The Year in Review

March

The boys basketball team won the academic award for 1B schools from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association for having the highest grade-point average among all of the 1B teams competing.

A U.S. Navy jet crashed into a farmer’s field between Odessa and Harrington on March 11, killing the three crew members on board who were on a training mission. The jet and its crew were based at Whidby Island Naval Air Station and was one of several planes flying maneuvers in eastern Washington that day.

Competing for the title of Miss Odessa were Chelsea Fisher, Alexa Boss, Kimberly Nelson and Kayla Minaker, all of whom would be seniors the following fall. Fisher was named Miss Odessa and Boss was named Princess Alexa. Nelson and Minaker served as alternates, and all four girls had opportunities to ride the community float during the summer.

Reegan Carstensen found the first buttercup of spring 2013.

The Odessa Chamber of Commerce celebrated Mardi Gras at its annual banquet held in the community center. The award for Business of the Year went to Leffel, Otis & Warwick and Person of the Year went to Lindsy Starkel for her work on behalf of the Chamber’s community kitchen project.

The Sanpoil, the brand new ferry that takes over the route over the Columbia River at Keller, passed through Odessa on its way to the river.

The Lincoln County Conservation District awarded Farmer of the Year to two farming operations, that of Jay and Kathy Scrupps and that of Jeff and Cheryl Schibel. Community service awards went to Jerry Schafer and Clark Kagele. The public service award went to newly retired Lincoln County Commissioner Dennis Bly of Davenport.

Odessa junior-high science students attended the Zillah Robotics Challenge March 21, with one of the Odessa teams grabbing the championship for designing and operating a robot.

April

The Stumpjumpers Motorcycle Club’s annual Desert 100 race drew about 1,000 racers. The food and beverages provided by Odessa vendors were once again well received.

An old-fashioned farming demonstration was held near Odessa, with teams of mules and draft horses pulling plows and other farm implements to show how it was done in the old days.

The Odessa Golf Course was purchased by the McCullar family of Soap Lake. Work on the grounds began almost immediately, with future plans to include a possible new clubhouse and an expanded RV park.

Odessa’s Spring Fling and Harrington’s Spring Festival had activities for folks visiting either or both of the two towns. In Odessa, there was the quilt show of the Odessa Quilt Club, garage sales, a Volkswalk, a horseshoes state-sanctioned tournament and an ATA Trap Shoot at the Gun Club. Harrington offered yard sales, a quilt show at the Opera House, an art show and a classic car show.