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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro deed backmost astatine People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) connected Friday, aft the activistic radical sent a missive to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club promising to nonstop them a vegan "weather uncover cake" if they agreed to halt pulling Punxsutawney Phil retired of his burrow for his Feb. 2 prognostication.
"Come and instrumentality it," Shapiro tweeted successful effect to a New York Post story connected PETA's demand.
Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, told Fox News Digital the politician stands by his comments and said helium volition again marque the travel to Gobbler's Knob successful Jefferson County connected Sunday to witnesser Phil's 138th meteorological prediction.
Shapiro has been on-hand for each Groundhog Day ceremonial successful Punxsutawney since taking bureau successful 2023.
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PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the Post that Phil is denied the accepted manner of a groundhog "for a bushed aged gimmick."
Visitors to Punxsutawney year-round tin sojourn Phil and his "wife," Phyllis, astatine the borough library. On this reporter's past sojourn to the area, the rodents had precocious go arrogant parents to a caller babe groundhog, arsenic well.
While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has adjacent been popularized successful the classical 1993 Bill Murray movie of the aforesaid name, the time — and Phil himself — clasp a peculiar spot successful galore Pennsylvanians' hearts.
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Nineteen different lodges based astir the authorities person held "Versommlinge" for decades, arsenic well.
However, 3 — "#2, Schibbach" successful Montgomery County, "#3, Temple U." successful Philadelphia County and "#5, Bind Bush" successful Schuylkill County — person gone defunct successful caller years arsenic the Pennsylvania German connection and civilization spot a diminution successful younger generations.
A March 2024 Versommling for "Lodge #18 an de Forelle Grick" (on Trout Creek) successful Slatington featured section brew connected tap, a accepted Pennsylvania German supper, stories and riddles from lodge elders told successful the Pennsylvania German language, and, of course, representations of Phil himself.
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Until recently, it was the customized of groundhog lodges to forbid English-speaking successful favour of "Pennsilfaanisch," lest the violator flip a nickel successful a donation jar connected their table.
Other states' groundhogs person been little fortunate than Phil, arsenic then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio infamously dropped Staten Island Chuck during a 2014 ceremonial successful West New Brighton. Chuck aboriginal died from interior injuries aft appearing to onshore connected his head.
With the value Groundhog Day and Phil himself clasp to Pennsylvania past-and-present, Bonder said Shapiro volition proceed to support the groundhog and his tradition, and volition beryllium connected manus for aboriginal wintertime prognostications successful Punxsutawney.
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