The township offices and a fire hall are on Odessa's Main Street. There is a small fairground. An Ontario Provincial Police detachment serves Ontario Highway 401 and home to Tactics and Rescue Unit Eastern Region. The water supply of the community of Odessa within the Township of Ernestown was studied in 1972, which led to the planning of infrastructure improvements. The highest point in the village is the water tower. Visible for several kilometres in all directions, the water tower has been outfitted as a wireless communications facility. The village bills itself as "home of the Babcock Mill," which historically was powered by Millhaven Creek which runs through the heart of Odessa. Stella and Emerald are located on Amherst Island. Stella is the major hamlet, where the ferry docks are, and lends its name as the postal outlet name for Amherst Island. Emerald is a collection of 4 houses and a church toward the west end of the Island. Amherst Island is located about offshore from the rest of Loyalist Township, and is serviced by an automobile and truck ferry from Millhaven. Amherst Island was farmed for generations by Irish tenants who rented from a Lord through his manager, and many residents are descendants of those early settlers. Today it has a small arts community, a number of volunteer civic groups, and a radio station, CJAI-FM, that add to the island's special flavour. Primary and secondary education is provided at a number of schools operated by either the Limestone District School Board or the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, including Amherstview Public School (K-8) and Ernestown Secondary School (9-12). our lady of mount carmel The nearest post-secondary education (community college and university) is in the adjacent city of Kingston. The Tragically Hip have a recording studio located in Bath called The Bathouse Recording Studio. The band's lead singer, Gordon Downie, was born and raised in Amherstview and attended Amherstview Public School (AVPS). A 100% volunteer-run community radio station, Amherst Island Radio CJAI 92.1 FM, broadcasts from Stella. The township is otherwise served by media from Kingston. The Township hosts a Winter Carnival each year toward the end of January. A popular event associated with the Carnival is the Christmas Tree Bonfire. In the weeks after Christmas, residents pile their dead Christmas trees at the Odessa Fair Grounds. On an evening during the Carnival, the trees are set blaze as the centrepiece to a night of skating, outdoor games, and the roasting of hotdogs and marshmallows.