FORT WORTH, TX — The U.S. Postal Service Fort Worth District will be holding public meetings through the end of September to discuss proposals to make possible changes in the way postal services are provided. Customers will have an opportunity to meet with a Postal Service representative to discuss alternatives.

A review of business activities for the following Post Offices revealed that the office workload for each has declined. This reduced workload suggests the maintenance of an independent Post Office in these locations may no longer be warranted. Community meeting dates, times and locations are included.

Adrian 79001 — Sept 12, 6:00 PM, Adrian Community Building, 201 E Historic Route 66,
Adrian, TX
Bledsoe 79314 — Sept 20, 6:00 PM, County Building, Hwy 125 and Grant Street, Bledsoe, TX
Cotton Center 79021 — Sept 15, 6:00 PM, Cotton Center School Cafeteria-Elementary Building, 2343 FM 179, Cotton Center, TX
Doole 76836 — Sept 20, 6:00PM, Doole Community Center, 6523 FM 503, Doole, TX
Dougherty 79231 — Sept 17, 12:30PM, Darty Gin,315 Motley St, Dougherty, TX
Enochs 79324 — Sept 19, 6:00 PM, Maple Community Building, 3199 FM 596, Maple, TX
Fredonia 76842 — Sept 10, 2:00 PM, Fredonia Scalehouse Café, 11020 RR 1222, Fredonia, TX
Girard 79218 — Sept 17, 4:30PM, Girard Community Center, 1301 Hwy 70, Girard, TX
Lazbuddie 79053 — Sept 14, 6:00 PM, Lazbuddie School Careteria, 675 FM 1172, Lazbuddie, TX
Loop 79342 — Sept 22, 6:00 PM, Wellman Community Building,700 Terry Ave, ,TX
Maple 79344 — Sept 19, 6:00 PM, Maple Community Building, 3199 FM 596, Maple, TX
McAdoo 79243 — Sept 17, 2:30PM, McAdoo Baptist Church, 208 W Eldredge, McAdoo, TX
Melvin 76858 — Sept 10, 5:30 PM, Jacoby's Café, 101 N Main, Melvin, TX
Millersview 76862 — Sept 20, 4:30 PM, Millersview Community Center, 8060 FM 765 E, Millersview, TX
Pep 79353 — Sept 21, 6:00 PM, Whitharral School Cafeteria, 201 2nd Street, Whitharral, TX
Pontotoc 76869 — Sept 10, 11:30 AM, Pontotoc Community Center, 17659 College Street, Pontotoc, TX
South Plains 79258 — Sept 17, 11:00 AM, Baptist Fellowship Hall, 465 Edwards St, South Plains, Tx
Talpa 76882 — Sept 13, 4:30 PM, Immanuel Baptist Church Hall, 176 2nd St, Talpa, TX
Umbarger 79091 — Sept 13, 6:00 PM, Knights of Columbus Building, 22620 Pondaseta Rd, Umbarger,TX
Valera 76884 — Sept 13, 6:00 PM, Baptist Church Annex, 560 Lipscomb St, Valera TX
Valley Springs 76885 — Sept 10, 10:00 AM, Valley Springs Community Center, 11804 W. State Hwy 71, Valley Springs, TX
Voca 76887 — Sept 10, 3:30 PM, Voca Community Building, 205 South FM 1851, Voca, TX
Welch 79377 — Sept 26, 6:00 PM, Welch School Auditorium, 600 N Brownfield Hwy, Welch, TX
Wellman 79378 — Sept 22, 6:00 PM, Wellman Community Building, 700 Terry Ave, Wellman, TX
Whitharral 79380 — Sept 21, 6:00 PM, Whitharral School Cafeteria, 201 2nd Street,
Whitharral, TX
Whitt 76490 — Sept 13, 6:00 PM, Whitt Fire Department Building, 4312 N FM 52, Whitt, TX

Anyone who wishes to submit comments in writing can send them to:

Consumer & Industry Contact Manager
USPS Fort Worth District
4600 Mark IV Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76161-9631

As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for the U.S. Postal Service to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices — the largest retail network in the country — diminishes. To that end, the U.S. Postal Service announced July 26 that it will be taking the next step in right-sizing its expansive retail network by conducting studies of approximately 3,700 retail offices to determine customer needs. As part of this effort, the Postal Service also introduced a retail-replacement option for affected communities around the nation.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

For communities currently without a postal retail office and for communities affected by these retail optimization efforts, the Postal Service introduced the Village Post Office as a potential replacement option. Village Post Offices would be operated by local businesses, such as pharmacies, grocery stores and other appropriate retailers, and would offer popular postal products and services such as stamps and flat-rate packaging.

“By working with third-party retailers, we’re creating easier, more convenient access to our products and services when and where our customers want them,” Donahoe said. “The Village Post Office will offer another way for us to meet our customers’ needs.”

With 32,000 postal retail offices and more than 70,000 third-party retailers — Approved Postal Providers — selling postage stamps and providing expanded access to other postal products and services, customers today have about 100,000 locations across the nation where they can do business with the Postal Service.

“The Postal Service of the future will be smaller, leaner and more competitive and it will continue to drive commerce, serve communities and deliver value,” Donahoe added.

The list of offices being studied and additional information, including video, audio soundbites, b-roll and JPEGs, can be found at http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/welcome.htm.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.