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

There's a put in position Florida that designed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone need to do that?
Perfectly, to start with, heroes are tough to return by using this area in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, household of lower than 500 folks in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you'll anticipate? No one else places the possum to the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back in 1982, Wausau got fed up with currently being ignored inside the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Every invest Florida needs a Competition. Instead of one place in Florida incorporates a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have never attended Washington County, you most likely will Feel I am causeing this to be up. If you have been to Washington County, you will fully grasp - and know This can be the true Tale.
Wausau, it wound up, experienced some really potent possum politicians while in the early '80s. Listed here are a pair of items they achieved:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the really 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing in the monument alongside Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even bought The us Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the exciting by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a spot to hold its once-a-year Enjoyable Working day and Possum Pageant. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other factors, the Pageant attracts loads of folks each year, and so they like it.
Day trip for any few educating of Northerners here. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unattractive body only during the night time. This is why, when you end up inside right spot in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not challenging to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription for that monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's job in furnishing 'both of those fur and foodstuff' from the entire hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence listed here has furnished Possum Catcher Melbourne an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in ordinary times and incorporates been an important support to human survival when in distress and important want.'
Snicker If you'd like. The men and women of Wausau will chuckle along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.