When Barbara Berleth retired from the United States Post Office in Plandome last week, she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection shown her by the Plandome residents. Mayor Brian J. Vincent and the board of trustees presented her with a plaque that read:

"Whereas Barbara Berleth has served the residents of this Village at the Plandome Post Office since 1980 and the residents of the greater Manhasset area since 1962 in her capacity as Postmistress, and

Whereas these many years have been marked by exemplary performance and dedication to the best interests of postal patrons and the Plandome community at large, and

Whereas Barbara Berleth has earned the respect and admiration of all with whom she comes in contact, with her welcoming smile, pleasant demeanor and efficiency in performing her job,

Now, therefore be it resolved that this Board of Trustees, speaking on behalf of all our citizens, hereby extends to Barbara Berleth our sincere appreciation for her selfless dedication and service to the Incorporated Village of Plandome and the community at large.

Presented this 22nd day of March, 1999, on the occasion of your retirement from the United States Postal Service. In witness thereof I hereby set hand and the seal of the Incorporated Village of Plandome.

Brian J. Vincent, Mayor"

Anyone who visited the Plandome Post Office last week could attest to the affection of Plandome for Barbara. The place was filled with balloons, flowers, plants and gifts that Barbara had received. "Katie Miller has brought in a cake every day," said the bemused postmistress, "and John Benisch just brought in two boxes of munchkins." Karen Golden brought her a tin of lollipops in honors of her practice of giving lollipops to the children who came in to the post office with their parents and Nancy Gilman brought a carton of "dog bones" for her canine visitors.

Speaking for herself, Barbara said: "I could write a book. I've always loved this job, I don't know why. People call this the 'country club post office' but they've all treated me like family, the kids especially." When Barbara retires she will be moving to Connecticut and many of her former customers have offered her a spare bed if she comes back to visit.

Oddly enough it was a near tragedy that made the Plandome Post Office the gathering place it is today. Up until the late 1980s the post office had been up the stairs and just a room off the station's small waiting room. Then one Christmas vacation there was a fire and the entire station was burned down. While they were in the process of rebuilding, the Postal Service installed a trailer on the premises. "It was when we moved into the trailer that everyone realized we were here," Barbara said. "Before that it was just the commuters." When the station was rebuilt, the Post Office was opened in two attractive rooms at ground level and Barbara's "salon" had begun. "You had to have coffee for the guys," she explained.

A new tradition began this week as John Del Pietro, a longtime employee at the main Manhasset branch of the post office, took over.