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Hamilton Medical Center is proud to lead the state in heart & vascular care.

Recognized by the American College of Cardiology through participation in NCDR and ACC Accreditation Services, our heart program reflects a deep commitment to quality, outcomes, and continuous improvement.

This recognition honors the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and cardiovascular teams — and reinforces our promise to deliver advanced, lifesaving heart care right here at home.

When it comes to heart care, expertise matters.

Hamilton Medical Center is recognized by the American College of Cardiology and ranked first in Georgia for Heart Care in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Guide

Scan to view Georgia’s #1 ranked hospital for heart care

The Here. Team,

Photo by Ashlea Snell

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Here Local Media, LLC is the home of Here. Magazine, Love of Here. Podcast, and local social media channels. We help people love where they live— because you don’t need a bigger city. You just need a better lens.

Letter from the editor

"This might be a longshot - anyone want to go to Paris for my 40th birthday?"

I mentioned this to dear friends at our monthly supper club gathering a few months before I turned 40, mostly joking but also floating this little travel dream to see if anyone bit. We all agreed to check capacity and return to the idea, but work, kids, and life (per usual) seized the schedule, and I dropped the idea.

That is, until my friends sent a text two months before my birthday: "So are you going to Paris or what? We bought our tickets."

Paris makes sleepwalking through life impossible. Every street, garden, and storefront demands your attention in a way that todo lists simply cannot compete with.

The disruption was exactly what my brain needed to unlatch new ideas: the joy of crusty bread dragged through moules marinière, a glass of crisp Sancerre, and a flaky pain au chocolat that made me briefly reconsider why I ever breakfasted on anything else. (We did other things besides eat, I promise).

Somewhere in the middle of all that beauty, I started sketching out an idea for a local magazine. I knew it needed to be analog, something tangible that inspired a new lens for everyday life and a love for where locals already lived. In May of 2025, Here Local Media was born. You are holding our sixth issue, and in a lot of ways, it started there.

Travel does something to the brain that's hard to manufacture any other way because it interrupts your patterns and reassigns your attention. Whether it's a hike 30 minutes away or a stroll down a foreign city street, travel returns you to your senses and says, "Here, use these." The ideas emerge when you stop moving so fast and can truly see.

This issue explores business and travel because they are connected, either through creativity or through growth: Road trips within three hours (pg 19), top destinations you might not have considered (pg 27), business stories that inspire you to start something new (pg 14), or updates about the importance of creating beautiful experiences right here at home (pg 22).

So here's to taking the trip, celebrating milestones, saying yes to the friends who see you and drag you somewhere beautiful. You genuinely don't know what you'll come home with that can strengthen our community and help us seize beauty and joy right here.

Visiting Versailles with friends

#Finish BOLDLY

Ready for a BOLD future?

Dalton State College is one of the country’s most a ordable 4-year institutions and prepares you with the skills and knowledge to work in a global economy. With a commitment to academic excellence, our programs in Dalton and Ellijay and online provide you with resume-building experiences for career success.

Erika Mosteller

Assistant Editor

Lauren Sneary

Contributing Writers

Harlan Braudlume

Patton Hunt

Erika Mosteller

Lauren Sneary

Katie Walker

Greg Wrenn

Contributing Photographers

Brandon Cawood

Ashlea Snell

Contributing Artist

Audrey Batts Jones

Graphic Designer

Jodi Wrenn

Sales & Operations

Dayana Jaclan

Julie Locke

Erika Mosteller

Carin Watts

Here.Dalton

FARMER’S MARKET

JULY JULY

Every Tues. & Sat. in July & August, 8 AM – 1 PM

Dalton Green

STORYTIME

Every Tues., 2 – 3 PM, 2 – 3 PM

Dalton-Whitfield Public Library

POK É MON CLUB

Every Tues., 4:30 – 5:30 PM

Dalton-Whitfield Public Library

SOAL Running Club

Every Wed, 6:30 PM

Dalton High School Track

DBC TRIVIA

Every Wed, 6:30 PM

Dalton Brewing Co.

RUN DBC

Every Thurs, 6:30 PM

Dalton Brewing Co.

THURSDAYS AT THE MILL

Every Thurs.

Follow their socials for details: Singo, live music & more!

MAHJONG AT THE MILL

2 nd & 3 rd Tues., 5:30 – 7:30

Follow @themillatcrowngarden for details.

JULY 4TH COUNTY CELEBRATION

July 2, 3 – 10 PM

Dalton Fairgrounds

POPS IN BURR PARK: THE CREATIVE ARTS GUILD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

July 3, 6:30 PM

Burr Park

MAGICIAN BILL PACKARD

July 7, 3 – 4 PM

Dalton-Whitfield Public Library

DALTON READS! FREE BOOKS

July 9, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Mack Gaston Community Center

OFF THE RAILS: THE CLEVERLYS

July 10, 6:30 PM

Burr Park

GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION

July 10, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Creative Arts Guild

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE

July 11, 10 AM – 1 PM

Dalton-Whitfield Public Library

DALTON READS! FREE BOOKS

July 16, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Westwood School

Photo courtesy of Downtown Dalton Farmer's Marker

Photo courtesy of Downtown Dalton Development Authority

Events

OFF THE RAILS: GRUPO MAZACOTE LATIN FUSION

July 17, 6:30 PM

Burr Park

OFF THE RAILS: NEON MOON

July 24, 6:30 PM

Burr Park

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

July 24 – August 2 (show times vary)

Artistic Civic Theatre

OFF THE RAILS: MURDER OF CROWES

July 31, 6:30 PM

Burr Park

HAIRCUTS, HOODIES, AND HOT DOGS

BACK TO SCHOOL JAM

August 1, 11 AM

Mack Gaston Community Center

DALTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS START

August 4

WHITFIELD COUNTY SCHOOLS START

August 7

BLUE RIDGE COIN SHOW

August 6 – 8, 10 AM - 6 PM

Dalton Convention Center

GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION

August 7, 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Creative Arts Guild

LITTLE BLACK DRESS, BENEFITING NORTHWEST GEORGIA FAMILY CRISIS CENTER

August 7, 6-10 PM

The Rincón Venue

STATE OF EDUCATION & WORKFORCE: HIGHER EDUCATION

August 20, 8:30 - 9:30 AM

Dalton Convention Center

More at daltonchamber.org.

DALTON GRAND PRIX

August 22, 9 AM - 3 PM

Start at Cohulla Creek

Details at daltongrandprix.weebly.com.

DALTON GRAND PRIX

August 23, 9 AM - 3 PM

Start and Finish Downtown Dalton Courthouse.

