EAST WILTON – The dozen residents attended a public meeting on Tuesday to find out what life will be like if their post office’s hours are reduced to four hours on weekdays. Saturday and the office’s lobby hours will remain the same.
Of those attending, some were concerned that the reduction in hours would hurt the flow of mail, particularly for business operations. Others worried that access to the post office boxes would be too restrictive.
The proposed change by the U.S.Postal Service is the result of an attempt to preserve the existing village post offices by cutting hours to match customer use. This comes in the wake of billion dollar deficits reported over the last few years. Nationally, 13,000 of the smallest offices have undergone an evaluation to see if money-saving modifications should take place.
Leigh St. Pierre, manager of post office operations for this area, told local residents those post offices having the least amount of window transactions and total revenue were put on the list for reduced hours. There are 28 so-called village post offices on the list in Maine for reduced hours. Dryden’s post office, 2.3 miles from East Wilton’s is also on the list for reduced hours. Wilton’s hours will not be changed.
A drastic decrease in postal service revenue, which used to come in large part from banks and insurance company mailings have moved online, and the affects are being felt by the postal service, St. Pierre said.
“This is really a drastic response” to the loss of revenue, she said.
Following the public meeting, a final decision will be made and the reduction in hours, which appears nearly certain, can’t begin for 30 days, St. Pierre said. Hours proposed are either 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on weekdays. Saturdays would remain the same from 7 to 11 a.m. for the service counter and the lobby area is open from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m
The office’s overall reduction moves from 7.45 hours a day to 4 hours a day. Post office employee hours will be cut to part time.
A survey was mailed by the U.S. Postal Service to 322 local residents with 73 responding. Of those who responded, 89 percent said they preferred to keep the office open with a reduction of hours, instead of closing it all together or locating the post office at a local business, which were the only other options given.
Residents asked St. Pierre about their post office boxes and being able to access them when the service counter is not open. She said time locks will allow access into the lobby area, where the boxes are located, during regular hours.
She was also asked if delivery times would be affected and she said she didn’t know if they would be.
Resident Paria Didehban had concerns about the reduced hours affecting the mail’s flow. On Mondays she said her husband’s dental practice may send out or receive 100 pieces of mail but on Fridays there is much fewer.
“Cut down on hours and we’ll be going to Fed Ex or UPS,” Didehban said. “Giving less service isn’t a way to keep customers happy. At a time like this you don’t give less service, you give more.”
St. Pierre responded by saying they reduced hours to avoid closing post offices. Others wondered how a part-time employee was going to be able to handle it during the holidays when there’s an upswing in packages and letter mailings.
“I wish I had better news,” St Pierre said, “but this is necessary. Times are changing.”
The offices with reduced hours will be re-evaluated in September 2014.
close it, there is no need for this post office.
I am in hopes that the postal employees will also get a pay reduction because of the short work days…..ha! I made a joke!!!! WE, the public, get screwed again. We shall be paying the postal employees the same pay for less work!
This was inevitable,,,and needs to be done.
There are areas in Maine where there are several post offices within 2 or 3 miles of each other.
This is simply not cost effective and has been PROTECTED way too long already.
I understand the postal employees stand on this (if I were one of them, I would feel the same way but that’s the way it is).
It really is,,what it has been for a long time,,,
dont tell me we didn’t see this coming….
This and Big Bird need to adapt.
Or we can just keep doing things the way we always have been and end up flying the Chinese flag over the Post Offices because we would owe China everything from borrowing,,,,,,,,,
USPS and Big Bird can survive,,,,
BUT ONLY IF,,,,,,,,
They change their ways a bit.
The reduced hours will make it impossible for factory workers to get their mail or anyone that has to be out early for work. Guess we will all have to switch over to the Wilton P.O.. In doing so unfortunately will eventually cost the postal workers their jobs when even less business is at the smaller post offices. This is the price of a better way of life via the computer age. Easier is not neccesarily better . More jobs down the drain. Will miss seeing the workers .
To – A Vet- No, the employee working in that office will be a part time person getting hourly pay and no benefits. Ask them.
Postal employees like everyone else gets paid for the hours that they work. If the hours get cut, the pay gets cut.
I still think it’s ridculous that East Wilton and Dryden even HAVE post offices. Back when the railway was running they were certainly their own entities, complete with their own stations and small economies. Today, however, they are simply where there are some houses on the way to and from Wilton.
I’m they will be closed entirely eventually. Most locals who have been around awhile would say we live in East Wilton. We don’t. We live in Wilton.
er, “I’m they” should read “I’m sure they”
Close them both. Ridiculous! One post office per small town(Wilton) is enough. USPS, who do you think you are, Obama’s government?
They should close both E. Wilton and Dryden. They are a waste of money. Carthage is doing ok without one. So is Madrid. The folks in E. Wilton could be moved to rural delivery. Dryden is just a neighborhood of Wilton.
To – A Vet – The Post Office doesn’t receive any tax money, contrary to popular opinion.
I should probably clarify that it’s a popular belief that the Postal Service is supported by taxes rather than most people think it should be. Just to be clear to all the people railing against paying any money to them – the only people who pay anything to the Post Office, are the people who are mailing items or buying something from them.
Since we seem to be in the mood to cut services supported by taxpayers, why don’t we also cut pensions to the military? I mean if you’re no longer serviing, why should we support you? Or is it possible that some people are selectively biased about which services should be cut?
Factory workers??? in Wilton????
To Maineiac,
Do YOU really believe that the fulltime employees to be fired? If so, perhaps you should remove yourself from lala land and come back to the real World. Good luck at tax time. Because postal employees will be laughing at YOU!
I learned long ago in retail that when business begins to drop off the first thing you do is cut hours and reduce the number of employees.
