There's a set in position Florida that created a twelve-foot-high monument in the course of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone must do that?
Very well, initial off, heroes are tough to come back by Within this position in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, residence of much less than 500 folks in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an not likely hero as you should be expecting? No one else puts the possum on the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Secondly, back in 1982, Wausau obtained Weary of staying ignored inside the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each individual put in position Florida needs a Competition. Rather than just one position in Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you haven't visited Washington County, you almost certainly will Imagine I'm building this up. If you have attended Washington County, you will fully grasp - and know This is a legitimate Tale.
Wausau, it turned out, had some rather highly effective possum politicians through the early '80s. Here's a couple of things they attained:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the first Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to your making With all the monument alongside Point out Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even received America Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the exciting as a result of offering the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a spot to help its annual Exciting Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the festival appeals to Lots of people annually, furthermore they adore it.
Time out for many educating of Northerners right here. The South's possum is equivalent lowly animal you connect with opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 is going to do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and shows its unpleasant overall body only at night. That's why, when you find yourself from the suitable put in Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', thus it is actually not so complicated to entice (or shoot) just one.
An inscription for that monument through Wausau cites the possum's role in offering 'both of those fur and meals' all through the generations. It goes on to say: 'Their presence here has supplied a source of nutritious and here flavorful foods in regular occasions and consists of been a major assist to human survival in periods of distress and critical will need.'
Laugh if you prefer. The men and women of Wausau will snicker as well as you - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.