A minor kerfuffle occurred at the Post Office in Fort Bragg late Monday afternoon, when long-time critic of KZYX board malfeasance, general activist, and crusader against public wrongdoing, Jeff Wright, was arrested while attempting to address an issue with the Post Office staff that he feels is unjust.
Apparently, Mr. Wright was collecting his mail and then requested to speak with Postmaster Denice Sisco about the recent and severe reduction of the lobby hours allowing access to the Post Office boxes, which has negatively affected many boxholders.
He nearly avoided arrest only weeks ago, after staging what he referred to as a "one man protest" over the lobby hours, and that so-called protest only brought three officers, at that time he wasn’t arrested, he was instead invited by Post Office staff to come back during business hours and speak with the Postmaster about the issue.
I was tipped off to the incident by none other than Fort Bragg’s Paul Bunyan his own self, cleverly disguised as Mike Stephens, who witnessed the four police officers involved in the hoopla, as they arrested and packed up Mr. Wright and his bicycle to the police station.
After some research, I was unable to determine if Mr. Wright had been detained and released, or arrested and taken over the hill to the jail in Ukiah, until 11:40 PM, when I accepted a collect call from the Low Gap Detention Center, from one Jeff Wright.
He told me Postmaster Denice Sisco basically stonewalled his questions, and was quite rude while doing so, and that she insisted that the Police arrest Mr. Wright for trespassing, not even giving him a final chance to leave the premises.
Then Mr. Wright informed me that not only was Postmaster Sisco beyond brusque, she was also punitive, and had called the Federal Postmaster, who within hours, canceled his fully paid up Post Office Box, and barred him from the Fort Bragg Post Office, all with no due process.
Now Mr. Wright, an older Air Force Veteran, who rides a bicycle for transportation, has to find another Post Office to get his monthly check, which is at least 5 miles away, so that action appears to be swift and vindictive punishment for complaining and asking questions.
Mr. Wright hopes that he’ll be released in the morning, and can take a bus back to Fort Bragg, after that I believe he’ll be looking into legal recourse for his trouble, so the story continues.
Don’t even bother trying to get the other side’s story. That would be…what do they call it? Oh, yeah: REPORTING.
Actually, she is very rude and condescending! (With her co-workers following suit!) We started making the drive elsewhere!
I,too, have a PO box in Ft. Bragg. It IS an inconvenience to say the least to have the lobby hours unfairly and drastically reduced. SOMEONE should be given the task of locking the one and only lobby door at sunset and unlocking it at sunrise. I’ll do it. I live about 4 blocks away. It would serve the community. No harm to the post office proper could happen if I have that key. That way it won’t be another burden for the very unhappy and unpleasant Post Mistress. It would be a win/win for all. It’s a shame that whoever the people are feel the need to use the lobby as a toilet, but I’m a paying citizen who is being punished for their bad behavior. Assigning someone the task of locking/unlocking the door seems a simple, easy solution. Strongly consider this please. You, Ms. Post Mistress are making the community unhappy.
I stopped getting my mail here, a large inconvenience due to this post offices attitude. Public servants who dont want to serve should get other jobs.
Something should also be said to the people on the streets, of whom once again do the community injustice in doing such fowl acts. I say this as I was a transient myself in Fort Bragg (no not by choice), also a member of Foursquare Lighthouse Church. So please my peers on the streets stop and take action on these misdoings to make a positive change in this small community, which has unfairly caused uproar in these innocent peoples lives. Remember if they got a backpack and a mtn bike, they must be homeless, hence the treatment and unfair arrest of Mr Wright.
-J.Olson
Unbelievable! Thank you Derek for your reporting. Have shared it to my Facebook page. –beth bosk
>>AS a Former Braggart > I am following this story , waiting for updates as the story continues >>>
C.A.T.
I live in Fort Bragg but have my PO Box in Mendocino because I loath going to the Fort Bragg Post Office so much. Going in there is nothing but a bad time, even for the simplest of tasks. I would rather drive the ten or so miles than have to deal with the Fort Bragg Post Office.
Would one of you Ft. Bragg residents with a car do the neighborly thing & drive Mr. Wright to another post office to get his mail?
They have always been fine to me. Nice folks.
How about Ft. Bragg P.O. users who can, taking up a collection to hire, a responsible person, who needs a job, to watch & keep their P.O.B. area clean?
They have been nothing but helpful and kind to me. The only complaint I have is long lines but you expect that in a small busy town