A spot in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There's a invest Florida that developed a twelve-foot-higher monument in the middle of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one desire to perform that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes are difficult to exploration using this type of commit Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, home of below five hundred persons in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you'd be expecting? Nobody else places the possum on a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau received tired of remaining overlooked Using the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each individual place set up Florida demands a festival. Instead of a single commit Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not attended Washington County, you most likely will think I'm making this up. When you have visited Washington County, you can expect to realize - and know this is the legitimate story.
Wausau, it proved, had some fairly impressive possum politicians from the early '80s. Here are a number of points they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the developing with the monument along Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even received the United States Congress to industry the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by the money for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a region to carry its annual Pleasurable Working day and Possum Competition. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among other issues, the Competition draws in a lot of folks Every and each year, moreover they adore it.
Time out for loads of educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is definitely the identical lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 can do?) It is a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its unattractive system only at night. That's why, if you find yourself within proper devote Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', hence it really is straightforward to entice (or shoot) just one.
An inscription for the monument throughout Wausau cites the possum's function in offering 'equally fur and food items' through read more the centuries. It goes to say: 'Their presence here has delivered a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in typical times and includes been a vital support to human survival when in distress and demanding will need.'
Chortle should you'd desire. The folks of Wausau will giggle alongside - whilst downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.