Last year, KCUR's Question Quest started looking into a strange statue in Kansas City's Brookside neighborhood. And things have gotten a little weird in the months since then.
We recently got a dossier from a mysterious figure who claimed to know about the statue's avian origins, and now there's a ring of new additions surrounding it.
If you didn't read our post or listen to the live episode we did at the Buffalo Room, you probably should go do that. But here's the TL;DR version if you're pressed for time.
There's a statue off 52nd and Brookside — just off the Trolley Track Trail — of a Romanesque woman that has attracted people to put bird figurines around her base, leis around her neck and even crowns of flowers on her head. We found out that the statue was of Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, and that the statue was once a geocache that encouraged people to leave a bird when they found it.
There are more details that we found out recently, but we're mulling through those for a follow-up episode. So subscribe, and stay tuned for that.
"We don't know who did this, but can we say we're kind of happy they did? When we started looking into this statue, we had no clue it would be so fascinating."
For now, we want to bring everyone's attention to the new ring of feline friends who are, no doubt, hungrily eyeing the original inhabitants. There's even one brave kitten inside Hebe's goblet along with a bird. Scandalous!
We don't know who did this ... but can we say we're kind of happy they did? This has truly been a story that keeps on giving.
Maybe somebody with a dog figurine collection can add another layer to this Kansas City oddity.
If you know anything more about the statue and its collection of figurines, email us at QuestionQuest@kcur.org.
Cody Newill is the digital editor for KCUR 89.3. Follow him on Twitter @CodyNewill.
