Frank J. Wood Bridge should be preserved

Frank J. Wood was a Topsham farmer and a papermaker at the Bowdoin Paper Company who was very active in civic affairs. At present, he is most well known as the man who, in 1930, convinced the Maine State Highway Commission to build the bridge across the Androscoggin River around the Pejepscot Paper Mill instead of straight through it. The grateful citizens of Topsham and Brunswick named the bridge after him.

For years now, the Maine Department of Transportation has been trying to implement a plan of destroying the Frank J. Wood Bridge and building a new bridge. A dedicated group of local citizens has been opposing this plan. There are two major points the Friends of the Frank J. Wood Bridge put forward in favor of refurbishing the existing bridge rather than destroying it.

The first point is that the figures the Maine Department of Transportation has been providing make the replacement of the bridge look less expensive than the repair of the bridge. These figures are inflated and not believable.

The second point the Friends make is that the existing bridge is historically significant, a beautiful span of three camel trusses that link two historic mills. Pictures of the bridge are featured in countless promotional photographs of our towns and our state.

The Frank J. Wood Bridge is a beautiful, historic, strong bridge. That the Department of Transportation is denying its upkeep, so it’s visibly rusting, is only part of their crusade to eliminate this bridge.

I hope the Frank J. Wood Bridge is repaired, and refurbished, so it can continue in the future to serve and define the Topsham and Brunswick communities.

Pam Smith,
Brunswick

Take a few steps and help save the Post Office

There are few things that we all agree on. However, most of us feel the Post Office serves a purpose and we want to save it.

There are many changes that can and should be made but they are out of our hands. However, a few simple steps by the consumer could increase efficiency, decrease overhead and labor costs, and potentially save millions, maybe billions, of dollars annually.

“How?” you wonder.

Before I explain, please answer two questions, “Where is your mailbox?” and “Is it in a convenient location?” These questions came to mind as I noticed the mail carrier delivering mail to the thirteen houses on my street. Eleven of the houses require the mail carrier to walk to the far end of a walkway or driveway. The daily steps add up, as does the time needed to deliver the mail.

I thought about it, did a little math, and low-balled my estimates. Walking 20 strides (2 1/2‘/stride) to and from a mailbox is 100’/day, 500’/week, and 26,000’ (4.92 miles) per house annually.

Delivering mail to the 11 off-street mailboxes on my street becomes 54.11 miles a year. (4.92 miles x 11 houses) At that rate, on a 20-street route, the extra miles would be roughly 1,083.33 miles/year.

Then, consider time and money. Even if it takes only fifteen minutes/additional mile it would equal 270 hours annually. (1,083.33 miles x .25 hours = 270 hours) If the mail carrier earns $20/hour, the additional cost would total $5,400 a year.

So, how many strides is it to and from your mailbox? How many extra miles a year does your mail carrier walk to deliver your mail to a location convenient to you?

Perhaps it is time to place your mailbox roadside in a location convenient to the mail carrier. You can get a few of your steps in by fetching the mail, you can save your mail carrier many miles and hours over the course of a year, and you may just save the Post Office.

Nancy Simmons,
Topsham