YOUNG LEADERS SOCIETY KICKBALL TOURNAMENT

August 25, 4 PM

Al Rollins Park

Details at ourunitedway.org.

Photo courtesy of Dalton Public Schools

Photo courtesy of The Creative Arts Guild

Seen & Heard

Local Author Publications

Michael Tuggle:

Hummingbird – A Homeland Security agent who spends twenty years hunting the man who took his twin sister.

A Thank You For 250th Celebrations

Here. wants to recognize the local private donors who made the Whitfield County 250th July 4th Celebration possible. In the words of Jevin Jensen: “Local patriotic citizens have committed enough to fully fund the entertainment, kid games, and drone finale—making the July 2nd celebration at the fairgrounds free for every Whitfield County resident.”

Rachel Smalley: Tufted: The Stitches & Story of Catherine Evans-Whitener is scheduled for release August of 2026.

Local Shout Outs

Congratulations: Dalton Catamounts on their 8th GHSA

Boys Soccer State Championship!

Christian Heritage Lions on their 3rd GHSA

Boys Golf State Championship!

Coahulla Creek

Lady Colts, GHSA

Girls Soccer State runnerups!

Near Here Events

Stable 41 Farmer's Market

Thursdays in July

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Saturdays July until August 24

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

214 First St, Fort Oglethorpe

Rabbit Valley Farmer's Market

Saturdays

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Downtown Ringgold

Catoosa County Run, White & Blue

July 3

8:00 – 10:00 AM

The Colonnade, Ringgold

Fourth at the Fort

July 4

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Fort Mountain State Park, Chatsworth

Murray Arts Council

Summer Concert Series

July 18

7:00 – 9:30 PM

Chatsworth City Park

Vann House Day

July 25

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Chief Vann House Historic Site, Chatsworth

The Ringgold Playhouse Presents: The Fantasticks

July 24-26, August 1-2

Show times vary

7847 Nashville St, Ringgold

The Ringgold Depot Opry

August 8

8:00 – 10:00 PM

The Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St, Ringgold

Chatsworth Local Artists Show

August 14

6:00 – 8:00 PM

August 15-16 & 22-23

12:00 – 4:00 PM

Murray Arts Council

Murray Arts Council Summer Concert Series

August 15

7:00 – 9:30 PM

Chatsworth City Park

Photo courtesy of Stable 41

Photo courtesy of Murray Arts Council

Photo courtesy of Vann House Park

Sweet on

Sourdough

The Case for Local Bread

A few months ago, I reached into my pantry looking for sandwich bread and realized the loaf sitting there was more than a month old, and somehow still looked exactly the same. No mold. No change in texture. No sign that it had aged at all.

I started turning the package over, reading ingredient after ingredient, wondering how that could be, and what exactly my family had been eating for years. Soon after, I was gifted a loaf of fresh local sourdough my mom had picked up at Dalton’s Saturday Farmer’s Market, and from the very first bite I knew we’d never go back.

The flavor was richer, the texture heartier, and meals suddenly felt more intentional. My kids devour toasted sourdough with butter and jam, and family dinners feel a little warmer when there’s a fresh loaf on the table. Beyond taste, we noticed something else too: we simply felt better.

And that may not be all in our heads! Research continues to show that traditionally fermented sourdough bread may offer several health advantages over highly processed commercial bread. Studies have found that sourdough fermentation can help lower the bread’s glycemic index, meaning it may cause slower, steadier blood sugar spikes compared to conventional white bread. The natural fermentation process also helps break down gluten and phytates, making nutrients more bioavailable and potentially easier to digest for some people.

Unlike many mass-produced breads packed with preservatives and additives, authentic sourdough is often made with just flour, water, salt, and time. That simplicity is part of what has fueled its growing popularity nationwide, and right here in Dalton.

For example, Small Batch Bakery, owned by sisters Deb Hull and Lisa McKinney, has built a loyal following

through handcrafted sourdough loaves and baked goods available through local pickups and social media ordering. Meanwhile, Highline Bake Shop, owned by Carrie Smith, has become another local favorite for artisan breads and baked treats, with a new storefront on Dug Gap Road. She also has weekly Bread Tables featuring a variety of specialty sourdough loaf flavors called “D-Town Sours.”

“Sourdough is more than a trend or a beautiful loaf – it’s one of the oldest, most nourishing forms of breadmaking. In a world of fast food and shortcuts, sourdough invites us to slow down, connect with tradition, and enjoy bread the way it was meant to be made.”

– Carrie Smith, Highline Bakery

“People are paying more attention to ingredients and wanting food that feels homemade again. Plus the community support for our small bakery businesses is another form of nourishment!”

– Deb Hull, Small Batch Bakery

There is something particularly meaningful about supporting local bakeries instead of buying another plastic-wrapped loaf from a supermarket shelf. Buying local keeps money in our community, supports small business owners, and reconnects us with the people making our food. Not to get too sentimental about it, but food is one of the most intimate, personal aspects of life and health.

That’s why, for my family at least, sourdough has become part of slowing down. It’s weekend breakfasts, grilled cheese sandwiches that taste incredible, and my kids tearing off pieces of warm bread before dinner. It reminds us that food is connection: to each other, to our community, and to our health.

Lauren Sneary

Local Bakeries

• Highline Bake Shop 1327 Dug Gap Rd Suite One, Dalton (706) 236-7705

Highline Bake Shop & @highline_bake_shop

• Small Batch Bakery

Find ordering information and Dalton pickup updates on Facebook and Instagram Small Batch Bakery & @smallbatch02

• La Esperanza Bakery 1702 E Morris St, Dalton (706) 270-0178

• Chatsworth Bakehouse 106 N 3rd Ave, Chatsworth Chatsworth Bakehouse & @chatsworth.bakehouse

For a full list of local bakeries and pastelerias, visit herelocalmedia.com/here-dalton-restaurant-guide

Simple Summer Sourdough

Peach & Burrata Sourdough Toast

• Toast thick slices of sourdough bread

• Top toast with fresh burrata cheese

• Add sliced ripe Georgia peaches, fresh basil, olive oil, and flaky salt

• Finish with a drizzle of hot honey if you like heat!

in Downtown Dalton 205 West Cuyler Street, Dalton GA 30720 www.raspberryrow.com

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION BUILDER

Tyson & Associates Construction Company, Inc. has proudly served Southeast Tennessee, Northeast Alabama, and North Georgia for ten years Our highly skilled professionals specialize in commercial, industrial, warehouse, retail, office, and ecclesiastical markets delivering design-build, designassist, construction management, general contracting, and pre-construction services

Tyson & Associates is honored to support this region's growing economy through quality commercial construction.

by Lauren Sneary

Growing up in Dalton, Emma Reigel always knew two things: she loved spending time on her family farm in Rocky Face, and she never quite fit neatly into the mold others expected of her.

