Tommy Tarrants Celebrates 10 Years With the ‘Times’

In November, Tommy Tarrants will enter his tenth year working for The Mountain Times. Tarrants is the person charged with delivering roughly 4,500 newspapers to bars, resorts, hotels, golf courses, and grocery stores between Government Camp and Sandy.

Tarrants began his career with The Mountain Times approximately four owners ago, by his count. He was simply doing a favor for his friend. At that point, the Times was owned by Larry Berteau.

“Larry was delivering the paper himself at that point,” says Tarrants. “I thought, ‘Sure, I can take a day off each month to do that.’”

Even from the beginning, Tarrants was well-suited to the position. “I did my first route with Larry,” explains Tarrants. “He wanted to introduce me to everybody. I told him he didn’t need to, but he insisted. Then, when we got done, he said, ‘You already knew everybody.’ I said, ‘I told you.’”

There’s a reason Tarrants is such a known quantity. For the majority of his life, Tommy Tarrants has happily called the Mt. Hood area his home. And while he’s lived in a few other places in his life, he’s always been drawn back to the mountain. 

In that time, he’s worked a variety of jobs. He’s worked at the Mt. Hood Resort golf course. He put in a few seasons in a snow cat for Ski Bowl. Today, he does odd jobs and small engine repair for locals in need.

Once a month, though, Tarrants is tapped into service to ensure that visitors and locals alike get their copy of The Mountain Times. Much like postal carriers of the past, Tarrants must complete his deliveries regardless of the weather, the time of year, or the traffic. He works in the rain, the snow, and (when necessary) on holiday breaks. After 10 years on the job, he’s become a welcome, reliable sight for proprietors up and down Highway 26.

It hasn’t always been an easy ride. Early in the job, Tarrants stopped off to drop some papers at a local bar only to have the delivery truck stolen from right out front. “Somebody came out of the woods,” he says. “They showed me the video.”

At first, it seemed like the truck had vanished. A week later, however, Tarrants got a call from Portland police. “They said, ‘We got your rig.’ So, I got a ride down there. They took my battery. Stole all my little knick knacks, any tools I had in the cab, and my brand new Carhartt coat. They didn’t take any of the papers.”

In the years since that adventure, the paper has changed hands four times. Tarrants says, “I figured I’d be doing it for 2-3 years. Then, Larry would sell and that would be it. And now, here I am, four owners and ten years later.”

Through all those changes, Tarrants has remained the constant. He’s seen businesses change hands, watched resorts expand, and weathered economic shifts right alongside his delivery stops. This decade of consistency hasn't just made him a dependable vendor; it's woven him deeper into the fabric of the local community. 

He’s not just the 'paper guy'; he’s a community member making his rounds. This connection is a major reason he’s stuck with the route for so long, finding value in the relationships and the simple act of keeping his neighbors informed.

“I just like being part of the community. The worst day here is still the best day ever.”