I just want to put this out here. I have heard a lot of
people talking about how bad Williston is. How it is no place for a family due
to all the crime and it not being safe. I have been living in Williston with my
husband and three kids for the past 9 months. Before living here, I was in
Dickinson, and before that, Watford City. I have felt just as safe in all three
places. If I ever felt unsafe, I would not put my family in danger, I would
leave. There is crime in Williston, just like there is crime anywhere else in
the world. You will always be able to find trouble if you go looking for it. If
you go about living a good Christian life, you will be just fine. If you are
out at the bars, or downtown late at night, then yeah, you should feel very
unsafe. There seems to be such a prejudice against Williston, that many people
(especially families) won't even consider looking at the options Williston has
to offer. I have found that jobs pay more, provide more hours, and are easier
to get up here. As for the housing, two years ago, you were very lucky to find
a place to live in Williston. Now a lot of companies provide housing. If you
don't get a job that supplies housing, there is housing available for rent. Just about every body I have heard say how bad Williston is has never even been
here. So please, if you are looking for a job in ND, consider all the options.
If you find a better job in Dickinson or some other city, then by all means
take it. If you have family living somewhere and you would like to live by them,
then go for it. It just makes me sad that people are making decisions to not
even consider Williston on hear say. If you have never even been here, don't
make assumptions on how it is, at least check it out. Sorry about the long
post, I just felt that something needed to be said.
I, too, have heard bad things being said about Williston, and it bothers me to hear them, especially if the person has never been there. We don't live there of course, but I would in a heartbeat if that's where Mark's job was located. I have never experienced anything unsafe or scary in all the times I have been up there (and I hope that continues!).
Please don't judge by things you've "heard".
This goes for anything, really.
Hi Krista, thanks for the post...it's good to hear other perspectives. Nate is working all the time and has hardly time to eat so he doesn't really see too much of Williston... Good to know in case we move out there with him...(no plans to just yet, just saying)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! Moving out there is ALWAYS an option for us..so far, Billy has found work locally so we will sit tight for now! A while back, someone told me ALL sorts of bad things about Williston and that we shouldn't move out there, needless to say, I didn't pay no mind due to the fact that this said person has NEVER (to my knowledge) been out there. We believe that God will Take Care of Us no matter where we live! We have no fears of moving out there (my inlaws live in Williston and they love it!!) Thanks for the reasurance that you passed on... we have no idea what God has planned for ANY of us!! (:
ReplyDeleteI really agree with the above comment, God will take care of us no matter where we live. So very true!
ReplyDeleteAmen. People have their perceptions, and stories get blown out of proportion. I've kind of figured as such...
ReplyDeletePartially this can be blamed on the media too, not just word of mouth. There are countless reports of 'happenings' that make the news from the boom towns. The media loves to sensationalize these types of things. It can make any place (other than where you are living) seem scary just because of the unknowns. Give these people a little break. Mostly they want to know if this stuff is true. Don't take it personal...
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you look it up, Williston is considered one of the cities in ND with some of the highest percentages of 'crime' rates... you have to keep looking to see that ND state as a whole has the LEAST 'crime' of any of the states in the U.S. dead last. It is not necessarily that people are misinformed they are just not completely informed. There's a difference! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that the media doesn't always help how Williston is perceived; they tend to focus on the negatives rather than the positives. I think its a good thing if people are curious about the stories as it leads them to become better informed. However, it seems as though some are just repeating horror stories rather than looking into if they are true or opportunities the area has to offer. There is crime wherever you go and Williston is no different. However the city is facing big challenges because of the constantly changing population and the huge growth (the city approved $74 million dollars worth of building permits in the month of March). They are working had to address all the issues (expanding police force, building more housing, building a new Rec Center, and expanding retail options) but its going to take time. Its hard not to take it personally when you hear bad things about the city you live in, especially from people who have never been here. All we ask is that you check your facts or speak from personal experience before spreading any stories. We would love to have more families in the area and hope people will consider Williston as an option!
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