Aug. 27-28: IFA Redfish Rodeo and Kayak Tour (Grand Isle)
August 4, 2011
Public input sought on state’s coastal plan
August 8, 2011
Of 51 post office locations in Louisiana that are being considered for closure, none are in the Tri-parish region.
The U.S. Postal Service, in an attempt to cut costs and make up for losses due to advancing electronic technology that has changed the way people communicate with one another and pay bills, plans to reduce the number of physical locations available to mail and receive letters and packages across the country.
Last week, the USPS launched a study looking at approximately 3,700 retail locations that could be closed with minimal impact on existing service. Initial postal service observations noted that a need to maintain 32,000 retail offices had been diminished.
One retail replacement option, already being used in Terrebonne Parish and other locations, is to contract retail locations inside other businesses such as grocery stores. Such a move would symbolically mark the return to a time when a general store or pharmacy included the availability of postal services. This option is being referred to as a village post office and would provide the same products and services available in free standing post office locations.
During the past year the USPS has been making other changes, including the moving of sorting machines from Houma to New Orleans.
Most of the post offices being considered for closure are in areas of limited population or locations that can easily be absorbed into the operations of larger postal centers.
The USPS did not offer any estimates on how many jobs would be eliminated with the possible post office closures.
Alexandria and New Orleans each have two post offices being considered for discontinuation. Other Louisiana cities, towns and villages with individual locations being targeted include Acme, Ashland, Atlanta, Avery Island, Baton Rouge, Belmont, Carville, Chase, Chataignier, Delta, Dupont, Fenton, Fisher, Flora, Fort Necessity, Gilliam, Glynn, Gorum, Grant, Hamburg, Hester, Hosston, Jamestown, Jigger, Jones, Joyce, Kelly, Lafayette, Lake Charles, LeBlanc, Lillie, Lisbon, Longleaf, Mittie, Monroe, Morrow, Pelican, Pointe a la Hache, Powhatan, Rhinehart, Rougon, Sikes, Sondheimer, Taylor, Transylvania, Tunica and Weyanoke.
The U.S. Post Office in Houma and all other such facilities in Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary parishes have escaped being put on a list of 3,700 offices, 51 in Louisiana, that are targeted for possible closing as a money saving measure. MIKE NIXON
