Community Fights Post Office Closure

POSTAL SERVICE Threatens TO CLOSE DOWN

SMALLEST ZIP CODE IN United States

Residents of Alplaus are fighting a decision by the United States Postal Service to close the Alplaus Community Post Office in January 2012. The Alplaus Post Office, established in 1922, has been a central part of the community for over 89 years and is worth preserving as a vibrant expression of small-town life. Moreover, while many other post offices lose money, the Alplaus Post Office turns a profit of  $40,000.00 to the USPS bottom line.

On November 2, 2011, the USPS sent a letter to the Post Master of Alplaus stating that her contract would be cancelled and the Alplaus Post Office would need to close on January 6, 2012.  According to the letter, this decision was a concession to the American Postal Workers Union as a part of their collective bargaining agreement. 

The Alplaus Post Office not only serves the public as a convenient postal facility, it is the focal point of the little hamlet. Woven into the fabric of our community, it serves as a meeting place, historical center, lending library, community outreach center, and safe-haven for school children. It also happens to be the smallest zip code in the continental United States.  Zip code 12008 is collateral damage in the Postal Service’s efforts to revamp operations and cut costs. But again, the decision to close a profitable post office does not make financial sense.

The residents of Alplaus have resolved to take action.  On November 15, 2011, at 7 pm, a public meeting is being held at the Alplaus Firehouse. Elected officials and Postal Service representatives are being invited to address our concerns. All members of the public who want to help save the post office are urged to attend.

For more information contact the Alplaus Post Master, Kathy McGarry Boyle at (518) 399-8048 or Alplaus Residents Association President Andy Gilpin, (518) 366-2675 or gilpinandy@gmail.com.