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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2017)
12 community/classifi ed ads march2 2017 Working Class Hero discussion at the Vernonia Library in November. He also discussed his writing infl uences and style, the publishing business, his music career, horse racing and gambling, and his experiences as part of the working class. His storytelling was humorous, forthright, and thought provoking, and he answered numerous questions from a captivated audience of about 40 people. His debut novel, The Motel Life, was made into a gritty motion picture starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Dakota Fanning and Chris Kristoffer- son, and was released in 2013. The book and fi lm tell the story about two broth- ers living in a residential motel outside Reno, “...who just can’t quite be men,” says Vlautin. “I’ve always been inter- ested in people who need help. Some people, you can give them everything, and they’ll still make a mess of things. Other people have nothing and they be- come doctors. Those are the exceptions. Most people, if you give them a little bit of help they’ll be all right. This is a story about two brothers who need a little help but they can’t fi gure out how to get it.” “It’s about not having the confi - dence to try,” continued Vlautin. “A lot of lower income, working class people don’t have a lot of confi dence, at least I never did. Life without confi dence is rough, when you don’t think you deserve it... don’t deserve a better job, or don’t deserve to stand up for yourself.” Lean on Pete has also been made into a movie and is scheduled to be released sometime in 2017. It was fi lmed at Portland Meadows and in North Portland and eastern Oregon, and HELP WANTED NOW HIRING Seasonal Park Ranger Assistants- $2,200 - $2,996 Monthly. The Park Ranger Assistant performs a variety of duties in operation, mainte- nance, interpretation, rule enforcement and resource conservation. To qualify, applicants must have six months of experience (paid or unpaid) perform- ing public contact or customer service duties (e.g. Teacher, Customer Service Representative, Salesperson, Recep- tionist, etc.) and/or maintenance experi- ence (construction trades, landscaping, custodial, etc.); OR six months of col- lege in any discipline (24 quarter hours / 16 Semester Hours). Application materi- als must be submitted through the State continued from front page features Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, and Steve Zahn. His second novel, Northline, was also critically acclaimed and includ- ed an instrumental CD soundtrack, writ- ten and recorded by Vlautin. Lean on Pete was Vlautin’s third novel, and fol- lows the story of a lonely teenage boy, Charlie Thompson, who moves to Port- land and becomes enamored with a race horse, Lean on Pete, at Portland Meadows race track where he fi nds work. Char- lie eventually steals Pete when his owner threatens to get rid of the horse, and the two take off across the west, looking for Charlie’s long lost aunt. Lean on Pete won two Oregon Book Awards: the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and the People’s Choice Award. His fourth novel, The Free, was also an Oregon Book Award choice, winning the Ken Kesey Award. “Lean on Pete was the name of a racehorse at Portland Meadows, and strangely, he was one of the horses I al- ways won on,” said Vlautin. “When I was trying to fi gure out the name of the book, I decided if Lean on Pete would win this one race, I would name the book after him. And he actually came in at like 7-1 and I hit a pretty good chunk of change on it. And when they took the win picture, I kind of moved in and was in the background and since no one goes to Portland Meadows, I got in the pic- ture. I have that picture by my bed. Lean on Pete ended up being sold to a fair cir- cuit up in Canada and where he is now, who knows.” All set in the western United States, Vlautin’s nov- els and his songwrit- ing tend to explore themes grounded in the dark underbelly of America and the plight of the less for- tunate, the down and out, and those strug- gling on the fringes. His characters battle alcohol abuse, drug addiction, gam- bling, poverty, rac- ism, dead end jobs, failed relationships, mental health issues, domestic violence, and homelessness. While his stories of- ten feature dislikable characters willing to do anything to get by, other personas he creates are real working class heroes who exhibit moral fi ber, strength, and re- solve. His songwriting is often sparse and sometimes dreamlike and evokes visions