Officials in Westport are all for peace, but they're stumped by who left a "peace pole" firmly planted in the dirt next to a sign for the Town Hall on Myrtle Avenue.

It didn't show up overnight, but it has gone relatively unnoticed. "Nobody has any recollection, which is very unusual," says Westport Selectman Helen Garten, who would like to find out who placed the peace pole at its current location.

The white pole with black letters reads, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" and "May Peace Be in Our Homes and Communities." It is a simple message that is spreading globally, with peace poles popping up all over the place. There are more than 200,000 peace poles alone across the U.S., according to some estimates.

"I think it's terrific," says Dennis Wong, president of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club. "Peace is cool." He says he has seen similar peace poles and even has his own, but he says he didn't place the one outside Town Hall.

Officials are looking into a number atop the pole, which might be a serial number that could lead to the company that made the pole and more information. Officials don't appear to be upset about the pole's placement.