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July 12, 2011 in City
Rural Waverly fights to keep its post office
Town Council member and resident historian Evelyn Heinevetter has printed signs in support of the town’s post office building, to the left, in Waverly. Waverly is among about 2,500 small and rural towns with post offices targeted for closure by the USPS.
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About half of Waverly showed up Monday night to protest the proposed closing of the town’s U.S. Postal Service office.
The 40 or so people waved signs and expressed disgust with post office officials, saying they’ve responded to citizens’ concerns with form letters.
Waverly is among about 2,500 small and rural towns with post offices targeted for closure by the USPS as part of a $500 million budget-cutting plan.
Town Council member Kim Billington said such a closure would be calamitous: It is the only building in town that is staffed every day.
“This is the link to the outside world for many people here,” she said.
Letter carriers don’t deliver door-to-door in Waverly, making the post office a community kiosk of sorts for the town of about 100 residents.
It’s where people might read a neighbor’s urgent notice about a mama cougar and cub seen in a backyard, where they read a death notice of a friend or learn about a stolen car.
It takes $41,000 to run the post office, said Evelyn Heinevetter, resident historian. That covers a one-person counter and 100 post office boxes. The only other office in Waverly is the town hall/volunteer fire department, which isn’t open every day.
Waverly doesn’t have a café, a bar, grocery store, school, a barber, even a gas station.
It wasn’t until last year that the Internet reached high speed.
Most people in town don’t seem to care much about such trappings. They farm or work 38 miles north in Spokane, or have retired to the quiet life and like it that way.
Resident Janet Price, who is disabled, said she relies on the tiny post office to mail gifts to her grandchildren and write letters to friends.
“If they close it, I don’t know what I’ll do,” she said.
Despite the tough odds of overcoming a federal budget-cutting proposal, Billington said the town is confident.
“We stomped Avista,” she said of Waverly’s success in halting a proposed high-voltage transmission line.
Waverly has a rich but brief history as an important town in southern Spokane County.
A pair of Iowans settled the town in the 1870s. Its largest development happened in 1899 when the Washington State Beet Sugar Co. built a factory along Latah Creek. The half-million-dollar investment brought hundreds of workers, the railroad, hotels, taverns, schools and stores. It already had a post office, Heinevetter said.
The bustle stopped in 1910 when the sugar beet plant closed.
The town then shifted firmly to farming. The verdant hills of the Palouse boast some of the world’s best ground for growing wheat.
Joel Martensen now owns the land where the sugar plant once stood. He said closing post offices in small towns is insensitive. Some worry that Waverly, which was incorporated in 1907, would cease to be recognized and that the residents, at least for the sake of the mail, would be folded into Fairfield, about five miles away.
The people of Waverly said they expect to know later this year the fate of their post office.
In an interview published earlier this year in the Washington Post, Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe had this to say: “We have post offices out there that we have two customers, or three customers come in in an entire day.
“Remember the Maytag repairman? He used to have the loneliest job in the world. We probably have about 5,000 postmasters that have the loneliest job in the world.”
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Ninch on July 12 at 6:27 a.m.
Fairfield is only 5 miles away? And Waverly still has its own post office? Most people drive to the post office and it being a kiosk is not really its purpose. A authentic kiosk would be cheaper.
The only argument that I can think of would be for people who live in Waverly who “walk” to the post office and that seems to be very few. If Waverly is closed, then Waverly would get home delivery instead of no-charge post office boxes. (There are 100 boxes but the number of how many are no-charge because of lack of home delivery is not given.)
BTW: Waverly is SOUTH of Spokane and not north as article stated.
rkellie on July 12 at 7:13 a.m.
The article says they WORK 38 miles NORTH IN Spokane, not that it is 38 miles north. It does specifically say it is in southern Spokane County. I do agree that it isn’t the responsibility of the government to provide a “kiosk”. I would think they should be able to maintain the building and have someone there maybe twice a week to take packages. If nobody uses it, then cancel it.
misjustice on July 12 at 7:16 a.m.
I’m sure that a private business, such as FedEX or UPS, will step in to fill the void!
madscientist on July 12 at 7:54 a.m.
“This is the link to the outside world for many people here,” she said.
Hello, internet, telephone, tv- the post office is not your only link to the outside world.
I agree with closing this, and ALL post offices.
how much money could the government save?
Pay your bills on line, send a digital photo of your grandkids via email,etc, etc. Closing the pony express is long over due.
Scoutster on July 12 at 8:16 a.m.
Rural America is drying up and blowing away. The post office is just another symptom of that.
We support that which we value, and we have proven over the last generation that we really don’t value rural living much anymore. Neither good nor bad, just an observation.
nutz4utwo on July 12 at 4:52 p.m.
Assuming 100 people translates to 60 households to receive mail, $41,000 yearly cost / 60 households is $683 per household per year. Waverly currently rents PO Boxes from $42-100 a year depending on size. Even with additional revenue from mailing packages, it is still a waste. This place SHOULD be shut down.
If residents want a place to hang out, they should build a community center or something. Why should federal.gov subsidize their social hour?
bumblebeetuna on July 12 at 6:11 p.m.
Just an FYI, the post office receives no direct tax money. No, I don’t want to debate this matter further. Just thought I would bring it to some of your attention. Good day!
soccermomsusie on July 12 at 8:23 p.m.
I wish I lived in Waverly! I would be able to join everyone else there in rejoicing that our demands for less government, less government employees and more privatization were finally met!!
Waverly, you did not waver. You always voted Republican. This is why you are continually Conservative. This is why you totally Tea Party!
GOD BLESS YOU!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!!!