A spot in Florida - Let's Cheer the Lowly Possum

There's a devote Florida that constructed a twelve-foot-significant monument in the midst of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual want to accomplish that?
Nicely, to begin with, heroes are tricky to find within this put in Florida - the Panhandle town of Wausau, home of under five hundred individuals in the guts of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero understandably? No one else places the possum around a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, in 1982, Wausau got tired of being neglected in the Florida lists of pleasurable, fairs and festivals. Each individual location in Florida requirements a Pageant. And not 1 invest Florida features a Possum Competition. Why not Wausau?
If you haven't attended Washington County, you probably will Feel I am causeing this to be up. When you have gone to Washington County, you'll have an understanding of - and know this is the accurate story.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some rather powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here's two things they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the initial Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led towards the developing inside the monument alongside Condition Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even got The usa Congress in selling the possum. Congress joined the exciting by supplying the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a place to hold its yearly Entertaining Working day and Possum Competition. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other items, the festival draws in lots of folks every year, as well as they like it.
Outing For a lot of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six is going to do?) It's a smallish marsupial that life in trees and demonstrates its ugly system only in the evening. That's why, when you find yourself In the suitable devote Florida, you could listen to possum hunters' puppies baying and barking. Treed by canines, the possum 'freezes', so It really is not challenging to hook (or shoot) one particular.
An inscription across the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's function in furnishing 'each fur and food items' during the whole centuries. It goes to say: 'Their presence right here has supplied an origin of nutritious and flavorful foods in typical occasions and contains been a crucial help to human survival considerably more distress and critical need to have.'
Snicker in the event you'd desire. The people today of Wausau will giggle along - although Possum removal Glen iris downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.