The case of the missing mail

From CBS 2:

On Thursday afternoon, the Postal Service apologized for the delivery issues, admitting, “There have been new hires to replace some recent retirements and to assist with prime vacation period.”

The Postal Service said since January it has been meeting quarterly with postal managers and community leaders to try to strengthen service in the Rockaways.

Dozens of residents shared their ongoing mail delivery problems on Facebook and by email, saying the Postal Service isn’t doing enough.

“They need to have the head of the post office come down and talk to us. They’re avoiding us,” Simon said.

The mistakes can be costly, from missing medication deliveries to late fees from missing bills. So residents say an apology is not enough.

The Postal Service suggests people track their mail digitally to help keep track of their letters and packages.

Post office rule change leads to mail non-delivery

From PIX11:

For almost four months, postal carriers have been passing by 97-05 103rd Ave., an apartment building in Ozone Park, Queens, without making any attempt to deliver the mail. The tenants have been forced to go to the local post office, 10 blocks away, to pick up their mail. Why?

Landlords Mike Tummolo and his son Mike Jr. say instead of the postman carrying keys to open the front doors of the apartment buildings on his route, as he used to, in November the Postal Service began requiring a box on the outside of the apartment buildings where the key to the front door could be kept. The Tummolos put the box in, but the Postal Service said it’s too far away from the door. The landlord says they were never told where the box had to be and it’s too cold to move it now.

“The cement doesn’t set well when it’s that cold”, said Mike, Jr., who sought to work out a middle ground with the post office to ensure delivery, and then move the box when the weather got better.

But the postal service said no, and has refused to deliver mail to the building ever since. The surveillance cameras show the carriers walking past the building, past the key keeper box, never stopping.

Whitestone post office may lose personnel

From the Queens Courier:

The United States Postal Service (USPS) plans to ship jobs from its Whitestone processing facility as part of ongoing nationwide consolidation of its centers to stay financially afloat.

The mail service intends to consolidate up to 82 facilities, including the Queens center on 20th Avenue, beginning January 2015 to continue its plan to cut losses, which was approved in 2011. The initiative is projected to save the cash-strapped delivery service more than $3.5 billion in the next five years, according to the USPS.

There are currently 1,015 employees at the Whitestone facility, and it’s yet to be determined how many employees will be affected, a representative for the organization said.

Things still ain't what they used to be in Rockaway

From the Daily News:

More than three months after Superstorm Sandy ripped through Rockaway, residents are still struggling without the services New Yorkers take for granted: electricity, post offices, banks and supermarkets.

But what’s even more painful, some locals say, is the perception outside the peninsula that life is somehow back to normal.

“They don’t understand,” said long-time Belle Harbor resident Ed Andrews. “They need to come out here and take a walk along the beach.”

A home at the end of Andrews’ block still sits precariously on the sand, one side torn open by the storm to reveal a dining room and staircase.

“You have to go down Woodhaven Blvd. or Brooklyn to do shopping,” said Andrews, adding the commercial strip on Beach 129th St. is “demolished.”

There are still almost 2,000 customers without power in the Rockaways, according to the Long Island Power Authority.

Ackerman against post office closure

From the Times Ledger:

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman says he is now in discussions with the United States Postal Service to prevent the closure of Bell Boulevard’s branch.

USPS is considering a plan to shutter the facility, which is located at 212-35 42nd Ave. in Bayside, and move it to an annex at 41-29 216th St.

State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, and a group of community leaders held a protest in front of the post office on July 27 during which they said the closure of the site could detract from the character of the community.

Local leaders have said the annex is located in an isolated area with no parking or adequate sidewalks.

But Ackerman said he is “hopeful” that USPS will listen to the community’s calls to keep the Bell Boulevard branch open.

Bayside post office closing

From the Times Ledger:

Rumors that the United States Postal Service was considering closing Bayside’s post office proved to be true Friday, according to U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside).

The plan, Ackerman said, includes shutting down the post office at 212-35 42nd Ave. near the Bayside Long Island Rail Road train station and moving all operations to the annex building by the Lawrence Cemetery at 41-29 216 St.

“If this is what they are considering, and we have received no official communication to so indicate as much, then this clearly would be a consolidation of facilities, and requires public notice, consultation and input,” Ackerman said. “That has not happened. We must insist that proper procedure is followed.”

