Kennedy is 15-year-old Standardbred. He worked as the riderless horse. But he behaved badly a bit too much.

The chance to adopt a caisson horse is rare. It is also not an easy thing to do. A herd manager from the Army visits each possible home to make sure it is good enough.

People who want to adopt one of the horses have to fill out a six-page list of questions. Jenna Sears passed the test and adopted Freedom, a 12-year-old caisson horse.

13. “The caisson horses are known for being very calm,” she said. “They’re kind of the ideal horse.”

The caisson horses work out of a barn in Fort Myer, Virginia. At 4:30 a.m., the caisson soldiers come to the barn. They spend hours shining 314 pieces of brass that the horses wear.

By 8 a.m., the horses are ready to go to the cemetery. They stay there until about 4 p.m.

These horses have been doing this so long, they know what the hob is,” said soldier Kris Loudner.

17. “The horses will be nipping at each other, acting the fool,” he said. “As soon as it’s time, they tighten up. They’re ready for the mission to start.”

Loudner, 24, grew up on a farm. He has been a caisson rider for more than a year.

It’s a very honorable, very awe-inspiring job,” he said.

20. “I think one of the reasons to own a horse like Quincy or Kennedy is to have a piece in this mission. In a way you’re tending to a horse that has honored America’s serving members.”

News for You, March 30, 2016

Store With No Workers

Brings Shopping Back to Small Swedish Town

Robert Ilijason is 39 years old. He lives in the small town of Viken, Sweden. One night he was home alone with his hungry young son. He dropped the last jar of baby food on the floor.

Ilijason had to put his crying son in the back sat of his car. Then he had to find a grocerty store. It was late at night. The nearest open supermarket was a 20-minute drive away.

That night, an idea was born.

Ilijason now runs Sweden’s first unstaffed 24-hour store. “Unstaffed” means that the store has no workers.

So how does the store work? People can unlock the door using their cellphones. They use their phones to scan items they want to buy.

The store sells milk, bread, sugar, and canned food. It sells diapers and other common items.

The store doesn’t sell smoking products or drugs. It does not sell alcohol.

Users have to sign up online before their first shopping trip. They have to download an app to their cellphone. An app is a simple computer program.

Shoppers are billed monthly for what they buy.

Viken is home to just 4,200 people. Ilijason hopes his idea spreads to other small towns.

It is incredible that no one has thought of this before,” he said.

In recent years, many small stores in the countryside have closed. They’ve been replaced by bigger supermarkets. Those markets are often many miles away.

Iijason’s store saves money without workers. Other stores could, too. That could help them stay open.

Ilijason is at the store when products are dropped off. He puts the items on the shelves. Then buyers do the rest.

There are six cameras in the store to help prevent stealing. Ilijason gets a text message if the store’s door is open for longer than 8 seconds. He also gets a message if someone tries to break open the door.

I live nearby and can always run down here with a crowbar,” he joked.

The store opened in January. There have been no thefts so far.

The biggest problem has been teaching older people how to shop. Some of them are not very good with cellphones and technology.

Tuve Nilsson is 75 years old. He said the shop could be useful for older people who live alone.

20. “But if they can manage this technology, I don’t know,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t understand it.”

Ilijason might look for a way to open the door without an app. He might try a credit card reader like some banks use. He might have someone work in the store for a few hours a day. That person could help older shoppers.

Ilijason’s friend Raymond Arvidsson shops at the store. He likes the speed of shopping there.

Quick in, quick out. I like it,” Arvidsson said.

News for You, March 30, 2016

⇐ Предыдущая123

Поделиться: