GETTING THE MAIL OUT

Treynor Postmaster Maureen Gadbois spoke to Club members and guests about mail delivery services around the area. Gadbois has been postmaster for about four years. Since this time a rural delivery route has been established that now has 275 deliveries and covers 108 miles. Gadbois noted that Treynor residents that live over ¼ mile from the post office can request residential delivery at a curb side post box. The establishment of the rural delivery was a big task. It was made up from twelve previous routes and required hundreds of zip code changes. Rural route changes are needed to serve the increasing population. There are fifty-two routes from the Council Bluffs post office. Gadbois predicted there could be a second Treynor rural route in the future with proposed delivery changes along southern sections and new housing development north of Treynor. After the route mail is sent out the mail for the postal boxes in the post office is finished so that it is available for pickup after 11 a.m. Gadbois explained she now has a part-time postal clerk working with her in addition to the route carrier.

Gadbois said mail fraud, mail box safety and security are ongoing issues. Postal service experience with mail fraud has led to the need to check personal identification for certain transactions. Gadbois encouraged anyone with suspicious mail to report it to her. This includes evidence of fraudulent use of the mail. For the security of mail and the safety of the rural mail carrier mail box owners should have intact boxes with a door that will close and a working flag. Rural mail boxes and the 911 residential signs are for different purposes and should not be combined.