There is a position in Florida that created a 12-foot-higher monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone would like to perform that?
Well, to get started on, heroes are tricky for getting using this set in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of below 500 persons in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to convey the minimum? No person else puts the possum over a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau got Ill and tired with remaining disregarded during the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every commit Florida requires a festival. And never 1 dedicate Florida has a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have never frequented Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm causeing this to generally be up. In case you have been to Washington County, you'll understand - and know Here is the real Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some quite powerful possum politicians during the early '80s. Listed here are a pair of issues they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the really initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the creating while in the monument along Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to sector the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by providing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a spot to carry its yearly Pleasurable Working get more info day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other points, the Pageant appeals to A lot of people annually, and they also like it.
Time out for just a handful of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will probably do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its hideous system only during the night. This is exactly why, When you are inside correct area in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', consequently it's not so difficult capture (or shoot) a person.
An inscription for your monument in the heart of Wausau cites the possum's part in furnishing 'both fur and foods' through the hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence below has delivered a supply of nutritious and flavorful meals in usual moments and has been a significant aid to human survival considerably more distress and critical have to have.'
Chuckle if you love. The men and women of Wausau will snicker along - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.