This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

Dec. 10, 1920

The annual town election was as expected a very quiet affair more closely resembling a school election than a general one. Shortly after noon only 11 votes had been cast and when the polls closed only 32 had exercised their right of franchise. There was no scratching done on the “Citizens’ Ticket” which, with the limited number of votes, made this election the easiest one to get in the returns of any ever held in Odessa. The newly elected officers are J.C. Michaelsen, mayor; W.L. Smith and Wm. H. Luher, councilmen and Sol Reiman, treasurer.

The high school debate team left for Cheney to meet Cheney High in a series of state debates on the subject, “Resolved that as a prerequisite of strike or lockout, employers and employees should be required to submit industrial disputes to a board of arbitration.” The Odessa team will defend the negative side of the question instead of the affirmative as it did at home when it won over Waterville. The team of La Fay Finstad, Tolbert Schimke and Charles Cone, for the first time in the school’s history, is composed entirely of boys.

75 years ago

Dec. 12, 1945

[Editor’s note: The Record has no issues for this date in 1945. The items here are actually from the Dec. 19 issue.].

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hemmerling have sold the Hemmerling hotel here to Mrs. Freda B. Grasty of Spokane, who took possession on the first of the month. Mr. and Mrs. Hemmerling have taken apartments in the building at the present time.

Ten members of the local Lions Club went to Republic Sunday morning, returning that evening with Christmas trees for the street decorations. Making the trip were Sam Fink, Al Wagner, Winston Weber, Virgil Kiesz, Sam Richardson, Elmer Schafer, Al Wolfe, George Zicha, Howard Iltz and Don King.

50 years ago

Dec. 10, 1970.

A heavy, wet snowfall Thursday morning brought an unexpected early bus run and school closing after lunch. Winds in the rural areas and drifting snow were given as reasons for the closure, although the weather did start to clear just as the buses headed out of town. Although school was back in session Friday morning, the Thursday evening wrestling match with Medical Lake had been canceled because of the hazardous highway conditions. Bread truck driver Jerry Weber reported that the highway from the Grange hall into Wilbur had been one-way last week with the drifting snow, more having fallen earlier in that area than in Odessa.

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25 years ago

Dec. 7, 1995

Three downtown businesses were hit early Friday morning by break-ins, with the theft of an undisclosed amount of money at two of the firms. Gary Seibel on his newspaper delivery route turned in the alarm to Odessa Police at 4:45 a.m., when he saw broken glass and a jimmied front door frame at Denny’s Thrift. Investigating Officer Kelly Watkins, at the scene within 10 minutes, found no evidence of burglary, either of cash or merchandise, according to Police Chief Randy Carlson. Two other break-ins were discovered within a block of Denny’s, one at the Sidepocket Restaurant/Lounge on First Ave. and the other across the street at the Pastime Tavern. In each, front doors were pried open. At Sidepocket, cash was stolen from the office and from coin boxes ripped out of two pool tables and a jukebox. At the Pastime, a safe was burglarized of an undisclosed amount of cash. Fingerprint and blood evidence were taken from the scenes and sent to the state crime lab. Police have questioned one suspect and have another under investigation.