by Emma Embellischer

Zyn nicotine pouches have become very popular over the past few years. You see a ton of people popping these pouches these days. Many people have given up dipping, vaping and smoking cigarettes in favor of the pouches. The pouches are much cleaner and appealing; you don’t have to worry about snuff in the corner of your mouth. Plus, you don’t have to worry about hiding your vape and discreetly blowing out smoke in public places. Many famous people including Tucker Carlson use the product. They even came on the radar of Congress recently; Senator Chuck Schumer spoke about curtailing Zyn advertising to minors. That sparked somewhat of a firestorm on Capitol Hill, and you had some lawmakers including Marjorie Taylor Greene throwing barbs back at Schumer talking about a “Zynsurrection.”

Social media is more popular than ever these days. Many people spend hours each day on social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and MySpace. Because of this, many companies pay people to push their products on social media, and these people are called influencers. Influencers push every product imaginable including Zyn pouches. Twin sisters from The Valley have gained notoriety recently for pushing Zyn pouches and becoming “Zynfluencers.”

Jacki and Ricki Ledbetter are twin sisters from Valley City. They are well known in and around The Valley. They’ve owned Ledbetter Sisters Construction for about 8 years, and they do small construction jobs in The Valley. They have had a small social media following for a while, and they mainly posted about work and construction. They are pretty, funny, and everybody loves their Southern accents. They vaped until 2022 when they discovered Zyn pouches. They both switched to Zyn pouches, and they started posting videos about Zyn.

Their fans, mostly men, loved the videos about Zyn. Their following began to grow exponentially, and they became what is known as Zynfluencers. They were able to quit their construction jobs, and be social media influencers full time. Zyn is just one of their clients; they also work for HeyDude, Wrangler and others.

Ricki said, “This all just kind of happened. We loved the product, and people loved our videos about them. Plus, most Zyn users are men, so it’s different to have two hot chicks promoting the product. Plus, I think it helps that we’re twins with a Southern accent. Daddy always told us that we’d be famous one day. He always wanted us to be country singers like Shania Twain or Faith Hill. But, he loved some Red Man tobacco, so I’m sure he’s smiling down on us from heaven.”

Jacki said, “Zynning sure beats construction. Some people, mostly women, look down on us for pushing Zyn, but we don’t care. I think it’s better for you than vaping. We gone keep Zynning to the bank baby! Also, if you have a product you need to push, hit us up!”

Health experts have warned about the harmful side effects of using Zyn pouches. But, health experts don’t know the long term side effects of Zyn yet. Many Zyn users say the negative side effects are much less than other nicotine products, but time will tell. Whatever we find out, I’m sure people will keep Zynning.

by Heeza de Seaver

The weather in The Valley in 2023 was not ideal. We had a late freeze, and then we had a very bad drought that took a toll on the vegetation in The Valley. There are countless dead trees all around The Valley. Also, the late freeze and drought took out the landscaping trees and shrubs for thousands of residents. Last year was a tough year especially for the farmers, but it has also provided a huge opportunity for some businesses.

Greenleaf Landscaping & Tree Cutting Co., owned by Gary Greenleaf, is seeing massive growth currently. Greenleaf’s company has been in business for about 15 years, and he is well respected in The Valley. Greenleaf said, “I’ve done pretty well over the years, but the current environment is the best I’ve ever seen by far. We are blowing and going right now, and I think we’re just in the 1st inning. Everybody needs new landscaping, trees cut down, and a lot of people need both. Nobody wants to do that kind of thing themselves anymore, so that’s why my phone is blowing up.”

In the past, Greenleaf has had 4-5 employees at any given time. Currently, he has 40, and he plans to add more. “Greenleaf said, “I’m starting guys at $50 per hour, and I’m hiring people from all walks of life. I’ve hired 7 guys that were in college; a couple were at MSU and a couple were at Ole Miss. I even had one guy quit medical school to come work for me. I about fell out when he said he wanted to come work for me, but he said he could make a killing and he wouldn’t have any college debt. I also had a CPA quit accounting to come work for me; I guess he thought he might like landscaping over the ledger.”

