A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
A location in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum
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There's a place set up Florida that developed a twelve-foot-high monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone should do that?
Perfectly, to begin with, heroes are tricky to research on this location in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, house of less than five hundred folks in the center of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero To place it mildly? Nobody else puts the possum on a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau acquired Unwell and tired with staying ignored through the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each individual location in Florida requires a Competition. And never one spot in Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've hardly ever attended Washington County, you most likely will Feel I'm causeing this to generally be up. When you have absent to Washington County, you may recognize - and know Here is the correct Tale.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some fairly strong possum politicians inside the early '80s. Here are two factors they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the main Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the setting up of the monument together State Freeway 77 in Wausau.
They even received the United States Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the enjoyable by giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a location to assistance its annual Fun Day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among read more the other factors, the Pageant attracts A lot of people each and on a yearly basis, and Additionally they come across it irresistible.
Day out for a number of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its ugly human body only at night. That's why, any time you find yourself within the suitable place set up Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's not complicated seize (or shoot) a person.
An inscription to the monument all through Wausau cites the possum's position in furnishing 'both of those fur and food stuff' through the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their existence right here has supplied a source of nutritious and flavorful meals in usual instances and includes been an essential aid to human survival throughout periods of distress and demanding need to have.'
Chortle if you prefer. The persons of Wausau will chortle along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.