BAKER — Nearly nine months after the United States Post Office closed without warning in Baker, many residents say they are still waiting for answers.
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Instead of entering the building to grab their mail, residents now line up outside four temporary container-style buildings placed behind the post office. The containers handle mail distribution while the original facility remains closed to the public.
For Baker resident Molly Losing, the change came as a surprise.
"We went to get our mail, and it was about 8 o'clock at night, and there was a note on the door that said the lobby was closed from now until further notice," said Losing. “No reason at all."
Baker does not have door-to-door mail service, meaning residents rely on post office boxes and in-person pickup. When the facility closed in June of last year, some residents went days without mail before being told it was temporarily routed through Ekalaka, about 36 miles away, for several weeks.
Temporary containers were later installed in Baker to handle mail service. But months later, residents say the situation still feels uncertain.
“There's been lots of speculation, but nobody really has any idea what's going on with the building," said Losing.
The closure has also changed how residents access their mail. Previously, the post office lobby allowed 24-hour access to post office boxes. Now, residents must pick up their mail during business hours.
"It's just frustrating that now you have to be here before 4:30 (p.m.) if you want to get your mail for the day," said Losing. "So if you work until five, well, if you don't get here on your lunch hour, it's a bit of a problem for some people.”
Losing said a new building containing post office boxes has been installed but has not yet opened to the public. She also said she has noticed some mail problems since the change.
"I've noticed I've missed a few different pieces of mail and everything that I've actually had to track down and find," said Losing. "I've had three or four pieces just in the last six months.”
For older residents, the new system can be especially frustrating when it comes to waiting in the elements.
“I don't think we should be having to stand outside to get your mail. I mean, that's ridiculous," said Marilyn Gawryluk. "Some days have been extremely cold.”
Residents also question why postal employees can still enter the building to handle packages while the public cannot.
"If they can put the packages in there, why are we not allowed to be able to use the building?” said Gawryluk.
Some residents say they understand the need for a temporary solution, but wish more information was shared with the community.
“I understand what they did, but I feel in a way like when we ended up using all this lumber and all this other stuff, we're wasting money," said resident Teresa Christensen. "When we found out that the post office was condemned, my feeling was, 'Well, why aren't we just knocking it down?'"
In a statement, the United States Postal Service told MTN that operations at the Baker Post Office were "temporarily suspended in June 2025 after safety-related building concerns were identified during an inspection."
The agency also said services were relocated “out of an abundance of caution” while officials work through steps to address the issues and ensure the building is safe. However, USPS said it cannot provide additional details about the specific structural concerns at this time.
The postal service said it is “actively pursuing a solution that will allow us to restore operations in Baker” and that retail services remain available at the temporary location while efforts continue to restore post office box service.
Until then, many residents say they are still waiting, not just for their mail, but for answers.
“I think we should get back in the building or we should get more answers than what we've been getting," said Gawryluk. "We as the public should be told what's going on.”
"We're what, nine months into this now, at least, and kept in the dark the whole time," said Losing. "I don't understand why it's such a big secret."
