Tall grass is embarrassing entry

To the editor:

This is a letter I sent to Mark Shelton, the Missouri Department of Transportation's district engineer in Sikeston, Mo.:

Congratulations on your recent appointment as District 10 engineer. I read your biography. Very impressive indeed. District 10 encompasses a large area. It will be very challenging, but I am sure you will do a great job for MoDOT.

You probably have seen MoDOT's Web page, which states its mission:

"Our mission is to provide a world-class transportation experience that delights our customers and promotes a prosperous Missouri."

With that message in mind, I would like to invite you to Cape Girardeau to take a tour of the entry points to our beautiful city -- I-55 and Highways 74 and 61, which all have grass and weeds 3 to 6 feet tall. In fact, the weeds are so tall in many areas that when they are finally mowed, they will need to be baled. It is an embarrassing way to greet newcomers to our area.

Cape Girardeau residents deserve better. Mr. Shelton, please re-read MoDOT's mission statement and take care of this problem.

RICK EBAUGH, Cape Girardeau