The congressman criticized the Postal Service, adding that a potential increase in traffic and lack of parking near the new location could be a negative consequence for the surrounding community.

“Moving the Bayside branch from its prime spot in the middle of the area’s busy commercial strip to a remote and inconvenient location makes absolutely no sense,” Ackerman said. “Not only would this plan adversely impact the local residents and businesses who use this facility, but it could likely cause a further erosion in postal business since its customers may not trek to this out-of-the-way location.”

Glendale pols apply for new zip code

From The Forum:

Glendale may soon have its own ZIP code, distinguishing it from Ridgewood and hopefully clarifying mail delivery.

The two politicians working on the project, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Glendale) and Congressman Bob Turner (R-Queens), say it’s a practical step with the benefit of boosting Glendale as a neighborhood.

“Glendale is a unique community and should have its own ZIP code,” Turner said. “Sharing a ZIP code has created numerous, and sometimes dangerous, problems for Glendale residents such as delays in medication delivery and first responder services. Assemblyman Miller and I are asking the USPS to help remedy these issues by taking our application into consideration as soon as possible.”

On May 22, Turner delivered an application for changing the ZIP code to the USPS. Along with the application were letters from residents, businesses and civic organizations backing the idea and a petition with 1,000 signatures.

Miller said this could have an everyday impact on residents’ lives.

The assemblyman said he was recently trying to make a purchase online and when the site asked for his ZIP code, it wouldn’t allow him to pair it with Glendale.

Instead, the site insisted he lived in Ridgewood. He had to call customer support to work out the problem but ended up having to enter his address as a Ridgewood residence.

Postal facility to stay open

From Douglaston Patch:

The Whitestone postal facility, which has been in danger of closure since 2011, has been saved, according to U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman.

If the facility had been closed, more than 700 jobs in Queens would have been eliminated altogether, with a small number of jobs being transferred to the post office’s sorting center in Brooklyn.

Ackerman credited a near-constant campaign of workers, political leaders and community members who pressed the post office to change their decision, dating back to a rally in December.

Cosmetic surgery for Moynihan Station

From the NY Post:

Officials yesterday approved a $147 million contract to begin work on Moynihan Station — the start of an expected $1 billion face lift that includes cosmetic upgrades but no new tracks at teeming Penn Station.

Construction is expected to begin on Phase 1 by summer, with an estimated completion date of 2016.

That $270 million phase — funded mostly by the feds — will add two street-level entrances and station improvements to make navigating Penn Station easier.
What it won’t do is add new track space to the delay-plagued Penn, the busiest transit hub in North America.

Even the more ambitious and as-yet unfunded Phase 2 — which will bring retail, restaurants and a new Amtrak waiting area into what is now the James A. Farley post office — won’t add new tracks.

Velazquez mailer raises question

How does the post office deliver mail when it's addressed like this?

Postal service gets reprieve

From the Times Ledger:

Elected officials from Queens announced Tuesday an agreement had been reached with the U.S. Postal Service to delay the closure of all postal facilities, including the mail sorting facility in College Point, for at least five months.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said she and 14 senators from other states arrived at an agreement with U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe and Thurgood Marshall Jr., chairman of the U.S. Postal Service board of governors, to put a moratorium on all closings until May 15.

The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm by U.S. Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) and Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), who also said that they would still fight to keep the office open even after the five months end.

Longer wait for mail

From Bayside Patch:

More than 100 postal employees, several dozen area residents and a few local politicians turned out Friday night to discuss the United States Postal Service’s consolidation plan.

The current proposal recommends closing down all Queens mail processing and distribution centers and calls for the elimination of first-class overnight local delivery service, replacing it with a standard two to three-day delivery policy.

Both ideas have been met with harsh criticism.

“You are basically signing a death warrant for the entire postal service,” said state Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside.

Adding to the overall fury of last night’s meeting was the manner with which the Postal Service has handled the evaluation process for the elimination of the College Point facility.

“The period of time that you have given us to discuss the issue is far too short,” said Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, as he addressed a panel of Postal Service Management employees.

Late last month, the postal service announced an aggressive consolidation plan that would close over 300 of its 500 nationwide processing centers.

On the proposed chopping block is a USPS facility located at 20th Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway in College Point.

