Quincy welcomes new postmaster
The Lost Sierra sun came out and the wind stayed down when Sandy Rose was sworn in Feb. 13 as Quincy’s new postmaster.
“I was raised in Manton, Tehama County, if you know where that is, a tiny place near Shingletown in Shasta County,” Rose said just before the 11 a.m. installation ceremony began at the Quincy Post Office between Main and Lawrence streets downtown.
“The Sierra Nevada Mountains are home to me and in 2017,” she continued, “when the opportunity arose to move back, I was happy to come to Quincy and accept the position as postmaster here.”
Brenda Pope, Acting Manager of Post Office Operations Group Four, which includes 146 post offices and extends from Sacramento to the Oregon border, did the honors to swear Rose in as Quincy’s official new postmaster, effective as of her arrival here in August 2017.
Before the crowd of well wishers and supporters who were gathered outside the busy post office that is a community hub of friends and business people coming and going, exchanging news and greetings every day, Pope extended special thanks to the Rose family, including Sandy’s husband Roman and their daughter Kendall.
“We know that the families of postmasters sacrifice a lot of time with their loved ones because this is a demanding position with a great deal of responsibility,” Pope said. “Being a postmaster is a big commitment to the community, and we thank you.”
The oath of office that Rose took is exactly the same one administered to the President of the United States and to persons who are inducted into the U.S. military, one which requires them to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution.
For the ceremony, Rose was surrounded by smiles and applause from some of her USPS team of Quincy postal employees, clerks Adam Blevins, Diana Bryant, Susan Weldon and Marc Vital.
She was also cheered by former Quincy Postmasters Marna Markham (1990-96), Kathy Felker (2005-09), and Jay Clark (1999-2000).
Easily recognized today for her ready smile and helpful, positive attitude, Rose began her career with the U.S. Postal Service as a clerk in Corning, Tehama County in 1998.
Beginning in 2007, she next served as postmaster for the Stonyford Post Office in Colusa County, and as postmaster of Coulterville in Mariposa County from 2012 until last summer.
She has plenty of tradition to carry on here.
According to information provided for the ceremony, the Quincy Post Office opened in 1855. James H. Bradley, one of the organizers of Plumas County, donated land to establish the county seat. Bradley laid out the town and named it after his ranch in Illinois, which had been named for the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.
Today, Quincy provides 2,000 P.O. boxes and serves three rural routes plus three contract delivery service routes. With 11 employees to serve about 7,000 people, Quincy processes 2,200 pieces of mail per day for the P.O. boxes; 5,000 pieces of daily mail on its delivery routes; and averages 450 parcels per day.
Rose is a graduate of Shasta College and attended Chico State before she began her USPS career. She enjoys community softball, thrift shopping and the volunteer work she has done with Soroptimist International women’s clubs since 2012.
“Being a postmaster means serving your community,” Rose said in her statement for the installation ceremony. “I want to bring a positive light to the postal service in this area and to be a reason for people to have confidence in the postal service.”
A round of congratulations and photos concluded the event and swept the newly inducted postmaster inside for cake, a quick check of the popular customer service counter, and the return to a desk filled with forms and paperwork to attend to. Yes indeed, just another day in the busy life of a U.S. Postal Service executive.
