There's a devote Florida that developed a twelve-foot-significant monument in the midst of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody want to perform that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes are tricky to research using this invest Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, property of less than 500 individuals in the heart of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero To place it mildly? No one else puts the possum within the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, past 1982, Wausau obtained Ill and Fed up with currently being neglected with the Florida lists of entertaining, fairs and festivals. Each position in Florida requires a Pageant. Instead of just one spot in Florida contains a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't visited Washington County, you almost certainly will Assume I'm making this up. Should you have absent to Washington County, you may realize - and know this is a legitimate story.
Wausau, it ended up, had some pretty effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here's two or three points they accomplished:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the setting up from the monument together Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even obtained The us Congress to publicize the possum. Congress joined the fun by the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have a spot to hold its annual Fun Day and Possum Festival. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, among other factors, the Pageant appeals to a lot of people annually, and In addition they adore it.
Trip for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and reveals its hideous entire body only at night. This is here exactly why, if you are throughout the suitable commit Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', hence it's uncomplicated plenty of to trap (or shoot) a person.
An inscription on the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's job in furnishing 'both of those fur and foodstuff' all through the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence listed here has provided a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful meals in usual occasions and it's got been an important aid to human survival for the duration of situations of distress and significant have to have.'
Laugh If you'd like. The men and women of Wausau will giggle with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.