Page 5 - Overview Winter 2017

A bit of history before Overland Park was a city
Over 40 members of the Potawatomi Indian tribe died in 1838 as part of the Trail of Death that began in central Indiana and ended in Osawatomie, Kan., passing through what is today Overland Park. (Overland Park became a city in May, 1960).
Six trail markers were installed in Overland Park to mark the path the tribe members were forced to march.
Markers were placed on Nall, south of 137th St.; 143rd and Lamar; Metcalf, south of 143rd St.; 151st St., west of Antioch; Switzer, south of 151st St.; and 159th St., west of Quivira.
Overland Park, along with Johnson County and other state and local government agencies, have placed similar roadside markers to commemorate the tragic event.
Ensure that your Thanksgiving Day is fun, safe
Thanksgiving is a time for family, fun, football and, unfortunately, fires.
“There are four times the number of cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day, making it the biggest day for home fires,” said Tricia Roberts, public education specialist for the Overland Park Fire Department. “It’s followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.”
Unattended cooking is the leading contributor to cooking fires and fire deaths.
Here are some tips to ensure your holiday safety:
Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stove, including oven mitts, utensils, packaging, cloth or paper towels, and plastic containers.
Do not leave food unattended on the stove or in the oven.
If you are deep frying a turkey, do it outside and away from your home or any other structure.
Never use water to suppress a grease fire. Spilled grease in an oven or on top of a stove can catch fire.
Create a kid-free zone of at least three feet away from the stove.
Keep your kitchen floor free of toys, bags, pet dishes and more.
Clean up any spilled food or grease to avoid slips.
Smother a pan fire by sliding a lid over the pan, and turn off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
Do not leave lit candles unattended, especially if children are present.
For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
Make sure your home smoke alarms are working. Do not remove the batteries or deactivate
your smoke alarms when cooking.
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