of run down gas stations, small town bars, abandoned highways, and dirty roadside diners, or grungy city streets and back alleyways, and the seedy degenerates you might meet in those places. For Vlautin, one of those places was the Portland Meadows horse track, which was in the middle of a steep, steady, slow decline when Vlautin was hanging around. He says he spent years surrounded by the gamblers who fre- quented the track, exposing himself to that edgy lifestyle. “When I fi rst moved to Portland, I lived in Clackamas, and I hated it,” ex- plains Vlautin. “But I stuck it out and I just went to every place that reminded me of Reno and the one that hit the most for me was the horse track because I always liked betting horses. So for ten years I bet horses, maybe three days a week.” Vlautin used the race track as an offi ce away from home and wrote sev- eral novels that were never published while hanging out there. While Portland Meadows was struggling to survive and draw crowds, the place was mostly emp- ty and he would have space to relax and work. “There’s huge tables, there was a diner, there was horses to bet on to keep you awake,” says Vlautin. “It had every- thing you could want as a writer.” Eventually Vlautin’s basic good nature and big heart caught up with him. “I’m a fool and a romantic and I fall in love with things. And I fell in love with horses. And the worst thing a gam- bler on horses can do is think about the horse.” Vlautin says an accident at the track, when a horse he and several other handicappers were betting on broke its leg and had to be put down, was what fi nally awakened him to the reality of of Oregon electronic E-recruit system. If you do not have access to the internet you can visit your local Employment Of- fi ce or local library. Please apply on or before April 10, 2017. Interviews will be held in late April or early May and the work start date will be June 1, 2017. Contact: Betsy Miller, Park Specialist, at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park (503) 324-0606 x221 or visit www.oregon- stateparks.org today. OPRD is an equal opportunity, affi rmative action employer committed to a diverse work place. Log on to www.columbia911.com and click on ‘Careers.’ For any questions call (503) 366- 6976. 9-1-1 COMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL- IST Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District (C911CD) is conducting a hir- ing process for full-time Communica- tions Specialists (9-1-1 Dispatcher-Call taker) to join our training program as limited training slots become available. Production workers wanted for entry level sawmill positions. Competitive wages and benefi t package. Must be able to pass drug screen and have a current driver’s license. Apply in person at 69480 Banzer Rd., Mist, OR 97016 Monday - Friday 7 AM - 3 PM The Upper Nehalem Watershed Council seeks Seasonal Reforesta- tion Specialist. Must possess valid driver’s license, car insurance, reliable 4-wheel drive vehicle that can tow util- ity trailer. Able to plant trees weekly thru spring in the weather, lead crews, maintain nursey plantings and lift up to 80 lbs. Basic computer, mapping, pho- tography, record keeping, quality control and friendly communication skills de- sired. Self-motivation, strong work eth- ic, safety skills and background check required. Hourly wage and mileage reimbursement. Tools and equipment provided. Flexible work environment. Please email resume to: maggie@ne- halem.org - or mail to: Upper Nehalem Watershed Council, 1201 Texas Ave., Suite A, Vernonia, OR 97064 Cedar Ridge is currently seeking ap- plicants for part-time housekeep- ing and kitchen positions. The ideal candidates will be friendly, reliable, detail oriented and have good communication skills. Applicants must have the ability to work evenings and weekends. Expe- rience a plus, but not required. If inter- ested, visit www.visitcedarridge.com or email ryan@visitcedarridge.com. continued on page 13 A Trusted Name in Funeral Service Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home & Crematory 2308 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove 503-357-2161 741 Madison Ave., Vernonia 503-429-6611 Angel Memorials Headstones Granite Markers & Monuments 971-344-3110 Jeff & Kathryn Hoyt Family Owned & Operated Formerly Prickett’s Mortuary Forest Grove Memorial Chapel 503-357-3126 To sign the online guest book or to send a condolence to the family go to www.fuitenrosehoyt.com Locally owned in Vernonia Serving NW Oregon All Cemeteries Accepted Order drawing at no charge online www.angelmemorialsheadstones.com
