Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The Dix Post Office closed Wednesday, Dec. 30 temporarily due to deteriorating building conditions which may include mold. Residents who normally receive their mail at this location must now travel to Kimball to retrieve their post.
Outdoor post boxes similar to the ones pictured above have been ordered for the community of Dix. Until repairs are made or a new location is found Dix residents will be required to pick mail up at the neighboring Kimball Post Office.
Dix residents lost their post office this week, with services temporarily suspended effective Wednesday, Dec. 30, and with just days notice.
According to Dix Postmaster, Kay Atkins, she did not receive enough time to pass on the written notice to customers in a more timely manner.
In fact, the only written notice was dated Dec. 23, 2015, however, printed notices were posted in the community prior to the notice received by mail.
A deteriorating building with possible mold issues was to blame for the closure according to the letter received by Mary James, 87, of Dix. That letter was sent to James by the manager of postal operations from Salina, Kansas.
"The safety of our employees and customers is paramount," said Post Office Operations Manager Thomas O'Connor. "So we will temporarily suspend operations and notify the landlord so repairs can be made. Once it is safe, the Postal Service plans to reopen the Dix Post Office. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers, and we will keep them updated on any changes and progress."
According to a recent news release about the matter, the Postal Service will temporarily install centralized mailboxes in Dix as soon as possible to make it easier for Post Office Box customers to pick up their mail.
James said the letter further states that until the United States government can find a suitable building to house nearly 100 stations for mail delivery, residents can no longer retrieve their mail in downtown Dix.
Instead, these citizens will be required to retrieve their mail from Kimball, eight miles west, though an alternate location for retail services at the Potter Post Office is also offered.
"At my age, I am not looking forward to driving a total of twenty miles every day to pick up my mail," she explained, "especially with the weather lately and the roads in the condition they are. It's not fair to treat people this way and they should have notified people of this sooner."
Rural route customers served through the Dix office will continue receiving mail delivery. Additionally, rural customers can purchase stamps and ship packages through their rural carrier, Ruth Wurdeman and the blue collection box outside of the Dix Post Office will continue to be picked up as scheduled.
"Our community is full of older, much older, people," said lifetime Dix resident Staci Wurdeman. "We really need a post office. This is a really sad thing for us."
The deadline to pick up mail from the Dix post office, according the Atkins, was noon on Tuesday and any remaining mail would be transferred to the Kimball Post Office until further notice.
Atkins and Wurdeman will both work from the Kimball site for now.
"I have no idea how long the Dix residents will have to pick up their mail in Kimball," Atkins said. "We have ordered community post boxes and when they arrive they will be put up temporarily."