NEW BERLIN -- The U.S. Postal Service came under fire Tuesday night as more than 70 residents crowded into the fire department social hall to protest a plan that will change how mail is delivered in the borough.
Currently, there is no mail delivery in New Berlin. Instead, every household receives mail at the post office. Residents are provided with free post office boxes.
Under the changes now being required by the postal service, many residents will have to put a mailbox in front of their houses to receive their mail or pay to keep their post office box.
This did not go over well with the audience, which was vocal and emotional as members confronted George Stumpf and Mark Imler, two Harrisburg-based postal executives, who were at the meeting to explain why the changes are being made.
New Berlin is classified as a noncity delivery office, which means that households falling within a quarter-mile radius of the post office are entitled to a free post office box, "because the rule says if we can't give you delivery, then we must give you a free mailbox," Stumpf said.
But if a household falls outside the quarter-mile circle, the homeowner qualifies for free rural home delivery and not a free post office box.
There are also some homes within the quarter-mile radius that don't qualify for free boxes because they fall along the delivery route taken by carriers.
Phyllis and Lloyd Swanger fall into that category and don't think it's fair.
"We live on Market Street. And just because the mail carrier comes down our road, we are being forced to put up a mailbox. We don't want to do that," said Lloyd Swanger.
"Why can't we leave well enough alone," shouted another attendee. "This was a mistake made 18 years ago. Why make these changes now?"
"Because we have to abide by our regulations," said Imler. "We are audited by the Inspector General's Office and they are going to say, You aren't collecting post office box fees that you should be.' "
"We don't want your regulations," said Albert Golfieri, of White Deer, who came to the meeting to talk to the postal officials. The situation in White Deer parallels what is occurring in New Berlin.
Union County Commissioner John Showers, a New Berlin resident, spoke for many in the crowd when he said how frustrating it was to see the U.S. government hand out billions in bailout money, "but you can't give our citizens a free post office box."
He added, "You're actually spending more money to expand home service, when we don't necessarily want it. This all just seems so stupid."
Earlier in the day, U.S. Postal Service spokesman Mark Hnasko explained that of the 760 post offices in the Central Pennsylvania District, about 40 percent are undergoing the same changes as New Berlin.
"This is not unique to New Berlin. It's taking place all over the country," he said.
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Discussion
Residents say they can't refuse delivery
Some residents to lose free post offices boxes
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