P! News was in attendance, along with about 150 kids and eager onlookers, to welcome the debut of Connecticut's newest official groundhog, Chuckles!
Chuckles VIII was sworn in as the state's official groundhog by Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman early Saturday morning at the annual Groundhog Day celebration at the Lutz Children's Museum in Manchester.
Chuckles told her prediction to the town's mayor, Mr. Leo Diana, who happens to speak fluent Groundhog and was able to interpret Chuckles' assessment for the crowd. Diana told a room overflowing with kids, their parents and fans that Connecticut must brace for six more weeks of winter. The room erupted with equal amounts of groans and cheers.
In an interview later that morning, Diana said Chuckles did a good job during her rookie performance and "she held her own" while she was in the spotlight admid a rowdy crowd of groundhog aficionados.
P! News' very own Greg Nobile snagged an exclusive interview with Chuckles after her very first appearance in her official role.
To the contrary, Punxsutawney Phil, another groundhog of popular renown who's a veteran in the field of shadow spotting, predicted an early spring. On Long Island, groundhog Malverne Mel agreed with Chuckles that winter will continue.
