Desert 100 weekend a success

The Desert 100 race weekend put on by the Stumpjumpers Motorcycle Club has come and gone. Similar to Odessa's Deutschesfest, the event takes months of preparation and then is all over within three days, except for the cleanup, of course.

Official results of the race are not yet available but should be posted in time for next week's paper. Many of the race organizers are still working out at the site, cleaning up and making sure to pick up all the stakes and ribbons marking the course.

Based on pictures posted by Odessa folks, there were several Odessa riders on Saturday during the Poker Run. Whether any local people participated in the Desert 100 is not yet known.

As far as the social aspect of the weekend, the hospitality tent sponsored by the Odessa Chamber of Commerce was well attended and provided a heated space out of the wind for socializing, eating and drinking. The Chamber once again brought in the Garrett Bartley Band to provide background music or dance tunes, depending on crowd input.

Reports from volunteers at the site said the evening crowds were very well behaved, and there were no incidents requiring police attention. The food court offerings near the tent were somewhat sparse this year compared to some prior years. The high school chapter of Future Business Leaders of America were out in force, though, providing their famous curly fries, plus chicken strips, soft drinks and a few other items.

Chiefs Bar & Grill was also present, providing burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks and other items.

Heritage Church was a new entry this year, supplying pizza, Coney dogs and chili dogs as they raise funds for a mission trip to Mexico next year.

Also new this year was a well-equipped van selling tacos and other Tex-Mex fare out of Moses Lake.

One major drawback this year, as far as in-town businesses were concerned, was that there was no courtesy bus service. The fire department's insurance company will no longer ensure their bus unless it is driven by specially licensed drivers. Rocky Coulee Brewing Company's new bus does not have those restrictions because it holds no more than 15 passengers. But volunteer drivers were nevertheless hard to find, and the service was not provided.

While Odessa's eateries suffered due to the lack of bus service, other businesses did an outstanding business. The liquor store portion of Odessa Drug did very well, and Odessa Foods was packed with people almost the entire weekend. The Cenex gas station also did a booming business, of course, as the gas-guzzling big rigs had to fill their tanks before heading back home.

Since there was no bus service, it was fortunate that the Chamber provided an ATM-like service using a tablet computer and attached device through which credit cards could be swiped. Those who wanted extra cash were thus able to get it right away rather than having to forgo some extra spending or have to make a trip to town to a bank. At times, the line for the cash was longer than the refreshment line inside the hospitality tent.