Wrangling continues in Careywood post office closure

SANDPOINT - The battle over the closure of the post office in Careywood is going to a higher level.

Opponents of the closure filed paperwork Friday seeking an emergency suspension of the closure order. The U.S. Postal Service, meanwhile, moved to dismiss the opponents' appeal of the closure order.

Post office customer Marrion Newsam Banks appealed to acting Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman Robert Taub to suspend the order because the postal service did not follow its own guidelines for shuttering the post office.

Newsam Banks contends the postal service was required to conduct an on-site investigation, distribute a questionnaire to Careywood post office customers and hold a community meeting to explain the closure. She also argues that the postal service must observe a 60-day comment period and a 30-day appeal period before closing the place.

"Throughout this entire process, the U.S. Postal Service has made no effort to provide the customers of the Careywood post office with the protection provided for by their own rules and regulations," Newsam Banks wrote in the suspension request.

Counsel for the postal service filed a motion to dismiss the appeal of the closure, contending that the guidelines apply to postal service-operated facilities and not contractor-operated facilities. As a result, the commission lacks subject matter jurisdiction and the appeal should be dismissed.

The postal service contends closing the Careywood post office does not thwart customers' access to the mail because the Athol post office is only seven minutes away.

"In addition, Careywood ID CPU customers are eligible for service by carrier delivery, which provides them with both 24-hour access to their mail, and a wide range of retail services from the carrier," said Anthony Alverno, chief counsel for the postal service's global business and service development bureau.