ORIGINALLY WRITTEN PHOTO BY DON RATZLAFF
Larry Bartel of Bartel Construction was busy digging footings for the new Hillsboro Post Office building on Friday, the morning after the U.S. Postal Service announced it would be freezing new construction and leasing for more than 800 planned projects across the country because of mounting financial losses. Ted Russell, local postal worker, said money for the Hillsboro project was already allocated and so was not affected by the freeze. According to the Associated Press, while first-class mail went up a penny to 34 cents in January, several price increases for other types of mail that had been sought by the agency were rejected or trimmed by the independent Postal Rate Commission. With rising costs, postal officials say they face a $2 billion to $3 billion loss this fiscal year. They plan to apply this summer for a rate increase to take effect next year.
No freeze in Hillsboro
