Town crier convention set in Ohio

MILFORD, Ohio (AP) — Hear ye, hear ye! Here come the town criers.

The 10th annual gathering of the American Guild of Town Criers is set Nov. 14-16 in this southwest Ohio city just east of Cincinnati, said Bill Knepp, Milford’s town crier.

Knepp, 76, is among those who have kept alive the colonial-era tradition, in which the town crier walked the streets to announce news and events. While performing, Knepp rings a bell and wears an outfit that includes a three-cornered hat, wig and buckled shoes.

The convention will feature a contest in which participants are judged on their cries.

Knepp was named Clermont County’s honorary town crier this year, and is also town crier of neighboring Miami Township, where he lives. He doesn’t get paid.

Knepp said he has gotten commitments to attend from 15 town criers, ranging from California to Maryland, and hopes for at least 35 for the convention.

Among other activities, the town criers will lead the Miami Township Holiday Parade on Nov. 15.

According to its Web site, the guild of town criers was established in Philadelphia in 1997, “as a way for modern-day town criers to meet and compete to show that this ancient and honorable profession still exists.”