6 days ago
Mail delivery halted in west side neighborhood
Mail delivery has been halted since April to a neighborhood on the west side of Owensboro, and residents have been unsuccessful in their attempts to get an answer as to when it will resume.
Residents on French Street, Ebach Street, Nelson Avenue and Texas Avenue say when mail delivery stopped, they were not given any notice or reason for the stoppage.
'That's the whole thing about it, didn't nobody know about what was going on until we started to talk in the neighborhood, because we weren't receiving any mail,' said Charles Harrison, who lives on Ebach Street. 'We went down there, had to pick our mail up, but we were asking questions about it and nobody would give us any answers.'
Residents finally received some understanding about the situation Monday when Susan W. Wright, the United States Postal Service's strategic communications specialist, released a statement about its action:
'The safety and security of our employees is our first priority — and we take it seriously. Delivery to a service area may be suspended or withdrawn completely if there is a hazardous or unsafe situation affecting the letter carrier, the mail, or postal property.
'In April, our carrier was hit by pellets fired from a BB gun while delivering on Texas Avenue. After careful consideration, including guidance from the United States Postal Inspection Service, delivery to the Texas Avenue area was suspended until further notice.
'We are working toward a solution to provide ongoing mail delivery to residents while ensuring a safe working environment for our carriers while they perform the duties of their job.'
Wright declined to answer specific questions about the matter.
USPS did not provide a timeline for when a decision would be made.
While neighborhood residents are glad to know what instigated the stoppage, they're very disappointed a resolution hasn't been reached.
'I was told the postal inspector has got to make a decision — and it's been right at five weeks,' Harrison said. 'I just flat out asked them this morning, 'Is your inspector that lazy?' '
Harrison said there's no reason it has taken this long for a decision to be made, and he's ready to seek outside assistance to bring the matter to a close.
'My next step is the attorney general,' he said. 'I'm talking about getting the attorney general involved to find out what's taking so long.'
Harrison said he and his neighbors just want their mail carrier back.
'We have a really good mailman,' he said. 'I told him I'd invite him over to a barbecue if he wanted.'
