A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a dedicate Florida that crafted a 12-foot-substantial monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone want to do that?
Effectively, to get started with, heroes are challenging to study During this spend Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland - Wausau, home of below five hundred persons in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? No one else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau bought Ill and drained with currently being disregarded on the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every commit Florida needs a festival. Instead of a single put in place Florida provides a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got never ever visited Washington County, you most likely will think I'm Consequently, earning this up. If you have attended Washington County, you can understand - and know this can be a correct story.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some very impressive possum politicians in early '80s. Listed here are a few things they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August more info as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the making While using the monument together State Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress in endorsing the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a region to carry its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws in lots of folks yearly, as well as they like it.
Trip for some educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its ugly human body only at night. That is why, if you find yourself Within the proper dedicate Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It is uncomplicated capture (or shoot) a person.
An inscription to the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's role in giving 'each fur and food items' through the total hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their presence below has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in usual situations and it's got been an essential assist to human survival in instances of distress and significant want.'
Chuckle if you'd like. The individuals of Wausau will laugh along with you - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.