Written by Amber Skinner | 02 December 2009

When the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced in August the near-future closing of 677 post offices across the country, the Bailey Island Post Office (BIPO) was not on the list.
The possibility of it shutting down has been a real threat, however, since the USPS and the owner of the building in which the BIPO is housed have failed to come to an agreement on new leasing terms. The current lease is scheduled to end in September.
But to 30-year USPS veteran and retired islands' postman Ron York, the idea of the BIPO closing was difficult to accept without a fight. "That area [where the post office is located] is the heart of Bailey Island," York said. "It is our community center, especially with the [Giant Stairs Seafood Grille] open next door and the Bailey Island General Store reopening in January."
So York and Kim Doughty, retired longtime Bailey Island postmaster, asked the USPS if it would continue leasing the building under the current terms if they could find a buyer for the building, which has been on the market for $209,000. The USPS agreed, with one catch: A buyer had to be found within two weeks.
Finding a buyer that quickly proved difficult, especially since the USPS pays only $6,000 a year in rent, making it a hard sell financially.
So, York and Doughty got a two-week extension from the USPS, formed the Save the Bailey Island Post Office, LLC, and hoped they'd "find enough people in the Bailey Island community to donate money" to buy the building as a group, York said.
Responding to an initial fundraising letter, the community stepped up. Two couples started off the fund with donations of $10,000 each.
In late October, York and Doughty held a meeting, which about 25 people attended. Most were businesspeople concerned about "losing their Bailey Island identity" if their addresses changed from Bailey Island, Maine, to Harpswell, Maine, York said. If the BIPO were to close, Bailey Island mail would most likely be routed through the post office on Route 123, he explained. At the meeting, $68,000 was raised for the building fund.
For every $1,000 donated, the giver receives a share in the property, becoming part-owner and eligible for any profits if the building is ever sold. All donations, regardless of the amount, will be commemorated on nameplates in the post office.
The LLC has the building under contract for $200,000, with contingencies. The inspections, which have been completed, determined the roof needs replacing, York said, and a community member has already agreed to donate the materials and labor to get that job done.
As of mid-November, Save the Bailey Island Post Office has raised just over $100,000, Doughty said, with a goal of $215,000. "We'll be taking donations until we reach that number," she explained. "But when we get to our goal, we'll cut the fundraising off.
"I'm pleased with how the community has responded," she continued. "I'm not surprised, though. I worked as the Bailey Island postmaster for 12 years, I know how important [the post office] is to people."
The group is scheduled to close on the property December 11. The USPS has agreed to a five-year lease under the current leasing terms.
"I would hate to lose that piece of our community," York said. "We're just trying to hang onto it, since it feels like we're losing a little bit of our community all the time."
The Bailey Island Post Office is located at 2120 Harpswell Islands Road. To donate to Save the Bailey Island Post Office, mail your check to 16 Oceanside Drive, Bailey Island, ME 04003. To get more information, call Kim Doughty at 833-7318.