HARPER - During an informational meeting at the Harper Knights of Columbus Hall, Thursday night, Mark Allen, manager of postal operations, said that one reason the Post Office in Harper is being put on emergency suspension is due to a funding shortfall in the entire United States Postal Service.
      Allen told a group of about 50 residents that the office was not being closed, only suspended. He said that temporary services, including a rural carrier and a cluster box unit would be provided to service the town's postal needs. He also said rural carriers are considered "a rolling post office" and could provide postal services such as selling stamps or package shipping.
      "This is not a Harper issue," Allen said. "Last year the postal service lost $3 billion."
      Operations at the post office in Harper will be suspended at the end of the business day today. The cluster boxes and rural carriers, as well as other postal services, will be provided by the Keota Post office, five miles away.
      He explained the postal service gets no money from the United States government and has to operate off of its own revenues. Allen said after the meeting he has put 10 post offices on suspension, and one has reopened. He also said that it is a hard part of his job to suspend a post office.