REGION
A6 — THE OBSERVER
Baker City man accused of ‘road rage’ incident
VOICES
By JAYSON JACOBY
ANYONE CAN WRITE
Nearly 40 years in the business have taught me that readers are bom-
barded and overwhelmed with facts. What we long for, though, is
meaning and a connection at a deeper and more universal level.
And that’s why The Observer will be running, from time to time, stories
from students who are in my writing class, which I’ve been teaching for the
past 10 years in Portland.
I take great satisfaction in helping so-called nonwriters fi nd and write sto-
ries from their lives and experiences. They walk into my room believing
they don’t have what it takes to be a writer. I remind them if they follow
their hearts, they will discover they are storytellers.
As we all are at our core.
Some of these stories have nothing to do with La Grande or Union County.
They do, however, have everything to do with life.
If you are interested in contacting me to tell me your story, I’d like to hear
from you.
Tom Hallman Jr., tbhbook@aol.com
Tom Hallman Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning feature writer for the Oregonian
newspaper. He’s also a writing coach and has an affi nity for Union County.
A conversation with
a Hollywood bad boy
By SUZANNE GLORIA
Special to The Observer
I’d left school that after-
noon having no idea that
my life was about to change
because of a spur-of-the
moment decision I made at
the stop sign. I teach stu-
dents who sometimes have
a hard time following my
rules, and they had suc-
cessfully employed every
tactic possible to get under
my skin.
As I approached the
intersection, I heard an
announcement on the
car radio from a com-
pany looking for men and
women to come to a hotel
that afternoon to be extras
in a movie to be fi lmed in
Portland. I was intrigued,
but immediately thought of
all the reasons it seemed all
too ridiculous: too old, not
pretty enough, my fellow
teachers would think I was
silly.
At the stop sign I
paused. Turn left and I go
home. Turn right and I head
to the hotel.
I turned right.
The line leading to the
hotel ballroom, where audi-
tions were being held, was
full of hopefuls, all of them
younger and quite stylish,
so far from what I knew
I looked like in sensible
teaching clothes.
“Next.”
My turn.
I took a deep breath and
headed into the ballroom.
A photographer had me
pose for a head and full-
body shot and then I was
told if they wanted me,
they’d send me an email.
They did so.
———
I was given a document
that told me to report early
in the morning, and also
reminded me of on-set
protocol: Be on time and
follow directions. Most
important, never speak
to the cast or risk being
replaced immediately.
Once at the site, I
checked in and was sent to
the wardrobe coordinator,
a woman who selected a
Jackie O-inspired green
sheath dress for me to wear
to the party. It seemed too
short and too tight. She
thought not and solved the
problem by handing me
a new pair of control-top
panty hose. She added
strappy high-heeled san-
dals, a thick gold choker
and large hoop earrings.
Outfi t complete, although
still too tight, I proceeded
to hair and makeup.
Perched on a high direc-
tor’s chair, my eyes were
covered in goop, my face
smeared with foundation
and brushed with powder.
To fi nish the look, my
lips were stained red and
dabbed with gloss. Next
the stylist teased my hair
at least two inches, sprayed
it, smoothed it and sprayed
it again. I was ready for
the party.
I made my way to the
shuttle area where extras
gathered. Standing alone,
I had an uneasy feeling of
being watched. Discreetly,
I lifted my eyes and
scanned in all directions.
A man was standing about
6 feet to my left looking
at me. He was wearing a
leather jacket, blue jeans
and cowboy boots. His hair
reached his shoulders, his
eyes small and brown.
It was him.
SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021
———
Sean Penn, a two-time
Academy Award winner,
a Hollywood bad boy and
outspoken political powder
keg. We stared at each other
for about fi ve seconds, until
I remembered the “no eye
contact” rule and turned
away. Luckily, a white
stretch limo arrived, and the
driver motioned me to get
in. Sitting alone in the back,
I wondered if the driver had
made a mistake and thought
I was a “real” cast member.
Winding slowly through
familiar streets, I saw three
of my friends on their
morning walk. They were
gawking at the limo trying
to catch a glimpse of a
celeb. The blackened win-
dows obscured their view.
Laughing, I imagined their
surprise or disappoint-
ment if they knew I was
the occupant. Eventually, I
was dropped off at a “Brady
Bunch” look-alike house,
my home for the day.
