DALTON: Power of the people

I would like to tell you about some Dalton people. Back in the ’60s, there was a house fire on the northwest corner of Davenport Street and Hanley Avenue. A pickup stopped. The driver asked me if anyone was in the house. I told him I didn’t know. A man, a woman and two kids lived there. Both doors were locked. He kicked in the back door, went in on his hands and knees, crawled around for about 10 minutes and came back out. He couldn’t find anyone. He was sick for a couple days from the smoke. After the fire was out, no one was found in the house. One dog died from the smoke.

Now let me tell you about a gal. She worked at the counter for Washington Water Power (now Avista). She helped people by showing them how to pay the power bills. If people couldn’t pay them, she showed them how to make payments on their bill and keep their power on. Then, after she retired, she and some other people spent a lot of time and their own money putting together a Dalton Reunion that lasted two days. I and my folks had fun at it.

Now you know something about Jack and Marie Streeter. They are both gone now, as is their oldest son, Jim.

You see Scott Jordan at sunrise plowing snow. You also see him at sunset plowing snow, or whenever needed. He will do up to 80 hours a week at his rate of pay as councilman in charge of roads. He makes around $2 an hour plowing snow. The reason he does it is he was raised in Dalton along with his three brothers and three sisters, and he likes this place. That was the way he was raised. Good job, Bob and Barbara.

Pasture land in Dalton is just about gone. If it all is used for pasture, you whiney-butts would have a fit. Cattle and horses stink, are noisy and get out. They take a lot of work. So pasture land in Dalton is land of no use. Now, the way I see it, to make Dalton rural again is for anyone who moved to Dalton since 1958 to go away.

I’ve lived in Dalton since 1951. Now my way of thinking is — if it’s not broke don’t fix it. I ask you, people, what your motive is. You say you don’t have one.

BARRY PRICE

Dalton Gardens