Census missed much of Pike

Forms misaddressed and returned from development communities, by Jerry Goldberg MILFORD — Residents from many of Pike County’s lake communities never received their 2010 Census Form. The forms were supposed to be returned by April 1, but there was a mailing error on the part of the census bureau. Most lake communities have a central area for mail delivery which contains boxes that have an assigned number. This number is not a physical address number, so mail sent to the physical address doesn’t find the box. The census forms were sent out this year using physical addresses. None could be delivered and there were trays and trays of census forms which were returned to the census bureau stamped “Undeliverable As Addressed,” according Milford postal mail carrier John Margiore. In a brief interview, Pike County Commissioner’s Clerk Gary Orben he told the Courier he was aware of the problem and it is being handled by another Pike County official who is in touch with the census people and will be at the April 7 Commissioner’s meeting. “Right now I don’t have any information to give you,” said Orben. Margiores’ wife Deanna was in the Homeowners Association office of Sunrise Lakes when a representative from the Census Bureau stopped in. She said the representative told her the Pike County Commissioners advised the census bureau it wasn’t necessary to go door to door to make sure the 2010 Census Forms get delivered and it would be enough to just leave the forms in the office of each community. “I asked him how the residents would be made aware of the forms being here?” She said he had no answer and handed her a sign which could be placed on the door of the office. Margiore said he left her 25 forms for a community with over 900 homes. The census rep told her to call the bureau and they would get more forms out in 24 hours. Margiore said she called the bureau and told them she needed several hundred, but they were never delivered. John Margiore said another postal mail carrier had told him he’d heard that every person that isn’t counted costs local governments $1,300 in federal funds or services. The census also determines community representation in state and federal legislative districts. For those who did get forms, there is another controversy. Question 6 asks about people’s race, providing a choice worded, “Black, African American or Negro.” Margiore said this has caused some African Americans to question the word Negro. The word Negro, he said, is not used anymore as a race question on forms. If you have any questions regarding the 2010 Census Form you can call the Scranton office of the U.S. Census Bureau at 570-903-6020.