Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Save the Postal Service from Itself
Edit: 10/14/11 @ 8:43AM
Welcome, Washington Post readers! Below is a good introduction to my postal thoughts. You can return to the blog's main page and see my most recent P.O. adventures, complete with photos, and analysis, here.
You've probably heard about the Postal Service's Wish List: 3,600 post offices that it desires to shutter. That's 10% of ALL post offices in America. In decimating [literally, reducing by 1/10th] its nationwide network USPS might save $200 million a year -- which would shave its current annual deficit by 2.5% and save a whopping 0.3% of its operating budget.
The fact is the Postal Service will not save itself by making it less relevant to the communities that use and need it most. Rural post offices are the centers of their respective towns; post offices serve as meeting points and help maintain these communities' social fabrics. Without the post office, many of these towns will wither and lose their points on the map. Post offices contribute to the fabric of America and make the country richer. Let's save as many as we can!
-- Going Postal Author Evan K., New York City
A fantastic blog can be found here: Save the Post Office.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Postmark Adventures: Fire Island, NY; Part III
Now for the third of three entries about the post offices of Fire Island. [Here are the links for Parts I and II.] Part of the enjoyment of making this postal run is that I doubt there's such a high concentration of CPOs, or otherwise unique and tricky-to-reach post offices, anywhere in the country.
Day 2 – August 31, 2010
August 31 was the last day all Fire Island post offices would be open during the summer season. It was most efficient to visit the final three offices as follows: (1) Take the Sayville—Fire Island Pines ferry in early in the morning; (2) visit the extreme, earliest-closing post office (Davis Park) first; (3) take the water taxi back to Fire Island Pines and visit that office; (4) walk to Cherry Grove, visit that CPO, and take the other Sayville ferry back.
The distance from Fire Island Pines to Davis Park is 4.5 miles, but the water taxi wasn’t running that morning. Thus, I had to start the day by walking, in 95° heat, on a bright and sunny day, 4.5 miles – on the beach. (At least it wasn’t uphill, both ways.) After 2.5 miles I came across a house-cleaner who'd just finished a job and had a boat. She took pity and piloted me the rest of the distance to Davis Park.
Davis Park’s CPO was a couple hundred feet along the main north-south road from the ferry terminal. A hand-painted wood sign with blue-and-yellow lettering adorned the front of the building, which also serves as the community's ‘free lending library’. There are filled bookshelves in the customer area of the building. Above the front door, inside, there are photographs of the prior buildings that have housed the Davis Park CPO. There are also Fire Island postcards for sale inside.
Davis Park Post Office [CPO]:
Postcards showing photos of the office:
The only official postmark was a "Patchogue, NY" cancel; I was told they'd have a Davis Park dater this year.
I bought a Pepsi at the general store across the street, refilled my canteen with water, and began the 4.5-mile trudge pack to Fire Island Pines. By the time I'd arrived at the Fire Island Pines office, a beautiful and seemingly new wooden structure with a green Post Office sign, it was just past closing time (1 pm). Fortunately a bit of pleading got me some cards canceled for my collection before they headed off for the day.
Fire Island Pines Post Office [CPO]:
The Cherry Grove CPO is closed from 12:45 to 2:45 for lunch. I opted to take my lunch at a pizza shop in Fire Island Pines.
Cherry Grove's post office is in a blue building that appeared to house residents on the upper floor. It had a couple hundred old PO boxes. I got some photos for the museum but didn't feel like staying for postmarks; it was 1:55, and after 2:00 the next ferry left at 4:00.
Cherry Grove Post Office [CPO]:
Fortunately there was some more post office time left in the day, so I stopped at Cherry Grove's Sayville parent office and met the Postmaster. He said he could either forward the requests to the CPO, or personally cancel some cards once he got the daters back for the season. True to his word, I mailed for and got the cards later.
Day 2 – August 31, 2010
August 31 was the last day all Fire Island post offices would be open during the summer season. It was most efficient to visit the final three offices as follows: (1) Take the Sayville—Fire Island Pines ferry in early in the morning; (2) visit the extreme, earliest-closing post office (Davis Park) first; (3) take the water taxi back to Fire Island Pines and visit that office; (4) walk to Cherry Grove, visit that CPO, and take the other Sayville ferry back.
