Community hopes to save post office

MINERVA, Ky. - Post offices are closed Monday for the Fourth of July, but one local post office is in danger of closing its mail slot for good.

Welcome to Minerva, Ky., population, according to its residents, is about 200—unless you count the dogs, then maybe 400. They call it “Mayberry.”

The small community, situated between Maysville and Augusta in Mason County, is in jeopardy of losing its post office—which they've had since 1810. The United States Postal Service is proposing the closure citing poor building conditions.

"The building is in very good condition. It may be old, it's not the fanciest building you'll ever see, but it's efficient and it does the job,” said Terry Blevins of the post office that is attached to his mother’s house in Minerva.

The post office isn't just where the mail is delivered and picked up, it's also where the community gathers to catch up on who’s who and what’s what.

“It's a lifeline to the community. If your neighbor's sick or hurt or whatever—you haven't seen them in a day or two, you can ask at the post office what's going on and she's going to say they're sick or whatever and then the community pulls together and does what they need to do for that person,” said Audrey Mineer, Minerva resident.

Many of Minerva's residents walk to the post office and fear the nearest post office in Dover—more than four miles away, isn’t going to be a possibility.

"They're suggesting that you can go to Augusta, 6.6 miles or to Dover which is four point something. It's both bad roads and hills and you know, people just can't do that, particularly our older citizens,” said Martha Moford, retired Minerva postmaster.

The community has been a big part in keeping the post office not only running but also beautiful. The flowers were donated and planted by residents. And the bike that Candy Kirk, the only post office employee rides to and from work? Also donated by a post office regular.

As the small post office reaches its 200th anniversary July 10, the town hopes it won't be the last.