The Year in Review

January

January of 2015 began with community members being asked to meet with professional survey takers representing the Odessa health care facilities. Informal meetings were held with different groups of citizens each time to discuss health care needs and ways to meet those needs.

The Odessa Chamber of Commerce held its New Year’s Eve celebration in the community center. Awards voted by members of the community at large went to Lise Ott’s quilt store ‘Experience Quilts!’ for Business of the Year, to Abby Reyes for First Responder of the Year, Laura Caler for Educator of the Year, DeJay Buck for Volunteer of the Year and Carsen Weber for Student of the Year.

Odessa High School alumnus David Keller, currently a California resident, published “The Blue Note,” a pictorial history of Seattle’s black musicians union.

The Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center announced it would be requesting an increase in the operation and maintenance levy to be voted on in February in order to improve its bottom line. The Odessa School district planned to run its maintenance and capital projects levies at the same rate as last year. The Odessa town council was also looking for new revenue streams to help keep the town’s facilities in working order.

The Lions Club’s annual crab feed was a success.

February

At the year’s first school board meeting, members Joe Schlomer, Roland Singer, Marcus Horak and Heather Valverde and board chair Ed Deife all received certificates of appreciation from the school administration.

Odessa Air Service became the town’s newest business following the closure of the Wilbur-Ellis operation at the Odessa Municipal Airport. Fred Meise, Troy Kissler and Jason Connor are three pilots with the new company, and Alex Madrigales is part of the ground crew. They will operate out of the former Wilbur-Ellis building.

Unseasonably warm winter weather led to the early discovery of the year’s first buttercup. For the second year in a row, young Reegan Carstensen was the first to submit a picture of her flower to The Odessa Record for publication.