SPENCER CO, IN (WFIE) -
Indiana's first village post office is open for business in Mariah Hill. It's a new concept from the postal service to save money, but still provide residents with a post office.
Some small towns are simply having to go without a local office, but in Mariah Hill, Indiana, one cost-effective plan has become reality.
"The village post office offers almost everything that a normal post office would offer, except for, of course, certified mail," said Jeff Bettag, who is owner of Patriot Station Service Center.
The Patriot Station Service Center is here where Indiana's first village post office is housed.
"It's great for us because it gives us more foot traffic in our business, and hopefully, it will help everyone and help the postal service, of course, save money," said Bettag.
It's local businesses like this, with which the postal service has partnered on this new small-town model. Tom Hurst says that the VPO does more than simply meet the postal needs of small-town residents. It preserves a sense of identity as well.
"If the post office wouldn't be where it is now, we would have lost the zip code, possibly would have had to go to a different zip code. If that would have happened, everybody that gets their mail here, would have had to change their address," said Mariah Hill resident Tom Hurst.
Bettag says that the only down side to the VPO is that it's only open as long as the business that houses it, but he and other residents here say, it's better than nothing.
"I just feel it's a lot easier to have a post office right here in town. That way you don't have to drive to another city to get stamps, to mail a box, letter, any of the sort. It's just easier to have it right here," said Hurst.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, three more village post offices are slated to open up in Leopold, Clarksburg and Arlington, Indiana in late June.
For those interested, click here for application information to start up a village post office in your community.
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