INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A little history will be made in Benton County on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 as two Village Post Offices (VPOs) open in the towns of Otterbein and Oxford.
Otterbein, now part of West Lafayette, occupies mostly flat, open farm land on the eastern border of Benton County. Like many rural towns, Otterbein was once a thriving community and had two Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago and St. Louis) railroad tracks and a depot until the nationalization of the railroads in the 1970s.
Oxford, just eight miles northwest of Otterbein, was Benton County's first town. Oxford’s claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of standardbred horse Dan Patch. Standardbreds are best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. Dan Patch was foaled in an Oxford barn in 1896, and gained celebrity status for setting world speed records that remained unbroken until 1960.
Both VPO openings take place at the family-owned Fellure Foods stores.
The 30th VPO in the Greater Indiana District will open in Otterbein at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) at Fellure Foods, 9150 W 500 N, Otterbein, IN 47970. An open house will follow from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The ribbon cutting for the 31st VPO in the postal district will take place in Oxford at 12 p.m. (EST) at Fellure Foods, 201 S. Howard St., Oxford, IN 47971 with an open house following from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m.
Pauline Fellure, who owns both stores with her husband, Drew, says they decided to open VPOs in their businesses because they wanted to retain a postal presence and help the community in each location.
“It’s an investment in the community. We’ve been selling stamps for years, so this is a natural next step. We really appreciate this opportunity to help our Post Office and our community. The Post Office’s hours in Otterbein and Oxford have been reduced, so being able to come into our stores when the Post Office is closed will be very convenient for our customers. I think it will be of benefit to the Postal Service and to our business,” she said.
The hours of operation at the Otterbein store are from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, and at the Oxford store from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. extending to 10 p.m. in March for summer hours.
Both postal centers will be opened by the U.S. Postal Service’s Manager of Post Office Operations Jeff Leffler. Several USPS and local officials will be present at the events.
In 2011, the Postal Service introduced the VPO model as an alternate retail location for postal products and services, especially in rural communities.
VPOs are operated by local businesses contracting with the Postal Service, and offer a range of popular postal products and services including stamps and flat-rate packaging.
Another VPO will open in Demotte on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013.
Additional information about the Village Post Office is available at www.uspsvillagepostoffice.com.
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