Groundhog Day: The Greatest Chamber Of Commerce Gimmick Ever

Punxsutawney is in Western Pennsylvania, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

There's nothing really that special about the area.

Nearly 100 years ago ... a group of townsfolk in Punxsutawney got together to try to figure out how to get people to visit in the dead of winter ... they created the mythos of Punxsutawney Phil - a woodchuck who predicted (with his shadow) whether we would have an early spring (in six weeks) or a month and half more of winter. (The joke is these are the same length of time - one just sounds longer.)

Spring 2010 will begin regardless on Saturday,March 20th in 2010. The winter season of 2010 ends Friday, March 19th.

I'm not sure how many websites have ever made the connection that the popularity of The National Weather Service and the modernization of equipment used in various meteorological measurements happened right around the same time as the mythos of Punxsutawney Phil began.

Punxsutawney Phil's legend also happened to come about right as townships began to finalize their boundaries and form chambers of commerce and establish mayorship. (Punxsutawney and Liberty are very close in their times formation.)

Groundhog Day, which initially capitalized on the growing fascination amongst Americans with weather prediction and measurement, was further promoted by the Punxsutawney Chamber Of Commerce.

Now, each year, the town of Punxsutawney and nearby Gobbler's Knob capitalize on the media coverage and curious travelers who make their way by the THOUSANDS to the small little towns.

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From the Punxsutawney website:

How many "Phils" have there been over the years?

One!

C'mon... really?

Of course there has only been one Phil. How many Santa Clauses have there been!?! Every summer the Groundhog Club gives Phil a special elixir called The Elixir of Life. The drink extends his life for an extra seven years with each sip.

Where can I get a cute, cuddly stuffed groundhog?

Visit the Chamber of Commerce's Official Souvenir Catalog. You'll find all kinds of items there to help you celebrate the holiday even if you're not planning to visit in person!

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All I can say is GENIUS!

Liberty has somewhat of a genius move with the annual Liberty Idol contest ... I hope it lasts. The only thing I see is that interest in American Idol is waning and its popularity in the ratings is sagging.

It also doesn't help that other (local to Liberty) municipalities are getting in on the "Idol" entertainment too. I doubt many know Liberty was one of the first to do it - I doubt many care. I guess what I'm getting at is that while Liberty Idol is a valiant effort - it isn't unique or lasting.

Since I'm a man of vision - I would like to see Liberty eventually do at least one thing a year that is unique that could draw national attention. One thing we could capitalize on is Ben Robertson - who is buried here in Liberty. I'd love to see a writing event - maybe a celebration of Liberty history - something that seems to be lost by our own current chamber.
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One of the best comedies ever made is Bill Murray's Groundhog Day:




The story focuses on Phil Conners, an arrogant weatherman who finds himself living the same day over and over again. He eventually starts to learn from each day as he repeats it - but can he become a better man before going insane?

One note about the story that is left up to the viewer to determine - the repetition could have only lasted a month or it may have lasted for years. Once you start to think about this - you see what a great actor Murray is - playing a very sad and dark role.


* I won't get into the Pagan origins of Groundhog Day, but for a starting point if interested check here.

Reference:

http://www.groundhog.org/groundhog-day/history/

http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puxatony_phil

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/pa/history/timeline.php