A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a set in place Florida that developed a 12-foot-higher monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one may well like to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes consider effort and time to acquire In this particular spend 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 not the possum, an not likely hero as you'd probably hope? No one else places the possum about a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau acquired fed up with staying ignored during the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Each individual position in Florida requires a festival. Rather than 1 devote Florida incorporates a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you probably will Assume I am developing this up. For those who have attended Washington County, you can understand - and know This may be a genuine Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, had some pretty potent possum politicians inside the early '80s. Here i will discuss some things they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the setting up With all the monument alongside Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired the United States Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a spot to assistance its annual Entertaining Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the festival appeals to plenty of individuals Each individual and on a yearly basis, in addition they discover it irresistible.
Trip for some educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is analogous 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 reveals its unpleasant system only during the night. This is exactly why, For anyone who is in the proper dedicate Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It will likely be easy to entice (or shoot) a person.
An inscription in regards to the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's position in providing 'both equally fur and meals' over the whole hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their presence below has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful foods in usual situations and it read more has been An important assist to human survival much more distress and critical need.'
Snicker if you want. The people of Wausau will chortle together with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.