Details Fell Into
Place To Bring Postmaster Here
BY SUSAN USHER
Shalloite may be Frank Bringoli's
kind of town. Or maybe he's just
one lucky New Yorker. Otherwise,
it would be difficult to explain how
well the pieces fell into place to
bring him here.
"At first I was nervous about
coming in from outside, having an
accent and my New York back
ground and all," Bringoli admitted
in a recent interview. That was be
fore he discovered that a large per
centage of local postal patrons also
once were "outsiders," many of
them from New York.
They've been the first to voice
complaints, said Bringoli, but that
didn't surprise this Statcn Island na
tive. In fact, it probably came c loser
to setting him at ease. A grin flash
ed from his eyes as he added, "In
New York you say what you think
and you're not afraid of anybody."
A high school graduate, Bringoli,
41, is quick to explain thai every
thing he's learned, he's ! earned by
doing it ? through experience.
That willingness to listen, watch
and learn has served him well, as
Bringoli has advanced steadily
within the hierarchy of the U.S.
Postal Service.
He started out in 1967 in New
York City as a "flex" carrier, han
dling special deliveries in the Em
pire State Building ? all 102 floors.
"It look all day for two of us to do
it," he said. "We worked together."
From there he transferred to
Greenwich Village as a regular let
ter carrier.
The next stop, in 1978, took him
to Beach Haven, N.J., as a clerk.
There he began training to be a
supervisor. "I actually made it six
years ago, at that office," he said.
Since then he's worked "four or
five" sites as officer-in-charge be
tween appointments of regular post
masters, the last time in an office
with 100 to 120 employees.
He and his wife, Maureen, had
been vacationing for approximately
12 years in the Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
area. "We got to liking the area a lot
and so I began putting in for jobs."
He didn't expect to hit the jack
pot so soon ? or in such a serendipi
tous way.
One of four or five finalists for
the post, he was to fly to Fayettevil
le for an interview with the section
al center manager.
"The original flight for the inter
view was canceled and I was going
to be 3 1/2 hours late," recalled
Bringoli, who thought at the time
the opportunity was lost. "I called
Fayetteville. "Hiey said they would
work it out, to come on."
The manager was waiting when
Bringoli stepped off the airplane in
Fayetteville. "He interviewed me in
the airport lounge. 1 got off the
plane at 2:15 p.m. and I was on the
same plane when it left for Char
lotte at 3 p.m. 1 had to change my
ticket from the six o'clock flight."
Soon afterward he got the recom
mendation and was hired.
Since Bringoli's arrival, other de
tails have fallen i::tc place also.
Though the housing market is
sluggish in in the East, his home in
Bamegat, NJ? had a buyer within a
month of his arrival here in iriid
January.
He's house-hunting in the Shal
lotte area and looking forward to
summer That's when Maureen r. 1
the rest of the family will arr:ve af
ter the youngest, Brian, graduates
from high school. Frank, the oldest,
hopes to transfer to N.C. State
University to major in aeronautical
engineering.
Bringoli's pleased with the transi
tion at the post office as well. So far
he's impressed with the quality of
staff he's working with.
"I want people to know the em
ployees here really care. They do
their best to follow up on all com
plaints," said Bringoli. "They arc
doing a hell of a job.**
While bringing a fresh viewpoint
to local post office operations, Brin
goli said he's also learning as he
goes.
The biggest complaint he's heard
from customers so far is that the
mail is late. He's working on that
problem and a few others as well.
While staff is keeping up to date
now processing the mail that comes
in, Bringoli said he hopes postal pa
trons will be patient.
There are some problems he may
not be able to fix, at least not right
away. These include mail that ar
rives late ? or not at all ? from other
post offices.
"I see stuff that's late, but if it's
not here I can't do anything about
it," he explained. "There are only
certain things I'm capable of and
you can't make changes overnight.
It just doesn't happen that fast"
He expects several recent changes
to help in getting the mail up earlier
and in shortening waiting lines. Like
many of his postal patrons, Brir.goli
said he "hates lines."
He's using extra clerks as much
as possible and rescheduling others.
But, even with three clerks work
ing the counter the first Monday af
ter new postal rates went into effect,
there were still waiting lines that
went cut the door.
Earlier this month he changed the
scheduling of clerks, so that more
counter assistance will be available
in the afternoons. "I'm learning," he
said. "It may take a while to get it
right, but we're working on it."
Hringcli also txpects some relief
for the overcrowded office in about
nine months, when the new South
Brunswick Islands station is due to
open in the Seaside area, taking
over the routes in the Ocean Isle,
Sunset Beach and Calabash areas.
"It should help people out here,"
he predicted. "It should not be as
hectir in the mornings."
