Photo by BeyondChron
Tenderloin Post Office Patrons Celebrate Huge Victory
by Paul Hogarth‚ May. 28‚ 2008
After a long community struggle to demand that the Tenderloin get a full-service post office, the US Postal Service announced plans on May 14th to expand their bare-bones facility at 101 Hyde. Last night, Post Office Patrons (POP) – a group of P.O. Box holders – gathered to celebrate this victory. For this group of Tenderloin residents, a neighborhood post office is a crucial milestone – after getting evicted from the US Court of Appeals building nearly 20 years ago. For this group of P.O. box patrons, the dignity of having a full-service post office is all that they’ve been asking for.
Until the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989, the ornate US Court of Appeals building at 7th and Mission also housed the City’s Main Post Office – where SRO residents rented P.O. Boxes to receive mail, as well as General Delivery service for homeless people. Daily lobby hours were from 6:00 a.m. to Midnight. But when the court renovated in 1991, the court wanted that space for an exercise facility – kicking out the P.O. Box holders.
The current location at 101 Hyde Street opened up in 1991 – and the Postal Service has slowly downsized its operations over the years. Today, you can’t even send out mail from that facility – and last year they removed the vending machines to buy stamps. All you have now is a series of P.O. Boxes for regular patrons to pick up their mail – while the neighborhood complains that the building is an eyesore and a place for loiterers.
Box-holder Michael Nulty emceed last night’s festivities – where Post Office Patrons, Senior Action Network and the Safety Network received awards in recognition of their work to make this happen. Nulty described the campaign to get a full-service station – with a February 14th hearing at the Board of Supervisors. “We brought Valentines for the Supervisors,” he said, “because our post office wouldn’t let us mail them out.”
“One thing that helped motivate the Post Office,” said Elaine Zamora of the Tenderloin Community Benefits District, “is that we gathered 1,000 signatures in just three months.” She explained the next steps: the Postal Service plans to open the full-service station by the end of the year, and will construct two service counters that will be staffed. Zamora added that she’s looking into grants to pay a muralist to decorate the building’s exterior – provided there are no legal constraints from the Postal Service’s side.
“They’ll have to eliminate some mailboxes to convert the station,” said Zamora. “But only ones that are not currently utilized – so no customers will be affected.”
Federal law signed by President Bush mandates that the Postal Service make a profit on its operations – which affected the decision to expand the facility at 101 Hyde. At last night’s event, one person suggested that to ensure a good market the Postal Service should notify everyone living in the 94102, 94103 and 94109 zip codes by postcard that they’ll be having a full-service post office. “People in the neighborhood won’t use it if you don’t tell them about it,” she said.
When I got home right after the event, I received a free promotion in the mail from the Postal Service's new "Stamp by Mail" program -- where you can mail them a check and have your stamps delivered. The promo even included a "no postage necessary" form to send back. If the Postal Service can afford that, surely they can send out notifications to Tenderloin residents about the new post office.
feedback at beyondchron dot org
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
San Francisco Weekly May 21, 2008
Postal employees not happy about working in the Tenderloin
By Joe Eskenazi
Published: May 21, 2008
Subject(s): Joe Eskenazi on Tenderloin post office Life seems so much simpler when you only read press releases. Take the one issued last week by the United States Postal Service. The residents of the Tenderloin wanted their local branch at 101 Hyde to do more than merely housing P.O. boxes and offering general delivery for folks without addresses — and lo, it was done!
"The community asked us to consider upgrading the Civic Center Post Office to a 'full-fledged' retail center, and we listened," district manager Winifred Groux wrote in the release.
Unmentioned was the fact that, earlier this month, Groux told Tenderloin activists she not only wasn't interested in expanding the post office branch — she was also inclined to close the place altogether.
"The postal people said their employees were afraid to be on the site, and they need to pull out," said David Seward, chief financial officer of nearby Hastings College of the Law. "It was a cut-and-run strategy."
Also unmentioned was the fact that Supervisor Chris Daly stormed out of that meeting early, promising to contact the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Two weeks later the USPS put out its release noting that the community asked for a full-service post office — and it listened. But not so fast.
James Wigdel, the postal service's regional spokesman, said that Pelosi's intervention was not a factor. That's odd: Drew Hammill, her Washington spokesman, told SF Weekly last Tuesday about a series of meetings "with the USPS and local officials" — but he wouldn't divulge more.
"There was definitely some strong-arming going on," said Elaine Zamora, director of the Tenderloin Community Benefits District and leader of the neighborhood's post office petition. "If Nancy Pelosi called me, I'd jump, too."
Whatever the case, Zamora is not about to look a gift post office in the drop box. She's happy, Daly is happy, Pelosi is "pleased," and the USPS says it's all smiles as well. The future employees of the Tenderloin post office? They aren't so happy.
"They used to urinate in there, boo-boo in there — and the janitor's got to clean that up!" one former postal worker at 101 Hyde recalled. "I can deal with it. But I'd rather not go back." Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that USPS put out its press release a day after Daly stormed of the neighborhood meeting with postal officials.
By Joe Eskenazi
Published: May 21, 2008
Subject(s): Joe Eskenazi on Tenderloin post office Life seems so much simpler when you only read press releases. Take the one issued last week by the United States Postal Service. The residents of the Tenderloin wanted their local branch at 101 Hyde to do more than merely housing P.O. boxes and offering general delivery for folks without addresses — and lo, it was done!
