Threat of closure lurks behind Harlem Valley post offices

HARLEM VALLEY — There are few conveniences like having a post office right in one’s own hometown. Take the tiny hamlet of Wassaic, for instance: It’s had its own post office for generations, smack in the middle of its business district just feet from the railroad that used to deliver the mail back in bygone days.These days that post office continues to serve the residents of Wassaic, providing essential services like mail delivery and post office boxes to its many customers.But all of that may change soon, if the United States Postal Service (USPS) follows through with a proposal to consolidate or close 250 processing facilities in the face of $238 billion shortfall during the next decade. Due to the popularity of email, smart phones and other electronic forms of communication, “snail mail” doesn’t have the customer base it once did. According to the USPS, “mail volume has declined by more than 43 billion pieces in the past five years and is continuing to decline.”In fact, first-class mail has dipped down 25 percent within that same time period while stamped mail has dropped by 36 percent in five years; it’s dropped by nearly 50 percent in the past 10 years.One solution that’s been proposed by the postal service is to switch to a five-day delivery schedule, versus a six-day delivery week. Again, technological and social changes are believed to be at the root of the problem.“Electronic diversion and the recession are significant contributors to a continuing decline in mail volume, which in fiscal year 2009 plummeted by 25.6 billion pieces — nearly 13 percent of total volume — resulting in a postal service revenue drop of nearly $7 billion,” stated a USPS release. “The trends underlying these declines will only continue.”If the postal service cuts a day of delivery, it’s highly likely Saturday deliveries would be discontinued, as it’s the week’s lowest daily volume.Another option the USPS is considering is opening village post offices in locations where traditional post offices have closed. According to a release from the government agency, “Our customer’s habits have made it clear they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”Currently there are 32,000 retail postal offices in the United States. Three thousand seven hundred are to be studied and potentially closed next year, depending on the study’s results.“Unfortunately, some small rural offices could be affected due to the lack of revenue and the cost of keeping on a staff to operate them,” said Karen Ricapito, Wassaic postal clerk. “But I believe the concept of the village post office will please everyone in the community if they’re impacted by any closures.”Village post offices would be operated out of local businesses, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc., and sell stamps and flate-rate packaging as well as offer other mail services.Right now, however, opinions are being sought on what the public desires.“We are doing studies and also doing surveys with customers in the community and putting surveys on the counters in the lobby for people to complete,” said USPS spokesperson George Flood. “Some customers do business in towns where they don’t live, and we want to give the general public an opportunity to fill out the surveys and tell us what they think. We want the public to provide meaningful input, and we cannot make a decision until we have input from the community.”It was rumored that the Wassaic and Amenia post offices were flagged for closure; there was even a petition on the counter of the Wassaic post office for customers to sign. However, according to a USPS list, neither location is among those to be studied, nor are any other post offices in the Harlem Valley, including Pine Plains, Millerton or Millbrook. Flood confirmed that information.“They’re not on the list,” he said. “[That means] they’re not being studied.”And if they’re not being studied, they’re not destined for closure, at least not at this point in time.“We are very happy and comfortable where we are and feel we provide excellent service to our customers,” said Ricapito. “And we’re more than happy to stay put right where we are.”