Is Montclair a real place without its post office?  Would it still feel like the wonderful little village we know and love today?  Imagine having to drive for miles to mail holiday cards and gifts, or your tax return.  Think about the impact on your daily schedule, the inconvenience, and even the wasted oil.

To us, Montclair without its post office…seems like a body with its heart ripped out.  And yet the U.S. Postal Service is deciding whether or not to perform this “major surgery” right now.

Our village is one of five Oakland P.O. locations that’s on a closure hit list.  In the Montclarion, Postal Service spokesperson Augustine Ruiz said they will begin making decisions or taking actions on October 2nd.  That means we have precious time to act, and to prevent this untimely demise.

Postal Service Is Declining: In the new world order, it’s all about dollars and cents.  The snail mail business is definitely hurting with our wholesale shift to online communications, not to mention fierce competition from FedEx and UPS.  No one uses their post offices like before, including Montclarions.

Still, we have practical needs and stopping by the post office seems as natural as breathing air.  It will be tough on us if this Mountain Ave office closes down, because that means a several-mile drive down Broadway or Moraga to 41st Street (map).  Don’t get me going about the service there, either.

Local Office Needs Money, Stat: One Montclair neighbor, Karen Silverberg, decided to ask the postal workers what to do.  “I talked to one of the clerks at the Montclair P.O. and he said that the review would be based upon revenues received by each station, bottom line,” she explained.  “We should all go buy lots of stamps, ASAP.”  This seems like wise council, along with shipping a few more packages.

The Montclair Village Association will address the threatened closure at their next Board meeting, and welcomes concerned Montclarions to attend as well.  You may join them on Wednesday, August 5th, at 6:15 pm – down at the Pacific National Bank office (1998 Mountain Ave, map).

C’mon, folks!  We’ve gotta show the USPS that we mean business.

More info:   Besides making the point to visit our local post office (map), you can become an activist and register complaints too.  The USPS District Manager, Kim Fernandez, may be contacted at 1675 7th St., Rm. 307, Oakland, CA 94615.  Our Oakland Postmaster, Lowana Gooch, may be called at (510) 251-3031 or reached at 201 13th St., Rm 212,  Oakland CA  94612.  Or you may ask for assistance from U.S. Congress Rep Barbara Lee, click here for contacts.