Great weather, great fun, great Fest

Odessa Record staff reports

We don’t yet have the full story on Fest, but from what we have heard so far, it appears to have been successful once again. Some local business people were nervous Friday, which to many seemed much quieter and smaller compared to the usual crowd. The Thursday night activities had been well-attended, but then most folks seemed to hole up in their travel trailers for most of Friday. Saturday, however, was extremely busy, and people filled the sidewalks and eagerly visited every possible venue. On Sunday, it appeared to us that many people stayed around longer than usual.

The weather was, of course, very cooperative. Temperatures in the 80s, clear skies and very little of the wildfire smoke that plagued many other eastern Washington towns were all reasons why folks came and stayed and apparently had a very good time.

Chalk-drawing contest

A good-sized crowd lined the sidewalks of downtown Odessa last Thursday as Deutschesfest 2012 kicked off and the time drew nearer for the tricycle and bed races. While the street was being closed off to through traffic by law enforcement personnel, the chalk-drawing contest sponsored by Wheatland Bank was held in part of the bank’s parking area. It was a popular event for the three groups of youngsters who participated, divided up according to age.

Each group of winners received a gift certificate to use to purchase sweet treats from Grannie BarBar. From the employees of Wheatland Bank, Kim Dreger, Shannon Monson and Jena Meise, each participant also received a water bottle filled with candy and small toy prizes.

The winners were Bo Walter, son of Stephen and Barbara Walter, in the 2-to-5-year-old category, David Hayashi, son of Jon and Michelle Hayashi, in the 6-to-9 age bracket and Paige Lee, daughter of Brandon and Heidi Lee, from among the 10-to-12-year-olds.

Tricycle races

The tricycle races are sponsored by the Hair Haus. Each participant received an ice cream bar, and the winners received: $10 in cash for first place and $5 in cash for both second and third place.

In the youngest group of two-to-four-year-olds, first place went to Aiden Schmierer, son of Deric and Marra Schmierer, second place to Morgan Lewis, daughter of Tim and Jennifer Lewis, and third place to Troy Hardung, son of Joel and Danielle Hardung.

The five-to-seven-year-old group saw siblings Ashlyn and Corbin Neilson battling for second place. Big sister edged out little brother, who took third. They are the children of Casey and Terri Neilson. The top prize went to Tucker Walter, the son of Colley and Halee Walter.

Among the eight-to-10-year-olds, Drew Hardung showed more of the same talent as younger brother Troy and came away with the first-place spot. Second place went to Carson Henry, son of Mike and Karma Henry. Emily Scrupps, daughter of Jason and Danielle Scrupps, took third.

Bed races

The bed races followed the tricycle races, and the “big kids” got their chance to shine. The teams were sponsored by various businesses or groups in Odessa and their theme was “Totally 80s.” Teams represented Leffel, Otis & Warwick; Carpenter, McGuire & DeWulf; Odessa Fire Department; Jan Webster and friends; Heavy Metal Rockers; the Odessa High School juniors;

The new wrinkle in this year’s races involved the teams having to stop in mid-race and follow the instructions of health gurus Richard Simmons (aka Travis Schuh) and Jane Fonda (aka Maria Schuh), as they led exercise routines. The very fit Schuhs pushed their charges hard, but the results of each team’s efforts were nothing short of hilarious if crowd reaction is any indication.

Biergarten

After the drawing contest and the two races, the crowd began dispersing through the downtown area, some looking for food, some for information and some for the Biergarten, which opened at 7 p.m. At 7:30, the Oom Pas and Mas hit the indoor stage and got the Fest off to its usual roaring start. The Chicken Dance, led by the tireless “Chicken Lady” Ellen Holman, prompted a large crowd to fill the dance floor, and the ensuing battle for rubber chicken “trophy” prizes was intense.

The Oom Pas & Mas were not at full strength on Thursday, of course, as several members were still making their way to Odessa from around the state to join in.

Bake sale

The Odessa Historical Society’s old-fashioned bake sale was another venue filled with intense rivalries, as folks from far and near vied for their favorite baked goods, jams and pickles.

We talked to a gentleman who had been to the sale, who told us that he has tried for a couple of years now to get some of the pickles offered. He even made it a point this year to get there earlier than he had before. However, the truly dedicated were already there before him, and he began to suspect that his chances might not be very good again this year.

As the assembly waited for the starting signal, the gentleman began conversing with another fellow in line ahead of him. It seems that the other fellow, too, was in search of pickles. Oh my, thought the first gentleman, to be so close this time and perhaps still go home empty handed. The thought was unbearable, and devious ideas began to form in his mind.

Finally, just as the start signal was given, the first gentleman, who was still involved in a conversation with the second gentleman, pointed out that the plum kuchen were so very popular and that there didn’t seem to be very many. That was enough to prompt the second gentleman to grab for plum kuchen, while the first gentleman seized his opportunity and made off with great happiness with the final remaining jar of pickles. For him, Deutschesfest 2012 was a rousing success.