Stowaway groundhog is elevated to local icon
HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Pennsylvania groundhog is making a name for himself for something other than predicting an early or late spring.
An intrepid varmint dubbed Colonel Custard — so named for the frozen custard shop where he was discovered — was found stowed away with a passel of stuffed animal prizes in an arcade game two weeks ago. Players were maneuvering a mechanical claw to pluck toys from the glass game case when they suddenly realized a live groundhog was blinking back at them.
The colonel was found in Hollidaysburg, an hour’s drive from Pennsylvania's more famous groundhog town, Punxsutawney, home to the weather-predicting Phil.
The owners and staff at The Meadows frozen custard shop aren’t shy about promoting their own furry friend. They made T-shirts reading “Respect the Groundhog” and held an online naming campaign that drew an avalanche of responses — and now are working on yet more promotional ideas, such as naming a frozen treat flavor after Colonel Custard.
Meadows manager Lynn Castle said no one is sure how the groundhog got into the building, but he must have clambered up the game chute into the machine.
“They were just staring at the stuffed animals in there getting ready to decide what to pick and saw the groundhog's eyes blinking and realized there was something alive in there,” Castle said.
It took a village to set the varmint free. Employees first called the machine’s owners, who were too skittish to take on the task. Next came the police, who called the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Game wardens opened the claw machine and released the groundhog into a nearby field, Castle said.
“It’s a good story that ended well,” Castle said. “He got set free, no one got bit.”
