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

There's a put in place Florida that crafted a 12-foot-substantial monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any individual would like to accomplish that?
Properly, to start out, heroes choose effort and time to investigate Within this area in Florida - the Panhandle cash of scotland - Wausau, property of fewer than five hundred persons in the middle of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero as you'd probably count on? No one else puts the possum more than a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau obtained fed up with getting omitted through the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each spot in Florida wants a Pageant. And never a single commit Florida features a Possum Festival. Why not Wausau?
If you've got never ever been to Washington County, you probably will Imagine I am Hence, earning this up. When you've got gone to Washington County, you can expect to realize - and know This may be a real story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some quite strong possum politicians throughout the early '80s. Allow me to share a couple of issues they completed:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the 1st Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led on the constructing Using the monument alongside Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even obtained the United States Congress to advertise the possum. Congress joined the enjoyment by the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have an area to keep its annual Entertaining Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, amongst other factors, the Pageant attracts Lots of individuals each year, and so they love it.
Day out For most educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is comparable lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use here 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unappealing physique only at nighttime. This is exactly why, when you are inside the ideal make investments Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so It'll be not tough to catch (or shoot) a person.
An inscription around the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's function in delivering 'both of those fur and meals' with the complete hundreds of years. It goes to say: 'Their presence right here has offered a useful resource of nutritious and flavorful food stuff in ordinary situations and incorporates been a major assist to human survival for the duration of occasions of distress and important want.'
Snicker in case you'd prefer. The persons of Wausau will laugh along with you - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.