An area in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a put in place Florida that built a 12-foot-higher monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one could love to do that?
Properly, to start, heroes are difficult to exploration within this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle capital of scotland - Wausau, household of fewer than 500 people all through Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to convey the minimum? No one else puts the possum having a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau got Unwell and Uninterested in becoming omitted in the Florida lists of enjoyment, fairs and festivals. Just about every put in place Florida requires a Pageant. And not just one commit Florida includes a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you most likely will Consider I'm So, building this up. Should you have absent to Washington County, you can have an understanding of - and know it is a true story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some quite powerful possum politicians during the early '80s. Here's a few factors they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to Possum removal Glen iris the building in the monument together Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by providing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to maintain its annual Entertaining Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among the other items, the festival attracts many people on a yearly basis, and so that they adore it.
Time out For numerous educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unappealing entire body only at night. This is exactly why, When you are in the right area in Florida, it is possible to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it can be not so tricky to hook (or shoot) a single.
An inscription around the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in offering 'both of those fur and foodstuff' in the course of the overall generations. It goes on say: 'Their presence listed here has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in normal occasions and possesses been a big aid to human survival for the duration of occasions of distress and critical will need.'
Chuckle If you prefer. The persons of Wausau will laugh in conjunction with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.