Middletown Food Circus sign nothing to clown around about The gratuitous slur over the former Food Circus sign (letters, Independent, July 11) needs a response. The history of highway signage exaggerated by size, shape and color is a long and exciting one. They are built to capture the motorists’ attention, which is the reason for the Food Circus sign as the store is not readily visible from the road. Such signs often become local icons, such as the dinosaur on Route 9 in Bayville, and merit protection. Indeed, the Food Circus sign was placed in a historical context in my book Middletown, Volume II and is one of the most commented on images in that volume. There is sufficient, heartfelt, public feeling on both sides of the development issue without clowning around over signage. Randall Gabrielan Middletown Township historian