To the editor:

I am pleased to report that the issue of mail delivery to Island Fitness has apparently been resolved. Management at Island Fitness has put up a locking mailbox at an agreed upon location so that our letter carrier can deliver the mail without feeling threatened by any of the dogs tethered outside the building.

This issue has been quite heated with several personal attacks on our letter carrier. The carrier was following U.S. Postal Service regulations regarding mail delivery when one or more dogs are in a position to threaten or intimidate them. Safety of our employees is a primary concern of the Postal Service. Carriers are instructed not to deliver the mail in situations where dogs are present that he/she feels may do them harm. Last year almost 6,000 Postal Service letter carriers were bitten by dogs, including 42 in the immediate Seattle area.

I regret the inconvenience that this situation caused the management of Island Fitness as well as those individuals who enjoy bringing their dogs with them to the center.

Thank you for your understanding.

GAIL GREEN

Manager, Customer Service

Bainbridge Island Station

U.S. Postal Service