St. John Post Office to lose staff

If we still owned the Mail Center at the Marketplace, we'd be shaking our heads in disbelief at news three St. John employees at the Post Office are being transferred to St. Thomas.

The St. John Administrator, Leona Smith, complained about the move to the St. John Source saying, "We're already faced with delays and the island is growing."

The only thing this can mean is longer lines at the Cruz Bay Post Office. and more lousy service. Supposedly, mail is to be delivered to mailboxes by 11 a.m., but Smith says it's now more likely at 3 p.m.

The three workers have been told to show up for work at 6 a.m. at the St. Thomas airport, according to the Source story - irrespective of the fact the St. John ferry doesn't make its first run until 6 a.m.

So, if you'll be spending a few weeks or a few months on St. John, getting your mail at the Post Office is going to be even more of a hassle. When magazines arrive months after their publication, and Priority Mail takes four days, fewer people working at the Post Office is only going to make things worse.

Jason Corley, the new owner of the Mail Center, and Nakira, the terrific store manager, are going to feel the effects, too. But you can avoid that additional stress by renting a mailbox at their Marketplace business and letting Jason and Nakira do the heavy lifting. This is not an advertisement, just a fact of life.

Read the St. John Source story.