The U.S. Postal Service is continuing its review of the Gilbertville post office, a postal service spokeswoman said.
LEVERETT – The post office in Leverett will remain open for now, and, in the words of one selectman, it’s “a small victory.”
Earlier this month, U.S. Postal Service representatives notified residents that the post office in the small Franklin County town was being reviewed for a possible closure, and surveys were sent out to gauge opinions.
Many residents were upset about the potential closure, and did not like the idea of driving to Sunderland, as the postal service had suggested, for their mailing needs.
A meeting about the post office was supposed to be held Wednesday, but it was canceled by the postal service, which notified the community on Monday.
U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Maureen P. Marion said in an email that the Leverett study “has been tabled for now due to operational issues” and that there are no plans to reschedule the community meeting.
“Initiating a study does not constitute a decision to discontinue a post office. It does begin the process of data collection which helps us determine how to proceed. Our studies of the Leverett postal facility are an example of this fluid process. As a result of our initial work in this instance, we are taking a different direction with our studies in Leverett.
“This eliminates the need for a community meeting at this time . . . There is no decision in place as to whether we will reopen a review of this office for the possibility of consolidation or closure, nor do we have a timetable for such a decision,” Marion wrote.
Selectman Julie A. Shively said she thinks a combination of factors led to the postal service’s decision – the letters written to congressmen opposing the closure, the petitions circulating to keep the post office open, and the surveys that the residents returned.
“I’m relieved,” Shively said. “It’s a small victory for a moment.”
Marion said the postal service is continuing its review of the Gilbertville Post Office, which is one of three post offices in the small Worcester County town of Hardwick. The reviews of the Gilbertville and Leverett post offices were prompted because of postmaster vacancies.