Post Office Changes

Old Troy NY Post Office

I was at my friendly post office today.

Chip said, "Where ya been?"

I feel guilty. I haven't written a postcard, or sent a parcel for weeks.

But the news is the office will be closed each day from 11:00-12:30pm; close about 1/2 hour early each day; and remain open on Saturday until Noon.

But rumour has it: no Saturday deliveries coming up soon.

The USPS in the Red

It seems that when Chip, my local Post Office supervisor, told me the USPS was in trouble weeks ago, he was knowledgeable about the loss of revenue stream, the tightening of the budget and just how strapped the USPS is with a red flag at their door of more than $2.3b.

It doesn't seem that an increase in postage could possibly cover such a huge deficit.

I know I use the USPS more than the average person but my contribution isn't enough to make any inroads into the change that has occurred in postal use in recent years--a steady decline.

And it is another balancing act: The journals who mail their issues are getting strapped by the increases, more of them are offering on line subscriptions (something I deplore) and regular users of the USPS are probably using its services for bill paying not services.

What a mess!

Now how will Washington handle this?

Shocking News and Sights in Callicoon NY

Callicoon Depot as it was once known has seen many changes, but I haven't been here long enough to have appreciated those changes until today.

I stopped first at the Callicoon Post Office.

I use this Post Office rather than the one of equidistant from home in Pennsylvania because I've found that mail gets delivered in record breaking time from Callicoon. I also go to Callicoon more often to shop, but most of all the Post Office Workers at this station are among the friendliest and informed of the dozens upon dozens of post offices I've frequented in the last ten year.



I was shocked to hear that workers may be laid off, or relocated.

Skip, among the best of a great bunch, said that the PTFs (part timers, flexible) may be deployed as far as 50 miles away. The USPS is experiencing a decrease in mail use of as many as 9 million pieces (I think per year) and operating at a loss. It all sounds strange as postal rates have increased more frequently than I can remember in past years and I still have some odd stamps in various denominations in my stamp box.

But it is a fact.

Then I popped over to our local Italian Restaurant to discover it empty--yes empty at meal time.

We are experiencing some tough times and in a small town like this hamlet it is premature and difficult to access what this downward spiralling economy will do to the few shopkeepers who have either survived or thrived in a town of 213.

I left feeling sad and wondering what we have in store for our future if this economy doesn't improve and quickly.