Levin introduces bill to name township post office after former community leader

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Congressman Andy Levin has introduced legislation to dedicate the Bloomfield Township Post Office as the “Dr. Ezra S. Parke Post Office Building.”

Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh said it was an honor to be involved in picking the name of Dr. Ezra S. Parke for the Bloomfield Post Office, at 2050 South Blvd.

“Working with the Bloomfield Historical Society to find the right person was an adventure in reliving the stories of early Bloomfield Township residents, as well as the pioneers in our postal service,” Walsh said in a statement.

Parke, she said, was an early resident in 1822, the township’s first postmaster from 1824-1836, and also served as the township’s first clerk from 1827-1844. Officials said Parke embodies the longstanding presence of the U.S. Postal Service in the Bloomfield Township community and its centrality in the life of its residents.

“He was our first postman. He was our clerk. He was our supervisor, and he was a good person,” Walsh explained.

Levin — who also introduced legislation to designate the Hazel Park Post Office as the “Roy E. Dickens Post Office” — said he is proud to honor two important individuals who “capture the essence of local public service.”

“I hope these postal facilities will continue to remind the residents of Hazel Park and Bloomfield Township of the incredible people who helped ensure the safety and longevity of their communities,” Levin said in a statement.

The two bills will now be referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and once all members of the Michigan Congressional Delegation cosponsor each designation, they will be discharged to the full House of Representatives for a final vote.