A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a put set up Florida that crafted a 12-foot-significant monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to do that?
Effectively, to get started with, heroes are hard to search out on this set in place Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of below five hundred folks in the heart of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to convey the least? No one else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau obtained Unwell and drained with becoming left out within the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Just about every place in place Florida demands a festival. And not 1 devote Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you probably will think I'm making this up. For those who have visited Washington County, you'll recognize - and know this is a real Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some very highly effective possum politicians in early '80s. Listed below are two issues they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Preliminary Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led website towards the building from the monument along Condition Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by way of furnishing the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to guidance its once-a-year Enjoyable Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other factors, the festival draws in loads of individuals Each individual and yearly, plus they obtain it irresistible.
Time out for some educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will perform?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its hideous physique only during the night time. This is why, when you are within the proper commit Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It's going to be not challenging to catch (or shoot) a single.
An inscription around the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'both fur and food stuff' with the entire centuries. It goes to say: 'Their presence listed here has delivered a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical instances and has been a substantial aid to human survival through instances of distress and critical want.'
Chuckle in case you'd favor. The people today of Wausau will laugh along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.