Richard Heyman, as seen on April 1 with a mysterious boulder on Melton Road. The Colonel took to Chronicle readers to find out about its origins. PHOTO PROVIDED
In the April 4 issue, Chronicle columnist Richard Heyman submitted a photo of himself standing next to a big boulder on Melton Road that had somehow kerplunked onto the roadway about April 1.
Heyman thought maybe the rock fell off a vehicle and was later drug to the side of the road, but was nonetheless bamboozled by the sight. Later, the City’s Public Works department came out and put a little orange traffic cone next to the massive rock.
No one seemed to know how or why it had been plopped there. Hmph.
So, we asked our readers: What in tarnation is going on with this rock?
A few speculated that, given that the huge rock appeared on the roadway on April Fool’s Day, that perhaps Heyman was pulling a fast one on our readers. While Heyman certainly has a sense of humor about him, we can confirm this particular instance was not an act of Heyman photoshop tomfoolery.
Andrew Marcott, Diane Gober and Jayne Bortner recognized that rock as originally residing at the delivery driveway of Tractor Supply Co. near the chain-link storage yard. It sat on the corner of the parking strip.
Bortner said she knows that rock well, as she used to use it to tie her shoes while out with her mini-pig, Zippy. She said that, during the winter storm in February 2019, someone ran into it and tilted the boulder up out of the ground. She said she believes there were some marks from the impact on the rock and tire marks leading up to it.
Creswell Tractor Supply Co. Store Manager Guy Lindgren said he recalls that event when a vehicle ran into the rock, but does not know anything about this rock making its way onto Melton Road.
Bortner said she thinks the rock may have been removed from its original location on Sunday night, March 31. ”Was this an April Fool’s joke gone awry?,” Bortner wonders.
”It looks like a semi pulled in there and drug the boulder behind tractor supply and behind Bi-Mart around the corner and then lost it turning on to Melton,” Marcott speculated.
Regardless of how or why it was moved, Bortner said she hopes it makes its way back where it belongs, as it is missed.
What a head-scratcher!
