WOCB-CD (TV-39 Marion) Coverage — Buckeye Chuck Groundhog Day Broadcast (February 2, 2006) [DVD]

Machine transcript draft pending human review.

Accession: WMRN-2026-040

Source: WOCB-CD / TV-39 Marion Buckeye Chuck Groundhog Day video recording, February 2, 2006.

Machine model: faster-whisper small.en

Generated: 2026-06-21

Transcript status: Machine draft; not yet proofread against the original media.

Summary: TV-39 Marion public-affairs coverage of the February 2, 2006 Buckeye Chuck Groundhog Day event at WMRN, including ceremony coverage, references to the annual prediction, remarks about the Marion turnout, WMRN promotion, and an interview section with Charlie Evers recounting how the Buckeye Chuck tradition began.

Visual scene notes: Coverage shows the WMRN Buckeye Chuck event setting, crowd activity, ceremony moments, Buckeye Chuck appearances, indoor studio commentary, and the later interview segment about the tradition's origins.

Review note: Machine transcript contains uncertain readings in crowd/noise segments and should be proofread before being treated as a final caption transcript.

Draft Transcript:

[00:00:19.760 - 00:00:23.440] Good evening. This is Public Affairs. My name is Sulu Kelly

[00:00:24.040 - 00:00:30.900] Recently, I talked with Dave Aiken and he wanted me to do him a big favor and go out and videotape Buckeye Chuck

[00:00:31.480 - 00:00:34.360] Here we are a WMRM the official

[00:00:37.240 - 00:00:51.550] Location for Buckeye Chuck here's some of the earlier

[00:01:07.990 - 00:01:14.750] Forecaster is right over here. This is Buckeye Chuck Ohio's official state Brown Hawk since 1979

[00:01:15.150 - 00:01:20.670] And you can see he's kind of snoozing which you know, it's not surprising considering he's got to conserve his energy

[00:01:21.270 - 00:01:24.350] Before it comes out to see if he's gonna see his shadow or not

[00:01:24.350 - 00:01:31.070] Of course if he sees his shadow then we do have officially six more weeks of winter to deal with which is not surprising

[00:01:31.070 - 00:01:34.570] Although the need for an ending considering how mild the first signal

[00:01:34.570 - 00:01:39.640] This is the first year really that

[00:01:40.680 - 00:01:43.720] While we're really sad with what's happened in the past

[00:01:44.000 - 00:01:50.040] We're still serving the spam sandwiches, but we're missing Sandra Kellogg who passed away this past year, but

[00:01:51.690 - 00:01:57.450] We really appreciate all the help that she's given us in the past and I don't know if we can say we can dedicate

[00:01:57.970 - 00:02:03.890] Brown Hawk data Sandra not but we really miss her presence at her at the spam trailer

[00:02:04.250 - 00:02:21.290] Here's the arrival of the infamous spam sandwiches part of the crew serving them

[00:02:30.070 - 00:02:44.280] This year's treats include a new one of cookies here Buckeye Chuck as he enjoys some of his notoriety

[00:03:03.180 - 00:03:15.960] Chuck has been predicting the the weather here in Marion since 1979 was designated by the

[00:03:16.520 - 00:03:20.320] Ohio General Assembly as Ohio's official groundhog and

[00:03:21.430 - 00:03:27.440] He's been about 75% accurate, which is a lot better than some of the other ones around the country and

[00:03:28.040 - 00:03:31.840] all three TV stations from Columbus are up today and

[00:03:32.800 - 00:03:35.820] Newspapers and we're getting calls here at the station

[00:03:36.040 - 00:03:41.800] It's just a great turnout and there's about two to three hundred people out in the back parking lot today

[00:03:42.080 - 00:03:44.520] Which is really a great turnout for Marion

[00:03:47.470 - 00:03:54.840] As he's all decked out for our prestigious occasion this morning already any comments any thoughts

[00:03:54.840 - 00:03:56.840] I

[00:04:12.230 - 00:04:17.100] Rather disappointed with the weather channel. They had everybody else around the country, but they missed us

[00:04:21.140 - 00:04:23.140] Well, we have fun

[00:04:23.740 - 00:04:29.900] Thank you, Mary

[00:04:29.980 - 00:04:37.680] Here

[00:04:37.720 - 00:04:43.420] It's a paper and she's responsible for the book I cook cookies

[00:04:44.180 - 00:04:49.910] That's right and tell us a little bit of the history that you were relating earlier

[00:04:52.430 - 00:04:57.200] Well groundhog day first started in Marion Charlie Evers

