The Year in Review

MAY

Odessa’s Town Council debated whether or not to continue providing recycling service to the town, with the cardboard recycling bin being of particular concern. With the Covid pandemic keeping many folks at home, online ordering of goods skyrocketed, and the cardboard bin began filling up within days of the arrival of an empty bin. The town found it too costly to have the bin emptied more than once a month, leading some folks to leave cardboard on the ground beside the bin once it was full. When the council terminated the recycling contract with the county, it generated a hue and cry among the population that the service was sorely needed. A return to once-a-month emptying ensued.

The Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame inducted nine individuals and two teams into its ranks, announced in the May 20, 2021 issue of The Record: Coach Bob Mack (1955-60), Travis Todd (2008 grad), Tom Schafer (1968 grad), Chris Scrupps (2003 grad), Erik Walter (2004 grad), Kysa Cronrath (2006 grad), Jennie Harp (2006 grad), Matt Cronrath (2008 grad), and the OHS baseball teams of 1954/55 and 1955/56.

Memorial Day services returned to the Odessa cemetery after having been cancelled the year before due to Covid concerns. A small crowd gathered for the ceremony.

The great debate began over mask mandates by government officials, with business leaders and others pushing back against what they saw as excessive intrusion into personal health decisions.

JUNE

Graduation was once again an outdoor affair in Odessa, as the Covid pandemic continued. At Finney Field, the football field was decorated and set up with social distancing in mind. The 16 graduating students qualified for $256,745 in scholarships. Valedictorian Pilot Weishaar and salutatorian Tim DeWulf gave speeches.

Harrington High School graduated six: Nagib Ayache, Ashley Breault, Izabelle Burke (Kramer), Alexys Crawford, Aidyn Lee and Riley Roller.

The Crab Creek Quilting Company opened its doors to become the newest business in Odessa under the proprietorship of Brandy Manke.

Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers was charged with obstructing a law enforcement officer, making false or misleading statements to a public servant and rendering criminal assistance in the third degree and faced arraignment on July 7.

The actual induction ceremony for the Odessa Athletics Hall of Fame was held June 19. The honorees themselves or family members accepted for those who could not be present.

Very hot weather was forecast for end of June and beginning of July, with highs in the triple digits and lows falling only into the 70s at night.

JULY

The “heat dome” that brought extreme hot weather to the Inland Northwest made for miserable days and sweltering nights, particularly for homes without air-conditioning. Long-term drought conditions also made for elevated fire danger, as vegetation wilted and crops failed to thrive. It was concerning enough that Odessa residents took the warnings to heart and decided to forego the use of fireworks on 2021’s Independence Day.

Despite the heat, the Odessa volunteer firefighters put on their annual July 4 barbecue featuring a to-go menu of pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad and dessert.

The Odessa High School FBLA chapter learned its Old Town Hall project was among the 125 finalists for the Lowe’s 100 Hometowns award for civic improvements. Toward the end of the month, the group learned that they were one of the 100 towns to receive monetary awards for their projects. For the Old Town Hall that meant a $68,000 grant for refurbishment of the ground floor interior.

At his arraignment hearing, Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers entered pleas of not guilty to all of the charges against him. His attorney Bevan Maxey of Spokane asked for the pretrial hearing to be set for the standard 90 days after arraignment. Magers waived his right to a speedy trial.

A car and bike show was also held in Odessa on July 4, with local winners John Hardt in the bike division and Patrick Gies in the car/truck division.

The Odessa area harvest finished up quickly, as the drought of the past several months caused the wheat crop to come in far below its usual yields.

AUGUST

Odessa’s streets and water mains project labored on and on, hindered by heat, Covid outbreaks and possible poor planning. Hopes for the streets to be paved and striped by the date of the Deutschesfest were up in the air.

Deutschesfest planning efforts by the board of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce were dismissed at a hastily convened community meeting when disagreements among some of the board members and the Biergarten chairman and co-chairman spun out of control. A lynch-mob mentality prevailed among some of those present, as threats were made to remove board members who were treading a fine line between public health safety measures and wanting to do justice to a 50-year history of Deutschesfest. Several board members promptly resigned and new members were appointed to the board, which then proceeded to cover much of the same ground as the original board had done in terms of dealing with the county health department and promoting a safe festival.

With a new sign in place, the Cruiz On In Dinner opened for business serving burgers, shakes, fries and a few other menu items. People flocked to the former Odessa Drive-In to sample the menu and meet the new owners.

Three long-term employees of Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center celebrated their retirement with a gathering held at Reiman Park. Beth Schafer, a physical therapist; Barbara Schlimmer, the clinic manager and Phyllis Sebesta, a long-time staff member, enjoyed light refreshments as area residents came to thank them for their service.

Also retiring after more than 40 years at the helm of Ott Insurance, Norman Ott was surpised at Odessa Golf & RV by a group of friends and fellow business people wanting to celebrate the day. The business continues as Haase Insurance under the management of Cindy Haase, Ott’s associate over the past few years.