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Community Corner

The Clinton Post Office Is A Community Building

Come see the memorabilia celebrating 75 years.

This article was written by Sheldon Potesak Jr.:

The Clinton Post Office has celebrated its 75th Anniversary this week. The Post Office presented the Henry Carter Hull Library with a book of articles of the history of the Clinton Post Office.

This article reflects on the Clinton Post Office Anniversary and tradition of the Post Office.

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The Clinton Post Office was dedicated on March 6, 1937. Now the Post Office has gone through many changes since then. The Post Office is not just a federal building but a community building. The lobby has been recently fixed up and turned into a community lobby.

On display in the lobby are old maps of Clinton and old Clinton Recorder newspapers from 1937. There is also a wall of honor for local veterans. Families can come and post photos of the veterans. Also there is a Clinton event board and Clinton student board. The student board contains articles from local newspapers about Clinton students. In the winter time the Post Office collects toys for the needy and in the spring they collect food for the needy. This upcoming Christmas the Post Office will be opening up the lobby for Christmas in Clinton.

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There has been much controversy about the Post Office in the news lately. Within a few months the Clinton Post Office may end up losing one to two employees that might be transferred out of Clinton. There's also a possibility that the window hours may change. The current window hours are from 8:30am-5pm, the hours could change from 9am-4:30pm but that is not definite yet.

Right now there are no plans for the Clinton Post Office to close down. As a matter of fact the Post Office just hired a new grounds keeper to take care of the Post Office and the grounds outside. He also takes care of one of the oldest Elm trees in Clinton. In recognition of being one of the oldest trees the Clinton Post Office named it Haley Marie on April 11, 2003.

The 45 cent stamp is still the cheapest in the world. 200 years ago when our founding father Benjamin Franklin was the Post Master General it was free to mail a letter and now it is 45 cents. So in 200 years to mail a letter it only went up by 45 cents! The Post Office is here not to make a profit but to deliver mail to the community.

As the famous Clinton Post Office saying goes, “We’ll deliver your mail neither snow nor rain nor heat.”

No taxpayer money has ever been used to fund the Post Office. The Post Office uses no federal money but earns profit from selling stamps and other products in the Post Office.

Many volunteers have helped turned the Clinton Post Office into a community center. With the help of Cashman Hardware the Post Office is repairing the light post outside and hopes to get the lights working in front of the building.

The new lobby was done on my father, Sheldon Potesak's, own time and money. Clinton Glass also was a huge help in replacing and repairing the frames of the pictures and old maps.  Also thanks to Chris Cummings whose husband was the librarian who donated a print of a painting of Clinton that was painted around the 1800s. Wayne who is a window clerk also helped with the lobby project by hanging up the paintings. The Officer in Charge of the Post Office Vicky also gave permission to make this Post Office into community Post Office. Also we want to thank the Sign of Times for putting the banner in front of the Post Office. The Post Office is also looking for old memorabilia to hang in the lobby.

Happy 75th Anniversary to the Clinton Post Office!

Clinton Post Office, 2 West Main Street, Clinton, CT, (860)  669-4156

Business Hours:  Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm; Sat, 8:30am-1pm; closed Sunday.

- Sheldon Potesak Jr.

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