They lost $33 million a day in 2010, and took radical action by closing 1.5% of their offices. Now they're considering closing 50% of their offices, which seems partly to be an appeal for more funding to save us from themselves. But if they didn't have a monopoly on first class mail and if postage rates weren't opaque, why would we bother entering a mausoleum like the Apple Valley Post Office? Now with flat-rate small shipment pricing, package pickup, multiple forever stamps, and better online support, I enter a post office only for special cases (e.g., certified mail) that too could be automated.

It really seems that the USPS's biggest challenge is technology. Fewer people need to write letters because of the Internet and phones. When you can have face-to-face communication with your phone, it's hard to put pen to paper, I imagine.

Closing the post office no doubt means people can no longer rent a box there. We surely value our box in Dundas. No more worry about tampering and theft from our box at the end of the lane.

My heart just breaks when I think of this beautiful building, one of the anchors of our Town Square being shut down. Does our downtown need yet another empty building?

I use our post office quite often, at least once a week. Mailing certified letters, packages, buying stamps.

Not everyone uses electronic media for all communications. As a self-admitted Facebook addict, I still hand write cards and letters for friends and family (and yes, I see the irony of responding to this story on an electronic medium).

While I agree fewer people are writing, I also feel that the handwritten note can never be replaced. When I read recipies written by Grandma, letters from friends and family, love notes from my husband all written in their own hand, I have a physical connection to them. I can touch their handwriting and hear their voice coming through, feel the essence of them. When I read emails or FB posts by these same people (except Grandma, God Bless her soul), that feeling is gone. Words typed on a screen.

Then again, perhaps I am old-fashioned.

I, too, hate to see that beautiful building close. What will happen to the mural Margit Johnson designed and then recruited a willing band to help her paint?

It has been apparent the USPS has cut staff, including carriers. How long will it be before we'll no longer need mailboxes?

Don't know if legislators can help or if we have to appeal directly to USPS. It happens that Rep. Paul Thissen (Minority Leader) and Rep. Rick Hansen (Asst Minority Leader) are coming to Northfield NCRC 10 am Saturday. Maybe we could bring it up there. I left a message at Rep. Kelby Woodard's office also.

Considering it's a federal office, I'm not sure how much help talking to local lawmakers would help. I think a better bet would be Congressman John Kline. Perhaps e-mail the Postmaster General directly—or better yet, write him a letter. :)

I love that idea, Corey! Citizens of Northfield: They're robbing the Post Office, boys! Get your pens! Let's all write letters to the Postmaster General and tell them how we feel about our Post Office! We took on Jesse James, why not the Federal Government?! Who's with me?! :)

I emailed Mike Osskopp at Kline's metro office and will follow up with a call tomorrow. Corey, can you give us the contact info for the Postmaster General? I will call Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar also. Time is running out!

I made a poster "Save Our Post Office" to hold on Bridge Square Saturday noon. Let's do anything we can NOW.

Get on USPS OIG (office of inspector general) website and find George Mason Model:

Options for Adapting to Volume Declines
We believe the model offers an objective framework to organize the debate about how to respond to the current crisis. The available solutions fall into three broad options:

1. Let the market dictate. Increase prices to the levels the market would bear to make the Postal Service break even as suggested by the GMU study. This option requires price increases above the levels allowed by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

2. Introduce substantial changes to the Postal Service’s cost and revenue structure. Allow the Postal Service to implement its 10-year action plan announced in March 2010, giving the Postal Service the flexibility to cut delivery days, pursue new products, optimize its network, and undertake other initiatives.4

3. Aggressively correct CSRS and FERS overpayments. Reform the Postal Service’s prefunding of its health and pension obligations by returning the amounts the Postal Service has overpaid and by allowing it to adopt the same funding targets commonly used in the private sector — 80 percent for pensions and 30 percent for retiree health care. This option can maintain the PAEA price cap.5

GMU’s analysis provides hope that the Postal Service can survive the anticipated volume declines as long it is allowed to act on the options available for financial sustainability.

From what I've read, letters should be written to say, "Dear Postmaster General."

Address:

Postmaster General
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20260-0010

If you'd like to use his name, it's Patrick R. Donahoe.

Thanks, Corey. No email for Donahoe?
I talked with Ryan Silverberg at Kline's office. He is working on this, said to send my message on George Mason Model to
Kline.house.gov
Hit "Contact John" and write message in box.

E-mail: pmgceo@usps.gov
Phone number for his office: 1-800-275-8777

Congressman John Kline's office called today, saying there have been meetings with USPS and Mayor Rossing will be receiving a call soon. Everybody please warn Rossing so she is prepared to make a strong argument for keeping it open!!

URGENT:
Just talked with Mary Rossing who has been in touch with the regional office out of Colorado. They will be sending someone April 5, she assumes to give us the bad news. We still have a chance if we act through the Wash DC office though, with whatever help Congressman Kline's office has been able to set up. Kline's office called yesterday to say Mary Rossing will get a call in coming days from the fed.

