The Norman Transcript

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December 13, 2007

Mail carriers up to the challenge

By Tom Blakey

Transcript Staff Writer

Cheers of relief could be heard at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, when power was restored to the downtown post office, 129 W. Gray St.

“It’s been very challenging,” said Courtney Paritee, the city delivery supervisor.

For almost three days, postal employees at the downtown station had worked without heat or power and “almost by candlelight,” Paritee said.

Two small generators were used to power temporary lighting at the downtown station, while employees manually loaded and unloaded mail trucks and sorted the city’s mail for delivery.

“All of our carriers reported to work — even on the first day when the conditions were so bad. It shows the pride they take in their jobs,” she said.

“The worst part was the downed trees and fallen limbs,” said Ron Brakhage, a rural carrier who delivers mail to customers between 120th Avenue East and Lake Thunderbird.

Early Monday, a large tree completely blocked traffic on Alameda. Brakhage said he chipped in with others to clear the roadway after a resident used his chain saw to cut the tree down to size.

“There were only three homes on my route I couldn’t get to,” due to blocked private drives. “They’ve all been cleared today,” he said.

Brakhage said he used a rubber hammer to open customers’ mailboxes, frozen shut by thick coats of ice.

“I had a bruised hand before I started using it,” he said.

Kenneth Say, a city carrier, said his route — the original townsite area — was “really something” Monday morning, with limbs everywhere to duck and dodge.

“The ice wasn’t so bad but the rain made it miserable,” he said.

Say said he only missed 10 deliveries — “all of them businesses without power that didn’t open.”

He commended Norman residents for getting out early to begin trimming trees and clearing driveways and sidewalks.

“I know I appreciated it — it made my job easier,” he said.

Customers were grateful for the normalcy of mail delivery, Say said.

“It was kind of like it was after 9/11,” he said. “To see things as normal was kind of reassuring.”

The post office remained without phone service Wednesday, and retail sales associates would not be able to use the POS, or point of sales machines, until today, when the machines could be reset, employees said.

Paritee said she was proud of postal employees for meeting the challenge.

“We got the mail delivered every day — and in a timely manner with no accidents,” she said.

Tom Blakey366-3540tblakey@normantranscript.com

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