Malverne Mel predicts early spring

Although the Village of Malverne canceled its annual Groundhog Day celebration for the first time in 15 years due to poor weather predictions, its celebrity groundhog, Malverne Mel, still made his prediction in the early morning hours of Groundhog Day.

Mel did not see his shadow upon waking up at sunrise on Feb. 2 and, excited to share the good news of early spring, he traveled with caretaker Andre Ricaud to the office of Malverne Mayor Patricia McDonald.

“He was happy to be inside,” McDonald said of Mel’s appearance indoors.

Malverne Mel’s prognostication was in line with those of New York City’s Staten Island Chuck and the nation’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, of Pennsylvania. Suffolk County’s celebrity groundhog, Holtsville Hal, contradicted his counterparts’ predictions, seeing his shadow at 7:25 a.m. and predicting a long winter.

While “upset” she had to cancel the event — and that the community did not get to join in the Malverne Groundhog Day celebration — McDonald said “it was the right thing to do.”

“I have to say,” McDonald said, “we made the right decision.” Plus, she added, Mel will be back next year.