Greenleaf said, “A lot of my guys are going to make 6 figures doing landscaping and cutting trees. That ain’t bad! Plus, we got years of work ahead of us. I plan to double my workforce over the next few months. There’s a ton of demand for our services, and I gotta have the manpower to get the work done.”

With this massive growth, there has been some growing pains for Greenleaf. He said, “I don’t even know all my guy’s names now. I don’t have a training program for guys cutting trees and running chainsaws, and I guess I need to create one. I’m basically just telling them to watch a couple Youtube videos on how to run saws and cut trees. Some of the landscapers don’t know the names of the different types of plants I like to use. I got to hire another HR person too. I hired one, but she wasn’t on board with me paying my guys in cash. So, I had to let her go. But, we’ll figure it out.”

I asked Greenleaf what he attributed to his company’s recent growth, and he named multiple factors. Greenleaf said, “There is a ton of work, and a lot companies can’t find good workers. I don’t have a problem with that. I pay all my guys in cash. Cash is king! They know not to deposit more than $10K at one time. Also, we do good work, and we’re dependable. This year, we started offering a 10 year warranty on all our landscaping. If a plant dies within 10 years, we replace it. I figured that drought last year was a once in a lifetime kind of drought, and it shouldn’t happen again for a long time. Plus, if we keep blowing and going like we are, I’ll be retired in 5 years living in The Bahamas.”

Young men and women looking for a good career path should consider Greenleaf Landscaping and Tree Cutting Co. according to Greenleaf. He said, “Forget college and come make $50 per hour out of the gate. Work hard and be dependable, and you’ll be a supervisor in no time making $75 per hour or more. Be smart, save your money, and you’ll have a great start on life. You won’t waste four years, and you’ll have no college debt.” If you’re interested in joining the Greenleaf team, call 1-800-50P-HOUR.

by “Stretch” DeTrooth

Turkey season is in full swing in The Valley and Mississippi. Hundreds of avid turkey hunters are hitting the woods each day trying to bag a big gobbler. Turkey hunters are very passionate, and they put in a lot of time and effort to chase turkeys all across The Valley. However, some turkey hunters take it too far and ignore private property lines. This issue has come to the forefront this season as more hunters than ever are trespassing on private property.

In an effort to combat this issue, multiple law enforcement agencies including the MS Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have formed the Turkey Trespassing Task Force (TTTF). Tirk Longbeard is heading up this joint law enforcement task force. Longbeard is a veteran of over 30 years in law enforcement, and he’s excited to head up this task force. He said, “We know turkey hunters tend to trespass, but it’s really bad this year in the state and especially in The Valley. We’re going to have officers all across the state, but our main focus is The Valley. We’ve gotten a ton of reports early in the season about Valleyans trespassing on private property. I’m not gonna tell you all the tactics and assets we’re going to use to catch the perpetrators, but they better watch out. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

I was able to talk with Jake Shortspur who is a deputy on the task force, and he gave me some information on the tools the task force may use. He said, “We may use drones to monitor some areas, and we may have officers in the woods early in the morning with night vision goggles and heat sensor cameras. The task force is serious about this issue, and we’re going to do all we can to stop trespassers.”

A couple Valleyan turkey hunters I talked with are not happy about the TTTF. One said, “I’m pretty ticked off about this stupid task force. I’m afraid these idiots are gonna scare off the birds. This is all overkill in my book. It’s hard enough to kill a dern turkey, and these sapsuckers are gonna make it even tougher. Also, don’t these people know the Lord’s prayer? Forgive our trespassers…”

Another hunter said, “I have been guilty of trespassing trying to kill a turkey. It just happens you know. You hear one gobble, and you go after the dern thing. I don’t start out on someone else’s land, the dang turkey just might lead you onto somebody’s else’s property. These jack wagons have taken this too far. I guess we’ll just have to sit on the ground and call them up; there ain’t gonna be no chasing after em. We’re gonna be like lazy deer hunters now, and just sit there waiting for a dern deer to walk out. I’m not happy.”

