Residents of Tomahawk will have 24-hour access to their post office boxes.

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TOMAHAWK — The small town of Tomahawk recieved a big honor Wednesday when it became the home of the first “Village Post Office” in Kentucky.

The United States Postal Service opened the post office at J&S Convenient Store.

The grand opening was attended by Postal Service’s Kentuckiana district manager, Sam Jaudon, Senior Manager of Post Office Operations Bill Johnson, Marketing Manager Alisa Zanetti and Manager of Post Office Operations Bryiant Clevenger, and local officials.

Through the Postal Service’s village post office partnership with J&S Convenient Store, local residents and businesses in Tomahawk will enjoy the convenience of a Post Office. The Tomahawk Village Post Office will sell booklets of Forever stamps at face value, provide Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and envelopes, and accept postage-paid packages for mailing. Customers also will have 24-hour access to Post Office Boxes.

Bill Johnson said the Postal Service is not like some larger corporations, where decisions are made without consulting the people who will be affected by the actions of the company.

“We had a meeting here in Tomahawk,” Johnson said. “We got input from the community, and we think this will offer a convenient service for our customers. With the USPS having to close many of our post offices, we will have another meeting in the fall to see how the VPO is working.”

Hours of operation of the Tomahawk VPO will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The location at J&S Convenient Store will provide customers time-saving convenience and will continue to be an important example of how the Postal Service is changing to better meet America’s needs.

Alisa Zanetti pointed out customers of the VPO will be able to make one less stop in their daily errands.

“People can buy some gas, a loaf of bread and diapers, and mail a package as well,” she explained.

J&S is considered a hub for the community of Tomahawk.

“We are excited,” J&S co-owner Sherri Brewer said. “We hope we can do well here, and give our customers the service they need.”

The Postal Service unveiled the Village Post Office concept last spring for consideration in communities which have no Post Office or lost a Post Office. VPOs are designed for non-Postal Service establishments, such as an existing community business, town hall or government center. The VPO provides a specific range of services that include the sale of First-Class postage stamps, offering Priority Mail products and accepting mail.

New post boxes have also been installed adjacent to the store, which will allow postal customers to access their mail 24 hours a day.

The Postal Service thanked J&S Convenient Store co-owners James Fields and Sherri Brewer who helped make the VPO in Tomahawk possible.

Business establishments interested in applying for a contract with the Postal Service to start a Village Post Office in their local community should contact: vpo.inquiry@usps.gov or call 888-711-7577.