Today, that independent streak has grown into one of the region’s most distinctive businesses: Gowin Valley Farms, a specialty mushroom operation supplying high-end restaurants across Northwest Georgia and Chattanooga while also partnering with universities on cutting-edge agricultural research.

In many ways, the business is both innovative and deeply rooted in family history.

Emma’s grandfather, James Gowin, began farming the family’s historic homestead in 1964. A businessman, banker, inventor and entrepreneur, he grew up on a vegetable farm himself, while his father operated a grocery store in Tunnel Hill during World War II. That entrepreneurial spirit carried through generations, eventually inspiring Emma to imagine a future for the farm that looked very different from traditional agriculture.

“It was always my dream,” Emma said. “Ever since I was little, I told my grandpa I wanted to make the farm my business somehow.”

After graduating from Emory University and earning a master’s degree in marketing from Clemson University, Emma built a career in Atlanta working in pharmaceutical marketing and copywriting. But when the pandemic hit in 2020, she returned home to help care for her grandfather and work on the family farm.

What began as helping with a vegetable garden soon evolved into something much larger.

Emma became fascinated with mushroom cultivation and foraging, eventually

launching a small outdoor mushroom log farm before securing a place in a highly specialized research grant involving Kennesaw State University and Cornell University focused on indoor specialty mushroom cultivation.

“I remember thinking, ‘Well, I guess I’m a mushroom farmer now,’” she said with a laugh.

Now, Gowin Valley Farms grows between 200 and 250 pounds of gourmet mushrooms each week, including lion’s mane, shiitake and several oyster varieties. Her mushrooms appear on menus at acclaimed restaurants like Chattanooga’s St. John's Restaurant, Old Man Rivers Table & Tavern and restaurants at McLemore Resort, and her mushrooms have appeared seasonally on menus in several Dalton establishments as well.

But Emma’s business is about far more than restaurant sales.

She is Wild Mushroom Food Safety Certified through Mushroom Mountain and renowned mycologist Tradd Cotter, completing extensive coursework and testing required to legally sell fresh foraged mushrooms in Georgia and many other states. Her

farm also works closely with universities including University of Tennessee Knoxville, Dalton State College and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on research projects exploring sustainable fungi cultivation and food science applications.

“It really is my dream job,” Emma said. “I get to do farming, but I also get to do research and work with higher education.”

Through USDA grants and university partnerships, Emma hopes to help develop easier, more sustainable cultivation methods while continuing to provide high-quality mushrooms from her small family-owned farm to local communities. She also hosts interns from Dalton State College and UTC, blending agriculture, science and education in ways many people might never expect to find in Dalton.

That balance reflects the kind of business owner Emma wants to be. While many entrepreneurs focus solely on rapid expansion, she is intentionally building something sustainable, collaborative and community-centered.

“I don’t want to be some massive wholesale mushroom farm,” she said. “I want to have a healthy business that pays my employees well, supports my life and lets me stay really connected with our customers and community.”

She’s equally passionate about supporting other local businesses and encouraging local students and entrepreneurs to pursue unconventional ideas.

“If you’re not failing enough, you’re not trying enough,” Reigel said, recalling advice from one of her mentors. “And if you fail, fail harder.”

That philosophy—resilient, creative and deeply rooted in community— feels uniquely reflective of Dalton itself.

In a city internationally known for flooring, Dalton’s entrepreneurial spirit has always belonged to people willing to see opportunity where others don’t. Emma Reigel simply found hers growing quietly beneath the forest floor.

Connect with Gowin Valley Farms on social media or visit their website at gowinvalleyfarms. com to learn more about business partnerships, internship opportunities and more!

BUILDING STRENGTHENING

BUILDING STRENGTHENING LEADERS. FAMILIES.

For nearly 40 years, Christian Heritage School has shaped young leaders and made a lasting impact on this community. Today, that legacy continues—and your family can be a part of the momentum across Dalton and Northwest Georgia.

There has never been a better time to join our Christ-centered, college preparatory community and invest in an education that strengthens families, equips students for college, and empowers children to make a positive impact on the world.

CHRISTIAN

SCHOOL

Kids is Proudly Sponsored By

Here.

From Here. Road Tripping

By Patton Hunt

Many locals first consider Chattanooga, Huntsville, Atlanta, Nashville, or Asheville, because they top the lists of best places to visit in the Southeast. But many hidden gems exist within two hours of here that still seem undiscovered.

Gadsden, Alabama

In Gadsden, Alabama, Noccalula Falls anchors everything visually. What makes the city memorable is the way the surrounding trails, preserved buildings, and downtown still feel authentic rather than curated. Downtown Gadsden has evolved over the years without sanding away all of its bluecollar personality, and now breweries, restaurants, and summer concerts at Mort Glosser Amphitheater coexist comfortably alongside the city’s older identity. If you are interested in fishing, Neely Henry Lake is considered one of the best sports to catch largemouth bass, bluegill, and others.

Fort Payne, Alabama

Fort Payne, Alabama could have easily turned itself into a caricature of Southern nostalgia years ago, leaning entirely on country music tourism and roadside kitsch, but instead it managed to preserve an authentically livedin feeling that applies to visitors and locals. The star of this visit is Little River Canyon, one of the most overlooked landscapes anywhere in the Southeast. The overlooks are accessible without demanding you prove yourself physically beforehand. Don’t miss the pink sandstone Depot Museum, one of the most visually distinctive railroad buildings in the region, while the Alabama Fan Club and Museum remains gloriously sincere in its devotion to the band and the era that produced them.

1 in 4 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

Over 10,000 women in Whitﬁeld and Murray counties are not currently receiving routine screenings.

Double Impact

Chatsworth, Georgia

This last one might surprise you: Chatsworth, Georgia, potentially the most overlooked destination on the list despite sitting next door to Dalton. People search for “authentic” small towns while ignoring one twenty minutes away. The Chief Vann House is one of the best-preserved Cherokee homes in Georgia, but it also forces visitors to confront a more complicated history of Northwest Georgia than many people were taught growing up. Downtown Chatsworth has steadily evolved over the past several years, especially around East Market Street where cafes, restaurants, and small shops invite you to linger. Above all of it sits Fort Mountain State Park, where miles of trails lead you toward the ancient stone wall stretching mysteriously across the ridge, still resisting definitive explanation centuries after it was built.

