Workers at Resource Care Community Health Center have organized a new fundraiser and sponsorships and tickets for CareFest 2018 are currently available.

Gates at Happy Wife Happy Life will open for CareFest 2018 at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, the music will begin at 1:00 p.m., and the party will end at 1:00 a.m., early Sunday morning.

“We’ve limited it to a maximum of 1,000 people this year, since this is our first time to hold the event,” said organizer Ragan Riley. “Ticket sales are discounted until the end of July. Prices will increase on Aug. 1.”

The fourth annual Fort Griffin BBQ Cook-Off will take place in downtown Albany on the weekend of Sept. 28-29. Entry fee for the cook-off is $150 per team.

“I signed my team up today,” said Albany Chamber of Commerce president Ramby Anderson on Tuesday. “I’m excited about it, and so is my family!”

Anderson’s “Second Ham Smoke” team joined “Undercooked & Overserved,” “bbq_ye5epl,” and “Llano it’s GOOD BBQ,” as early entries in the contest.

Albany schools will start the first six weeks of the fall semester in five weeks, and it’s time for parents and school staff members to begin preparations for the upcoming school year, making sure that children are properly enrolled, and the school is ready for the starting day of the fall semester. 

Classes at the Albany Independent School District will begin on Thursday, Aug. 16, one day earlier than last year. 

New and ongoing recipients of Albany ISD Education Foundation scholarships need to provide proof of enrollment in order to receive their benefit for the fall 2018 semester.

“As far as I know, we don’t currently have a specific deadline date set this year,” said secondary campus principal Edward Morales. “But in the past, the students have sent their proof of enrollment to us as soon as possible, so we could release their scholarship funds to them.”

Children from pre-K to sixth grade are invited to grab their megaphones, lace up their cleats, tune up their instruments and come “gear up for life’s big game” at the Albany Ministerial Alliance supported Community Vacation Bible School Game On! taking place next week, July 16-20, at Friendship Baptist Church.

The theme verse for this year is 2 Peter 1:3. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Junior high and high school youth still have a couple of days to sign up for the remaining spots at The Feed Store’s lake retreat scheduled to take place the last weekend of July.

Registration is $25, and the signup deadline is Monday, July 16.

“We are trying to limit it to 30 students, but currently we are still accepting applications,” said Feed Store director Tisha Wilkins. “The girls will sleep inside and the boys will be outside, so we are hoping to borrow sleeping bags and tents for them. We will be sure to tag them and return them afterward!”

Lori Reames is hoping to pair gently used back-to-school items with those who need them before the start of the fall semester.

“Closet Angels will be open on July 14 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.,” said Reames. “For all working moms looking for back-to-school clothes, we will also be open on Monday, July 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.” 

There are four new fundraiser racks and a huge selection of new arrivals for shoppers to look through, according to Reames. 

Eileen Brewster, age 63 of Moran, passed away Sunday, July 8, 2018. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, July 14 at Morehart Mortuary Chapel with Dick Garcia officiating. A visitation will take place in the chapel following the memorial service. Services have been entrusted to Morehart Mortuary.

Eileen Joyce Cole was born April 19, 1955 in Norfolk, Virginia to Jerry Cole and Joyce Halibat Cole. On June 24, 1995, she married Charlie Brewster in Moran. 

She worked as an office manager for Cisco Pump until her retirement in 2014. 

Albany’s new Academic Booster Club recently announced that it has reached its ambitious $150,000 developmental goal, and the funds are already being put to work with several educators attending special workshops and equipment purchases made for local school programs.

In addition, the need for “building out” a Creative Minds Facility, or “Maker Den” as it will be known at Albany ISD, received generous funding of $200,000 from an anonymous donor.

What It’s All About

It has been a number of years since Albany has had graduates play at the NCAA Div. I level in football, and as far as can be determined there hasn’t ever been a D1 baseball player come out of the local high school program, at least as far as local coaches can remember.

But that has changed.

Recent Albany graduates Dax Neece and Brian Hamilton will both be on the roster for D1programs in the fall.