Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
But come to the Firemen’s BBQ
ODESSA – At its regularly scheduled June 28, 2021 meeting, the Odessa Town Council followed the advice of county and local fire district officials and urged Mayor Bill Crossley to declare an emergency to the Town of Odessa due to the extreme fire danger caused by drought and due also to the extended period of hot weather we are currently experiencing. The emergency declaration wants to discourage the discharge of all fireworks within the town for the current July 4 holiday weekend. Please be safe. The fire department has been very busy so far this summer, and it is still only June.
State law requires a one-year waiting period to ban fireworks. The Revised Code of Washington 70.77.250(4) says, "Any ordinances adopted by a county or city that are more restrictive than state law shall have an effective date no sooner than one year after their adoption."
According to the Municipal Research and Services Center, which provides guidance to municipalities, "it is not clear whether local governments have the authority to impose an immediate fireworks ban during periods of high fire danger ... so local governments will need to evaluate the possible legal risks of enacting an emergency measure that restricts or bans the discharge of fireworks."
Well that certainly makes the issue clear as mud. Council members, the mayor and both the rural and town fire chiefs were extremely worried about the danger that fireworks could spark wildfires in or near the town and on local farms.
The Record has also learned that the school has already posted signs saying that fireworks would not be allowed at the athletic fields, as they have been in the past, again citing the extreme fire danger. The extreme temperatures are forecast to last through this weekend and into next week, slowly dropping from a high of over 113 degrees on Tuesday of this week to highs of just 100 degrees most of next week.
So let’s just skip the fireworks this year and enjoy the Independence Day holiday weekend with the members of the Odessa Fire Department as they put on their annual July 4 barbecue on Sunday. The following Monday is a federal holiday for those who might not otherwise get a day off from work to celebrate Independence Day. But be advised, it will still be hot.
Like last year, the event involves take-out lunches served from the community center’s outdoor food service window. The menu consists of pulled-pork sandwiches with BBQ sauce, baked beans, potato salad and sliced watermelon. For a donation to the fire department, the firemen and their families and friends will serve the pre-packaged lunches from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they should be well prepared to avoid running out of food this year. Given the uncertainties of last year’s July 4 under Covid restrictions, planning that year underestimated how many folks would want to participate, and thus the food ran out early.
Also available for those with limited transportation options will be a delivery service by the firemen. Call Roger Sebesta at 509-988-0226 to request delivery.
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