Door-to-door mail delivery remains farfetched

Saipan residents are not likely to see their mails delivered to their doorsteps unless the Commonwealth government fast-tracks the implementation of the street-naming project.

CNMI Postmaster John San Nicolas disclosed the availability of the service depends on how fast the local government is able to complete the street-naming project, including the installation of street signs and house numbers.

But home delivery of mails remains a part of the U.S. Postal Service’s plan for the Northern Marianas, assured Mr. San Nicolas during the inauguration of the new post office in Chalan Kanoa yesterday.

The $2.8 million facility, which has a floor area of 13,564 square feet and includes 5,900 post office boxes, was completed December last year. Its parking area can accommodate 38 vehicles for customers and employees, including three parking stalls for handicaps.

The building is equipped with vending machines for express and priority mails and stamps, as well as a state-of-the-art sensor lights, a motion sensor alarm, a fire alarm, smoke detector and a self-sustaining generator.

Mr. San Nicolas said the Postal Service is already coordinating with the CNMI government and the U.S. Consular Office on Saipan for the eventual delivery of mails once local streets are named.

“The sooner the local government put all these [street names, signs and house numbers] together, the faster our district manager will approve the implementation of the delivery service,” he told reporters.

He pointed out that making mail delivery services available in the islands is part of the plan of the U.S. Postal Services since it began negotiating for the property where the new post office was built.

The U.S. Postal Service managed to ink a 40-year deal for the property it now occupies in Chalan Kanoa for $40, or a lease payment of dollar per year.

“Part of the agreement is when we are ready, we’ll provide the delivery service. But it depends on how fast the local government will act on the streetnaming. The faster they act, the faster we will provide the service,” he said.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has cited the need to fast-track the completion of the street-naming project, which has been derailed by disagreements between legislative leaders of Chamorro and Carolinian descent.

Mr. Tenorio called for a prompt action by the street-naming commission to resolve the ongoing rift which resulted from question whether or not Saipan streets should bear more Chamorro or Carolinian names.

Aside from the U.S. Postal Service, public safety concerns also demand that the island’s streets be immediately given names, since the project has been in its planning stage over the past 11 years.

The street-naming project has been halted by animosity between Chamorro and Carolinian legislators due to alleged discrimination as indicated in the absence of enough Refaluwasch names on the list.

Carolinian leaders claimed the street naming commission failed to act on their proposed Refaluwasch list.