Meanwhile, Bringoli's trying to
learn more about the community
and the service routes. Instead of
the fast-pitch ball he used to play in
New Jersey, he's squeezing in a
round or two of golf.
"It's tough playing golf with the
ones who have complaints about
their postal service," he said, "but it
goes with the territory."
I ' OBPPi
STAFF fHOTO SY SUSAN USMtS
SHAUjOTTE POSTMASTLR Frank Bringoli (left) checks in with Ixirry Johnson (center), clerk,
and Ronald Reeves, superintendent of postal operations.
IN SUPERIOR COURT
Teen Charged In Truck Theft Faces Jail Term
A Leland teenager who pleaded
guilty to two counts of possession
of stolen goods in Brunswick
County Superior Court last week
faces a possible maximum sentence
of 20 years in prison.
Robert Scott Milligar., 19, will be
sentenced Marcn 18. He entered
guilty pleas to the two charges in an
agreement with District Attorney
Rex Gore's office.
Milligan had been charged with
two counts of felonious larceny and
two counts of possession of stolen
goods along with two other men,
Oscar Anthony Rodriquez and
Christopher Shane Barr, both of
Leland. The larceny charges were
dismissed against Milligan.
Rodriquez pleaded guilty to mis
demeanor breaking and entering
and misdemeanor larceny during a
Feb. 4 session of Superior Court.
He was ordered to spend seven days
in jail and given a two-year sus
pended sentence.
Together, the three men were ac
cused of breaking into KBK Enter
prises in Leland where they alleged
ly took a typewriter and small re
frigerator valued around $500.
They were also accused of a
break-in at Jones Ford in Shalloue,
said Gore. The men allegedly
jumped a fence and broke into a
building where they took the keys
to a 1983 Ford Bronco.
The Bronco was then driven
through a fence on the lot. Gore
said. The following day, Milligan
was stopp'ui by Brunswick County
sheriff's deputies while he was driv
ing the tn ck. It was valued at
$7,500.
Judge V/illiam C. Gore Jr. issued
a prayer for judgment continued in
the case until the March 18 session
of Superior Court. ?
In other court business last week,
Judge Gore heard the following cas
es:
? David Paul Shupp, 18, of Staf
ford, Va., was given a one-year sen
tence, suspended for two years, af
ter pleading no contest to posses
sion of drug paraphernalia. Shupp
was arrested at a cottage in Ocean
Isle Beach where a party had taken
place, said Rex Gore. As officers
approached, a number of people
fled the scene. Shupp was charged
for possession of lysergic acid di
ethylamide (LSD) after officers
found four hits of the drug inside
the house.
? Michacl David Cates, 40, of
Route 1, Supply, was given a two
year active prison sentence after
pleading guilty to felonious larceny.
Cates was accused of taking $420 in
lumber from a construction site at
The Beach of Bricklanding, where
he was stopped by the developer,
William F. Taylor. Gore said Taylor
held Cates at gunpoint until Bruns
wick County Sheriff's Detcctive
Kevin Holden arrived to make the.
arrest. Cates was ordered to pay
$450 in attorney fees.
?Robert Dcon Smith, 26, of Kan
napolis, was given a five-year ac
tive prison sentence after pleading
guilty to possession with intent to
sell and deliver marijuana. Judge
Gore ordered that Smith not receive
work release, citing his prior con
victions as a factor in the case. He
will be given credit for time served.
Smith was arrested Feb. 16, 1990,
after he allegedly sold SBI Agent
Kelly Moscr a bag of marijuana for
S80.
We're Making A Grand Entrance
In Brunswick County.
If you've been curious about all the activity going
on just west of Southport on N.C. 211, here's some
exciting news The gently rolling berms and picturesque
ponds are part of the grand entrance of what will be
Brunswick County's premier golfing community,
St James Plantation.
Beyond the entryway, extending to the intracoastal
waterway, construction of P B. Dye's magnificent 18-hole
golf course is on schedule for play this fall.
Along with spectacular golf, St. James Plantation
will offer tne kind of amenities you would expect of a
community of this calibre. Swimming, tennis, beach
club and boating facilities All are part of the lifestyle
that will be unique to St. James' homeowners.
\bu can take advantage of thid special opportunity
to own property at Si James while prices remain at pre
development levels Plus you can select from choice
homesites on the waterway, along the fairways, with
views of the marsh lakes or in wooded interior locations
For a limited time your club initiation fees are included
with your homesite.
Call now to arrange
a tour of our spectacular
low-country plantatioa
Ifs your grand entrance
to a whole new way
of living.
SrlAMES
PLANTATION
Three miles from Historic Southport
Temporary Sales Office:
7201 East Oak /stand Drive
Long Beach. NC 28465
1-800-245-3871
Artistt conception
Obtain the Property Report required by Federal Law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this properly. Void where prohibited.