MendoLocal.News and the U.S. Post Office in the Village of Mendocino

Donation letters returned to sender

I want to thank everyone who responded to my call for help funding our operational expenses for 2026. I know there are many worthy causes asking for donations, and it is deeply gratifying to see how many people in our community value and support local reporting.

This week, however, several supporters contacted me after receiving “Return to Sender” notices — even though they had addressed their envelopes correctly. If you were one of them, I hope you’ll consider resending your contribution.

Here’s what happened.

On Sunday, February 21, I went to pick up our February mail, which included responses to the fundraising campaign announced on February 1. When I arrived, I discovered that our post office box key no longer worked. Mendo Local Public Media formally incorporated in late August, and I believed the box was paid through the end of February.

We had not received any renewal notice from the post office, despite providing multiple methods of contact when we registered the box. I also acknowledge that I failed to add the renewal date to my calendar.

I returned the next day to clarify the situation and learned that the Mendocino post office does not send renewal reminders. Instead, it follows a U.S. Postal Service policy under which renewal dates are calculated from the first day of the month — even if a box is rented mid-month, as ours was on August 14. Under that policy, our renewal date was January 30, approximately five and a half months after we opened the box and rented it for six months.

At the counter, a clerk informed us that the box was overdue and advised us to return the following day with both keys to complete the renewal.

However, before we returned with the paperwork and keys on February 24, the contents of the box — including donation letters — appear to have been removed and returned to senders (as seen in the image of a returned letter above).

When we visited the post office again on Saturday, February 28, we spoke with the same clerk and asked when the letters had been returned. She first said they were sent back on February 10 or 11 — roughly three days before the rent on our box expired. When we noted that our rental period would have extended through February 13 based on our August 14 start date, she later stated the mail had been sent to Sacramento on February 14, which was a Saturday.

When we asked why the post office had not attempted to contact Mendo Local Public Media using the email address provided on our registration form, the clerk said she manages approximately 1,800 boxes and could not email customers individually. She then threatened to call the sheriff and did so.

The interaction felt unusual and disproportionate response to a calm inquiry about returned mail.

I am sharing this account, along with a recording of the exchange, in case others have had similar experiences at the Mendocino Village Post Office and would like to share them.

And again, if your donation was returned, please know how much your support means — and that we would be grateful if you chose to resend it.

The address for is:

Mendo Local Public Media
PO Box 362
Mendocino, CA 95460