Big Spring (Lubbock, Abilene, Snyder: crime, established neighborhood, allergies)

[eastcoast.transplant]

I just came in from Ingleside last week; working at the refinery.

I am supposed to be here for a while, and I need to find somewhere to live. I have a 11 yr old to take into consideration, and I would never put in a school here. I need help and any suggestions.

[pammybear]

Hi eastcoast I sent you an email about how we handled it.

Pam

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by eastcoast.transplant

I just came in from Ingleside last week; working at the refinery.

I am supposed to be here for a while, and I need to find somewhere to live. I have a 11 yr old to take into consideration, and I would never put in a school here. I need help and any suggestions.

I agree that you should not put them in a Big Spring school if you value their education and safety.

[tgannaway89]

Originally Posted by kpoeppel

I agree that you should not put them in a Big Spring school if you value their education and safety.

I'll second (or third?) that

[travelingjob]

We are about to move to Big Spring for a job in the refinery there. (Temporary job lasting 6 months or so). We live in sw Louisiana. My husband will be working 7 days a week, so I will be do all the shopping and errands along with a 2 year old and another small baby. Is it really that bad? These posts make me want to stay here and send my husband by himself.

[befree]

Dear Gladimnotthere: We're glad you're not here, too. I'm a fairly intelligent professional who doesn't drink beer at the Eagles Lodge, cook up meth, and didn't vote for Bush. And my definition of "patriotic" is Webster's, meaning love of country and support for our troops. Those who don't like a place could simply state why, without actually attacking individuals and disparaging an entire region. According to an old saying from the Talmud, we see things not as they are, but as we are. Or, in west Texas vernacular and drawl (which I consider charming): "Consider the source."

[lonerstoner]

Yes I lived there fore the beginning of my life , grew up in Tubbs addition , Forsan school district , played golf at Comanche Trail , It was o-k , ,never did want to die there so I got the hell in the Navy , Miss my friends , now I am married and have plenty of green grass under my feet in the Vollenter state of Tennessee Guess who --- Rob Stone

[Susie Hortman]

Originally Posted by wade_word

You aren't really missing anything in Big Spring. There just isn't anything significant to see there. Try just about anything else in West Texas.

Well, half my childhood was spent in West Texas. I know about most of the towns along I-20. If you want wonderful and modern buildings, don't go to Big Spring. If you like the old rustic cowboy look, then Big Spring is the place to go. If you want people to look and seem like they have it going on, stay out of Big Spring. If you want people who are real and have struggled to keep their city alive, go to Big Spring. If you want people to matter instead of material things, go to Big Spring. I met some wonderful people when I visited twice last year to share my story, "Abilene's Child" at Big Spring State Hospital. If you have a friend or family member receiving help at Big Spring State Hospital, please know, they are in the hands of a loving and exceptional staff. I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know the love and care the staff provides at BSHS. I hope that all Mental Hospitals equip themselves with training from survivors and adapt to a way of "healing" that Big Spring State Hospital has. I am so proud of Big Spring for maintaining their city in the hardest times, not just months, but years of oppression and like a "West Texan", they are not giving up. They are hard working and striving to help people and as you saw, they put their funding where it needs to go, towards building happier happy lives, not huge buildings or glamour. I just love them and support them.

[Angela1977]

Originally Posted by gladimnotthere

I think that enjoyment of living in Big Spring is directly tied to the individual's level of intelligence, aspirations for life, and tolerance for ignorance, prejudice, and the worst of hick accents. (Don't hate me, I was born and raised a Texan and I do not speak like that, and I know many Texans do not! LOL)

Big Spring has nothing much to offer most people. You find much of the adult population drinking at the Eagle's Lodge every night of the week, except maybe Sundays. Of course the Eagles do a lot of good, charitable work with the profits from the lodge and the bingo hall. There are other bars, but that's the nicest.

They have a big fat blowhard of a police chief overseeing a largely dirty group of cops. There's a saying that everyone in town knows, "If you want to get away with murder, come to Big Spring." I'm not sure about that, but I do know the people with authority there (police chief, judges, and such) don't much care about legalities. They do things their way.

It's called the crossroads of west Texas, which translates to lots of drug traffic. For me that was surprising, I thought "small town, less crime"... wrong.
During the time we lived there, a teenage boy was found not two blocks away, dead and naked in a field behind the house where he'd been spending the night with a school "friend". It is said that the two boys that murdered him drove around with the dead boy in a car, bragging about beating him to death. A couple months later there was a big meth bust another block over. I checked online for sex offenders in the area. Eighteen (!!) lived within six blocks. No, we did not live in the worst area of town, not by looks anyway.
I also found that there were two working at my office.

There are lots of signs of poverty and a doomed economy. It is a dying town. It's been dying a long, slow death since the military base closed, early 70's or late 60's.

The town is ugly and not well cared for. There are so many dilapidated, empty houses and buildings. One of the biggest was the old hotel "downtown" - which in past, had been a jewel for the town, hosting many prominent visitors.
It's really lovely when the dust storms come. Oh, and Commanche Trails park, it's run down too. The big spring is full of broken bottles and other trash. Even so, it's still one of the prettier parts of Big Spring. There is a good golf course, though.

Yes, there are some friendly people there. There are some good people there, too. But why? I tend to think that there is something very wrong with a place like that. Why would people of any intellect at all tolerate the crappiness of the place? Most people that have been there most (or all) of their lives say "It's just the way it is, nothing's ever gonna change." I heard the City Elders are responsible .... ? what?

It's a good place to go if you have enough money to travel away frequently, or if you just want to relax and stick your head in the sand, you know, just pretend that it's all good. Hey, there's always the Eagles. You can hang out with all them good ol' boys on their harleys and drink for fun, play bingo and line ol' Billy's pocket. Frankly, there are much nicer places to live, for retirement or even visiting. And there are nice people everywhere. I think it's an odd, strange place to be. No thank you.

I love this !!!! This is soo true! I hate it here and cant wait until my family can get out of here!

[case44]

Originally Posted by Susie Hortman

Well, half my childhood was spent in West Texas. I know about most of the towns along I-20. If you want wonderful and modern buildings, don't go to Big Spring. If you like the old rustic cowboy look, then Big Spring is the place to go. If you want people to look and seem like they have it going on, stay out of Big Spring. If you want people who are real and have struggled to keep their city alive, go to Big Spring. If you want people to matter instead of material things, go to Big Spring. I met some wonderful people when I visited twice last year to share my story, "Abilene's Child" at Big Spring State Hospital. If you have a friend or family member receiving help at Big Spring State Hospital, please know, they are in the hands of a loving and exceptional staff. I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know the love and care the staff provides at BSHS. I hope that all Mental Hospitals equip themselves with training from survivors and adapt to a way of "healing" that Big Spring State Hospital has. I am so proud of Big Spring for maintaining their city in the hardest times, not just months, but years of oppression and like a "West Texan", they are not giving up. They are hard working and striving to help people and as you saw, they put their funding where it needs to go, towards building happier happy lives, not huge buildings or glamour. I just love them and support them.

Good post and very good points.