Sending A Letter Amarillo? It's Gonna Take A Little Longer.

Ok, I'll be the first to admit I haven't done anything in letter form for some time, I get my bills in the mail but pay online, and funny enough everytime I try and go paperless it's meaningless, It's one of those feel good checkboxes you click to try and do your part to save the planet but someone on the other end sees it and goes "oh that's nice" The last time I sent something in the mail was wedding invitations and let's say it's been a minute. If you happen to be a fan of the snail mail a big change took effect today. Here's what you need to know about the slowdown.

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It's all about costs

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Let's face it, over the years the costs of stamps has been going up and there hasnt really been much of a change to go with it. Email, Text and Social media have largely replaced the letter as a personal correspondence medium and the postal service like any government agency has to stay within a budget. but what's really killing them is the higher costs of pensions for retired employees and an ambitious project to modernize it's facitiles and vehicles. Factor that in with declining business and stiff competition from UPS, Fedex and DHL in the package business and you get a pretty bad situation. Much of the mail and packaging that makes it to Amarillo among other places also hitches rides with air carriers that cost money. So how exactly is the post office handling this?

A few more days in transit

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Yep. first class delivery was usually 3 days. but to cut costs the postal service is shooting for a 2-5 day transit now. with more dependence on ground transportation like trucks (which there's already a shortage of) they hope to save some money which can be used for other operating costs. The post office is saying that anything mailed from within 3 hours of your location shouldn't be affected, along with your magazines and surprise surprise... bulk mail. My hope is some of the extra savings also goes to the good people who work there as well.

So where are you with the post office? Do you still send letters? or is the post office another thing we add to the obsolete list like the payphone, the penny, printed news and so on.. let us know in the app.

Amarillo Landmarks: Negative Yelp Reviews

Yelp can be a strange and angry place. That's what I found out recently when I decided to sort the reviews by "lowest rating" first.

I was okay with the people upset over bad service and what not. But I came across a few reviews that, for lack of a better word, left me speechless in their scathing negative reviews on some of Amarillo's most iconic places. Prepare your self for plenty of head shaking and "I dunno" shrugs.

Untouched by Time: The Historic Homes of Polk Street Then & Now

You know you've entered Amarillo's historic district once you hit the red brick roads of Center City. A unique reflection of past and present, Amarillo's historic homes seem to pose pristinely against the curb.

These large, thoughtfully designed historic homes are part of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Amarillo. But most residents will agree that nothing quite tops the staggering royal beauty of the grand homes of Polk Street. Built by Amarillo's founding fathers, the looming estates of South Polk are a sight to behold.

Check out these stunning comparison photos that show how these gorgeous structures have remained nearly untouched by time.

Check Out The Original Names For These Amarillo Streets

It's hard to imagine these well-known Amarillo streets as any other name. Try to imagine giving directions to someone while using their original names. Gets tricky, doesn't it?

The new names (that we currently know them by) came mostly from associates of Henry Luckett, who drew the first map of the area. When this took place exactly, records do not show, but the street name revamp is covered extensively in 'Old Town Amarillo' by Judge John Crudgington, published in the Plains Historical Review in 1957.