Living in Dalton positions you close enough to major cities for visits whenever you want, but you’re also surrounded by quieter places that feel grounded, unpolished, and unconcerned with turning themselves into content.

Enjoy the road trip from here.

ANSWER KEY

“Everybody needs beauty...places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike.”

JOHN MUIR

The New Economic Development Play Book

By Erika Mosteller

On a recent Wednesday night in Dalton, Dr. Jerry Parrish walked into Cyra’s Simple Goodness expecting an easy dinner. He had no reservation and no real plan, just a stop in town while visiting for a Greater Dalton Chamber event.

He couldn't get a table. The bar and dining room were full, with no single seat available. "I was impressed and disappointed," he said.

Parrish, the chief economist at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, spends his days helping recruit companies to Georgia from across the country and around the world. A packed restaurant on a weeknight is not a minor detail to someone who does that work for a living. It tells him that people with choices are choosing to spend their time and money here. That signal is increasingly what tips a company's location decision.

The calculus of economic development has shifted. For most of the last century, the question was simple: where can we find workers? Companies chose locations, and workers followed the jobs. Communities competed for factories and headquarters and hoped the population would fill in around them. The new question is broader: where do workers want to live?

Businesses are figuring out that when they locate in places people actually want to be, recruiting gets easier, retention improves, and the whole engine runs better. Talent now leads, and investment follows. Dalton is in that competition, and it has more to offer than it gets credit for.

The Industrial Case Already Being Made

The Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority (JDA) — the public economic development agency that manages industrial sites, recruits companies, and helps facilitate the land, infrastructure, and permitting that makes expansion possible — has been making that case for years. After Dalton lost more than 10,000 jobs in the Great Recession, the JDA helped the region diversify rather than wait for the flooring industry (a primary local economic driver) to bounce back.

Their work has produced results. Carbondale Business Park has drawn more than $665 million in new investment, anchored by Qcells, which now operates the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere here in Dalton, alongside electric vehicle parts manufacturer GEDIA Automotive, adhesive company Bostik, and food processor Essentia Protein Solutions.

Outside investors have taken notice. In April 2025, JLL Capital Markets closed a $116.5 million sale of two newly constructed, fully leased Class A industrial buildings totaling 1.2 million square feet at Greenpoint Industrial Park in Dalton. The seller was Dossche Holdings, a real estate development firm founded by entrepreneur Piet Dossche in 2020 and headquartered right here in Dalton. The buyer was a joint venture of South Korean investors: international capital, coming to Northwest Georgia. Dossche Holdings is also currently constructing a 136,000 square foot facility specifically for Marvin, a building products company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The real estate company is actively working on nearly one million square feet of future development. These developments point to success for Greater Dalton’s diversification efforts.

Parrish made the same point directly: "If I’m a manufacturer looking at Georgia, Dalton has to be part of the conversation. You already have a

Greenpointe Industrial Park

workforce where more than a third of the private sector is in manufacturing, which means the skills and experience are in place.” He noted that companies moving quickly want ready-to-go facilities, and that developers willing to build speculatively, as Dossche did, meaningfully improve a community's odds of landing fast-moving employers.

Dalton State College President John Fuchko has projected more than 20,000 new jobs coming to Northwest Georgia over the next decade. The region, by most measures, is still in a growth phase.

The question then becomes: are Greater Dalton and its neighbors positioned to capture that growth?

The State Picture Reinforces the Local One

Georgia has been named the number one state for business for twelve consecutive years. In fiscal year 2025, the state announced $26.3 billion in new investment and more than 23,000 new private sector jobs, with the majority of recent expansions landing in communities outside metro Atlanta. The state reported record highs in labor force and employment in early 2026, with gains across construction, health care, transportation, warehousing, and hospitality.

For Greater Dalton, that matters because those sectors don't just add jobs in Atlanta. They create supply chains, distribution needs, and workforce pipelines in the communities that sit along I-75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga, which is exactly where Dalton sits.

Population growth is the engine behind all of it. Growing communities produce more workers, more customers, more tax revenue, and more of the energy that keeps local businesses alive. When a place stops growing, the opposite happens: employers struggle to recruit, young people leave, and local governments face the painful math of fewer people, more needs.

That is why Dalton's future depends not only on the jobs it creates. Greater Dalton is in competition with other communities to capture people looking for the right place to live, learn, work, and play. Decision makers who focus efforts on attracting a wider residential base will continue supporting robust local economies able to sustain schools,

government services, and vibrant retail and entertainment options. These are not small stakes.

Housing is an Economic Issue

One of the clearest gaps in Dalton's growth story right now is housing. Dalton's median home price is around $258,000, well below the national median of $332,000, but the housing supply is limited at various points along the housing spectrum. Believe Greater Dalton, the strategic arm of the Greater Dalton Chamber, and the Flooring Capital Development Corporation (FCDC), a regional development nonprofit focused on attracting investment and improving quality of life, have both made this case plainly: Dalton needs housing for young workers who are renting for the first time, for the middle manager being relocated from Atlanta, for the retiree downsizing from a family home, and for the family ready to own their first house. Believe and FCDC dual Executive Director Anna Adamson explains that recent data “clearly showed that jobs are growing but workers are not living here.” She continued, “Whitfield County added more than 4,000 jobs yet gained fewer than 400 net new housing units during the same period. When workers can’t find housing here, surrounding counties capture the property tax base while Whitfield still carries the burden of traffic, road wear, and public safety costs tied to those jobs.”

That diversity of housing is not just a quality-of-life issue. It is a workforce issue. Companies evaluating a location ask whether their employees — at every level of seniority — can find somewhere reasonable to live. Right now, that answer in Dalton is better than it used to be, but still needs to be better than it is. Carl Campbell, Executive Director of the JDA, emphasizes the importance of addressing the housing challenge: “If you fix housing, you move the needle on every other metric that matters to economic development success.”

What Attracts New Residents

Research consistently shows that compensation is not the main reason people choose to build a life somewhere. The decision comes down to whether a place feels worth staying in.

Access to outdoor recreation tends to attract higher-income newcomers, including remote workers and entrepreneurs, according to Headwaters Economics, which has tracked recreation economies for years. Access to arts and culture is linked to stronger community attachment and lower turnover, according to a Knight Foundation study. Broadband access helped Dalton rank among the nation's top Zoomtowns for remote workers in a 2022 Ownerly.com analysis.

What Dalton has built in the last decade is a legitimate answer to that question through healthcare, outdoor recreation, higher education opportunities, and live music. A company's location decision often starts with a personal one. Can the CEO picture living here? Can the family imagine putting down roots? Is there a school worth considering, a trail worth walking, a restaurant worth coming back to?

