PORT ANGELES — A rally to support local post offices and postal carriers is scheduled Tuesday.
The rally will be at 4 p.m. in front of U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks’ office at 323 E. Fifth St.
In July, the United States Postal Service announced it will close many post offices across the country and possibly end Saturday delivery.
Of the 3,700 locations listed for possible closure, no North Olympic Peninsula post office locations are included.
Six Washington state post offices made the list. They are in Kent, Tacoma, Seattle, Spokane and Yakima.
With 30 miles between Port Angeles and Sequim and even longer distances between other post offices in the area, it is unlikely any Peninsula offices ever will be named for elimination, said David Wood, a Port Angeles letter carrier and member of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, who is organizing the local rally.
However, he fears small postal stations such as at Carlsborg, Grandview and Beaver could be downgraded to retail stores with post office boxes.
About 100,000 of the 260,000 jobs that will be eliminated nationwide will be lost through attrition, Wood said, with another 160,000 cut through layoffs, including 60,000 part-time employees currently hired to cover hours to make Saturday deliveries possible.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