“I’m all for making the government more efficient. But I think it’s extraordinary that we’re standing here today discussing the closure of a Queens-wide facility without giving the various elected officials the proper opportunity to be here to comment on this,” Halloran said.

However, the management team of the United States Postal Service said that consolidation of its mail processing operation would save the organization billions of dollars a year, estimating a total cost savings of over $30 million annually just by closing the Queens facility.

Astoria post office spared

From the Queens Chronicle:

The Grand Station post office in Astoria has been removed from the U.S. Postal Service's list of thousands of facilities that may be closed to save money, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan and Queens) announced Tuesday afternoon.

Area residents and elected officials had strongly objected to the possible closure, saying the Grand Station, located at 45-08 30 Ave., is heavily used and necessary to the community. They staged two rallies to save it since its possible closure was announced last summer.

Postal service may shutter 5 Queens offices

From NBC:

The United States Postal Service announced Tuesday that it is considering shutting down about 3,700 post offices around the country -- and 34 offices in New York City are on that list.

You can see the list here.

The Bronx tops the list of possible closures, with 17. Manhattan has six, Brooklyn and Queens both have five and Staten Island has one.

The 5 in Queens are: Arverne, Rockaway Beach, Holliswood, Astoria (Grand) and Rosedale.

How not to publish a newspaper - labeling edition

The Times Ledger provides space for a label on the front page of their papers, but their labels don't exactly fit in it. The Times Newsweekly says they aren't going to put a space for a label because it would be "discriminatory" to their newsstand customers. Meanwhile, their paid subscribers can't read their front page stories...

You gotta love journalism in this town.

Time to fix that sign...

From Lost City:

Postal Pride in Woodside

An end to Saturday postal delivery?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Postal Service is increasing the pressure for dropping Saturday home delivery as it seeks to fend off massive financial losses.

Postmaster General John Potter is also expected to raise the possibility of higher rates Tuesday in a speech to postal-related businesses and officials.

The agency was $297 million in the red in period from October through December, usually its best season because of holiday mailings.

The Postal Service has previously proposed eliminating delivery six days a week, but got a cold reception in Congress. The renewed effort comes with a series of consultant reports supporting that idea, as well as other changes.

Stimulus funds for Moynihan Station

From the NY Post/AP:

Sen. Charles Schumer says the federal government will award $83.3 million for a project to transform New York City’s main post office building into a rail gateway.

Schumer said Tuesday the funding will come from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

The senator said the project would create thousands of jobs and kick-start development across the west side of Manhattan.

The new station is to be named after the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

It’s intended to increase capacity and restore some grandeur to the city’s main rail center. The Beaux-Arts landmark that was home to the original Penn Station was demolished in 1963. It was replaced by the Madison Square Garden arena.

And now, folks, you know what your federal stimulus money was really designated for - politicians' pet projects. As the Observer points out:

Taken in isolation, this first phase does not seem a project worth the significant money being devoted to it, and now the concern becomes whether the second phase will indeed ever happen.

FBI shuts down illegal lottery

From the NY Post:

The FBI busted nine people yesterday for allegedly running an old-fashioned numbers racket that drew in hundreds of postal, transit and sanitation workers and raked in millions.

Players plunked down $20 to take part in the game, which paid out a $100,000 prize based on results from official State Lottery drawings, the feds said.

The outlaw gambling enterprise dates to at least 2005, and operated out of the FDR Post Office on Third Avenue, where monthly "lottery books" listing the players and their numbers were distributed in the men's locker room, according to a Manhattan federal-court complaint.

Two cooperating bettors helped the feds crack the case, with undercover surveillance revealing ring members picking up the half-inch thick books at a print shop in Maspeth, Queens, and stashing them at a storage facility in Brooklyn.

Total proceeds of the scheme were at least $10 million, and an indictment handed up Wednesday against a suspect in a related case says he raked in $9.2 million.

The lottery books, listing players' names and the six numbers they chose, were distributed to the ring's customers by numbers runners.

The winner was the first player to have all six numbers chosen in the state Lotto game.

The nine defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to conduct a gambling operation, which carries a maximum penalty of five years behind bars and a fine of up to $250,000.

Running a lottery: only legal if you're the government.

Mailbox crap

I expect to see graffiti on mailboxes. But when the mailbox is right outside the post office, you'd think the manager would take care of it.