The employees of the Wheeling Post Office take pride in providing prompt, dependable mail service to Wheeling and the Northern Panhandle, which is why we are so concerned about the Postal Service’s plan to take mail processing operations from Wheeling to Pittsburgh. The Wheeling office processes both outgoing and incoming mail for Wheeling and all the 260 Zip Code areas. The USPS “consolidation” plan will result in a slower, less reliable mail service for all who reside in the 260 Zip Code areas. Mail will be collected earlier in the day and arrive later — possibly after dark. Checks will be delayed, bills may not get paid on time, and medications delivered by mail will take longer to arrive. Sending our mail to Pittsburgh for processing also will hurt the local businesses and will drain more jobs from Wheeling. The Postal Service claims the move will “improve efficiency” but it has yet to prove that the plan would save money or that it could maintain the current level of service. Wheeling’s postal workers encourage citizens and community leaders of the Northern Panhandle to take a stand against the consolidation. You can start by writing your legislators and telling them you are against the consolidation plan.