A small stereo plays soft music in the background. The mail-metering machine hums hypnotically. Pictures of celebrities, such as sports starts, politicians, and peace-loving John Lennon, line the walls.
The sleepy tone of this cozy, half-lit mailroom on the Portland campus remains calm even as fear spreads through mailrooms across the nation.
Mailrooms and private homes have become the latest venue for administering terror in America. The threat to Americans since Sept. 11 has gone from massive, highly visible jetliner attacks to smaller, subtler threats of receiving letters containing powdery toxic spores of anthrax. Pranksters also spread fear by sending hoax powders through the mail, such as starch, flower, and baking soda. Newsrooms and individuals are becoming more anxious as the numbers of anthrax and quasi-anthrax mail deliveries grow.
The University has already taken steps to prepare itself and its employees against the threat of a biological attack in the mail.
Campus postal workers wear latex gloves when sorting the morning mail.
University officials sent out a notice last week, telling employees how to identify suspicious mail and what to do with it when found.
Already there’s been a scare.
A letter found last week had two of the suspicious characteristics – it had been postmarked in a foreign country and did not have a return address. The suspect letter, postmarked in Canada, arrived at the Portland campus mailroom.
After a brief investigation, Sgt. Detective Ron Saindon deemed the letter safe.
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Floyd Reynolds, Portland’s mailroom supervisor, said he remains confident and feels safe because the University is following strict screening and protection guidelines developed by the FBI, as well as its own regulations. Reynolds also has faith in the national post offices, which are now carefully screening all mail.
Precautions in University mailrooms include wearing latex gloves when handling incoming mail, handling mail with extra care and taking care not to bump or shake packages. The mailrooms are paying close attention to details such as excessive postage, misspelled words, incorrect addresses or generally addressed envelopes or packages, and noting packages with unusual odors or stains.
“[The anthrax scare] has made me worried,” said Reynolds, “[but] we’ve checked all the mail out according to FBI and the U.S. Postal Service regulations. And, it’s come through the post office, which has been diligent.”
Others who handle mail for the University share a similar attitude. Steve McKean, Bailey Hall’s Copy Room Coordinator who is responsible for sorting and distributing incoming mail in Bailey, remains calm.
“I’m not concerned at all really. It wouldn’t do me any good to worry anyway. I mean, what are you going to do?” said McKean.
Many students do not feel directly threatened by the anthrax scare but are concerned for the safety of others and the nation.
“I don’t think it is much of a threat to me, but is mostly a threat to important people,” said Tim Phair, freshman sociology major.
Jen Fryberg, sophomore fine arts major, shared similar concerns.
“I don’t think it will affect me but will affect the larger population,” said Fryberg.
The City of Portland experienced at least two scares, both occurring at the Portland mail processing plant. Both were caused when envelopes filled with baking soda, sent by a mentally ill Saco woman, burst at the plant, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Nationwide, mail-borne bio-terrorism has primarily targeted high profile organizations such as the mass media and federal politicians.
Anthrax has taken the life of one man, Robert Stevens, a photo editor for the Florida tabloid “The Sun,” according to The New York Times. Several others have been exposed to the bacteria, a few of them testing positive for infection.
Among those infected are an assistant to NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, an assistant to CBS anchor Dan Rather, five employees of American Media Corp. and the child of an ABC-TV mailroom employee. All are receiving antibiotics and are not expected to become ill. A letter was also sent to Majority Senate Leader Tom Daschle’s office. The letter tested positive for anthrax, with more than 30 employees in his office testing positive for exposure.
Anthrax hoaxes have also targeted large organizations, including Michigan State University and The Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Reynolds advises people to be alert to the mail that they receive.
“Be diligent. Be careful with incoming mail and follow the [FBI] procedures and you’ll be all set” said Reynolds.
He also encourages campus community members to remain calm and not fear the mail that they receive.
Reynolds stated, “Campus-wide safety is our utmost concern.”
Assistant News Editor Matthew Clifford can be contacted at: [email protected]