Small-town sage plays out in real life and on the big screen as residents reflect on “Dancer Texas Pop. 81”
FORT DAVIS — Four young guys are sprawled in camp chairs on a two-lane highway in what appears to be a treeless middle of nowhere. For some reason, one wears diving flippers on his feet. Traffic is not a problem.
Several locals who had walk-on roles came out to reconnect with their younger selves. “Did you rehearse your lines back then?” I asked Jo Ann Luedecke, a Jeff Davis County justice of the peace.Having seen so many small towns that are withering away — Fort Davis is not one of them — I was curious about whether it’s possible for young persons to stay. Do they even want to?
John Luedecke, husband of the JP, knows something about the peace and quiet — and contentment — of life beyond towns and cities. Like one of the boys in the movie, he grew up on a West Texas ranch. Except for his time at Sul Ross State University in nearby Alpine, he never left and has worked on a ranch for the past 47 years. “I hope to stay there until I croak,” the lean, slow-talking cowboy told me.
“There’s still a stigma about staying home,” Kristal Garcia said. “Plus, jobs are hard to find.” She and Carlos are able to live in Slaton, because they both have good jobs in Lubbock — she with Aflac, he as the export sales manager for the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association. These days he worries about keeping a small school running in the face of declining enrollment and the state’s Robin Hood requirements. Fort Davis, holding classes in buildings constructed in 1929, has no cafeteria, no band program and no bus routes, among other deficiencies. Hicks is well aware that young families are likely to think twice about moving to a small town with a struggling school .
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
JaxChamber CEO Daniel Davis kicks off run for mayor - Jacksonville Business JournalDavis joins a field of eight other declared candidates.
Read more »
JaxChamber CEO Daniel Davis kicks off run for mayor - Jacksonville Business JournalDavis joins a field of eight other declared candidates.
Read more »
Barbara Ehrenreich, muckraking writer and activist, dies at 81The author challenged conventional thinking about class, religion and the very idea of an American dream. She was 81.
Read more »
Lightning blamed for 2 house fires in Fort WorthThunderstorms with lightning likely caused two house fires in Fort Worth Thursday afternoon.
Read more »