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

There's a devote Florida that crafted a twelve-foot-higher monument in the center of city to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would any one need to do that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes are hard to locate With this location in Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, property of much less than 500 folks in the center of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to mention the minimum? Nobody else puts the possum having a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back 1982, Wausau received fed up with being ignored while in the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Each individual set in position Florida requires a Competition. Instead of 1 commit Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why not Wausau?
If you've got by no means been to Washington County, you almost certainly will Believe I am causeing this being up. Should you have been to Washington County, you will realize - and know It is just a accurate story.
Wausau, it turned out, experienced some really powerful possum politicians noisy . '80s. Here are two or three factors they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the main Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led on the constructing With all the monument alongside Condition Freeway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even got America Congress to market the possum. Congress joined the fun by supplying the funds for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau would have a location to keep its once-a-year Exciting Day and Possum Competition. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among the other things, the Competition draws in tons of people Just about every and each and every year, and so that they obtain it irresistible.
Day trip to get a couple educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum would be the identical lowly animal you phone opossum, (Why use 7 letters when 6 will do?) It is more info a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unpleasant system only during the night. This is exactly why, if you find yourself Within the suitable put in position Florida, you'll be able to listen to possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it's straightforward sufficient seize (or shoot) a single.
An inscription with regards to the monument in the guts of Wausau cites the possum's part in supplying 'equally fur and meals' through the centuries. It goes onto say: 'Their existence here has presented a resource of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in normal moments and it's got been A necessary assist to human survival when in distress and critical need.'
Giggle when you'd favor. The individuals of Wausau will chuckle alongside - while downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.