MILFORD, Ohio -- Bishy the clown, a six-foot homunculus made of plastic bags, mannequin parts and community spirit, occupied the space in front of Bishop’s Bicycles in Milford for only about two weeks before he went missing.
Bicycle Mechanic Noah Padro said it was the store’s contribution to the community’s annual Bikes in Bloom event. Every participating store puts out a bike decorated to match a theme -- this year, it was clowns. Bishy, who sat astride his bike in a suit and mask, was an especially "cool little clown," Padro said.
Judging by Bishy’s disappearance, he wasn’t the only one who thought so.
"We believe it was Sunday night that he went missing," he said. "We initially suspected that the owner had moved it or something like that, but then we had Lisa call and no clown."
Bishop’s Bicycles shared a picture of Bishy on Facebook, and it quickly gained traction.
"We've gotten a lot of response. A lot of people have picked it up and shared it, liked, commented," Padro said. "Someone said, 'Have you checked the sewers?' That was pretty good."
Padro said that there are no hard feelings in the clown’s disappearance, but the shop would like him back.
"Just keep Bishy safe," he said. "They were kind enough to leave his helmet, which unfortunately means he's not as well-protected as he could be. If we could see a little photo of him at Rushmore or something, we'd love to see that."
Bishop’s Bicycles has security cameras, but the staff says they haven’t reviewed the tape, and the owner doesn’t plan on pressing charges.
"Again, we're not looking to catch anybody," Padro said. "We're just curious about where he went."
Anyone with information about Bishy's whereabouts should call 513-831-2521.
