A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There is a commit Florida that developed a 12-foot-superior monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person should do that?
Very well, to start, heroes are challenging to return by using this devote Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of less than 500 persons in the guts of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would probably assume? No person else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got Unwell and exhausted with being overlooked in the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each invest Florida would like a festival. And not 1 area in Florida features a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have never attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Assume I am earning this up. When you have frequented Washington County, you can recognize - and know it is a correct story.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some quite powerful possum politicians over the early '80s. Listed below are certain things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the main Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the building from the monument along Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress in selling the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a location to keep its yearly Fun Working day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the festival appeals to 1000s of persons yearly, and they also adore it.
Day trip for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and reveals its unsightly entire body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, If you're throughout the ideal put set up Florida, you may hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it is actually not hard capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription on the monument for the duration of Wausau cites the possum's part in delivering 'equally fur and foodstuff' throughout the hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their existence right here has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in typical times and it's been a big support to human survival in read more situations of distress and critical need to have.'
Giggle if you'd choose. The people today of Wausau will snicker together - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.