"The community asked us to consider upgrading the Civic Center Post Office to a 'full-fledged' retail center, and we listened," district manager Winifred Groux wrote in the release.
Unmentioned was the fact that, earlier this month, Groux told Tenderloin activists she not only wasn't interested in expanding the post office branch — she was also inclined to close the place altogether.
"The postal people said their employees were afraid to be on the site, and they need to pull out," said David Seward, chief financial officer of nearby Hastings College of the Law. "It was a cut-and-run strategy."
Also unmentioned was the fact that Supervisor Chris Daly stormed out of that meeting early, promising to contact the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Two weeks later the USPS put out its release noting that the community asked for a full-service post office — and it listened. But not so fast.
James Wigdel, the postal service's regional spokesman, said that Pelosi's intervention was not a factor. That's odd: Drew Hammill, her Washington spokesman, told SF Weekly last Tuesday about a series of meetings "with the USPS and local officials" — but he wouldn't divulge more.
"There was definitely some strong-arming going on," said Elaine Zamora, director of the Tenderloin Community Benefits District and leader of the neighborhood's post office petition. "If Nancy Pelosi called me, I'd jump, too."
Whatever the case, Zamora is not about to look a gift post office in the drop box. She's happy, Daly is happy, Pelosi is "pleased," and the USPS says it's all smiles as well. The future employees of the Tenderloin post office? They aren't so happy.
"They used to urinate in there, boo-boo in there — and the janitor's got to clean that up!" one former postal worker at 101 Hyde recalled. "I can deal with it. But I'd rather not go back." Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that USPS put out its press release a day after Daly stormed of the neighborhood meeting with postal officials.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
101 Hyde Street Post Office Converting to Full Service
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2008
Contact: James T. Wigdel
415-550-5718
415-205-4708
jwigdel@usps.gov
usps.com/news
Release: SF08-053
Tenderloin Community Post Office Converting to Full Service Unit
U.S. Postal Service Civic Center Station to Offer Mailing and Shipping Services
SAN FRANCISCO — The Post Office located at 101 Hyde St. will soon sell more than P.O. Boxes and service the General Delivery community. The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is moving forward with plans to expand service at the Civic Center Post Office to include all Postal retail services.
“The community asked us to consider upgrading the Civic Center Post Office to a ‘full fledged’ retail center and we listened,” said Winifred G. Groux, Postal Service district manager for San Francisco. “After exploring all of our options, including consolidating several offices into one, upgrading the Civic Center Post Office makes the most sense for the community and the Postal Service.”
The Postal Service is in the early stages of discussion with its Facilities group and the land lord to determine the best course of action to begin the upgrade; however no timeline has yet been established. “We want to move as quickly as possible,” Groux said.
Several factors went into the decision to upgrade the Civic Center. Among them was the Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act of 2006, which mandates the Postal Service to be profitable. The law also gives the Postal Service more flexibility in how it offers its products, such as Express and Priority Mail, so upgrading the Civic Center gives the Postal Service an opportunity to offer its products closer to the community.
“We also received a good deal of information from the community,” Groux said. In particular, Elaine Zamora, district manager of the North of Market Tenderloin Community Benefit District, provided relevant information about community growth that has and will take place in the Tenderloin area. This solidified the business decision to go forward with upgrading the Civic Center Post Office.
Groux said she appreciates the input from the community and the assistance of San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly’s office, which facilitated discussions between the Postal Service and the community.
-30-
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation – 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
May 14, 2008
Contact: James T. Wigdel
415-550-5718
415-205-4708
jwigdel@usps.gov
usps.com/news
Release: SF08-053
Tenderloin Community Post Office Converting to Full Service Unit
U.S. Postal Service Civic Center Station to Offer Mailing and Shipping Services
SAN FRANCISCO — The Post Office located at 101 Hyde St. will soon sell more than P.O. Boxes and service the General Delivery community. The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is moving forward with plans to expand service at the Civic Center Post Office to include all Postal retail services.
“The community asked us to consider upgrading the Civic Center Post Office to a ‘full fledged’ retail center and we listened,” said Winifred G. Groux, Postal Service district manager for San Francisco. “After exploring all of our options, including consolidating several offices into one, upgrading the Civic Center Post Office makes the most sense for the community and the Postal Service.”
The Postal Service is in the early stages of discussion with its Facilities group and the land lord to determine the best course of action to begin the upgrade; however no timeline has yet been established. “We want to move as quickly as possible,” Groux said.
Several factors went into the decision to upgrade the Civic Center. Among them was the Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act of 2006, which mandates the Postal Service to be profitable. The law also gives the Postal Service more flexibility in how it offers its products, such as Express and Priority Mail, so upgrading the Civic Center gives the Postal Service an opportunity to offer its products closer to the community.
“We also received a good deal of information from the community,” Groux said. In particular, Elaine Zamora, district manager of the North of Market Tenderloin Community Benefit District, provided relevant information about community growth that has and will take place in the Tenderloin area. This solidified the business decision to go forward with upgrading the Civic Center Post Office.
Groux said she appreciates the input from the community and the assistance of San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly’s office, which facilitated discussions between the Postal Service and the community.
-30-
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation – 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)