Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

From Yesterday's Syracuse Post Standard:

”The Wizard of Oz,” holds special meaning for many Central New Yorkers. The original story’s author, L. Frank Baum, was born in Chittenango and grew up in Syracuse. Organizers of the annual Oz-Stravaganza, which celebrates all things Oz each summer, hope you too catch the spirit this year. Gearing up for the festival, which is June 4 to 6, the committee is hosting a writing contest. Local writer and former Chittenango English teacher Greg Ellstrom has written the beginning of an Oz-related story, and he wants writers in four age groups (third to fifth grade; sixth to eighth grade; ninth to 12th grade; and adult) to write new endings of 300 words or less to finish the tale. Complete rules are below.

Help finish an Oz-related story based on the classic tale "The Wizard of Oz" for Chittenango's annual Oz-Stravaganza celebration.

Complete rules are available here: oz contest.pdf

The Things One Stumbles Upon

By Greg Ellstrom
Contributing writer

After she returned from Oz and moved back in with Uncle Henry and Auntie Em, life for Dorothy became normal. She went off to school like the other kids of her age, did her homework, helped Aunt Em around the house, took Toto for walks — but always, in the back of her mind, were her memories of her wonderful adventures in the Land of Oz.

As happens to all children, Dorothy quite quickly grew up. And when she was 18 years old, she went off to college at Kansas University in the city of Lawrence. There she lived in what was called a rooming house and met many interesting people.

Dorothy couldn’t figure out just what to study in college. She thought that perhaps she would study writing, so she could tell the stories of her magical adventures. Or perhaps, she would study painting, so she could create great works of art depicting the Emerald City and the lands around it. Or perhaps, she would study to be a veterinarian, so she could help dogs like Toto or even work at a zoo and, maybe, take care of lions.

Sometimes when she was trying to figure just what she would study to be, she would take a walk around the campus or through the city or around one of the nearby parks, and think and think.

One day, while taking one of these strolls, she wandered farther away from her college campus than she ever had before. Just when she was considering going back to the rooming house, she came upon a little bit of a forest, just some trees really, growing around and on top of a little hill.

This was very unusual for the flat lands of Kansas. A little path led through the trees, and her curiosity made her follow it. She went up and down the hill, jumped over a little brook, and went through thick trees and thin trees, as the path twisted along. Then all at once, the trees came to a stop, and Dorothy couldn’t quite believe what she saw in the meadow in front of her.

Greg Ellstrom is a former English teacher at Chittenango High School, where he also served as the chair of the department chairman and drama director for 33 years. He has written and directed nine plays.