Dear Bolinas Community,

We have had months of steady progress and multiple expressions of commitment (from District and Regional USPS) to returning our PO to Bolinas, starting with the installation of the Mesa Park Interim Bolinas Post Office. A few days ago, on the brink of securing a signed lease with USPS, we suddenly received a message from our USPS collaborators that the Mesa Park Interim PO may be at risk.  THIS IS BY NO MEANS A DEAD END, but it is certainly concerning and requires urgent community action (see steps below).

Immediately upon receiving this information just days ago, our committee engaged our District and Regional USPS reps and our elected officials. In one day, Congressman Huffman and Supervisor Rodoni’s offices connected with District, Regional and National USPS representatives to re-iterate the urgent need for an interim physical full-service PO in Bolinas as described in the USPS-vetted Mesa Park plan, which is ready to be stood up.

This sudden “additional review” of the Bolinas project by USPS is a total surprise to us and also to our USPS collaborators. It coincides with the reopening of the Olema PO, which may have created confusion. As you are aware: 1) the Olema PO site has inadequate space, 2) is not reachable by non-driving Bolinas citizens and has no public transportation, 3) is not truly ADA accessible, and 4) is very prone to flooding. We have made it abundantly clear that this is NOT a substitute for the urgently needed interim PO in Bolinas and the restoration of a longterm permanent PO in Bolinas.

The District and Regional USPS Representatives again stated this week that they strongly support the proposed Interim PO installation at Mesa Park and the restoration of a longterm permanent PO in Bolinas . 

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

WHAT:

The Time is NOW to Make Your Voices Heard and SEEN again!

We expect there are ongoing USPS discussions underway about this project and we therefore must seize this moment to reiterate the critical need to proceed with the Mesa Park Interim PO project without delay!

As you did brilliantly before, we need you to once again make your input VISIBLY in the form of letters and postcards.

WHY:

 Your voices are absolutely crucial at this time!! USPS and Huffman’s office have told us that your letters are very impactful! 

We are gathering as many letters as possible by midday Tuesday. so we can hand them off to Congressman Huffman’s office Tuesday afternoon. They will deliver them to the USPS office this week. We know its a holiday weekend but what better way to celebrate LABOR DAY than to do some community service?! 

HOW: 

We hope these options make it SUPER EASY to do the right thing in as little as 10 mins:

1. WRITE +SIGN letters and postcards as part of your Labor Day celebration. 

2. Include “talking points” - see examples below if helpful

3. We will add the address labels, stamps, and even envelopes if needed.

4. Drop them off at the Bo PO table at Labor Day celebration downtown Monday, in mail slot at BCPUD, or in the box at John Borgs barn. 

5. Monday LABOR DAY- We will have a Bo PO table downtown with letter writing supplies, address labels and bullet points on a sign

6. Encourage others to contribute to the town goal of “100+ letters + postcards by midday Tuesday”…Definitely ambitious in 2 days,  but we are confident in the Bolinas culture of “many hands make light work” and the “for the good of the whole”. 

TALKING POINTS:

If aligned with your thoughts, here is a possible BRIEF LETTER:

We urge you to proceed without delay to install the Interim Post Office at Mesa Park. 

USPS helped develop and has approved this plan and it is ready to go! 

There are no other near term options and the lack of a PO in town continues to cause great hardship.  

The USPS is currently NOT meeting its obligations to the town of Bolinas. 

PLEASE “DELIVER” on our Interim PO Mesa Park plan !!

If aligned with your thoughts, here are other possible talking points that might be helpful: 

1. We in Bolinas are still badly in need of having our full-service physical Post Office returned to town. The current bandaid services are completely inadequate in meetings USPS obligations to the town of Bolinas citizens.

2. I urge you to support the installation of the Mesa Park Interim Post Office without further delay. No other proposed options will serve the community’s PO needs. 

3. The Olema PO is NOT an interim solution because: a) the Olema PO site has inadequate space, b) is not reachable by the many non-driving Bolinas citizens and has no public transportation option, c) is not truly ADA accessible, and d) is very prone to flooding. 

4. The lack of a PO in Bolinas for over 180 days has caused great hardship to our community including:  compromised healthcare, failed medication delivery, lost and  late checks, lost and late payments, loss of business services, lost and returned packages, inability to access mail for our many citizens without transportation. 

Address to:

Postmaster General DeJoy

C/O Raj Sanghera

USPS District 1 Manager

1300 Evans Ave, Ste 300

San Francisco, Calif 94188

DELIVER YOUR COMPLETED LETTERS DOWNTOWN TODAY AT THE LABOR DAY TABLE DOWNTOWN

This is definitely a challenging journey, but it is not beyond the numerous historical precedents of Bolinas stepping up to provide for its community needs. 

We anticipate the prior lessons of creative problem-solving, team efforts and a joint community voice, will once again deliver a success in this current endeavor - to restore our Post Office to Bolinas and build on its 160 year legacy. 

Thank you to each of you in your role to make this happen.

ONWARD!

-The Bolinas Post Office Committee