Odessa was growing fast; revitilization followed

100 years ago

The Odessa Record

January 11, 1920

News updates: Connie Schlimmer and Miss Hattie Schorzman returned from Wenatchee to announce their marriage there on New Year's day. They have rented a ranch northwest of town.

Registration for voting is undergoing another change. The four year period is being cut to two. Naturalized citizens must show their papers when registering, and the status of the father determines the status of the wife and children.

State Land Commissioner Clark V. Savidge announced his decision to seek reelection and not file for governor.

Miss Dorothy Neff has been appointed manager of the Y. W.C.A. drive to be held here Friday and Saturday.

The wheat market has spurted to $3.10 and no sales recorded here, as all holders are "standing pat."

A.W. Jansen reports the sale of his modern home in the Macy addition to Gottlieb Hemmerling at $4,200.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Krell returned yesterday after an extended visit with relatives in Iowa.

Joe Schafer has purchased the building formerly occupied by G.B. Stone for his undertaking parlor, and will use it for his tire repair shop. Mr. Stone has moved his parlor to his own building on Marjorie Avenue.

Lydia Hopp, who has been out of school the first semester, returned to school at the New Year.

75 years ago

The Odessa Record

January 11, 1945

Mayor change has interest: When J.C. Michaelsen was installed as mayor on Tuesday night, it market an interesting highlight in the town's progress, returning to the office the man who held the post 20 years ago, and bringing to a close the 10-year term of Jno. C. Jantz.

Mr. Michaelsen, during eight years of city council duties and his four years as mayor, went through the period during which the saloon business ended. At that time, thinking to reduce the number of saloons, the city tax was raised form $500 to $1,000. Mayor Michaelsen recalls that every one paid.

Ex-Mayor Jantz had a successful term. All bonds outstanding against the city hall and water system were retired, leaving the city with $20,808.81 cash on hand. The cemetery was enlarged and increased water supply made available, Crab Creek was given a flood control improvement, dump ground improved, the steel bridge moved to the school site, a new city well drilled, a fire station built, the city hall improved, a fire escape, vault, roofing and other improvements added, the water reservoir repaired and new service valves laid, the old fire bell tower removed and the bell mounted at the city hall and the siren remounted.

Taking office with Mayor Michaelsen were three new councilmen, Con H. Eckhardt, Howard Moore and L. O. Williams, Councilmen remaining over include J.W. Scrupps and W.C. Raugust.

C. Schorzman dies Saturday: Christian Schorzman, 87, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Henry Schiewe on Saturday, leaving 109 living descendants.

Funeral services were held from the Odessa Baptist church on Wednesday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, the Rev. N.A. Christensen of Seattle officiating. Burial was in the Odessa cemetery, with the Strate Funeral Home in charge.

Grandsons served as pallbearers included Arnold Schorzman, Arthur Schorzman, Lester Schorzman, Eugene Schorzman, Roger Schlimmer and Ewald Goetz.

Christian Schorzman was born in Johnesburg, South Russia, March 9, 1858, came to the United States at the age of 15 in 1873. In 1879 he was married to Christina Ulmer at Menno, South Dakota, and 14 children were born to this union, one son, Carl, preceding him in death.

The family came to Washington in 1901 and settled northwest of Odessa, where he operated a farm until 1908, when he retired and moved into Odessa. In January, 1941, ill health caused them to break up housekeeping and he and Mrs. Schorzman were under the care of Mrs. Henry Schiewe when death came.

Survivors include the widow, 86, at the Schiewe home, and 13 children, the oldest, Henry, 56, lives in South Dakota; Jacob, Odessa, and Amelia (Mrs. Fred Goetz,) Cashmere, twins; Williams, Marlin; Chris, Cocolalla, Idaho; Annie (Mrs. Henry Schiewe), Odessa; Katie (Mrs. Jacob Bertsch) South Dakota; Adam, California; John, Dina (Mrs. Nath Koth) and Fred, all of Odessa; Gus, Marlin, and Hattie (Mrs. Con Schlimmer) Marlin; 44 grandchildren; 51 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Of the children, four, John, Adam, and Jake and Amelia have their birthdates on the same day, July 17.

50 years ago

The Odessa Record

January 15, 1970

Name Cecil Schell assistant manager: Cecil Schell has been named assistant manager of the Odessa Union Warehouse Co-op, effective the first of the year. Schell succeeds Merle Janke who has resigned to enter the insurance field, according to Winston Weber, manager.

Mr. Janke has been attending a special school for agents, conducted by the New York Life Insurance company in Spokane. After a school and training period he expects to be entering the insurance business in Eastern Washington, maintaining his home in Odessa.

Firemen hear resume of the year at annual smoker: The Odessa Volunteer Firemen held their annual meeting and smoker on Saturday evening, with the Rural fire commissioners as their guests.

One point made during the evening's discussion was that Odessa has exceptionally fine ambulance service. Those present heard that the ambulance is one of the best run and equipped in the state, and that Odessa is fortunate in having such a fine unit. Firemen, with First Aid training, serve as ambulance drivers.

It was reported that there were 36 rural fires during the past year. The fire district has purchased two new trucks during the year. Department personnel successfully accomplished the controlled burning of three old houses on school property, at the request of the School district Directors.

The meeting was followed by a fine dinner, it is reported, and entertainment.

Tigers split weekend basketball games, defeat Warden Tuesday: The Odessa Tiger basketball team split a pair of games over the weekend, winning on Friday, but dropping the Saturday game on the local floor with visiting Liberty.

