Woolly bears speak: Mild start to winter, icy finish

Correction: The story has been updated to reflect the correct pattern of a woolly bear's hair associated with a harsher winter. VERMILION — One day each year, Vermilion is among the highest-populated cities in Ohio. Attendance numbers weren't immediately available, but Sunday's 47th annual Woollybear Festival was expected to draw between 125,000 and 150,000 people to the city, according to the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce. It is billed as the largest single-day festival in Ohio. The finale of the day, as always, had serious consequences: The severity of winter allegedly depends on an official analysis of the woolly bears' color. Legend has it that less orange hair on the caterpillar's middle band means a harsher upcoming winter. The National Weather Service disputes this claim, but festivalgoers were on the edge of their seats as Cleveland television personality John "Lil' John" Rinaldi read the official forecast. And it wasn't pretty. "Although most of November and most of December may seem meek and somewhat mild, the other shoe is about to drop heading into the heart of winter," Rinaldi read. "After the New Year, Old Man Winter's icy breath blows a blast of arctic air that reaches all the way to the Sunshine State." Besides that unfortunate news, the festival went according to plan. The entire downtown was taken over by vendors, food stands and woolly bear fans. When a costumed woolly bear appeared in a parking lot, children sitting nearby shouted joyfully, "Woolly bear, come over here!" But for all the love the orange-and-black caterpillars got, Dick Goddard got just as much. The retired Cleveland weatherman and face of the festival was regarded as a hero by attendees — his face adorned much of the woolly bear merchandise on display, including the festival's official sticker, and families took photos in front of a banner sporting his image. Before the parade, people questioned where he might be. Murmurs were heard of, "I think he was just over here," and "I heard he's going to be singing the national anthem." And sure enough, Goddard appeared at the start of the parade, seated in the backseat of a vintage Buick Riviera convertible with a small dog on his lap, to sing "The Star Spangled Banner." Barb Smith, of Oberlin, presented him with an award to recognize his service in the Air Force, then joined him to sing the anthem. Smith was recruited for the performance by Petty Officer First Class Gage Collins of the U.S. Navy, who Vermilion Chamber of Commerce executive director executive Sandy Coe tasked with finding someone to sing with Goddard. "Sandy Coe called me from the Chamber of Commerce. She was asking if I knew any veterans, anyone that would be willing to participate," he said. Veterans in Amherst pointed him to Smith, who is a retired teacher and member of the Amherst Veterans Mural Committee. The parade had no shortage of recognizable local figures, including many on-air personalities and reporters from FOX 8 (WJW-TV), where Goddard worked as a weatherman for much of his career. Several high school bands, royalty from other festivals and local businesses also walked through downtown in the parade. Another of the festival's main events, the Woollybear 500, was won by a hometown teen. In this event, woolly bears are placed on an inclined track and must race to the bottom with only slight nudging from their handlers. EmmaLee Cassidy, 13, cruised to a victory with her woolly bear Sunset, which she found on a soccer field. Sunset earned a trip to the Woollybear 500 finals after cruising to a first-place finish in its initial heat, turning a fast start into an all-around outstanding performance. The other finalists were Woolly and Banana Split. Woolly was challenged in its initial heat by Little Survivor, a distinctly small woolly bear that repeatedly fell off the racetrack and had to be helped back up. Despite the negative outlook on the winter weather, Rinaldi pointed to one positive: The festival stayed mostly dry despite the possibility of rain throughout the day. "Again, I think we ought to thank Dick Goddard. You guys thought it was going to rain on his parade," he said. "It never rains on his parade." Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com.