Time short; need critical

It is now mid-February. The Desert 100 is about six weeks away, and still no one has come forward to be the point person for the hospitality tent at the race site. Odessa Chamber of Commerce president Zach Schafer has enlisted help from various others and has been doing whatever he can to make sure that the tent is provided, but he needs one person to keep track of all the various parts of the whole. Former Chamber president Marlon Schafer is now busy full time providing WiFi access at the site but can be called upon for assistance, and Susan Jensen has agreed to help out wherever she can with finding and scheduling volunteers for the tent services to be provided.

At the same time, Deutschesfest is growing ever nearer, and still no one has come forward to take the reins as this year’s Biergarten chairperson.

On the “good news” front, the members of the Odessa Historical Society have agreed to make and sell “pfeffernuesse” for this year’s Fest, something that has been in demand but missing for the last couple of years. The small, round, anise-flavored cookies come in soft and hard versions and are much in demand at the annual Friday bake sale of Fest, as well as elsewhere throughout the weekend.

The annual Spring Fling activities will be here at the end of April. Although there is no single chairperson for this event, the folks who participate in various aspects of it seem to have their respective areas well in hand.

Nate Lathrop is handling the antique auto/motorcycle show, as well as providing art displays and vending space at his Rolling Thunder Pizza location and his empty lot across the street from it.

The members of the Odessa Quilt Club have things well organized for their annual quilt show, and the Old Town Hall Rejuvenation Society is planning its own fundraising for further renovations. The roof leaks are worsening, and its replacement has become more and more critical.