Missing Mail Following Snowstorm Rankles P’ville Residents
The postal service’s motto that snow and other weather conditions wouldn’t prevent mail couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds didn’t hold up for some Pleasantville residents following a recent snowstorm.
A group of the village’s residents complained on a Facebook forum that their mail still wasn’t being delivered to their homes five days after the Jan. 4 storm.
Guion Street resident Mark Orwoll was particularly frustrated last week when he said he was given excuses by a clerk at Pleasantville’s post office on Memorial Plaza. He was told staffing problems within the post office were to blame for the halt in mail delivery.
A spokesperson for the Northeast Post Service told The Examiner last Wednesday that mail delivery in Pleasantville was affected by the snowstorm but that deliveries had been fully restored.
“Given volume, staffing and ongoing storm recovery efforts, some deliveries may be later than typical, and we appreciate our customers’ patience in that regard,” the spokesperson told The Examiner. “The residents and businesses in Pleasantville can be assured that we take stewardship of their stamp dollars seriously and will work hard to meet their expectations.”
Orwoll was the only person on his street to receive mail later that day following his complaint. But the four envelopes in his mailbox sparked concern after five days without mail.
After contacting postmaster Joseph Jackson to inquire about the rest of his mail, he was told that he had received everything. When Orwoll informed Jackson that his wife was awaiting a critical letter, Jackson replied that it was still at the post office.
When Orwoll requested the name and number of the Post Office Operations Manager, he said Jackson hung up on him. Repeated attempts to reconnect resulted in continuous busy signals.
“That’s how we’re being treated as consumers,” Orwoll said. “I’m waiting for things in the mail. Are they being shoved in a big bag and thrown into the corner of the post office?”
Residents on Grandview Avenue, Bedford Road, Sarles Lane and Vermilyea Street shared similar frustration on the Facebook thread stating they had been met with disrespect when they inquired about their missing mail.
“My trust in the post office is absolutely zero,” Orwoll said.
Jackson didn’t not respond for comment.
