Volunteers perplexed by Bookstore mystery

by Patricia Kruger

LW Contributor

On April 25, Friends of the Library volunteers encountered an unusual report of a lost cat somewhere in the bookstore. The poor animal was believed be hiding in the workroom, the small draped office in the corner where donations are dropped off. Several people heard the pitiful meows and looked high and low for the kitty without success. Service Maintenance was called and Steve Staley arrived to help move some objects. He got down on the floor to flash his light into corners, hoping to locate the cat, but again without success.

Meows continued periodically as the afternoon progressed until volunteer Dennis Nestebey came in just before 3. He suggested we look up. High on the wall was a new clock with cats marking the hours and, lo and behold, it had sounds as well, sounding three meows just as it reached the hour. Volunteers were tempted to throw books at Nestebey who works with the Boutique Committee, and was no doubt responsible for the cat clocks hanging and not alerting volunteers but, of course, they would never mistreat donated books so callously. Treatment of Nestebey is another story, but we were all grateful that we did not have a lost kitty-cat in the Bookstore. Volunteers and patrons, be alerted: there is no cat in the bookstore.