INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Manilla is a quaint Indiana town in Rush County. Like New York, it was named twice. When it was first platted in 1836 it was called Wilmington, later changed to Manilla and its Post Office was the second in the nation to bear that name.
Today, Wednesday, March 20, 2013, the 35th Village Post Office (VPO) in the U.S. Postal Service’s Greater Indiana District will officially open at RushShelby Energy, 2777 S. 840 W, Manilla, IN 46150. Ribbon cutting will be at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and an open house will follow from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Rush Shelby Energy is an electric cooperative that serves about 15,000 members in parts of several counties including Rush, Shelby, Franklin and Hancock. Electric cooperatives are private, independent electric utilities, owned by the members they serve. They got their start during the Depression when nine out of 10 rural homes were without electric service. As part of the New Deal, the Rural Electrification Act (REA) was passed and the lending program that became the REA got underway.
Today about 99 percent of the nation’s farms have electric service. Most rural electrification is the product of locally owned rural electric cooperatives that got their start by borrowing funds from REA to build lines and provide service on a nonprofit basis.
This is the first VPO in Indiana located in an electric co-op. RushShelby Energy Senior Vice President David Sheets said the cooperative decided to open a VPO at its headquarters in Manilla as a convenience to local consumers.
“We’re a locally-owned cooperative and see ourselves as good neighbors in the community. Opening a VPO will provide service to local residents and our consumers and means they can now buy book of stamps or pick up Priority Mail boxes while visiting the office,” Sheets said.
Rush Shelby Energy is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The new postal center will be opened by the U.S. Postal Service’s Manager of Post Office Operations Carmen Jennings. Several USPS and local officials will be present at the event.
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.
Two more VPOs will open in the Greater Indiana District in Jamestown on March 26 and in Carthage on March 28.
Additional information about the Village Post Office is available at www.uspsvillagepostoffice.com.
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