Post office closure painful for customers

On April 22, the residents of Arlington received a letter announcing that the lease on the Arlington Post Office would expire April 30, and that a meeting would be held April 25 to “explain our plans and solicit your comments concerning possible alternate means of providing postal and other services.”

Many commented on the need for the post office and ways to keep it open. But we were told that there would be lockboxes put up for people with post office boxes now; people along the rural route who did not have a mail box could put one up. The new system would start April 27, less than a week after we got the notice.

Our two rural route mail carriers must pick up their mail in Lamont, 11 miles away, deliver it to an increased number of rural customers, return to Lamont with letters and money from selling stamps, all with no increase in carriers.

We should have had time to find another solution. We did not really have any say. A problem with a lease renewal is a flimsy excuse for shutting the post office down permanently and so quickly.

Patricia B. Ritter

Arlington