Amarillo College Ranger

Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Stacy Conway The Vega city limits sign is pictured. The official population at the time of the TV show, Popularity Contest, was 936 residents. (That did not include the 10 new to the town.) Watch the Ranger for updates on Vega´s Popularity Contest. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jaklyn Brown The Boot Tree in Vega is pictured. At the time of the photo Tuesday, the tree was dead, but there were boots hanging form the limbs. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Stacy Conway Gregg´s Venture Food Store in Vega is shown below. During a TV scavenger hunt, contestants ran into the store to collect items on the list. Pictured are a Vega resident and a store employee. [Click to enlarge]

Ranger Editor-in-Chief

and Stacy Conway

Ranger Features Editor

VEGA - Who would have thought a tree with boots hanging from it would be called Boot Tree?

In Vega, an Amarillo neighbor 30 miles to the west, Dot Leavite has one in her yard.

"I named it cause it had a lot of boots on it," Leavite said.

The Boot Tree was an obstacle for scavengers on Country Music Television Monday night.

The new reality show, Popularity Contest, premiered Monday with 10 out-of-towners trying to be named the town's most popular resident. Vega had 936 people before they arrived.

The show includes a chef, a male model, a computer analyst, a psychic, an opera singer, a professional baseball scout, a cheerleader and a business owner.

"It was really a blast," said Gregg Mills, owner of Gregg's Venture Food Store.

For 28 days, the participants have to convince the community they are the best choice and to vote for them to stay.

If they don't convince the people to vote for them, they are escorted out of town by Sheriff David Medley.

One person is voted off every episode.

The bottom line is to mingle and get on the community's good side, because when it comes time to vote, it's up to the townspeople.

"On the show last night they showed really pretty weather, but most of the time it was rainy," Leavite said. "I mean all they had were their bikes."

The show was filmed from Halloween until Thanksgiving.

During that time, Vega had two snowstorms.

The criteria for being chosen for the setting included a town of 1,000 or fewer people and enough places to "do stuff," Mills said.

That would include a grocery store, a gas station, a library and a hardware store. Plus, it didn't hurt that Vega is the county seat, Mills said.

Carmie Jung, a local resident, said, "It was pretty neat. I enjoyed knowing our town was going to be on the map."

Two representatives of the show came to Vega to see how they would be welcomed by the townspeople.

"They went to a town outside Dallas, but Vega was picked because they liked the way our town accepted them," Mills said.

The rules of the contest are told to the contestants beforehand.

If they are picked as the most popular resident, they must pick one Vega resident to share the money with - 50/50.

Another trick is that they have challenges every day and win money that they have to spend in the community.

In the first episode, one of the couples conquered the scavenger hunt.

As a show of good faith, the couple donated the money they won, $1,000, to local churches and the football team.

"They gave $500 to the churches, so we split it $100 between the five churches, said Steve Cox, pastor at the United Methodist Church.

Other churches include the Baptist Church, the Catholic Church, Trinity Church and the Church of Christ.

They also gave $500 to the football program, Mills said.

Leavite, owner of the Route 66 Museum, known as Dot's Museum, in Vega, said she enjoyed the contestants while they were there.

"They were really nice kids," she said. "I really enjoyed them."

Mills said it was hard to say anything about the contest, because townspeople signed waivers promising to keep the details and results secret until they are aired.

The second episode will air at 7 p.m. today on CMT.

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