USPS Village Post Offices

From Yahoo News:
"USPS revising plan for "Village Post Offices""

The financially troubled U.S. Postal Service has determined that its plan to replace money-losing offices with retailers contracted to offer basic services will not work in many rural communities. The world's largest mail carrier hoped the plan, announced in July as part of a series of cost-cutting moves to combat recent losses, would save hundreds of millions of dollars. The agency set an eventual goal of 2,000 "Village Post Offices," but it has fewer than 10 fully operating. It is now looking at ways to operate some rural post offices more cheaply rather than closing them.

"When you get west of the Mississippi, it's more prevalent that you don't have stores in these communities, you have nothing in these communities. It's pretty much just the post office," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told Reuters in an interview.The Postal Service still plans to establish new Village Post Offices, but the lack of potential retail partners could allow some post offices to remain open. Thirty Alaska sites were removed from the list when the agency decided they were needed to maintain service. "We found out there were no roads to get there," Donahoe said. Six Village Post Offices are operating now, and one opens next week. Four retailers are finalizing their agreements, and about 30 others are in various stages of the contract process, according to a Postal Service spokesman.

^ At least the USPS is trying to listen to communities' needs and do something that both will serve the community, the people and the USPS. Hopefully, they will continue on this path and get everything fixed. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/usps-revising-plan-village-post-offices-111712300.html