COUNTY LIFE
Will he or won’t he? Groundhog Day on Feb. 2
Groundhog Day offers a touch of whimsy during the often bleak midwinter chill. Across the country, eager celebrants await a rascally rodent to determine if there will be six more weeks of winter or if the nation will receive an early reprieve from the cold.
It is fun to guess if an early spring is coming, and even more so to rely on a large ground squirrel to play meteorologist. To further enhance the Groundhog Day experience, burrow into these interesting facts about the holiday and the animal itself.
• The world can thank the Germans for the Groundhog Day tradition. The see-his-shadow concept was adapted from a German Candlemas Day tradition in which clergymen would bless the candles they needed for the cold season. If the candles brought a sunny day, there would be six more weeks of winter. However, clouds and rain signified that winter would end soon. Germans who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s brought the custom to America.
• Germans once used a hedgehog as their animal forecaster. When relocating to Pennsylvania, groundhogs were used because they were more common than hedgehogs.
• Punxsutawney Phil is perhaps most revered for his forecasting abilities. However, more than a dozen states have their own prognosticating groundhogs. These include Buckeye Chuck in Ohio, Birmingham Bill in Alabama and General Beauregard Lee in Georgia.
• Phil has been predicting the weather at Gobbler’s Knob for more than 130 years. This is quite a feat considering groundhogs typically live between six and eight years. Folklore indicates Phil sips a magical drink that will prolong his life for seven more years.
• Phil’s full name is Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary.
• Groundhogs also are called woodchucks and are a species of rodent known as marmots. They typically weigh between 12 and 15 pounds. Woodchucks really have nothing to do with wood or chucking. The name stems from an Algonquian name wuchak.
• The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration says Phil has seen his shadow more times than not between 1887 and 2019. Statistically speaking, six more weeks of winter is often the norm.
• Groundhogs prefer to live in open country or at woodland edges. They are never far from a burrow made in well-drained soil. Most have summer and winter dens.
• Groundhogs are adept at predicting the arrival of spring, just not in the way people have come to know from Groundhog Day. Since they hibernate, when groundhogs emerge from their burrows, it’s a sure sign spring is on its way.
• The 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray helped solidify Punxsutawney Phil as a national hero and household name. Since then, crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have made the pilgrimage to see Phil in person.
Groundhog Day brings some levity to an otherwise uneventful time of year.
From a road trip around North Texas to a colorful car show, Nocona is gearing up for its 11th annual springtime festival Cruisin’ Nocona on May 3-4 with lots of family fun activities.
Enjoy the popular Poker Cruise on May 3 as drivers travel a 120-mile trek through the countryside of Montague County enjoying several stops along the way before looping back to Nocona for lunch.
Early-bird registration is $50. Forms are available at the Nocona Chamber of Commerce office at 304 Clay St. #3 or go online to Nocona.org/events to get a form. After April 25 the cost goes up to $65.
There will be on-site registration from 9 – 10:30 a.m. that day at 915 E. U.S. Highway 82, where the cruise starts at 11 a.m. Each driver gets a goodie bag with a Cruisin’ Nocona T-shirt and ticket for the cruise lunch. Additional lunch tickets may be purchased for $20.
First-third place prizes will be awarded to the best poker hands. There will be a big truck light show at 8:30 p.m. at The V at 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
A pancake breakfast served from 8-10 a.m. at The V opens Saturday morning followed by downtown Nocona being filled with classic cars and big trucks for Cruisin’ Car Show. This is the second year to include the big trucks set up along Clay and West Walnut Streets.
Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 cars and pickups, top five motorcycles, Big Truck People’s Choice and Big Truck that traveled the farthest to the show. All makes and models welcomed to enter. Forms are available on the chamber’s website.
The car show will have registration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clay and W. Walnut with judging from 1-3 p.m. Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. at the H.J. Justin Building, 100 Clay.
There will be a power wheel car show from 3-4 p.m. in the Justin building. Cecil Allen Moore will entertain at the same location starting at 5 p.m.
Bowie High School staff and students celebrated its first “Signing Day” on April 25 looking on as three seniors signed their letters of intent to pursue different paths to higher education.
Principal Joanne Keeler said she was excited to present this program and show students the success they can have if they work hard and they also could be signing up for their future. She hopes to see the program expand adding more students who are planning their futures.
Jacobi McGregor signed his letter of intent to attend Ottawa University in Kansas on a powerflifting scholarship. He plans to study sports administration.
Iron Atkinson will be joining the United States Army. His grandmother Sherri Waldrop, looked on as he signed the paperwork.
Traycee Stewart, daughter of Susan and James Stewart, will attending West Texas State A&M University on a music education scholarship.
Read the full story on signing day in the mid-week Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Gold-Burg High School’s one-act play, “Interview,” advanced to state competition in Austin after an outstanding performance at regionals last Friday.
The Bears advance with eight other plays with a chance to take the state title on May 13. Students taking honors at regionals were Izzy Rohde who won Best All Around Female Performer. Director Linda Fitzner said Rohde is an eighth grader and they had to obtain permission for her to move up and participate in one-act.
Levi Hellinger and Barrett Allen won All Star Cast and Aidan Foster received a special individual lighting award. Jimena Garcia was honorable mention All Star Cast.
There will be a public show at 4 p.m. May 5 in the Bowie Junior High Auditorium.
For Gold-Burg this is their first time to take a one-act play to state. They have made it to regionals two or three other times, but it is the first for state.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
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