Local mail delivery impacted by anthrax scares

The Hightstown Main Post Office has seen the flow of mail decline slightly since the Trenton Main Post Office in Hamilton was closed last week.

By: Scott Morgan
   HIGHTSTOWN — As local incidents of anthrax contamination grow more frequent, local post offices serviced through the Trenton Main Post Office in Hamilton Township are experiencing setbacks in both the volume and speed of mail delivery.
   Officials from the Hightstown Main Post Office said postal workers there have experienced a decrease in the overall flow of mail since the temporary closure of Trenton Main. Borough mail, normally processed through Trenton, is now being processed in Monmouth, thus causing delays, one postal official said.
   Federal authorities closed the Trenton Main Post Office on Oct. 18 due to anthrax contamination found there. So far, reports state that three postal workers in that facility have tested positive for anthrax, including one with the inhalation form of the infection.
   Postal officials said the investigation at the Hamilton facility will continue indefinitely. Local branches serviced through the Trenton Main Post Office, therefore, will experience indefinite side effects.
   One postal employee at Hightstown Main said postal workers there are being encouraged to get tested for anthrax, though it is a suggestion and not a mandate.
   Federal postal officials have asked Americans to be careful when handling their mail and to wash their hands after doing so. Though officials urge public calm, they have conceded there is "no guarantee the mail is safe" anymore.
   Regarding security measures within the Hightstown Main Post Office, one employee said all mail is scrutinized before it is distributed.
   With the closure of Trenton Main and the introduction of more vigilant security measures hampering mail delivery, Hightstown postal workers said they have received "enough" complaints from the public as to where all the mail is. Many residents, however, said they have seen no real evidence that their overall mail service has slowed. Those who have said they consider it to be nothing more than an inconvenience.
   Local resident David Natale said the amount of mail he receives, so far, appears to be the same. However, the mail he is getting does seem to be delayed somewhat, he said. Mr. Natale said his mother recently sent him a package from northern New Jersey that "took longer than it should" to arrive.
   One Hightstown resident, who would give his name only as Smitty, said he has not experienced any delays or changes in the amount of mail he receives, but that his girlfriend, who lives in Hamilton, is getting mail about one week behind.
   "A lot of people have mortgages or bills they need to pay through the mail," Smitty said. "They’re the ones upset by this."
   Peter Matthews, a borough resident, said he has noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of mail he has received recently.
   "I used to get 10 pieces of mail a day, but now I’m down to one," Mr. Matthews said.
   Despite setbacks and general concerns about anthrax in the mail, residents said they feel confident the government and the U.S. Postal Service will deal with the problem effectively.
   "I’m not nervous about anything," said Smitty. "The government will figure this out."