Few among us have the tenacity to take on the federal government and make Washington do the right thing. But, then again, few of us are Betty Dick.
Her death on Tuesday at age 84 moves us to reflect on a remarkable woman who harnessed the power of participatory democracy.
All she wanted was to live her last years in her Rocky Mountain National Park cabin. By now, many of us know Mrs. Dick’s story, one of many twists and turns.
It began with her late husband’s first marriage. The former wife got the cabin in a divorce settlement, but Fred Dick retained the right to buy it back should she ever sell. In 1977, without a word to Fred, his ex sold the property to the National Park Service.
Betty and her husband went to court over the transaction and won. They negotiated a “life estate” agreement with the park service, allowing them to spend summers on the 23-acre property for the rest of their lives. When the paperwork arrived, the deal was worded as a 25-year lease, but the Dicks were tired of fighting and worried about legal expenses. Thinking they wouldn’t live that long anyway, they signed.
Then 2005 rolled around and, with it, the end of the lease. Fred Dick had died in 1992. The Park Service moved to evict Betty.
Many would give up in such a situation. Certainly, it would have been easier to pack up the furniture and memories and live year-round in her home in Arizona. But Mrs. Dick called her congressman. She gave interviews about her eviction and appealed to common decency.
U.S. Rep. Mark Udall was keen to help. With assistance from Sen. Ken Salazar and others, Udall introduced legislation that would allow her to use the cabin for the rest of her life. Then, the property would transfer to the park service lock, stock and fireplace. Betty Dick garnered international attention when she testified before House and Senate committees in Washington.
Congress passed the Betty Dick Residence Protection Act, and in May, President Bush signed it.
“In late August, I presented Betty with a framed copy of that signed law,” Udall said in a statement. “… Betty got to enjoy her last days there secure in knowing that she had a right to enjoy and care for this property that meant so much to her and the community.”
Betty Dick’s request was modest, but the effort she expended to get it was anything but. Her gentle determination and sincerity are a model for us all. It is the rare act of Congress that so neatly protects an individual’s rights.
