Chamber readies for spring activities

The Odessa Chamber of Commerce met Tuesday noon at Any Occasion Banquet Hall, and after a few brief announcements and reports was adjourned after half an hour (surely one of the shortest Chamber meetings on record).

President Marlon Schafer reported that new knobs with electronic keypads have been installed on the doors to the community center, replacing the old keyed locks. Mayor Doug Plinski had expressed concern about potential vandalism and/or theft at the community center, prompting Schafer to make the change. Schafer or the town clerk, Gail Kiesz, will have to be contacted for the codes to open the doors, and the codes will then be changed at regular intervals.

A tent for the forthcoming Desert 100 races has been rented at a cost of $1,700 after the purchased tents of a couple of years ago were destroyed by last year’s high winds during the event. The tent will have propane warmers inside and will serve beer, soda and water. It will also provide a place for visitors to the food court to eat their food out of the weather.

Schafer has arranged for a large, truck-mounted propane tank to be used at the site for the tent heaters, as well as for filling smaller tanks as needed.

Friday night of the Desert 100, the band Rancho Loco (known to most Odessa residents from their performances during Deutsches Fest) will perform at the site. On Saturday, a band from the Seattle area will entertain the crowd.