The TTTF plans to make an example of trespassers. In addition to possible arrest and certain fines, TTTF will post the pictures of trespassers on social media and digital billboards around The Valley. So, you turkey trespassers better be careful the remainder of the season.

by Carl “Bull” Crapper

People across central MS are starting to realize The Valley is on the rise. We have a lot going on right now, and our future is looking bright. The list of recent accomplishments and new attractions is pretty long, and now you can add one more to it. Eddie Cousins, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist, is developing some prime real estate off Hwy. 13 on the Strong River.

Cousins is building what he calls a RV park/resort and spa, and he’s going to call it the Strong River Valley Camping Resort and Spa. He said, “I’ve been throwing around different ideas on what to do with this prime property, and one day I had an epiphany. I’m going to build a RV park and resort. You see RV parks popping up all over the place these days, and there is really only one option in The Valley- the D’Lo Water Park. It’s a great park, and it’s been around a long time. But, my resort will offer a lot of amenities you won’t find at other RV parks and resorts.”

It’s going to be a family resort for all seasons. For the kids, we’re going to have a petting zoo- ponies, goats, pigs, and more. Additionally, we’ll have a 9 hole putt putt golf course. The kids can swim in the river of course, but the resort will have a very nice above the ground pool as well. We’ll also have a nice playground with slides and more.

Cousins said, “Of course we’ll have hookups for RVs and campers, and we’ll have pads for tent campers. We’ll offer canoe and kayak rentals for the family. Also, we’ll have a small bait shop for the anglers. We’ll also have a restaurant not just for campers but for anyone that wants to eat there, and we’ll have some of the best catfish in The Valley. But, there are a few things that will really separate us from everyone else.”

Cousins’ resort will offer noodling or hand grabbing expeditions. He’s contracted with Big Willy’s Outfitters to offer noodling. Cousins expects a lot of people from outside The Valley to stay at the resort just for the noodling. Additionally, the resort will offer a zip line course with multiple lines over the majestic Strong River. The resort even had golfers in mind; it will have two short golf holes that require golfers to hit the ball over the river to the greens. A bridge will be constructed for the golfers and campers that want to go to the other side of the river to hike on the resort’s hiking trails.

Last but not certainly not least, Cousins’ resort will have a spa. Cousins said, “There ain’t another RV park/resort around that has a spa. Unfortunately, I ran out of funds, so I wasn’t able to build a nice bungalow for the spa. For now, the spa will be housed in a small portable building, and it will have a window unit. Hopefully, we can build that bungalow in the future. I’ve contracted with two masseuses to treat our visitors- Achara Chen and Dao Wu. Both ladies have a lot of experience, and our visitors will love them.”

Construction on the resort is expected to be completed in early May 2024. Stay tuned to the Strong River Valley Camping Resort & Spa’s Facebook page for updates. Cousins and his crew can’t wait to see you this summer!

by “Stretch” DeTrooth

In recent years, travel or select baseball and softball has grown substantially. There are more teams than you can shake a stick at, and new teams are being formed all the time. This has made baseball and softball more popular than ever in The Valley and in Mississippi. Kids are learning the game at a younger age, and many are becoming better and more refined players earlier than past generations.

However, there are some drawbacks to this surge in travel ball, and one is the decline of the local recreational (rec) leagues. Many of them are struggling to survive because many local players are now foregoing rec to play travel ball. Some kids play rec and travel ball, but most play one or the other. Many rec leagues have shut down, and more will probably shut down in the future unless something changes.

