Jackalyn Rainosek is Born a True Child of West Texas

Growing up an only child in Odessa, Texas, Jackalyn Rainosek is familiar with the shortgrass prairie of far western Texas. Odessa is said to have been named in response to the terrain’s resemblance to the steppes pf Russia’s Ukraine.

Odessa began its life in 1881 as a place to water and ship cattle on the Texas and Pacific Railroad. Odessa added a post office, and became a county seat, but was not officially recognized as a city until 1927 when oil was discovered in the county. The population of Odessa has grown, or diminished, with the prosperity linked to oil droughts or oil gluts. Today’s population sits around 115,000, and unfortunately, its violent crime rate is the highest in Texas today, which was not the case as Jackalyn Rainosek grew up in its hot summers, mild, dry winters, and perpetual high winds.

Odessa struggled during Jackalyn Rainosek’s youth there, with its economic dependence on the variations in the price of crude oil, as it watched boom and bust cycles for years adversely impact the economic support for education, health and social services. To find greater economic sustainability, Odessa has attempted to capitalize upon its location, centralized along major roadway and railroad routes through the western region. City officials have been moderately successful in these efforts, as major retail distribution facilities have located in Odessa, including Family Dollar and Coca Cola. Energy diversification followed these efforts, as the building of a wind farm and plans for a clean coal plant have the potential to add over 8,000 new jobs. There is also interest in building a solar collector in the area of Odessa, which would further wean Odessa away from total dependence on oil to power its citizen’s energy needs.

Jackalyn Rainosek may have been among the first residents to hear the efforts of the newly established Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale, founded in 1962. Odessa College offers two year associate’s degrees in a variety of technical careers, and also boasts an exact replica of the Globe Theatre of Shakespeare fame, hosting annual Shakespeare festivals. The renovated Ector Theater offers a venue for concerts and productions throughout the year for the Odessa community, along with the Permian Playhouse.

As in most of Texas, high school football dominates the sports viewing offerings in Odessa, with Ratliff Stadium, famous for its feature in the Friday Night Lights movie, one of the top ten largest high school stadiums in the state. Ratliff offers regularly scheduled games of the Odessa Bronchos and the Permian Panthers, and Jackalyn Rainosek would have enjoyed those traditional contests with fellow students.

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