NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. — A one-of-a-kind totem pole has been a staple outside the Newfoundland Area Public Library along Route 507 since May. On Monday morning, the Library Director, Kristina Russo, noticed it was gone.
"At first, I thought, oh, that's weird. Maybe she took it early, but then I saw that the box was still there. So then that's when I realized that maybe something wasn't right," said Russo.
The art piece was on display as part of a summer art series put on by the Wayne County Arts Alliance. Standing around four feet tall, it is one of 35 unique garden totems designed by local artists and displayed at businesses throughout the county.
"We hosted a swap for it this year, which we've never done before, which is really exciting, and, um, they auctioned them off in the fall right after Labor Day. So, the timing also is a little suspicious. You know, a couple of weeks before it would have been taken to be auctioned off," added Russo.
Since the piece was reported stolen, an effort to find the Totem pole has gone somewhat viral. In just four days, the library's Facebook post asking for it to be returned was shared more than 630 times.
"We have so much support here even though we're just really teeny tiny library. So it's really awesome to see people, you know, feel such outrage and want to support and try to help," said Russo.
"I feel really bad for the charity that I made it for because it was already out of my hands, and, you know, I was hoping it would draw a lot of money for the charity," said Artist Carol Cannon-Nesco.
That auction supporting the Wayne County Arts Alliance is still set for sometime after Labor Day weekend, and if the totem pole doesn't reappear, artist Carol Cannon-Nesco has a plan.
"I am gonna try to make another one. If I get all the materials, I'm trying to get it together now."
State Police are asking anyone with information on the stolen totem pole to contact the Newfoundland Area Public Library.