The Valley Youth Sports (TVYS) is going to try to change that trend this year. Their board, which is led by Bob Mamfred, is implementing new measures to lure parents and their kids back to TVYS. Mamfred said, “We came up with some unconventional things to hopefully attract more families this year. We had to do something; we’re almost at the point of shutting TVYS down. It’s really a last ditch effort. I guess we’ll see if it works.”

TVYS is pulling out all the stops. For 10U, 12U, and 14U boys games, a boy from each team will be randomly selected 15 minutes before game time. The two boys from opposing teams will play a quick 5-10 minute game of Fortnite that will be watched by an umpire. The Fortnite winner’s team will be start the game with a 1-0 lead.

Additionally, all kid pitch teams will be able to play with an additional player on defense. TVYS is calling the player a “rover.” You can put him or her anywhere on the field except in front of the pitcher. One coach said, “I coach 10U boys, and our catcher can’t catch a cold. So, I’m gonna put a good player behind our catcher to hopefully cut down on passed balls and steals.”

Another rule change that the kids are super excited about is that each team will be allowed to have a dog present in the dugout during games. One 12U softball coach said, “Our girls get a little uptight sometimes because their mom is yelling like a crazed lunatic, and they need something to calm them down. We’re gonna bring my lab to home games, and he’ll be an emotional support animal for my girls. Hopefully, he’ll have a calming effect on my girls, and help them focus a little better.”

TVYS is adding one more thing to spice things up. Games that are tied at the end of the last inning will have a dance off to decide the winner. Each team will get to pick 3 players to dance on the field. The umpire will pick the dance and or song, and the umpire/s will decide the winning team based on the dance off. Many of the kids I talked with really like this idea. One 11 year old boy I talked with said, “I hope we’re tied at the end of every game, and I hope the umps pick the Griddy. Can’t nobody out Griddy me! The other team doesn’t have a shot.”

Mamfred said, “Some people have laughed at our new changes for this year, and some have said they’re too gimmicky. But, I think it’s going to be a home run, and I think other rec leagues will copy our ideas. Signups are way ahead of last year at this time, so parents and kids are already excited about it.” Additionally, TVYS will give rings to all players regardless if their team wins their league or not. Bling for all! Time will tell if these changes will save TVYS, but it’s definitely going to make things more interesting for the kids.

by I. B. Lyon

Bubba’s Buffet has been a fixture in The Valley for many years. They have great food and a friendly staff, and people come back time after time. Bubba Biggers decided to let kids (12 & under) eat free on Leap Day, Feb. 29th, this year. It was something fun to get people in the door during a week night . Biggers did a good job of getting the word out on social media, and they had a great crowd last night.

Not long after they opened, Bubba realized that he might have made a mistake. One of his waitresses came to him to talk about an angry customer. The waitress told Bubba that a grown man with a wife and two kids claimed that he was 9 years old, and he let the waitress know up front that his meal along with his kids’ meals should be free. The waitress basically told him that he was full of it, and he would have to pay for his meal. The customer then explained to her that he was born on leap year 36 years ago, but he was technically 9 years old. So, the waitress told him that she’d have to talk with Bubba about it.

Bubba said, “I told my waitress to let him know that his meal would be free, but I realized that he probably wasn’t going to the be last customer to make this claim. And, I was right. My waitress came back to me 5 minutes later with the same issue, and I told her that we were one and done. Another waitress came to see me a few minutes later with another customer making the same claim. Then, I stopped what I was doing and talked to every sapsucking adult that claimed they were born on Leap Day. I let them all know they would have to pay for their food. It really ticked me off. There’s no darn way that many people in The Valley were born on Leap Day.”

A couple diners got downright ugly. One diner made one of Bubba’s waitresses cry. She said, “This guy started cussing when I let him know he’d have to pay for his food. He started making fun of the way I talk, and he even made a comment about my weight.” Bubba did all he could to put out the fires all night, but he was losing his patience.

