Some Families' Gifts Missing from Municipal Center

Update:

Some gifts were returned Friday, including a photo album, quilt and two posters. Lynn Kovack says an anonymous person left a bag containing the items on a table.

Original Story:

NEWTOWN, CT -- The Newtown Municipal Center's hallways are packed with

But some gifts -- made especially for the families of those lost in the dec. 14 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting -- have disappeared, according to Building Department Administrative Assistant Lynn Kovack.

The town set up a system to distribute mail to the community. Two weeks ago, victims' families were allowed to put red tags on items they'd like to take home. Last week, choice was opened to staff and families in the Sandy Hook Elementary School community. This week, the process opened wide to Newtown.

Kovack said she worries residents thought anything still in the building was fair game. If that's the case, they'll be much more easily retrievable.

"We hope it's just been a miscommunication," she told Patch.

Missing items include six quilts, pillowcases, photo albums and what Kovack describes as a "stunning" picture made in charcoal for Principal Dawn Hochsprung.

"That was missing too," she said. "Someone just took it blatantly from the building. We're hoping someone did not see the tag -- but you can visibly see the tags on there."

If you have information -- or if you mistakenly took a reserved item from the Municipal Center (check for tags) -- please call Kovack at 203-270-4261.