By RON GOWER

TNEDITOR@TNONLINE.COM

It’s unanimous!

Morris has confirmed what Punxsutawney Phil and Kresgeville’s Sammi the Groundhog announced yesterday: There will be six more weeks of winter.

Morris is a stuffed groundhog at L.B. Morris Elementary School in Jim Thorpe, and he seems to be able to communicate with Alix Olesak, a speech therapist at the school who can translate what the groundhog has to say.

The otherwise mute rodent made his prediction during a jovial and lively assembly program for students of all six grades at the school Monday afternoon.

The forecast by Morris was read by Robert Presley, superintendent of schools, who was dubbed “Cowboy of the Groundhogs.”

He read, “This year’s prediction from Morris the Groundhog will be: Six more weeks of winter for all to see!”

The students responded with robust applause, possibly eyeing more sledding action and even school delays and snow days.

The program was conducted by a group of 18 teachers and administrative personnel at the school who were designated as the “Inner Circle.”

This was the fourth year of the nonsensical Groundhog Day program at the school, coordinated by Claire Burns. A retired gym teacher, Burns returned to the school to again present the program and serve as emcee.

Students filed into the auditorium of the school to the sounds of polka music. There Burns encouraged some of the gleeful youngsters to dance until the formalities got underway.

The student chorus directed by Sherry Ohl sang the national anthem.

A slideshow revealed about how Morris was discovered on the school grounds. It also showed a diagram indicating why Feb. 2 was chosen to be Groundhog Day; it’s because it is in the exact middle of the first day of winter and the first day of spring.

Assistant Principal Mark Rosenberger, having the role as “Thor,” or “Thunder Conductor,” “awoke” the sleeping groundhog from a stump by tapping on it with a cane. Principal Paula Fulks reached into the log opening and lifted Morris up for all the students to see.

All the faculty participants wore black top hats. All had roles in the presentation.

Kindergarten students wore paper hats that they had made in class for the occasion.

Unfortunately, early indications are that the predictions of the groundhogs might be right. The brutal cold is anticipated for the foreseeable future with forecasters saying the zero mark could be reached by this coming weekend.