Albion gets big response to decorate lamp posts

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The lamp post in front of the U.S. Postal Service on Main Street is decorated in a “Peace on Earth” theme. It is one of 38 that will be decorated this holiday season.

A group seeking to “Bring Christmas Back to Albion” presented the idea about two weeks ago and the poles were quickly adopted by businesses, families and organizations.

Sandra Flugel and her granddaughters decorated this pole with a “Believe” theme on Main Street in front of the Lyceum for the Holy Family Parish.

The group includes, from left: Alayna, Autumn, Sandra and Liana Flugel.

This lamp post is decorated in front of Christ Church on Main Street with the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in the background.

There are 41 of the lamp posts. Three won’t be decorated: one in the bridge construction zone and two others on the north side of the canal.

“It’s been great,” said Maureen Bennett, who has headed up the lamp post decorations. “People are very enthusiastic about bringing Christmas back to Albion. It’s become quite the family thing, and also for three Girl Scout troops and some of the business owners.”

Bennett is decorating a pole by the parking lot near the Presbyterian Church with a Christmas tree theme.

There are 10 Christmas trees that will be decorated on the Courthouse lawn. This group from the Albion Free Methodist Church (Community of Hope) decorates a tree on Sunday afternoon. They include, from left, Bob Butler, Brenda Bierdeman, Rose Butler and the Butlers’ granddaughter, Krystal.

The church created ornaments about things they are thankful for, part of the church’s focus on gratitude during the Christmas season.

Lori Laine is pushing the some of the holiday projects in the “Bringing Christmas Back to Albion” group. She is pleased to see local residents responded to the ideas and turning them into reality.

“The community is doing it all,” she said. “It’s fantastic. “There are so many more ideas. This is just the start. Hopefully by next year it will be bigger and better.”

The group meets today at 7 p.m. at Hoag Library.