There is a invest Florida that developed a twelve-foot-significant monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody should do that?
Perfectly, to start, heroes are challenging to locate In this particular place in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, house of less than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you would probably be expecting? No one else places the possum that has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau got Weary of currently being overlooked while in the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Every single make investments Florida requires a festival. And never one particular devote Florida has a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not visited Washington County, you probably will Believe I am Hence, producing this up. Should you have gone to Washington County, you'll understand - and know this is the correct Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some very effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here i will discuss a pair of matters they completed:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the more info very first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the setting up within the monument alongside Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even received The usa Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the fun by providing the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a place to help keep its yearly Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other issues, the Competition appeals to A lot of people annually, furthermore they adore it.
Time out for loads of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing physique only in the evening. This is why, if you are within suitable set set up Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so It can be not hard to trap (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription across the monument during Wausau cites the possum's role in giving 'the two fur and food' in the complete generations. It goes on say: 'Their presence below has provided an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in typical periods and possesses been a crucial guide to human survival in the course of moments of distress and important need.'
Chuckle if you like. The folks of Wausau will chuckle together - though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.