Author: tommyroma

While most of the general population of New Yorkers escaped the grasp of Hurricane Sandy, the shorefront homes and businesses of the 5 Boroughs did not.  Brooklyn, Staten Island, Far Rockaway and parts of Long Island received a blow to the stomach. Destruction of homes, boats, cars, businesses, was the norm as people started to dig out. New Yorkers are survivors and will rebuild but this hurricane will be etched in our memories forever. People who lived close to the water refused to leave their homes and unfortunately paid the ultimate price. The last count of fatalities from Sandy was 28. PLEASE SEE PHOTO’S OF HURRICANE SANDY LISTED UNDER EVENTS on my website, only then will you see the destruction this Hurricane caused. As usual with New Yorkers when the going gets tough New Yorkers get going. Neighbors helping neighbors, businesses helping the general public any way they can.

On the day after the hurricane I was trying to get to work in Brooklyn and was rebuffed at the Verrazano Bridge. I made a right hand turn and somehow approached Father Capadonno Blvd. This boulevard runs along the shore in Staten Island. What I witnessed there will remain with me forever. Houses completely destroyed, Boats ripped from its moorings came ashore and were imbedded in the homes. People walking all over the place in a daze; believe me it was like a war zone. I was told that the water surge came all the way to Hylan Boulevard which is about 1 mile in from Capadonno Boulevard. This surge took no prisoners and destroyed everything in its path. Now I know what the people of Louisiana went through with Hurricane Katrina. Sandy was a category 1 hurricane while Katrina was a category 4. WOW.

F.E.M.A. was on hand right away and began helping. Businesses and volunteers set up kitchens outside and began feeding people who were actually homeless at the time. Donations of clothes, food, and other necessities came rolling in from all over the country, people helping people. During this crisis I even witnessed our Democratic and Republican politicians helping out any way they could. The highlight was when our President came and told the people that the Government would stay until everything was finished. I heard over and over again, we came through 911 we will get through this. Power has been restored and New York is already rebuilding. And guess what, the Postal Service never stopped getting the mail to the people affected, this tells you something about the people of New York and our Postal Service.

In closing let me say THANK YOU to all our friends for their concern and offers of help, we are on our way back and hopefully everyone can enjoy their Holidays.

The famous story by Charles Dickens can be re-told as Postal Past, Present, and Future.

The past which many of us complained about is actually NOW the good old times. Words such as RIF, soft landing, consolidation never entered our vocabulary. Instead we worried about the next promotion, pay raise, specific assignments, but NOT the trauma that we ARE FEELING TODAY. I THINK OF OUR LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE LOST IN THE PAST, Rubin Handelman, Vince Palladino and my dear friend Andy Sozzi. I wish they were all here to help us with the Postal Present.

The Postal Present is filled with so much uncertainty, that this Postal/Military Veteran cannot see the Postal future. So many of us made the Postal Service a career choice because it provided the security and steady paycheck that we all need as family men and women. All of this security has now eluded us as we receive General RIF Notices via certified mail. The pain is tremendous but we must continue in the hope that the politicians and Postal Leadership will finally rectify this situation.

The Postal Future remains murky. The help we require is just around the corner with this “Lame-Duck” session of Congress. Will the partisan difference be put aside for the good of USPS and ultimately the American Public that we serve?

Please if all of this stress is affecting your physical/mental health, seek professional help. Be it an MD, or therapist, do not allow this mess to make you sick. Stay Strong as Andy would tell you.

I wish everyone the happiest of holiday seasons and even a Merry Christmas to Scrooge!

To My Friends,

It has been a difficult period for my family the past several months with illnesses. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this time of uncertainty.

First, my 87 year old father-in-law, who was a 100% disabled veteran and an amputee, was diagnosed with multiple cancers eight months ago. He determined that he did not want to go through chemotherapy and decided to let the disease take its’ course. He wanted to once again join his wife of 55 years Mary who preceded him over two years earlier. Since her passing he lived alone and Mary was always on his mind.

Recently he began to fail and his children took turns providing him 24 hour care so he could remain at home. Only four days before his passing he moved to the Veterans Administration Hospital because of the difficulties he had in moving as an amputee. He passed with dignity and had a wake and funeral that was attended by his entire family and hundreds of friends.

Also, for the past several months, my wife Suann has been suffering from extreme fatigue that could not be identified or resolved. The condition became so severe she could not perform everyday functions. Tests found that her liver enzymes were extremely high and her liver was enlarged. Suann had extreme abdominal pain and no energy.

We began many anxious days fearing the unknown. But, all of the tests taken did not produce a cause. She underwent ultrasounds, CT Scans, X-rays and a liver biopsy in rapid succession. It was not until four days before her father’s passing that a diagnosis of Epstein-Barr syndrome, a transient fatigue condition was diagnosed and other more serious conditions were rejected as causes.

During this entire time, the support we received from you was invaluable. You were a source of strength in difficult times. Every email I received was shared with Suann and Jessalyn, our ten year old daughter. Jessalyn was concerned about her best friend’s (her mother) health and she was also in the process of losing her only remaining grandparent with whom she had a close personal bond.

It was comforting to my family to have the support, thoughts and prayers of so many people who have come into our lives as a result of our affiliation with NAPS. NAPS is indeed a family, a family who stands ready to provide support and comfort in difficult times.

We wanted you to know how much your concern and support meant to us. May your holidays be blessed as we are blessed to have you as friends.

Suann, Jessalyn and Jay Killackey