The window clerk for the Steilacoom branch spent the day mailing letters, selling stamps and doing other postal-related work out of a mail truck parked on Lafayette Street.

Her regular workplace was closed because of a planned 12-hour power outage in Washington’s oldest town.

Steilacoom’s utility company did maintenance on the lone substation that feeds electricity to its 2,600 households. The job is required every 10 years and requires a shutdown to almost all of Steilacoom.

The town warned residents of the power outage for three months via newsletters, the local media and notes on utility bills.

The message: Be prepared to go without power from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

It apparently got through to most households, as the streets and sidewalks seemed a little sleepier Wednesday.

Not that they could have done much had they stayed. Virtually all businesses took the day off – from restaurants to hair salons to real estate offices to the liquor store near the Anderson Island ferry terminal.

The town ran three of its buildings – public works, public safety and the community center – on generators. Ferries were operating as usual, although the terminal was in the dark.

The Postal Service also ran on backup power, but it tried something new with Spevak and her van at the curb.

“A lot of people are just stopping by to visit, say ‘Hi,’” said Spevak, who had helped only a dozen customers by noon. “Everyone’s been real nice. I thought it was going to be hot in here, but there’s a nice breeze from the water.”

Town Administrator Paul Loveless, who spent much of the day answering phone calls and dealing with residents who complained there wasn’t enough notification, said power would be restored by 8 p.m., if not a little sooner.

He said officials scheduled the outage for summer when more people would be outdoors or on vacation.

“Steilacoom is a quiet community in general, but today I think a number of people chose to spend time outside of town,” Loveless said from his office, where the whir of a generator could be heard in the background. “We are impacting the business community. We understand that. But it’s better it be done in a planned manner.”

The historic downtown was more of a ghost town. Unknowing visitors were turned away at many businesses by messages taped to the door.

Ruth Burks and Jean Graves, both of University Place, were on a biking excursion to DuPont. They had stopped at Pioneer Orchard Park in Steilacoom to eat lunch.

“We did stop at a deli, thinking ‘Well, at least we’ll get a cold sandwich or something simple,” Burks said. “But it was closed. I didn’t think the restaurants would shut down.”

Bob Salisbury and his wife, Linda Anderson, felt similarly powerless. The Gig Harbor couple own property on Anderson Island and wanted to grab a quick bite at Jake’s Bar & Bistro before taking the ferry. They also were turned away.

Still, Anderson, a Steilacoom native, said she didn’t mind the quiet ambiance.

“It’s really peaceful,” she said. “Actually, this is what it was like when I used to stay here.”

A drive through the town’s residential areas revealed few cars in driveways. A few generators could be heard, but life had almost come to a standstill.

One resident who chose to stay home was Tom Barnum, who’s lived in Steilacoom some six years. He spent much of the day replacing sod in his front yard. He said being without power wasn’t a problem.

“It’s too nice of a day,” Barnum said. “On days like this, I’m rarely even in the house.”

Whether it was mowing the lawn, lounging at Sunnyside Beach or going for a jog, outdoor recreation appeared to take people’s minds off the blackout.

Mike Quinto of Lakewood was fishing for flounder off Clyde Davidson Pier when he was asked how he coped with the lack of electricity.

“Oh, the power is out?” he responded. “Fish, I guess.”

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653