By David Vitrano
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The post office in Edgard will have a little more time to broker a deal with its current landlord thanks to negotiations from St. John the Baptist Parish Council District 1 representative Art Smith.

“Councilman Art Smith has been instrumental in negotiating an extension until March,” said U.S. Postal Service Public Affairs Officer McKinney Boyd.

Originally, a letter was sent out Dec. 5 advising residents that postal services at the Edgard location would be suspended as of Jan. 1, 2013.

The reason for the proposed and the possible future extension is because the U.S.P.S. is having trouble renegotiating a lease with its landlord. Capital One Bank, which shares the building, owns the property.

There will be a community meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the West Side Volunteer Fire Department, 173 E. Third St., Edgard, to discuss the situation.

In the event of a closure of the Edgard Post Office, residents of the west bank will have to use the Vacherie Post Office, located nearly 12 1/2 miles away. Residents who get mail delivered to their homes would experience no interruption of this service, but those who need to pick up or mail packages or certified mail as well as those who use a post office box will have to travel to Vacherie if the Edgard Post Office shuts down.

Boyd said that if additional post office boxes are required at the Vacherie location, they can be installed.

The U.S. Postal Service has faced heavy financial hardships of late but has generally sought alternatives to shutting down rural post offices.