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By Brian J. Karem

Finally.

After who knows how many years, Garrett Park Elementary School can finally get the U.S. Mail.

I know, the rest of us are in the twenty-first century, but apparently, the poor people who work at the Garrett Park Elementary School have been laboring under the illusion that the Pony Express hasn't yet begun.

Just a mere 11-miles from the nation's capital and yet, until Congressman Chris Van Hollen stepped forward, the school for some unfathomable reason couldn't get mail delivered.

Two excuses have been offered for the lack of mail delivery. The first was that the school is in the city limits of Garrett Park - and since residents of that small burg have always opted against home delivery the school didn't need delivery either.

The other excuse, offered by the Post Office, was that the roads and lighting conditions near the school were inadequate.

Either reason doesn't hold water.

The school apparently isn't in the city limits, and other delivery vehicles seem to have no problem getting to the school - even a large 18-wheeler this reporter saw one afternoon.

One doubts that it would take an entire 18-wheeler to deliver the daily mail there, so you are forced to decide between blarney and baloney to find a reason why the mail hadn't been delivered to the school.

Of course employees of the school system, especially Wayne Harris, saw through these excuses and struggled valiantly to get something the rest of the civilized United States takes for granted — mail service.

Perhaps Wayne didn't know you can't fight City Hall and years of inertia, because he succeeded where others hadn't even bothered to try to go before.

The Sentinel can take some pride in bringing this to the attention of the public, but ultimately that's all we can do — bring issues up and urge for change.

The buck has to stop somewhere in government and thus it did.

Chris Van Hollen said he wouldn't take "No" for an answer and pushed to get the mail delivered.

Two short weeks after the issue was brought to his attention, The Sentinel is proud to show a picture of the first-ever mail delivery to Garrett Park Elementary School on the cover of this week's paper.

This issue, while seemingly minor, shows how active members of the community can incite and get change without theatrics and without drama.

When in doubt, always argue the facts, especially if they go your way.

It's a no-brainer that the school should receive its mail.

It took some courage, not to mention stubbornness on the part of Mr. Harris, to keep the issue before the public.

It took some public light from The Sentinel and others to bring the silliness before the general public and it took a no-nonsense approach (so rare in government these days) from Congressman Van Hollen to get the chore done.

It seems, really, like a no-brainer all the way around.

But, often, politicians and the media prove they can drown issues in publicity without actually getting anything done.

Perhaps because the issue was a small one, or because it was so cut-and-dried, or because the right people got involved, the issue was resolved favorably in everyone's eyes.

Yet, as I look about, I can't help but wish and hope that more issues were so easily resolved.

True, the lack of complexity and the laser focus of the issue made it easier, but it does go to show one thing that remains a universal truth: When positive citizen involvement is reported by the media and is met with resolve and determination by an informed elected official, then there is no reason problems can't be resolved.

It is an encouraging sign to say the least.