To – A Vet – The employees in East Wilton were already part-time before this.
a-z is quite correct. Also many of the full time employees or career employees are being bumped down to part time or let go entirely. It’s just a business like any other and people are losing their jobs. Some have the opportunity to apply for other offices with no guarantee those jobs will last either. The USPS IS NOT tax payer funded.
I have thought for years that the Dryden & East Wilton post offices should be close. It has now come to the attention of the USPS that cost reduction would come as a result of closing tiny post offices like these. I agree it is the Town of Wilton, not Dryden, East Wilton or East Dixfield, so why do we have to have an East Dixfield Fire Dept?
I work for the USPS and I see where they are throwing money out the window and having these two offices open they are wasting a lot. The USPS has to pay rent on the building and pay for snow removal ,. heat and all the extras that comes with renting. If people feel that they will lose their mail service, All it cost is a one time fee of a mail box and you can have mail delivered right to your driveway. Need stamps, put the money in your box and we can deliver those too.
As a Tea Partier I am tickled when ANY American loses their job; especially Govt. employees. Besides , we need our tax dollars to rebuild the infrastructures in Iraq and Afghanistan that we destroyed during the Bush/Cheeney Wars.
The post office in West Farmington can be closed too while they are at it. What a waste of my tax money. I do feel bad for the postal workers though.
How many times do people have to repeat that NONE of your tax money is spent on USPS? It’s been that way since the early 80’s. The USPS is basically a business that has to obey whatever regulations politicians put into place, which doesn’t always make good business sense (see the current pickle it’s put them in).
USPS = funded only by sales
To – Postal Employee – What about the businesses and others that need to keep their mail secure & confidential (i.e. financial, customer information, and payments)? Boxes at the end of the driveway are not secure, you just have to trust that no one will take anything. There are many people who lose their mailboxes repeatedly due to snowplows (it can get pricey).
to a-z
You don’t think USPS is subsidized? Then how can a “business” lose billions every year and keep on going? Obviously your liberal blinders are working.
You can get boxes with lock and as far as the snow plow goes, it’s alright to set your box back away from the road, but you will have to keep it clear of snow in the winter and approachable at all times. If you have out going mail and don’t want to leave it in your box for the mail carrier , you can throw it in a blue drop box also. I am up in the air as far as my job goes and I work day to day, wondering when I will be eliminated. But I do feel they need to make these changes, it’s not gonna get better if they don’t.
Lefty, People that keep us safe deserve their pensions.
Captain Planet,
You can look up on the USPS website that they don’t receive any tax dollars. There are lots of misinformed sites/blogs that rant about how they do, but I prefer to go straight to the horses mouth (more accurate). This is how it works: Just like any other business that is having a rough time, USPS can borrow money. Don’t forget that it’s a huge company, so even though that’s a lot of money, it’s comparable to other businesses. They have also failed to pay several payments to the fund set up by congress in 2006 (when things were booming) to prepay employees retirement.
I am a postal employee also… and I love how everyone thinks just because we are federal.. that we get everything handed to us. I am in fear of my job everyday. As a single mom and yes making only 11 bux an hour with no benefits…Part time is not cream of the crop…. I’d like to see some of you pull that one off with two kids. And no i’m not one of the ones who rely on the state and everyone else to pull the extra weight, and I’m Not one of the ones who just kept having babies with whoever… My husband died. I am fortunate to have a wonderful office to work for who has helped me out tramendously !!! And it is going to really stink to be in the position of either closing… or going to lesser hours. I know everyone seems to think this is the answer, but….. I tend to disagree… and to be truthful… I dont think even this is going to save us. Computers and such is a bittersweet. And will end up drowning alot of business that use to be face to face hands on. We will not have to have public services much longer. Just plug yourself into the wall.
*update
A little history for anyone who is interested in the facts: The Postal Reform Act of 1970 abolished the United States Postal Department and created the United States Postal Service as an independent corporation. This new corporation would be responsible for covering its own costs while maintaining the same function as the previous government department. It would have an 11-member Board of Governors to oversee operations instead of congress. The final changes went into effect in 1983. There are federal grants for mailing reading material to the blind and other such causes, but they are not funded by the postal service. To make a long story short, USPS does not use taxpayer money.
The East Dixfield Fire Department is located in the town of Dixfield. Not Wilton
Their loans are subsidized by the federal government. Too bad so many people don’t realize that’s us, the regular taxpayer.
On another note my last comment stating that Farmington should only have one P.O. but it should be the W. Farmington office because it is better run was blocked by the Bulldog. I love how you guys play God. Bulldog staff should look back at some of the sensitive comments they do allow; provided they were submitted by a liberal.
thank you Captain Planet
Captain Planet,
The loans taken out by the Postal Service from the Federal Financing Bank must be repaid just like any other kind of loan. Both government agencies and the private sector borrow from the Federal Financing Bank. I don’t understand why you believe that taxpayers will be paying that money back instead of the Postal Service. Since I like to be well informed, could you please elaborate (with cited sources if possible)?
a-z,
When the private sector defaults on a loan the bank seizes its assets. The postal service has been in default forever yet still have their business and assets. That magic word “Federal” in Federal Financing Bank is another word for we the people, the taxpayer. The “Federal” Bank is not foreclosing even though the “Federal” Bank loaned our tax dollars to a poorly run company that is unable to repay its debt. That alone would be a subsidy.
The number of people who felt strongly enough to comment on this story should give you a clue why closing a post office is more difficult than performing microsurgery. The local post office is “the identity” of a community. People do identify themselves as being from East Wilton or Dryden or Wilton depending on where they live. I do live in Wilton, I have lived and owned a business in East Wilton. You do NOT want to tell an old time East Wilton resident they are “from Wilton.” LOL
Tony ; From this long time East Wilton resident ; I agree and well said.