Athens —
Citizens served by the Poynor Post Office are invited to meet at 6 p.m. on Feb. 25 to discuss the future of the facility.
The U.S. Postal Service is considering cutting the hours of operation for the Poynor location from eight hours to four.
Citizens have been mailed a questionnaire asking which of four options they prefer. They range from cutting the hours to eliminating the post office altogether.
“It’s yet to be decided,” Officer-in-Charge Chris DeChant said. “That’s why were having this community meeting to get everybody’s input.”
The meeting will be at the Poynor Community Center at 12106 Lovers Lane, a short distance from the post office on U.S. Highway 175.
“This is a community thing. I hope people come, even if they don’t have a post office box” DeChant said. “If they use our post office, they’re part of it, too.”
Poynor has had a post office since Dan S. Weaver was instituted as the first postmaster in 1902. In 2012, U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General Patrick K. Donahoe acknowledged that most small communities want to keep their post offices open. Donahoe wants to oblige them, but still cut back on the cost in order to trim some of the USPS’s huge deficit.
“We’ve listened to our customers in rural America, and we’ve heard them loud and clear. They want to keep their post office open,” Donahoe said in a statement.
Poynor postal customers were recently sent a survey asking them if they would prefer to:
• keep the office open, but limit it to four hours on weekdays and a shorter time on Saturday;
• conduct a discontinuance study for the office and provide roadside mailbox delivery using a rural carrier;
• conduct a discontinuance study to find an alternative location, such as a local business, to provide mail service; or
• conduct a discontinuance study for the office and provide post office box service in another nearby post office.
The survey also asked residents their preference for which hours of operation they would like to see at post office, if the window service hours are cut to four.
DeChant guesses that 8 a.m. to noon. would be the choice of most customers.
The results of the survey will be revealed at the Feb. 25 meeting.
DeChant said the post office is currently changing the locks on its boxes from combination locks to key-operated. That will continue if the office remains open.
“We’ve got about 10 put in so far,” DeChant said.
She would also like to see parcel holders so people can pick up larger pieces of mail in the off hours.
“There are a few accommodations we can do to make it better.” DeChant said.
Local News
Tough choice coming
Poynor Post Office to consider various cuts
- Local News
-
-
A personal story to tell
When Donna Johnson took to the podium last week at Trinity Valley Community College, it wasn’t to tell her own story.
Johnson was the featured speaker at the college’s annual GED graduation ceremony last week. The ceremony gives students who have completed the high school equivalency exam during the past year the chance to attend commencement. -
Athens house burned
A Monday afternoon fire inflicted severe damage to a house at 911 W. Cayuga Dr. in Athens.
No one was injured in the blaze that started in the back bedroom of the residence. Athens Fire Chief John McQueary said the resident had been staying with her sister and was not at home at the time of the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation. -
Radio Club plays the field
CQ ... CQ ... CQ ... This is what you will hear this coming Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23, when the Athens Amateur Radio Club once again participates in the annual Amateur Radio Relay League’s (ARRL) National Field Day event.
-
Retired teachers get raise, fund solvency
During the final days of the 83rd Legislative Session, the Texas House approved the Teacher Retirement Actuarial Soundness Bill, or SB 1458, which will put the Teachers Retirement System on solid ground for years to come.
-
Time to have a blast
The annual Fourth of July fireworks show at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) is coming up on Thursday, July 4. The show will last about one-half hour and is one of the biggest in East Texas.
The fireworks show is directed and produced by Alpha-Lee Enterprises, Inc. of Liverpool, Texas. The show is a Keep Athens Beautiful event. -
Easy there, big fella
Athens bullrider Kody Ingham hangs on during the opening round of the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Black Rodeo held at the Henderson County Fairpark Complex Friday night.
-
NISD to vote on Wooten
BROWNSBORO — Kenneth Wooten, Brownsboro High School’s principal since 2007, is set to be voted on regarding the vacant principal’s position at Nacogdoches ISD.
-
One step closer
The Athens Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and Athens Mayor Jerry Don Vaught are excited to announce with Med-Logics, Inc. the location of a new facility in Athens.
-
A first for the county
Henderson County has its first licensed foster care and adoption agency.
Lifeline Children and Family Services has opened a location in Gun Barrel City. Lifeline CFS may be new to Gun Barrel City, but it has been licensed by the State of Texas for 10 years. -
Beetle infestation in county
If you’ve noticed some big black bugs gathering outside your home or crawling along the carpet, you’re just seeing evidence of the large number of ground beetles now in East Texas.
“The ground beetles are not rare, but the population of them that we’re seeing now is uncommon,” Henderson County AgriLife Extension Agent Rick Hirsch said. “This is the heaviest population of ground beetles that I’ve seen in my 20-plus years in Henderson County.” - More Local News Headlines
-
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Obama Seeks G-8 Support on Syria
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Suicide Bombs Target Baghdad Mosque, Killing 29
Military Plans to Put Women in Combat Jobs
Solar Power Chargers in NYC Parks
Civil Rights Groups Sue NYPD Over Muslim Spying
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
