It's Leap Day! You know you were looking forward to it... until you woke up to severe weather, anyway. A complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Every four years, during which an extra 24 hours have accumulated, one extra day is added to keep the count coordinated with the sun's position. Well... technically it's five hours, 49 minutes, and 16 seconds. In order to account for this, an end-of-century year is not considered a leap year unless it's exactly divisible by 400 (so 1600 and 2000 were leap years, but 1900 wasn't and neither will 2100).
Some notable leaplings: Pope Paul III, Ann Lee (founder of the Shakers), Gioachino Rossini (composer) Jimmy Dorsey (jazz bandleader), Dinah Shore (singer, actress), Howard Nemerov (poet), and... Sir James Wilson (see picture), Premiere of Tasmania in the late 1800s, and the only known notable person to have been both born and died on February 29th.
It’s Wednesday, February 29
Western Baptist Hospital hosts a “Kick Up Your Heels” Foundation Luncheon tomorrow from 10 to 1 in the Baptist Heart Center Auditorium. The event features an accessory fashion show, vendors, and a panelist discussion on cancer care. $30 tickets benefit cancer care education programs and services. Make reservations by calling 575-2871.
The National Weather Service in Paducah conducts spotter training webinars in preparation for the upcoming severe weather season tonight and tomorrow night at 6:30. The free webinars are open to anyone who would like to become a spotter. Access more information through weather.gov.
Recycling is the theme of this week’s WKCTC Friday Night Science event. Children ages six to twelve can learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle; discover why Styrofoam is bad for the environment; and learn how farmers use crystals to help conserve water. The cost is twenty dollars. The two-hour class begins at 5PM. To register, call 534-3335.
Find details about community events at wkms.org, and thanks for listening.
