Staten Island Chuck “will be in safe and steady hands” on Groundhog Day, Public Advocate Letitia James said Wednesday — as Mayor de Blasio announced that he would be staying away for a second straight year.
“New Yorkers should be pleased to know that Chuck will be matadorbet in safe and steady hands,” James said in a statement, announcing that she would be taking over Groundhog duties at the Staten Island Zoo from Hizzoner.
“I’m honored to be officiating tomorrow’s ceremony. (And to Wilbur, I’ve got your back),” James added, throwing shade at de Blasio in regards to Staten Island’s favorite swine, who was granted a reprieve on Tuesday, but is still facing seizure.
On Wednesday afternoon, the mayor’s spokeswoman, Jessica Ramos, announced that he wouldn’t be attending the event — though she refused to say why.
“The Mayor’s on Staten Island as much as possible and that will continue in 2017,” Ramos said. “We doubt the groundhog will be heartbroken.”
De Blasio had animal-lovers up in arms three years ago when he dropped Chuck’s 10-month-old stand-in, Charlotte, as she tried
crawling up his arm. The critter wound up dying of “acute internal injuries” days later.
The fatal fumble, first reported by The Post, apparently left its mark on de Blasio, who has now skipped out on Groundhog Day two years in a row. The mayor did attend the Staten Island event in 2015, but was unable to get his paws on Chuck — thanks to a plexiglass enclosure, that will also be used on Thursday.
“I think if there were a groundhog union they would ask me to miss Groundhog Day, there’s no question about it,” de Blasio joked in 2016. “If they were taking a vote, I would not be invited to Groundhog Day.”
De Blasio isn’t the first mayor to miss out on the Groundhog Day ceremony on Staten Island, which is considered to be an honor that
comes with the job.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg skipped the event five times during his time in office — and even called Chuck a “little son of a bitch” for biting him in 2009.
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