Everyone is in Economic Development

Across the country, the places winning new investment are the ones that understand a simple truth: business growth follows people, and people follow livability. That is why Dalton's challenge is not just to recruit employers, but to stay ready for what those employers need next: workers, classrooms, roads, and housing. In essence, as Dr. Parrish summarized: “everyone is in economic development”

as locals work to make their community a great place to live, work, and play.

With Georgia's economy still expanding, manufacturing and logistics still strong in Northwest Georgia, international investors already closing nine-figure deals on Dalton industrial properties, and housing now recognized as a core economic issue locally, Dalton is positioned to capture the next wave of growth. But position is not the same as momentum.

The communities that understand their collaborative role in economic and community development, including being friendly to new development opportunities and focused efforts to attract new residents, are the ones most likely to win the next round. Sometimes that shift shows up in a data point, other times at a yes vote for a new residential development, and sometimes in something as simple as a full restaurant on a Wednesday night.

In Dalton, these small moments are telling a much bigger story that hopefully includes continued economic progress for greater opportunity and quality of life, right here.

Want to know more?

Reach out to the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority at locationdalton.com or Believe Greater Dalton at believegreaterdalton.org , both of which work directly with businesses on site selection, workforce, and community resources. For more details on Georgia’s economy, visit

Jeanne Burr envisioned a park where music drew people together. Local generosity keeps it free.

Jeanne Burr believed a park could do more than hold a crowd. She believed it could hold a community together. Other local Daltonians envisioned live music, open to anyone who wandered in off the street, as one of the best investments a city could make in itself. The park that carries her name has proven her right.

Each summer, local businesses and donors cover every musician fee, every piece of sound equipment, and every logistical detail so the evening stays free.

At the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, we believe this is what strategic generosity looks like in practice. When giving is organized around a vision, a city builds traditions that helps people love where they live.

4,000

NEIGHBORS EACH FRIDAY gathering to enjoy downtown Dalton.

50K+

ANNUAL PARK VISITS driving connection and economic growth downtown. FREE. EVERY PERFORMANCE. Because local donors choose to cover every cost.

See how your giving can shape the community you love.

Here. Get Outta

Staff Travel Picks for 2026

For this travel issue, our staff had a dreamy discussion about favorite trips, travel bucket lists, and top recommendations for you, our readers. We travel because it makes coming home feel better, resets our perspectives, and reminds us how beautiful this country is. If you’re looking for some travel inspiration for the rest of 2026, here's where we'd go.

Family Trips

Few road trips deliver the way a run through Wyoming does. Pair Yellowstone with Grand Teton National Park, push north to Glacier if you have the time, and plan for a full week (longer if you can swing it). Yellowstone alone spans more than 2.2 million acres, which means you’re visiting a park while moving through an ecosystem. Bison cross the road like they own it (because at 1,000+ pounds, they do), geysers erupt with near-clockwork reliability (Old Faithful goes off roughly every 90 minutes), and the smell of sulfur in the air becomes part of the landscape.

Head south into Grand Teton and the landscape sharpens. The mountains rise abruptly, without foothills, straight out of the valley floor, and on calm mornings the reflection in Jenny Lake or Oxbow Bend looks almost too perfect to be real. Kids remember this trip because it feels wild, immediate, and enormous.

If you extend into Glacier National Park, you’ll drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile stretch that’s widely considered one of the most scenic drives in North America. Think waterfalls spilling down onto the road, alpine meadows, and peaks that still hold snow in late summer.

Shout-out to Dalton native Leigh Hemphill Chrisinger with Jackson Hole Property Management, who can help you visit Jackson Hole like a local. Visit jacksonholepm.com.

Photo courtesy of Jackson Hole Property Management

Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone National Park

For a long weekend that doesn't require a flight, Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina earns every mile of the drive. It’s one of the cleanest beaches in the state, with water that’s often clearer than you’d expect on the East Coast. Walk the beach in the morning while the light is soft and the tide is low, rent kayaks or paddleboards in the afternoon to explore the Intracoastal Waterway, and end the day at the Oceanic Restaurant, which sits right on the pier with the Atlantic outside every window.

Spend a morning fishing from Johnny Mercer’s Pier—it stretches more than 1,200 feet into the ocean—and even if you don’t catch anything, you’ll leave with that salt-air, sunon-your-shoulders feeling that relaxes your entire body. Most people start planning the next visit somewhere around the drive home.

Adult Trips

Mackinac Island, Michigan is the one that surprises people in the best way. No cars are allowed on the island, a rule that’s been in place since the late 1800s, so transportation comes down to bicycles, walking, and horse-drawn carriages. The pace slows immediately by design.

Arch Rock rises more than fifty feet above the shoreline and frames Lake Huron in one of the island’s signature vistas. The full loop around the island is about eight miles, flat and easy by bike, with water views nearly the entire time. The Grand Hotel has been open since 1887, and its porch—stretching 660 feet—is the longest in the world. Sit there long enough and you’ll understand why people return year after year.

Bend, Oregon rewards visitors in every season, which is part of its appeal. Summer means floating the Deschutes River through town, stopping at sandy banks along the way, while winter brings reliable powder at Mt. Bachelor, one of the largest ski areas in the Pacific Northwest.

Smith Rock State Park is the showstopper. The golden cliffs rise dramatically out of the high desert, and the Crooked River winds below them, creating one of the most photographed landscapes in Oregon. Even a short hike here delivers views that feel outsized for the effort.

Food holds its own, too. Ariana runs a weekly-changing tasting menu built around Pacific Northwest ingredients, while Zydeco Kitchen downtown has been drawing crowds since 2004 with bold, Southern-inspired flavors that surprise you in Central Oregon. Add in more than two dozen breweries, and Bend becomes the kind of place where food and nature delight all your senses.

Photo courtesy of Wilmington CVB

Photo courtesy of Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau

Photo courtesy of Visit Bend

Dollar-Friendly Trips

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is one of the most fascinating National Parks in the country. It contains more than 400 miles of explored passageways—the longest known cave system in the world—and new sections are still being mapped. Guided tours take you deep underground through vast chambers, narrow corridors, and spaces that feel completely disconnected from the surface.

Above ground, the park offers hiking, canoeing on the Green River, and some of the darkest night skies in the region. Camping nearby keeps the cost down, and the experience easily earns more than a single day. It’s the kind of place that quietly overdelivers.

Crystal River, Florida offers something genuinely rare: it’s one of the only places in North America where you can legally swim with manatees in the wild, especially during the cooler months when hundreds gather in the warm springfed waters.

