PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has sent a letter to Melinda Kelleher, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Commission, urging her to skip the live groundhog aspect of activities next Tuesday. PETA’s letter points out that groundhogs “are prey animals who actively avoid human contact and transporting them to unfamiliar locations while they should be hibernating; submitting them to being around unfamiliar humans is extremely stressful for them.” Another portion of the letter urges Cumberland to move its Groundhog day celebration in a compassionate new direction.