The United States Postal Service reminds holiday gift-givers that packages sent by parcel post to military and APO/FPO addresses should be mailed by this Saturday, Nov. 12. Anything sent by first-class or priority mail should reach most overseas destinations in time for the holidays if they get to the post office by Dec. 10.
Parcel-post packages to addresses within the United States must be mailed by Dec. 15 to ensure holiday delivery. First-class mail – cards and letters – should be mailed by Dec. 20; priority mail by Dec. 21; and Express Mail by Dec. 22.
First-class postage for mailing those cards and letters will remain 44 cents through the holidays, but is scheduled to increase to 45 cents on Jan. 22, 2012. The increase is part of the USPS’s efforts to close a $200 billion budget gap by 2015.
USPS is also considering closing or consolidating services at low-activity post offices across the nation, including several in northern Colorado. The LaPorte Post Office will remain open, but a new postmaster won’t be appointed anytime soon, according to USPS spokesman David Rupert.
“With all the uncertainty surrounding jobs at other locations, we aren’t in any position to fill that position at this time,” he said.
Bellvue Postmaster Patti Halderman has been in charge of the LaPorte operation since Pam Boelsta retired in January 2010.