The email statement from the United States Postal Service November 21 was as simple as possible. “We are reopening the Boiceville NY Post Office tomorrow,” wrote George B. Flood, the USPS Spokesperson for the entity’s Northeast Area.
By 8 a.m. Friday morning, the small branch at 4117 state Route 28 — across from Onteora High School and alongside Good’s Luncheonette, Hong Kong Boiceville, and Miss Kitty’s Hair Salon — was back in service for the first time since abruptly closing on September 7 and sending its 190 box holders down the road to Shokan for service. (The facility’s postmaster, two part-time employees and two contract drivers were all relocated to the post offices in Shokan and West Shokan, and are now back.)
The original closing was in reaction to reports of something not smelling right at the post office.
“Boiceville was temporarily suspended due to environmental issues. In response to reports of a foul odor at the Boiceville Post Office, we contracted an environmental specialist to perform tests to confirm the suspected source and the required,” noted Flood at the time.
The building’s owner, Nancy Occhi of nearby Boiceville Market, contracted and paid for testing over recent months, and did some repairs to the structure’s roof area. Neighboring businesses never closed.
Following an October 21 remediation, Flood said the USPS would have to determine whether further tests would need to be made.
“All was perfectly fine in the post office space…There was never a mold issue, as had been originally reported, but now the postal people want to check the basement,” Occhi added at that time.
This week, she simply noted relief.
“It’s finally over,” Occhi said. “I’m glad this is the end of it. It is what it is.”
And is the USPS rent up to date, given her costs for recent months?
“They missed a partial month,” Occhi answered. “As I said, it is what it is.”
The Boiceville Post Office’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
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