Name that Flyover city — October 3, 2019

We hope you’re enjoying “Name that Flyover City.”

First, let’s review the questions:

1. This city is Warren’s Buffet’s lifelong home.
2. The official bird of this city is the Pink Flamingo.
3. The idea for a zoo in this city came about due to an unemployed bear.

And, now, the answers:

1. Omaha, NE—Buffet, called the “Oracle of Omaha,” maintains his status as one of the richest men in the world while living in Omaha. In fact, Buffett still lives in the same house he purchased in 1958 for $31,500, according to Investopedia.
2. Madison, WI—The city of Madison declared the pink flamingo—the plastic pink flamingo—as its official bird in 2009. While the pink flamingo is not indigenous to Wisconsin, or anywhere for that matter, its legacy lives on. Why? According to an article on mentalfloss, in 1979 some students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pranked the dean by placing 1008 of the birds on the lawn near his office to recognize the first day of the fall semester. Local newspaper columnist Doug Moe lobbied to have the toy named the official bird of the city.
3. Memphis, TN—While it is now a world-class zoo, Memphis’ animal attraction had an odd beginning: The city’s baseball team, the Memphis Turtles, used a live black bear named “Natch”– a gift from businessman A.B. Carrathers– as a mascot. Because Natch lacked the people skills needed to be a mascot, Carrathers chained to a tree in Overton Park where he was joined by other unwanted animals. The head of the Parks Division, Colonel Robert Galloway, requested funding for a zoo there in 1906.

Thanks for playing Name that Flyover city AND for reading Flyover Future!