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Report: 7 local post offices could close

By HUMBERTO MARTÍNEZ, Staff writer
Last updated: 3:40 p.m., Tuesday, August 4, 2009

ALBANY -- Seven post offices in the Capital Region are among more than 700 in the country that are slated for possible closure or consolidation, according to a report released last week.

     
Facilities targeted for possible closure include four in Albany, one in Menands and two in Schenectady, the report on the Postal Regulatory Commission's Web site said. They are among many nationwide submitted to the commission for review.

The U.S. Postal Service is looking at a possible loss of nearly $7 billion this fiscal year in spite of a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes, the Associated Press reported.

The review of the locations comes after a 20-percent drop in the volume of mail sent in the last 18 months, said Maureen Marion, Albany district public affairs specialist for the U.S. Postal Service. People are changing the way they communicate, using e-mail and other online services, she said.

"We're dealing with changes with the way people use the postal service," Marion said. "Things that they're used to getting in their mailbox, they're probably getting on their computer. The sorts of things people put a stamp on, they're now clicking."

No decisions have been made for any of the post offices on the list, but no customers will lose access to services, she said. Some offices may become simple storefronts where stamps are sold and parcels or letters can be sent without any carriers operating at the center.

In other cases, Postal Service customers may have to visit another office, maybe as soon as the holiday season, Marion said.

Local facilities facing possible changes include the following: 332 Delaware Ave., 563 New Scotland Ave., 450 Central Ave. and 5 S. Allen St. in Albany; 93 W. Campbell Road and 224 Mohawk Ave. in Schenectady; and 1226 Broadway in Menands.

Marion said customers who feel they want to voice their opinion on any possible changes should fill out a questionnaire soon to be distributed.

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U.S. Postal Service: RIP
Posted Jun 15 2009, 06:05 AM by Douglas McIntyre Rating:
Filed under: Internet, Amazon
The U.S. Postal Service, which has been dying for years due to the advent of the fax, e-mail, and overnight delivery, may finally be close to its last act.

The agency lost nearly $2 billion in its last fiscal year and is faced with the serious consideration of cuts of up to 3,100 offices, potentially eliminating thousand of jobs. Media reports say that first class mail volumes are plunging.

What is killing and will probably eventually finish off the Post Office? In a word: “broadband,” the high-speed Internet system that the current Administration plans to build out in the next two years.

According to MarketWatch, the Postal Service is already looking at stopping Saturday delivery. The next moves will probably cut the number of weekdays the mail is dropped off, particularly outside urban areas where the cost of reaching homes and businesses spread over a wide geography is enormous.

Broadband has taken away the need for sending letters and may large documents. Broadband connections allow users to securely download encrypted files, some of which are the equivalent of thousands of pages of paper. The files can be sent and received in a few seconds compared with days to move them by mail.

Payment systems which wire transfer money have nearly eliminated the role of the check in paying bills. This will only increase as e-banking does.

Even the magazine and newspaper industries which relied on physical delivery systems for decades now use the Amazon (AMZN) Kindle as a way to get the printed word over the Internet and downloaded onto the device. Almost every major print product also has an Internet version. Sending magazines via mail is expensive. Cutting back on that form of delivery would be a blessing.

The modern postal system killed the pony express. The USPS could only last so long before it was itself replaced. That time has finally come.

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The modern postal system killed the pony express. The USPS could only last so long before it was itself replaced. That time has finally come.

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SCOTIA
Village post office still targeted Postal Service removes Rotterdam Square facility from list
BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter

    The Rotterdam Square post offi ce has been spared from closure, while the Scotia branch remains on the list.
    The U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday released a new list of 413 facilities recommended for closure or consolidation. This is down from an earlier list that targeted as many as 700 facilities.
    “We’re ecstatic and certainly the residents of the town will be as well,” said Aurelia Lazzari, economic development specialist for Rotterdam. “It’s a highly trafficked facility. I know a lot of the residents had called deeply concerned with the previous announcement.”
    Town officials had opposed the move and contacted the office of U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, and the Schenectady County Legislature had approved resolutions to oppose the closing of the Rotterdam and Scotia facilities.
    Scotia Mayor Kris Kastberg said he has also contacted Tonko’s office and the local postmaster. Kastberg wants to find out more information about the process and when the public will be able to give input.
    The village is also circulating a petition. Kastberg said the village is a walking community and if the Mohawk Avenue branch were closed, residents would have to go to Schenectady or Glenville.
    “There’s a significant number of older citizens and not so mobile citizens and that’s not an option for them,” he said. .............................>>>>.................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....705&ViewMode=GIF