Meetings for local Post Office closings

  Capital Region residents concerned about plans to shut down Post Office branches in their neighborhoods are expected to turn out for a series of public meetings starting Wednesday afternoon.

  In Albany, the Mayor's office announced that the U.S. Postal Service Postmaster will hold an information meeting at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday in the Elks Lodge at 25 South Allen Street.  The nearby U.S. Post Office branch known as the Pine Station on Allen Street and another neighborhood station at 332 Delaware Avenue will be the focus of Wednesday's meeting.

  On Thursday at 3:00 p.m. the public will be able to weigh in on the planned closing of the Patroon Post Office branch at a meeting set for the American Legion Post at 35 North First Street in Albany.

   Also on Thursday, residents who want to speak out concerning the planned closing of the Mohawk Avenue Post Office in Scotia can atttend a meeting at 10 Prestige Parkway in Scotia at 6:00p.m.

   The U.S Post Office is closing branches in an effort to deal with a loss of $7 billion dollars and a 20 percent drop in mail volume in the past year and a half.

   The public meetings are being viewed as a final opportunity for the public to have their say in trying to block the closings.

   Several other branches scheduled for closings have been removed from the list.