HERMAN, Pa. — Something as simple as getting your mail is going to be life-changing for a couple in Herman after a WPXI story delivered in more ways than one in Washington, D.C.
“I’ve been waiting for a mailbox for 35 years,” said Brenda Reott, who lives in Herman.
“Who would ever think something as simple as getting your mail would have such an impact on people,” said Roxanne Stickney, Summit Township Zoning Officer.
After the sudden closure of the Herman post office due to flood damage, neighbors in Herman were forced to drive a 45-minute round trip to get their mail at an office that closed at 3 p.m. daily.
In May, the property owner told Channel 11, on camera, that he would not be making repairs or renewing the lease.
Stickney said, “I wasn’t aware of it, the township wasn’t aware of it…that he wasn’t renewing the lease, until he came out and talked to you and stated he wasn’t renewing the lease, then that gave me an opportunity to go somewhere and say, ‘Well, this is a done deal. There’s no building, so that helped!”
Stickney sent Channel 11’s original story all over. Eventually, it landed in Washington, D.C., and a new mail carrier, mailboxes, and addresses were assigned to Herman.
“Channel 11 News, you were very instrumental in getting postal service delivery to the Herman area,” said Stickney.
Gary and Brenda have lived in Herman for 35 years. He receives two different insulins through the mail and has frequent health emergencies.
“To get him an ambulance, I usually had to run down to the end of the driveway, but they couldn’t find me,” said Brenda.
Now she said her favorite number is six, like her new address. And the number added to the word “‘Butler” could save her husband’s life.
“He started hemorrhaging, and we needed an ambulance. He couldn’t breathe. We had to have an ambulance come, and when I told them Butler, PA, they came right to the house. That’s never happened before,” Brenda
Neighbors have quickly helped each other install mailboxes.
The first mail was delivered on Monday.
“It’s phenomenal. I actually am somebody now that I have a post office box,” said Gary Reott, Brenda’s husband.
Stickney said, “I guess the best thing is don’t give up, even if you’re a little small town, don’t give up, just keep knocking on doors and eventually hopefully you’ll find help out there.”
Now Herman is on the map for the United States Postal Service. They are currently conducting a study to see how effective these mailboxes will be for the neighbors and if they want to bring back a post office to the area in the future.
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