Rural post offices face changes

John Nance of Rogers said the U.S. Postal Service has been offering less than stellar service in the last two years so it comes as no surprise to him that Rogers' office hours will be cut to four hours a day.

Rogers and four other rural post offices in Roosevelt County who were at risk of closure last year. Now, they have been spared shut down but do face changes, according to postal service spokesman Peter Hass.

"I'd hate to lose any service but it looks like its inevitable," Nance said.

Nance said an example of poor service the last several years was receiving his daily newspaper sometimes four days late.

"Looks to me like they cut down on services but not prices and such," Nance said.

Hass said he believes it was the response of rural communities — 13,000 offices affected nationwide — that allowed the postal service to continue maintain offices.

"In May, we decided our plan would be to retain the facilities but reduce retail hours," Hass said.

Hass added that he couldn't put a number on the residents and postal service workers affected by these changes but said the postal service estimates savings of a half-billion dollars annually.

Hass said completion of the changes is scheduled to be complete by September 2014, and the reduction of hours can happen anytime between now and then.

Dora's Village Clerk Becky Fraze said she knows that having Dora's retail hours reduced from six to two will be hard on businesses, especially if they have to mail items within a deadline.

"We went from (closing at) 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. and the two-hour cut was hard to get used to," Fraze said about a prior cut in hours. "I think it will be hard. I know they're (USPS) losing money every day."

Unlike the other rural post offices in Roosevelt County, Milnesand office will extend its hours, according to Hass.

"It's not necessary," said Marjorie Williamson of Milnesand about the extension of hours. "Its (office hours) enough for me. There's not too many of us down here anymore but I get more mail more than anybody down here."

Hass said the postal service held public meetings on the proposed changes and will continue to listen to the needs of the affected communities.

"We heard loud and clear from communities all over the country that they'd like to see their post offices open," Hass said. "We have to look at ways to be more efficient."

He said there is a possibility of extending postal service hours in rural areas if the community opted for a village post office. This would allow service to be offered inside a small business or governmental body through a contract with the USPS.

Fraze said she'd rather see the Dora office open three days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. than to be open two hours daily.

Roosevelt County rural post offices' proposed changes:

Causey: Retail hours reduced from four to two hours a day.

Dora: Retail hours reduced from six to two hours a day.

Milnesand: Retail hours extended from four to six hours a day.

Pep: Retail hours will remain at four hours a day.

Rogers: Retail hours reduced from eight to four hours a day.