A Pennsylvania groundhog is making a name for himself for something other than predicting Spring. An intrepid varmint dubbed Colonel Custard — named for the frozen custard shop where he was discovered — was found hiding among the group of stuffed animal prizes in an arcade game. Players were maneuvering the mechanical claw to pluck toys from the glass game case when they suddenly realized that one of them was blinking back. The rodent was found in Hollidaysburg, an hour’s drive from Punxsutawney, home of the weather-predicting groundhog Phil. The owners of The Meadows frozen custard shop aren’t being shy about promoting their own furry friend. Staff and owners made t-shirts that read “Respect the Groundhog,” held an online naming contest that drew an avalanche of responses, and are working on other promotional ideas, such as naming one of their frozen custard flavors Colonel Custard. No one is sure exactly how the groundhog got into the building, much less worked his way into the game machine, but it took a village to set the varmint free. Employees first called the claw machine owners, who were too skittish to take the colonel on. Next came the police, who called the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Game wardens opened up the claw machine and released the groundhog into a nearby field. It was a happy ending: the groundhog was set free and no one was bitten in the process.
