Thursday, November 2, 2006

Noll sworn in as Winchester postmaster

by Kenneth Lassiter

After 20 years of work for the U.S. Postal Service, Tammy Noll found herself in the right place at the right time and was sworn in Oct. 23 as the newest postmaster in Winchester.

Photo by Kenneth Lassister

Tammy Noll is sworn in as new Winchester postmaster by Patricia Hanson.

Noll, a native of Nortonville, has
been actingas postmaster in
Winchester since late July as former postmaster Dolores Servaes
moved to the same post in
Nortonville. The appointment
became official with a reception
Oct. 23 that greeted the occasion
with a standing-room only crowd of friends, family, area postmasters
and former Winchester postmasters.

The event was a long time coming for
Noll, who has been a part-time clerk at several area post offices during her 20-year career. Her youngest child, Ashley, 18, graduated from Jefferson County North High School in the spring, and Tammy felt the time was right to try for a postmaster position.

“This is the first one I really applied for,” said Noll. She and her husband, David, live in the Mooney Creek area. Including Ashley, they have four children with sons Justin, 27, Brandon, 25, and Alex, 22.

“I had been hoping that maybe within a few years one may be available and this one opened up so I decided to go for it.”

The process isn’t simple as Noll had to fill out a 10-page application form, which she was sure to have a few family members and friends proofread before submitting it. She then interviewed for the job and got it.

Considering her background with the USPS and her familiarity with the people of the northern portion of the county, the job was a nice fit.

“It’s worked out well,” said Noll, who said nothing thus far has caught her off-guard in terms of preparation during the transition. She credited former longtime Nortonville postmaster Bill Keirns for that fact.

“The biggest change was just having responsibility for employees. I had done many of the duties at Nortonville, like ordering supplies and other things like that, when Bill Keirns was there and I had to sub in. I really appreciate that he was willing to help me out like that. He really tried to say, ‘Well, you oughta know this.’”

Noll had an opportunity to work in the Lawrence post office earlier this year prior to getting the Winchester job. The bigger post office gave Noll a chance to get a different perspective on postal work and come to appreciate the work done in smaller post offices like those in Jefferson County even more than she already had.

“I guess you could say it renewed my appreciation,” Noll said with a laugh.

She works with three other employees at the Winchester office.

“ I love my little town and love my little post office. It’s so different to have a person there whose job is to walk around and make sure everybody’s doing their job. I’m just not used to that.”

Noll and her family spruced up the Winchester office over the summer by putting new wallpaper and trim in the lobby and doing some other cosmetic work on the furnishings, floors and walls of the work room.

That work was recounted with laughter at the swearing-in ceremony as many of the family and friends who had helped out were present. The finishing touch was a jigsaw puzzle of a U.S. flag composed of stamps that Noll’s mother-in-law, Dorothy Noll, put together. Noll glued it and had it framed and it now adorns the back wall of the office.

Patrons of the office can see it from the front counter. Punch and cake were another order of the swearing-in ceremony as Ozawkie postmaster Jerry Lewman brought a cake shaped and decorated like an envelope with Noll’s name on it.

The ceremony featured Noll taking the oath from Patricia Hanson, manager of post office operations for the eastern edge of Kansas. The time was right for Noll to take over in Winchester as she can ease into the job without any big changes on the horizon. She said the next rate increase is likely slated for next year.

“I know the people here and have worked with the people in the office, so it’s worked out well,” Noll said.

She has already tackled a couple problem envelopes addressed only to “The Domanns” or “The Weishaars” without full address information and gotten them routed to the correct destination without incident.

“The community has really been nice. I was overwhelmed with the response at the swearing-in. I’m used to giving graduation parties and things like that. Really I’d rather be on the other end and not out front like that.

“I know a lot of the people I deal with so that helps.”