A flood of folks from Spur and surrounding areas— from the youngsters itching to see the Ninja Turtles in the second part of a double feature, to loyal community followers, to hardworking volunteers, to those curious to see themselves depicted on the big screen—turned out Saturday afternoon at the Palace Theater for the premiere of an indie documentary about Dickens County, its out-of-commission swimming pool, and the bitcoin business that’s making waves on numerous fronts.
“The Big Empty,” produced and directed by William Foxley of Blockchain Media, depicts our community’s aspirations and conundrums from the perspective of film sponsor Galaxy Digital—but the portrayals aren’t unsympathetic. Several interviewees readily admitted on camera to being puzzled about what goes on out in that secured facility in northern Dickens County, or what sort of currency results from it.
The film sheds a little light on the matter, especially with brief clips of Spur city council members touring the Helios plant, an interview with Dickens County Judge Kevin Brendle, and an opening segment featuring New York City-based Galaxy CEO Mike Novogratz.
What’s not lost on anyone in Spur, though, is Galaxy’s pledge to rebuild the community’s historic swimming pool, which has stood dry and decrepit since leaks and other problems shut it down some years back. Galaxy stepped in to make good on the ambitious community service project begun by its predecessor, Argo Blockchain.
That promise is nearly fulfilled—or filled, as of this writing. Progress has been visible in Swenson Park every week.
Spur’s Pool Committee, under the guidance of Mayor Louise Jones and the city council, is working with Galaxy on a big splash for opening week.
Even while Galaxy’s contractors and Spur city workers made great strides daily, excitement is building toward a moment all have long awaited: filling up the pool once again.
As the film points out, the arrival of new industry and new skills in this rural region stands to make a huge difference in reversing the “brain drain” of talent and disappearing dollars of recent years.
For our part, we say: Bring it on. Turn on those faucets and let the waters flow. Spur looks forward to being in the swim of things again.
“Tiny Home Capital USA”meets North America’s biggest liquid bitcoin mine. Residents of Dickens County, Texas, find themselves neighbors to an industrial bitcoin mining operation. In this 30-minute documentary, “The Big Empty” (2024) depicts the bitcoin story currently unfolding in the rural Texas region thus nicknamed. Using firsthand interviews with residents conducted over a year in Spur, Texas,“The Big Empty”reminds us it’s the simple promises kept that matter the most. Missed the premiere? View the film at www.thebigempty.xyz
