Odessa, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 72.48.175.130 (talk) at 15:04, 4 November 2013 (→‎Local government). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the Ukrainian city, see Odessa.
Odessa, Texas
City
Ector County Coliseum in Odessa.
Ector County Coliseum in Odessa.
Location in the state of Texas
Location in the state of Texas
CountryUnited States United States
StateTexas Texas
CountiesEctor, Midland
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • City CouncilMayor David Turner
Roger McNeil
Dewey Bryant
Barbara Graff
Dean Combs
Sandra Carrasco
 • City ManagerRichard Morton
Area
 • Total44 sq mi (113.9 km2)
 • Land43.9 sq mi (113.7 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
2,900 ft (884 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total99,940
 • Density2,277/sq mi (879.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
79760-69
Area code432
FIPS code48-53388Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1343067Template:GR
Websitewww.odessa-tx.gov
Odessa welcome sign along Interstate 20
The American State Bank building is the tallest building in Odessa.
Ector County Library in downtown Odessa

Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Template:GR Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census making it the 31st-most populous city in Texas.[1] It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ector County. The metropolitan area is also a component of the larger Midland–Odessa combined statistical area, which had a population of 266,941 as of July 1, 2009, estimate.[2]

History

Odessa was founded in 1881 as a water stop and cattle-shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway. The first post office opened in 1885. Odessa became the county seat of Ector County in 1891 when the county was first organized. It became an incorporated city in 1927, after oil was discovered in Ector County on the Connell Ranch southwest of Odessa.[3][4]

With the opening of the Penn Field in 1929, and the Cowden Field in 1930, oil became a major draw for new residents. In 1925, the population was just 750; by 1929, it had risen to 5,000. Due to increased demand for oil during the second world war, the city's population had expanded to 10,000.[3]

Geography

Odessa is located along the southwestern edge of the Llano Estacado in West Texas. It is situated above the Permian Basin, a large sedimentary deposit that contains significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.9 square miles (96 km2), 36.8 square miles (95 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.19%) is covered by water.

Culture

Performing arts

The Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale (MOSC) was founded in 1962[5] has performed in the Permian Basin for over 51 years, and is the region's largest orchestral organization, presenting both Pops and Masterworks concerts throughout the year. Composed of professional musicians from the area, as well as Lubbock, San Angelo, and other surrounding cities, the MOSC also is home to three resident chamber ensembles, the Lone Star Brass, Permian Basin String Quartet, and West Texas Winds. These ensembles are made up of principal musicians in the orchestra, who come to the area from across the United States.

The Globe of the Great Southwest, located on the campus of Odessa College, the community college in Odessa, features an authentic replica of William Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. It hosts plays and other community groups throughout the year, as well as an annual Shakespeare festival.

Built in 1951, the Ector Theater served as one Odessa's finest theaters until it closed. Today, the renovated 700-seat theater provides the community with classic movies, live theatrical productions, and concerts.

The Permian Playhouse has provided music, dance, drama, suspense, and comedy for over 40 years.

Sports

Odessa is home to the West Texas Roughnecks, a team in the Indoor Football League. The Odessa Jackalopes junior A ice hockey team plays its home games at Ector County Coliseum. High school football is also popular. Ratliff Stadium, which was featured in the movie Friday Night Lights, is home to the Odessa Bronchos and the Permian Panthers. It is one of the largest high school stadiums in the state.Template:Listed as seventh in capacity within Texas http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/cap index.php

Media

Radio

  • KLFB 88.1 FM (Religious)
  • KFRI 88.7 FM (Christian Contemporary)
  • KBMM 89.5 FM (Religious)
  • KFLB-FM 90.5 FM (Christian Contemporary)
  • KXWT 91.3 FM (Public Radio)
  • KAWZ 91.9 FM (Religious)
  • KNFM 92.3 FM (Country)
  • KZBT 93.3 FM (Hip-Hop)
  • KTXO 94.7 FM (Rhythmic Oldies)
  • KQRX 95.1 FM (Rock)
  • KMRK-FM 96.1 FM (Country)
  • KMCM 96.9 FM (Oldies)
  • KODM 97.9 FM (Adult Contemporary)
  • KHKX 99.1 FM (Country)
  • KBAT 99.9 FM (Rock)
  • KMMZ 101.3 FM (Regional Mexican)
  • KFLB 101.7 FM (Religious)
  • KFZX 102.1 FM (Classic Rock)
  • KCRS 103.3 FM (Top-40)
  • KTXC 104.7 FM (Regional Mexican)
  • KCHX 106.7 FM (Adult Contemporary)
  • KWEL 107.1 FM (Talk)
  • KQLM 107.9 FM (Spanish)
  • KCRS 550 AM (News/Talk)
  • KERB 600 AM (Spanish)
  • KXOI 810 AM (Spanish)
  • KFLB 920 AM (Religious)
  • KWEL 1070 AM (Talk)
  • KLPF 1150 AM (Religious)
  • KOZA 1230 AM (Spanish)
  • KRIL 1410 AM (Classic Country)
  • KMND 1510 AM (Sports)