[00:05:00.000 - 00:05:02.000] Factory

[00:05:09.280 - 00:05:11.280] Standing up

[00:05:14.800 - 00:05:16.800] Thank you

[00:05:21.320 - 00:05:23.320] Because of their large celebration

[00:05:31.350 - 00:05:33.350] Thank you

[00:05:42.550 - 00:05:44.550] Wild heart rehabilitators

[00:05:47.230 - 00:05:49.670] My branches and other counties as well

[00:06:17.230 - 00:06:19.230] The people even

[00:06:23.150 - 00:06:25.150] I'll leave that up to you

[00:06:33.340 - 00:06:35.340] Oh

[00:06:48.160 - 00:06:50.160] I

[00:07:13.520 - 00:07:15.520] Get some direction by

[00:07:18.160 - 00:07:20.160] I

[00:07:52.890 - 00:07:54.890] I

[00:08:22.890 - 00:08:24.890] I

[00:08:41.770 - 00:08:44.890] We're here in the studios inside with Jeff Ruth

[00:08:45.410 - 00:08:52.080] Who's always a part of the celebration but never out there. I'm a behind-the-scenes person on the morning like this

[00:08:53.180 - 00:08:55.180] Yes, I

[00:08:55.260 - 00:09:00.620] Remember many years you had the commentary that you wanted to keep it straight. Terry was the one outside

[00:09:00.780 - 00:09:04.060] I was making a pun this morning. It was Terry cold

[00:09:05.580 - 00:09:11.220] Terry now, of course today is much nicer than normally it is and I know you've been here in the past

[00:09:11.660 - 00:09:14.060] Yeah, there've been mornings when it's been below zero

[00:09:14.060 - 00:09:18.100] There's been a lot of snow or it's green the night before and a lot of mud

[00:09:18.100 - 00:09:22.980] So I'll let Terry take care of all of that stuff. It's nice and warm in here

[00:09:22.980 - 00:09:26.300] As long as somebody brings me a cookie and a spam sandwich

[00:09:27.320 - 00:09:29.440] Any comments on the prediction this year?

[00:09:30.600 - 00:09:37.000] Not surprising since everybody thinks we're gonna get six weeks of winter sometime this winter. We haven't had it yet

[00:09:37.720 - 00:09:40.960] Probably not surprised. I hope he's wrong, but not surprised

[00:09:41.800 - 00:09:45.240] And is there anything you could do about cutting out the feet from Punxsutawney?

[00:09:46.000 - 00:09:52.360] They're claiming a hundred percent success rate. Well, they lie a lot too. See we're accurate. We're believable

[00:09:53.480 - 00:09:54.760] 25%

[00:09:54.760 - 00:09:57.490] They lie

[00:09:57.530 - 00:09:59.530] Okay. Thank you, Jeff

[00:10:24.390 - 00:10:26.390] I

[00:10:54.710 - 00:10:56.710] Can't cut that

[00:11:24.710 - 00:11:26.710] Oh

[00:11:54.710 - 00:11:56.710] Oh

[00:12:24.710 - 00:12:26.710] Oh

[00:12:54.710 - 00:12:57.350] Sun's out

[00:13:24.710 - 00:13:37.290] Hello, we appreciate everyone's support for Buckeye Chuck, it's a very positive

[00:13:38.450 - 00:13:45.170] Promotion that we do at WMRN each year. We had a great turnout again this morning out in a little warmer than usual weather

[00:13:45.410 - 00:13:52.450] but it was a beautiful day and we had many of the television stations from Columbus and other radio stations come and enjoy it and

[00:13:52.810 - 00:13:56.250] We really appreciate everyone everyone coming and a special

[00:13:56.250 - 00:14:00.810] Thank you to a high grow for sponsoring our event and also for the leader girl for

[00:14:01.450 - 00:14:06.610] Offering to do the catering so come out next year and visit Buckeye Chuck on Groundhog Day. You're all invited

[00:14:36.110 - 00:17:05.580] Thank you the little ones the way and we say goodbye to Buckeye Chuck

[00:17:36.380 - 00:17:48.960] Well

[00:17:48.960 - 00:17:55.200] some of you may wonder how this local Buckeye Chuck tradition started and I thought I would

[00:17:55.960 - 00:18:01.200] Go to the source and talk to the person. I consider the original Chuckster Charlie ever's here and

[00:18:01.920 - 00:18:06.800] So Charlie, I'm gonna kind of turn you loose to explain some history here and tell some stories

[00:18:06.800 - 00:18:11.720] but you know some questions I'm sure people want to know is when did it first begin and and

[00:18:12.240 - 00:18:14.800] One question I had really was why spam?

