What:

A 50-year Federal Service Award will be presented to Columbus Distribution/Window Clerk Thomas Buffington.

Who:

Columbus Postmaster Joseph Meimann and Acting Manager of Customer Service Operations Rene Conn.   

When:

Tuesday, August 26, 2014 at 08:00 a.m.

Where:

Northland Station located at 5700 Maple Canyon Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43229

Background:

Thomas Buffington will be awarded a 50-year Federal Service Award by Columbus Postmaster Joe Meimann during a short ceremony at 8:00 a.m. at the Northland Station located at 5700 Maple Canyon Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43229.

Five decades ago when Thomas Buffington joined the Postal Service, some things were different.

“I was skinny, I had hair, and Annette Funicello was a Mouseketeer with big ears,” laughed Buffington.

A lifelong resident of Columbus, Ohio, Buffington graduated from Bishop Watterson High School in 1962 and two years later came to work as a distribution/window clerk at the Columbus Main Post Office.

“When I first started we sorted all the mail manually,” said Buffington. “I was required to know every city in Pennsylvania, and guys would come in from the trains to drop off incoming mail and pick up outgoing mail.”

Buffington later transferred to the Upper Arlington Branch, and for the past 40 years he’s been assigned to the Northland Station – three blocks from his home.

“During the blizzard of ’77 my car would not start, so I braved the snow and walked to work!” Buffington said with a chuckle.

Is mail a good value?

“A stamp was a nickel when I started and is 49 cents today. Find me one other thing that’s gone up less than a penny a year in the past 50 years!”

What’s one of the funniest things that happened during your career?

“People mailing something to Hawaii or Alaska used to ask me if the postage cost the same as when mailing to the United States. I’d gently remind them, ‘That is the United States.’”

What has changed for the better?

“When I started there weren’t many packages being mailed, but today it’s whole other story. And, with our ability to scan, customers can now track everything online. I think scanning is a good thing for our customers.”

“I don’t care what you throw at Mr. Buffington, he takes care of business,” said Supervisor Cindy Jeter. “He’s always got something funny to say, is an excellent asset to the Postal Service, and I’ll miss him when he eventually retires.”