Authorities in Ohio have it out for Punxsutawney Phil as winter lingers, despite his prediction on Groundhog Day, but Chuckles, the state groundhog of Connecticut, had it right all along.
Phil did not see his shadow, predicting an early Spring, and that prompted officials in still-frigid Ohio to issue an "indictment" of the furry rodent for misrepresentation of an early Spring.
"Contrary to the Groundhog day report, a snowstorm and record low temperatures have been and are predicted to continue in the bear future, which constitutes the offense of misrepresentation of early spring ...," Mike Gmoser, the prosecutor in southwestern Ohio's Butler County, wote, according the to the indictment Cincinatti.com posted online.
He said Punxsutawney Phil "did purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause the people to believe that spring would come early."
The penalty? Gmoser said - tongue firmly in cheek - is death.
Ohio is certainly not alone in sub-average temperatures.
Even this morning, flurries were coming down in northwestern Connecticut, but Chuckles had it right by predicting a long winter.
The reaction was mixed on Feb. 2 at the Lutz Children’s Museum.
“I like winter. … There’s always a good chance of a snow day,” Barbara McNamar said last month.
“I like snow,” Isabel McCoy said in February.
However, others like Eric Colleran, who could not wait to enjoy the great outdoors, were disappointed by the prediction.
“It’s just … boring when all these snowstorms keep happening,” Colleran said.
Like it or not, Chuckles had it right.
