Anthrax Scare –

Everyone’s Paying Closer Attention To The Mail

By Steve Bigham

The recent anthrax scare that has swept the nation has for some turned the simple task of opening a letter into a daily exercise in fear. Even in Newtown, far removed from places like New York City and Washington, D.C., people admit they are thinking twice about opening envelopes sent from unfamiliar sources.

This week, those fears became even more acute after it was reported that two Washington, D.C., postal workers died after being exposed to the inhaled form of anthrax.

“You do think about it, but I’m not too worried. We don’t wear rubber gloves or gas masks or anything,” explained Jan Andras, administrative secretary in the first selectman’s office. “Who’s going to send anthrax in the mail to the first selectman’s office in Newtown?”

Earlier this month, the first selectman’s office did receive a “strange-looking” letter in the mail from New York City. It turned out to simply be a resume sent from a man with a Muslim-sounding name seeking a job at the police department.

“I had just been reading about anthrax and Carole [Ross] brings this strange-looking envelope in and hands it to me,” First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said.

Sue Shpunt of the town clerk’s office said she hasn’t given it a second thought.

“We’re small town USA,” she said.

Mary Kelley, a secretary in the first selectman’ office agreed. “You wouldn’t think Newtown would be a target, but maybe I’m just naïve.”

At the Post Office in Newtown, all is business as usual for the employees who work there.

“We’re just trying to keep the people educated as much as possible. There’s a heightened awareness, especially since the two Washington postal workers died, but nothing other than that,” explained Postmaster Paul Marciniak. “We have to honor any threat.”

Mr Marciniak said he’s been through bomb scares and other strange incidents involving the mail, “but nothing like this anthrax stuff.”

This week, a postcard from the US Postal Service was sent out nationwide helping to teach people what to do when they receive mail that looks suspicious.

On Wednesday, the nation’s postmaster general said there is no need to shut down the US Postal Service despite a growing list of confirmed and suspected cases of anthrax, the deaths of three people, and contamination at a facility that screens White House mail.

Postmaster General Jack Potter acknowledged the concern among postal workers, but he stressed that the incidents have been relatively few.

“We have very defined incidents in four locations around the country,” Potter told CNN, referring to cases in New York, Washington, D.C., Florida, and New Jersey.

“I don’t believe there is a need to shut down the Postal Service. Life is filled with risks. That’s not to minimize what’s going on here, but it’s to suggest that you just don’t shut the Postal Service down. If you did, how would you ever open it again? ... There are no guarantees there is no anthrax anywhere.”