20th Groundhog Day ceremony is on deck in Malverne

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We’re only six weeks into winter and already many of us can’t wait for it to be over. When can we live without fearing arctic blasts and polar vortexes, and confidently venture outside to see beautiful flowering azaleas, dogwoods and Bradford pears?

The answer hinges on the village’s furriest forecaster: Malverne Mel.

On Monday, February 2 at 7:00 a.m., members of the village government, local dignitaries, and the public will gather to witness Malverne’s 20th Groundhog Day ceremony, which will be held at the gazebo in Reese Park by the Malverne train station at 7:00 a.m. A reception will follow at Crossroads Farm just down the road at 8 a.m. for complimentary breakfast treats and coffee.

Groundhog Day in Malverne, and particularly the village’s own Malverne Mel, was a tradition started by former Malverne Mayor Joseph Canzoneri in 1996. It is often cited among the village’s most charming attributes. Canzoneri recalled the holiday’s genesis: “The editor of the Malverne Times, Barry Manning, and I got together and wanted to do something that would be fun and bring some good publicity into Malverne,” he said. “We invited all dignitaries from surrounding communities, wore high hats, and created the event. It was became a very well-received tradition.”

Folklore has it that if, on this day, a groundhog sees its shadow and retreats back into its burrow, then winter weather will persist for another six weeks. If it is cloudy, and there is no shadow, then we will have an early spring.

So how is Malverne Mel faring before the big day?

“He’s feisty, but he’s well-taken care of,” says his handler Andre Ricaud. “He’s given a steady diet of pears, grapes, apples, lettuce, escarole, kale — he gets the best. He likes the pears the most, and likes to hold it in his hands. He really doesn’t want any help being fed,” Ricaud added.

The weather’s fickleness lately — with blizzard conditions one day and 40 degrees another — certainly doesn’t make a weather prediction easy for anyone — including a professional groundhog prognosticator — but Ricaud remains hopeful. “Spring is around the corner, I think, and hopefully Mel will see it that way too,” he said.

Past records indicate that Malverne Mel has a calculated 56 percent accuracy rate – the same as Staten Island Chuck, who was infamously dropped by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during last year’s groundhog ceremony. Holtsville Hal, however, leads the way with a 60 percent accuracy rate and Punxsutawney Phil, however famous, trails the pack at 44 percent.

In addition to Mel bringing national, regional and local media attention to Malverne, he’s also given businesses an opportunity to sell t-shirts, mugs, and other paraphernalia to commemorate the occasion. You’ll find items available for sale through Malverne village hall and retailers around town.