There's a place set up Florida that created a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone could like to do that?
Nicely, to start with, heroes are really hard to come by in just this position in Florida - the Panhandle metropolis of Wausau, house of less than 500 persons in the midst of Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why don't you the possum, an unlikely hero to mention the minimum? No person else places the possum in excess of a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Next, again in 1982, Wausau obtained Unwell and Weary of staying disregarded of your Florida lists of fun, fairs and festivals. Every dedicate Florida desires a festival. And never a person dedicate Florida carries a Possum Pageant. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have hardly ever long gone to Washington County, you almost certainly will Assume I am building this up. When you've got been to Washington County, you are going to realize - and know It is just a accurate story.
Wausau, it proved, experienced some really highly effective possum politicians from the early '80s. Allow me to share a few factors they attained:


They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the quite first Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led towards the setting up Using the monument alongside Point out Highway seventy seven in Wausau.

They even obtained The us Congress in advertising the possum. Congress joined the pleasurable by giving the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau could have an area to hold its annual Enjoyment Working day and Possum Pageant. That includes a queen contest and possum auction, amid other matters, the Competition attracts 1000s of people today every year, and they like it.
Time out for a great deal of educating Possum Control Melbourne of Northerners listed here. The South's possum is similar lowly animal you contact opossum, (Why use seven letters when six will do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and displays its unattractive physique only during the night time. That's why, when you find yourself Within the proper devote Florida, you could hear possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by canine, the possum 'freezes', so It will likely be not so tricky to hook (or shoot) one.
An inscription throughout the monument in the center of Wausau cites the possum's function in offering 'the two fur and foods' through the overall generations. It goes on say: 'Their existence listed here has supplied a resource of nutritious and flavorful food items in typical situations and has been an important support to human survival in times of distress and critical require.'
Giggle if you'd prefer. The people today of Wausau will snicker together - although downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.