Lowber resident Sandie Choban heard a rumor two weeks ago that the post office serving her Sewickley Township village was in danger of closing.
Choban, a resident for 43 years, said she had one simple question: "I wanted to know where my mail was going to go."
Now, 131 families in Lowber, who had been getting postal boxes for free, will have to consider several options.
Cathy Yarosky, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Postal Service, said as of May 13 services are being temporarily suspended at the office on Cherry Blossom Street in Lowber because of disagreements with the local fire department, which owns the building.
"This is simply a suspension of services since we lost the lease," she said. "We are not permanently closing this office. That decision has not yet been made. This is just a temporary suspension."
Yarosky encourages community members to attend a public meeting with Postal Service officials at 6:30 p.m. today in the offices of Basic Carbide at 900 Main St. in Lowber.
Residents affected by the suspension were notified by mail on Thursday.
The letter noted that the Irwin post office will provide retail and delivery services, and customers with post office boxes may request rural delivery by contacting Lowber Postmaster Mary Ann Weimer.
Customers also can rent a post office box for a fee at the Herminie post office, three miles from Lowber, the letter said.
Choban said she is mostly concerned for other senior citizens who will have to purchase and install a mailbox and possibly change their addresses.
"Who's going to help them put their box in⢠Who's going to help them change everything on their insurance and all their bills and all that?" she said.
She contacted township Supervisor Wayne Jones, who is attempting to assist residents throughout the transition.
Both Jones and Choban said they hope Postal Service officials will explain why Lowber residents are being directed to Irwin, 8 miles away, when post offices in West Newton, Rillton and Herminie are closer.
"These people have a pretty good drive to pick up a package they could have walked down the street to get," Jones said. "You're going to pass at least two post offices, maybe three on the way (to Irwin). I don't know how well thought out that is."
Tim Keenan, a trustee with the Lowber fire department, said the Postal Service has been a tenant in the building for about 20 years. It pays $625 per month for rent.
"They sent us a letter saying due to budget problems or whatever, they said they wanted to cancel the lease and do it for $500 per month," he said.
The fire department responded to the letter and attempted to negotiate a new lease, but no one responded to those requests, Keenan said.
The department, which houses a social club in the Cherry Blossom Street building, then offered a corner lot to house a trailer for the post office at the lower rate, but that offer was rebuffed, he said.
"I think it's more of a political thing than anything else," he said. "I know people would be more than happy to get their mail delivered. I know some people are upset, but you're never going to make everybody happy."
Keenan said the rent money was directly applied to payments for a fire truck, a purchase that has since been supplemented by a grant.
"Not that we're looking down our nose at $600, but the hassle of being a landlord outweighed the benefits," he said.
Jones said he can remember a time when Lowber had a convenience store, a school and other "little mom-and-pop businesses."
Without a post office and a ZIP code, Lowber residents would lose much of their identity, Choban said.
"There will be a Lowber, but there won't be," she said.
