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Ex-council member, vocal advocate dies
By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer "He'd just love to rattle the chains of the politicians and bureaucrats," a friend says of Earnest "Ernie" Olsen. CRYSTAL RIVER -- A full decade after he was defeated at the polls and denied another term on the City Council, Earnest "Ernie" Olsen still made sure his views on city politics were regularly heard. Whether the issue was zoning or taxes, city manager selection or city spending, Mr. Olsen kept his finger on the pulse of city business for much of the past two decades. That bold voice was silenced last week, when Mr. Olsen died suddenly at his home. He was 69. Friends on Wednesday described Mr. Olsen as a loner who was never afraid to express his opinion, even if he was sometimes abrasive. "Ernie did aggravate a lot of people because he'd just love to rattle the chains of the politicians and bureaucrats. In this little town, he kept them honest," said longtime friend Earl Childs. "I'm afraid the first thing I thought when I heard was that a lot of bureaucrats both past and present would look at this as a Christmas present, as sad as it is . . . "I hope they don't get a free ride now." Known for the jumpsuits he always wore, Mr. Olsen came to the area from Georgia, where he had been a crop duster. An electrician, Mr. Olsen operated a sign repair business in Crystal River and served on the City Council in the late 1980s. During that tenure, he was most proud of the research he did into the expenses of then-City Manager Wallace Payne, who was eventually fired and arrested on a charge of misspending city money. In 1988, Mr. Olsen was defeated at the polls. But he kept going to council meetings, nearly always sitting alone, frequently speaking up on one issue or another. Several years ago, while he was being critical of then-City Manager Terry Leary, she accused him of stalking her, which he adamantly denied. "I once asked him if, when he did these things, if he would ever consider the repercussions and he said, 'Nope,' " Childs recalled. "That didn't bother him a bit. It was the last thing on his mind," even if offending city business leaders cost him business. "Every time they would embark on some program on the sleazy side, he'd be right in the middle of it with them," Childs said. John Morrison, a former city manager, and his wife, Marjorie, were the last people to talk to Mr. Olsen, on Dec. 19. Mrs. Morrison said Mr. Olsen and her husband had always shared a view of city business. "He and John had much the same platform. He knew the city was a business and he wanted things to be decided on in a way that would do good for everyone. He didn't want special favors for anyone," Mrs. Morrison said. "He wanted to live here and he wanted to make it a good place to live." She said that both wanted to see things done right and that sometimes, for Mr. Olsen, that meant saying unpopular things. "He loved that City Hall," Mrs. Morrison said. "And the more aggravating he could be, the better. He'd just show up and tell them that things weren't right." "He was a great guy," said Leonard Berg, who served on the council just before Olsen. "He was very community oriented . . . I know he was controversial, but I guess we all are. He would just go to council meetings and speak his piece." Berg noted that Olsen once offered his bucket truck to help put up a flag at Plantation Village and refused to take any compensation for the work. Childs said he knew that side of Mr. Olsen as well. "If he was your friend, he was always there for you," he said. Even former council member Ed Tolle, who was sometimes at odds with Mr. Olsen, said he respected Mr. Olsen's perspective. "I thought he was a very intelligent man. He came across in kind of a strange way, but he was very intelligent and he was usually right about what he said," Tolle said. A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at the old First Methodist Church near City Hall. Mr. Olsen is survived by son, Ernie Jr., and daughters Donna Olsen and Debra Dumas, all of Citrus County. Florida Cremation Society is handling arrangements. Mrs. Morrison said that during that last conversation, Mr. Olsen talked about his brother, who had died just three months ago. Mr. Olsen had said that when it was his time to go, he wanted to go suddenly. He is thought to have passed away later that night while playing solitaire at his computer. "Ernie would have seen that as a gotcha," Mrs. Morrison said.
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