 Tyson Jerome "T.J." Barnette  | Singing on the Steps of the Berkeley Main Post Office -- 2000 Allston Way Twenty-six year old Tyson Jerome "T.J." Barnette was shot and killed at 7:20 p.m. on November 23rd while delivering mail in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Barnette would never have been delivering mail after dark but for USPS mismanagement, understaffing, and the mass closings of our mail processing centers. The manufactured USPS financial crisis is the why of after dark mail delivery. Hali Hammer, Dave Welsh and Anna DeLeon will lead us in song. On Tuesday, Tuesday, December 17th, 2000 Allston Way, Berkeley from 12 noon to 1:30 pm, join with us on the post office steps to honor the memory of “T.J.” Barnette. Never again can we allow the USPS to “lose a life to save a dollar.” |
Click "Read More" for Tyson Jerome Barnette's obituary in the Rock Hill, SC, Herald and for the letter from Eleanor Holmes Norton to Postmaster General Donahoe.
 T.J. Barnette's co-workers |  ROCK HILL, SC (The Herald) Tyson Jerome Barnette, UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Mr. Tyson Jerome "T.J." Barnette, 26, of Rock Hill, S.C., passed away on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. The funeral service will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Foundation A.M.E. Zion Church, with Elder Sharon B. Jenkins officiating and Pastor Fred Blakeney delivering the eulogy. Burial will be at Rock Hill Memorial Gardens. Survivors include his mother, Bridget Barnette of Rock Hill; father, Clayton Barnette (Sabrina) of Charlotte, N.C.; four sisters, Cierra Barnette, Catherine Barnette and Shalesa Grey, all of Rock Hill, and Brianna Barnette of Charlotte, N.C.; three brothers, Tevin and Kevin Barnette of Rock Hill and Xavier Barnette of Charlotte, N.C.; girlfriend, Taiwan Jackson of Upper Marlboro, Md.; maternal grandparents, Daniel and Katherine Strong of Rock Hill; paternal grandfather, Sam Barnette (Isabelle) of Rock Hill; and paternal grandmother, Ruth Barnette of Rock Hill. Viewing will be 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Robinson Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in Tyson's memory to CRAVE, P.O. Box 12372, Rock Hill, SC 29731.  November 26, 2013 D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has some questions for the Postmaster General Dear Postmaster General Donahoe, I write concerning the tragic death of Tyson Barnette, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier who was killed on Saturday evening while delivering mail on his designated route in Landover, MD. As a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a member of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S Postal Service and the Census, I am deeply concerned about the apparent risk of requiring postal employees to deliver mail after dark. I understand the financial challenges that USPS faces because of congressional failure to move a bill. I also very much appreciate USPS’s determination to deliver mail in a timely fashion, especially during winter months, when darkness comes much earlier in the day. However, I do not recall delivery after dark being as frequent in prior years. I therefore ask that you send me responses to the following questions: 1) Is delivery after dark routine across the National Capitol Region? 2) Is delivery after dark routine in the District of Columbia? 3) What are the reasons that mail cannot be delivered during daylight hours? 4) Has there been an increase in delivery after dark in recent years? If so, has this increase been a result of personnel cuts? 5) Have there been cuts in the number of letter carrier personnel in the District of Columbia? In the region? If so, how many personnel have been cut? 6) Do the after-dark delivery hours reflect cuts in other parts of USPS that impact the timeframe that mail is delivered? 7) What changes, if any, are being considered to reduce the risk to the lives and safety of letter carriers? Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I ask that you give full and fair consideration to this request, consistent with applicable law, rules, and regulations. I request a response within 30 days. Sincerely, Eleanor Holmes Norton |
