Our view: Missing Lucy

Opinion

Related Photos

Staff file photo Lucy, shown here in April 2011, was a frequent visitor at The Barking Cat in Salem. One of his favorite spots in the shop was the countertop. Staff file photo

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus

December 5, 2012

Our view: Missing Lucy

Anonymous The Salem News The Salem News Wed Dec 05, 2012, 04:00 AM EST

Lucy wasn’t just any cat. He was a guy with a girl’s name. It takes a certain self-confidence to carry that off, and Lucy did, making himself at home in any number of spots in downtown Salem.

The Maine coon cat would wander from owner David Pelletier’s home on Crombie Street through the downtown, often stopping off at The Barking Cat on Essex Street for a nap or a little attention. He was a celebrity, and he knew it.

But the outpouring of affection for Lucy during his life and after his death at 12 last weekend is another example of how a downtown can be as much a neighborhood as a commercial district, where people can be friends and businesspeople at the same time.

He was a special part of a special downtown, and he will be missed.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Opinion

Letter: A message for grave robbers

To the editor: This is addressed to whomever took our flowers. Each year we place planters on my family grave site in St. Mary's Cemetery in Salem. This year I returned to water them and the entire planter was removed leaving just the supporting le

Anonymous The Salem News Copyright 2013 SalemNews.com, Salem, MA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thu, May 23
May 23, 2013 4:34 am
Letter: A poor example of sportsmanship

To the editor: I had the chance to visit Harry Ball Field recently, and was saddened by the lack of sportsmanship I witnessed. I was watching AAA baseball, a step down from the majors, with 10- and 11-year-old boys. First and foremost, I am in favor

Anonymous The Salem News Copyright 2013 SalemNews.com, Salem, MA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thu, May 23
May 23, 2013 4:32 am
Watson: Carbon dioxide in the air increases steadily

Early this month the chemical composition of the atmosphere, which for a variety of reasons changes constantly but very slowly, reached a mixture of gases that is considered to bode ill for the stability of climates across the globe. Specifically, th

Brian T. Watson The Salem News Copyright 2013 SalemNews.com, Salem, MA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thu, May 23
May 23, 2013 4:31 am 1 Photo
Letter: Anderson is no longer credible

To the editor: What meager credibility that I have allowed Barbara Anderson over the many years of reading her columns has finally washed out to sea off her beloved Marblehead Harbor. Her column on May 1, titled "The zenith of absurdity," offered the

Anonymous The Salem News Copyright 2013 SalemNews.com, Salem, MA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thu, May 23
May 23, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: Murray's exit ends a once-promising political career

It's not a huge surprise that our lieutenant governor has decided to quit his post and take a much lower-profile job in the private sector. Perhaps the only surprise is why it took him this long to acknowledge that he had lost the public's confidence

Anonymous The Salem News Copyright 2013 SalemNews.com, Salem, MA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thu, May 23
May 23, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: Leadership in short supply on Salem Board of Health issue May 22, 2013 4:30 am
Anderson: Draining the swamp May 22, 2013 4:30 am 1 Photo
Letter: Thanks to Hamilton Fire and Police departments May 22, 2013 4:30 am
Letter: Sometimes a poet is needed May 22, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: Feds must hold Commerce to law on fishery aid May 21, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: SwampWalk a welcome addition May 21, 2013 4:30 am 1 Photo
Column: From Silicon Valley, advice for graduates May 21, 2013 4:30 am 2 Photos
Column: A victory for town workers May 21, 2013 4:30 am
Letter: Historic vistas need protection May 21, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: Military needs new approach in assault cases May 20, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: SEC should act on ratings conflicts May 20, 2013 4:30 am
McAllister: Salem's longtime economic hub May 20, 2013 4:30 am 1 Photo
Letter: Big Brother is watching your trash May 20, 2013 4:30 am
Letter: Statue should have been seen by all May 20, 2013 4:30 am
Shribman: Crossing sacred lines May 18, 2013 5:00 am 1 Photo
Column: What charity can learn from journalism May 18, 2013 5:00 am 1 Photo
Letter: Thank you, Danvers May 18, 2013 4:00 am
Our view: Seizure of AP phone records an insult to independent press May 17, 2013 4:30 am
Our view: Outdoor dining trial a good idea for Beverly May 17, 2013 4:30 am
Benton: Uncomfortable weeks for Obama May 17, 2013 4:30 am
Column: Dropping back into high school May 17, 2013 4:30 am 2 Photos
Our view: Rein in the IRS, not dissent May 16, 2013 4:30 am
Letter: Thanks to all who supported Arc event May 16, 2013 4:30 am
Column: Mother's Day should last all month May 16, 2013 4:30 am
Tierney: Student loan debt a generational crisis May 16, 2013 4:30 am

Click here for more Opinion stories

AP Video

Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness

New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season

Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat

Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam

Comments Tracker

Roll Call

Brown bucks GOP, votes to appoint Cordray as Consumer Protection chief: Roll Call for week of Dec. 5
WASHINGTON - Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the week of Dec. 5:

December 12, 2011
Kerry, Brown split on payroll tax cut: Roll Call for week of Nov. 28, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the week of Nov. 28:

December 5, 2011
Congressional roll call for weeks of Sept. 19 and 26, 2011
WASHINGTON - Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the weeks of Sept. 19 and 26:

September 29, 2011
Congressional roll call for week of Sept. 16, 2011
WASHINGTON - Here’s how members of the Massachusetts delegation in Congress voted on major issues the week of Sept. 12.

September 21, 2011
Here's how N. Shore House members voted on casino bill
BOSTON -- The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 123-32 Wednesday for final passage of a bill authorizing three casinos and one slots parlor in the state. Here's how members of the North Shore delegation were recorded.

September 15, 2011

Helium debate