Last week, The Valley Reporter learned that some subscribers whose mail is delivered by rural route at their homes were not getting their Valley Reporters.
Additional reader reports were received about people on Route 17 not getting mail delivered for a week, of people on East Road (and others in Waitsfield) not getting mail delivered for two weeks.
Some readers reported going to their local post offices and being able to pick up their papers and their mail, while others reported that they were unable to get their mail.
Pat Clark, publisher and co-owner of The Valley Reporter, spoke to local post office personnel and learned that the delivery issues are due to personnel issues, people out sick and lack of people to sort and deliver the mail.
“I repeatedly tried to contact USPS consumer affairs and was unable to reach a live person or leave a voicemail for a call back,” Clark said. She does not know how long the issues will persist.
As The Valley Reporter went to press on Wednesday, March 16, Clark reached out to the local post offices for an update and learned that the Waitsfield Post Office was fully staffed and hoped to be back to regular delivery. Moretown was limited to one carrier so delivery issues on certain routes may persist. Warren is still having staffing issues and currently has no carriers. The postmaster is doing the rural routes and will try to make all the deliveries by the end each day, Clark reported.
Moretown resident Art Dreher said that the post office was experiencing issues as well.
“I was told this week that deliveries to our rural mailbox would be made on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday,” Dreher said.
In response to the problems, The Valley Reporter is offering four weeks of free E-subscription access to subscribers in the 05673, 05674 and 05660 areas who are not having their papers delivered to their rural mail boxes Starting this week with The Valley Reporter’s March 17 issue, Valley Reporter subscribers who have their mail delivered by rural route may opt to also receive their newspaper digitally.
People impacted are asked to call The Valley Reporter office at 802-496-3607, ask for Clark, and supply an email address to receive the VR in your email inbox on Thursday a.m. This offer will be good for the issues of March 17, 24, 31, and April 7 at no additional charge.
