Spadaccini Speaks Groundhog

Manchester Mayor Lou Spadaccini spoke ‘groundhog’ over the weekend to Chuckles the Groundhog at the Lutz Children’s Museum:

Mayor Louis A. Spadaccini said Saturday that he’d been practicing his groundhog dialect all last week in preparation for the most high-profile task of his 10-week mayoral career.The effort paid off.

“Good morning, Chuckles,” Spadaccini said to the sleepy groundhog at the Lutz Children’s Museum. “Long time no see.”

A crowd of parents, children, and local officials squeezed into the multipurpose room at the South Main Street museum before sunrise to hear the state’s official prognosticator make his annual Groundhog Day prediction, with help from the mayor.

“Mayors of Manchester are endowed with a special power,” Lutz Executive Director Robert Eckert told the audience. “Automatically after you’ve been elected you can speak groundhog.”

This is the first time a Republican has had the ability.
The party secured the majority on the Board of Directors in November after 16 years in the minority.

Former Republican Mayor Theunis “Terry” Werkhoven, who served in the capacity previous to Spadaccini, said today that he never participated in the Lutz event.

So when Spadaccini came face to face with the Lutz groundhog Saturday - the first time since he was a child, he said - politics just couldn’t be put aside.

“Yes, I really am the mayor,” Spadaccini told Chuckles, sparking laughter from the crowd.

Politics aside, Spadaccini crouched in close to the groundhog, putting his ear next to the animal’s mouth and pausing to listen carefully and closely.

“He would like to thank all the children who came today,” Spadaccini said, leaning in toward the groundhog again. “And he’d like to welcome everyone who came to the Lutz museum in Manchester.”

Then the big moment.

“Are you sure?” Spadaccini questioned. “You know you can check again.”

He leaned in one last time.

“Chuckles tells me he did not see his shadow and we will
have an early spring.”