I spoke w/Mary today and am sending her the George Mason Model (3 options I posted here) so she will have something to start with in conversation. Meanwhile, we can all phone and email the Postmaster General (Corey posted his email and phone above). We must use this window of opportunity immediately (before end of March).

Great Work Stephanie! As posted before, the Postmaster General's name is Patrick R. Donahoe. He can be reached at:
E-mail: pmgceo@usps.gov
Phone number for his office: 1-800-275-8777

Jeff,

Corey says you are in charge while he is away this week. I do not koow if Mayor Rossing has received the call yet. The media, other than PATCH, is not doing much with this. Many people on the street, even business owners, are not aware of the potential closing. At least one person I spoke with this week is not convinced Northfield is really on the list.

I could not get through on the 800 number when I tried last week, though I did email.

In order to avoid a public frenzy, I cannot speculate. Here is what we know: a) The US Postal Service is looking to close or consolidate a certain number of under-performing post offices throughout the country; b) The USPS will be making an official announcement about which ones on Mar. 25; c) Mayor Rossing has said that the USPS regional office in Colorado is sending someone to Northfield during the first week of April. Until the announcement this week, that is all we know. There is speculation that the Northfield post office is on the list of those being closed or consolidated but right now that is UNCONFIRMED. Stay tuned to Northfield Patch for the update.

The regional real estate officer of the USPS is coming to NF to speak to the Council on April 5, according to the Mayor.
Therefore, I think it is not a "frenzy", Jeff, to ask Nf'rs to get their voices out there on this issue.

Here's my suggestion: Patch is doing a great job , and is truly a needed and welcome news source for us; can you do an on-line survey, or better yet, a petition, against the possible closing of our DT Post Office ???

I just don't want to hear that the USPS did NOT hear from NF on this issue... and I'm afraid that given all the other concerns with the river, and this nasty weather, no one is going to be standing in B'Square with petitions.

So again, is there an online petition survey that you could conduct ???

A wonderful idea, Kiffi! I have a call in to my boss to determine the best way for us to use our online reach to tackle this and make SURE Northfielders are heard on this issue. Stay tuned for further details.

Jeff,

I hope the survey will be available today or tomorrow. We need it running at least ten days to get results in time. Could it say, "Do you support keeping the historic downtown Post Office open?" Yes or No.

Good afternoon Northfielders! The online petition to save the downtown post office will go live on Northfield Patch at 3 pm today. If you feel strongly about the issue, please leave your name in the comment section and forward to your friends. The USPS will not care if we get 100 or even 1,000 people to sign the petition, we need as many voices as we can get!

I must be dense. How do I get to the survey?

Stephanie Henriksen
David Kamis

We own a house in Northfield at 1114 S. Linden St.

Here is the location of the survey: http://northfield.patch.com/articles/save-the-northfield-post-office-sign-the-online-petition

I see there are over 60 signers of the online petition. Anyone know how the list will be submitted at the City Council meeting tomorrow night Tuesday?

Same with paper petition in various stores. I stopped in Present Perfect yesterday, Sunday April 3, to remind Mayor Rossing that people will be dropping off the petition sheets there Monday. She said she prefers not to present them herself, but to have citizens keep them and present them Tuesday night. How do we get the word out so this will happen?

Stephanie, I plan to print off the Northfield Patch petition and bring it to City Hall tomorrow. We will continue to collect signatures to send to the regional director and Postmaster General. Patch (like the newspaper, I'm assuming) is fine with being a platform for the petition, but ethically, journalists cannot present these signatures on behalf of Northfield residents.

I went by the antique store on Division (across from Mary Rossing's Present Perfect) yesterday Thursday and saw a large sign in white paint on the glass in white letters:

SAVE OUR POST OFFICE
54 days left

That means there is a countdown (60 days for comment started April 5). Surely, the meeting with legislators can happen before then.

NDDC letter handed out at Nfld Council meeting last night April 19 (?) had these steps. I got same day reply from Sovari to my complaint to USPS website (#3):

1. Sign a SOPO petition: on the Northfield News and Northfield PATCH websites, or at downtown locations including the the Used a Bit Shop, the Northfield News, Antiques of Northfield, and Goodbye Blue Monday Coffeehouse.

2. Write a letter stating why downtown postal services matter to you, your business, and our downtown economy and community. Send a letters to either (or both):

Natalie Sorvari, Consumer Affairs Mgr
Anthony Williams, Regional District Mgr
United States Postal Service/Northland District, 100 S. 1st Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401

3. Submit a comment to USPS Customer Service. Select “Problem” or “Information” on the drop-down menu, and send a comment saying why the loss of our downtown Post Office is a problem for your household/business and/or our downtown

4. Encourage your friends/neighbors to help “Keep the Postal Service in our downtown!”