Kayak the clear springs—visibility can reach 100 feet on a good day—take a boat out to Monkey Island, and walk through a small but quaint downtown. Book a long weekend, leave the itinerary loose, and enjoy all that the river offers.

There's a lot of good country out there. Go find some of it.

Photo courtesy of National Park Service

Photo courtesy of Discover Crystal River Fl.

Shop Why Local

Sometimes it’s easy to hit the buy now button on our favorite online platforms, but before you click, consider choosing to spend local.

When you shop locally, your dollars go to work in the community where you live.

WHEN YOU SPEND 100 DOLLARS:

at a locally owned Dalton business,

$60-70 stays right here in our community. at a national business, studies consistently show only around

$40 —or less—stays local.

YOUR LOCAL DOLLARS HELP: Create and sustain local jobs. Support Dalton families and small business owners. Fund public services like roads, parks, and safety.

Strengthen schools and community programs. Keep our local economy resilient and growing.

Our local businesses are often the ones sponsoring youth sports and school events, donating to local charities and causes, and investing in economic and community growth.

When you shop locally, your money circulates, gets reinvested, and multiplies. Shop local is not just a slogan; it’s a way to connect with neighbors and move our community forward, together.

CMI Designs Raspberry Row

The Waggle

Traveling is More Than An Escape

It's About Getting Out Of Your ComfortZone

By Katie Walker, LCSW, Neurofeedback Provider at Katie Walker Counseling

Whenwas the last time you did something that made you a little uncomfortable - in a good way? Not overwhelmed or unsafe but stretched. For most of us, our daily lives are predictable. We have created a routine that gives us a sense of comfort and safety. And most of us do it without realizing it.

Travel can be the same way. We find the area or resort we really like and book it year after year, feeding our bodies’ desire for familiarity and safety, especially when we are looking to escape the stressors of day-to-day life.

As humans we are wired for safety. Our brains are always on the lookout for threats—both physical and emotional—while constantly trying to problem-solve and keep us safe. So, the idea of traveling somewhere new can bring hesitation and anxiety. And that’s okay; it's our nervous system doing what it was designed to do. But we must remind ourselves that not all discomfort is harmful. In fact, it’s essential.

There's a concept in psychology known as adaptive stress or “healthy stress.” This stress challenges you without overwhelming you. Adaptive stress changes us for the better. It stretches our tolerance levels and reminds our nervous system new things can be fun.

Traveling somewhere new naturally creates this type of experience. It leads us to discover new places, solve small problems, adjust plans, and engage in unfamiliar situations. This stimulates the part of your brain responsible for flexibility, problem solving, and resilience. And with practice this builds confidence, not just in travel, but in life.

Traveling to new places does more than benefit our brain chemistry; it can shift our perspective. It exposes us to new cultures and ways of living, thinking, and being. These experiences expand our empathy, soften our rigid thinking, and give new perspective to our own personal way of living. Problems that once seemed overwhelming can feel more manageable or what we assumed was “just the way life is” suddenly seems changeable allowing us to enjoy life more.

One of the most meaningful benefits of traveling to a new place is the quiet confidence it builds along the way. Figuring out directions to a new place, trying unfamiliar foods, engaging with new cultures and languages reinforces a powerful message: I can handle this. I am capable.

The small moments of success add up, strengthening

our sense of self and ability to cope with discomfort in everyday life.

Of course, it’s important to start slow and remember to give yourself grace. Schedule in time for rest, research the places you want to visit to give yourself a small slice of familiarity before going, and be okay with “messing up.” It's okay to be off schedule or not make it to a stop because you were enthralled with something or just needed more time to go slow and rest. It’s okay to only venture out one day and spend the rest of the time doing what feels more predictable and safer. Each time you do something new your tolerance is stretched and confidence is built. The most important thing is to just keep trying.

Travel isn’t just about escaping from daily life. It can be a tool for personal growth. When we intentionally step outside our comfort zone, we allow for opportunities to build resilience, gain perspective, and reconnect with a sense of curiosity and adventure that often gets lost in our daily routine.

Katie Walker, LCSW, is the owner of Katie Walker Counseling, an integrative mental health practice in Dalton, Georgia. Her work is rooted in the belief that true healing happens when both the mind and body are supported. As a wife and mother of two daughters, she understands firsthand the demands of modern life and brings that perspective into the care she provides.

Sweta Sneha

Dalton State College

For the tremendous potential for growth, and most importantly, for the leaders who care deeply about this community and its people.

Dean Sweta Sneha’s path to Dalton began with a new role at the Wright School of Business and deepened through a community of leaders who went out of their way to make her feel at home. Those relationships inspire her to build on the firm business foundation already here: partnerships that continue supporting a vibrant talent pipeline and business environment across Northwest Georgia.

I am proud to work toward strengthening the successful programs at the Wright School of Business with workforce-ready graduates who stay here, lead here, and grow the local economy.

Sweta Sneha, PhD Dean, Wright School of Business, Dalton State College

Believe Greater Dalton supports economic development and quality of life to strengthen life and opportunity here at home.

Now, you can discover the experiences that make a downtown feel like home.

Explore local events, tacos, disc golf and places with the Discover Dalton Passes.

www.believegreaterdalton.org

Where Gardens Become Experiences

At Fiddleheads Garden Center, we believe the beauty of plants has the power to make everyday life richer, calmer, and more connected.

Gardens do more than beautify a space — they change the way we live.

A garden invites us to slow down. To breathe deeper. To step outside and reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world.

At Fiddleheads, we believe plants bring life to more than landscapes. They create gathering places for families, peaceful moments after long days, and experiences children carry with them for years to come.

That belief inspired the creation of our Pollinator Pavilion — a place where visitors can walk among plants designed to support butterflies and pollinators, and experience the beauty and importance of these tiny creatures up close.

Because when we surround ourselves with living things, life simply feels better.

“ Plants don’t just transform landscapes. They transform how we feel, how we gather, and how we experience the world around us. ”

Designing Dalton Master

Bedroom Transformation

How to make your bedroom a cozy oasis

Add wallpaper to the headboard wall.

Mix fabric textures and pattern to give a designer look

Use coordinating arts of different mediums

Contrast a lamp to the furniture and walls.

Add a cozy rug for comfort

Two Sisters & Jane

Two Sisters and Jane is a furniture store that provides interior design services.

706-673-2112 712 N Varnell Road, Tunnel Hill, GA 30755

Use decorative pillows with multiple textures and colors

Housing Market Report

New Listings: 86

Avg. Sales Price: $327,537

% of List Price received: 97.1%

Avg. Days on Market: 74 days

Available Inventory: 402 listings

Source: Dalton MLS, Inc. for single family properties month to month comparison Feb. to March 2026.

