An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a position in Florida that constructed a 12-foot-superior monument in the midst of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to accomplish that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes are hard to obtain During this dedicate Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland- Wausau, residence of under five hundred persons in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to put it mildly? Nobody else places the possum around a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got fed up with getting omitted within the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each put in place Florida would like a festival. And never one make investments Florida includes a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you most likely will Consider I am generating this up. Should you have attended Washington County, you can expect to understand - and know Here is the true Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some pretty potent possum politicians in early '80s. Here are some things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the very first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led to the constructing in the monument alongside State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even got the United States Congress in advertising and marketing the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by delivering the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to keep its yearly Enjoyable Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other points, the Pageant appeals to Many individuals annually, and Additionally they like it.
Time out for a few educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you get in touch with opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its unattractive system only at nighttime. This is exactly why, when you're In the appropriate dedicate Florida, you may hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It'll be not so tough to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription concerning the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's part in providing 'both fur and food stuff' all over the hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence in this article has provided a supply of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in normal periods and includes been a substantial aid to human survival in periods of distress and demanding check here need to have.'
Chortle if you love. The folks of Wausau will giggle along - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.