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

There's a put in place Florida that created a twelve-foot-higher monument in the course of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody want to perform that?
Well, initial off, heroes are challenging to get Within this spend Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, residence of lower than 500 people in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero understandably? No one else places the possum over a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau bought Ill and fatigued with staying overlooked With all the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Every commit Florida requires a festival. And never one particular area in Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Assume I'm thus, producing this up. In case you have been to Washington County, you can expect to have an understanding of - and know it is a genuine story.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some rather potent possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are two matters they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the building with the monument together Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by providing the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have an area to carry its yearly Enjoyable Working day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the Pageant attracts thousands of people today on a yearly basis, plus they like it.
Trip For lots of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call read more opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will almost certainly do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unattractive system only during the night time. This is exactly why, when you are from the ideal put in Florida, you can listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It can be not challenging seize (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription around the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's part in giving 'equally fur and food items' in the complete generations. It goes to say: 'Their existence here has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in normal situations and possesses been a significant assist to human survival when in distress and significant will need.'
Chortle if you're keen on. The people today of Wausau will chortle together with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.