The Hollywood Connection

Pampa may soon become a popular destination for celebrities. A company is buying the old junior high school and plans to open a substance abuse recovery center. Could Lindsay and Paris show up on our doorstep? Could be... if they don't kick their drug habits.

Some people in the neighborhood around the school opposed the sale. They said if the treatment center opens it will cause their property values to drop. They also worry about safety in the area.

I think it is a good thing for Pampa. The school district was very lucky to sell that property so quickly. The new junior high just opened last month. I figured the old building would be left sitting empty for years, which would be bad for the neighborhood. Pampa has enough empty buildings.

My mom lives within walking distance of the campus. I walked home from school sometimes when I went to that school. (Hard to believe now that I used to be able to walk that distance.)

I don't think the rehab center will pose a safety problem. It's not a court-sponsored program, so it's not like there's going to be criminals. People will have to pay to get treatment there, and it's probably pretty expensive. So the people who check in there have to want to be there and want help.

The company plans to make major renovations. The designs call for a pond and lots of trees, and the property will have a fence around it. If anything, it should improve the look of the neighborhood.

I wonder if any celebrities really will come here for rehab. I doubt it. But who knows? Pampa could become home to the next Betty Ford Clinic.

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Speaking of celebrities, this weekend is Woody Guthrie Days in Pampa. Believe it or not, Pampa was Guthrie's second home for a while. So the city is trying to cash in on the Guthrie connection. There's a "museum" downtown and lots of Guthrie memorabilia.

My grandmother and aunt actually knew Mr. Guthrie when he stayed here. When my aunt had a diner downtown, Guthrie went there to eat, and he sometimes played his guitar in the diner. He was also somewhat of an artist. He scribbled some pictures on the back of his checks and gave them to my grandmother. I think one of my cousins has the pictures now.

So that's Pampa's connection to Hollywood and the stars. I'm not sure if we should claim Guthrie, though. Guthrie allegedly stole the melody to put with the lyrics he wrote for his famous "This Land is Your Land."

Guthrie was certainly one of Pampa's most colorful characters. And I guess we can be proud of that.