Post office shows no pride

Our post office is a place we all want to be proud of. After all, it is the center of Orland. The reason why our city was given a name in 1875.

For years, prominent men in our community were appointed postmaster. Citizens of Orland were thrilled when, during President John F. Kennedy’s term, money was allocated to build the building at Main and Mill streets. The Orland post office established on May 5, 1876 finally had a permanent home.

Sadly, it is a place now which I cannot be proud of. Its tile floors are filthy with dirt and chewing gum. Its walls are grimy and in need of paint. The carpet that greets you is also filthy, thread bare and generally littered. The tiny garden at the front entry is full of cigarette butts, bits of paper and leaves left over from the fall of ’07. I also understand there are mornings when our flag is not raised promptly at opening time and encouraging words to clean up go unheeded.

This citizen of the Orland area regrets that the employees of the U.S. Postal Service have no pride in our community and allow this all to be so. Too bad that we no longer have prominent Orlanders appointed postmaster. They cared about our town.

Joanne Overton

Orland