Eat

Story This

By Greg Wrenn

Dalton, Served Properly

From

Pakistan to Dalton, TJ Kaikobad built a life around hospitality, craft, and getting it right.

There’s a certain kind of restaurant owner you only really find in the South: he wears an apron more than a blazer; he notices when the blackening seasoning settled too long before the fish ever hits the table; and he still walks the dining room, shakes hands, checks plates, picks up the tab of a law enforcement officer. He genuinely wants to know if you enjoyed your meal. In Dalton, one of those people is TJ Kaikobad.

Spend enough time talking with TJ and you realize he is a restaurateur who has chased hospitality in its purest form. The conversation drifts from Pakistan to Indiana, law school to dish pits, blackened fish to politics, all somehow tied together by food and people.

TJ came to the United States from Pakistan to attend law school at Indiana University. A cousin working in a Bloomington restaurant convinced him to pick up a summer job. “You can’t hack it for two weeks,”

his cousin told him. TJ took the challenge. What started as organizing wine inventory and learning labels turned into love for the rhythm of restaurants, including the pressure and the controlled chaos of food service.

He never finished law school, and he never told his mother either.

“She didn’t talk to me for years,” he says, laughing now at the memory. “She called me a glorified butler.”

Corporate restaurant life bounced him across the Midwest and eventually into the South, opening restaurants, fixing broken ones, and learning the business from every angle imaginable. But somewhere along the way, he fell in love with Southern hospitality. “People here were just kind,” he says.

Eventually, Dalton became home.

And that hospitality shows up all over the food details at Cyra's and now at Table 43.

TJ talks about food the same way he talks about leadership: simplicity, quality, and consistency matter.

At one point in our conversation, TJ explained the science behind blackening seasoning like a professor teaching a masterclass, how different spice densities settle, how grill temperature changes everything, how one extra minute can ruin a piece of fish. TJ shared a story with me, one that I will leave for him to share over a drink, about the lengths he was willing to go to perfect one of my favorite dishes on the menu, the Cyra’s crab cake. He studies, obsesses, tweaks, and chases perfection as a true craftsman of food.

Curiosity still drives him, but underneath all the stories about restaurants and recipes is gratitude. TJ talks often about becoming what he calls a “born again American.” Coming from Pakistan gave him an outsider’s perspective on this country and on Dalton itself, a place he believes still carries a level of warmth and hospitality rare in other parts of America. And maybe that’s why Cyra's is now an institution here in the Carpet Capital. The restaurant has a strong identity, built by a man who loves feeding people, solving problems, teaching others, and getting a little better every single day.

In a world full of shortcuts, TJ Kaikobad still believes in craft, slowing down long enough to get it right. Dalton’s a better place for that.

About the author:

Greg Wrenn is a Daltonian by way of Nashville who loves introducing friends (and strangers) to hidden gem eateries across Northwest Georgia. Follow him @gregwrenn on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Dining Guide Spotlights

Whether you live here, work here, or are just passing through, if you’ve spent any time in Dalton lately, you know we have one of the best local food scenes around! From bake shops and little coffee spots to pizza and local brews to fine dining and craft cocktail bars, Dalton has it all! Not to mention the best, most authentic Mexican and Latin American food you’ll find in North Georgia.

Find the full list of 130+ locally-owned and/or locally-managed food and beverage spots on our website: herelocalmedia.com.

Here are our advertising restaurant partners, showcasing the best local flavors in town. So go ahead, put them to the (taste) test!

FINE DINING

Table 43

263 N Hamilton St | @table43dalton | (706) 529-2243

Proudly local, Table43 serves elevated lunch and dinner made from quality ingredients — always with a warm welcome.

Cyra’s – Simple Goodness

208 N Pentz St | @cyrasrestaurant | (706) 370-7305

Cyra’s is the premiere dining experience in Northwest Georgia, offering delicious and healthy recipes crafted with fresh, high-quality ingredients in unique preparations, superb service, intimate indoor seating and a gorgeous outdoor patio.

Hamilton’s Food & Spirits/Pizzeria

243 N Hamilton St | hamiltonsdining.com | (706) 270-0467

Upscale dining and casual brick-oven pizzeria, offering a diverse menu of custom-made entrées, hand-tossed pizzas, craft cocktails, and a great selection of beer and wine. Live music on weekends, outdoor patio seating, and a unique blend of fine dining on one side and casual Italian next door. Catering available and brunch on Saturday from 11-3.

ITALIAN

Gondolier

1229 N Glenwood Ave & 900 S Thornton Ave

Delicious pizza, salads, oven baked subs, pita wraps, Greek specialties, calzones, strombolies, Italian entrees, and white or red pizza. A fresh Italian dining experience.

BAKERY & SWEETS

Small Batch Bakery

FB: @SmallBatchBakery | IG: @smallbatch02 | (706) 264-8750

Run by sisters Deb and Lisa, they have weekly pre-orders for delicious sourdough loaves in multiple flavors, plus brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies and other weekly specials! Place orders by noon Wednesday each week for Friday local pickup!

CATERING / GRAB & GO

Millie’s by Chef Jasa

2604 Old Chattanooga Rd | (706) 459-0454 | @milliesbychefjasa

From authentic street eats to elegant French menu pop-ups, Millie’s does it all. Contact Chef Jasa for catering parties of any size, any style of cuisine, or swing by one of their special menu events (watch their social media for info!).

Real Food Co.

Table 43

1327 Dug Gap Rd #1 | (706) 229-9677 | @real.food.co

Real Food Co. was created to bring the Dalton community clean, intentional food and drinks made with ingredients you can feel good about. Through The Market and The Coffee Shop, we’re redefining what “healthy food” can look and taste like with nourishing meals, baked goods, organic coffee and matcha, and house-made specialties crafted with a commitment to wellness, quality, and flavor.

MEXICAN, LATIN AMERICAN & SEAFOOD

El Maguey Mexican Cuisine

209 W. Cuyler Street | 706-229-9377 | @elmaguey.mex.cuisine

Where everything is fresh and cooked to order. Family owned, with authentic recipes from home! Catering and event space available! $1.99 margaritas every Thursday.

Mariscos Costa Alegre

603 Fleming St | (706) 229-9269 | @mariscoscostaalegredalton

The taste of the sea is closer than you think! We have the best fresh seafood and cravings that will make your mouth water — plus breakfast and brunch specials like no one else!

