Featuring information on the history of Groundhog Day.
To all North Pole City Elves, those in Santa’s Village, in the Lower 48 and all around the world, this is your weekly update for the week of January 31, 2022. I'm your host Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone. Let's go to press.
| For the week of January 31, 2022, your sponsor is the TAOLF.com Merchandise Store. If you are tired of your red and green clothes, Cupid has sent some new designs to the department of Elfland Security’s Tailor and Seamstress Division and they are now online and available. You can connect to the store today to place your order. |
| Update from Santa’s Village. The communications between the workshops and the warehouses went down late Thursday afternoon and were down for almost 72 hrs delaying orders and emails between the buildings.  The technical engineers worked around the clock to find and repair the issue. Something had happened when there was construction on the new tunnel that left an opening in one of the communication conduits. Some squirrels made their way inside and decided to take up residence.  Once they were found, they were safely relocated back out into the Noble Forrest and a new communication line had to be run.  All communications are back up now, but the workshops are a bit behind schedule for meeting the production quota for January. |
| From the Department of Elfland Security, The security division has reported that during their security patrols for the Division of Forestry plantings they discovered a campsite on the outskirts of North Pole City. Â They believe that this site was occupied by no other than Professor Hinkle who tries to make his way into the village each year to catch Frosty off Guard and to steal his magical hat back. Â The Security department will be patrolling the outskirts of town pretty heavy in search of Professor Hinkle. Â If anyone sees anything or has any information, please contact the Office of Elf Affairs immediately with your reports. |
| The Department of WWW/PR for TAOLF.com has reported that they have created a new database application on the website that will be able to host various Trivia quizzes on any topic. This database was finished up on Friday, and three trivia pages have been released. You can test your knowledge on Frosty, New Years, and Valentine’s Day right now and the top 10 scores will be displayed on the respective trivia pages. |
| Update on NPC Weather, we are experiencing thawing and warmer temperatures this week. We may see the temperature reach the lower 40s which means some major snow thawing and possible flash flooding.  Please be aware of the weather outdoors and move any snow mounds away from your cabins or businesses. |
| This week in Elf History, On February 2, 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, was celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring.Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be. Germans expanded on this concept by selecting an animal—the hedgehog—as a means of predicting weather. Once they came to America, German settlers in Pennsylvania continued the tradition, although they switched from hedgehogs to groundhogs, which were plentiful in the Keystone State.In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was America’s only true weather-forecasting groundhog. The line of groundhogs that have since been known as Phil might be America’s most famous groundhogs, but other towns across North America now have their own weather-predicting rodents, from Birmingham Bill to Staten Island Chuck to Shubenacadie Sam in Canada. |
| The North Pole City Commerce Association will be holding their monthly meeting at Betty “Buttermilks†Bakery for anyone wishing to attend.  They plan on staying a bit later to watch and see if Phil sees his shadow. This month’s topic will be a discussion on working with small businesses at the North Pole to submit designs to the WWW/PR dvision to have them posted to the TAOLF.com merchandise store. |
| From the North Pole City Council, as we mentioned last week sidewalks will be replaced and repaired throughout the city this spring; however, new plans have been submitted to Council to look into heating these sidewalks so that they will automatically clear during inclimate weather. This proposal is being considered since it will save on the wear and tear of bricks and labor efforts for replacement. Council is expected to meet and vote on these plans some time at the end of February. |
| NPC Sports Update: This past week in the Snowball Games, the teams completed the Snowball Dot Counts, the Snowball Melt, and the Mini Snowmen competitions.  WE HAVE A TIE for First place with Candy Cane Lounge and Love at First Snowflake with 135 points, and Hinklemyer Cocoa Pub in third with 128 points. Good Luck to all contestants in next week’s final regular season round. |
| Cupid will be arriving in North Pole City this week.  There will be a welcome dinner held in the ballroom at the North Pole City Hotel on Wednesday night for anyone wishing to stop by and say, “Hello†to Cupid and spend some time in fellowship.  The Claus’ will be at the dinner as well. |
| WELF-NPC would like to wish a very happy 475 birthday to Holly "Sugar" Scarborough. Holly has worked at the Flight Command Division for the past 100 years and recently got married on January 3, 2022 to Alan "Marshmallow" Yeardley.  We wish you many more happy years and congratulations on your marriage. |
This is Walter “Mistletoe†Livingstone with the reminder: Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.
Have a good evening, and be sure to tune in next week for another WELF-NPC North Pole Radio News Update.
