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 12-foot-significant monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone ought to do that?
Well, to start with, heroes are challenging to come by in this put in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of fewer than 500 people during Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to state the the very least? Nobody else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, back in 1982, Wausau bought Unwell and Sick and tired of becoming neglected from the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each individual set in position Florida wants a Pageant. And not a single commit Florida features a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't visited Washington County, you almost certainly will Believe I'm causeing this to get up. Should you have absent to Washington County, you'll recognize - and know that is a accurate story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some rather powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here's a pair of matters they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the building Using the monument along State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even bought The usa Congress in selling the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by supplying the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a area to carry its once-a-year Fun Working day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other items, the Competition draws in many people annually, and they like it.
Outing for the few educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six can perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its ugly physique only during the night. That's why, once you end up Within the proper commit Florida, you are able to hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it is not so tricky to lure (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription to the monument during Wausau cites the possum's function in providing 'the two fur and food' throughout the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence here has presented a source of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in regular instances and it has been a vital help to human survival a great deal more distress and critical want.'
Snicker in the event you'd prefer. The folks of Wausau will laugh coupled with you - though downing baked possum website and sweet potatoes.