Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
It took two years, a lot of phone calls and emails, but through persistence and dedication the residents of Snowshoe now have their own U.S. Postal Service Cluster Box Unit (CBU).
Last Saturday, residents, members of the Snowshoe Resort Community District and Senator Joe Manchin’s representative Alex Hewitt gathered at the CBU – located on Rescue Road behind Old Spruce Brewing – to officially open the CBU for business.
SRCD district manager Lisa Cutlip explained how the CBU became a reality.
“First and foremost, you need to congratulate yourself – the community,” she said. “You saw the need. You came forward and you said, ‘we need this, and we’ve got to make it happen.’ You came to your local government and then your local government stepped in and did exactly what it was intended to do – it represented you.”
Cutlip recognized SRCD members Dave Dragan and Jason Oxman who took up the cause and worked hard to get support from the U.S. government to get the CBU put in place.
“Dave was very persistent,” Cutlip said. “He made sure that this was at the top of the list. Jason Oxman worked with our delegates and our representatives in D.C. It had to go all the way to that level.”
Cutlip also recognized Lawrence Walkup, who donated the land where the CBU now stands. She then turned the celebration over to Hewitt who shared a letter from Manchin, who could not attend in person.
“As those in positions of leadership, we must work to serve the public’s current needs,” Hewitt read. “Reliable mail service has been the cornerstone of our great nation for centuries. From packages to prescriptions, it is crucial to protect this in all our communities.
“I have no doubt that this project, celebrated today, will benefit both the residents and the visitors of this beautiful region for many years to come.”
In his letter, Manchin shared his appreciation for Cutlip and Walkup, as well as the SRCD for their dedication to the Snowshoe area.
“You guys are truly making West Virginia a better place to work, live and raise a family, one project at a time,” Hewitt read.
Snowshoe resident Ira Maupin gave a short presentation, which included gifts of two wood carvings he made. First, he presented Hewitt with a carving featuring the Snowshoe Hare with “Joe” underneath.
“This is the mascot of Snowshoe, and it’s carved in such a way that this represents the mountain of Snowshoe, and I’d appreciate it if Senator Manchin would remember us from time to time,” he said. “We very much appreciate his effort in having secured this mail room.”
Maupin also presented a plaque to Walkup which read, “Old Spruce Brewing – Thanks for your support of the 26209 mail room.”
“We got sort of tired of that twenty-mile round trip to Slaty Fork to pick up the mail, so having our mailroom right here is a huge benefit to us,” Maupin said.
To culminate the ceremony, Dragan cut a ribbon at the entrance to officially open the CBU for business. Several in attendance quickly pulled out their key and checked their mailbox.
Cutlip said the CBU will serve more than 100 families, various business and a multitude of employees and visitors to the mountain.
