UPDATE: Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent an update Thursday about restoration of postal delivery in Henderson.
Higgins tells us he spoke with senior United States Postal Service (USPS) officials today.
The USPS was recently forced to terminate its lease for a Contracted Postal Unit (CPU) in Henderson, which has left around 200 residents without local mail service. Many of these citizens are elderly, vulnerable, or otherwise unable to drive to Breaux Bridge to retrieve their mail.
On a call with senior USPS officials from DC and Louisiana, Congressman Higgins proposed potential solutions to restore local mail services in Henderson. This includes extending nearby carrier routes to cover the 50-60 impacted households and contracting with a private business to establish a new CPU in Henderson.
The USPS is currently reviewing a potential lessor for a new contracted postal unit in Henderson, which is considered the most expedient solution, a release from his office states.
“It is unfortunate that the people of Henderson have experienced a lapse in local mail service and lost direct access to a post office,” Higgins said. “Having a working postal service is crucial in delivering life-saving medications and regular mail to our residents. This issue is of great concern to my office, and we are working diligently with Mayor Sherbin Collette and USPS officials to resolve this as quickly as possible. The U.S. Postal Service team was very receptive to our suggestions, and I’m optimistic that we are moving toward a solution.”
As we reported last month, the Henderson Post Office is officially closing its doors after 52 years.
“Unfortunately, we regret there seems to be no other favorable offers in regards to this closure,” Henderson Mayor Sherbin Collette read aloud.
This is a letter he received from State Representative Mike Huval, in response to saving the contract post office in the town after the owner retired.
“I’ve been in touch with Congressman Higgins' office, Senator Cassidy’s office, Senator Kennedy’s office trying to get help any way possible,” Collette said. “And so far it’s not looking too good.”
Collette said about half a mile of Henderson residents do not have a mailbox because they don't have mail service.
“Now the mail passes through here through Henderson and that have to drive about… I’m just guessing probably seven miles,” Collette said. Seven to eight miles. And the mail people pick up the mail in Butte La Rose inside the basin. So why not pick up in Henderson?”
Collette said his biggest concern in the transition is having the elderly population not have access to their mail in their neighborhood.
“It’s detrimental for the elderly,” Collette said. “They’re gonna have to, you know, call their neighbors or call their family to actually pick up their mail.”
He said this will also affect the mail routine of city hall, and other businesses in the area.
“A lot of times we have to go mail out paperwork twice a day,” Collette said. Now we’ll have to drop it down to once a day to drive to Breaux Bridge.”
Mayor Sherbin Collette said he has other ideas if they can’t save the station, such as mailboxes in the park.
“Last case scenario I’d like a mailbox at every house,” Collette said. “That’s what everybody would like. Now bottom line if I have to go that route, I have property in the park Henderson Park that’s actually Henderson property, not park property. And I could put like at trailer parks where they have a load of the boxes there and with a little top and have cameras there.”
I emailed Senator John Kennedy who provided this statement:
"We have been in touch with both the Postal Service and the local State Representative, after recently being informed about this issue. While we do not have the ability to tell the Postal Service today to re-open the Henderson Post Office, we will continue to advocate for our constituents in Henderson for the Postal Service to find a solution that satisfies their needs." - Press Office of Senator Bill Cassidy
Mayor Collette said his next step is helping the town get its own zip code which will hopefully lead to a gateway for residential mailboxes.
