This message goes out to Barbara Erwin

The recent disappearance of former St. Charles schools chief Barbara Erwin's personnel file from District 303 offices prompted only more questions in the superintendent's already rocky departure.

Who would want this file? What good would it be to anyone? Was it stolen, misplaced, thrown away? What was in there, exactly?

Investigators wanted to ask Erwin these questions and others, but she never returned their phone calls.

That's according to a police report made public last week after officers closed their investigation into the missing file.

"(An officer) attempted to contact Erwin concerning this incident but was advised that she was not at home. A phone message was left requesting that she contact (police) as soon as possible," the report states.

And later, "After several attempts to contact Erwin by phone at her last known St. Charles residence…(the officer) has not been able to speak with Erwin concerning this incident. (Investigators) have not received any return correspondences to any of the messages left on her voice mail."

Erwin's replacement, Don Schlomann, reported the file missing July 3. He said it was taken from a locked room at district headquarters. The file was last seen on June 27, the district told police.

Investigators interviewed four district employees who had access to the room. All of them denied taking the file, which presumably contained performance reviews, resume materials, and other work-related records.

If nothing else, it's surprising that Erwin didn't cooperate with police who were looking into the possible theft of her own personal information.

Then again…

Maybe she had nothing to say.

Maybe she was simply done in St. Charles.

Maybe she was too busy drafting a letter to resign the next day as Kentucky's state superintendent -- a gig she hadn't even started.

Or maybe she was up to her elbows with moving plans.

We'd like to ask her, but she hasn't returned our calls either.

Protect your bike: Speaking of police reports, rarely does a month go by where there isn't one about a kid's bicycle being lost or stolen.

Usually, these leave this reporter with the same question: Who would steal a kid's bike?

Unfortunately, there are thieves brazen -- or dumb -- enough to ride away on some girls' pink, cartoon-character two-wheeler.

Fortunately, you can take steps to help get it back should this ever occur.

On Sept. 22, the STC Underground Teen Center and local police are teaming up to register bicycles. The event is from 1 to 4 p.m. at the teen center, 101 S. Second St.

For $1, you can register your bike with the city so police can track it down and help identify the owner if it ever turns up missing.

The program is aimed at teens, but is open to anyone who owns a bicycle.

Now, if only we could register superintendent files.