The Year in Review

NOVEMBER

$20,000 was awarded to the Odessa Chamber of Commerce by the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners. The money will be used to fund the WSDA-certified community commercial kitchen within the Odessa community center.

Transmessis Columbia Plateau is the new name of the Odessa biodiesel plant, formerly known as Inland Empire Oilseeds, LLC. An investor group from Houston, Texas is providing the financial backing required by the Odessa Public Development Authority (OPDA) prior to signing the agreement to lease the facility to the new management team.

Mayor Doug Plinski proposed an increase in the rates for water and sewer of 5% and a 3% increase to garbage. Collectively, that amounted to a 5% increase in the basic rate. Plinski also proposed 15 options for increasing the general fund including annexing Odessa benefit areas, creating a cemetary memorial fund and being proactive in aquifer sustainability.

Washington Rural Pathways to Prosperity (WRPP) held a conference in Odessa and in 10 other communities throughout the state simultaneously.

The keynote speaker was Betsy McCray, nationally known as a leader in creating a small business eco-system.

Mayor Doug Plinski announced that the town had been approved to receive a grant in excess of $760,000 for the purpose of rebuilding the Fourth Avenue roadway. The Town of Odessa is expected to come up with $30,000 in matching funds.

DECEMBER

The Odessa Chamber of Commerce elected new officers for 2014: President, Marcus Horak; Vice Pres., Marlon Schafer; Secretary, Michelle Melgren; Treasurer, Larissa Zeiler. The board of directors will be : Justin Parr, Victoria Iveerson and DeJay Buck (biergarten chair).

Kira Powell, a 2012 graduate of Odessa High School and currently a student at the Colorado School of Mines has officially had a minor planetoid named after her, 28537 Kirapowell, discovered Feb. 29, 2000, by the Lincoln Laboratory Near-Earth, Asteroid Research (LINEAR) Team at Socorro, New Mexico.

Former Odessa residents Clay and Jewel Floch attended the Floch Memorial Games held at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake December 7. They returned to the U.S. in September after having spent 4.5 years in China working as foster parents at an orphanage for disabled children.

The school board opened their December 18 board meeting with Superintendent Suellen White swearing in Joe Schlomer, Heather Valverde and Travis Wagner upon their re-election to the school board of director in November. The board then re-organized, with Marcus Horak elected chairman, Ed Deife vice chairman and Joe Schlomer WIAA representative. Wagner and Deife remain on the facilities committee. Valverde and Wagner will be on the negotiating committe and Horak remains on the curriculum committee.

The board accepted the resignation of Jackie Allington who will retire at the end of this school year and the resignation at the conclusion of this year’s school musical of Ellen Holman as co-director.