Television

Newspaper

Tourism

The White-Pool House, built in 1887, is the oldest structure still standing in Odessa. Open to visitors at 112 East Murphy Street near South Grant Avenue, the building is included among the National Register of Historic Places.
Stonehenge replica on campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa
Entrance sign at Odessa College

Odessa's Presidential Museum and Leadership Library, on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, is the only facility of its kind in the United States—dedicated to the office of the Presidency, not any particular holder of the Oval Office. There are also displays about the Presidents of the Republic of Texas. The museum was pushed to fruition by the late State Representative George "Buddy" West of Odessa.

After fighting financial hardships, the Presidential Museum closed its doors to the public as of 21 August 2009.[6] In February 2009, additional funding allowed the doors to reopen, with negotiations pending for the University of Texas of the Permian Basin to take control of the museum.[7]

The White-Pool House east of downtown is the oldest surviving structure in Odessa. It was built in 1887 and opened as an historic house museum in 1984.

Texon Santa Fe Depot, recently relocated to West Odessa, serves as a museum in honor of the old west and the railroads.

The Parker House Museum is Odessa's newest addition to the historical records of Odessa. In 1935, the Parker family moved into this modest house located on 1,290 acres (5.2 km2). It represents the lifestyle of a prominent ranching family, who served the communities of Andrews and Ector Counties since 1907.

Odessa Meteor Crater, an impact crater 550 feet (170 m) in diameter, is located southwest of the city.

Odessa has a Stonehenge replica on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Completed in 2004, the replica is horizontally equal to the Stonehenge in England, but only 70% of the vertical height of the original.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19302,407—
19409,573297.7%
195029,495208.1%
196080,338172.4%
197078,380−2.4%
198090,02714.9%
199089,699−0.4%
200090,9431.4%
201099,9409.9%
2012 (est.)106,1026.2%
U.S. Census Bureau[8] Texas Almanac[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.0 square miles (114 km2). 43.9 square miles (114 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.05%) is covered by water.

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2010, 99,940 people, 35,216 households, and 27,412 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,276.5 people per square mile (954.2/km²). There were 43,687 housing units at an average density of 995.1 per square mile (384.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.4% White, 5.7% Black, 1.1% Asian, 1.0% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 14.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 50.6%.[10]

Of the 53,216 households, 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were not families. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65, and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city, the population was distributed as 29.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,000 and for a family was $27,869. Males had a median income of $50,000 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,096. About 16.0% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 000.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $136.8 million in revenues, $126.4 million in expenditures, $319 million in total assets, $155 million in total liabilities, and $123.6 million in cash and investments.[11]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:[12]

City Department Director
City Manager Richard Morton
Billing and Collection Director Agapito Bernal
Building Inspection Director Ralph M. McCain
Building Services Director Dale Baker
City Secretary Norma Grimaldo
Assistant City Manager-Community Services Michael Marrero
City Engineer Director Ajay Shakyaver, P.E.
Equipment Services Director Doug Hildebrand
Director of Finance Felicia Nzere
Interim Fire Chief Roger Boyd
Human Resources Director Clifton Beck
Information Technology Director Leisha Meine-Bailey
City Attorney Larry Long
Municipal Court Director Kathryn Wells-Vogel
Parks & Recreation Director Steve Patton
Planning & Zoning Director Marwan Khoury
Police Chief Timothy Burton
Public Safety Communications Director Dianne Rimer
Public Works Director Matthew S. Squyres, P.E.
Purchasing Director Phillip J. Urrutia, MPA, CPM
Risk Management Director Darrell E. Wells
Solid Waste Director Oscar Maldonado
Street Director Pat Sullivan
Traffic Engineering Director Hal Feldman
Utilities Director Matthew Irvin

State representation

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Odessa District Parole Office in Odessa.[13]

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates three post offices, Odessa,[14] Northeast Odessa,[15] and West Odessa in Odessa.[16]

