OUR SEPTEMBER 11 episode of Sounding Board, “You’ve Got Mail: Mail Service in Western Alaska” is over. Thank you to our listeners who shared their thoughts with phone calls and emails.
We had calls from Sue in Nome, who shared her tips on cutting shipping costs through Amazon Prime and other services; Spruce in Nome, who shared her appreciation for postal workers serving western Alaska. We also heard from Jeanette in Savoonga, who said that mail serves as a lifeline for her community — and voiced a need for subsidies to improve those services, as well as understanding from organizations that require strict postmark dates.
Via email, we heard from John in Nome, who expressed frustration with slow postal service in his area. Betsy from Nome wrote that she goes out of her way to avoid ordering from companies that deliver via UPS or FedEx — as those services are slower than USPS. Jim in Nome posed a question for other listeners: How does FedEx work in rural communities?
Eric in Little Diomede answered that question later in the show, saying UPS and FedEx packages are eventually turned over to the U.S. Postal Service for transportation to rural addresses. He also shared his perspective as a postal worker in Diomede, saying that once-a-week mail service and size restrictions on air cargo pose additional challenges to those of hub communities.
The show also featured interviews with Paul in Unalakleet, who voiced an appreciation for lawmakers working to decrease shipping rates in rural Alaska; and Dawn in Anchorage, who shared her perspective as marketing manager of USPS on some of the challenges that postal workers face in rural communities — including staffing shortages.
Missed the show? Listen to the full episode above and tune in next Thursday, September 18 at 10 a.m. for another Sounding Board on KNOM.
Mail arrives in many forms in western Alaska.
From letters to clothing to food and medication, the postal service is vital to life in western Alaska. This week on Sounding Board, we want to hear how you utilize the mail.
- How do you get staple items like food and medication? Do you buy locally or get them shipped in?
- Do you rely on the mail for more than correspondence? Whether it’s clothing, fuel or a specialty item you can’t find in your area — we want to hear what you order.
- How do delays or closures in mail delivery affect you, and is there anything you do to prepare for them?
- Delivery can be expensive! How do you get the most for your shipping costs?
- If you’re involved in mail delivery, what are some of the challenges unique to western Alaska?
