Groundhog Day

New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio gave the crowd in Staten Island quite a scare the other day when he decided he wanted to "try" and show off the groundhog Staten Island Chuck.

An Ohio prosecutor who light-heartedly filed a criminal indictment against the famous Pennsylvania groundhog who fraudulently "predicted" an early spring said he may consider a pardon now that the animal's handler is taking the blame.

Even though groundhogs, also called woodchucks or marmots, are the largest of the squirrel family spreading all over the Northeast, many of us don't ever get to really learn about them. In honor of Groundhog Day and all it's weather-predicting glory, we put together a list of facts about groundhogs for the average person who, for 364 days of the year, does not take time to focus on these animals..

"That's right,  woodchuck chuckers! Its (almost) Groundhog Day!" The question on everyone's "chapped" lips: Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

Phil the Groundhog saw his shadow Thursday morning.  Six more weeks of winter. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda! So, just when you thought you were done with stories from Punxsutawney, I have one more.  A few years before the 1993 Bill Murray movie made a stylized, fictional version of Punxsutawney a part of celluloid history, I passed through the real Pennsylvania town in a rather unique manner...

…to, Groundhog Day, and the feast of St. Blaise, savior of talk show hosts everywhere! First to the rodent. Back when, all eyes on this date were on one small town in Western Pennsylvania. And as of early this morning…we’re finding out that, at least according to Punxsutawney Phil, we get another 6 more weeks of winter...