The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Dear Editor

We visited "Aunt Ida" the other day and she told us about the strangest dream she had the other night - she was in downtown Warrensburg at the Old Drum Days festival, and 10,000 people were there. This is what she saw and heard:

Everything was 'doggy' - from the music to the food to the carnival prizes to the floppy ears on the beauty queens' crowns. The 3-on-3 basketball participants vied for the "Hound of the Basketballs" trophy. There was a "putting on the dog" fashion promenade with poodle skirts and Senator Vest impersonators. The doggie song karaoke contestants included renditions of "Hound Dog," "Doggie in the Window," "Old Dog Tray" and Chuck Berry's 'walking the dog' routine. The winner of the Lassie calling contest called in every stray for five miles and was awarded a job as Assistant Dogcatcher.

CMSU Greek groups vied in the "wiener relays" (relay races with plates of slippery hot dogs), the Theater Department was busy putting on a new Old Drum trial play, the Art Department was sponsoring a dog art show, and the creative writing group was reading dog poetry (mostly doggerel).

Local restaurants were busy making a world record dog biscuit, and booths sparkled with dog collars, dog dishes, dog trinkets and other canine crafts. Many of the visitors arrived by train, greeted by the Chamber president in an Old Drum costume. Paw prints painted on the sidewalk made sure visitors couldn't miss downtown. The billboards read "Warrensburg - Gone to the Dogs."

The gourmet wiener dinners, sponsored by Oscar Meyer, were sold at "Le Jardin de Phideaux," formerly the beer & brats area. Entertainment featured a "Three Dog Night" revival and, for a change of pace, the Krazy Kats.

Of course, there were plenty of activities for the real dogs - a standard dog show, a poker-playing dog costume show, working dog demonstrations, etc. Local vets had doggie health clinics and pet welfare groups offered "adopt a dog" displays.

"Aunt Ida" said she woke up panting ... for all the excitement at next years Old Drum Days.