Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:44:04 -0400
From: judyhogan
Subject: Small post offices at risk in Chatham
We have a number of small post offices in Chatham-e.g. Bear Creek, Bonlee, Goldston, and Moncure. There may be others. I live in Moncure, where we have about 300 people getting their mail in po boxes, and many more on two delivery routes. A lot of businesses in our area use our po (we have excellent, friendly service at the window–have since I’ve moved here in 1998), and so we have fairly high income in sales at the counter from people mailing things out of the PO.
First, they retired our postmaster, and put our clerk in charge, doing everything the postmaster did except the final stamp of approval on the records, and kept her at the same salary; now they’re planning to take away both delivery routes and add them to New Hill, where the Postmaster does the approval stamp for Moncure. The building in Moncure comfortably houses work of two carriers and the clerk now. The delivery routes will remain the same, some as far away at across 15-501 South. But the two carriers will work out of New Hill, which adds miles and time to their work and they’ll be in a smaller building that already has 2 delivery routes. The mail carriers sort and prepare their mail inside the PO before they deliver it.
We have had a survey mailed to us. We sure and fill out your survey. Right now they plan to keep our window open for 6 hours a day (present # of hours), but we need a good showing both in mailed back surveys (ask at the window if you’re not sure how to fill it out); and be sure to come to the meeting if you can, scheduled for noon on Monday Dec 3. These evaluators have never been to the Moncure or seen our post office. Seems to me, if the point is trying to save money, that they’d keep things in Moncure the way they are. They’ll be cutting back our “clerk’s” hours, too. She’ll have to do everything in 6 hours, versus having some time before and after she opens the window. The feeling we’ve gotten here, from reports from other small offices, is that the people changing everything have already made up their minds. Congress insisted they consult the communities, but the way they’re doing it doesn’t feel like a consultation, but a “ramming something down our throats.” I know people felt strongly about their local schools. How do people feel about the attacks on their local post offices???
For Moncure folks, be sure to come to the Dec 3 meeting, even early if you can. We meet in the po lobby, which is small. Maybe we can show them that more than 15 people will show up. Also they apparently sit in the parking lot ahead of time and watch how many people go into the po. At the meeting, say what you feel. Judy Hogan, Moncure.
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