Wilbur went to the top-of-the-heap with a 5-0 Bi-County League record, closely followed by Liberty and Reardan, both 4-0, and Odessa 4-1.

The Tigers traveled to Grand Coulee on fresh snow-packed highways Friday evening to turn the tide toward a winner's bracket, 56-44. They hit 12 of 30 for 40% while the host team tallied but 24%.

Scoring ability of all Tigers was shown with Neil Jeske at 9, Dave Wiest at 10, Marty Meise with 11, Tom Renner 12 and Doug Meek on top of the heap with 13. Greg Haase sunk a free throw.

Scoring by quarters shows a mighty cold 3rd quarter at Grand Coulee, but the lid came off the basket in the 4th. The Tigers tallied 17, 17, 2 and 20 for 56. The Grand Coulee players hit 13, 4, 12 and 15 for 44.

After 11 straight victories, a cold-shooting Tiger quint dropped Saturday's league game here to Liberty, 42-63. Two low-scoring quarters for the Tigers, the 2nd and the 4th, gave the visitors a strong win.

Quarter scoring went: Odessa 17, 8, 11 and 6; Liberty 12, 20, 14 and 17. Although the Tigers took an early lead in the game, perseverance on the part of the Liberty players matched and soon overcame that early lead. The Tigers hit 15 of 42 for 35.7% while Liberty made 24 of 65 for 37%.

Odessa was out-rebounded. The Tigers pulled down 24 to that of 32 for the Liberty quint.

Jeske was high-point man for Odessa was 11 while Joe Sievers, big boy for Liberty, tallied 25. Others scoring were Renner 10, Meek and Wiest 8 each and Miese 5. Jeske was benched with five fouls with but 34 seconds remaining to be played in the Saturday contest.

An unusually large crowd of visitors from Liberty were present for the game to cheer their team to victory.

The Tigers played a non-league game at Warden Tuesday evening. They are scheduled to play at Freeman on Friday night and will host Creston Saturday night.

At Warden Tuesday night, the Tigers sailed to a 71-48 win in the non-league encounter. Jeske scored 23 points and Meise 19 to help the Tigers in their 23-point margin win. Quarter scores were Odessa 19, 16, 13 and 23 for 71; Warden 10, 11, 9, 18 for 48. Haase scored 12, Wiest 9, Meek 6 and Dale Deife 2. Odessa is now 12-1 in season play.

25 years ago

The Odessa Record

January 12, 1995

Kelly Watkins becomes certified police officer: Kelly G. Watkins is Odessa's newest state certified police officer.

He returned to the Odessa Police Department last month after graduating from the state Basic Law Enforcement Academy in Seattle. There he completed an intensive 12-week curriculum including instruction in criminal law criminal justice, criminal investigation and traffic enforcement procedures as well as an emergency vehicle operations and aerobics.

The academy is operated under the auspices of the Washington State Criminal Justice Commission. The instructors are officers from police departments of various Washington cities.

Watkins was among 31 who graduated as state certified police officers. Other eastern Washington graduates were from Ritzville and Walla Walla.

He is particularly proud to be a member of the police department in the town where he grew up. He graduated from Odessa High School in 1987 and joined the Odessa Police Department in July 1990. He attended the police reserve academy in Moses Lake, graduating from there in July 1991.

Watkins served with the department as reserve officer until the end of 1992, when he became a part reserve officer, sharing his time as an Odessa municipal employee with the Public Works Department. He was hired full time by the Odessa Police Department in January 1994.

He is part of a three-man force, which also includes Police Chief Randy Carlson and Police Sergeant Chip Hunt.

His patrol car is filled with sophisticated monitoring and detection equipment, including a camcorder video which records video pictures through the windshield even at night, a radar gun and a remote portable microphone records on a device in the car.

Watkins says he has observed an increase in crime in Odessa during his years with the department. Drug-related cases, he says, account for a considerable amount of this increase.

Taken as a whole, however, Odessa is a pleasant and peaceful place to work and raise a family, he believes.

"The most important role we of the police department can plan in a small town is being visible," he said.

Kelly and his wife, Sherry, have a 17-month-old daughter, Lexi.

How about a spring fling parade?: Why wouldn't a parade be an interesting feature for Spring Fling this year?

That was one of the first questions Odessa Economic Development Committee project director Kathy Valenta asked following Tuesday's meeting of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, where she had been named coordinator of events for Odessa's annual spring festival, which falls on April 29.

Valenta suggested a parade could be simple and still be fun. She envisioned it as an event in which children, riders, the school band and Odessa's royalty with their float might participate. The parade, of course, would carry a springtime theme.

At this early date, activities for Spring Fling are already shaping up. Many of last year's favorite attractions will be back.

The Bureau of Land Management in cooperation with the American Mustang Association will sponsor a horse adoption at Lakeview Ranch. BLM geologists, botanists and archaeologists will guide a nature walk through the Channeled Scablands at the ranch.

The quilt show, which has grown into an event recognized throughout the state, will be a major attraction. The Odessa Lions Club will again sponsor trout fishing from a tank in cooperation with the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council.

Other events, which took place last year, include a golf tournament, three-on-three basketball, a horseshoe tournament and yard sales. It is hoped these activities will find sponsors and will be available again this year.

Valenta said there is a possibility of an on-road/off-road bike race, now in the planning stage. To be held at Lakeview, it is expected to be part of a statewide rally.

Volunteers are needed to direct some of the activities, among them the arts and crafts exhibits and a dance.

Valenta has invited everyone to contribute ideas for a bigger and better spring festival. She may be contacted at the Odessa EDC office in Record Square or by telephoning 982-2232.