History

(Reprinted with permission from the Town of Odessa website). Updated 1-12-21

Welcome to Odessa, a friendly, small town located at the hub of life’s best qualities.

Are you frustrated by the hustle and bustle of traffic congestion, on-ramps, and turnpikes? Wouldn’t you like to go where accidents are few and far between? You won’t find a traffic light in Odessa, because we don’t require one! Wouldn’t you like to park your car at the local grocery store and not need to hail a taxi to get to the entrance door? At Odessa Foods grocery store, the checker will know your name, remember that it’s your birthday and probably even know your dog’s name! The entire community acknowledges that my Dachshund’s name is, “Pretzel” and they also know what her favorite treat is; “Vita’s” skinless, pickled herring in wine sauce! Now you know, too!

You already know about our dependable infrastructure, outstanding schools, accomplished hospital and our very competitive commerce. I want to take this opportunity to identify what is really unique about Odessa. Our citizens know how fortunate they are to be able to walk the streets of town without fear, knowing that our family, friends, and homes are safe and protected.  I take pride in knowing that I can send my grandkids to the store or park without having to have an adult “handcuffed” to their wrists for a safe return. In our small town, watching out for others’, children and neighbors alike, is a common practice.

Lets look up and down our “main street”, where buildings of the early 1900’s still stand proud. You see the storefronts where all of Odessa’s shoppers are coming and going. You will see that everyone is greeting one another and taking time to stop for a quick chat as they walk along the sidewalk. There is more than a sense of belonging here, because people know and care about each other.

Odessa is a town where business owners dig deep, many times a year to help with countless fund raising projects. There are many clubs and organizations for all ages with multiple interests that are available to keep you busy. Odessa is a small town where non-locals may think that there is nothing to do, however, local volunteers don’t have enough time to even come close to getting done what they hoped to.

Odessa is a town where, when you dial the wrong number with the “982” prefix, you still end up talking for a half an hour to the person on the other end of the line. Odessa is where you can’t walk to work for exercise in the morning without saying “No thanks” for the ride because every few blocks a neighbor offers to give you a lift.

Odessa is a town where everyone shows up at the high school football  and basketball games even after their kids have graduated.

These are all the little things that Odessa has to offer that are easy for our locals to forget and tend to take for granted. These are the things which sets Odessa apart from all the rest and that make our lives so unique in our small town.

It is my privilege to invite you to come and see what is uniquely Odessa and experience a typical day in the life of an Odessa citizen.

Odessa is where integrity, security and community are the rule, rather than the exception. To find out more about what Odessa has to offer your family, please visit our newly developing, user friendly website at www.odessawa.com

Come to Odessa, Washington and experience what “MasterCard” can’t even buy!

Welcome to Odessa!

Former Mayor, Doug Plinski