There's a commit Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-high monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual may possibly like to do that?
Effectively, to start out, heroes take time and effort to investigation On this location in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, household of less than five hundred folks in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to state the least? No person else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, final 1982, Wausau got Ill and fatigued with currently being left out within the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every commit Florida needs a festival. And never one particular place set up Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Imagine I'm So, producing this up. When you have absent to Washington County, you'll fully grasp - and know this is a correct story.
Wausau, it proved, had some quite strong possum politicians in early '80s. Allow me to share two matters they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the First Saturday in August as Possum here Working day in Florida. That led to your making from your monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by offering the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a site to assist its yearly Pleasurable Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the festival appeals to A large number of folks per year, and so they like it.
Time out for a lot of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can perform?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its hideous overall body only at night. That's why, after you end up from the suitable dedicate Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it is straightforward to hook (or shoot) just one.
An inscription within the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in offering 'both equally fur and food stuff' from the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their presence right here has offered a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in usual moments and it's been an essential support to human survival in times of distress and important want.'
Snicker if you like. The men and women of Wausau will snicker alongside - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.