Chad Bernard

Disgruntled postal workers need not apply at the House of Delegates’ post office. The employees there deliver service with a smile and have no qualms with their jobs.

Sorting through 4,000 pieces of mail a day might seem tedious to some, but Postmaster Floyd Mann enjoys what he does.

"It’s a great job; I don’t have any complaints," said Mann. "We get five to 10 buckets of mail a day, but everyone’s nice and I enjoy it."

Assistant Postmaster Matt Abell seemed to agree.

"I think the people are interesting. The delegates are just like you and me," Abell said. "They’re regular people. They’re very courteous … most of the time.

Mann has been with the office for nine years, although his service to the Commonwealth runs much deeper.

"This is my 40th session," he said. "I was with the Capitol Police for 31 years, and the day after I retired, I was working here. I was appointed this job by the clerk of the House in 1991."

Abell is in his first session and landed the job through a friend.

"I’m not actively pursing politics," Abell said. "It was more of a transitional phase. I was going back to school and was between jobs."

The position of assistant postmaster doesn’t require much in the way of credentials, as the job requires no training or college degree.

"The job itself is pretty easy. It’s basically processing all incoming and outgoing mail for all the delegates," Abell said. "We have 100 delegates, so that’s 100 mailboxes, but everything is alphabetized."

While it seems pretty cut-and-dried, every once in a while the boys get some excitement. Abell came up with a scenario that took place a couple of weeks ago.

He explained each package is X-rayed twice – when it’s picked up and before it comes into the building – to make sure it isn’t a bomb or contraband. The employees are also told to look out for packages with cylindrical objects and loose wires.

Abell happened to run into package that almost fit that description to a T. He noticed the package had two cylindrical shaped objects and loose wires. He then isolated the package and asked the assistant postmaster at the Federal Building to come over to take a look.

"Right away, he said that looks like an electronic pig," Abell said. "Sure enough, it was an electronic pig being delivered to a senator who collects pigs.

"That’s about the most exciting thing that has gone on since I’ve been here."