The Most Exciting Place In Town
By Vernon Robison
General Managing Editor
I have many fond and definitive memories of childhood experiences in the Moapa Valley. One of the clearest of these memories was of one Saturday morning when my father cryptically, but enthusiastically, made an announcement. He told my brother and me that today he would be taking us to the most exciting place in town. He wouldn’t get into any specifics with us about where we were headed, saying only that it was to be a surprise. As we set off on that great adventure, both of us were nearly crazy with anticipation at the thought of what splendid wonders lay in store for us. Imagine, then, how quickly our enthusiasm cooled when our car stopped in front of Dalley’s Barber Shop and we were escorted inside for badly needed haircuts.
Though that experience didn’t completely live up to our expectations, Dalley’s Barber Shop always held a degree of fascination for young boys. There was that intriguing hunting trophy on the wall; the brightly colored photographs inside the many dog-eared copies of Field and Stream magazines; the old (even then) cash register which was still in operation; and, of course, the antique soda pop machine where you had to actually reach in and pull out a cold bottle of liquid refreshment. All of this was permeated with the mild smell of talcum powder and warm shaving cream. Most of all, Dalley’s was a place where the grown-ups in town came together and talked about grown-up things. And add into all of that, as a kind-of bonus, Bevan Dalley gave one of the best haircuts available anywhere.
It has been over thirty years since that time and not much has changed at Dalley’s Barber Shop. The decor is pretty much the same as it was. I don’t know, even some of the magazines sitting out there might be the same ones I looked at when I was nine years old. The shop is still intriguing; even to an adult. It has always offered a kind of comfort in the fact that, despite what is going on in the outside world, some things haven’t changed. No matter what, Bevan has been there, almost every day (except during hunting season), to bring a clean cut to the world, one head at a time.
But change always comes sooner or later; and last week it came. In an accident at home, Bevan injured his hand, losing three of his fingers in the process. We are told that it’s still early to tell whether Bevan will be able to return to functioning as the community’s barber; but chances are, this incident will force him into retirement.
If this is the case, Bevan’s services will be greatly missed. The rather selfish fact that I really need a haircut right now and am at a complete loss where to go, is only a minor part of this experience. For over forty years, Bevan has always been there in his shop providing a simple, but excellent service to the community. In recent years, when I have passed by his shop on my way home from work, the barber shop light was usually still on and Bevan could be seen through the window, finishing up his final hair cut of the evening. Last week the window to Dalley’s Barber Shop was dark. And, I have to say, it leaves a big empty spot in downtown Overton and in the community.
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