Postal

Frank Neal Sibley, a retired postal employee and amateur woodworker, died Jan. 26 of respiratory failure at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. He was 88 and lived at Broadmead in Cockeysville. Born in Baltimore, Mr. Sibley attended Montebello Elementary School and was a Boy Scout. He graduated from Polytechnic Institute in 1935, and began a longtime career in the U.S. Postal Service. In 1938, he married Marian Halverson. The couple eventually settled in Towson. He served for three years in the Navy as a postal clerk at the Bainbridge Naval Training Center in Port Deposit.

The U.S. Postal Service reinstated a practicing Sikh yesterday in Montgomery County, a day after he said he was fired for wearing a turban required by his faith.Postal authorities said they were wrong to dismiss Arvinder Singh, 33, who said he had worn the turban since starting work at the Aspen Hill office in March.Mr. Singh said no one mentioned the turban during his interview, training or 90-day probation period. But this month, Postmaster Judy Walker told him in a letter that turbans are not approved headgear.

Services for George L. Russell Sr., a retired foreman at the main post office in Baltimore, will be held at noon Tuesday at the Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1130 W. Lexington St.Mr. Russell, who was 93 and lived on Wildwood Parkway, died yesterday of cancer at the Joseph Richey Hospice.He retired in 1965 after 47 years with the postal service.Born in Baltimore, he graduated from Douglass High School and Coppin State College. He taught briefly at Coppin.A former president of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Alliance of Postal Employees, he also was treasurer of the Baltimore Postal Beneficial Association.

Forget about rain, hail, sleet, snow and biting dogs.For Mount Airy postal workers, the biggest obstacle to delivering the mail is their cramped post office at the Mount Airy Shopping Center.The facility simply isn't big enough for 15 mail carriers to sort 30,000 pieces of mail a day.The space problem became so bad that four carriers from the Mount Airy post office are temporarily working out of the New Market post office in Frederick County. Their mail is sorted at Mount Airy and taken to New Market for delivery.

Wherever Dawn Bowman is, she makes it a point to check out the local post office.She notices the brickwork, the landscaping, the parking lot and numerous other details.Ms. Bowman's fascination with post offices can be explained by the fact that she's in charge of post office construction for Frall Developers in Mount Airy.The company, which owns 126 post offices in 11 states, has carved a niche for itself by building post offices and leasing them to the U.S. Postal Service."I can spot a flag at 20 paces," said Ms. Bowman, a vice president of Frall Developers.

The 30-year-old woman who ran the one-room community post office here was charged with stealing more than $600 in postal money, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said yesterday.Barbara J. Hossler, who ran the post office adjacent to her home in the 4200 block of Main Street since 1987, was charged Monday in Carroll County District Court with felony theft following a 10-day investigation of financial records, said Michael W. Vision, a postal inspectors' spokesman based in Baltimore.The tiny post office, which has been closed since Aug. 7, handlednearly 1,000 pieces of mail a week.

Call it special delivery for the needy.A Postal Service appeal for donations to area food banks -- with home mailbox pickups by letter carriers -- has had an unexpected, huge response."

Postal workers who volunteered to deliver customers' donations to Carroll County Food Sunday pulled in eight tons of food during the last week of February and first week of March.That was double the 8,000 pounds that they collected in last year's food drive, said Paul G. Martin, executive officer of Carroll County Food Sunday.TTC Mr. Martin said volunteers are still sorting through the boxes and cans of food, but some of it has been distributed to needy people.Food Sunday's all-volunteer staff was still picking up donations from post offices as late as last week.

A Mass of Christian burial for Herbert J. Hartzell Jr., retired superintendent of the Franklin Post Office Station in Southwest Baltimore, will be offered at 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, 6428 York Road.Mr. Hartzell, who was 82 and lived on Dunkirk Road, died yesterday at St. Joseph Hospital after a long illness.He retired in 1971 after 44 years as a postal worker.Born in Baltimore, he was a graduate of the Polytechnic Institute.He is survived by his wife, the former Mary Josephine Hlubucek; his son, Paul D. Hartzell of Baltimore; a sister, Catherine Pearson of Sykesville; and a brother, James A. Hartzell of Towson.

Services will take place for Pasadena resident Charles A. Arnold at 10 a.m. June 15 at Kirkley Funeral Home.Mr. Arnold, 63, died June12 at North Arundel Hospital.A Pasadena resident for 39 years, he was employed as a postal clerk at Glen Burnie post office for 30 years until his retirement in 1986.He also served in the U.S. Navy for seven years in World War II and the Korean War.Mr. Arnold was an avid sports fan who enjoyed gardening and was a nature lover.He is survived by his wife, L.Virginia Arnold; a daughter, Pamela J. Keeler of Pasadena; and one grandchild.