned at least 21 total merit badges, served in a leadership role in their Scout troop, taken part in a unit leader conference, and completed a service project.

Jones joined Scouting in the first grade, as a Cub Scout in Albany.

Shackelford County sheriff Ed Miller explained details of several issues on the commissioners court agenda Monday morning, with county attorney Colton Johnson giving an opinion on one of the matters.

Miller stated that the sheriff’s office has the authority to declare a vehicle as exempt from bearing official markings, but Johnson does not share that belief.

“It remains my position that without putting Shackelford County markings on the vehicle, use of that vehicle would be in violation if the commissioners court does not grant an exemption,” said Johnson.

Locals should not be surprised if they hear a large group of youngsters speaking a foreign language in Albany this week, because Stasney’s Cook Ranch is hosting 34 to 40 children for a week-long family retreat arranged by the Midland-based China Aid Association.

ChinaAid is an international non-profit Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China.

Albany’s three all-star teams picked up victories with the start of bracket games over the weekend in the District 5 tournament.

Both the 12U and 10U earned a pair of bracket wins over the weekend and were scheduled to host a double header on Tuesday.

The 11U team members played their first bracket game on Monday, advancing to the second round of the double elimination tournament on Tuesday against Wylie.

Teams that won on Tuesday were scheduled to play again on Thursday, while a loss on Tuesday would result in a Wednesday game for the next round.

By Kathy Thomson

Local emergency responders say any holiday cele-brations involving fireworks need to include safety and common sense, especially considering all of the grass fires that volunteers fought last weekend.

“Use lots of caution,” said Shackelford County Rural Fire Department chief Brad Henry. “With the current conditions, grass is burning well. The firefighters would like to be able to enjoy the fourth with their families, and not have to work battling fires because of someone else’s mistakes.”