[00:18:16.360 - 00:18:20.520] Well back in the 1950s I was working next door at the radio station and

[00:18:20.520 - 00:18:22.880] Later on over there

[00:18:22.880 - 00:18:29.520] I had an office that overlooked the woods that used to be here which was an old brick yard really over a hundred years ago

[00:18:29.520 - 00:18:35.320] They manufactured bricks here and I heard of only one home that had any of those bricks visible yet

[00:18:35.560 - 00:18:43.320] but anyhow groundhogs love to live in and among things like bricks or just plain soil and

[00:18:44.320 - 00:18:49.080] So my office window faced this woods and I kept seeing all these groundhogs

[00:18:49.080 - 00:18:55.080] I mean not just one Buckeye Chuck type of groundhog, but probably dozens all together and

[00:18:55.840 - 00:18:57.040] every

[00:18:57.040 - 00:18:59.600] February especially around February 2nd

[00:18:59.600 - 00:19:05.440] I would tell the rest of the staff when I saw a groundhog coming out of the woods or running through the woods and

[00:19:06.080 - 00:19:10.640] When they came to the window to look it was always gone. And so this

[00:19:11.240 - 00:19:15.800] they thought I was nuts which turned out to be true later, I guess but I

[00:19:16.800 - 00:19:19.440] Was known as the groundhog man

[00:19:20.200 - 00:19:25.440] With all the other workers. Well, we've got to thinking, you know Marion needs a little boost

[00:19:26.440 - 00:19:31.160] With an image of some kind and we've got to think I've made this groundhog

[00:19:31.160 - 00:19:37.880] So popular among our residents around Marion. Why don't we have a contest and maybe name the groundhog?

[00:19:38.440 - 00:19:43.880] Well, I went by the name of Chuck Evers on the air for years and years and years

[00:19:44.000 - 00:19:46.880] And so hundreds of cards came in

[00:19:47.680 - 00:19:52.680] naming, you know giving different names for the the groundhog and one of them said Buckeye Chuck and

[00:19:53.540 - 00:19:58.660] They kind of you know, the Buckeye State and myself combined. I thought hey, that's pretty neat

[00:19:59.100 - 00:20:01.260] plus the fact that it's a woodchuck and

[00:20:02.480 - 00:20:09.360] That's how it all the name got started. Yes, but for years I tracked that groundhog

[00:20:09.360 - 00:20:13.440] I would put a flag up at the entrance to its den

[00:20:14.200 - 00:20:19.960] Of course, that was only one den. There are many dens throughout the woods and for the groundhog to come out

[00:20:19.960 - 00:20:21.960] He'd have to push over this

[00:20:22.080 - 00:20:26.600] Stick with the flag on it so I would know for sure what day he arrived

[00:20:27.160 - 00:20:29.390] then after

[00:20:29.390 - 00:20:35.670] Came out of his den. I would go over and crawl on my hands and knees to track his movements

[00:20:35.670 - 00:20:39.310] oh, I really got a scientific about this because

[00:20:39.990 - 00:20:43.830] When the groundhog is down about three feet

[00:20:44.430 - 00:20:51.670] his body temperature gets down to 38 degrees and he barely breathes maybe once a minute or once every few minutes and

[00:20:52.550 - 00:21:00.510] He's of course fat at the time because he ate eight before he went underground and he lives off his body fat during the winter

[00:21:00.510 - 00:21:02.850] and so in the spring

[00:21:03.950 - 00:21:11.070] When the temperature starts to rise underground it brings him back to life rather sluggishly at first, of course

[00:21:11.230 - 00:21:17.590] So he slowly crawls out of his den and that's when I started tracking him, but I thought this is strange

[00:21:17.590 - 00:21:22.830] I see I followed his tracks through the woods and down another den and

[00:21:23.460 - 00:21:27.980] Then maybe another day the tracks would go a different way and down another den

[00:21:28.700 - 00:21:32.940] But then I got to thinking or reading and groundhogs

[00:21:33.740 - 00:21:35.740] Have young ones in March

[00:21:36.140 - 00:21:39.100] So there was something going on to produce young ones

[00:21:39.100 - 00:21:45.660] I see and then also if you live off of just fat alone, which might be a phrase

[00:21:48.260 - 00:21:51.460] Your your body acts differently

[00:21:52.100 - 00:21:54.970] And I noticed the groundhog after he first came out

[00:21:55.930 - 00:22:00.410] After he went to another den, he would come back and start chewing on things

