Groundhogs say spring is on the way

Thousands of winter-weary people who waited through a rainy nightwere rewarded this morning: Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil didn't seehis shadow.

That means, according to legend, that spring is just around thecorner.

A cheer went up as members of the local Groundhog Day club madethe announcement, shortly after dawn. If Phil had seen his shadow,it would have meant six more weeks of winter.Many around the country eagerly await Phil's annual Groundhog Daypredictions.But West Virginians know Concord Charlie is the utmost expert andauthority on Groundhog Day, said Concord College spokesman Tom Bone.And he agrees with Phil - winter is on the way out. French CreekFreddy, who maintains a residence at the West Virginia WildlifeCenter, also failed to see his shadow, said biologist Bill Vanscoy.Van scoy said overcast skies in Upshur County probably played apart.Concord Charlie, a furry fantasy at Concord College, allegedlylives in a burrow on the north end of the Athens campus nearAndersonField.Each year, West Virginians await the moment when Jerry Beasley,president of the college, reports on his conversations with thereputable, well-respected rodent."Concord Charlie did not see his shadow, in agreement with somegroundhog up in Pennsylvania," Bone said.Each year, the president of Concord College goes in search ofCharlie and has a long, philosophical conversation with him, Bonesaid. This has been going on for 22 years."People question the lifespan of a groundhog," Bone said. "But ifthe president of the college says he spoke to the groundhog, I'm notgoing to argue."It was the same cheery news - if you believe in such things - inLilburn, Ga., where Georgia's groundhog forecaster, Gen. BeauregardLee, also failed to see his shadow. Cloudy skies chased shadows awaywhen the 9-year-old prognosticator came out of his small mansion at7:34 a.m.The Groundhog Day tradition is rooted in a German superstitionthat if an animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 - the Christian holidayofCandlemas - bad weather is coming. But in the 110 years since Germanfarmers began the festival in Punxsutawney, the morning of Feb. 2hasevolved into an elaborate show of hoodwinkery.In years past, members of the club voted the night before whetheror not Phil would see his shadow, rain or shine. Despite overcastskies last year, the club announced the shadow appeared. They setoff fireworks to simulate a sunrise.This year, club members insisted, they did not decide what Phil'sdecision would be until they actually approached his burrow.