Did Staten Island Chuck predict six more weeks of winter out of spite after being dropped on his head by Mayor Bill de Blasio?
During Staten Island’s own version of the Punxsutawney Phil ceremony in which a groundhog uses several doppler weather radars and a degree in meteorology to pinpoint the end of winter, de Blasio had a rough time of it, mishandling the beast known as Charles G. Hogg.
Via Politicker:
He dropped the furball.
Mayor Bill de Blasio had some trouble this morning with his first official Groundhog Day ceremony, as the skittish Staten Island Chuck squirmed out of his arms mid weather-reading, sending the critter barreling towards a wooden pointed fence and earning gasps from the crowd.
Before you PETA advocates have an aneurism, Chuck made it safely back to his pen at the Staten Island Zoo, where he predicted another six weeks of winter.
Prior to the incident, de Blasio quipped that he hoped to establish a better relationship than Chuck had with the previous mayor.
“Chuck and my predecessor didn’t always get along, let’s be honest about that. But I’m hoping we can start a new day, a new relationship here,” said Mr. de Blasio before the encounter. “I’m reaching out a hand to chuck and I hope he will consider shaking it rather than doing other things.”
In 2009, Chuck took a bite out of Bloomberg’s finger, drawing blood. Fortunately it was less than 8 oz.