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Pavilion's "postal trailer" will open on February 2, according to a U.S. Postal Service release that went out this morning. Pavilion has been without a post office since the location on Lake Street was destroyed during an apartment fire in November.

This trailer (below) is located a stone's throw from the Town Hall on Woodrow Drive.

From the press release:

Effective February 2, 2009 retail and delivery services will be restored to the Pavilion community via a postal trailer located on the Town of Pavilion property at Woodrow Drive. Service hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Pavilion customers can purchase postage and other postal products, as well as pick up Post Office Box mail at the new location. The trailer will also accommodate the Pavilion rural carriers.

“The November fire at the Post Office caused great disruption to mail services in Pavilion,” stated Manager of Post Office Operations Ron Coon. “We are pleased to be able to restore convenient postal services to town residents and businesses.”

A final determination of the Lake Street Post Office site has not been made.

Pavilion residents may not have to wait much longer to get their stamps and pick up their mail in town again. They have been without local walk-in service, since a fire destroyed the old post office on South Lake Road in early November. Mail delivery has continued, but folks who pick up their mail at the post office have had to do so over at the Fire Hall, and only at a certain time each day. The original post office is now boarded up, and a spokeswoman with the Postal Service tells us that there are no updates on its status.

Fortunately, the trailer that has been set up behind the town hall may soon be ready to open. From Karen Mazurkiewicz, spokeswoman:

"We are in the process of establishing utility services to a postal trailer located at 1 Woodrow Street adjacent to the town of Pavilion Library. The trailer will house the rural carriers and allow customers access to retail services and Post Office box mail.

"We have not determined an opening date yet but hope that it will be in the next few weeks."

For those who have not yet been by, here's what to look for:

Well folks, it turns out not even the postal service is immune to an economy that's feeling the hurt. A story on Buffalo's WIVB Channel 4 informs us that postal delivery route changes are in store for several districts in the area, including Batavia.

From a companion story on the Channel 4 Web site:

When the nation's businesses experience a downturn, it directly affects the volume of mail. Economic decline leads to a decline in mail volume. The current year is particularly challenging since mail volume has declined significantly

In order to remain economically viable, the Postal Service must make changes to its operations, staffing, and facilities to match current mail volume and to maintain the service performance the American public has come to expect.

We will contact the local branch later this morning to see if there are more details on when and where in particular these changes will take effect.