County board rep reports increased postal activity in his neighborhood
*This is a developing story
By Brandi Makuski
After months of mail delivery delays, one county board supervisor on Saturday reported heightened postal carrier activity in his neighborhood.
Supervisor Dave Ladick represents District 7 and lives on Nicolet Ave. west of Hoover Rd. in Stevens Point. He said he saw a strange white vehicle traveling in his neighborhood on Friday, Dec. 1, with U.S. government plates—and what appeared to be an unfamiliar female postal carrier behind the wheel.
“I was just out walking, and I see this car, and when they turned a corner I stopped them, and we talked just for a few minutes,” Ladick said on Saturday.
The woman identified herself as a postmaster from Seymour, Wis., located about 73 miles east of Stevens Point, near Green Bay. Also out delivering mail in Stevens Point, the woman told Ladick, were postmasters from other communities, as well as a supervisor who oversees 143 post offices across the state.
“I was absolutely impressed,” Ladick said. “These are busy people, to take time out of their week, to help us get caught up…it was really a shock. When they finally got to my box, it was a big wad held together with a rubber band. She said they’re very, very short of people. I asked what they were going to do, she said she didn’t know.”
Ladick said he doesn’t have any additional information, as he is a county representative, and the United States Postal Service is a federal agency, but he encourages anyone with delivery concerns to reach out via the appropriate channels.
It’s not clear how many carriers the post offices in Portage Co. currently have on staff, how many vacancies they need to fill, or how successful the two November hiring events in Stevens Point and Plover had been. Requests seeking this and other information from Bryan Reeves, a lead customer relations coordinator for the Wisconsin District—whose office is in Illinois— have been “respectfully declined.”
Similar questions posed to the city’s new postmaster, Jeremy Boerner, who started in that role on Oct. 3, were referred to Reeves’ office.
An email seeking additional information on Ladick’s story was not immediately returned on Saturday.
Reeves did say anyone interested in working for the postal service can find more information and begin the application process at Career opportunities – Careers – About.usps.com.
After filing a complaint or claim with the USPS at usps.com, postal customers experiencing mail delays or other problems can take additional steps by contacting Boerner at 715-344-8327, Assemblywoman Katrina Shankland, Representative Ron Kind, or U.S. Senators Ron Johnson or Tammy Baldwin about their delivery issues.
Contact by phone
After filing a complaint or claim with the USPS, postal customers experiencing mail delays or other problems can take additional steps by contacting:
- Postmaster Jeremy Boerner at 715-344-8327
- Assemblywoman Katrina Shankland at 608-267-9649
- Representative Ron Kind at 608-782-2558
- U.S. Senator Ron Johnson at 608-240-9629
- U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin at 608-796-0045