Address, details concerning new Ono Post Office revealed by federal officials

47 East Main St., Ono.

That’s the location for the future home of the new Ono Post Office. 

Since Oct. 27, 2022, Ono residents have had to travel about 10 miles roundtrip to retrieve their mail at the Jonestown office. That’s because delivery at the old location ended when the federal government’s lease agreement wasn’t renewed by former landlord Jocelyn Shay.

Mark Wahl, strategic communications specialist with the U.S. Postal Service, told LebTown in an email that “the new location will be 47 Main St. Ono, PA 17077. It is a new construction project that will start early this summer with a final completion date not available.”

LebTown visited that address and found a multi-unit house at that location, so a follow-up email was sent asking if the existing building would be replaced by new construction.

Wahl replied that “the site will be renovated, not torn down. USPS will occupy a portion of the space available in the building.”

LebTown had asked Congressman Dan Meuser’s communications director Matthew Hanrahan during a farm tour with federal officials in mid-April for an update on the Ono Post Office. Hanrahan later wrote in an email to LebTown in late April that “per USPS, the signed lease from the landlord was received last week. Funding is still in process and the lease is expected to be fully executed within the next 30 days. A construction timeline will be provided within the next 45 days.”

Read More: Mail service in Ono suspended; future status of local post office uncertain

Ed Anspach, owner of Anspach Auto in Ono, is happy that he won’t have to drive to Jonestown to retrieve his business mail. Once the new location opens, Anspach can walk next door for mail service.

“I am delighted and am going to wait until it happens before I do a dance. It’s been so long and so many broken promises from the post office,” said Anspach, who closes his car dealership during business hours to get his mail in Jonestown. One promise that was broken was a meeting with town residents by postal officials to provide details about a new location, according to Anspach.

Anspach said he had heard that federal officials were exploring a new location, adding that he “didn’t know how serious they were” in choosing one. He also provided some additional insight into the new location. 

“They are going to put it on the westside of the house, the double house,” he said. “The house has a long history. It used to be a tavern. They used to rent rooms. That house has been there a long time and there will be new wiring, access ramps.”

One year prior to the October 2022 closing at the old location, Shay had informed postal officials that she was not going to renew their lease agreement.

Then, two weeks before the lease at Shay’s property was set to expire, Ono residents received a letter dated Oct. 13, 2022, from Paige Zimmerman, manager of Post Office Operations that said, “due to lease termination by the landlord, it will be necessary to suspend all services at the Ono Post Office at the close of business on Thursday, October 27, 2022.”

The letter also notified residents that “no final decision to permanently discontinue the Post Office has been made” and continued by noting that “a community meeting will be held later near the Ono Post Office to explain our plans and solicit your comments concerning possible alternate means of providing postal and other services.”

Shay was somewhat reserved when asked for comment, but told LebTown “this is great news and I am glad they are doing something about it.”

Shay’s reservations stem from being charged for a Jonestown postal box while other Ono residents are not. During previous reporting for this ongoing story, LebTown had learned that Ono residents were erroneously being charged for a box at the Jonestown Post Office.

Read More: Refund ‘in the mail’ for Ono residents charged for Jonestown post office boxes

In August 2023, LebTown reported after an investigation that Ono customers were notified that the USPS would refund those Ono residents who have a Group E designated post office box at Jonestown since federal regulations require universal delivery to all United States citizens.

Shay recently told LebTown that while she doesn’t believe she’s being targeted for ending the lease, her mail delivery to the Jonestown location is lacking. 

Shay, who opened a real estate brokerage firm at the location of the old post office, said her bank had sent documents that were never received and she learned about the missing paperwork when she was contacted by financial officials. 

“Everyone else in town got refunds worth two years of fees for post office boxes except for me. Everyone gets a free post office box except for me. Everyone gets their mail except for me. I don’t know anyone else who is getting their mail with a note saying ‘return to sender,’” she said, adding she’s received calls concerning bills and others enquiring if her mailing address is accurate.

Read More: Post office officials are in negotiations for a lease for a new post office in Ono

Shay believes the problem is that there are the same post office box numbers being used for Ono and Jonestown residents. 

“I have to specify the box number and tell what town it is for because of the same box number,” Shay said. “It does leave room for confusion because they have the same box numbers for both towns there. I was hoping at some point they would separate them, and hoping they would find some kind of solution.”

Anspach told LebTown that since the change in delivery to Jonestown, he’s had issues with receiving packages from vendors like eBay.

“More and more shipping addresses have me listed as being in Jonestown but with Ono’s zip code,” Anspach said. “Someone is making that change and it isn’t me. eBay doesn’t know whether I am in Ono or Jonestown.”

Despite this issue, Anspach believes a return of postal delivery to Ono is good for the well-being of the local community. 

“It will continue to add life to Ono. We’re losing the identities of so many of our small towns. I have a cousin that lives in Fontana who now has a Lebanon address,” he said. “But this (decision) is recognition that Ono exists.”