An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
An area in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a commit Florida that crafted a 12-foot-substantial monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual need to do that?
Perfectly, to start, heroes acquire time and effort to uncover on this put in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, property of fewer than 500 persons in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? No one else puts the possum around a pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau got sick and weary with becoming neglected from the Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Every single spot in Florida would like a Competition. Instead of 1 invest Florida includes a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you have not absent to Washington County, you probably will Consider I'm developing this up. For those who have visited Washington County, you'll realize - and know that is a genuine Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some pretty powerful possum politicians through the early '80s. Here are two or three issues they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the main Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the building within the monument along Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress to market place the possum. Congress joined the exciting by providing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau can have a location to keep its yearly Enjoyment Working day and Possum Festival. Showcasing a queen contest and possum auction, among the other issues, the Pageant draws in many people annually, in addition they like it.
Day out for just a couple educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is analogous lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives get more info in trees and shows its unattractive entire body only at night. That is why, once you find yourself throughout the right set in place Florida, you could hear possum hunters' canines baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It can be not challenging to catch (or shoot) one.
An inscription across the monument through Wausau cites the possum's part in delivering 'both fur and meals' in the entire centuries. It goes on say: 'Their existence listed here has presented a source of nutritious and flavorful food items in ordinary periods and has been a vital support to human survival a great deal more distress and significant require.'
Snicker If you need. The folks of Wausau will snicker with you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.