Postal Service claims it never wanted to shut down Coram Post Office

Hungry Horse News

A U.S. Postal Service spokesman last week said they agency never intended to close the Post Office in Coram, but it couldn’t find anyone interested in taking over the contract.

“We went door to door up there,” said David Rupert, a Postal Service spokesman based out of Denver.

That’s contrary to a story given by local residents, who said they did show an interest in the contract, but received no response from the Postal Service.

The Coram Post Office is not a Postal Service facility. It is run under a private contract with the Service. The previous contract holder decided to not renew the contract and the Post Office is slated to close by month’s end if a contract isn’t negotiated.

Last week the talks were headed in the right direction, locals and Postal Service officials said.

Local businessman Gary Paduana has been in negotiations with the Postal Service and while nothing had been signed as of presstime, it sounded like things were moving in a positive direction.

If it doesn’t come to fruition, Rupert said the Postal Service would make sure everyone gets their mail.

“Our contingency plan is to deliver mail to centralized mailboxes, which will avoid a trip to the nearest Post Office in West Glacier to retrieve mail. Despite what was reported, there will be enough boxes for every boxholder in the community,” Rupert said.

He said the boxes themselves were big enough for most packages and were more secure than mail boxes, because they each would have locks.

Rupert said the boxes would not be placed on private property, but on a public easement. He said they have had discussions with the county and the Forest Service on possible sites, should it come to that

Both Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines have urged the Postal Service to keep the facility open and to get a contract completed. Residents by the hundreds also petitioned the Service as well to keep it open.