When we arrived at the
set, the production assis-
tants began to stage the
scene, a backyard party for
Walt McCandless, played
by William Hurt. His wife,
Billie McCandless, played
by Marcia Gay Harden,
had planned this event. The
stars sat on a table located
on the upper tier of a deck,
the extras on the lower tier.
I was positioned by the
steps and handed a helium
balloon and told that during
a speech the “wife” would
look at me, roll her eyes and
shrug her shoulders. I was
to follow her lead and do
the same.
Over and over, we prac-
tice the scene, the romance
of being in a movie slowly
dissipating.
Sean Penn, who was
directing the movie, contin-
ually used the steps to walk
up and talk with the stars.
I tried to make room for
him, but we kept side-step-
ping each other, right-left,
left-right. After doing this
a number of times, while
standing face to face, I
impulsively broke the “no
talk” rule.
I looked him straight in
his eyes and whispered,
“Do you want to dance?”
The expression on his face
was worth suff ering the
consequence of “you will
be replaced.” He looked
at me with the same sur-
prised look I had given
him earlier, and quickly
went to his director spot.
There were numerous
takes until “That’s a
wrap!” was heard two
hours later. Back at the
staging area, the extras
were treated to a scrump-
tious buff et. Under a per-
fect blue sky, I savored the
feast and the memory of
the day.
Returning my outfi t to
wardrobe, I stepped back
into my life as a teacher,
my movie career over.
But it wasn’t just yet.
I passed a table where
the cinematographer, the
producer and the director
were in deep discussion.
Sean Penn looked up
and smiled.
“Hey, thanks for being
here,” he said.
I returned his smile.
“Sure,” I replied.
With a mischievous
twinkle in his eyes, Holly-
wood’s bad boy chuckled,
waved and turned away
from me to continue his
conversation.
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY — A
Baker City man is accused
of pointing a gun at a
couple and then reck-
lessly driving
away from
what police
described
as a “road
rage” incident
Mansuetti Monday, July
12, in Baker
City.
Caleb James Man-
suetti, 19, of 315 Highway
7, was arrested on mul-
tiple charges, including
unlawful use of a weapon,
a Class C felony, and mis-
demeanor charges of
unlawful possession of
a fi rearm, fi ve counts of
menacing, and reckless
driving.
Mansuetti was taken to
the Baker County Jail fol-
lowing the incident.
Mansuetti is charged
with fi ve counts of men-
acing because there were
fi ve people in the other car:
Jordan Hynek, his wife,
Angelina Gomez, and their
three children, according
to a police report.
The incident happened
in the 3300 block of Birch
St., according to a press
release from the Baker
City Police Department.
Mansuetti was driving
a 2001 Ford Mustang,
and he allegedly tailgated
the vehicle that Hynek
was driving, said Baker
City Police Sgt. Wayne
Chastain.
Hynek told police he
stopped at a stop sign and
waited for Mansuetti to
drive past, Chastain said.
Mansuetti did, but then
drove back and allegedly
pointed the pistol at Hynek
and Gomez, who was
standing beside their car,
while their children were
inside, according to a
police report.
Mansuetti then drove
away at high speed,
according to the report.
Gomez called 911,
Chastain said.
While en route, Baker
City Police and deputies
from the Baker County
Sheriff ’s Offi ce were given
a description of Man-
suetti’s vehicle, the driver
and his two passengers.
Chastain said Man-
suetti drove past a sheriff ’s
deputy, who had a descrip-
tion of the Mustang and
stopped the car on 17th
Street near Settler’s Park.
Mansuetti was the
driver. Police found the
pistol inside the Mustang.
Chastain said the pis-
tol’s magazine was loaded,
but there was not a round
in its chamber when he
checked the gun.
Mansuetti’s passengers,
Ethan Luebberke, 19, and
a juvenile female, were
released.
Chastain said the inves-
tigation is ongoing and
other charges could be
fi led.
According to a police
report, “Caleb previously
signed a release agreement
in Baker County Circuit
Court where he agreed not
to possess any fi rearm per
an adult case. Caleb does
not possess a valid con-
cealed weapon permit.”
That previous case dates
to Nov. 17, 2020, when
Mansuetti was arrested
in Baker City on charges
of menacing, reckless
endangering and reckless
driving.
According to a police
report, Mansuetti drove
through an intersection and
nearly struck a pedestrian.
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