Education

Universities and colleges

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) began in 1973. UTPB was an upper level and graduate university until the Texas Legislature passed a bill in spring 1991 to allow the university to accept freshmen and sophomores. As of 2006, the university was holding discussions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about construction of a new High-Temperature Teaching and Test Reactor which, if successful, would finish licensing and construction around 2012. It would also be the first university-based research reactor to be built in the US in roughly a decade, and be one of the few HTGR-type reactors in the world. In January 2006, UTPB's School of Business was awarded accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). AACSB is generally regarded as the premier accreditation agency for the world's business schools. According to the University, only 30% of business schools in the United States, and 15% of world business schools, have received AACSB accreditation.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin Campus opened as a School of Medicine in 1979, beginning in the basement of Medical Center Hospital. Since 1994, TTUHSC Permian Basin has included a School of Allied Health, offering a master's degree in physical therapy. Also, on the campus of Midland College, it offers a physician assistant program. Additionally, TTUHSC Permian Basin includes a School of Nursing focusing on primary care and rural health. In June 1999, the Texas Tech Health Center opened as a clinic, providing increased access to primary and specialized health care for the Permian Basin. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin also operates 21 WIC clinics located in nearby small communities.

Odessa College is a public, two-year college based in Odessa, serving the people of Ector County and the Permian Basin. It opened in 1952 and currently enrolls about 5,000 annually in its university-parallel and occupational/technical courses, and 11,000 students annually in its Basic Education, Continuing Education, and Community Recreation courses.

Primary and secondary schools

The Ector County Independent School District was established in 1921, in a consolidation of seven area schools. The district now contains 35 campuses. It administers three high schools:Permian High School, Odessa High School, and New Tech Odessa.

Also, many private schools are located in Odessa, including Latter Rain Christian School, Odessa Christian School, Permian Basin Christian School, St. John's Episcopal School, St. Marys Central Catholic School, Montessori Midland School Of Odessa, Rainey School of Montessori, Sherwood Christian Academy, and Zion Christian Academy. Odessa is also home to three charter schools: Compass Academy, Harmony Science Academy-Odessa, and Richard Milburn Academy-Odessa.

Libraries

  • Ector County Library
  • Murry H. Fly Learning Resource Center
  • The J. Conrad Dunagan Library

Economy

Though the economy is primarily driven by the area's oil industry, new economic steps are currently being taken to ensure the city's existence after oil is no longer abundant in the area. Odessa is also a stop on—and a supporter of—the La Entrada al Pacifico trade corridor. In 2003, Family Dollar Corporation opened its eighth distribution center in Odessa's new industrial business park. Coca Cola built a new distribution center in Odessa in early 2007. Growth in construction of new retail in the city's northeast side has increased in recent years, with three new shopping centers currently planned and one in the construction phase. Many hotels have also been planned, with some in the completion phase. In November 2007, the city approved a contract with a company that develops armaments for US Army helicopters to begin operations in Odessa.

Odessa has also taken steps to diversify the energy it provides. A new wind farm has been constructed in northern Ector County.[17] A new clean coal plant has also been announced for a site previously entered in the Futuregen bidding. The new plant will be run by Summit Power and will be located near Penwell.[18] This new plant could lead to the creation of 8,000 jobs to the area.[19] There are also plans for a nuclear power plant to be run in conjunction with the nuclear engineering department at UTPB, called HT3R, or the "High-Temperature Teaching and Test Reactor". This reactor is planned to be near Andrews. Prospective developers of a solar collector in the area also have visited recently.[20]

The Ector County Coliseum is host to the Permian Basin International Oil Show on every even-numbered year.

Odessa has one regional enclosed mall (Music City Mall), which includes Dillards, JC Penney, Sears, Burlington Coat Factory, an indoor ice skating rink, and a television station. Additionally, more than 100 specialty retailers are located in the mall.

Largest employers

According to the city's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[21] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer Number of
employees
1 Ector County Independent School District 3,317
2 Medical Center Hospital 1,598
3 Saulsbury Industries 1,350
4 Halliburton 997
5 Odessa Regional Medical Center 900
6 Walmart 895
7 City of Odessa 833
8 Ector County 659
9 Nurses Unlimited 584
10 Weatherford 510

Rabbit as symbol

The jack rabbit has become the symbol of Odessa. Beginning in 1932, Odessa held a rodeo for roping rabbits. In one competition, cowgirl Grace Hendricks roped a rabbit from horseback in five seconds and beat her male competitors. The unusual rodeo ended in 1977 because of objections from the Humane Society.[22] Many businesses and residences about Odessa display models of rabbits.

Transportation

Air

Midland International Airport is served by:

Roads

Notable people

In popular culture

The book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, by author H. G. Bissinger, and the subsequent movie (Friday Night Lights) are based on the 1988 football season of the Permian High School, one of the two high school football teams in Odessa.[25] Many of the characters mentioned in the book still reside in Odessa (as of January 2007). A TV show, also by the name Friday Night Lights, aired from 2006 to 2011. It is loosely based on the book and movie, but takes place in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas.

