A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a location in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-high monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone want to do that?
Very well, to begin with, heroes are difficult to come back by with this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of fewer than 500 individuals in the midst of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero understandably? Nobody else puts the possum to the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, past 1982, Wausau bought Ill and exhausted with being disregarded Together with the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every spot in Florida requires a Pageant. Instead of a single invest Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you probably will Feel I'm Consequently, creating this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you will comprehend - and know This may be a accurate story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some quite potent possum politicians in the early '80s. Here's some things they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led into the building from the monument alongside Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a location to hold its annual Pleasurable Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other matters, the Competition draws in Lots of people on a yearly basis, and they also like it.
Day out for many educating of Northerners below. The South's possum could be the equivalent lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its unpleasant overall body only during the night. That is why, when you're In the correct commit Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It truly is not so tough to click here capture (or shoot) 1.
An inscription in regards to the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'both fur and meals' all over the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their presence here has furnished a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in usual instances and possesses been an important assist to human survival when in distress and significant have to have.'
Giggle for those who'd like. The folks of Wausau will chuckle along - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.