Off the Publisher’s Desk 4-9-25

The little sign is no more!

A week ago Monday as I was clearing the small amount of snow and ice from my front walk, I heard a grinding noise coming from down the street.

As I turned and looked to my west, there was a St. Croix County Highway Department truck with a couple of workers sawing on a metal post.

Now, I live on Maple Street in Glenwood City. Maple Street is State Highway 170. While looking at those two county employees working on that signpost, I realized that they were cutting down the post that held the sign that directed travelers to the city cemetery. The cemetery is located at the south end of Third Street. 

I quickly came to the conclusion that they were taking down that cemetery sign and I quickly walked into the next block to inquire why they were cutting down the cemetery sign and I was told it was orders from the state.

I thought, what about the cemetery sign on the north side of the street telling west bound traffic on 170 to the City Cemetery. It was gone also, how long I do not know? But it was also gone.

In place of the cemetery sign, there is one telling motorists that parking is not allowed on the south side of Maple Street, the cemetery sign could have shared the post with the no parking sign. I can’t blame the two county workers for us losing that cemetery sign; they were only doing what they were ordered to do.

By the way, they installed a new sign to the east of the Glenwood City Schools telling east bound traffic that Downing is one mile. We needed a Downing mileage sign at that location like we need another hole in our head, you can see Downing from where that sign is installed.

As I have driven around the countryside, I have noticed many signs that are not related to traffic movement, like signs directing one to the local golf course, a sign introducing one to a local farm, or business establishments, all on state highways.

I wished I knew where that sign ended up, as I know that the cemetery association would like to have it back, so it can be installed in my yard that faces that state highway. So, what should I do? I think I will ask Elon Musk to come and clean house at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to put some common sense into that state official that had our cemetery sign removed.

Thanks for reading!     ~Carlton