Time to inspect, repair mailboxes

Ashburnham Postmaster Richard J. Goguen and Tina M. LeBlanc, the officer-in-charge of Ashby Post Office, asked postal patrons to inspect and repair their mailboxes during Mailbox Improvement Week, May 19 to 24.

While encouraging customers to take part in the program, they said repairing suburban and rural mailboxes "improves the appearance of our community and makes delivering and receiving mail safer for our carriers and customers."

The Postal Service makes this annual request because of the wear and tear that occurs to mailboxes every year.

This is especially important after the effects of last winter, they said.

The postal officials said some of the typical activities that may need to be done include: replacing loose hinges on a mailbox door, repainting a mailbox that may have rusted or started peeling, remounting a mailbox post if loosened and replacing or adding house numbers.

In another area of safety concern, they asked parents to caution their children about not playing near or gathering around mailboxes.

It is extremely important that children keep away from mailboxes until after the letter carrier has completed delivery and driven away, they said.