By Paul J. Condra
We're going to bed and it's 1:15 and Tony was like, Oh it's just like fishing, said Laura Picciano of her husband's rhetorical skills of coercing his wife into attending the shadow-fest.
Well, apparently it worked. The Piccianos not only made it to the artificial stump in Malverne's Reese Park before the other 250 gopher-watchers, they even brought protest signs to wave all in favor of winter.
But it could have been worse. A friend, Maureen Wegner, almost persuaded them to drive to Pennsylvania to see Punsxuwtanie Phil an eight-hour drive to an event that was attended by a record-breaking 40,000 people this year. But they decided it was a long way to go for a weather prediction that which was given by Malverne Mel: six more weeks of winter.
We're seasoned veterans, said Wegner, enthusiastically rubbing her hands together on that clear icy Saturday morning last
weekend.
Yes it was cold indeed! The only fog in an otherwise clear sky came from the hot breath of spectators anxiously awaiting an appearance by what they thought was a groundhog, but turned out to be a prairie-dog and two of them at that!
Sponsored by Richner Communications, the company that publishes the Village Herald, organizers planned a twist for this year's festival: the engagement of Malverne Mel to Malverne Melissa.
The two animals were delivered to the stump by Andre Ricaud, the owner of Baldwin's Party Pets. Mel was wearing a patriotic bandanna the likes of which would only be seen on the heads of the Hell's Angels, and he was pulled out of his stump by Mayor Anthony Panzarella, who sported a top-hat, as did other local dignitaries.
Malverne Mel says god bless America, Panzarella said as the pets scurried out of his grasp and onto the ground.
After the formalities, the morning quickly morphed into a petting zoo as Ricaud unleashed his army, which included a skunk, a rabbit, and a magnificent Arctic fox. The kids descended on the animals, screaming, petting, laughing doing all the things adults used to do, while clowns from Loony Bin of Valley Stream made balloon animals.
It's amazing how this thing has grown, said chief of police Glen Jacobsen, as he stood watch over the festivities with a huge grin on his face.
The event was in its seventh year and many said this was the largest the festival has been. And until last year, Mel had had a perfect track record. While that is yet to be seen this year, most were hoping he was right on about the prospects of a longer winter.
The Department of Public Works for the Village of Malverne helped organize the celebration.
Next year, a wedding is planned for Mel and Melissa.
