{"id":8721,"date":"2025-02-07T13:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T18:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/?p=8721"},"modified":"2025-02-05T17:27:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T22:27:11","slug":"groundhog-makes-prognostications-from-turtle-back-zoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/07\/groundhog-makes-prognostications-from-turtle-back-zoo\/","title":{"rendered":"GROUNDHOG MAKES PROGNOSTICATIONS FROM TURTLE BACK ZOO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo Courtesy Essex County<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WEST ORANGE<\/strong> – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that Lady Edwina of Essex, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo\u2019s resident groundhog, did not see her shadow on Groundhog Day and is predicting spring weather to arrive early. She also predicted the Philadelphia Eagles would defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lady Edwina made her prediction during Turtle Back Zoo\u2019s annual Groundhog Day Celebration. This is the fourth time she has made a prognostication since taking over for her cousin Essex Ed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a fan of cold weather, so I appreciate Lady Edwina forecasting an early arrival for warmer, spring weather,\u201d said DiVincenzo. \u201cIt may still be winter, but Turtle Back Zoo is open and it\u2019s a great time to come out and Experience Essex, and our wonderful Turtle Back Zoo and South Mountain Recreation Complex. Waiting for Essex Edwina on Groundhog Day creates excitement about Essex County\u2019s Turtle Back Zoo and highlights her role as an educational resource,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essex Edwina\u2019s prediction is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we are once again, to look forward\u2026 not back<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should we replace those old mittens? Do we have shorts to unpack?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well look, I\u2019m over this winter and ready for spring<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want flowers, and picnics, not the touch of wind\u2019s sting.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So today, I\u2019m happy for clouds, no shadows to be found<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring is much closer, and I am done underground.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s right get out those flip flops, the sun\u2019s ready to shine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before this is through, I have one more thing to divine.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I picked Eagles last time and the Chiefs took the day<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019m doubling down, now it will go Eagles\u2019 way.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, with no bad blood between us, I\u2019ll look to the sky,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with visions of touchdowns, cheer fly Eagles fly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the fourth year that Essex Edwina has made mid-winter and Super Bowl forecasts. Her predecessor, Essex Ed, had been predicting the mid-winter forecast since 1997 and the Zoo had various other groundhogs predict before him dating back to the 1970s. New Jersey weather is not always in line with Pennsylvania\u2019s after all, and Ed could easily see his shadow while Punxsutawney Phil does not or vice versa. In the mid-2000s, Essex Ed started adding Super Bowl predictions to his prognostication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, the winter chill will continue. If the weather is cloudy and he doesn\u2019t see his shadow, we can expect warmer temperatures and an early spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce again, the powers-that-be are still invested in the possibility of a rodent being the second coming of Nostradamus,\u201d said \u201cLocal Talk\u201d Content Editor Kristopher Seals. \u201cI\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again, if a groundhog can predict the weather – or even a Super Bowl winner for that matter – then I\u2019m going to marry Scarlett Johansson.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo Courtesy Essex County WEST ORANGE – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that Lady Edwina of Essex, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo\u2019s resident groundhog, did not see her shadow on Groundhog Day and is predicting spring weather to arrive early. She also predicted the Philadelphia Eagles would defeat the Kansas City Chiefs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-topstories"],"yoast_head":"\nGROUNDHOG MAKES PROGNOSTICATIONS FROM TURTLE BACK ZOO -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/localtalkweekly.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/07\/groundhog-makes-prognostications-from-turtle-back-zoo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GROUNDHOG MAKES PROGNOSTICATIONS FROM TURTLE BACK ZOO -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo Courtesy Essex County WEST ORANGE – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that Lady Edwina of Essex, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo\u2019s resident groundhog, did not see her shadow on Groundhog Day and is predicting spring weather to arrive early. 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