The Chinook Observer – January 7, 2015
When I saw the headline about “Oller’s dream” on Page A3 of the Observer. I felt a little surge of hope. For a nano-second. Then my mind began processing the words and I read the article and thought about its content and… hope evaporated.
I’m not a swimmer. I don’t really give a rip whether Verna Oller’s dream comes to fruition or not. But I do care about what Verna Oller wanted to have happen to her hard-earned money and I care about the facts as I know them.
In 2007 Guy Glenn, Verna’s friend and attorney, contacted me about interviewing Verna and becoming the recipient of her secret. Up to that point, no one except Guy (and possibly his family) knew that, through a prudent lifestyle and educated investing, Verna had amassed $4.5 million dollars. Her dream, she told me, was to leave it to the City of Long Beach for a swimming pool.
At first, Verna had thought a library for Long Beach would be a good idea, but she wanted whatever came of the money to be used and enjoyed by people of all ages and she thought infants and young children would not get as much out of a library as they would from a swimming pool. ALL AGES. Not a local swim facility for children as the headline states.
Verna Oller, 2007
She went to the city hall in Astoria to find out how they had managed the nuts and bolts of funding for their Aquatic Center and, based on her research, specified that her money should build the pool but the City of Long Beach would have to fund its maintenance. And that has been the rub. I’ve never quite understood why unless her dream of a swimming pool is being confused with an elaborate aquatic center like Astoria’s. That was certainly not my impression from Verna during our interview. A swimming pool. Nothing fancy. At least not that she discussed with me.
Nor was the idea of leaving a portion of the money to the Ocean Beach Education Foundation a part of Verna’s original concept, she told me. But when Guy suggested it, she thought it made sense. So she incorporated that possibility into her plan. She asked that I not reveal any of our discussion until after her death. I went home, wrote up the story and showed it to Verna for her approval and then ‘sat on it’ for the next two years. I kept the notes and my original article and gave a copy to Guy for safekeeping. I released the story to the Observer in 2009 after Verna’s death, as she had instructed.
From the Observer’s 2007 Archive
So… my initial look at yesterday’s latest headline Avenue opens to fulfill Oller’s dream of a local swim facility for children filled me with hope. But, even discounting the inaccuracies in that headline, I could not make what it said match the substance of the article – which I read and reread and had Nyel read and reread. Now, I ask my readers. Does this paragraph translate into a swimming pool for Long Beach?
…Under the terms of the new agreement, the money may be used for any charitable or educational project “…with an emphasis in promoting swimming and water safety in Pacific County, Washington, and Clatsop County, Oregon”…
Oh. And one other thing. The photo accompanying the article and attributed to Damian Mulinex was actually taken by yours truly back in 2007 when I interviewed Verna for a part of my Observer series “North Beach Girls of the Teens and Twenties.” I guess I should be complimented that the image is now attributed to an award-winning photographer!
Dear award- winning photographer: Methinks from afar that “bones” need to be rattled, and you, Sydney are the one to do the shaking. What you wrote…Under the terms of the new agreement……is an outrageous way of manipulating Verna’s gift. If push gets to shove, do some shoving!
The story looks pretty slippery. Long Beach has been much criticized for its failure to live up to Ms. Oller’ s desires. This looks like more shuffling of nut shells.
This seems to fall very short of Ms. Oller’s dream! Come on Long Beach step up to the plate build a swim facility for all ages and fund it with the creativity you appear to have for changing dreams to fit your fancy! Good work Sydney!
I toally agree with your assessment of the news article. It sounds to me like there are some unethical shenanigans going on here. Not to knock the Educational Foundation, but they do not benefit “all ages” as per Ms. Oller’s request.
And if I’m not mistaken, I do believe that Mr. Glenn’s son is the President of that organization. Not only would that be a conflict of interest, but if the original will was so iron clad, why was a lawyer from Seattle brought in to change it?
Something just isn’t right here.
You wouldn’t be the first photographer to lose credit for a photo in the Observer…
Sydney, thank you for keeping the progress on Aunt Verna’s wishes as a blog topic.
In reference to the quote from the article, it sounds like political flim flammery and politi-speak for “we’re going to do whatever we want, but will make you think that Mrs. Oller’s wish is being honored.” To them I say, Phhfffffffffttt!
Sydney,
I knew Verna,like many locals.The thing that bothers me is about the maintenance and upkeep of such a facility.I believe that there are ways to go about this and getting kids involved is a must.If people were to pay something to get into the pool,like at the Dunes.But yes,then they would need employees.However this is where the local kids come in.High schoolers need community service.Or pool time could be traded for time worked.So many options come to mind.
I deeply appreciate everything that you do and are doing.Thank you.
What happened to the money??? How much of the original bequest remains, and how much has been eaten up by legal fees (Guy Glenn) or “administrative fees”…
As far as I know, Verna’s investments are still intact and the funds continue to grow. I don’t know that any disbursements have yet been made. I believe that there was a five-year waiting period of time ‘built in’ so that Long Beach could make their determination.