An area in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a spot in Florida that built a twelve-foot-significant monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone must do that?
Properly, to get started on, heroes are difficult to obtain within this location in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of lower than five hundred individuals in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero to mention the minimum? Nobody else places the possum having a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau received Sick and tired of being left out from the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each individual invest Florida wishes a Competition. And never a person dedicate Florida encompasses a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've in no way attended Washington County, you most likely will Consider I am causeing this for being up. For those who have attended Washington County, you are going to recognize - and know this can be a legitimate story.
Wausau, it proved, had some really powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here's two things they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Preliminary Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the creating of your monument together Condition Highway 77 in Wausau.

They even acquired The usa Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by means of giving the money for Wausau's Possum Palace here so Wausau might have an area to carry its annual Enjoyable Working day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other factors, the Competition appeals to heaps of folks yearly, and so they find it irresistible.
Outing for a few educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use seven letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its hideous entire body only at nighttime. That's why, while you are within the correct location in Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' pet dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It is really not challenging to catch (or shoot) 1.
An inscription for the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's role in providing 'the two fur and meals' during the overall hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their presence below has furnished a resource of nutritious and flavorful food in standard times and it's been an important assist to human survival through occasions of distress and demanding have to have.'
Chuckle for those who'd like. The people today of Wausau will chuckle with you - even though downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.