The distance from Fire Island Pines to Davis Park is 4.5 miles, but the water taxi wasn’t running that morning. Thus, I had to start the day by walking, in 95° heat, on a bright and sunny day, 4.5 miles – on the beach. (At least it wasn’t uphill, both ways.) After 2.5 miles I came across a house-cleaner who'd just finished a job and had a boat. She took pity and piloted me the rest of the distance to Davis Park.
Davis Park’s CPO was a couple hundred feet along the main north-south road from the ferry terminal. A hand-painted wood sign with blue-and-yellow lettering adorned the front of the building, which also serves as the community's ‘free lending library’. There are filled bookshelves in the customer area of the building. Above the front door, inside, there are photographs of the prior buildings that have housed the Davis Park CPO. There are also Fire Island postcards for sale inside.
Davis Park Post Office [CPO]:
Postcards showing photos of the office:
The only official postmark was a "Patchogue, NY" cancel; I was told they'd have a Davis Park dater this year.
I bought a Pepsi at the general store across the street, refilled my canteen with water, and began the 4.5-mile trudge pack to Fire Island Pines. By the time I'd arrived at the Fire Island Pines office, a beautiful and seemingly new wooden structure with a green Post Office sign, it was just past closing time (1 pm). Fortunately a bit of pleading got me some cards canceled for my collection before they headed off for the day.
Fire Island Pines Post Office [CPO]:
The Cherry Grove CPO is closed from 12:45 to 2:45 for lunch. I opted to take my lunch at a pizza shop in Fire Island Pines.
Cherry Grove's post office is in a blue building that appeared to house residents on the upper floor. It had a couple hundred old PO boxes. I got some photos for the museum but didn't feel like staying for postmarks; it was 1:55, and after 2:00 the next ferry left at 4:00.
Cherry Grove Post Office [CPO]:
Fortunately there was some more post office time left in the day, so I stopped at Cherry Grove's Sayville parent office and met the Postmaster. He said he could either forward the requests to the CPO, or personally cancel some cards once he got the daters back for the season. True to his word, I mailed for and got the cards later.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Postmark Adventures: Fire Island, NY; Part II
It's Going Postal's 100th entry! My blog stats show the popularity of the blog increasing quite nicely over the past month; thanks to all my readers! Feel free to comment! It's always nice to see feedback.
This is a continuation of yesterday's entry; the series will finish up tomorrow.
Leaving Saltaire...
One mile later, I found the Fair Harbor CPO shielded by trees, with one small sign directing one toward the yellow house up the boardwalk. Once again, the contractor had never seen a postmark collector before but was willing to provide cancels since I was already carrying a couple hundred from my past travels.
Fair Harbor Post Office [CPO]:
The road to Ocean Beach was long and arduous. The post office-to-post office distance is 2.2 miles, but several factors were working against general movement: (1) the “roads” between the towns on Fire Island are actually soft, deep, winding sand paths; (2) where there was pavement in Ocean Beach, there was also an inch of rain on the ground. Smart residents who needed to move about were transporting items (such as groceries) in wagons hitched to the backs of their bicycles.
Here are a couple of deer I met along the sandy path:
A standard Ocean Beach transport vehicle:
The Ocean Beach post office was in a two-story wood-shingled building along the main walk. The postmaster was very friendly and provided me with a handsome four-bar. (She knew I was coming; I’d called to ask her questions about neighboring offices two weeks prior.) I eventually ate at a place she recommended and trudged the 4.5 miles back to my car, stopping at the grand Fire Island Lighthouse back near the State Park.
Post office: Ocean Beach, NY:
Lunch at Ocean Beach; bay view and the food:
The Fire Island Lighthouse:
^ That's right, folks -- I don't just collect postmarks! I collect National Park Service stamps as well!
Next time on Going Postal: Fire Island, Day 2! Visiting Davis Park, Fire Island Pines, and Cherry Grove.
This is a continuation of yesterday's entry; the series will finish up tomorrow.
Leaving Saltaire...
One mile later, I found the Fair Harbor CPO shielded by trees, with one small sign directing one toward the yellow house up the boardwalk. Once again, the contractor had never seen a postmark collector before but was willing to provide cancels since I was already carrying a couple hundred from my past travels.
