Letter: Welcome to magic city of Las Vegas

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999 | 10:01 a.m.

Welcome to "Oz" Vegas! We're not only over the rainbow, we're right through it. We had a good witch named Jan Jones, but she left for a better position. There weren't that many munchkins around then, but wait until you see the couple of million here on New Year's Eve.

You'll get to meet our new mayor soon. He's a colorful character named Oscar. There was a time when he was a legal eagle for questionable characters but he figured out that being in charge of Oz would be more fun.

By the way, those aren't flying monkeys that you see; it's the Flying Elvis doing their thing. Those horses of many colors are in Red Rock Canyon, but they're not as tame as you'd like them to be.

I want you to follow our yellow brick road, known as the Strip. You'll pass a lot of beautiful places and palaces, but when you reach the huge, bright green building called MGM, that is the Emerald City.

I think your friends, the lion, tin man and scarecrow might be there to greet you. Unfortunately, you won't find the Wizard there. He moved down the street and is in charge of a place called the Mirage. He does work hand in hand with Mayor Oscar in trying to bring more and more to our land of Oz.

So, I welcome you two, my little munchkins, and I can guarantee you one thing -- you won't feel that you're in Illinois anymore.

ANNE L. MAPPA

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