The town of Dalton, Georgia is a lightning rod of debate for the pro and anti immigration factions in the country. That aside, it's the little town that supplies that lovely fake turf for Cadman Plaza Park. What's more is that the man who runs one of the turf companies is named Mr. Peebles. No signs of a big purple gorilla in the nabe however… (yet):
NY Sun: Little Georgia Town…: Tom Peebles, whose family owns AstroTurf, said all workers are treated the same, but that he doesn't want to see the "culture and language" of Dalton changed. "We pay them like any other Southern Baptist white boy," Mr. Peebles said about the Hispanic workers. "But if I could wave a magic wand, I would make them learn the culture and the language so that ours doesn't have to change."
In addition to AstroTurf, Mr. Peebles's family, which arrived in Dalton six generations ago, owns about a dozen other carpet-related companies (he carries eight different business cards in his wallet). Artificial fields have changed drastically since the invention of AstroTurf, a scratchy green rug that was first used in professional sports in 1966 when grass wouldn't grow inside the Houston Astrodome. Companies now use new varieties that are more grass-like and easier to maintain, in addition to using antimicrobial protection and rubber infill.
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