A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a dedicate Florida that constructed a 12-foot-superior monument in the midst of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone desire to perform that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes just take time and effort to search out on this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, household of lower than five hundred people in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else places the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again 1982, Wausau bought Ill and tired of staying neglected through the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Every single devote Florida needs a Pageant. Instead of a person location in Florida incorporates a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Feel I'm causeing this to get up. Should you have absent to Washington County, you will understand - and know this can be a legitimate story.
Wausau, it ended up, had some quite highly effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here are some things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to your making of your monument alongside State Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even obtained the United States Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by way of supplying the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a place to maintain its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other points, the Competition draws in loads of folks each and every year, plus they find it irresistible.
Outing for many educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and shows its hideous body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, Should you be Within the right devote Florida, it is possible to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', consequently it is basic adequate to catch (or shoot) 1.
An inscription throughout the monument for the duration of Wausau cites the possum's role in delivering 'both of those fur and foods' with the hundreds of years. It goes on to say: 'Their existence in this article has delivered a supply of nutritious and flavorful foods in regular occasions and possesses been an important enable to human survival in situations of distress and critical require.'
Laugh If you would like. The people today of Wausau will chortle along - even though downing baked possum and sweet more info potatoes.