Kjell Torstein Hagen stands outside the municipal hall in Gol. In exactly six months, it will be clear who will manage local politics here for the next four years. He hopes to become one of them. – It’s a bit surreal, that thought. I wouldn’t have thought that 15 years ago. Then I just sat and was pissed off at all the politicians. Kjell Torstein Hagen outside the municipal hall in Gol. Photo: Caroline Utti / news Watch out for “Klepto-Kjell” Things went badly for Hagen early on. As early as secondary school, he started drinking and stealing. He was known as “Klepto-Kjell”, a guy you should watch out for. He never learned, even if he was caught. – I was known as someone who gave a little shit. It kind of became my identity. From there, most things only go one way – down. In his late 20s, he starts getting high on amphetamines. For several years he has been living on the streets in Oslo. In 2005, Kjell Torstein Hagen is among the first sellers of the street magazine =Oslo. Photo: Privat After much back and forth, he moved home to Gol in 2008 to try to get his life in order. – I traveled from Gol as a Klepto-Kjell and an alcoholic. Then I came back as Klepto-Kjell, alcoholic and drug addict. It’s not just easy. And he goes from one hit to the next, until he finally gets a job at a local grocery store. The boss has faith, and gave Hagen the chance to prove that he can be both law-abiding and reliable. In 2010, Klepto-Kjell took his last user dose. Kjell Torstein Hagen has been drug-free since 2010. Now he also stays away from other things that are easy to become addicted to, such as coffee. Photo: Caroline Utti / news 13 years later Kjell Torstein now has so many balls in the air that he can hardly count himself. He is involved in everything from the local conservation team to the preservation of a historic farmyard owned by the municipality. For the past eight years, he has stood in the breach for an annual conference related to substance abuse and mental health. Soon he will also complete his training as an experience consultant. Kjell Torstein has an internship at Café Makalaus in Gol while he trains as an experience consultant. The café is run by the department for mental health in the municipality, and has, among other things, its own carpentry workshop for the users. But first and foremost, the café is a meeting place for people who need it. – I would like to show that it is possible to turn things around. That is the basis for my commitment, says Kjell Torstein Hagen. Last year, the party Raudt founded its own local team in Hallingdal. In the autumn, the party stands for the first time in elections in two municipalities. Success for Raudt The party saw a large increase in the number of nomination lists at the municipal elections in 2019. This year, Raudt is standing for election in even more of the country’s municipalities. Read also: : Red presents a list in Åmli – I can say with certainty that there will be at least 150 lists this year. That’s 11 more than in 2019. With a lot of input, we can end up with 190. But I would put my money on there being a place in the middle, says organization secretary Reidar Strisland to news. At the top of the list for Raudt i Gol is Kjell Torstein Hagen. Kjell Torstein Hagen and Per Harald Peddal Gravdal in the carpentry workshop at Café Makalaus in Gol. Photo: Caroline Utti / news – It’s a bit scary. But also exciting. I’m not running for mayor exactly, but I hope for a place in the municipal council, he says. – Should I vote for him? No, I don’t know that, grins Per Harald Peddal Gravdal. In any case, he thinks it is tough that Hagen is standing for election. – It is tough to manage to build yourself up again, and show yourself worthy. That shows respect. With such a story, it’s easy to feel “zero” worth. In his youth, “Klepto-Kjell” often stopped by Pers Hotell on trips. Photo: Caroline Utti / news A new chance A short stone’s throw from the municipal building is Pers Hotell. It was one of the places that was visited when “Klepto-Kjell” was out on the road in his youth. – The hotel was frequently visited by me. I climb in through open windows and doors to get hold of valuables, says Hagen. Today, Per Rustberggard owns and runs the hotel. Per Rustberggard, owner and operator of Pers Hotell. Photo: Caroline Utti / news He and Hagen are about the same age. Rustberggard therefore knows very well how “Klepto-Kjell” has been perceived by many in the local community. – I’m sure we’ve all heard of the “village animal”. If you have done something wrong in a small local community, it tends to stick with you longer than it would in a city, he says. But “the past is the past”, believes Rustberggard. – Everyone deserves a second and third chance. And then it is important to have respect for the journey the individual has had as a human being. 15-20 years ago, no one would have guessed that I would run a hotel either. Eagerly waiting for election day 15 years ago, few would have guessed that Kjell Torstein Hagen would one day stand for election. Least of all himself. – There are probably those who sit and wait for me to go on a rampage. But mostly there is only positivity to be traced, says Kjell Torstein Hagen. Photo: Caroline Utti / news Now it remains to be seen whether he will fulfill his dream of a place in the municipal council. – I am particularly interested in politics related to addiction and mental health. And he is passionate about raising the voices of users, he says. – And otherwise I want to show that there are possibilities, no matter how crazy the past is. I managed to become drug-free and law-abiding in the same village where I have done so much shit. Then there is hope for everyone.
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Kjell Torstein Hagen was known as a drug addict and kleptomaniac
