Becky Pearson, Walden’s former mayor and current village trustee, was startled by what she saw on Saturday morning.

“It’s a sad day in Walden today,” she wrote on Facebook. “Drove by our beloved Walden Post office and not a truck or car in sight. A ghost office for sure. The window will still be open for transactions and PO boxes but that’s all I’m told. Who knows how long it will take to get a letter?”

What she observed has been in the works for more than a year. The U.S. Postal Service calls it a restructuring, but many will see it as a slow death for the local post office.

The local post office is not closing, at least not yet. The former mayor correctly noted that the window is open for anyone wanting to buy stamps or mail a package. (Village Manager John Revella later posted a photo showing a long line at the window). But that’s it.

Letters are no longer sorted here, and the white trucks are no longer parked in the back. Letter carriers must report to the General Mail Facility on the grounds of Stewart International Airport to pick up their mail.

The changes began last fall at Wallkill, Maybrook, Rock Tavern and Newburgh, among other places. The latest round affects Montgomery and Walden among others. Pine Bush, Walker Valley and Modena have – thus far – been spared.

The local newspaper is also affected. Until last week, we were permitted to bring papers to the loading dock at Walden on Tuesday evenings and the paper was distributed on Wednesdays. Now the paper is delivered to the General Mail Facility on Wednesday morning (during the normal business hours of 9-5). If we’re lucky, it will arrive on your mailbox on Thursday, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Time will tell if the changes will save enough money for the U.S. Postal Service to stop more than a decade of bleeding, but it’s hard to imagine how this will improve mail delivery in our communities.