In 1979, Charlie Evers of WMRN-AM radio in Marion, Ohio, had a contest to name a groundhog. “A listener, and I can’t remember who, had the winning name of Buckeye Chuck. Our news director, Steve Stewart, contacted Doc McClaskey, who was our state representative at the time, and he had the legislature name Buckeye Chuck as Ohio’s official weather predictor.” Charlie Evers recalls, “Over the years I tried everything possible to make the event meaningful since the groundhog rarely comes out on the second of February unless it’s warm. I will never forget the listener that called me to his residence on Oak St. saying he had a groundhog for me. Sure enough there it was in a small bucket. I tried feeding it at the radio station but it wouldn’t eat a thing. The day it died I found that its teeth had grown into its nose and that it starved to death. After it died, a newspaper from Bucyrus came down to photograph it thinking I had a live one. So I stretched it out and put some straw around it and they took their pictures.” Evers continues, “Another year the manager of the station bought a stuffed groundhog for the event. This proved to be a disaster because the weatherman at Channel 10 told his viewers that Marion had only a stuffed groundhog. Wow, was I embarrassed. After that, the local game protector helped me out by bringing the real thing from Deer Creek Park.” For the last several years, propagator (captive breeder) Ron Beach of Bucyrus, who is licensed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, has provided the groundhog. However, after Ron’s exhibit animal died at the Ohio State Fair, it was decided that Nancy Mabrey would try handling a new Buckeye Chuck because rehabilitators have more free time during the fall and winter and would try keeping him tame enough for exhibit and do promotions as well. Buckeye Chuck comes to us from Bucyrus, Ohio, where his parents still reside. He has 3 sisters who are now residents of Pennsylvania. They moved there to help with the festivities surrounding Groundhog Day. Chuck has been handled and cared for by Nancy in the house and then in a large cage which was also donated by Ron Beach. He receives a more varied diet than a wild groundhog since the Kenton Kroger Company donates fruit, yogurt, and vegetables. K-Mart donated bales of straw for bedding and winter protection, Rick and Laure Brown donated wood for his sleeping box, and Ace Hardware helped with a steel hand wagon. Chuck really enjoys eating watermelon, pears, carrots, and fresh spinach. However, he will dig out what he craves most which is usually peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, and nuts. Buckeye Chuck has appeared at the annual Halloween parade in Kenton pulled by Chad Dappert of All Season’s Parts and Repair and as part of a children’s exhibit at St. John’s Church of Christ. He was surprisingly comfortable doing a photo shoot with Mark Potteiger of Findlay Living Magazine. He has appeared at club and church meetings and has been used as a Girl Scout project. Buckeye Chuck has been interviewed by David Trinko from the Lima News, Dan Robinson from the Kenton Times, appearaed on the WLIO-NBC Lima neews, featured in an article in Ohio’s electric cooperative magazine “Country Living,” and photographed widely by the citizens of Ohio. He was brave enough to pose for photographs at the Kenton Middle School in the presence of a bald eagle, part of a raptor program presented by Black Swamp Raptor Rehab of Hancock County. Chucky even has his own veterinarian, Dr. Ernest Kearns of Diamond M Veterinary Clinic where he is weighed and his long teeth are checked. Of course the highlight of the Groundhog Day experience is to be interviewed by weather forecasters from Columbus television stations 4, 6, and 10, WCMH, WSYX, and WBNS. By 6:30 a.m. they will be ready to broadcast the famous event. Mingling among the visitors, each station presents their story by interviewing the enthusiasts who come from all over the state of Ohio. Buckeye Chuck is also shown for a brief moment on CNN and THE WEATHER CHANNEL but is usually upstaged by Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania. On February 2nd, he will appear at Marion’s WMRN radio, WMRN-AM 1490 on your radio dial.
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