SPOKANE, Wash. – Residents on North Calispel Street in Spokane have been without mail delivery for three weeks, facing the burden of a nearly 6-mile round trip to collect their mail.
Residents say this situation arose after an incident involving a mail carrier and a dog. As a result, the USPS informed residents that home deliveries would be replaced with a community mailbox.
Gerard Holeman, a resident, expressed his frustration with the lack of response from the USPS. “I called him and I said hey, do you know about this remote access point? He said yeah I do, I’ve called in, I’ve apologized, I tried to email them, and they just won’t respond to anything I send them,” said Holeman.
Residents received a letter from the local post office explaining that a dog on their block has chased and attacked mail carriers multiple times over the past two years. This prompted the decision to install a cluster box unit, or CBU, for the area.
An anonymous neighbor voiced their anger, saying, “I’m very angry, I was incredibly angry but the man handing out the letter said he couldn’t do anything,” they said.
Multiple neighbors have brought letters to the post office requesting a re-evaluation of their mailing situation and offered alternative solutions. The CBU poses challenges for homebound neighbors who find it difficult to access their mail.
“They don’t drive, and they don’t get out of their houses much at all and so for them to walk out in the weather for a CBU or not get their mail at all if they don’t do that, it just doesn’t seem fair to them,” said another anonymous neighbor.
Despite several phone calls, residents have struggled to get answers to their questions. Holeman explained his frustration, saying, “Can you explain to me kind of why this is happening, what was the issue, why is my mailbox being cancelled, why is everyone elses. If it’s a one-house issue, why don’t you just cancel that house, he said I don’t have all the answers for you, let me give your info to my manager, he’ll give you a call back. Same thing, no call back,” said Holeman.
Nonstop Local did reach out to USPS for comment on dog attacks in Spokane, protocols for replacing door-to-door deliveries, and anything else regarding the community on North Calispel Street and they are yet to respond. When they do, we will be sure to follow up.
