A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There's a put in Florida that built a 12-foot-high monument in the midst of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person want to accomplish that?
Perfectly, to start out, heroes acquire effort and time to study using this set in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, dwelling of under five hundred persons in the course of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to say the minimum? Nobody else puts the possum that has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, very last 1982, Wausau got Ill and weary with becoming omitted within the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Just about every devote Florida requires a festival. And not one commit Florida includes a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have in no way attended Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am As a result, making this up. For those who have been to Washington County, you may comprehend - and know It's really a correct story.
Wausau, it ended up, had some rather impressive possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here are two items they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your constructing Together with the monument along Condition Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress in endorsing the possum. Congress joined the exciting by giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a location to hold its yearly Pleasurable Working day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition appeals to thousands of folks every year, moreover they like it.
Trip for a few educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will carry out?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing physique only at nighttime. This is why, In case you are while in the ideal devote Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', therefore it is actually effortless seize (or shoot) a person.
An inscription for that monument during Wausau cites the possum's purpose in here providing 'equally fur and food' all through the generations. It goes to say: 'Their presence right here has presented an origin of nutritious and flavorful meals in typical instances and is made up of been a significant assist to human survival far more distress and important need to have.'
Chortle if you prefer. The persons of Wausau will laugh along with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.