There is a place in Florida that designed a 12-foot-substantial monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anybody ought to do that?
Properly, to start out, heroes are tricky to acquire During this invest Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, dwelling of under five hundred folks in the heart of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero as you'd count on? Nobody else places the possum using a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, again in 1982, Wausau acquired Ill and Bored with becoming left out in the Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Every put in Florida requires a Pageant. And not just one make investments Florida carries a Possum Competition. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've hardly ever visited Washington County, you most likely will Imagine I am making this up. In case you have attended Washington County, you can understand - and know this can be a accurate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some rather strong possum politicians from the early '80s. Here are a couple of matters they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the Preliminary Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led towards the building Together with the monument together Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought the United States Congress to market place the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would've a place to hold its annual Enjoyable Working day and here Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Competition draws in loads of folks annually, and so they like it.
Outing For a lot of educating of Northerners below. The South's possum is the same lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing physique only in the evening. This is why, when you end up inside the right devote Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so It truly is not tricky seize (or shoot) 1.
An inscription within the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's purpose in offering 'both of those fur and foodstuff' over the entire centuries. It goes onto say: 'Their presence listed here has furnished a resource of nutritious and flavorful food in typical moments and is made up of been a very important support to human survival when in distress and important have to have.'
Chortle if you like. The folks of Wausau will laugh as well as you - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.