Herod Post Office customers hope to save office, identity
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Customers of the Herod Post Office had questions answered and made their voices heard on a meeting regarding the offices possible closure held Wednesday night. The pews at Herod Springs Baptist Church were filled and several stood in the back.
The people in attendance learned at the outset from Manager of Post Office Operations Area 5 Nancy Theobald there is a chance Herod was selected as a post office to review for closure based on an error.
The post offices cannot be closed based solely on revenue. There are three criteria. One is if the revenue taken into the office supports no more than two hours of the work load a day, the office has to be in a remote area and there must be another post office within 7 miles.
There is no other post office close to 7 miles from Herod and Theobald told the crowd surveys they had received included erroneous mileages to the next closest post offices. The crowd had noticed.
Ron Harrison said not only does Herod not fit the 7 mile criteria, but neither is it remote.
"We're on a highway," he said.
Others in the crowd tried to determine the next closest post office, suggesting Elizabethtown, Eddyville, Equality and Harrisburg, each a lengthy drive. The Karbers Ridge Post Office was the closest, but the U.S. Postal Service has already closed it.
Theobald said if the post office does close Equality will be the office that receives mail for rural customers now served by Herod Post Office.
Theobald said if the closure happens there will be three options for delivery and surveys distributed to customers ask for their preferred method. Rural customers who receive mail at a mailbox will not likely see a change in their delivery.
"If you are already on a rural route the town and zip code will stay the same," Theobald said.
There is the possibility of a village post office which involves utilizing a business in town. There are only two businesses in the Herod area -- Harbison's Country Store and The Gap package store and bar.
For those with post office boxes they could switch to an Equality post office box and change addresses. The U.S. Postal Service could opt to install a neighborhood delivery route units which are permanent structures with boxes for customers to receive mail and include parcel lockers that hold six parcels. If the letter carrier has more than six parcel items for delivery the extra parcels go back to the post office.
Garnetta Harrison -- retired after 25 years as lee postmaster at various area offices -- said the situation of parcels could greatly inconvenience customers who receive prescription medication by mail.
Connie Harrison said she works in health care doing home visits and must have reports in the mail in 24 hours from the time of the visit. She said a trip to Equality's Post Office would be a hardship.
Theobald said in the survey forms customers were provided people should include in their responses the types of service for which they use the mail service.
Judy DeNeal said she is concerned those making the decisions about the future of the post office are unfamiliar with rural communities that don't have access to high-speed Internet service and for whom access to a nearby post office is a lifeline.
"They don't realize we are 300 people who pay taxes too, buy stamps, don't have high-speed Internet and who don't have the capacity to buy a postal scale to compute," DeNeal said.
"We are being reminded we don't live in the 21st century. Keep them in the 19th century.
"It is not right. The people who make the decisions need to get out of their ivory towers and see what a gravel road looks like."
She also said those making the decisions should tour Herod, see how geographically disperse the residences are and look at businesses in town.
Theobald said she personally reviews each survey that comes through her office.
Jean Cosner -- former Herod postmaster who retired after 40 years -- said while stamps may be available at other places the post office offers certified express mail and many other options in a convenient location for Herod residents.
"All I hear is you can go anywhere to buy a stamp," Cosner said.
"Rural community life does not exist and the city is the only one that counts."
She said her customers are good people who deserve the same service others take for granted.
"It just really disheartens me the post office would do this to these types of people," Cosner said.
Dorothy Williams asked if there is anything else people can do besides return surveys with comments. Theobald urged people to contact their legislators.
"But the U.S. Post Office is not run by the government," Williams said.
Theobald said though the U.S. Postal Service is not operated with tax money politicians can put pressure on the U.S. Postal Service to retain offices.
State Representative Brandon Phelps has pledged his support to retaining post offices in his 118th district that includes Herod. Phelps introduced a resolution in the Illinois House of Representatives urging the U.S. Postal Service to strongly consider not closing several rural post offices in the state.
Carl Sisco said it will hurt him financially to travel to Equality, estimating a round trip may cost $15 in gas.
Ron Harrison echoed Sisco's sentiments.
"If you look at average salaries around here ours are the lowest in the state. People are being asked to accept the highest expenses who are least able to pay them," Harrison said.
Theobald encouraged those who have not received a survey in the mail to pick one up at the Herod Post Office.
"I've heard you are very passionate about your community and want to keep your post office. I also know there is information on the survey that is not accurate," Theobald said.
The comment period for the proposal to close the office runs through Oct. 27. Comments may be sent to Sue Wandersee, 1720 Market St., Room 3000, St. Louis, Mo. 63155-9900. Wandersee may be reached by telephone at (314) 436-3645.
There is a meeting 5 p.m. Monday at Muddy First Baptist Church regarding the possible closing of Muddy's Post Office.
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DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
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