To the editor:
I would like to thank all of the people who have placed stamp-by-mail orders with me since I took over as Postmaster for Matinicus four years ago and also thank the Island Institute for taking the space in their newspaper, The Working Waterfront, to continually point out how important stamp sales are to small, island Post Offices.

While we have managed to survive the closing of the island store thanks to the local Shaw’s and one of their employees (the incredible Judy Robinson) and Penobscot Island Air (who are constantly finding new ways to go `above and beyond’ their job descriptions) who pick up and deliver the groceries; the Post Office is one of the few critical local services (along with the school, the electric company and the aforementioned Penobscot Island Air) that Matinicus truly couldn’t survive without. Not only is it a source of news (delivering papers, magazines, etc.) it serves as a branch bank of sorts with practically everyone on the island doing their banking by mail, shopping by mail, paying bills, shipping birthday and Xmas presents to far- flung families and the always important care package to the student away at boarding school.

With a year-round population of about 50 it is the stamp-by-mail customer that has truly helped keep the Matinicus Post Office open. No matter how small the order is, it is all appreciated and all orders are filled and mailed as fast as weather permits, and requests for a specific style of stamp, i.e. flowers, flags, commemorative, whatever, are filled as stock permits.

While I don’t wish to take business from other island Post Offices if you are not ordering stamps by mail now why not give it a try. With your first order you get a prepaid mailer for future orders so all you have to do is fill out the form, drop in a check and your stamps are delivered to your door. And if you have a connection to another island by all means order from them, I’m sure it will be appreciated.

Again, thank you to my current and past customers and for everyone else why not give it a try, it’s one less stop you have to make in your busy schedule and it really does help keep an island Post Office open.

Wanda G. Philbrook

Postmaster

Matinicus, ME 04851
Click here to order stamps from an island post office. –ed.