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FULTON, Ind. (AP) — Ever since he was a high schooler, Greg Dalton has called the halls of Caston Jr.-Sr. High School home. Now, more than 40 years later, the once custodial intern says he's grateful for the memories he's had — and the ones to come.
Custodians have been busy cleaning and waxing the floors at Caston School Corp. buildings, fixing broken furniture and lockers, installing new lights and much more in the weeks leading up to the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 10. Dalton said he and the other workers take much pride in their work.
"This is almost like our opening day for us, as just as well as students," he said. "They're going to see our finished product that they have to mess up," he joked.
Dalton started as a student worker in 1972 after his industrial arts teacher hired him. He then worked the following summer and parts of his second semester of senior year. The 61-year-old is now head custodian for Caston.
Dalton, who's often known to crack a few jokes, said custodians need a good sense of humor in their line of work. They have to clean up anything and everything in the school buildings.
"The kids put it down. We get to pick it up," he said. "We know where every scratch is in the building."
Even though students may make big messes, Dalton still has a soft spot for them.
"If a student feels confident enough to walk up to me and say, 'My locker's not working,' or something's not working in the classroom, that's always a compliment to me, that they feel that free to do that," Dalton said.
Six years ago, Dalton underwent a triple bypass when his heart function fell to 15 percent. After a successful surgery in December, he returned to work that following March. Dalton, who's also a lay minister, said he's grateful to to have rebounded so fast.
Caston Superintendent Cindy Douglass was a high school student during Dalton's first years at the school. Douglass has since worked alongside Dalton as a school coordinator, principal and superintendent. She said he's one of the most helpful and cooperative employees she's seen.
Dalton's daily greeting to everyone he sees is "Welcome to Caston," she said in an email. "While it's not part of his formal job description, he has taken on the roll of school greeter and makes everyone — students, staff and visitors to our school — feel welcomed and valued."
During his tenure at Caston, Dalton said he's seen all of his former teachers retire and on occasion, former students have returned as instructors. Dalton said he's overwhelmed, in a good way, by the number of memories he had with teachers, administrators and cooks in the cafeteria.
"It's like we grew up together here," he said.
Dalton met his wife in his time at Caston, had two boys and saw both of them graduate. Now, his granddaughter is starting as a kindergartener this fall. He said the friendships and atmosphere of Caston has kept him working all these years.
"It is a way of life," he said. "It is the friendship and family that you have in a rural community like this."
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Source: (Logansport) Pharos-Tribune, http://bit.ly/2aOQpYs
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Information from: Pharos-Tribune, http://www.pharostribune.com
This is an Indiana Exchange story shared by the (Logansport) Pharos-Tribune.
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