Return of the Possum Drop?
A bill filed in the House Monday would clear the way for Brasstown, NC, to resume using a live possum in its New Year's Eve Possum Drop celebration.
Posted — UpdatedA bill filed in the House Monday would clear the way for Brasstown, NC, to resume using a live possum in its New Year's Eve Possum Drop celebration.
Clay Logan, the proprietor of Clay's Corner in Brasstown, started the tradition 20 years ago. But a ruling by a state administrative judge left Logan without a live star in 2012.
The possum, by the way, isn't actually dropped - it's lowered in a plexiglass cage at the stroke of midnight. But PETA argued it's still cruel and disorienting to the animal, which could be held captive for weeks before the big show and then released into unfamiliar territory.
The festival went on in December, but the crate was shrouded, obscuring what was in it. Logan wouldn't say whether he had had to resort to a stuffed possum instead.
The bill's main sponsor is Rep. Roger West, who represents Brasstown. Other sponsors include House Speaker Thom Tillis and Rules Chairman Tim Moore, as well as Bladen Democrat Bill Brisson and Cumberland Democrat Marvin Lucas.
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