Friday, January 13, 2012

What's Up this Weekend in Wellfleet?

Greetings from Boston, where I’m attending courses at Grub Street. Sven is manning the fort, so to speak, back home. We are lucky, in Wellfleet, not to hear rumblings about a possible end to our post office. That's what happening in Cambridge. Under serious discussion, the closing of the post offices in both Inmann and Kendall Squares. Yikes! I have received a number of announcements to pass on to you, so here goes:

There will be two concerts featuring the Higher Praise Gospel Choir on Sunday. Check the Prez. Hall Web site for details.

Cape Cool is holding is annual Martin Luther King Day walk and potluck on Monday. The 2012 walk will be especially, well, cool because it’s a tenth anniversary celebration. Come join your neighbors at noon and stay for lunch. Looks like the meeting point this year is Prez. Hall. While we’re on the subject of Cape Cool, please hop over to Harriet's blog and think on her words.

And, mark your calendar for two worthwhile upcoming events:

1.) Mac’s Seafood will be celebrating Groundhog Day with a seven-course dinner at Prez. Hall. “A Taste of Local Food: Wellfleet in Winter” promises more than just good eats. Come learn about the local food movement. Tickets cost $65 and will support WCAI and Prez. Hall. The fun starts at 6 pm.

2.) Wellfleet's 250th Anniversary Committee is holding a brainstorming session, open to the public, on February 4th at 10 AM, Council on Aging. I know you all have lots of ideas, so do share them at this meeting.

What do you think of the post offices closings across the nation? Is your post office in danger of ceasing to exist?
Posted by Alexandra Grabbe at 6:30 AM
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Living Large's avatar

Living Large · 689 weeks ago

have mixed feelings about the post offices. I think if they were ran more efficiently and they would quit wasting money on advertising (really, everyone knows there is a post office), this would not have to happen. I also believe there is a subvert campaign to privatize the postal service. I feel this would be a grave mistake. Since Germany privatized their service (I believe DHL runs it now), the mail is slow and not one package makes it to or from without damage. I paid extra to have a package sent to our daughter and her family by Priority Mail. It still took 3 weeks for her to receive it.
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marthaandme 42p · 689 weeks ago

Here in Buffalo NY they were going to close the main processing station for the PO that is a regional hub, which would have meant our mail would go to Rochester and be delayed a day. People screamed and they back burnered that. I do think the PO has to make cuts to reflect the changing methods of communications however and cuts like these may be necessary. I am also fine with cancelling Saturday delivery. We usually get nothing but third class stuff on Saturday anyhow.
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Casey · 689 weeks ago

That's crazy that the USPS would think of closing both post offices in Cambridge. I could see where the institution might find one redundant, but BOTH? Ouch! We have two post offices in our (admittedly large) city, and I haven't heard a peep on whether we'll be keeping the annex. Sad state of affairs.
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ruth pennebaker · 689 weeks ago

In the early 70s, my now-husband worked as a mailman in the summers. What could have been a more secure profession then (even if he didn't pursue it)? Strange to think about how all these sure things have so quickly eroded with the Internet. Is there anything "sure" left?
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chezsven 82p · 689 weeks ago

How good of you to think of all these workers who will be laid off. I was listening to NPR last night, and corporate raiders were explained. Our country needs to move away from this philosophy of out-sourcing jobs. (In the case discussed, the jobs were moved to FL where pay would be less.)
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connie · 689 weeks ago

Oh I can't even imagine the post office closing. Although often crowded- understaffed and overworked- I so do appreciate them at the post office. My mail man in particular is such a friendly chap and I just would hate to think of him out of a job.

I think rather than resorting to closing an entire post office- they could consider maybe having fewer days for delivery- or some other cost cutting measures- shorter hours?? Not sure how that would work.
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Vera Badertscher · 689 weeks ago

Gee, Alexandra--I used to write a letter two or three times a week and now I never write letters! Send packages, occasionally send cards or notes--but I'm NOT outsourcing--I'm using the Internet. I think it is a fundamental life style change, and ALL of us are changing our ways--not just big bad businessmen.
That said--Fed Ex and UPS seem to be able to profitably support stations in places the P.O. is talking about closing. The situation in Tucson seems ridiculous to me. There are about a million people in the area and they're talking about closing the main post office. All mail from one person in Tucson to another in Tucson would have to go to Phoenix to be sorted and then come back. How does that make sense??
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Stan · 689 weeks ago

I love the idea of jobs moving to Fla, where taxation and regulation are less burdensome!!

Our local post office is not in danger, but I wouldn't fret if it were. The Postal Service has utterly failed to make any effort at all to adapt and change with the digital age. They've continued to operate at huge losses as if the bottomless pit of taxpayer funds would never dry up. Such is the problem with such entities - they have no incentive to be efficient or adapt and renew. Underwriting their losses at this point makes as much sense as subsidizing the horse and buggy industry. I shudder to think of what will happen to us when our freedom of choice in individual medical costs/risks/benefits is taken away and managed in a similar fashion! ITs a real shame for those affected, particularly the workers, but they are the victims of bad managers, failed bureaucrats and politicians that took the easy, populist-pandering, status quo route instead of facing reality and reforming.
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Jack Smith's avatar

Jack Smith · 689 weeks ago

Anyone who lived near or around Harvard Square will hope with all his/her heart that 02138 might close. I was there once in a long line when the person at the window slammed the window shut,
leaving us standing there like fools. Some ten minutes later another window slammed open with no comment. An ancient lady said, It's been like this since 1929! jack smith
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alisa bowman's avatar

alisa bowman · 689 weeks ago

I think it's a necessity. They need to find a way to make money. We've come to expect a lot for a few cents a letter. It's hard when a company changes its ways, especially when we've gotten used to it. At the same time, the PO needs to come a way to get profitable.
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janet's avatar

janet · 689 weeks ago

I wouldn't mind losing Saturday delivery. Our PO has traffic problems on most days, and the condensed hours on Saturdays make it worse. But I would miss the social-center aspect of the place on Saturdays. Any day that the PO is open, the locals, retirees especially, seem to enjoy chatting with neighbors and friends there. The staff is friendly as well as efficient. The whole scene of small conversations starting with holding the door open for one-another is something many of us would miss if our PO were to be closed.
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Kristen's avatar

Kristen · 689 weeks ago

One of our post offices closed about a year ago and consolidated a couple offices. It's a LOT more crowded now. But like Janet, cutting Saturdays doesn't seem too bad, if it comes to that.
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merr · 689 weeks ago

I'm seeing fewer and fewer street mailboxes. It seems the PO is removing them...kind of sad, I think. I remember the excitement (as a child) I had getting to drop a letter in the mailbox. And I remember than great scene from When Harry Met Sally, where she compulsively checks to make sure the letter she had dropped in the box went in!
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Sheryl's avatar

Sheryl · 689 weeks ago

Our post office has consolidated routes after laying some workers off. Thus, we get our mail so, so late. And since there are no streetlights where I live, it's really annoying having to go out in the pitch dark with a flashlight to gather the mail. But, like any other business,i guess, they're just trying to stay afloat. It's certainly not like like it used to be...

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