Newtown’s New Postmaster

By Steve Bigham

Newtown’s new postmaster, Paul Marciniak, has set two primary goals for the post office on Commerce Road: first, to improve the consistency in the delivery of mail; and second, to improve the accuracy. Both add up to customer satisfaction, and when the customer is happy, so is Paul Marciniak.

Mr Marciniak has been the acting postmaster since August 5 and was notified of his selection as permanent postmaster last week.  He becomes the town’s first permanent postmaster since Dick Maguire stepped down this past summer after 15 years on the job. A handful of acting postmasters have served since Mr Maguire’s departure.

Mr Marciniak, 44, admits he has heard nothing but complaints from customers about the quality of the mail service. He believes many in town do not have a high regard for the way their mail is delivered. That needs to change, he said.

“I want to serve the people. I want them to say good things about their post office. There is room for improvement here. We need to get people to take pride in their jobs,” he said.

Missed deliveries are a pet peeve of customers, and Mr Marciniak hopes those errors can be reduced. To achieve this, Newtown’s new postmaster plans to run the operation “by the book.” There is no alternative, he said. The postal regulations are there for a reason.

Mr Marciniak, an Oxford resident, comes to Newtown with 19 years of postal experience. He last served as supervisor at the Seymour post office.

During his four months in Newtown, Mr Marciniak has gotten to know the community and understands its needs. He recognizes the need for keen planning in order to properly address the town’s growth.

“We have to be on top of it. It makes everyone’s lives easier,” he said.

Life certainly wasn’t always easy for Dick Maguire, a self-proclaimed perfectionist/work-aholic. He told The Bee in a recent interview that the stress and pressure of the job finally got the best of him. Mr Maguire once went nine years without taking a day off.

Mr Marciniak has been married to his wife for 22 years. They are the parents of two children, a daughter, 19, and a son, 16.