VPO Coming to Northwest Indiana

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The United States Postal Service has opened a Village Post Office in Newton County. The Lake Village location is the 70th VPO in the Greater Indiana District.

Indianapolis, Ind. — Tucked away in northwest Indiana about 60 miles from Chicago is the tiny town of Lake Village in Newton County. Founded in 1876 and now with a population of about 770, Lake Village has seen its share of glory days. The first settlement was near the banks of what was called Beaver Lake and the lake, forest and surrounding countryside drew hunters and fishermen at one stage from as far away as Europe.

Lake Village will now have another claim to fame as the 70th Village Post Office (VPO) in the Greater Indiana District opens on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 at Phil's Truck Stop, 3347 W. State Road 10, Lake Village, IN 46349.

The grand opening will take place at 12 p.m. (Central Standard Time) and an open house will follow from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Phil's Truck Stop has been owned by Tony Barone's family for more than 69 years. He and his wife, Melody, are very active in the community, so they regard opening a VPO in their store as another way to help their community. “Truck drivers tend to be away from home for about two weeks at a time,” explained Melody “and we thought this would be a great way for them to mail things home while they are out on the road.”

Because their business is an almost around-the-clock operation, the Barone's see their store as a way their customers can pick up their stamps at any time and drop off their mail.

Phil's Truck Stop is open from Monday at 5 a.m. through Saturday closing at 10 p.m. On Sundays the store is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The new postal center will be opened by Manager of Post Office Operations Russ David Conwell. Several USPS and local officials will be present at the event.

In 2011, the Postal Service introduced the VPO model as an alternate retail location for postal products and services, especially in rural communities.

VPOs are operated by local businesses contracting with the Postal Service and offer a range of popular postal products and services including stamps and flat-rate packaging.

Source: United States Postal Service