Local news- Press Release
Collierville Tennessee - Collierville Carlos 02 February 2024 ( news )
Collierville , state Tennessee ( By Press Release office)
Feb 02,2024
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In 2021 , Local meteorologist Chelsea Chandler was on a quest to discover an animal prognosticator for the Midsouth . She met a gentle racoon named Carlos who lived at Menagerie Farms in Collierville and decided to make it her mission to make him the official prognosticator .
Meteorologist Chelsea Chandler meeting Carlos for the first time .
The origin of animal prognosticators can be traced back to Germany when , according to folklore , if a hedgehog saw its shadow on Candlemas Day ( February 2nd ) there would be a second winter or six more weeks of cold weather .
On February 2 , 1886 , Groundhog Day was first documented in Punxsutawney , Pennsylvania by The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper with a proclamation claiming ‘Today is Groundhog Day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow’ . The tradition of Groundhog Day animal prognosticators grew beyond Punxsutawney Phil to Staten Island Chuck in Staten Island , New York , Sir Walter Wally of Raleigh , North Carolina , and even to the small community of Unadilla , Nebraska with Unadilla Bill .
Chelsea decided Tennessee needed to carry on this tradition , and a racoon was a great choice , because it ' s also the state animal . She brought her idea to the Mayor ' s office at Collierville Town Hall .
Mayor Stan Joyner decided not only did he want to see an early spring in Town , but the community could also use a little cheer due to the COVID - 19 pandemic . He declared Groundhog Day as "Collierville Carlos Day" and encouraged everyone to "hope that the dark , cold days of winter were behind us and we will soon feel the warmth of spring once again" - see the full proclamation below .
The Mayor presented the proclamation to Chelsea , and on February 2 , 2021 , Carlos predicted his first early spring .
While the story could have stopped here , Chelsea went on to bring the idea of officially naming Carlos as the official state prognosticator to the State of Tennessee . In January of 2022 ,
a resolution
was sponsored by Representative John Gillespie of Memphis giving Carlos the state recognition .
Collierville Carlos introduced to the Midsouth:
Mayoral Proclamation naming Groundhog Day "Collierville Carlos Day":
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