Every February, hundreds of on-lookers flock to the American Legion pavilion, trying to catch a glimpse of local celebrity, Milltown Mel, hoping the giant rodent doesn’t see his shadow. However, Groundhog Day just won’t be the same. The weather-predicting groundhog died just before his annual big day. On Groundhog Day, tradition holds that if a groundhog sees its shadow, we can expect six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, an early spring is predicted.
But Milltown has canceled its event because the wranglers don’t have time to find a replacement for Mel.
“We just said, ‘You know what, we can’t do it this year.’ You can’t do it the day before, it takes a lot of planning,” wrangler Russell Einbinder said.
Milltown Mel’s death was announced on a Facebook page set up for him.
