Dimond Neighborhood Newsby Kathleen Russell, Ken Gibson, and Daniel Swafford |
Community Opposes Threat to Dimond Post Office |
 Residents of Lincoln Court Senior Apartments sign “Save Our Dimond Post Office” petition. Photo by Ken Gibson. |
Over the last few weeks residents of the Dimond District and other Oakland neighborhoods served by the Dimond Branch Post Office learned that "our Dimond Post Office" might be closed.' The United States Postal Service (USPS) has begun a procedure to reduce the number of its facilities to cut growing losses. In July, the USPS operated over 27,200 full post offices and over 4,800 branches and stations. The USPS has listed 697 branches and stations for possible closure. The Dimond Branch Post Office is one of five Oakland facilities on that list. 'Over a dozen "Save Our Dimond Post Office" supporters from the Dimond, Fruitvale, Glenview, Laurel, Lincoln Heights, Oakmore, and Woodminster neighborhoods met July 21, at Nama Restaurant on Fruitvale Avenue in the Dimond, to discuss points about our Dimond Post Office that the USPS should consider: Three nearby senior residences—Lincoln Court, Beth Asher, and The Altenheim—are home to hundreds of senior citizens who rely on this post office, reachable by foot. There is a vital community of small businesses and residents who walk to this post office regularly to send letters and packages, purchase stamps, and money orders. This post office is located at an important public transportation hub and shopping area that anchors one end of the Fruitvale Alive Community Transportation Plan for Fruitvale Ave. Free parking is behind this post office, as well as in nearby public parking lots.'The Dimond businesses, the branch library, and this post office form the thriving center for one of the most diverse parts of Oakland. With 28,880 residents counted in zip-code 94602 in the 2000 census, this post office serves a larger population than the national average of less than 10,000 people for each USPS retail facility. A meeting of over 50 "Save Our Dimond Post Office" supporters met on August 6 at the Dimond Branch Library. At the meeting, ideas for making community voices heard were developed, and dozens of volunteers stepped forward.' Petitions have been prepared in English, Spanish, and Chinese for signing at the traditional August block parties held in the neighborhoods. Additional petitions can be picked up from street-corner signs, circulated by anyone, and sent to the Dimond Improvement Association for forwarding to USPS officials and our Congressional representative, Barbara Lee. Post cards printed for this purpose will also be available for patrons outside our Dimond Post Office. Individual postal patrons can also write letters. Volunteers have set up email and telephone lists and a Web site so that everyone can share information and ideas and keep up with developments. Find more information at sodpo.wordpress.com/. "Save Our Dimond Post Office" will meet again September 17, 7 p.m., at Lincoln Court, MacArthur Blvd at Lincoln Ave. |
