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community Rebuilding a Life november3 2016 3 continued from front page into a lot of bar fights, getting kicked the past.” Scott married when she was 18 out of parties. I was just being belliger- Anyone who knows Desmond and pregnant, and later developed a drug ent and stupid. Working, drinking and Hines knows he’s a hard worker who is addiction. She has since cleaned up her fighting... that was my life.” also a bit hard headed. He is smart, de- life, remarried, and is raising her three Hines says during his early termined, and very capable; a guy who girls and two step-daughters in a clean twenties he was arrested about 30 times, will show up when he says and get the and healthy environment in Vernonia. mostly for minor things like disorderly job done. “In our twenties Desmond lived next conduct, assault, resisting arrest, and Once he decides to do some- door to me in a trailer, says Scott. “Most even an assault of a police officer. thing, that’s what he does, and that’s of his adult life Desmond has lived in a While Hines talks about this what happened when he decided to trailer - on a property here, at the end of time in his life somewhat cavalierly, he “control his drinking.” He stayed out of the road there - and he couch surfed a also recognizes that what he was lot. But he always worked for doing with his life was wrong, his room and board.” She says “There have been a lot of rough and that he hadn’t had any their group of friends would obstacles in my life that I hadn’t dealt with good role models or any kind hang out together, have BBQs, appropriately until I went to prison,” says of support system. In his 20s attend weddings. “We were Hines. “When you’ve been emotionally he tried to commit suicide sev- like a big family,” she says. damaged it’s hard to trust people or let eral times. He knows he made Scott confirms that people in your life, because they might bad decisions. He also knows Hines’s relationship with her hurt you like you’ve been hurt in the past.” he lacked direction. “I’ve done children has been positive. some pretty dumb stuff with my “He’s always been ‘Uncle Des’ life and took a lot of risks,” he says. “I trouble and was a positive influence in and he’s always been the best uncle that thought, ‘If I die, who cares.’ I always the lives of many of his friends’ kids. “I my kids have, even though they’re not had this low self-esteem and no self- was Uncle Des,” he says with a smile. related,” says Scott. “Desmond is there worth.” “I took care of them, taught them to ride for them. He’s always been really clear When he was 23 his blind right bikes, to fish. They come up to me to- about enforcing rules, but they could al- eye started causing him problems with day and tell me they missed having me ways go and talk to him and he would severe pain from pressure build up. “It around. It’s nice to be loved by some- give them guidance from his life experi- was putting me on the ground, it was so one unconditionally.” ences. He’s a good influence and teach- painful,” says Hines. He finally went to es them a good work ethic.” *** see a doctor who immediately referred Dawn Scott is one of Hines’s According to Scott, Hines him to a specialist who removed the closest friends – they’ve known each would still get drunk on beer and do stu- eye the next day in emergency surgery. other since they were teenagers and pid things, but he was much more fun to “I’ve been dealing with this one eye were like brother and sister. They par- be around, more in control, and wasn’t thing my whole life, and most people tied together and ran in the same circle of getting in trouble like he had in the past. didn’t have anything good to say about friends, including Darrell Schoonover. “He was a happy drunk when he wasn’t it,” says Hines. “It’s where a lot of the They grew up in similar circumstances drinking hard alcohol,” says Hines. fighting came from.” – Scott also had a single and abusive fa- “When Desmond went to pris- “It ain’t been no easy ride,” he ther, with no mother in the household, on, I was completely honest with my says looking back. “I might have settled and brothers who ended up as alcoholics kids, and told them what was going on,” down but I didn’t feel I was responsible and in trouble with the law. continued on page 5 enough to have a family. I just thought I wanted to drink and be a piece of shit my whole life because that’s what FULL SPORTS I thought I deserved. I knew what my PACKAGE! father had been like and people used to tell me, ‘Des, you are just like your Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 dad.’ That told me, ‘I’m going to beat my kids,’ so I didn’t want to have kids. I knew if I kept drinking and with my anger issues, that’s where I would end up, like my dad.” *** Sat, Nov. 5 When he was 24 Hines says he Triple Edge Band • Specialty hamburgers woke up in the drunk tank, and had a Sun, Dec. 4 • 8 Draft beers & mixed drinks revelation. “I decided it was going to Texas Hold ‘em • 5 Craft beers on tap be the last time,” says Hines. “I just de- cided this wasn’t where I wanted to be • Pool tables & satelite TV anymore and I wasn’t going back to jail • Free Wi-fi for anything.” He says he cut back on • Beer & Kegs to go “BIKER FRIENDLY” his drinking and figured out that if he Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM stuck to beer instead of hard booze he 733 Bridge St, Vernonia • 503-429-9999 could stay out of trouble; which he did for the next five years – no tickets, no arrests, no trips to jail. “It’s a complete alcohol in- duced delusion,” says Hines about the way he dealt with his drinking. “I knew cheap liquor would get me in trouble but I also knew I could drink cheap beer all Karaoke day and just be a happy drunk guy.” It Every 2nd & Last Friday was a rationalization, but it worked... to Taco Tuesday a degree. from opening until 9pm “There have been a lot of rough 3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25 obstacles in my life that I hadn’t dealt with appropriately until I went to pris- Ladies’ Night on,” says Hines. “Now that I’m com- every Thursday 6pm-close pletely sober and had a lot of time to think about those things, I’ve been able to put them in the past and work towards the future. When you’ve been emotion- • Free Pool • Free WiFi • Specialty Pizzas ally damaged it’s hard to trust people or let people in your life, because they iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events might hurt you like you’ve been hurt in 756 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-5841 EVENTS Cedar Side Inn Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com Contributors Karen Kain Stacey Lynn Aaron Miller Photography Karen Kain Scott Laird Want to advertise? Have an article? Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com One year subscriptions (24 issues) $35 Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Vernonia’s Voice, LLC PO Box 55 Vernonia, OR 97064 503-367-0098 www.VernoniasVoice.com