Pampa

I am about to get settled in my new place. I'm liking it even though there isn't as much to do here in Pampa.

The other day, I drove around looking at the town and how much it has changed. It seemed even smaller than I remember.

Growing up here, I can remember riding my three-wheel bike with best friend Bill Luedecke and thinking how far it was from one end of town to the other. We went all over town, our whereabouts often unbeknownst to my mom who didn't think I should leave the block. We had a blast, crisscrossing the town and exploring new areas.

Pampa is smaller now, in population any way. The city's population has dwindled over the years, dropping to less than 18,000 today.

With the decline in population, many stores and businesses have closed. Gone is the Pampa Mall, which used to be packed and where I would often hang out on Saturday afternoons. Downtown streets, which used to be humming with activity, are now lined with boarded-up storefronts.

Some big name stores have closed up shop. Alco, Dunlaps and M.E. Moses are just memories now.

It's sad that the town has lost so much of its retail business, due in part to Wal-Mart, which opened a new supercenter a few years ago.

But it's not all bad news for Pampa. I did see some new construction as I drove around town.

A new junior high school is being built on the north end of town. And dear ol' Pampa High School just completed a major renovation and addition. The new main entrance and commons area make the school look so much better.

Two new hotels have opened across the road from each other. They're nice, but does Pampa really need two more hotels? I hope they can both make it.

So Pampa has undergone many changes, but one thing that has hadn't changed is its friendly people. When I went to the store yesterday, I had people offering to help me with my bags, help me with my scooter, and everyone was so friendly.

I guess that's part of the appeal of a small town. People look out for their neighbors. And that's a nice thing in this day and time.