Things came to a head when a gentleman told a waiter he was born on Leap Day 48 years ago. So, he claimed he was 12. The waiter informed him that he’d have to pay of his meal. The diner got very angry, and he and the waiter exchanged words. Bubba said, “I know the guy a little bit, and I know he wasn’t born on Leap Day. I saw on Facebook that he had a birthday about a week ago. This idiot was just trying to get a free meal like 20 other moochers tonight.” The gentleman told Bubba and the waiter if he couldn’t get a free meal because of his age then they’d have to give him one since it was his birthday. Things escalated from there. Bubba said, “I told him to leave my restaurant immediately. I may have called him a name or two.”

One of Bubba’s employees called the police because they feared things might get out of hand. The police arrived after the irate gentleman had left. Bubba said, “I told the police what had happened all night, and they laughed about it. I never dreamed people would’ve tried this stuff. I guess one person came up with the idea, and they must’ve told all their friends. I even had one diner say he identified as a 10 year old boy, so he should get meal for free. I won’t be doing this on Leap Day again I promise you; I probably won’t even open up on Leap Day again.”

Valleyans, the moral of the story is that no good deed goes unpunished. And, people like free food. They will do anything under the sun for free food. Stay alert out there today Valleyans, and don’t fall victim to any Leap Day scams.

by Ima Phibber

First Baptist Church of Strong River Bend (FBCSRB) has been growing the past few years. Many churches saw attendance decline during covid, and the numbers have stayed down for many. But, FBCSRB was able to avoid that, and they are thriving now. The main reason the church is growing is that the town of Strong River Bend is growing. People love the small town feel and the good school, and that has attracted quite a few people from outside The Valley to SRB.

The growth has created a few issues at FBCSRB. One of the issues is that newer members are sitting in older members’ seats. Evidently, a lot of the new young members don’t know that many senior citizen Southern Baptists have unofficial assigned seats. SRB’s pastor, Benny Osteen, started noticing that his congregation was becoming segregated between newer members and older members during Sunday services.

Bro. Osteen said, “I didn’t like how our congregation was basically segregated during our services. I started asking around to see what was going on. I talked to some older members, and I talked to some newer members. I didn’t like what I discovered. A couple of our newer members spilled the beans. Four of our older ladies had created what they called the Pew Police.” Osteen had a hunch who the ladies were, and he talked with all four. He told them that had to disband, and they needed to be more welcoming. He also told them they needed to apologize to some newer members that they’ve offended.

Bro. Osteen said, “Thinking back, I remember one or two of those ladies wore navy blue every Sunday, and I noticed they walked around the sanctuary before our services.” He laughed and said, “I guess they were patrolling before the services making sure the older members’ pews were not occupied. These ladies are so sweet, but I guess they just couldn’t take these newcomers sitting in their seats.”

I was able to interview one of the Pew Police officers, and she wanted to remain anonymous. She said, “I’ve been a member of FBCSRB for 50 years, and my husband and I have always sat in the same pew. I’m all for having new people join our church, but I don’t like them sitting in my pew. I know we shouldn’t have formed the Pew Police, but we got a little carried away. I bet we were the only all female police force in America. We have a young couple sitting on our pew now, and we really like them since we’ve gotten to know them.”

I was also able to talk with a couple newer members. One said, “We joined FBCSRB because we really liked Bro. Osteen, the contemporary music, the coffee bar, and the fact that the church was growing. It felt pretty welcoming. But, more and more people started joining, and I started noticing some of the older ladies weren’t so warm to us newcomers. One Sunday morning, I watched this older lady enter the sanctuary, and she was talking to her friends. She seemed very happy and in a good mood. But, her demeanor changed big time when she approached our pew, and she gave us the meanest look. I realized we were in her pew, and we made a mental note not to sit there again. It’s hilarious now to realize some of those sweet old ladies formed a Pew Police.”

