MISHAWAKA — These days, rain or shine, the mail still goes through, but not nearly as much as it used to.
"We've had a decline in volume. Just like other businesses have declines, we've had a decline in ours," said Randy Stines, Postal Operations Manager for the Northern Indiana region of the USPS.
Thanks to e-mail, online bill pay, and fewer bulk advertising, volume is down and so is revenue. Earlier this year, the postal service asked Congress for permission to cut back delivery from six days a week to five. It’s still waiting on a decision.
This summer, many post offices, including Mishawaka and smaller towns like Milford, Nappanee, and Knox, have scaled back hours.
“If I can’t get here by noon (Saturday), I don’t get my mail again until Monday,” said May Wilshire, as she walked out of the Mishawaka Post Office.
Now, the postal service is considering what would reportedly be the biggest consolidation in mail service history.
"There's absolutely no list right now as far as who may be consolidated and who may not be but there's around 3,000 post offices nationwide that we're looking at that could go,” said Stines.
Kim Yates, a spokesperson for the Greater Indiana District of the USPS, said the service is considering consolidations in urban cities with multiple branches within a geographical area. In South Bend, those branches would include Edison Road, Chippewa Street, and Olive Street. The main branch on Michigan Street would not be considered among the possible closings.
"There's community involvement, a whole lot of things that go into something like that but it's not going to happen overnight,” said Stines. “If anything's going to happen, I'd look for it to happen within the next three to four months probably."
POST OFFICES WITH ALTERED SUMMER HOURS:
(Normal hours scheduled to resume September 8, 2009)
Bristol, 46507
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. (closing at lunch hour)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (closing one hour earlier)
Knox, 46534
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (opening later)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (no change)
Lakeville, 46536
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. (opening 1/2 hr later and closing at lunch hour)
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (no change)
Mentone, 46539
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (opening later, changing time of lunch hour closing)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (opening and closing 1/2 hour later)
Middlebury, 46540
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closing at lunch hour)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (closing one hour earlier)
Milford, 46542
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (opening 1/2 hr later/closing 1/2 hr earlier/closed lunch time)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (no change)
Mishawaka, 46544
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (closing 1/2 hour earlier)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (closing 4 hours earlier)
Nappanee, 46550
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (opening 1/2 hr later and closing at lunch time)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (closing one hour earlier)
North Webster, 46555
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.(closing for lunch hour)
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (no change)
Osceola, 46561
Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (opening 1/2 hour later)
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (no change)
Plymouth, 46563
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (opening 1/2 hr later/closing 1/2 hr earlier/closing at lunch time)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (no change)
Shipshewana, 46565
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (opening 1/2 hr later, extended lunch time closing)
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (no change)
Topeka, 46571
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (opening 1/2 hour later)
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (no change)
Tyner, 46572
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. (opening one hour later, extended lunch time closing)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (opening one hour later)
Walkerton, 46574
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closing at lunch time, closing 1/2 hr earlier)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (opening and closing one hour earlier)
Winona Lake, 46590
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (no change)
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (closing one hour earlier)
