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Dr. Phil Plait, the "Bad Astronomer" gives his "Bad Astronomy" presentation at the Kalamazoo Nature on 30 May 2009, part of Astronomy Day festivities sponsored by the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society.
The Punxy Phil in front of the Weather Discover Center. This one was probably the most creatively and amusingly done groundhogs, definitely view large to see all of the little details.
So, that was Punxsutawney. Hope you enjoyed the visit, despite the sad nature of the town, to say nothing of the fact that on your way in and out of the city, there are more dead groundhogs than you can count on two hands (um, no photos of that). That seemed a little bizarre and rather amusing...One might think a town whose fame depends upon one of the critters would keep his wild relatives off the side of the road.
We came into the town by accident on a run-around day. We drove right through it, expecting more, and when we left city limits, I turned to Hubby and said, "That's it?" He felt the same way (thanks, Hollywood). Far from the sweetly quirky town in the movie "Groundhog Day", Punxsutawney is instead apparently infected by blight, economic stagnation, and who knows what else. Perhaps it is on the cusp of re-invention, but as I nosed around the internet, I couldn't help but wonder. The arcade building I photographed had its death begin long ago, and still stands, albeit with more bricks on its floor and a semblance of activity in front of it once again. Perhaps it was finally entirely removed after our visit. It was all very sad to see.
Not every town can be Mayberry or Leave It To Beaver or Bedford Falls, but one hopes the inhabitants of such cities can find and grab hold of a new niche, a way to revive themselves and their neighbors to a simple prosperity that allows them to help themselves, each other, and their town back to better days. We're still America, it is still possible. Perhaps Punxsutawney will one day recover itself, and perhaps become known for something other than groundhogs and shadows.
Between mile 4 and 5 in the Philly Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. September 18, 2011. Official finish time of 1:39:59.
Phil Donelson and Jenn Barrett after the preview screening of "Taxi to the Dark Side", one of the films being shown at the 5th Annual Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival.