A location in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a commit Florida that developed a twelve-foot-high monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual would like to perform that?
Properly, to get started with, heroes are complicated to analysis inside of this devote Florida - the Panhandle town of 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 as you would hope? No person else puts the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau bought fed up with currently being left out While using the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each individual set set up Florida demands a festival. Rather than one particular devote Florida features a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you have never been to Washington County, you probably will Feel I'm causeing this to get up. If you have long gone to Washington County, you may recognize - and know this is the accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, had some quite strong possum politicians inside the early '80s. Listed below are several items they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite initially Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the developing While using the monument together Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress in marketing the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to carry its annual Exciting more info Day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Pageant appeals to A huge number of people each year, they usually find it irresistible.
Outing for some educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its hideous physique only during the night time. This is exactly why, when you're inside the right set in place Florida, you could hear possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It will likely be not so tricky to trap (or shoot) a single.
An inscription within the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in furnishing 'both fur and meals' all through the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence in this article has delivered an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in regular occasions and includes been an essential support to human survival in the course of occasions of distress and significant will need.'
Giggle in case you'd favor. The individuals of Wausau will snicker coupled with you - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.