by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and delivered a message of an extended winter last Monday and a local law firm continued its tradition of celebrating the nation’s most famous weather forecaster on the first Thursday after Groundhog Day.
Tritt, Franson, Henderson & Isley’s Fourth Annual Groundhog Day Extravaganza broke away from tradition by not being held during a rain storm.
“It has been like clockwork every year,” said Arnold Tritt Jr. “We have the party and it rains. It may be a little cold this year, but at least it didn’t rain.”
Raincoats were traded for long coats and parkas for this year’s event. While Phil didn’t appear at the party, the one thing guests could see under the white tents was their breath due to the cold weather, despite propane heaters.
The party was decorated with groundhog masks, stuffed animals and Groundhog Day hats, and guests were given beads with a Punxsutawney Phil emblem on it when they arrived and the movie “Groundhog Day” was played on the flat screen television in the conference room.
“It’s one of the best parties of the year,” said Edie Williams, of Edie Williams Insurance Agency Inc. “It’s a great way to network with people in the industry.”
The firm focuses on construction law, real estate law and commercial litigation and the crowd reflected the firms client base. In attendance were members of the construction and real estate industry, attorneys, judges and City Council members. The party started at about 5 p.m. and hosted about 400 people at its busiest time around 7:30 p.m.
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