We, Jack Heitmann’s daughters, would like to set the record straight about the “Welcome to Overton” sign that has become such a controversy.
The letter “Heritage of Community Pride” (Progress: March 23) sounds like a wonderful tribute to our dad and most people will wonder why we would object to it. The thing is, the only truth in that letter is that Jack Heitmann erected the Welcome to Overton sign. The rest of it comes from a scrap of information twisted into a fabrication to try to justify their decoration project – a project that has caused an enormous amount of controversy. All those flowery, wonderful things they made up are just that – made up.
The MVRP has no idea who Jack Heitmann was because they never bothered to find out anything about him. How dare they try to reinvent our dad and then preach to us about his wonderful legacy and their hope that we see how much they respect and admire him for it. The legacy does not exist and neither did the man they describe.
The sign was erected as a community service project that was never intended to be a tribute, a memorial or a legacy. It was simply a sign.
As far as the decorations being a tribute to the spirit that lives on in the community, if what has been posted on Facebook is any indication of community spirit, it’s truly appalling what hateful comments people make about a situation they know nothing about.
While our dad had no particular sentimental attachment to the sign he would hate what’s being done to it. He would be absolutely furious about the use of it as an Eagle Scout project. But most of all he would be enraged that the “improvements” around the base of the sign created a dam that diverted flood runoff water onto his property – the property where he lived and which is still in the family. When MVRP was cautioned about diverting flood water they were very hostile and uncooperative about seeking a solution. Anyone who knows this area realizes this is a river valley and all excess water flows to the lowest point. Therefore any diversion, however small it may seem, can have a big impact somewhere else.
This is exactly what happened around the sign. We are not “aginners” and while we are not crazy about the sign being decorated we never publicly opposed it until MVRP let the flooding happen. Yet somehow we have become the bad guys for trying to protect our property. MVRP refused to help so we had to inconvenience the property owner to come from out of state and try to correct a problem he didn’t cause. If MVRP is so anxious to take credit for their project they should be equally willing to take responsibility for the problems it causes.
Before it became a project, the Welcome sign stood for years out of the way beside the highway, compatible with its surroundings, displaying its message, and flood runoff water flowed safely past on its way to the river.
The sign was part of the landscape. Now the sign has been spruced up and painted with preservative and if left undisturbed should last quite a few more years being what it was originally intended to be – a sign that reads “Welcome to Overton”.
If you continue to decorate the sign, leave Jack Heitmann out of your project. He wouldn’t want any part of it.
Barbara Heitmann Richardson,
Martha Heitmann Haidal, and Betty Heitmann
1 thought on “LETTER: Just a Sign, Not A Legacy”
Thinking maybe more then just the sign is the problem .after all ladies it is JUST A SIGN……..