Colfax Post Office closed until further notice
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COLFAX POST OFFICE CLOSED — After a delivery truck backed into the rear portion of the Colfax Post Office Friday afternoon, the post office is closed until further notice. Although the building does not look too badly damaged on the outside to the casual observer, there is no telling what it looks like on the inside. Structural engineers were in Colfax Saturday assessing the damage. Until further notice, Colfax post office box holders have been instructed to pick up their mail at the Boyceville Post Office.
—photo by Amber Hayden
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Amid concerns about structural damage after an Amazon delivery truck backed into the building Friday afternoon, the Colfax Post Office is closed until further notice.
Rural route deliveries will not change, but post office box holders will have to go to the Boyceville Post Office to pick up their mail.
Postal patrons driving to Boyceville will have to bring identification with them so the name can be matched with the name on the mail, said Mike Parrot, Boyceville postmaster.
Several of the Colfax clerks will be working out of the Boyceville post office temporarily, so the clerks may be able identify some people personally, he said.
When asked if someone could pick up mail for other people or businesses, so not everyone would have to drive the 17 miles to Boyceville every day, Parrot replied, “not going to happen.”
The post office must have checks and balances for handing over the mail, Parrot said.
“We’re figuring that out… we’re working on the details right now,” he said.
At the moment, none of the Colfax postal records are in Boyceville, so it is impossible to check the records, Parrot said.
Post office box keys do have serial numbers.
If the postal patron brings his or her post office box key, it is possible personnel at the Boyceville Post Office could check to see if there is a match with the number in the postal service’s computer system, Parrot said.
Picking up the mail in Boyceville could present more of a challenge for businesses than for individuals. On only very rare occasions, for example, does mail come to the Colfax Post Office for the Colfax Messenger with this reporter’s name on the mail, even though this reporter picks up the mail every day. The same would be true for other businesses as well that mail is not necessarily going to be addressed to the person tasked with picking up the mail for the business.
As for the mail collection boxes in Colfax, such as the box in front of the post office and the box in the parking lot at Kyle’s Market, the mail will still be collected from those locations, so people can still send their mail from Colfax that way, Parrot said.
Parrot said he had no idea how long the Colfax Post Office might be closed.
Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, said she had been told to expect that the Colfax Post Office would be closed for at least one month.
Structural engineers were at the post office on Saturday assessing the damage, she said.
To the casual observer, the back wall of the post office building does not look too severely damaged. On the other hand, who knows what the building looks like on the inside, Niggemann said.
And, as an outside wall, it would be a load-bearing wall, she noted.
Sheila Riemer, deputy clerk treasurer, said the post office had called about getting barriers to set up around the damaged area about 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, February 21, Niggemann said.
Niggemann said she and
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Riemer had been discussing the possibility of going to Boyceville for the mail every other day.
Going every other day would work for now, but once the absentee ballots for the spring election start coming back, the clerk’s office is required by law to pick them up from the post office every day, Niggemann said.
The absentee ballots will be mailed out in two or three weeks, she said.
Saturday morning, February 22, postal patrons who went to the Colfax post office to pick up their mail were greeted by a locked door and a notice posted on the door: “2/21/20 — The U.S. Postal Service has implemented an emergency suspension of the following Post Office: Colfax Post Office. The Postal Service apologizes for the inconvenience and appreciates your patience as we deal with the unexpected situation. Your mail and all mail services are now available at the following location(s): Boyceville Post Office, 1246 Nelson Drive, Boyceville WI 54725; 715-643-4351. 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Customers can mail items and purchase stamps at the temporary Post Office as listed above. PO Box Customers will also pick up their mail at the temporary Post Office. For more information about postal products and services, contact 1-800-ASK-USPS or visit www.usps.com.”
Niggemann said she realizes people are frustrated with the situation.
If the postal service can figure out a way to verify identification and obtain permissions, it might be possible for businesses or other post office box holders in Colfax to work together so they would only have to drive to Boyceville once a week but everyone would get their mail every day, Niggemann said.
Niggemann said she would post information on Facebook as it becomes available.
Watch the Colfax Messenger in the coming weeks for updated information about the Colfax Post Office as well.
