Stay bundled up. Milltown Mel predicts six more weeks of winter. “Melvin is a cranky groundhog this morning,” borough resident Jerry Guthlein said early Tuesday morning as he turned his 2-year-old chubby, gray-brown friend toward him in front of a crowd of about 150 at the American Legion on JFK Drive. Bells chimed in the background as Guthlein and the 13 members of the Milltown Groundhog Wranglers, wearing top hats and long, black coats, conducted the ceremony.
Milltown master wrangler Jerry Guthlein shows Milltown Mel to a crowd of about 150 gathered at the Knights of Columbus on JFK Drive early Tuesday to hear the groundhog’s prediction. This is the second year the event has been held in Milltown. SCOTT FRIEDMAN Mel looked flabbergasted as his owner lifted him up for the crowd to see, moving his head from side to side. Wrangler Jack Bicsko then spoke for Mel: “My shadow I saw, much to my dismay … Lots more cold for you and me.”
Above: Master wrangler Jerry Guthlein leads a crew through the waiting crowd at the American Legion. Right: Jason Sajkowski, 2, watches the clock while his brother Vinnie, 4, awaits word from their grandfather, Guthlein, and Milltown Mel. This is the second year Guthlein and his wife, Cathy, hosted the local event.
“It was 15 years ago since we went to Punxsutawney [Pa.] and we thought it looked like a lot of fun, and here we are,” he said with a smile.
In the early 1990s Cathy Guthlein became very ill, and each day Jerry would ask his wife how she was feeling. Each day he would get the same response: not well. Around the same time, the movie “Groundhog Day” was released. The movie is set in Punxsutawney, Pa. Bill Murray plays a TV news reporter who relives the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over. After seeing the movie, Cathy’s static condition reminded Jerry of the main character’s conundrum.
PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN “I said, ‘When you get better, we’re going to Punxsutawney,’ ” Jerry told Greater Media Newspapers last year. “We went and had a great time.”
Two years ago the couple decided to get a groundhog of their own. At the same time they got Mel, the local Groundhog Wranglers was formed.
“It happened over pizza and beer,” Jerry said with a laugh.
On Tuesday, Mary Moulds woke up at 5 a.m. to drive to her hometown of Milltown from Mercer County to witness Mel’s 7 a.m. prediction. She brought her college roommate and met up with her cousin Debbie Cumiskey of Milltown.
“I was born and raised in Milltown.… Events like this make people who leave the town always want to come back,” Moulds said. “I had missed it last year, and I didn’t want to miss it this year. My brother Ralph Jasionowski is also one of the Wranglers.”
Borough resident Amy Bitalla said her son Mason, 3, woke up at 9:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. the night before, asking if it was time yet to go see Milltown Mel.
“We came last year, and over the past year, Mason has visited Mel and has brought his favorites of peanuts and carrots,” Bitalla said. “Today, Mason brought Mel a bag of peanuts.”
Tradition dictates that if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, six more weeks of winter can be expected. If not, there will be an early spring, according to the legend. This year, Punxsutawney Phil and Milltown Mel both had the same prediction of an extended winter.