Great Cacapon hoping to avoid postal cuts

A November 30 notice from regional Postal Service officials says that Great Cacapon Post Office window hours will be cut to six hours per weekday. However, the appeal process to stop the cuts continues.

The letter from Appalachian District Coordinator Paul Bradshaw said the implementation of the reduced weekday hours would be at a later, unspecified date. Saturday window hours will remain the same.

According to the letter, the review process has ended and customer surveys, community meeting input and Post Office operational needs were considered.

Great Cacapon Postmaster Rick Dunn said, however, that a formal appeal document submitted by resident Keith DeBlasio has been accepted by the U.S. Regulatory Commission and the appeal process is under way.

A petition to stop the cuts was also begun by resident Jerry Berman and now contains 500 signatures. Berman is scheduled to present the petition to the Morgan County Commissioners at their Thursday, December 6 meeting.

The petition will be sent to Postal Service officials after the meeting. Sent with the petition will be the minutes of the County Commission’s special November 1 meeting about the proposed Great Cacapon Post Office cuts. Included will be a record of citizen comments at the meeting and the commission’s resolution opposing the reduction of hours.