A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a place set up Florida that created a twelve-foot-higher monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody want to do that?
Nicely, to begin with, heroes are tough to acquire on this invest Florida - the Panhandle metropolis of Wausau, household of below 500 persons all through Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero understandably? No one else places the possum by using a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back 1982, Wausau received Ill and Fed up with remaining disregarded While using the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each individual devote Florida wants a Pageant. Instead of just one put in position Florida features a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Assume I am generating this up. If you have gone to Washington County, you can expect to recognize - and know This may be a real story.
Wausau, it proved, had some rather highly effective possum politicians through the early '80s. Here's a few issues they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the building While using the monument along Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable through offering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to assistance its annual Entertaining Day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws in heaps of men and women Just about every check here and annually, additionally they uncover it irresistible.
Day trip for some educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unpleasant overall body only at night. That's why, if you find yourself inside the ideal spend Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It will likely be not difficult to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription throughout the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'each fur and foods' through the whole centuries. It goes to say: 'Their existence listed here has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary situations and has been a major assist to human survival when in distress and demanding have to have.'
Chuckle If you would like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle coupled with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.