[00:22:00.410 - 00:22:04.530] And as he chewed on roots and in pieces of trees

[00:22:05.450 - 00:22:06.970] his

[00:22:06.970 - 00:22:09.240] interior would change from my

[00:22:11.280 - 00:22:15.960] It's not really too good on the air, but his droppings were yellowish

[00:22:16.920 - 00:22:24.880] See when it first came out then they would slowly leave changed to a brown. Yeah dark color from the what he was eating at the time

[00:22:25.160 - 00:22:26.580] so

[00:22:26.580 - 00:22:28.420] this is some of my

[00:22:28.420 - 00:22:30.420] observations of a technical nature

[00:22:31.020 - 00:22:35.900] But anyhow, they you know, like I say, they thought I was kind of funny at work

[00:22:36.420 - 00:22:41.820] Because I paid so much attention, but only one year did he actually come out on February 2nd

[00:22:41.820 - 00:22:43.940] And I that was about

[00:22:44.780 - 00:22:50.440] 1964 I believe and and but of course tradition has it if he's out on you know

[00:22:50.440 - 00:22:53.220] It comes out on the second, which is really candlemas day

[00:22:55.400 - 00:22:59.760] If you saw a shadow, you know, there's six more weeks of winter and if you didn't see a shadow

[00:23:01.160 - 00:23:03.280] Spring isn't too far away just six weeks

[00:23:04.280 - 00:23:06.520] And that old tradition began in England

[00:23:06.520 - 00:23:11.770] but anyhow, we got to think we got to make more out of this groundhog, so we got a hold of

[00:23:12.760 - 00:23:16.460] the state legislator at the time Doc McCloskey who

[00:23:17.520 - 00:23:20.040] passed away years ago Doc was a

[00:23:20.640 - 00:23:28.640] Fun-loving person and when he heard our request to make to go to the state legislature and get this groundhog named the state's

[00:23:29.520 - 00:23:31.520] whether

[00:23:31.560 - 00:23:35.980] He said sure and so the next thing I knew in the mail arrives this

[00:23:36.920 - 00:23:38.160] proclamation

[00:23:38.160 - 00:23:43.350] Buckeye Chuck Ohio's official weather forecaster and that was

[00:23:43.910 - 00:23:45.910] 1979 and so

[00:23:46.110 - 00:23:52.450] How do you show others a groundhog coming out on February 2nd?

[00:23:52.450 - 00:23:58.130] It just doesn't happen unless you've got a tame groundhog. Well for years

[00:23:58.770 - 00:24:02.900] Of course after I left the radio station here

[00:24:02.900 - 00:24:08.840] I went and worked 10 years downtown at another radio station and I would come back and

[00:24:10.080 - 00:24:15.000] Wander through the woods and do a live broadcast from the groundhog's den over that 10-year period

[00:24:15.440 - 00:24:22.260] Yes, it's just kind of confusing but then after I came back to the radio station over here

[00:24:22.260 - 00:24:26.600] Then we got really serious about getting an actual groundhog to be visible

[00:24:26.940 - 00:24:29.660] So I on the air I said I need a groundhog

[00:24:30.670 - 00:24:33.270] Even though they're like a dozen or so in the woods

[00:24:33.270 - 00:24:38.350] I had to have one I could get my hands on so a listener called and said I've got one

[00:24:38.390 - 00:24:42.270] We found him in our front yard and this come down. We got him in a bucket

[00:24:42.670 - 00:24:47.930] So I went down on Oak Street and there he was a little tiny groundhog and I thought boy just perfect

[00:24:48.230 - 00:24:50.230] So I took him in the station

[00:24:50.710 - 00:24:57.190] This was a few weeks before the big day and I gave put food in his cage

[00:24:57.870 - 00:25:00.280] But I noticed he never ate and he never drank

[00:25:00.280 - 00:25:07.040] I thought something strange here and the day before the big day. I knows he was dead

[00:25:07.520 - 00:25:13.660] Oh, no, and I'd already had a request from a newspaper in the Osiris come down and get his picture

[00:25:13.880 - 00:25:16.880] So I said well, come on ahead. So I took him

[00:25:17.480 - 00:25:19.480] deceased and all and

[00:25:27.190 - 00:25:29.590] But I found out why he was dead

[00:25:29.590 - 00:25:35.910] I didn't notice before but you see groundhogs have to chew on hard things to wear their teeth down

[00:25:36.270 - 00:25:42.830] Oh and his and his teeth he had not chewed on anything and his teeth had grown up had grown through his nose

[00:25:43.390 - 00:25:45.810] It's hard to eat with your teeth sticking out of your nose

[00:25:47.970 - 00:25:53.690] And so that was one episode then another episode the radio station had a stuffed ground