Nothing beats the ease of having the mail delivered right to the door.
So when the United States Postal Service floated the idea of doing away with mailboxes mounted on the front of houses in a Fort Dodge neighborhood, residents weren't happy.
''We do not want it,'' said Linda Zehr, who lives on a stretch of 22nd Avenue North where postal officials hinted at switching residents to curbside mailboxes.
According to postal rules, the change can't be made unless the residents agree in writing.
''We're just looking for input,'' said Fort Dodge Postmaster Wendy Berg.
She canceled an interview on the subject and was not available for further comment.
The possibility of a switch to curbside mail delivery emerged in a letter Berg sent to some northern Fort Dodge neighborhoods. The letter went to homes along 22nd Avenue North between 22nd and 29th streets.
In the letter, Berg wrote that the change would make things safer for carriers. Curbside delivery from a vehicle would prevent falls and dog bites, she wrote.
The proposal in the letter called for placing all the curbside mailboxes on one side of the street. Four mailboxes would be placed on each post along the street.
A reply card included with the letter asked residents to indicate their preference on the switch to curbside delivery. It offered two options. The first option stated, ''I have questions about curbside delivery, please have someone call me.''
The second option stated, ''I have no questions or concerns, please start curbside delivery as soon as possible.''
''It revved everybody up,'' Zehr said of the letter.
Some residents of the affected neighborhood have signed a petition opposing the switch in delivery method.
The postal service hasn't taken any further action on a possible delivery change since Berg's letter was sent out.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
