There's a put in position Florida that created a 12-foot-high monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual ought to do that?
Perfectly, to start with, heroes are really hard to return by on this set in position Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of much less than 500 people all through Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero to state the minimum? Nobody else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back in 1982, Wausau bought sick and worn out with becoming overlooked in the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every invest Florida wants a Competition. And not 1 spot in Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've got in no way been to Washington County, you probably will Believe I am So, building this up. If you have absent to Washington County, you will understand - and know it is a correct story.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some very effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here's some things they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Original Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led for the setting up with the monument together Point out Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even bought the United States Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau may have an area to carry its annual Fun Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other factors, the Competition draws in thousands of persons Each and every and each year, moreover they adore it.
Time out for a few educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 check here will execute?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its ugly human body only at nighttime. That's why, after you find yourself inside correct put in place Florida, you may hear possum hunters' canine baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it can be not so hard seize (or shoot) one.
An inscription with the monument in the midst of Wausau cites the possum's part in supplying 'the two fur and food stuff' with the generations. It goes onto say: 'Their existence right here has supplied a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in ordinary instances and possesses been an important aid to human survival throughout occasions of distress and important require.'
Snicker if you're keen on. The folks of Wausau will giggle along with you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.