Despite the tie-ups due to the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge project, Dravosburg's post office staff can see multiple customers in just one hour's time.
“Can I help you?” clerk Bonnie Bezy asked.
“A bookful of stamps, Purple Hearts,” Gary Frizzi of West Mifflin replied.
“Nine dollars,” Bezy said.
“I've been coming here for years,” Frizzi said. “It is easier coming here than the main post office in West Mifflin. They are always crowded.”
Bezy will be the face of the Dravosburg post office effective Wednesday, holding the position of officer-in-charge.
The end of July marks the end of a career for longtime postmaster John Palcsey.
“This will be the first time in probably 60 years that there has not been a Palcsey working for the post office,” the retiring postmaster said.
Palcsey's father is a retired West Mifflin carrier. His late uncle was an assistant to an earlier postmaster in Dravosburg.
Palcsey joined the postal service nearly 42 years ago. He became postmaster in Dravosburg in February 1986, overseeing a shrinking staff.
“I supervised six employees,” Palcsey said. “As of December of last year they canceled my cleaning contract, so I'm janitor also.”
“Snow removal, everything,” Bezy said.
One other staffer is employed at Dravosburg's post office, a part-timer who works Saturdays.
Carriers for Dravosburg pick up their mail at the McKeesport post office.
Bezy won't be unfamiliar to those coming to the Dravosburg office, having been Palcsey's substitute in that post.
“I would work for him whenever he called,” Bezy said.
Three years ago Bezy was transferred from Donora, where she worked as a clerk.
Palcsey said he'll miss the customer contact, and vice versa.
“They're helpful here,” Frizzi said. “He's a good man.”
“I intend to become more involved in my church (Corpus Christi in McKeesport) and the (Dravosburg No. 1 Volunteer) Fire Department,” the retiring postmaster said.
Palcsey is on a list of postmasters taking advantage of an early retirement option. The list also includes postmasters from Glassport and East McKeesport
“It feels great,” Glassport's Gerald Kubrick said. “I spent 33 years (in the postal service) and I felt the time was right.”
Kubrick served nine years as postmaster in Freedom and six in Finleyville, before moving to Glassport 3 1⁄2 years ago to succeed Michael Evanovich, now the borough's mayor.
“The post office is trying to downsize because the mail volume is downsized,” Evanovich said. “There is not enough workload any more, what with emails and people paying bills online.”
Evanovich worked for the postal service for 38 years, 32 in management, until his retirement in January 2009.
Melissa Dilts was named officer-in-charge in Glassport.
Palcsey, Kubrick and Lawrence Malloy in East McKeesport were among 21,000 non-executive postmasters offered a voluntary early retirement incentive by the U.S. Postal Service.
Malloy declined comment on his retirement.
The early retirement announcement coincided with two matters, including a possible default on a federally-mandated annual payment of $5.5 billion to cover pension costs.
The payment was due last September but was delayed until Wednesday.
“The postal service has to make a deposit to the U.S. government of $5 billion,” Evanovich said. “No other agency or company in the world has to make such a deposit. It is just wiping them out.”
The other is a new strategy aimed at keeping smaller post offices open while achieving “significant cost savings.” It involves reduced daily retail hours. Coulter in South Versailles Township would see its hours reduced from eight to two. Offices in North Huntingdon, Elizabeth, Hempfield and Sewickley townships would be reduced to four hours. Dravosburg, East McKeesport, West Elizabeth and Wilmerding would see hours reduced to six.
“We're being downsized but we're not being closed,” Palcsey said.
“We'll take the cutbacks,” East McKeesport borough administrator-secretary Connie Rosenbayger said. “We were supposed to lose (our post office) completely. We're just grateful.”
The Glassport mayor said he believes the post office in his town will continue to operate, also serving needs in Port Vue, Lincoln, Liberty and parts of Clairton.
“I believe the United States needs the Postal Service for the sanctity of the mail,” Evanovich said. “There's a lot of security involved in all that.”
No hours would be reduced until hearings are conducted.
Dates and sites have not yet been announced.
Patrick Cloonan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161 ext. 1967 or pcloonan@tribweb.com.