I hope your church doesn’t have a Pew Police. We all need to smile and welcome people to our churches. How about this? You older people should sit by some young people you don’t know this Sunday, and you younger people should sit by some older people you don’t know this Sunday. Talk to them and get to know them. This would help our churches a great deal.

by B. S. Ryter

The members of The Valley Elks Lodge have noticed recently that they have a lot of senior single members. With Valentine’s Day approaching, they wanted to create a way for the singles, divorcees, and widows/widowers to mingle and have a good time. So, they decided to host a 65+ singles dance. The dance was last night at the Lodge, and attendees had to show their Medicare card in order to enter.

The dance was well attended; organizers estimate that they had around 80 attendees. The organizers had multiple planned dances and contests. There was a Griddy dance off for the men, and there was a limbo competition for the women. There was also a salsa dance contest for women/men pairs or couples. There was an open bar and plenty of hor d’oeurvres for the attendees, and the Valentine’s decorations were very nice. The festivities started at 6:00 pm and was scheduled to end at 9:00 pm, and a 10 minute break was scheduled for the attendees to take their meds.

Things were going well until Al Fugaysi tried to enter using a friend’s Medicare card. Al caused a scene because the bouncer wouldn’t let him in. One attendee said, “Al is not the brightest crayon in the box. He shows up in disguise with someone else’s Medicare card, a fake mustache, and sunglasses. When using someone else’s card, you gotta make sure the bouncer doesn’t know that person. He tried to use the bouncer’s cousin’s card. Al is like 57, so he was too young to attend. I guess he was looking for a cougar with a lot of money. What a moron!”

Inside, the attendees were having a good time dancing and mingling. The first contest was a Griddy contest for the men. It got whittled down to the final two- Billy Dance and Don Shuffler. Dance went first, and the crowd went wild. Shuffler went last, and 10 seconds in he fell and hit the back of his head on the floor and opened up a nasty gash. One female attendee said, “He obviously had gotten tired, and he tripped over his feet. He’s a little portly and was breathing heavily, so he probably over did it. He ended up being ok, but it was pretty embarrassing for him.”

The limbo competition for the women was pretty intense. The ladies were very competitive, and they all wanted to win. Of course, all the gentlemen stopped what they were doing to watch the ladies. It came down to Karen Ghetlow and Joyce Llowbar. Llowbar went first and barely made it. Ghetlow went next, and it looked like she was about to make it, but her wig fell off and she knocked the bar down. One male attendee said, “I knew she was wearing a wig! I told a couple buddies that she was wearing one, but they said I was crazy. I feel sorry for her. I doubt she’ll ever show her face again at the Lodge.”

As the dance was coming to an end, there was a kerfuffle between two gentlemen. Evidently, both men wanted to escort Elizabeth Taylor Monroe to her vehicle. Monroe is a well-known wealthy socialite in the The Valley. In her younger years, she actually won the Ms. Valley Beauty Pageant. Monroe’s friend said, “Both of those old farts had been vying for her attention all night, and they both wanted to walk her to her car. They started arguing and cussing, and they were nose to nose before we all knew it. Liz lead them on all night, but she has no interest in either one. She’s been married 5 times, and she told me it ain’t happening again. I guess she still likes to flirt, and those guys were eating it up.” Luckily, the confrontation didn’t turn physical, and neither actually escorted her to her vehicle.

Until next year Valleyans!

by Ben BeEssen

In recent years, more and more families are starting to be homesteaders. Families are wanting to be self-sufficient for many reasons. Some families fear the Apocalypse is fast approaching, some just want to eat healthier, and some just want to save money. One facet of this movement is that more women are baking their own bread. If you get on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll see multiple women of The Valley posting their photos of their homemade bread.

Jane Sauwerdoe has been baking her own bread for years. She has taught many women in The Valley how to make their own bread. Recently, Jane was encouraged to form some type of group to share ideas about bread baking with others. So, she formed The Valley Bread Bakers Guild. The Guild’s mission is to support and promote artisan bread baking in The Valley through education, training, and community building.

