Hunted my old elementary school today.

[tabdog]

As a kid, I lived 7 blocks from Robert E. Lee Elementary school. 43 years ago I was
attending classes there. It was across the street from the Lee theater. I could watch
movies there for 10 cents. A coke and a big bag of popcorn cost 8 cents.

There was a town there called Lee. It was incorporated into Little Rock before I was
born. There was two drug stores, a grocery store, an electronics shop, a shoe shop,
a beer&shuffel board hall, a church and my personal favorite, Mr. See's Five and Dime.
I thought all the best stuff in the world was inside Mr. See's store. My last name is
Brown. Mr See's called me Light Brown. My middle brother was Medium Brown and
my oldest brother was, you guessed it, Dark Brown.

Today I ended up there after not being able to access the spots I had planned on. I
was not prepared because all I had was my Compadre and it doesn

 

[tab-nabit]

A nice mix variety to make the hunt interesting on top of old stomping ground. WTG !!!

The trend here is that more and more schools are getting completely fenced in preventing access. All the ones around here that I attended are fenced in. The fences on most are running on the outer boundary lines. Even parking lots are fenced. So the only time they are open is - you guessed it - schools hours.
More and more parks are charging an entry fee - and have open and closed hours posted. The future keeps looking less in detecting around here - your lucky if this hasn't started in your area yet.
I noticed earlier this winter that one of the old schools had No Metal Detecting signs posted all over. That's all it takes and the trend seems to expand.
HH

 

[dieseldust]

Just wanted to pass this along for those who don't know. (and don't hunt anywhere near me)
Go where lunch is bought and served for change.
You have some nice finds there.

 

[tabdog]

Thanks Guys,

I did not mention in the original post, but Lee School has not been an elementary
school for many years.

They closed it down and used it as some sort of community building until it got so
run down that it was abandoned. It looked as if it was doomed to be tore down.
It was a nest for gang bangers. The whole area seemed hopeless. When Clinton
was in office, things were turned around all over the town. Everything was looking
up.

Then they started repairing it. They spent a ton of money and renovated it. Now
It is fenced in and is a building for school administration in town there. I have
permission to metal detect there and am very neat. You would be hard pressed
to find any of my holes.

Now after the fall of Clinton, everything is going down hill again. I'm not a Clinton
supporter because I don't like politics. But I do know the man, and he is one of
the nicest and smartest individuals I have had the pleasure to know.

HH,

 

[markg]

I've noticed some of the schools within 30 miles fencing in just as you described.
What a shame.

 

[Pap]

always fun to dig "oddities" because they can be so interesting.
Just be careful in parks like that. I have a couple I won't hunt any longer. Today if I hunted them I'd want someone covering my back with an automatic weapon. The sad thing is that it is getting progressively worse in many areas and there seems to be no end in sight.
Pap

 

[TonyTX(MXT)]

Tabdog - Sounds like it turned out to be a nice hunt after all! Sounds like the area has fallen and the rough crowd is there now. I have hunted a few spots that I had to keep checking for any suspicious folks coming near. I usually will not hunt an area like that unless I have a fellow hunting buddy with me. You did end up with some interesting finds though! Good job... HH TonyTX

 

[rmptr]

Tabdog,

First thing that came to my mind was it must be a very nice place to live for you...
You certainly didn't get very far!

Your new finds are a different looking collection... what fun!
HH

 

[jmaryt]

did you have your "arky barky" with you to fend off the bad guys?

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

believe it!..i carry locked and loaded when i hunt!..with my lesche on the right hip too!.i have been watched before,and they came close enough to "spy" the "gat"
they disappeared right quick!..i am licensed to carry in reciprocal states!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[tabdog]

Hay Jmaryt,

You asked:

did you have your "arky barky" with you to fend off the bad guys?

I did not have to worry much because there is a fence around the Building. The place was
open on Saturday and there is always a police car there. Some people were going in and
out. I would strike up a conversation with people as they came by.

Earlier I metal detected an old trolley car stop. It is right in the "Hood". I was very cautious.
I have gone by the stop many times and never stopped because of "Gang Bangers".

I have worked in all areas, having surveyed 10 years for the sewer department. Before that
I did the same type of things without a uniform. I have walked through the "Hood" in street
clothes, carrying a clipboard. I have never carried a firearm.

I have had much scarier people trying to kill me. I have the holes to prove it. I am to old
to change now. Just stupid I guess. But cautious. I'm still here ain't I.

HH,

 

[jmaryt]

where do you live?..sounds like a war zone!..hot damn!..scary!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[tabdog]

Hay J.T.

I grew up in Little Rock, AR.

I moved to a smaller town on the out skirts of L.R. 18 years ago.

Not far from there is Pine Bluff. One of the 8 most violent cities in the US.

L.R. is not far behind.

One sheriff put deputies with shot guns behind walls with one way glass
in all the convince stores for a while.

That stooped the convince store robberies but not the violence.

High presence of police worked up until about 7 years ago when budget
cuts started taking away the extra police, it no longer works.

So we are back in the HOOD.

Now they want to build more jails to coddle the offenders. Go figure?

HH,

 

[Anonymous]

That's a neat story. Thanks for sharing that. You seem to really enjoy life!

 

[jmaryt]

hey t.d!
are they still fightin' the civil war down there?.i heard they was!.still runnin' the stars and bars up the old flag pole in arky land!..scary!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

can't accept that they lost!.hell!..no wonder it's a nasty place to live!

(h.h!)
j.t.

(

 

[tabdog]

n/t

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not gonna ask you what nationality these "gang-bangers" are, because I can probably guess. Thank God, the only animals I usually come in contact with are farm animals, and not the mean kind.....

 

[tabdog]

Most of us Arkies are good folks.

It's the bad apples that make things worse

for everyone.

Same goes for this great hobby I enjoy.

HH,

 

[Anonymous]

I know what you mean. Same here in Va. I would like to detect in a more populated area sometimes, but don't have the connections. All of my ancestors(that I know of) were on Lee's side, too(during the war). That's a major reason I like Civil War relic hunting.