Retiring librarian is in the pink
By MARCIA LANE
PALATKA – Stephen Crowley has been flamingoed.
Crowley, who just retired as director of the Putnam County Library System, found himself guest of honor at a party hosted by the Putnam County Library Board and the library staff on April 8 at the Palatka Headquarters Library. Everything, and we do mean everything, was flamingo-themed down to the toothpicks.
He had poems read to him and gifts presented by a couple of dozen people who showed up to say thank you for his service. Each library branch staff decorated a plastic flamingo in his honor.

Each library staff sent in a decorated flamingo for Crowley’s retirement party.
Crowley has been with the library system for 28 years. During that time the system has expanded, a new headquarters library was built in Palatka and electronics have increasingly moved into the library.
Stella Brown will be interim library director.
During his time in Putnam County, Crowley has been active in a variety of organizations, directed the River City Players and organized various activities at First Presbyterian Church of Palatka.
Expect his retirement to be full. He’s planning a train trip across part of Canada, and he’s already been making use of his passes to Disney World and Universal Orlando.

Stella Brown, interim library director, center, and Susan Frazer, library board president, listen to a poem composed in Crowley’s honor. Photos by MARCIA LANE
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