Mariscos El Cuhhhmarón

229 N Hamilton St | (706) 529-9274 | @mariscoselcuhhhmaron

Mexican seafood & more, Sonoran style! But we’ll let our reviews speak for us: “The food is excellent. The staff is outstanding, the owner is great and [it’s] a great atmosphere!”

BARS & TAVERNS

The Gallant Goat

307 S Hamilton St | (706) 529-8597 | @thegallantgoat

The Gallant Goat is Dalton’s elevated craft cocktail experience, with signature craft cocktails and endless options for a custom experience. Upscale ambiance, indoor and outdoor seating options and intimate vibes.

The Waggle & The Spinning Room

Inside the Mill - 825 Chattanooga Ave @the.waggle | thewaggledalton.com @spinningroomdalton | spinningroomdalton.com

Come release some tension (or just stay out of the heat!) at The Waggle, Dalton’s state-of-the-art golf simulator bar and sports lounge. Then, grab some chef inspired flavors from The Spinning Room — small bites, wine pairing plates, soup, salad, sandwiches and crepes.

CASUAL DINING

DFood Collab

301 E Morris St | dfoodcollab.com | (706)529-8359

A vibrant gathering spot known for burgers, shareable appetizers, and a curated selection of beer and wine. Live music every Friday night and trivia each Tuesday!

Want to be one of our featured dining guide partners and appear in print in every issue of Here.Dalton? Email hello@herelocalmedia.com or visit our website: herelocalmedia.com/advertise

Mariscos

The Spinning Room x The Waggle

El Maguey

The Gallant Goat

D Food Collab

Real Food Co.

Write.Here

Here.Dalton’s Literary Corner

Read to Me by

Jim Sneary

When I near the end,

Oh, please read to me; And, no novels, though; I’ll not have patience with Long or dreadful story arcs Drawn out dramatic scenes or Clever character developments, No, when I am waiting for my end, Read poetry and in your finest voice; Pick whatever verses you wish, unless Saccharine, milquetoast or childish tripe; And, no stilted, old-time or any maudlin fare; No Donne nor Pound nor Rudyard Jingo Kipling; Please omit the trite and common fare or easy theme; Nope, dig deep, choose poets who make no sense at first, Whose work you must sink way down into, then wake up slowly, Stuff you don’t quite get, then just a glimmer and then finally, perhaps, You feel it in the bone, hear it in the heart, blood stirring, spirit waking, living,

Yes, when I’m near my end, read to me some poetry, please, in your finest voice.

Jim Sneary has called Dalton home since the late 1970s, leading crucial social services in our community for most of his career. He now works in communications for the Creative Arts Guild. With a lifelong passion for art, music and poetry, Jim is part of the Waugh Street Writer’s Guild as well as the keyboardist in the Sneary Family Band.

The Waugh Street Writers’ Group at the Creative Arts Guild is a community of local creative writers who gather regularly to share drafts, trade feedback, and inspire one another in the pursuit of their craft. For more information on the Writers’ Group, contact program manager Dana Shavin at the Creative Arts Guild: danas@creativeartsguild.org

Want to submit a short creative writing piece for Write.Here? Send an email to lauren@herelocalmedia.com.

Jim Sneary

Here. People

The people, businesses and events across our community are what make this place feel like home. These are just a few recent snapshots that capture the connections you can find here, at home, in Dalton.

Above: Northwest Georgians Arly DuVall and Esmeralda Rios named as Junior Achievement's Nineteen under Nineteen in the state of Georgia.

Above: Creative Arts Guild Art and Soul Event.

Left: Congrats to Brookwood Elementary on their recent STEM Recertification.

Above: Asa Anderson won the state of Georgia RESA Young Georgia Authors competition for kindergarten.

Right: United Way Women's Leadership Council's Power of the Purse event.

Below: Dr. Harvey Wages received the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation Humanitarian Award.

& Then

The Year Dalton Had Its Own Miss America (Well… Sort Of)

By Harlan Braudlume

Inthe summer of 1983, Dalton was already the Carpet Capital of the World, but that did not mean we did not like a little sand between our toes (figuratively speaking of course). That was the year Conquest Carpet Mills, Inc. decided to spice up its marketing and give the locals something to talk about with The Miss Resaca Beach Swimsuit Contest.

Now, before you start unfolding your map, let us clear something up. Resaca, Georgia, is indeed on the Oostanaula River, but it is not within earshot of seagulls. The “beach” part was borrowed from a popular local swimming hole, and the glamour came courtesy of an above-average budget for sashes and Aqua Net.

The idea was simple. Combine a swimsuit pageant with a bit of carpet company showmanship and see if Dalton could create a crown worth winning. That first year drew a lively crowd. Folks showed up in their Sunday shades and folding chairs, fanning themselves with church bulletins and trying not to stare too obviously. Contestants smiled for the judges, the cameras, and probably the folks who worked at the local carpet mills.

Then came the twist of fate that cemented the pageant in Dalton lore. The winner of the inaugural 1983 contest was none other than Marla Maples. Yes, that Marla Maples, the very same Northwest

Georgia girl who would end up on the arm of a New York City businessman with more real estate than Whitfield County has kudzu. Yes, that man. But this is not about him; this is about her.

At the time, she was just a brighteyed beauty queen with a smile wide enough to light up Hamilton Street, but before long she was making headlines in cities that could not even begin to pronounce the names of the Conasauga or Oostanaula rivers. Suddenly, our little carpet town swimsuit pageant was being mentioned in the same breath as Park Avenue cocktail parties. She even came back in 1991 with her famous boyfriend to crown the Northwest Whitfield homecoming queen, and folks are still telling that story like it happened last Friday night.

For a few years, the Miss Resaca Beach title carried on, part local glamour and part quirky publicity stunt, but it was more than just a beauty contest. Winners were handed a sash and a suitcase and sent out to carpet markets from Atlanta to Las Vegas, signing posters and posing for pictures as Dalton’s answer to the Hawaiian Tropic girls. By the time the contest wound down in the 2000s, more than 400 women had competed and over $140,000 in prize money had been handed out.

Still, for those who were there, it is a story worth retelling when the

weather turns warm. It is the tale of how a carpet company dreamed up a swimsuit pageant, how the “beach” was actually 300 miles from the nearest ocean, and how, for one surreal summer, Dalton crowned a queen who would end up on the front page of Time magazine.

And if you would like to toast the memory, you can relive the nostalgia at Dalton Brewing Company by ordering their Miss Resaca Beach Blonde Ale under the iconic image of Marla Maples herself. Because in Dalton, history is not just about generals and battlefields, it is about the time we accidentally made a tabloid headline from the banks of the Oostanaula.