A Place in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a set in place Florida that constructed a 12-foot-substantial monument in the guts of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone want to do that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes are tough to acquire using this set in place Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, dwelling of fewer than 500 folks in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you'd probably anticipate? No person else places the possum over the pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, back in 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with currently being left out with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Just about every put in Florida wants a Competition. Rather than just one devote Florida includes a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've by no means attended Washington County, you almost certainly will Assume I'm thus, generating this up. Should you have long gone to Washington County, you are going to understand - and know this can be a accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly strong possum politicians during the early '80s. Allow me to share two or three matters they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the main Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led into the making While using the monument alongside State Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even got The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by providing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to hold its annual Pleasurable Day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other matters, the Competition draws in Many of us yearly, and In addition they like it.
Trip more info for loads of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is equivalent 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 unattractive human body only during the night time. That's why, when you're throughout the correct spend Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so it will be not complicated to capture (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription round the monument through Wausau cites the possum's role in delivering 'both of those fur and meals' through the total hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence right here has offered an origin of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary situations and possesses been a very important assist to human survival far more distress and critical will need.'
Laugh if you like. The individuals of Wausau will giggle along - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.