NEBO, KY - After informing the citizens of Nebo via letter a couple of weeks ago, The US Postal Service hosted a public forum last Monday at the Nebo Christian Church to discuss the future of the Nebo Post Office.

Two representatives from the post office- David Walton, USPS Spokesman, Tim Reynolds, review coordinator USPS- informed a crowd of around 50 concerned citizens that services would be suspended at Nebo Post Office on November 27, 2009.  Rural Routes will run through Providence post office while the post office boxes will reroute through Manitou Post Office.

An inspection of the Nebo Post Office Facility showed the building to be substandard, containing mold, which is a risk to the health of customers and employees. Since tough economic times are forcing the USPS to make more efficient decisions, the cost of repairing the facility exceeds the benefits.

Several citizens expressed their concerns during the forum and offered their support to preserve the Nebo Post Office, including State Rep Jim Gooch, and a field representative for Congressman Ed Whitfield.

The city of Nebo proposed alternative facilities that would accommodate the post office. The representatives requested those proposals in writing and suggested that they must meet USPS facility guidelines to be considered. The city and Shaun Roberts plan to send them a proposal offering alternative facilities that will save the post office money and preserve a post office in Nebo.



Here are Shaun Roberts thoughts:
   
I, Shaun Roberts was one of those concerned citizens. My involvement in this process began a few weeks ago, just before the letters were sent to Nebo residents. Several concerned citizens approached me regarding rumors of the dismal news that our post office could be closing. I noticed a sense of concern on their faces and they asked me if I could do anything to help.

Having been born and raises in Nebo and plans to raise a family right here in Nebo, I shared their concerns. I believe that when a decision by a government agency affects an entire community, the voices of that community should be heard. So I started circulating a petition. As people were signing the petition to preserve Nebo Post Office, I noticed that their faces changed from concern to a sense that they were making a difference. Simply put, the community came together and united behind one voice to preserve our post office. On Monday night I handed the representatives a copy of the over 230 signatures from citizens inside Nebo that want to preserve our post office and our sense of identity.

The citizens are aware that the Postal Service is not immune to the current economic climate. Like the families in Hopkins County and Nebo, the postal office must find ways to cut costs. But we believe that how they cut costs matters. It matters to the families in Nebo, it matters to the elderly men and women that will see a trip to the post office much like a trip to town now. It matters to the farmers and coal miners, local business owners and it matters to a community that feels like its sense of identity has been threatened. That’s why the citizens of Nebo, with full understanding that we must work together, and the city of Nebo will offers a proposal that has mutual interests and preserves our post office. We must find ways to cut costs and save them money. I’m hopeful that we can offer a reasonable proposal and I’m hopeful they will consider it.

At the end of the day, we, the citizens, want to know we did all we could to save not only a post office, but to preserve our sense of identity and our tradition.

Below is a copy of the petition the over 230 citizens signed.

Thanks,
Shaun Roberts



We, the undersigned citizens, respectfully object to the closing of Nebo Post Office. While we have yet to receive letters, we want to express our concerns about why we feel the Nebo Post Office should be preserved.

For many years, the Nebo Post Office has served the citizens of Nebo and the 42441 postal code area.  During these same years, Nebo has been abandoned by businesses, banks, schools and factories. Despite these abandonment’s, two things have sustained over these years: the citizens and our post office.

We, the citizens, see the post office, as more than a building to exchange letters, it’s our sense of community, and sense of identity.  When a community loses that, our future is filled with memories instead of dreams. Moreover, the Nebo Post Office provides us a place to see a neighbor or for postings about events, activities, and news about our local community.

Furthermore, we feel this will place an undue burden on our families and local business. The Nebo Post Office covers more area land than nearby Postal Codes, including Manitou. We feel this could force us to travel greater distances to another post office, costing families and local businesses more financial struggle during our current economic climate. While Nebo and United States Postal Service has maintained a healthy relationship over the years, this undue burden could force us to seek alternative sources that offer the same services as USPS, which will reduce revenue for the USPS.

We, the undersigned citizens, want to continue our relationship with the USPS by keeping our Nebo Post Office, and maintain our tradition in this community.