It may be a surprise to some Clarkson residents to learn that the Town Post Office at 3720 Lake Road North is now closed with no date for reopening. Last year, we were informed that the lease on the property had expired and the post office was moving to a new location. However, at two town board meetings in April, Town Supervisor Ursula Liotta reported that the U.S. Postal Service had informed her that it had a two-year extension at the current location.
So, Clarkson residents like me, who get their mail at the Clarkson Post Office, were greatly dismayed to find the office doors locked with a note that said simply, “Closed.”
To this day, there is no information on where to pick up our mail, or even if there is a postmaster responsible for its safekeeping. We are told that the Post Office is just temporarily closed, but that statement is just as trustworthy as USPS telling the Clarkson Supervisor that they have a two-year extension at the current location. There was no extension, and I have serious doubts as to whether there will ever be a reopening.
The loss of the Clarkson Post Office hurts residents in several ways. It cuts off essential services, such as paying bills or receiving prescriptions, and creates an added inconvenience and expense of traveling further to get our mail. Residents without transportation to other post offices will be especially hard hit by the closure.
The Postal Service is so vital to this nation that the Founding Fathers established it in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 8. This is an essential service, not a for-profit venture. There are plenty of private companies that will deliver your packages at a direct cost to you, but having a post office in Clarkson is one reason why this isn’t just a zip code—it’s a community and an American town like all others.
The closure of the Clarkson Post Office—even if temporary—hurts this community, and its handling gives us every reason to worry that our government is deeply out of touch with the lives of real Americans.
William Fine
Clarkson
Note: USPS issued a notice on its website stating that due to loss of lease, the Clarkson Post Office, 3720 Lake Road, is temporarily closed until further notice. Current Clarkson Post Office Box customers can retrieve their mail at the Brockport Post Office, 14 Main Street, Brockport, New York 14420-9998. Be prepared to show a photo ID when claiming your mail. Retail hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A timeframe for a return to Clarkson has yet to be determined.
