Do We Have Mail?

How many neighborhood residents know that nestled in behind the Stop & Go store on Winnebago Street and sharing a building with Deibel Laboratories is the US Postal Contract station located on South Second Street. For years, neighborhood residents have had the opportunity (or luxury, depending on who one talks to) of being able to take a healthy walk, comfortable bike ride or short car trip over to the US Postal Contract station.

In June of this year, after 18 years of operating the contract station, Mike Malec decided it was time for a change. Bob Yu, a resident of the Schenk Neighborhood, took over operation of the station from July until December.

On December 6, the US Postal Service began operating the station.

Bob Yu, the station's most recent operator, reported that the station is very busy. "That station serves many people who work in the area. I've seen checks from Waunakee, Verona, Cambridge; people who work in the area and have told me that they come here because the service was good and it's easy to get to," he said. Yu estimates that 40,000 people are served by the station.

In a phone call to Nancy O'Connell, the Second Street station supervisor, she stated that the Postal Service is presently soliciting proposals for the operation of the station. "We are very committed to keeping the station open," she said. "We plan to do remodeling work on the space and expect to have a changeover this spring. Until then, the facility will be run with Postal Service personnel."

-David Mandehr