A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a location in Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-high monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one wish to accomplish that?
Properly, to start with, heroes are tricky to receive On this make investments Florida - the Panhandle metropolis of Wausau, residence of less than five hundred individuals in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero understandably? No one else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again in 1982, Wausau obtained Unwell and drained with being disregarded from your Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each place in position Florida would like a festival. And not a person set set up Florida contains a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't gone to Washington County, you probably will Assume I am producing this up. Should you have frequented Washington County, you are going to have an understanding of - and know this is the legitimate story.
Wausau, it proved, had some fairly powerful possum politicians during the early '80s. Allow me to share a set of items they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the really to start with Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the constructing through the monument together Point out Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by providing the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to assist its yearly Entertaining Day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other factors, read more the festival attracts thousands of people yearly, and Additionally they love it.
Outing for plenty of educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unattractive body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, if you're within the ideal invest Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not so difficult to trap (or shoot) a person.
An inscription around the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's role in providing 'each fur and food stuff' all through the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence right here has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful meals in standard occasions and has been an essential help to human survival throughout times of distress and demanding require.'
Giggle if you want. The people of Wausau will giggle with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.