BEVERLY O’NEILL TO SIGN AND DISCUSS HER BIOGRAPHY SATURDAY AT BORDERS
By Dave Wielenga
Former three-time Mayor Beverly O’Neill, who was either the most-belovedly successful politician in Long Beach history or the slickest manipulator of her own image, will be at Borders Books in Los Altos on Saturday to sign and discuss her just-published biography.
The book was written by Harry Saltzgaver, executive editor of Gazette Newspapers and a Parks & Recreation commissioner who was appointed by O’Neill, and his take on his subject is pretty obvious from the title: “Passionately Positive: The Beverly O’Neill Story.” He’ll be at Borders, too.
The event is a great opportunity to get autographs from a couple of Long Beach’s real movers-and-shakers, as well as to ask them some questions that might have been on your mind for awhile, such as:
How much does O’Neill feel that some of the boondoggly projects she pushed through as mayor—moneysucks like The Pike at Rainbow Harbor and the Aquarium of the Pacific—have contributed to Long Beach’s currently desperate economic situation?
Does Saltzgaver feel that his positions as a city policymaker and a journalist are conflicts-of-interest?
Who does their hair?
You can take it from there.
BEVERLY O’NEILL BOOK SIGNING • BORDERS BOOKS • 2110 BELLFLOWER BLVD • LONG BEACH 90815 • 562.799.0486 • SAT 2PM TO 4PM • FREE
17 Comments
“The Beverly O’Neill Story”?!! That title style is as antiquated as an IBM Selective typewriter. Anyone remember “The Lou Gehrig Story” or “The Duke Ellington Story”?
Here’s my idea for a more contemporary title:
“Big-Box Bev!”
Saturday in Los Altos promises to be interesting. O”Donnell is also hosting a fun event this day at Whaley Park…and Funk Fest too?! I can’t wait for the weekend!
Hey Dave! I’m thinking about penning a book as well.I’m considering this for it’s title:”Nominally Negative: The Long Beach Economic Story”.
Perhaps before we get our knickers in a knot and start taking snarky potshots at former Mayor Beverly O’Neill we should first read the book and then post our comments.
Dwight: What are the odds that Saltzgaver’s book is an objective piece of literature?
Snider: After you read the book, feel free to copy/paste excerpts under your Citizen Journalist Quote Of The Day bullshit.
Citizen Journalist Quote of the Day – Cowards, Anonymity of the Internet and the Courage of One’s Convictions
“Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men … have lived. The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality…
“In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience — the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men — each man must decide for himself the course he will follow. The stories of past courage can define that ingredient — they can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”
John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage (1956)
[...] DAVE WIELENGA’S “BEVERLY O’NEILL TO SIGN AND DISCUSS HER BIOGRAPHY SATURDAY AT BORDERS,” JUL… [...]
Snide-r (if that is your real name): Whenever you have points or opinions to make, try showing some Profile in Courage — and some original thought — by expressing them in your own words rather than lazily copying, pasting and posting other peoples’ words.
Here’s the real story:
How much did Ol’ Bev pay Salty – that’s what they call him at the Gazettes – to put together this hand job?
That plus being published by a pay-by-the-copy publisher will send Bev out to the hustings for years on end to break even on this self-glorifying tract – better, I guess, than a gastric tract, more like a gasbag tract.
And speaking of gas…
P.S. to DWR – at least Snider has the profile in courage to post his own name unlike initials (DWR) or a generic identity (writerguy), which makes both of us the gutless wonders.
I doubt that it would be possible to read such a smarmy piece of dung without vomiting. Maybe the chamber can honor both “salty” and “cruella” at the grand, with the city sponsoring and proceeds to randy.
God Bless don kan-nobbie!
Hey writerguy:
How can you prove that Dwight K. Snider isn’t a pseudonym?
Answer: You can’t.
Once again I will assume the role of the “Devil’s Advocate.” Has anybody posting comments here read the book?
is the reading part necessary?
“don kan-nobbie!” is that the best you have?
Dwight: Beverly O’Neill is a nice person. However, even her most ardent supporters would have to admit some of the things she advocated & supported (Aquarium, CityPlace, The Pike, etc.) have become financial failures which have never lived up to their expectations.
Juan, I agree with both your points!
“2010 WCC champ Justin Slater, was the first to secure a major sponsor in his exclusive arrangement with O’Neill Canada. Justin is also rumoured to be “the face” of Nova Scotia crokinole manufacturer Muzzies Canada, once he attends university there in the Fall of 2010.”