While the winter months are full of fluffy white tree tops, cozy fires, and intimate family gatherings, they’re also the perfect circumstances for someone to slip and fall on your property due to ice or snow. In freezing weather, driveways, ramps, steps, and decks can become covered in slippery ice, and just one step is all it takes for someone to become seriously injured. Not only that, but snow can cover things hidden in the yard that can cause someone to trip and fall. To help you and your visitors stay safe, we’re providing three tips to prevent someone from slipping and falling on your property during the winter. NO. 1: IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WILL BE VISITING, CLEAR THE SNOW AHEAD OF TIME. The easiest way to prevent injuries is to Falling in a Winte 3 TIPS TO AVOID SLIPS AND
HOW ONE PIGEON SAVED 194 AMERICAN SOLDIERS THE STORY OF CHER AMI
stay one step ahead of any possible dangers by clearing them out of the way before anyone arrives. Before your guests show up, shovel or use a snow blower to clear driveways, sidewalks, steps, porches, or any other areas you think people might walk. Snow falls fast, so it’s best to do this close to when visitors arrive.
Animals have always played a role in military efforts during wartime. Cats were kept aboard naval ships for pest control, horses and camels provided transportation for supplies and soldiers pre-World War II, and dogs are still used to this day for search and rescue efforts as well as mine detection. But one animal profession became obsolete with the advancement of communication technology: messenger. Often used during World War I, many dogs and pigeons became responsible for delivering messages of high importance. Of all the animals used during World War I, one pigeon named Cher Ami defied the odds to save nearly 200 American soldiers. On Oct. 2, 1918, Major Charles Whittlesey got trapped along the side of a hill in Northeastern France with 550 of his men. They ended up behind enemy lines with no food or ammunition, and — to make matters worse — his battalion started to suffer from friendly fire since allied troops remained unaware of their location. With nowhere to run, Whittlesey tried to send runners to contact the allies about their predicament. Unfortunately, their enemies consistently intercepted or killed these runners until only 194 men remained. Whittlesey decided to dispatch messages by pigeon. The first pigeon got shot down almost immediately, so he sent a second pigeon with the message, “Men are suffering. Can support be sent?” That one also got shot. Finally, Whittlesey turned to his last pigeon, Cher Ami, and scribbled down a quick note on onion paper that read, “We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it.” Cher Ami took flight, but even after being shot down by the Germans, the bird defied the odds and actually took flight again! The effective delivery of this message helped save 194 men, but Cher Ami did not escape unharmed. He had been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and had a leg hanging only by a tendon. Army medics treated Cher Ami enough so he could travel to America, where he eventually succumbed to his wounds. The bird was then taxidermied and displayed in the Smithsonian, where you can still see him today. So, the next time you’re in Washington, D.C., stop by the “Price of Freedom” exhibit at the National Museum of American History where you can personally see this brave pigeon.
This month, the Kansas City Ballet brings one of the most famous fairy tales to life, “Cinderella.” The stunning performance is choreographed by Devon Carney, accompanied by Sergei Prokofiev’s score played by the Kansas City Symphony. The ballet stays true to Charles Perrault’s 1697 version of the story, with Cinderella’s father unable to protect his daughter from her evil stepmother and two stepsisters. But with the help of her fairy godmother, a pumpkin carriage, and a few friendly fairies, Cinderella is transformed into a beautiful princess who finds love in a handsome prince. Libby Hanssen from the Kansas City Star praises the performance: “Overtly pleasing, beautiful to watch and stimulating to hear.” The first act begins with Cinderella in her kitchen, scrubbing the floors as her stepsisters are doted on by their mother and her father idly spins wool. The sisters, of course, begin to bicker and leave the room ‘CINDERELLA’ IS IN KANSAS CITY! CATCH THE CLASSIC BY THE KANSAS CITY BALLET
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