Goshen Post Office…‘We Didn’t Know We ‘d Be Tossed Out So Quickly’

To The Editor:
Al Campbell’s recent op-ed about the closing of the Goshen post office resonated with a lot of us dispossessed postal patrons. We knew something was about to change as the building had been sold, but we didn’t know we’d be tossed out so quickly.
I’ve lived in Goshen almost 10 years, and stopping in our little post office was one of the nicest things about living in this village. It was like a coffee house, where neighbors could see each other, catch up on the lives of friends, spend a few minutes every day discussing local and national events, bemoan the lack of rain, report good fishing. It tied us together as a community in many ways. Our postmaster, Gene Summers, was the moderator, always helpful. He even went to his computer one day when I came in with what looked like ping-pong balls from my mulch pile…snapping turtle eggs, he said! We will miss him and Barbara, his Saturday substitute.
But the saddest part of this story is the sudden disconnection from history in Goshen. The post office was on the site for well over 100 years, one of the very few places in Goshen where we were able to run into friends and neighbors. It held us together as a community.
Several years ago, the Goshen Fire Department was promoting the idea of using the old Goshen school as part of a new multi-million dollar firehouse, certain they’d get grants for its restoration. The economy and the already-overburdened taxpayers squelched that plan. But why not now? The grants could be applied for, the post office would fit nicely in that building. It’s a good location, has enough parking, would provide the fire company with some rent money from the Postal Service.
Meanwhile, I have to drive 10 miles round-trip to get my mail. I think there are a lot of us post-Depression kids here in Goshen who could give the Postal Service some clues about saving money without trashing a whole community.
ANNE BIDDLE PRATT
Goshen