Fair Harbor Post Office [CPO]:
The road to Ocean Beach was long and arduous. The post office-to-post office distance is 2.2 miles, but several factors were working against general movement: (1) the “roads” between the towns on Fire Island are actually soft, deep, winding sand paths; (2) where there was pavement in Ocean Beach, there was also an inch of rain on the ground. Smart residents who needed to move about were transporting items (such as groceries) in wagons hitched to the backs of their bicycles.
Here are a couple of deer I met along the sandy path:
A standard Ocean Beach transport vehicle:
The Ocean Beach post office was in a two-story wood-shingled building along the main walk. The postmaster was very friendly and provided me with a handsome four-bar. (She knew I was coming; I’d called to ask her questions about neighboring offices two weeks prior.) I eventually ate at a place she recommended and trudged the 4.5 miles back to my car, stopping at the grand Fire Island Lighthouse back near the State Park.
Post office: Ocean Beach, NY:
Lunch at Ocean Beach; bay view and the food:
The Fire Island Lighthouse:
^ That's right, folks -- I don't just collect postmarks! I collect National Park Service stamps as well!
Next time on Going Postal: Fire Island, Day 2! Visiting Davis Park, Fire Island Pines, and Cherry Grove.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Postmark Adventures: Fire Island, NY; Part I
For my 99th, 100th, and 101st posts, I thought I'd present to the general public my grand tale of exploring the post offices of Long Island's Fire Island. This was a three-page article published in the Post Mark Collectors Club (PMCC) Bulletin July 2011. Here I'll present more visuals, including photos of the offices and of the island itself.
[Reference: A CPO – Community Post Office – is a post office that is run under contract, usually in a store, and which comprises the sole postal operations for a small town. All CPOs are technically CPUs (Contract Postal Units), but not all CPUs are CPOs. A CPO's parent office is the independent U.S. Post Office that is responsible for, and lends administrative support to, the CPO.]
Overview
I’ve visited as many as 28 post offices in one day. That includes driving to each office, taking photographs, waiting in line, negotiating / chatting with clerks, and obtaining each postmark. Visiting the seven post offices on Fire Island, however, took two [mostly-]full days.
Part of the postmarking difficulty is that no cars are allowed on the island, except for critical maintenance vehicles. For intra-town trips, the locals’ primary mode of transportation, aside from their legs, is the bicycle. Many houses sport multiple-bike racks in place of garages! A water taxi operates between Fire Island towns; fares range from $7 to $30. I opted to walk.
Ferries are crucial to the transport of people, goods, and mail to and from Fire Island. (And as such, every Fire Island post office is located by its town’s ferry terminal.) Ferries operate from Bay Shore [link to a Going Postal entry about Bay Shore and its Pantatquit Station here], Sayville, or Patchogue; Fire Island’s six CPOs are assigned to the town whose ferry services that CPO. Bay Shore is the parent office of the Kismet, Saltaire, and Fair Harbor CPOs; Sayville is in charge of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines; and Davis Park is assigned to Patchogue.
Here is a map of said ferries that operate to and from Fire Island:
(The map is pretty much to scale; within each axis, anyway.)
Ocean Beach is the only independent post office on Fire Island, and it is also the only one that operates all year. Fire Island boasts thousands of summer residents and annual visitors, though only 500 people live on the island year-round. The CPOs operate only during the summer and most close prior to Labor Day, though Cherry Grove’s operates through mid-October.
Most of the CPOs are open for three hours a day, and two operate only Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. With August nearing its close, I chose to attempt all seven post offices on Tuesday the 24th – leaving one more week to finish the rest, if necessary. (Which it was.)
Day 1: August 24, 2010:
Parking was free at Robert Moses State Park that morning since it was raining. The 1.6-mile walk to the Kismet post office took 35 minutes and I arrived 20 minutes after opening. Two people couldn’t tell me where the post office was, but I found it in the only store in town (even though there was no signage). There was no official postal counter – just a giant sack up front for outgoing mail. The manager took care of my cards for me in the back, at a table behind the deli counter.
Kismet Post Office [CPO]:
Saltaire is adjacent to Kismet, and their post offices are separated by about 1,500 feet apart spatially. But as the only road that connects the towns follows the southern shore of the island, actual walking distance is nearly a mile.
The roads (rather, walks) in Saltaire are actually raised boardwalk, which lends the town a wonderful and unique character. Just past the town playground and park, the post office shares a building with the Village Hall and Courthouse. I arrived just after opening, and the contractor was happy to cancel my cards and pose for a photo with the post office sign.
