According to the USPS a local post office may close due to a lease dispute

Johnstown, Pa — The residents of one community hoping to keep their post office after hearing it may be closing for good.

6 News went to that Cambria County community and spoke to the postal service and residents about the situation.

The residents say they are upset hearing the post office is expected to close because they may not only be losing a piece of their daily routine, but a staple in their community.

"Towns have rights," said Ryan Michaels, a resident of Beaverdale. "You know, we have a right to a fire department, we have a right to a police department, we have a right to maybe a little convenience store or a store and we have a right to a post office.”

Michaels has been a resident of Beaverdale for the past eight years and says it has become a ‘forgotten town’ and hearing the post office is expected to close doesn’t help that feeling.

“For a small community, larger communities might not understand this, but for a small community of I think population of Beaverdale might be a little over a thousand these, you know facilities mean a lot to the community as a whole,” added Michaels.

Residents told Channel 6 going to the post office became routine for many people in the Beaverdale community – including Justin Conley who picks up the mail for his job which is just a short walk away.

“It’s kind of depressing because I like to take the walk at eleven o’clock every day," said Conley. “I feel like it just part of everyday routine for people in Beaverdale I guess.”

Both Michaels and Conley say they are not only upset but shocked when they heard about their post office possibly closing.

“We were blindsided one hundred percent," said Michaels. "You know we walked in I think it was three or four days ago, I got my mail we had a letter saying May 19th will be the last day at the end of the workday to pick up your mail in Beaverdale.”

However, whether the post office is actually closing on May 19th is not set in stone.

According to Mark Lawrence the Strategic Communications Specialist for the United States Post Office, “A decision to terminate the current lease has not been finalized and is subject to change. Out of an abundance of caution, the postal service is taking steps to ensure Beaverdale customers will never see a disruption of mail service at any time."

Until a final decision can be made, Beaverdale residents will have start going to the Portage Post Office for their mail.

“I think it’s like 6 miles. You got to drive there; I’m not walking there either. So, either take a company car to get it or pick it up in the morning,” Conley. “It puts a damper in their routine since they got to go farther and waste more gas and that’s not cheap.”

The last day to pick up your mail from the Beaverdale Post Office is expected to be May 19th.

The official from U.S.P.S says more information will be provided prior to any final decision.

ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7y6iamqRflrCku9GdoKefXam8bsDHnmSuq6CoeqJ5y6iamqRdpby0wIyonZ%2Bhk5p6rq3YZpqlp6OaeqXBxGarqGWRYrmmrdKeZJ2ho6XCtbE%3D