NEILLSVILLE POSTMASTER RETIRING AFTER 40 YEARS
Friday, February 1st, 2008 -- 11:33 AM
After 40 years with the United States Postal Service, Neillsville's Postmaster retired Friday.Mike Lacey spent 20 years as a letter carrier in Milwaukee and Neenah before moving to Neillsville to become Postmaster 15 years ago.
When he started in 1967, every letter was sorted by hand--sometimes by up to 12 people--now, the Neillsville Post Office handles around 8,000 pieces of mail per day and almost everything is sorted by machine.
Then there's the price of stamps.
"When I started, the price of a stamp was 5-cents," Lacey recalls. "At the time, we were still?subsidized by the Federal government. The actual cost of the stamp at that time was not the actual cost that it took to get a letter delivered."
The government stopped subsidizing the Postal Service in the early 70s, leading to the increased price of postage, now 41-cents.
It's been a feel-good job for Lacey.
"It's an incredible journey that I've had. As a letter carrier, you're seeing the people six days a week right on their front porch," Lacey says.
Despite changes in how people communicate, Lacey thinks the Postal Service can remain viable, as long as they stay flexible.
Lisa Schilling, currently serving in Auburndale, will assume the role of Neillsville Postmaster in an interim basis. The job will be posted before Lacey's position is filled permanently.
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