School's new custodian brings his quirky sense of humor back to Lincoln

New Lincoln Schools part-time assistant custodian Jim Oly is no stranger to school hallways. A Drummond native, Oly was a janitor at Drummond school for three years before deciding to relocate to Lincoln, where he had lived previously for several years in the 1990's.

Known for his quirky sense of humor, Oly can be seen driving around town in his Chevy S-10 pickup, to which he has affixed dozens of tiny toys and action figures. He's also been known to drive his lawnmower through town wearing a horned Viking helmet and a life jacket.

"I just kind of try to do things that will put a smile on somebody's face," Oly said. "I'm riding around in my truck and people are looking and laughing and waving. I get so many great smiles from people when they see all of the goofy stuff I'm doing...everybody waves at me. I wave to them, they wave back, and they've got a big smile on their face. I just think that's an important thing."

More than just a custodian and a local clown, Oly routinely goes out of his way to brighten people's days with acts of kindness and humor. At Drummond school, he made it a practice to remember childrens' birthdays, hang "happy birthday" posters outside of their classrooms for everyone to sign and leave small gifts of candy or other treats on their desks. He has created several giant letters out of solar lights on hillsides in Lincoln, Drummond and the surrounding communities to encourage school spirit, built a gag "redneck rest area" in the Helmville canyon, and built both a memorial trail and a park at his own expense in Drummond.

The project nearest to Oly's heart, and one he hopes to continue in Lincoln, has been his practice of building memorial birdhouses for those who've passed on.

"When people pass away, I'll build this bird house with their name on it and I'll figure out what their interests were," he said. "I'll get little things and super glue them to the top of the bird house."

Oly said his birdhouses stretch from the Helmville Canyon all the way to Hall, Mont.

"There's people up here who have passed on who have been my friends, and I want to do the same thing up here," he said.

Shortly after making the move to Lincoln, Oly was excited to learn that the custodial job at the school had become available.

"I was just really hoping that I would have the opportunity – I really did enjoy the work in Drummond, mostly because of the kids. They're the best part of the job," he said.

Oly has made it a goal to learn the names of all the students and staff members at the school.

"My main goal is to do a great job for the teachers and the staff – they work hard, so they deserve to come to their job and have it nice and clean for them," he said. "That is very important, but it's also very important for me to remember everybody's names. Every chance I get, I say 'hi.'"

Janitor by night, do-gooder by day, the community of Lincoln can expect more from Jim Oly than just wielding a vacuum pack and mop. Oly said he's got his eye on Lambkin Park, should the opportunity arise to beautify or enhance it, and he hopes to continue his campaign of kindness, making Lincoln kids feel noticed.

"If I have the time to do special things for the kids, if it doesn't take away from my work that I need to do...it's important to me that I have the opportunity to do that," he said.