A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a position in Florida that created a twelve-foot-higher monument in the middle of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any person have to do that?
Properly, to begin, heroes are complicated to search out With this commit Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, property of beneath five hundred individuals in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you should assume? No one else places the possum which has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau received Bored with being overlooked With all the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Each individual set in place Florida needs a festival. And never a person location in Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't been to Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm generating this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you will comprehend - and know this is a genuine story.
Wausau, it wound up, had some pretty impressive possum politicians in early '80s. Here are two factors they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the building with the monument alongside Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress to market place the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by delivering the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could possibly have a place to carry its once-a-year Fun Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other matters, the Competition draws in heaps of individuals on a yearly basis, and so they come across it irresistible.
Day out for a several educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is equivalent lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its here hideous system only at nighttime. This is exactly why, whenever you find yourself Within the suitable spot in Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It's going to be uncomplicated ample capture (or shoot) one.
An inscription on the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's position in offering 'both fur and food items' in the hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence listed here has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical occasions and it has been A necessary enable to human survival in instances of distress and important will need.'
Chortle if you prefer. The people of Wausau will snicker along - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.