Verna Oller, 2007
There are some things that are just not a good idea to talk about because no matter what you say, unless of course you are following ‘the party line,’ you are going to be stepping on toes. One of those subjects is education – as in I’m sort of sick of the schools being the be-all-end-all recipient of every bit of spare change we can scrape up.
Several recent incidents come to mind. First is the Verna Oller fortune. I am not one bit convinced that every effort was made to find a way to honor Verna’s wishes. She wanted, pure and simple, a public pool in Long Beach. It didn’t have to be Olympic sized. It didn’t have to be an aquatic center or be equipped with Jacuzzis or anything fancy. Verna just wanted the City of Long Beach to have a pool that would serve people of all ages. Period. She told me so herself.
As a cautionary measure, she was advised to have a backup position and she agreed that the Ocean Beach Education Foundation could serve that purpose. Back up. Somehow, it doesn’t surprise me that the main idea became lost early in the process of deciding how to proceed.
Or, how about the Water Music Festival? If you were around in the 1980s, you remember that the purpose was to bring baroque chamber music to the Peninsula. With that purpose in mind, small venues were chosen – like the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center with its magnificent views overlooking the ocean and the Oysterville Church in the evening by candlelight. Small venues for small, local audiences.
Water Music Festival Poster, 1993
Somewhere along the line the purpose changed. Bigger audiences were desired and wooed from the big cities. Then there was a need for bigger venues. Since baroque music wasn’t a huge draw, the music genres being offered were changed and then the fundraising efforts, instead of going to support the Water Music Festival itself, were earmarked for the music program at the high school. A worthy destination for the funds, no doubt. But not what the original intent was. I well remember the hours and hours of planning and dreaming that went into those first years of the Festival. How sad that ensuing boards of directors lost their way.
I would be the first to say (and probably was) that Admiral Jack Williams’ idea to establish the Ocean Beach Education Foundation was one of the best-ever notions anyone has had on this Peninsula. It has been an amazingly successful endeavor. But why in the world do other equally significant ideas have to be diverted in that direction? And why must we all clap and cheer just because kids are the beneficiaries?
One of the greatest gifts we can give our young people is a culturally rich and diverse community. Our theater groups have been a tremendous plus in that direction and I commend the leadership and enthusiasm of both the Peninsula Players and PAPA. Ditto our Timberland Libraries in Ilwaco and Ocean Park, our excellent museums, the programs offered by the Friends of the Willapa Wildlife Refuge and the local birding groups – to say nothing of our State and National Parks. Let’s just keep pushing the envelope!
NOTE (lest readers think I haven’t ‘paid my dues’): When I write opinion pieces like this, I feel the need for an Editor’s commentary that would go something like this: Sydney Stevens was an elementary classroom teacher for forty years, most of them in our local school district. Over the course of her career she won many awards for excellence in teaching and curriculum development, including the coveted Christa McAuliffe award in 1994.
I have fond memories of the Water Music Festival evening performances in the Oysterville Church….by candlelight.
Amen! These days, and I mean NOW, 2014, specifically although ’tis mostly been this way, many people are fearful of stating their opinions in public. As Sydney writes, often times the original idea, grand and creative is lost. If applause is allowed in a sacred space (the Oysterville Church might be a perfect venue) let’s offer a round for pushing envelopes.
Well said, Sydney! Oysterville Church has the best acoustics I the area! It is a lovely venue for Water Music concerts. I say, ‘Go for Baroque,’ and get back to WMF’s roots!
WMF is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, so we must be doing something right. We have returned to small, intimate venues and still talk about the possibility of an evening concert at Oysterville. People from other areas LOVE coming to WMF and, oh by the way, they contribute to our economy when here. We were not able to give the school program much money but feel proud if we have contributed to ongoing music education for any or many of the students. Times do change, as does music culture, and part of our mission is to present a varied musical series so that the musical interests of more citizens are served. Remembering our roots is vital and important, but never being willing to tweak things as necessary just does not make sense. Our concert program for our upcoming 30th anniversary weekend will be exciting for all.
The City of Long Beach claims they couldn’t pay for pool upkeep, but I know my mother was disappointed about the pool not being built. It sounds bogus to me. I know that school districts live and die by levies and tax bases and an impoverished tax base needs all the help it can get, but I agree that it is important that cultural events be given a sense of tradition and importance for the community.