Letter to the Editor

Cemetery's conditions reflects poorly on community

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

EDITOR'S NOTE: Cemetery owner Billy Curl wrote this reponse to this letter.

To the editor:

After returning to Blytheville last week for the funeral of my sister, I was embarrassed and appalled at the appearance of the Dogwood Cemetery. The grass was ankle high, there was rows of dead grass that had been cut after being allowed to grow to the height of 6 inches, there was faded flowers still on the headstones from last Christmas, not to mention several of us had chiggers from walking in the tall unkept grass.

Dogwood is the final resting place for several members of my family, and I will be returning to Blytheville to be laid to rest someday. The condition of this cemetery has continued to go down over the past several years. I don't understand why this is being allowed to happen. Visitors still use the south entrance to Blytheville, and this does not display a very good image of the city of Blytheville. I do understand that most visitors use the north entrance, but the south is very quickly becoming a slum area due to the neglect.

We should proud of the city of Blytheville from north to south and east to west. When visitors enter from the south, they should not see that the people of Blytheville show no respect for their family members that have gone on before us.

Wake up Blytheville. We grew up here, raised our families here, called it home. Several thousands of dollars were spent to make Blytheville pretty. Don't let something as easy as mowing a cemetery ruin the image of Blytheville and its citizens.

Connie Martin
Bryant, Ark.