The Post Office system is breaking the newspaper in half

Publisher's statement on the Post Office:

The Post Office system is currently breaking my back. Delivery issues with the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper have gotten out of control.

Example: each week, a handful of newspapers that I paid to mail to subscribers are sent back to me with correct addresses, and I have to pay for each one that is returned (currently I pay 78 cents each time that happens). They are slapped with USPS labels saying that they have wrong addresses. Yes, in some cases, the address is not up to date. That is typical and something we accept and understand. However, to get newspapers returned that are indeed properly addresses is maddening.

The expense is one thing, but the extra work it causes has beaten me up. It is extra work that I do not have time for. This is an issue that's blown up in my face across the past 3 to 4 months. It has progressively gotten worse and worse, and I don't have an answer for it.

I know people want to read my newspaper in a timely fashion. I hope once I get it completely online that it will relieve some of that pressure. However, to remain a strong and widely-read newspaper, it needs to continue in printed form.

The upside: the local USPS staff in Belgrade and Brooten have been wonderful to work with. They are equally frustrated with the current situation. We are all doing our best, and it is our sincere hope that 2024 is better.