June 21, 2004 – A' Nese Valentine, known simply as "Valentine" to friends, has become manager of The Mail Center at the Marketplace. She takes over for Debbie Grammer, who with husband John started The Mail Center about two years ago and recently sold it to Donna and Frank Barnako and Sally and Franz Jaggar, island residents.
"I am thrilled to have this new position at The Mail Center, and am so grateful to Debbie for all her help and training," said Valentine. "She and John started the business to make it easier for people to get their mail and send and receive packages, but we quickly found there is lots of help we can offer locals, visitors and businesses."
The Mail Center, on the second floor of the Marketplace, rents mailboxes, packs items for shipping, prepares and receives USPS and FedEx deliveries, and offers self-service copying, among other services. Valentine said in a recent press release that the new owners plan to expand services, such as selling additional business supplies, making laser-quality printouts of PC documents and offering color copying.
"We do the little stuff and the big stuff," she added. "Businesses have found us, too. For example, for Caneel Bay we just packed and shipped home many boxes of products and documents that a company had brought in for a big conference." In the "small stuff" category, she reports that now many people who have been on St. John while it was cold up North are sending suitcases and boxes of clothes, belongings, and "memories" back to the States.
Valentine also said she's surprised at how The Mail Center has become more than just a convenient way for residents, villa owners, and businesses to pick up and receive mail. "It's a kind of trading post, where people bump into each other and catch up on what's happening," she said.
The Mail center's Web address is www.mailcentervi.com http://www.mailcentervi.com; Telephone is 714-7250; e-mail is info@mailcentervi.com.
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