BUCKHANNON – A bench donated by the Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur to the Charles W. Gibson Library was stolen and then returned less than 24 hours later.
The bench, part of a community recycling project spearheaded by the Rotary club, was donated to the library less than a month ago. It was stolen sometime overnight on Wednesday, April 9.
Buckhannon Police Chief Matt Gregory told My Buckhannon Thursday afternoon that he could not share many details because the theft was being actively investigated. A few hours later, the bench had been returned.
The bench was earned through Trex’s recycling initiative for nonprofits, which awards a composite park bench after an organization collects 1,000 pounds of plastic film. The Rotary club reached that goal in less than six months and selected the Gibson Library as the recipient. The bench was placed in the library’s front yard last month.
Kelley Tierney, a local Rotary club member, said the club’s recycling efforts are moving forward.
“Our recycling efforts are continuing, this time with playground equipment as our goal,” Tierney said. “Several businesses are now involved, but our individual community members continue to be a huge part of Rotary’s recycling efforts.”
