Groundhog Day is really about love, not weather

By CaROL BROOKs FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com

Groundhog Day has come and gone once more. Punxsutawney Phil has yet again seen his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. But let’s be reasonable. There are lots of lights shining on Phil, and other groundhogs around the country, so he is bound to see his shadow. Also, the calendar shows that winter’s last day is March 19, so the rodent really couldn’t be wrong if he predicted more winter. These prognosticators actually are only right about 40 percent of the time in 136 years of “official” predictions.

While this tradition may be silly, it actually stems from the movements of the sun, dating back thousands of years. It is well known that ancient civilizations used not only the sun but also the stars, to guide them on when to plant and harvest crops and to get ready for the cold weather ahead.

Early Celts lived all over continental Europe, not just where we associate them living in parts of the United Kingdom and in Brittany. Andrew E. Rothovius wrote in The Old Farmer’s Almanac that what we now think of as Groundhog Day was celebrated by the Celts as Imbolc. It was celebrated between the winter solstice and spring equinox and participants made weather predictions.

When British and German immigrants came to the United Kingdom, they brought this tradition with them.

Another explanation of the tradition comes from history. com.

“Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be. Germans expanded on this concept by selecting an animal – the hedgehog – as a means of predicting weather. Once they came to America, German settlers in Pennsylvania continued the tradition, although they switched from hedgehogs to groundhogs, which were plentiful in the Keystone State.”

Naturalist John Ray wrote a poem in 1678 that explains the Candlemas tradition: see GOUndHOG, PAGe 3 the basis of NC FAME.

“If Candlemas day be fair and bright Winter will have another flight.

“This excites me,” Cooper said. “For years businesses invested in apprenticeships and internships. Over the years … businesses moved away from apprenticeships.

But necessity is the mother of invention and we know how much our businesses need a quality workforce. We know [apprenticeships and internships] are coming back.”

Don Stewart, Toyota Battery vice president, said this was the first FAME chapter, the First in Flight Chapter, in North Carolina and the state is only the 14th to have a FAME program. The training received will help close the skills gap.

When he first visited GTCC, Tony Davis, FAME National Director for the Manufacturing Institute, was amazed at the people and teaching at the school.

“This is going to be second to none,” Davis said.

“Employers have a distinct need and are collaborating with local partners to expand career pathway opportunities for the region’s workforce by bringing this powerful program to their area.”

Toyota Battery created FAME in 1988 as a way to train students in advanced manufacturing technology.

It moved to the Manufacturing Institute for National Scaling in 2019. Today, the Manufacturing Institute is the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Dennis Parker, the founder of FAME, issued a challenge to GTCC: “Make this North Carolina FAME First in Flight Chapter the best chapter in the entire FAME network. This school has the ability and potential to do that.”

Clarke explained the students are in what he called “cohorts”. There will be approximately 30 students in the first cohort. The new program begins August 2023 and current students are eligible to enter NC FAME. With only 30 students in the program, NC FAME will pick the mostqualified students.

“It is an honor, and further validation of GTCC’s impact on our community, that FAME would chose the college for its first chapter in North Carolina,” said George Ragsdale, a member of GTCC Board of Trustees. “Dr. Clarke and his leadership team do a fantastic job and continue to build a trained workforce unsurpassed in North Carolina. This workforce is one of the primary drivers of all the new job and economic growth we are seeing in the area. We are certain to see this continue to grow and benefit all residents of the Triad now that the FAME/ GTCC partnership has been established.” new businesses will want to become part of it.

For more information, visit https://gtcc.edu/gtccfame or https://fame-usa. com.

GTCC will present information sessions on the Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program Feb. 16 from 6-7 p.m. The meetings will be held at the Medlin Campus Center on the Jamestown Campus. The information sessions will provide the opportunity to speak with employer partners about what to expect from on-the-job training, learn about the employer partner companies, and learn the FAME program requirements, selection process and advanced manufacturing technology pathway.

Selina Golden, owner and operator of a children’s consignment shop in Jamestown, was instrumental in starting JBA in 1993. She felt local businesses needed an outlet to support one another and the town. An assortment of business owners and non-profit organizations began to meet monthly for breakfast at what was then Penny’s Restaurant.

Golden served as JBA’s first president.

“The best thing about the Jamestown Business Association is it not only wants to make the businesses better, but also the town,” said Divine Design owner, the late Ruth Kiger, during an early interview about the group. Kiger served as vice president and president during the organization’s beginning years.

Shortly after the group started, members decided to hold a festival to promote their businesses while providing a variety of crafts and entertainment for the community. The first Jamestown Day was spread throughout Jamestown with activities in front of the Jamestown Public Library (formerly Jamestown Public School) and in Jamestown Center. It later changed the format from widespread to centrally located in front of the library and Jamestown Elementary School.

JBA members also chose to participate in the annual Jamestown Christmas parade and for years sponsored a float for the event.

In 2000, the Jamestown Business Association began a formal grant program to provide money to organizations that working with the Jamestown Golf Association to plan tournaments and special events for the coming year,” said Ross Sanderlin, director of golf and recreation. “Staff is also beginning training for the new point-of-sale software that is being installed. The system will have many new features for staff, as well as enhanced offerings for customers and guests.”

On the Golf Maintenance side, Superintendent Jamey Claybrook echoed Sanderlin’s report on the weather.

“We had very cold temperatures hit us right at Christmas and had to install our green covers to help protest greens,” he said. “We had to keep those on for about a week.

“The golf course main- promoted local youths. For several years funds were dispersed by a donoradvised fund with the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

Although the activities of JBA have changed over the years, its goals have basically remained the same –to improve and promote its businesses and the town.

To provide opportunities for more businesses to participate in the monthly meetings, they will now be held alternately at lunch and in the evening. Daytime meetings will involve more of the group’s business and be held at noon at the Jamestown Park Clubhouse on the third Thursdays starting Feb. 16.

Evening meetings will be held on the third Monday at 5:30 p.m. Locations are to be announced. They will include abbreviated business discussions with most of the time used to network. The next one will be March 20.

“We plan to be diligent about sending an agenda before meetings and the minutes after them so all members can know what is happening and provide their input,” Hall said.

With so many business owners and workers also local residents, it is easy to see their roots run deep in the town.

“One of the nicest things about local businesses is that everyone is community minded,” Bridgid Murphy acknowledged.

To learn more about JBA, continue to look at www.jamestownbusinessassociation.org to keep abreast of business news as the website develops.

Golf

tenance building construction is coming along well.

The builders have the walls installed and are working on the bay doors and waiting to install the roof. Everything looks good and we are getting prepared and excited to move in sometime in April.”

Claybrook’s crew has been busy putting out fresh pine needles around the pro shop and trimming trees and ornamental grasses. They also are removing dead trees. He remarked that crews have mulched the leaves and placed them along some of the holes so players can find their balls easier.

December report

Total revenue for December 2022 was $27,148 and operating expenses were $121,586. There was a net operating loss of $94,438 from the previous year. December 2021 had a new operating loss of $35,531. There were 706 rounds played compared to 2,085 rounds played the previous year. As stated above, there were 16 bad weather days and the course was closed for eight days, including Christmas. Bad weather is defined as rain, snow, 49 degrees or below or 96 degrees or above. Greens fees were $13,372 compared to $35,188 a year ago. The grill had a loss of $5,399 in December 2022. Year-to-date, the grill has had a net loss of $6,288 compared to a net loss of $3,009 for the same period in the previous year.

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