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Old Grocery Store on N. Golder Ave.
Some of you may have seen this old grocery store just north of Dos Amigos on N. Golder in Odessa. One can only wonder what was sold here. Maybe penny candys and dill pickles for the kids and canned and dry goods for the rest of the family. Whatever it was, it seems a huge change from shopping at the megastores as we all do now. I bet it was quiet in there - no piped in music to "enhance our shopping experience". There were no plastic bags to litter the countryside, no chemical preservatives in the food, and no store managers/traffic cops herding the shoppers into the checkout lines. I'm wishing this little grocery was still open.
Former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, came to Odessa on February 21, 2008. The former two term President was campaigning on behalf of his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, who is currently running for President. Clinton spoke on the campus of Odesa College to a largely enthusiastic Democratic audience. His speech touched on Senator Clinton's positions on a number of issues important to her campaign and to the voters. Other featured speakers included Odessa College President Dr. Gregory Williams, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers, and Ector County Democratic Chairman John Wilkins.
The UTPB Duck Pond
I try to make it over to UTPB 4 or 5 times a week to exercise, either on my bicycle or on foot. When I’m there I make sure to walk or ride by the duck pond. It’s across from the art building and the Stonehenge replica nearby. There’s usually someone - maybe a parent and a child or maybe a UTPB employee on a break - sitting on the benches or on the grass watching and listening to the ducks. It’s really a pleasant and calming thing to do in the middle of a hectic day. A lot of people feed the ducks - bread mostly - and the ducks flap their wings appreciatively in response, quacking all the while.
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
It is estimated that 5 billion prairie dogs populated the North American plains when Lewis and Clark made their famous journey across America in 1804. Odessa has large communities of these members of the rodent family living in what are called prarie dog towns or colonies on the campus of UTPB and on the grounds of Sherwood Park. The colonies are underground tunnel systems leading to various chambers which are bedded with dry leaves and grass. There are many entrances to the colony, the most recognizable being a hard-packed mound of earth reaching about 1 foot above the ground.
Odessa High School
I graduated from Odessa High School in 1976. I lived within 4 blocks of OHS growing up and seemed to have spent as much time there before attending as I did while enrolled but that's another story entirely. Emmit Cavin was the principal when I graduated. Dub Farris was the football coach. I like to think that I received a good education during my time there. I guess it's hard to tell. From what I'm told, things are a lot different at OHS now. I've been in the building a few times since I graduated and I'll admit, it feels a little strange. I don't remember my classmates and I looking nearly as young as the current students do.
Buffalo Wallow
This closeup shot of a statue of a Native American face was taken at the Buffalo Wallow duck pond. As you can see, the quality of the work is quite good. It's nice to see such impressive displays of creativity while walking or jogging around the pond. Buffalo Wallow is located just west of John Ben Shepherd Parkway on E. 42nd Street in Odessa. There is a variety of water fowl to see in and around the pond including ducks, geese, herons, and the inimitable pigeon. You'll also see quite a few turtles sunning on the rocks near the water's edge. Mornings are a good time to go if you'd like to avoid the crowds and see the birds in a more "natural state".
Odessa Raiload Tracks
When I was born in 1958, Odessa was divided racially along the railroad tracks running along 1st Street. White people lived north of the tracks and black and Latino people lived to the south. This was not unusual in Texas at the time or in the entirety of the southern United States. The Supreme Court, in Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, had already declared separate but equal schools to be unconstitutional but integration of those schools and the neighborhoods that surrounded them were slow to change. Odessa is now an integrated city but it didn't happen without it's fair share of dissension and controversy.