"Dalton Is One Community, Not A Divided Community"

The City of Dalton honored one of its most influential and successful residents on Tuesday night, declaring September 7th to be Norberto Reyes Day. Mayor David Pennington presented Mr. Reyes with a proclamation in front of a large crowd of his family, friends, and admirers. 

As Mayor Pennington noted in his proclamation, Mr. Reyes moved to Georgia in 1981 with his parents and siblings from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He became an enterpreneur in Dalton's close-knit Hispanic community, ultimately opening his Los Reyes restaurant which helped to bring a love of Mexican food and culture to Dalton and the surrounding area. 

Mr. Reyes' impact on Dalton went much further than just bringing delicious food to our plates, however. Mayor Pennington noted that Mr. Reyes participated in numerous civic organizations giving his time or money including ACLA, CLILA, the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross, Dalton State College, Census 2000, the Creative Arts Guild, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts, Family Crisis Center, Family Support Council, MLK, Jr., Celebration Committee and the United Way. He also was vital to the Georgia Project,  a program that fostered a relationship with the University of Monterrey, and brought bilingual teachers to work with children in Dalton. He also worked to promote voting rights, scholarships for DACA students, and health and diversity projects. 

As Mayor Pennington noted, Mr. Reyes' motto is that "Dalton is one community, not a divided community."

Below: Mayor Pennington presents a proclamation to Mr. Reyes, the full text of the proclamation

Mr. Norberto Reyes

Whereas, Mr. Norberto Reyes moved from San Luis Potosi, Mexico to Georgia in 1981 with his parents and siblings; and

Whereas, Norberto followed in his father’s footsteps and became a young entrepreneur in a small, friendly Hispanic community where everyone knew each other by name; and

Whereas, Norberto, a visionary and dreamer, was a benefactor for many new businesses in town and opened his own Mexican restaurant, Los Reyes, achieving the American dream as a first-generation immigrant; and

Whereas, Mr. Reyes answered the call to support and help the community on numerous occasions, participating in several civic organizations including: ACLA, CLILA, the DaltonWhitfield Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross, Dalton State College, Census 2000, the Creative Arts Guild, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts, Family Crisis Center, Family Support Council, MLK, Jr., Celebration Committee and the United Way; and

Whereas, Mr. Reyes was vital to the Georgia Project, which was a program that fostered a relationship with the University of Monterrey, and brought bilingual teachers to work with children in Dalton by addressing the demographic explosion in the city’s school system; and

Whereas, Norberto organized many cultural events and advocated for the right to vote, shared scholarships with future DACA students, and participated in events promoting health and diversity.

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved, I, David Pennington, Mayor of the City of Dalton, Georgia hereby proclaim Tuesday, September 7, 2021 as “Norberto Reyes Day” in honor of his incredible contributions to our city and his motto that “Dalton is one community, not a divided community.”