On March 29, 2011 Neal Wagner wrote an article with the following information from U.S. Postal Service officials:

“Larry Dingman, manager of USPS southeast area corporate communications, said the changes will only affect USPS employees, and will not affect the services currently offered at the Helena office.

He also said customers can still pick up undeliverable packages, purchase stamps and ship packages at the Helena office.

‘The retail area and P.O. boxes will remain open at the Helena office,’ Dingman said. ‘It’s a transparent change. The customers won’t notice any difference.’”

Well I live in Helena and I have noticed a horrible difference. This entire merger has been nothing short of a nightmare for the citizens of Helena.

I have spoken to several neighbors, and they have all had pretty much the same experience as I have. Postal officials outright lied to Neal and the public (oh, I forgot, they didn’t even have the decency to tell the public about the merger).

I received a notice to pick up an undeliverable package at the post office, so I went to the Helena post office to get it as usual, and I was told that I had to go all the way to Pelham (in rush hour traffic) to get it.

I asked why the citizens of Helena had not been notified of this inconvenience, and the postmaster in Helena couldn’t (or wouldn’t) give me an answer. When I got to Pelham and finally got through the line, which was out the door (rare in Helena), the poor clerk at the front counter couldn’t find my package.

She went to several people in the back and asked if they knew where the Helena carriers were putting their packages. She even asked the supervisor and postmaster.

They never found it, and I had to come back another day to pick it up. It was so frustrating. I hope Neal interviews Mr. Dingham again and asks him why much thought wasn’t put into this change, and why did the postal service lie to Neal and the public?

Timothy Jones

Helena