Friday, November 13th, 2020
Neither rain, snow nor U.S. can close post office
By Tom Millhouse
CHICKASAW - The U.S. Postal Service's decision to close the village's post office has been rescinded.
Residents were advised by letter on Oct. 23 that they would have to pick up their mail in Maria Stein effective Dec. 31. USPS officials planned to end a lease agreement with owners of MVP Sports and More, 49 Franklin St., where the post office is located.
Mayor Ben Kramer told the newspaper on Thursday that after learning of the pending closing of the post office, he began making phone calls "and moved up the chain of command" to reach the correct USPS officials to stop the closing.
Kramer said he was joined by Patti Puthoff, owner of MVP Sports, and Celina Postmaster Sarah Kimmet on an Oct. 28 conference call with Alicia Rauckhorst, USPS North Ohio marketing manager, to reconsider the closing.
Kramer said he explained that closing the post office would be a hardship for Chickasaw residents because the more than 160 box holders would have to drive 6.6 miles each day to get their mail.
"They (USPS officials) were very receptive to listening to the reasoning for keeping the office open," Kramer said.
Puthoff said she told Rauckhorst that if USPS didn't renew the lease to keep the post office in Chickasaw, the agency should provide delivery service to village residences and businesses.
"In the end, we were able to get the United States Postal Service to discontinue its termination of our post office in Chickasaw," Kramer said.
Puthoff said she and Kramer received an email from Rauckhorst later that evening notifying them the decision to end the lease had been rescinded. She noted USPS has requested equipment be purchased to update the operation at the office and USPS will reimburse her for the cost of the equipment.
Once the equipment is purchased, USPS will send a letter to be distributed to all local box holders stating the local office will remain open and a new lease agreement will be completed, Puthoff said.
Kramer commended the Celina post office staff for their assistance.
"The post office in Celina has been excellent to work with," she said.
