Neither rain, sleet, snow or hail can stop them.
But mold can.
When Boneville resident Claudia Smith made her daily trip to the post office to pick up her mail last week, she found a notice informing her and all Boneville customers that their post office had temporarily suspended operation. Ms. Smith was not only surprised, she was angry.
"I was just there yesterday," she said. "Why didn't they notify me then?"
According to Tina Freeberg, a United States Postal Service Public Relations representative for the South Georgia District, the Boneville postal facility suspension was an emergency due to mold infestation, roof deterioration and crumbling and falling brick.
"It was something that we needed to do immediately, and we did not have time to notify the customers any sooner," she said. "We were worried some brick was going to hit and injure somebody."
The notice posted on the front door and window, and on several interior locations said, "Effective today, 6/27/07, this postal facility will temporarily suspend operations... the blue collection box outside will be removed from this location on Friday, June 29..."
Ms. Smith said she was worried the "temporarily" would change into a permanent situation, so she is getting up a petition for people to sign, and has contacted her congressman and senator.
"They keep telling us it's temporary. But because our community is so small, we just feel like it's an opportunity for them to close the post office. ... They'll get everybody used to picking up their mail in Dearing. ... But we're not buying it," Ms. Smith said.
But Ms. Freeberg said the Boneville residents have nothing to worry about.
"Service is temporarily suspended while we work with the leaser to get the repairs done and/or find other temporary quarters," she said.
Ms. Freeberg said there has been some hold up because the leaser has not returned the USPS' calls as of Monday, but they were still working on making other arrangements.
Contents in the post office rental boxes were removed Wednesday and taken to the Dearing post office, located 3.63 miles down the road from the Boneville facility, according to Ms. Freeburg. The Dearing post office is located on Hwy 278 and is open from 8:30 until 11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Ms. Freeberg said patrons who had a rented post office box at Boneville may simply walk in the Dearing facility and ask for their mail. She said they will recognize their Boneville postmaster, Gail Higdon, who was transferred to the Dearing facility to handle the Boneville mail there.
It is not clear yet if new post office boxes will be issued, Ms. Freeman said; or, if Dearing has extra boxes that can be temporarily assigned.
"It may be a moot point," she said. "Because we may be able to find something in the next few weeks that we can move into, or this building may get repaired. Right now, it's too soon to tell."
For more information, call the Dearing Post Office at 706-556-0257. To sign the petition, call Ms. Smith at 706-595-4421.