A reality series on the TV Guide Channel followed the reporters of the local CBS affiliate, KOSA-TV. The show was titled Making News: Texas Style.[26]

A portion of the Tommy Lee Jones film The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada was filmed in Odessa.[27]

The truTV reality show Black Gold is based on three oil wells outside of Odessa, as well as some locations in Odessa, such as the local Hooters restaurant.[28]

Odessa is mentioned in James A. Michener's Texas as a city where “[y]ou are more likely to be murdered ... than in any other city in the nation”.

Odessa is used as the hometown setting for Claire Bennett and her family in Season 1 of the NBC show Heroes. The town is mentioned many times throughout the series.

Climate

Climate data for Odessa, Texas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 91
(33) 		98
(37) 		99
(37) 		101
(38) 		113
(45) 		112
(44) 		110
(43) 		108
(42) 		110
(43) 		102
(39) 		88
(31) 		85
(29) 		113
(45)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 57.5
(14.2) 		61.0
(16.1) 		69.9
(21.1) 		80.2
(26.8) 		88.3
(31.3) 		94.8
(34.9) 		93.8
(34.3) 		93.4
(34.1) 		86.3
(30.2) 		76.4
(24.7) 		65.5
(18.6) 		57.5
(14.2) 		77.0
(25.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 34.7
(1.5) 		38.1
(3.4) 		45.2
(7.3) 		54.2
(12.3) 		63.1
(17.3) 		70.6
(21.4) 		72.0
(22.2) 		71.8
(22.1) 		65.3
(18.5) 		55.2
(12.9) 		43.8
(6.6) 		35.4
(1.9) 		54.1
(12.3)
Record low °F (°C) 2
(−17) 		−5
(−21) 		19
(−7) 		27
(−3) 		33
(1) 		50
(10) 		56
(13) 		53
(12) 		43
(6) 		30
(−1) 		11
(−12) 		5
(−15) 		−5
(−21)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.50
(13) 		0.67
(17) 		0.68
(17) 		0.58
(15) 		1.77
(45) 		1.22
(31) 		1.54
(39) 		1.84
(47) 		1.97
(50) 		1.58
(40) 		0.66
(17) 		0.57
(14) 		13.57
(345)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.4
(1.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.4
(1.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.3 3.4 3.5 2.6 4.0 3.9 4.2 4.8 4.8 4.8 2.7 3.1 45.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1
Percent possible sunshine 66 69 73 78 78 81 81 77 77 72 74 65 74
Source: NOAA (normals 1981−2010, percent sunshine through 2009)[29][30]

References

  1. ^ http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_QTPL&prodType=table
  2. ^ "Table 2. Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 (CBSA-EST2007-02)". 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-03-27. Archived from the original (CSV) on June 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  3. ^ a b Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/OO/hdo1.html (accessed April 10, 2010).
  4. ^ "Ector County, Texas History". historictexas.net. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  5. ^ "MOSC History".
  6. ^ Presidential Museum Closes. CBS7 News, 21 August 2009. [1][dead link] Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Presidential Museum to Reopen Just in Time for President's Day Weekend". kwes.com. KWES NewsWest 9. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  8. ^ "Odessa city, Texas - QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  9. ^ "City Population History from 1850 to 2000" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Texas State History Association.
  10. ^ "QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau".
  11. ^ City of Odessa CAFR Retrieved 2009-07-20
  12. ^ "City of Odessa - TX : City Department Directory". odessa-tx.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  13. ^ "DIRECTORY - REGIONAL AND DISTRICT PAROLE OFFICES REGION V." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  14. ^ "Post Office Location - ODESSA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  15. ^ "Post Office Location - NORTHEAST ODESSA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  16. ^ "Post Office Location - WEST ODESSA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  17. ^ Folsom, Jeff (October 21, 2009). "Extension agents look forward". Odessa American Online. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  18. ^ "Clean coal project could be game-changer for Texas". Texas Clean Energy Project. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  19. ^ Folsom, Jeff (December 26, 2009). "Summit impact". Odessa American Online. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  20. ^ "Odessa in running for solar facility". Odessa American Online. August 14, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  21. ^ City of Odessa 2011 CAFR
  22. ^ Texas Historical Commission marker, Jack Rabbit, downtown Odessa, 1964
  23. ^ http://www.airnav.com/airport/KODO
  24. ^ "Roy E. Williams". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  25. ^ Merron, Jeff. "The Reel Life". Page 3. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  26. ^ ""Making News: Texas Style" (2007)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  27. ^ "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) - Filming locations". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  28. ^ "Black Gold: Going Deeper: Facts and Stats". trutv.com. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  29. ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  30. ^ "Average Percent Sunshine: Data Through 2009". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Odessa, Texas.

Template:Texas cities and mayors of 100,000 population

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Odessa,_Texas&oldid=580163461"