A Place in Florida - Let us Cheer the Lowly Possum

There is a put in position Florida that developed a 12-foot-high monument in the heart of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would everyone wish to do that?
Perfectly, to get started on, heroes are tricky to research using this type of put in place Florida - the Panhandle city of Wausau, residence of much less than 500 people in the middle of Washington County about 10 miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an not likely hero to convey the minimum? No one else puts the possum to the pedestal. Why don't you Wausau?
Next, in 1982, Wausau got fed up with becoming disregarded in the Florida lists of exciting, fairs and festivals. Every location in Florida would like a Pageant. And not one put set up Florida incorporates a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you've never been to Washington County, you probably will think I am Therefore, making this up. When you have absent to Washington County, you will have an understanding of - and know It is just a correct story.
Wausau, it turned out, had some rather highly effective possum politicians noisy . '80s. Listed here are a set of points they accomplished:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the primary Saturday in August as Possum Working day in Florida. That led to the creating inside the monument together Point out Freeway 77 in Wausau.

They even got The usa Congress to promote the possum. Congress joined the exciting by providing the cash for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might need a location to help keep its yearly Pleasurable Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, among other items, the festival appeals to Many individuals on a yearly basis, they usually like it.
Day trip for any couple of educating of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, (Why use 7 letters when six will almost certainly do?) It's a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and exhibits its unattractive body only at nighttime. This is exactly why, when you end up during the correct location in Florida, you are able to listen to possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by pet dogs, the possum 'freezes', so it really is not so tough to hook (or shoot) 1.
An inscription with Possum removal Glen iris the monument in the course of Wausau cites the possum's job in supplying 'both equally fur and food' from the hundreds of years. It goes onto say: 'Their existence in this article has provided a source of nutritious and flavorful foodstuff in standard moments and it's got been An important help to human survival through instances of distress and significant want.'
Snicker if you like. The individuals of Wausau will chortle alongside - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.