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 location in Florida that created a twelve-foot-higher monument all through town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual may possibly like to do that?
Well, to start out, heroes are difficult to come by Within this place in position Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland- Wausau, home of a lot less than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to convey the least? No person else puts the possum that has a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again 1982, Wausau got fed up with remaining left out while in the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every single invest Florida wants a festival. And never one particular set set up Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got hardly ever absent to Washington County, you probably will Feel I'm causeing this for being up. When you've got attended Washington County, you'll understand - and know this can be a real story.
Wausau, it proved, had some really strong possum politicians in early '80s. Here are some things they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the really first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That check here led into the creating inside the monument alongside Condition Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even received The usa Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to guidance its yearly Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, between other factors, the Pageant attracts loads of men and women Every and every year, plus they like it.
Day out for lots of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its ugly human body only during the night time. That's why, If you're Within the correct place in place Florida, you'll be able to hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It'll be not challenging to capture (or shoot) a single.
An inscription around the monument for the duration of Wausau cites the possum's position in supplying 'both fur and foodstuff' in the course of the entire hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence here has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in ordinary instances and has been a crucial aid to human survival in periods of distress and important need.'
Laugh if you want. The individuals of Wausau will laugh along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.