Saltaire Post Office [CPO]:
Here are a couple of other scenes from Saltaire:
I swear it's got to be one of the fittest communities in America, given how much exercise these folks get.
To be continued...
[Reference: A CPO – Community Post Office – is a post office that is run under contract, usually in a store, and which comprises the sole postal operations for a small town. All CPOs are technically CPUs (Contract Postal Units), but not all CPUs are CPOs. A CPO's parent office is the independent U.S. Post Office that is responsible for, and lends administrative support to, the CPO.]
Overview
I’ve visited as many as 28 post offices in one day. That includes driving to each office, taking photographs, waiting in line, negotiating / chatting with clerks, and obtaining each postmark. Visiting the seven post offices on Fire Island, however, took two [mostly-]full days.
Part of the postmarking difficulty is that no cars are allowed on the island, except for critical maintenance vehicles. For intra-town trips, the locals’ primary mode of transportation, aside from their legs, is the bicycle. Many houses sport multiple-bike racks in place of garages! A water taxi operates between Fire Island towns; fares range from $7 to $30. I opted to walk.
Ferries are crucial to the transport of people, goods, and mail to and from Fire Island. (And as such, every Fire Island post office is located by its town’s ferry terminal.) Ferries operate from Bay Shore [link to a Going Postal entry about Bay Shore and its Pantatquit Station here], Sayville, or Patchogue; Fire Island’s six CPOs are assigned to the town whose ferry services that CPO. Bay Shore is the parent office of the Kismet, Saltaire, and Fair Harbor CPOs; Sayville is in charge of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines; and Davis Park is assigned to Patchogue.
Here is a map of said ferries that operate to and from Fire Island:
(The map is pretty much to scale; within each axis, anyway.)
Ocean Beach is the only independent post office on Fire Island, and it is also the only one that operates all year. Fire Island boasts thousands of summer residents and annual visitors, though only 500 people live on the island year-round. The CPOs operate only during the summer and most close prior to Labor Day, though Cherry Grove’s operates through mid-October.
Most of the CPOs are open for three hours a day, and two operate only Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. With August nearing its close, I chose to attempt all seven post offices on Tuesday the 24th – leaving one more week to finish the rest, if necessary. (Which it was.)
Day 1: August 24, 2010:
Parking was free at Robert Moses State Park that morning since it was raining. The 1.6-mile walk to the Kismet post office took 35 minutes and I arrived 20 minutes after opening. Two people couldn’t tell me where the post office was, but I found it in the only store in town (even though there was no signage). There was no official postal counter – just a giant sack up front for outgoing mail. The manager took care of my cards for me in the back, at a table behind the deli counter.
Kismet Post Office [CPO]:
Saltaire is adjacent to Kismet, and their post offices are separated by about 1,500 feet apart spatially. But as the only road that connects the towns follows the southern shore of the island, actual walking distance is nearly a mile.
The roads (rather, walks) in Saltaire are actually raised boardwalk, which lends the town a wonderful and unique character. Just past the town playground and park, the post office shares a building with the Village Hall and Courthouse. I arrived just after opening, and the contractor was happy to cancel my cards and pose for a photo with the post office sign.
Saltaire Post Office [CPO]:
Here are a couple of other scenes from Saltaire:
I swear it's got to be one of the fittest communities in America, given how much exercise these folks get.
To be continued...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Taste of Portland [Oregon]
For inspiration for a new entry, I looked to my previous post. Aren't I just clever like that?
Both Portlands are lovely cities. I've spent a few days in the Pacific one, once during my first cross-country road trip and once on the way to Hawai'i, as per my entry about Salem [Oregon].
Like Portland [Maine], Portland [Oregon]'s Main Post Office is adjacent to its respective District Office:
Unfortunately I've got no grand tales of adventure, but here are some photos of some of Portland's classified branches and stations:
Both Portlands are lovely cities. I've spent a few days in the Pacific one, once during my first cross-country road trip and once on the way to Hawai'i, as per my entry about Salem [Oregon].
Like Portland [Maine], Portland [Oregon]'s Main Post Office is adjacent to its respective District Office:
Unfortunately I've got no grand tales of adventure, but here are some photos of some of Portland's classified branches and stations:
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