[All] I would like the last word on mail and snails.

Fri Jun 24 10:16:32 EDT 2011

Lighten up, everyone.

And if you want a nice cup of coffee and a Danish to go with it, why not walk down to your nearest postal worker picket line (as I did) and join them for an hour?  My postie, Jim, was there, as well our former  letter carrier  Joanne who once was good enough to look for our lost cat Suzie while going door to door on her route. She even remembered my name and address after 12 years!  Jim, like the others, delivered government cheques voluntarily on Monday, including my own income tax refund.

I have yet to get a gracious word or an offer to look for lost cats from  a single one of the 3oo million spineless vermin who have so far sent me spam via non-snail mail.  I wish people wouldn't pick on snails.  They are peaceful  creatures, never in a hurry, could teach us a lot about patience, and have remarkable sex lives that would make any randy human teenager seize up with envy. And, unlike email, they rarely, if ever, have viruses.  The world is a better place, thanks to the snail.  If you are ever stuck for a recipient of a random act of kindness, try a snail.  Just not stepping on them would qualify.

By the way, now that we're talking about invertebrates, this is a fabulous year for fireflies.  Look for a wet native meadow, pick a warm humid evening when the wind is low, and pay a visit about 10:00 pm.  It's a good way to unwind and cleanse your mind of rubbish.

- Greg Michalenko
________________________________
From: all-bounces at gren.ca [all-bounces at gren.ca] on behalf of Susan Koswan [susankoswan at execulink.com]
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 9:36 AM
To: 'Jan'; 'Len Carter'; randybmclean at rogers.com; all at gren.ca; 'Judith Lodi'
Subject: Re: [All] junk mailboxes?

Thanks  everyone for your comments, but Helen had just contacted me (on behalf of GREN) re the mailbox from an environmental POV – i.e. people having to drive rather than walk to a mailbox. This discussion is fine but is evolving into far broader social and political areas that are not going to be resolved or addressed in this article.

Susan K

From: Jan [mailto:jkliggett at rogers.com]
Sent: June-24-11 9:29 AM
To: Len Carter; randybmclean at rogers.com; susankoswan at execulink.com; all at gren.ca; Judith Lodi
Subject: Re: [All] junk mailboxes?

Good response Len.
While I have a computer, we all know they are down quite often (at least mine is). Even with firewalls, virus catchers etc.   I do not use the elctronic version of bill paying nor do I receive invoices by computer.
I use it for imformation gathering purposes, not socially.

Jan Liggett
----- Original Message -----
From: Len Carter<mailto:len.carter at sympatico.ca>
To: randybmclean at rogers.com<mailto:randybmclean at rogers.com> ; J Liggett<mailto:jkliggett at rogers.com> ; susankoswan at execulink.com<mailto:susankoswan at execulink.com> ; all at gren.ca<mailto:all at gren.ca> ; Judith Lodi<mailto:judith.lodi at rogers.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 11:00 PM
Subject: RE: [All] junk mailboxes?

Just as a matter of interest you might want to think about the jobs that the Canada post gives out so generously.  The people that deliver your mail would love you to use the snail mail version of information transfer. Over 48,000 people are directly impacted by this situation. Each and every one of them has family and a community that depend on them for food housing taxes and there participation in organizations just like GREN..  If they do not have work and do not have incomes they will not have volunteer time and not be able to coach our kids or be involved and quite frankly they will not be able to participate in the society that you know and obviously love. They will not be able to provide the necessities nor have the time or ability to improve our community, Your community.

Look around you will see roads and houses and parks and dams and bridges and food in the stores and cars in the driveways and bikes in the garage and lights on the streets and know that it was working people that put those things there.  It was the management of the Post Office that put communal drop boxes in place rather than have door to door delivery.  Posties would prefer the work and the economy needs the jobs.

Please think about the community without working people before taking a negative stance.

Len Carter
President
Waterloo Regional Labour Council
130 Highland Road East
Kitchener, Ont.
N2M 3V9

PH  (H)   519-748-5880
PH  (O)   519-743-8301
PH  (C)   519-239-7692

________________________________
From: randybmclean at rogers.com
To: jkliggett at rogers.com; susankoswan at execulink.com; all at gren.ca
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 07:52:28 -0400
Subject: Re: [All] junk mailboxes?
Mail has changed.  I do not want junk mail and that is considered every piece of mail  put in my box without my name on it.  That mail does not get into the system through corner drop boxes.  It does not pay the full price and, as a marketing tool, I have no use for it.  It is unnecessary weight, time spent, paper wasted, environmentally degrading JUNK!

Over 80 per cent of the weight of mail I receive in my box is JUNK!.  That means it never went through a drop box.  Relative to 15  years ago I use the mail system less than 20 per cent than what I did then.  I invoice only by email, I pay over 80 per cent of my bills via the internet and I am paid through direct deposit with confirmation through the internet.  More direct deposits will come when the need arises and that need has come and the postal system, when returning back to work, will find less REAL mail to deliver and need to compensate that volume with cheap JUNK!

The only reason the government is legislating them back to work is to protect them from themselves.  Also for those elderly people who do not have internet access, have not been able to switch over, rely on their government cheques, and who make up the majority of voters.

From: all-bounces at gren.ca [mailto:all-bounces at gren.ca] On Behalf Of Jan
Sent: June-23-11 7:03 AM
To: Susan Koswan; 'gren'
Subject: Re: [All] fewer mailboxes?

I agree with S Lachance on this one.  There has already been a major reduction over the past 15 years with the availability of mailboxes.  GREN is supposed to be about the environment.  If you have to drive around to find a mailbox that is in the area in which you are travelling, that uses more gas.  They certainly are not at the bus stops either.  Many times I have a letter (business and personal) in my car for days because I couldn't find one originally and I end up forgetting about the envelope in the back seat.  Most main streets on my daily trk do not have the boxes because planners don't want traffic stopping.

Jan
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Koswan<mailto:susankoswan at execulink.com>
To: 'gren'<mailto:all at gren.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 3:27 PM
Subject: [All] fewer mailboxes?

Does anyone have comments/concerns about Canada Post reducing the number of mailboxes? John, do you want to respond to Helen or should I?

My initial thoughts are that people are using snailmail less, so it seems justified. I think mailboxes need to be more conveniently located where people would normally be going anyway – like grocery stores etc. How many people currently make special trips to the  mailbox nowadays? It seems like an activity that is built-in with other errands.

Let me know, ASAP,
Thanks,
Susan K

I'm writing a story about Canada Post removing 45 mailboxes in KW (ours on McGarry is leaving.) While this is less stops for the Canada Post truck and saves them money, I'm concerned more people will drive to a mailbox now. Our nearest one is going to be at the Westheights plaza.

Do you want to ponder this and give me a call tomorrow?

Helen

Helen Hall
Publisher/Editor
Kitchener Citizen - West Edition
519-741-5892
519-404-3593 (cell)

Visit us at www.kitchenercitizen.com<http://www.kitchenercitizen.com/> and read us online! Just click on the front page of either edition to download.

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