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Barnardsville Rural post offices seek relevance


By Matt Tate In our 21st century world, it gets


taken for granted sometimes that everyone is connecting with their friends on Facebook, paying their bills online and buying stamps through an Internet site. Many are not. Tat is why a Sen-


ate bill proposed last session still has some in rural areas concerned they will lose their post office. Te technologically savvy may


barely bat an eye at the loss of a post office, but the brick and mor- tar buildings are more than mail providers for some; they are a source of identity and community, a place where information can be shared and gossip can be gathered. “Te bulletin board in our post


offices is always covered with no- tices. Other than the windows of the several gas stations, there really is nowhere else to post information and hope that a few people will see it,” said Barnardsville resident Me- linda Stuart. Post offices like the ones in Bar-


nardsville and Alexander could have been the target of Senate Bill S.3831. Under current federal law, closings require 60 days’ notice, op- portunities for public comment, an accounting of the reasons for the decision and an opportunity to ap- peal.


Te bill, known as the POST Act


of 2010, would have eliminated the restriction against closing a post of- fice for solely economic reasons. Sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tomas


Cross Roads Vegetative Debris Site


423-330-4463


Carper (D-DE) and introduced last September, the bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern- mental Affairs. It never made it to a vote but a similar version could come back before the 112th Con- gress because of the movement to restructure the Postal Service. Groups such as the National


League of Postmasters of the United States advocated against the bill, noting that the costs of operating all the rural post offices in the United States is less than 1 percent of the Postal Service’s budget.


Money woes Te Postal Service receives no tax


Lynn Fox, the current Barnardsville postmaster.


subsidies for operation and relies solely on sales of postage, products and services for operation. Even though there are segments of


the population that are still attached to their post offices, the service is facing massive financial losses. Te U.S. Postal Service reported


its 2010 financial results, showing a net loss of $8.5 billion for the fiscal year that ended last September. Te recent recession, continuing


economic pressures and migration of mail to electronic media had a significant adverse impact on mail volumes and operating revenues. Despite rigorous initiatives that eliminated 75 million work hours and drove productivity to record highs in 2010, the losses mounted, according to a release from the Post-


“Te Lord is my strength and song and is become my salvation” Psalms 118:14


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al Service. “Over the last two years, the


Postal Service realized more than $9 billion in cost savings, primarily by eliminating about 105,000 full-time equivalent positions – more than any other organization, anywhere,” said Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett in a release. “We will continue our relentless efforts to innovate and im- prove efficiency. However, the need for changes to legislation, regula- tions and labor contracts has never been more obvious.” Te Associated Press reported last


year that 97 post offices have been closed in 34 states since 2005. Mail volume slipped from 203


billion in fiscal year 2008 to 177 bil- lion in fiscal year 2009.


Continued on page 7


St Matthews Anglican Church


Weaverville 828-877-3708


Reems Creek Rd.


812 www.stmatthewsasheville.org SUNDAY — 10am Bible Study / 11am Eucharist www.weavervilletribune.com


Taylor “June” Carson, Jr., delivered mail in the Barnardsville area for many years. Photo courtesy of the Big Ivy Historical Society.


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