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Solon Post Office remodeled, rededicated
(by Sue Hoffman - November 03, 2010)
Solon Post Office remodeled, rededicated
By SUE HOFFMAN
The Solon Post Office at 33333 Station St. was rededicated with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting last week. The 7,000-square-foot building features a newly remodeled lobby and retail area.
In an effort to save costs, postal officials moved the retail operation of the Solon branch of the Cleveland Post Office to where the carriers were located on Station Street. The retail operation at Solon Square Shopping Center on Aurora Road (Route 43) was closed at the end of August.
Solon Mayor Susan Drucker and U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, expressed appreciation for the newly remodeled structure before cutting the ribbon.
Mrs. Drucker said she met with officials of the Cleveland Post Office soon after she took office a year ago to address concerns of residents and businesses. The city was asking for a larger facility that's more user-friendly, she said. "We're thankful the Solon Post Office responded to the community's requests."
The post office is "the lifeblood of the community," Mr. LaTourette said. As a former member of a Congressional Postal Service subcommittee, he said, customer service has never been better.
As part of the ceremony, Solon High School senior Jasmine Coleman sang the national anthem and the Solon Fire Department honor guard, including Tom DeLong, Mike Sager and Matt Eshleman, presented the U.S. flag. The Rev. Scott Law, pastor of Solon United Methodist Church, gave the invocation and benediction.
Over a 10-year period, the consolidation of operations on Station Street will result in a $30,000 annual savings, according to Cleveland Post Office spokesman Victor Dubina.
The retail spot was created in 1997 when mail volume was increasing, Mr. Dubina said. The U.S. Postal Service is now responding to a national decline in mail volume.
"Once you see mail volume decline and revenues decline, you start looking at where you can save money. This consolidation is an example of that," he said.
The post office owns the Station Street building, he said, "so we will no longer have to pay lease costs for the retail facility."
The Solon Post Office has 45 employees, which is two fewer than it had before, Mr. Dubina said. "The good news," he said, is that the Postal Service does not lay off people. He said people are moved to other locations where there are vacancies.
Ten years ago, the U.S. Postal Service employed some 800,000 people. Today there are 589,000 employees, Mr. Dubina said.
"Decisions are being made everyday to improve our business," Rosemarie Phillips, manager of customer service operations at the Cleveland Post Office, said at the ceremony.
"My motto is to work for you and with you," Sharon Stewart, acting manager of the Solon Post Office, said.
Hours of operation of the Solon Post Office are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The post office is closed on Sunday. The lobby features an automated postal center that is available 24 hours a day.
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