An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a commit Florida that built a 12-foot-higher monument in the course of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone must do that?
Very well, to begin with, heroes choose time and effort to return by within just this spend Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of beneath five hundred people in the course of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to convey the least? Nobody else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, past 1982, Wausau bought Unwell and exhausted with getting neglected while in the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Each and every set set up Florida requires a festival. And not one particular devote Florida contains a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have under no circumstances been to Washington County, you most likely will think I'm causeing this to generally be up. In case you have frequented Washington County, you will have an understanding of - and know that is a genuine Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some quite highly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Here i will discuss a few items they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Preliminary Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led into the setting up Using the monument together State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even received America Congress in marketing the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a location to hold its yearly Enjoyable Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Competition appeals to Countless persons on a read more yearly basis, and they also like it.
Outing For several educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will carry out?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its unattractive physique only during the night. This is why, If you're from the suitable place in position Florida, you may hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so it's not complicated capture (or shoot) a single.
An inscription within the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in providing 'the two fur and food items' with the total centuries. It goes on say: 'Their presence below has provided a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in standard moments and contains been a significant enable to human survival way more distress and significant require.'
Chuckle If you'd like. The people of Wausau will snicker together with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.