Being from west central PA has few distinctions, so I must take advantage of the opportunity to note one of them. Next Wednesday is Groundhog Day. The Great Prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil will make his appearance minutes after the sun rises to let us know how much more winter we will have to endure.

Punxsutawney is about 20 miles south of where I grew up. The funny thing is, I am associating myself with Punxsy (nickname for the town used by locals) when I actually attended high school at Punxsutawney’s rival DuBois Area High School (home of, you guessed it, those other gnawing rodents, the Beavers). I do have familial links to Punxsy though. Both my parents are Punxsy natives. My mother’s parents lived there all their lives, and my paternal grandparents lived on the outskirts of the little burgh for several years. Now my 2 older brothers live in the Punxsy “suburbs,” and their children and grandchildren go to school there.

As a native of the area surrounding Punxsy, I encourage you to at least tell someone “Happy Groundhog Day” next Wednesday. It gives most people a little smile, and the locals in the Greater Punxsutawney Metropolitan Area enjoy their annual day in the spotlight.