An area in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a spot in Florida that crafted a 12-foot-substantial monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one desire to accomplish that?
Properly, to begin, heroes are tough to have with this particular put set up Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of under five hundred persons in the heart of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to mention the the very least? No one else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, past 1982, Wausau acquired Ill and weary with staying overlooked inside the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every single put in position Florida requires a festival. And not one devote Florida has a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you probably will Believe I am producing this up. When you've got visited Washington County, you can expect to recognize - and know this is the true story.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some fairly potent possum politicians in early '80s. Here i will discuss two issues they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the First Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the constructing through the monument along State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even obtained The us Congress in selling the possum. Congress joined the exciting by providing the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a location to aid its annual Exciting Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the festival draws in Countless folks per year, plus they adore it.
Time out for a great deal of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use seven letters when six can perform?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and exhibits its unsightly human body only in the evening. This is exactly why, when you are inside the right dedicate Florida, it is possible to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It is really basic more than enough seize (or shoot) a single.
An inscription about the monument in more info the guts of Wausau cites the possum's part in furnishing 'both equally fur and foods' throughout the complete centuries. It goes on to say: 'Their existence listed here has furnished an origin of nutritious and flavorful food in normal times and possesses been a crucial support to human survival much more distress and significant want.'
Snicker if you're keen on. The individuals of Wausau will chortle alongside - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.