A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a devote Florida that constructed a 12-foot-high monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual ought to do that?
Perfectly, to start with, heroes take effort and time to come back by Within this place in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, home of less than 500 persons in the course of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you would assume? No one else places the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau got Sick and tired of remaining omitted while in the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Every place in position Florida requires a Competition. And never just one commit Florida features a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I'm causeing this to become up. When you've got been to Washington County, you'll have an understanding of - and know this is the accurate Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, had some really effective possum politicians in the early '80s. Here's some things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the extremely initially Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the developing inside the monument along Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even got the United States Congress to marketplace the possum. Congress joined the exciting by giving the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have an area to keep its once-a-year Exciting Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other things, the Competition draws in Many of us annually, and Additionally they like it.
Time out For a lot of educating of Northerners here. The South's possum will be the similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unattractive physique only at nighttime. That is why, while you are Within the correct place in place Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It is easy more than enough to lure (or shoot) 1.
An inscription with regards to the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the get more info possum's role in offering 'the two fur and food items' in the full generations. It goes on to say: 'Their presence in this article has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical instances and it has been a crucial guide to human survival way more distress and significant need.'
Giggle if you like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle together - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.