The Republic from Columbus, Indiana • Page 34

Sunday rv In) Is) D3 THE REPUBLIC UjD Neighborhoods D2 Business D4 Editorials D5 October 5, 1986, Columbus, Indiana Small post offices big mark on make A people communiti es si con they (2L) I IF serve boxes at the Burney post office In use, according to postmaster feet. Above, about 60 of the 100 In Decatur County are currently Daroara uiipnam. likb ouier fj It, if 1 If siones. towns 0 At top, 'the post office at Burney In Decatur County ranks among the state's smallest in terms of both the number of patrons said, the Burney outlet provides a community service that goes beyond just delivering the mail. Community residents, find them a servea ana tne size OT ine ouiiaing it measures jusi ii-oy I sman lown posi unices, unpnani gooa piace io socialize ana snare for small Post jofficesi serve as social sites i v.

confirmed that the Class post office in Millhousen is the state's smallest. She said the Indianapolis post office, with aproximately 341,000 postal patrons served by all the city and suburban branches, is the state's largest. Walters said some Millhousen patrons have a choice of rural delivery or picking up mail at the post office. Residents who do not live along-the-ruraL route, which passes through the small comrilunity must pick up their mail at the post office. "Some people just prefer getting it here.

They know packages and other things, like checks, will not be left out (in roadside mailboxes) when they aren't home," Walters said. Increasing vandalism to rural mailboxes is another factor that leads people to use the post office, Walters social interaction also plays a major role in many residents' selection of post office box service over home delivery. "It's a meeting place. Everyone knows everyone," she said. It is not unusual to find a crowd gathered at the Hayden post office along U.S.

50 just about any morning as Ann Williams, officer in charge, puts up the daily mail. Williams said residents of the western Jennings County community have a choice of RFD or box service at the post office. "A lot of people say they feel safer knowing that, when they are not at home, their mail is here in a locked box," she explained. However, Williams noted, safety is not the only factor. "The post office is a community place.

We have a bench out in the lobby and you can usually find some people out there waiting and catching up on the local gossip while I'm putting up the mail," she said. Because of their size, small post offices also are able to provide services often highly personalized which are not available at their larger counterparts. 7 i ini i i ii-y i- ti ii 1 I postal officials report their service areas extend well beyond the immediate community. "People who live in the country surrounding the -town also use the post office to mail and pick up packages. They can buy money orders and stamps without having to drive to Greensburg.

People also can receive registered mail here, which saves them quite a bit of driving and time," Oliphant explained. WheneTreviousT)ostmaster-at Millhousen retired and closed the service station which had housed the post office, box service there was discontinued briefly, according to Walters. She said residents upset about the loss complained, then conducted a petition drive to have their post office re-opened. Mrs. Walters was opening her store about that same time and the rest just worked out, she said, adding "The' next thing I knew I was postmaster." Small post offices have survived a period in which the postal service tried to eliminate many of them as a cost-cutting measure and, at least for the time being, appear once again to be safely entrenched as important community fixtures.

"At this time, there is no tention of making any- wholesale closings of post offices," reported Kropacek, the postal service spokeswoman. She said 550 post offices most small were closed nationwide between 1978 and 1983. "There have been many times' when people though they would close. But they don't close small offices anymore without talking to the people in the community. The postal service really does try to help out its customers in the rural areas as well as these In the cities," Oliphant explained.

"I dont think we are in any danger of being closed," Whitting added of the Hartsville post office. a pretty important community service." By TIM EVANS Tht Republic THERE is more to a post office than mail especially in many small communities. "It's a lot more than just the mail," explained Hartsville postmaster Richard who serves about 200 boxholders from the post office located on the first floor of the town's Masonic Hall. "It is a meeting place. Just about everybody comes in here everyday, and a lot of them hang around to talk about who died, who got had a baby or whatever else is going on." "In many small communities, the post office is the only place where people can go to meet other people and catch up on local news," added Barbara Oliphant, postmaster at Burney.

Oliphant's tiny white-sided post office is one of two Decatur County, postal outlets which rank among the state's smallest both in terms of the number of patrons served and actual building size. Several othqr post offices in area towns serve limited populations, but all play an essential role in their respective -communities' Although the postal service does not keep statistics on building size, the 14- by 21-foot post office serving 62 boxholders at Burney certainly is among the state's smallest. Oliphant explained there is no "liar's bench" for residents to congregate in the lobby because there just isn't enough room. 4 Many small town post offices are located in other businesses, such as the one at Millhousen, which serves the state's smallest number of postal patrons. The Millhousen post office, located in the Old Millhouse Country Store, serves just 34 boxholders, according to postmaster Vera Walters.

Sue Kropacek, communications specialist with the' U.S. Postal Service division office at Indianapolis, Reglna Maschino of Hayden and her children pick up their mail at the town post office on US 50 In western Jennings County. Accompanying Maschino are her daughters, Andrea, 4, and Marisa, 2, and three-month-old son, Bryce. The post office lobby Is a popular gathering place. I "I really enjoy serving the people and knowing that they have faith in me," said Oliphant, who is completing her ninth year at the post office.

"It's a good feeling knowing they trust me to handle their mail, social security checks and money orders," she said, adding many older residents rely upon her to fill out money orders and other documents. "Also, if someone is cut of town or there is an emergency, they know I will be happy to hold their mail or come back down and get it for them," she said. Although they may have a limited number of patrons, small town Although it is a one-person operation, the post office at Burney is open on a spilt shut to accomodate people working all three factory shifts in Columbus and Greensburg, Oliphant explained. The office is open from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.; closes for a midday break and then reopens from 1 :30 to 4:30 p.m. 7t I.