Brian Roebke photo
The lettering on the windows of the former Wrightstown Post Office have been removed, as have the boxes and office staff. Despite persistent efforts by Village Administrator Travis Coenen, the post office did not find a new location prior to its lease expiring.
By Brian Roebke
Editor
Wrightstown Village Adminis-trator Travis Coenen is continuing his quest to find a new home for the Wrightstown Post Office, which is currently homeless.
Postal customers from Wrights-town are now forced to use the services of other post office facilities after the Wrightstown office closed at the end of February.
At its meeting last week, the village board approved sending a letter from Coenen to Postmaster General Louis De Joy explaining the timeline of the situation that began in 2017 that resulted in the office being out of a home 3½ years later.
The saga began in November 2017 when a contract was agreed upon with Wrightstown River Front, LLC to purchase Roger Meulemans property located at 518 Main St. that housed the local post office.
A month later, Coenen contacted the local postmaster to offer assistance in finding a new home for the post office and reinforce the importance of keeping the post office in the Village of Wrightstown.
The letter listed 15 events beginning in 2017, ending at the end of February of this year when the office closed and operations were moved to Greenleaf.
In his letter, Coenen sought to gain clarification and also offer assistance to ensure that post office and postal services are restored to the community in the most efficient time frame possible.
“As a growing community, we have been blessed with a lot of diverse and energizing growth over the last five years. The Post Office has remained a staple in assisting our residents and businesses staying connected and thriving in our community,” he wrote.
He added the Village of Wrightstown has worked diligently with the property owner, as well as local and regional USPS staff, to ensure that the Post Office stayed in the community and had an easy transition into a new home with no success.
“Our Post Office moved out of the Village of Wrightstown on Feb. 26 with the assurance it would be coming back, but in a time frame that could be three years away because of the processes and protocols to find a new location,” he wrote.
Coenen even got an 18-month extension from Wrightstown River Front at the 11th hour but the postal service claimed they couldn’t get into a new building in that time.
In his letter, Coenen wrote he hoped this timeline helps De Joy understand the frustration he has with the loss of service and inconvenience created for the Wrightstown community.
“This lack of response could be recognized as lack of due diligence to your customers and the community you are supported by,” he wrote. “With this letter, we would also like to gain some confidence or confirmation that the Post Office will return to the Village of Wrightstown in an expedited timeframe.”
Coenen has been in communication with the offices of Rep. Mike Gallagher and Sen. Ron Johnson, who want to deliver this letter to De Joy versus having it sent in the mail.