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 put in position Florida that built a 12-foot-significant monument throughout city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone would like to perform that?
Properly, to start with, heroes are tough to seek out on this devote Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of less than 500 persons throughout Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else puts the possum to the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, back again in 1982, Wausau got sick and weary with currently being left out With all the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Just about every location in Florida would like a Competition. And not a single commit Florida has a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't frequented Washington County, you most likely will Assume I am generating this up. If you have absent to Washington County, you are going to recognize - and know this can be a real story.
Wausau, it proved, had some really highly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Listed here are several issues they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the building Together with the monument read more along Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the exciting by means of delivering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a locale to assistance its annual Enjoyable Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other items, the festival attracts Many people today each year, and they like it.
Trip for a number of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum would be the equivalent lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its ugly entire body only in the evening. This is why, if you are Within the appropriate place in position Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so It is really not tough to lure (or shoot) just one.
An inscription with regards to the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's part in supplying 'both equally fur and foods' in the course of the entire hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence right here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in typical situations and possesses been an important aid to human survival way more distress and important require.'
Giggle if you prefer. The individuals of Wausau will chuckle with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.