Sauwerdoe will hold monthly workshops on bread baking. She’ll also hold all-day bread camps each quarter. The Guild will offer more perks for its members as well. The annual membership dues are $100 for individuals and $150 for companies and organizations. Sauwerdoe said, “I’m so excited about the Guild, and what it’s going to provide for my members. I’ve always loved to teach about bread baking, and this will give me an even bigger platform to share and teach.”

I talked to a couple of Sauwerdoe’s followers, and they are excited. Susan Pumpernickle said, “I can’t wait to join the Guild and attend the monthly meetings. I’ve always heard about the famous Sauwerdoe’s sourdough, and now I’ll be able to learn how to make it from Jane.” Debbie Wrye said, “I’m so excited about this awesome community. We’re hardcore homesteaders, but the only thing I haven’t done is bread baking. You can’t call yourself a homesteader unless you bake your own bread right? My husband is pushing me hard to join; he’s tired of eating that Sara Lee bread full of preservatives. $100 is a little steep though. I feel like Jane should give a discount to homesteaders.”

Sauwerdoe has already had about 250 people join the Guild. Their first meeting is this Saturday at 9:00 am. In addition to bread baking basics, Sauwerdoe will host a chicken expert that will talk about raising chickens, egg laying, and building chicken coups. Valleyans, expect to see more of those bread baking photos on social media for a long time to come!

by Heeza de Seaver

Groundhog Day has become an American tradition, and it’s something fun that we look forward to each year. Annually on Feb. 2nd, thousands of people from around the world gather in Punxsutawney, PA at Gobbler’s Knob to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow. If he sees his shadow, that supposedly means there will six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will arrive early.

Some residents of The Valley have decided to create a similar “holiday.” But, it’s going to be a little different than Groundhog Day. It’s going to be called Armadillo Day, and the armadillo is named Valley Vic. Valley Vic is a rescue armadillo that was hit on Hwy. 13, and he was rehabilitated. However, he still walks with a limp. The ceremony will be held each year at Buck Bend on the Strong River. The verdict will be the same though. If Valley Vic comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we’ll be wearing shorts by March 1st.

The organizers of this “holiday” have formed The Valley Armadillo Club to plan and organize the event each year. The event will be held on Feb. 2nd each year like Groundhog Day. Buck Bend Resort on the Strong River will host the event annually. Graye Hardshelle is the president of the Armadillo Club, and he’s very excited about the new holiday.

Hardshelle said, “I’ve had a vision about creating this event for a while now. Why can’t The Valley have a neat annual experience like the folks in Punxsutawney, PA? We don’t have groundhogs in The Valley, but we have armadillos and they burrow like groundhogs. So, let’s do an Armadillo Day! I will have to admit that groundhogs are much cuter than armadillos though. Over time, hopefully we can build it up to be a big regional event each year.”

Hardshelle wants the event to be like a fair or festival. They’ll have vendors selling food, nic nacs, and more. Armadillo Day and Valley Vic souvenirs will be sold as well. There will also be games for the kids, and there will be live music as well.

However, some aspects of Armadillo Day will be different from Groundhog Day. Hardshelle said, “On Groundhog Day, you see the guy in the suit and top hat holding up Punxsutawney Phil, and the crowd goes wild. Myself or no one else will be holding Valley Vic, because he’s dirty and we don’t want to get leprosy. Also, we’re not real sure how we’re going to get Valley Vic out of his burrow. He has good days and bad days. If he doesn’t want to come out, you ain’t getting him out of his burrow. He digs those claws in, and he won’t budge. So, y’all keep your fingers crossed that he’ll wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow.”

The organizers are expecting a big crowd tomorrow at Buck Bend. The event begins at sunrise with the ceremony to see if Valley Vic sees his shadow. Vendors will be cooking breakfast food for the attendees. Organizers expect things to really pick up in the afternoon as kids get out of school. Live music will start at 6:00 pm, and they’ll have multiple bands perform. The event ends at 10:00 pm. See you tomorrow Valleyans at the inaugural Armadillo Day!