What I Hate About the Boom

I hate the boom because I am a "shut-in" because I have no car to get groceries or to do the things I have to do. I have to rely on the cab, or friends for rides and most of the time, I have to get my groceries delievered by Economart Grocery Store because my friends or the cab can't take me. I also get my medicine mailed to me as I can't always get to the pharmacy to get my medicine.

I have lived in Williston for 9 years. When I came to this town, I had a job interview with an In-Bound Call Center, that is no longer in operation back in August 2003.

When I got the job, I had to look for a place to live so I got the local Williston Herald newspaper and looked in the Wanted Ads and found my place. This was before the Boom even was a "pipe dream."

I have had many jobs since 2003 and I even live in Low-Income Housing now & on Disability as well and still living in Low-Income Housing. The Low-Income Housing unit I live in is based out of Valley City ND called Valley Rental.

I have been in this unit since August 2005 and there is no chance I will be leaving Williston anytime soon as apartments such as mine that is 30% of your income.

Besides the long lines at Walmart, restaurants having to close early in the day because of the lack of help and the lack of affordable housing is the crime. Yes, I admit, we have had crime before the Boom came, but in the crime has gotten worse as the Boom sticks around. I listen to the Williams County police scanner online and with our police force stretched "thin" some calls that are considered "top priority" get handled and waiting for police can get to be "the Norm" when you really need them. It really gets bad when the city does try to make our town better for everyone by upgrading the city parks with new playgrounds and bathrooms. In Harmon Park, shortly after the new bathrooms were opened, someone or a group of people turned around and destoryed it right away and therefore the city parks & rec had to close the bathrooms for the public. People don't respect anyone in this town let alone the public property.

Not everyone that comes here has a perfectly "clean" record, which makes it harder for them to get that job or that place to stay. These same people are living in there cars or RV's because they didn't "do there homework" for the housing problem before they got here.

My view out my living room window from my 3rd floor apartment changes daily, with apartments from the distance going up to houses being built, streets that were never there in 2003 that have just popped up out of nowhere.

I have been told some pretty scary stories about what happened in the 1980's when the last Boom went Bust and the city was stuck with alot of property they couldn't give away for a $1.00. I would hate to see what just might happen when it does go BUST as all of the new stuff being built on the west side of Williston is growing daily and fast.

I am a native to North Dakota as I grew up in the southwestern part. My parents owned until September 2010 the Hafele Ranch 30 miles north of Rhame ND. I was educated in Rhame and graduated in 1990. My parents now live in Beach ND since Oct. 2010.

I am really hoping things will change soon, but it is hard to tell when that will even happen. The crazy rent hikes to lack of respecting property & people is a common thing anymore. I lock my door to my apartment everytime I check my mail, take my garbage outside or even going down the hall to visit a neighbor.

I don't mind that we are able to help those who need to have the money to send to home, but I don't like there attitudes & behaviors because I am a single female and I am too affraid to go out for a walk in my own neighborhood by myself and I walked all the time to and from work when I got here. You won't see me do it at all in the near future either.

Too darn scared even at night to venture outside.

-Beth A Hafele, Williston resident for 9 yrs


 

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