IRWINVILLE — The Irwinville community has spoken: It wants to keep its post office open and will do whatever it takes to have its voice heard.

“Closing Irwinville Post Office is like amputating our arm,” one local man said at a large gathering of residents Friday night at the Irwinville Community Center.

“We don’t have a postmaster or a fancy building. We’re happy with what we got, but let us keep what we got.”

The residents listened as Alice Ryle, post office review coordinator, informed the community that she was there because Irwinville’s post office has no postmaster and the U.S. Postal Service is looking to provide the best service it can to the community, and that may mean closing its post office.

“If we feel like we can provide better service that you’re entitled to according to the law, then you will be closed,” Ryle said. “But if we find that we cannot, then you will stay open. We will look at all of the alternatives.”

Ryle explained that the Postal Service is governed by the federal government and that “no decision has been made. This is just a study. We will continue to downsize until we get to where we need to be. We are looking at larger cities as well.”

The amount of revenue the Irwinville Post Office generates has nothing to do with the situation, Ryle said. She noted that a post office in Macon was closed in March, and 25 people were told they didn’t have a job. She said a large number of people also lost their jobs at a Tennessee post office.

 “We’re downsizing to get our model to where it should be. We don’t receive taxpayer dollars; we make our own money. We may be an entity of the federal government, but they do not fund us.”

Ryle said the economy has hit the Postal Service hard.

“We’re looked at as a business. We don’t save money because we don’t have enough coming in to take care of outcome,” Ryle said.

“We had to have a starting place to go. We have a whole list of post offices. We’re currently studying 46 offices. They’re all in the study stage. We haven’t closed any officially. In the future, post offices won’t look like you and I know it.”

Residents had a chance to voice their opinions, which they passionately did. Words likes, “history,” “security” and “hub of the community” were used to describe their historic and well-respected post office.

Currently, Irwinville has a post officer in charge, Angela Timmons, who is temporarily working the position. She’s assigned to the post office in Fitzgerald. She said that if Irwinville’s post office is closed, she will return to Fitzgerald.

But she said that she loves the Irwinville community, and residents said the feeling is mutual.

 “They need to let their voices be heard and document it,” Timmons said. “This post office is very central, and everyone here is great. It’s a great place to be. The community has touched my heart, and to know that they want me here is also touching. They have welcomed me here.”

Residents at the meeting continued to passionately speak one by one stating why their post office deserves to stay open.

 “Your voice, concerns and comments are very important to this process,” Ryle said. “I can’t reiterate how important it is to have it in writing. Write to whoever you want.”

Opinions about the Irwinville Post Office may be mailed to Post Office Review, 451 College St., Room 220-D, Macon, Ga. 31213.

To contact reporter Latasha Everson, call 382-4321.