Philly Sports Chatter

Pitchers, Catchers Reporting a Sure Sign of Spring

Philadelphia Phillies' pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater to start spring training in Florida on Wednesday.

This news for sports fans beats news that any groundhog could deliver. It's the sound of a baseball pounding a catcher's mitt with a solid thud that makes most of us feel warmer than any sunny day. On Wednesday, hope springs eternal when pitchers and catchers report to camp in Clearwater, Fla., for the start of spring training. After a dismal season last year, it's time to wipe the slate clean for Manager Charlie Manuel and company. Every team in Major League Baseball gets a new lease on life. And the Phillies could certainly use one after not making the playoffs for the first time in a half-dozen years. This spring training will be very interesting. There are so many questions for a team that didn't do as much as its competitors to …

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Celebrate Groundhog Day This Saturday at Elmwood Park Zoo

Children's entertainers Lolly & YoYo and Norristown's official ambassador, Hank Cisco, will join Nora" the Groundhog" at the zoo's annual celebration.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, Elmwood Park Zoo will once again host its annual Groundhog Day celebration, complete with children's activities and live entertainment beginning at 11 a.m. Guests will be invited to participate in crafts and games throughout the zoo starting at 11 a.m., followed by an official ceremony emceed by Norristown Ambassador Hank Cisco at 11 a.m. where Nora the Groundhog will emerge to look for her shadow. [See our video from last year's celebration.] At 1 p.m., children's entertainers Lolly & YoYo will perform a live music show that encourages active participation and dancing in the zoo’s Canopy Gardens Hall.  Groundhog Day events are free with regular admission to the zoo. For more information, call 610-277-3825 ext. 241.

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Nora the Groundhog Says Spring is on the Way!

Nora the Groundhog, Elmwood Park Zoo's latest addition, made her weather prediction for the next six weeks today in a formal ceremony.

Area children and families turned up at the Elmwood Park Zoo today to watch Nora the Groundhog make her prediction for our next six weeks of weather. Nora came to Elmwood Park Zoo from the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in New York. She was injured and couldn't survive in the wild, so she came to Norristown to be an educational ambassador for native wildlife. Watch our video to see what Nora had to say.

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