Galveston mayor urges P.O. reopening

GALVESTON, Texas, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Galveston, Texas, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas says she's hoping the U.S. Postal Service will soon reopen the hurricane-ravaged city's downtown post office.

Saying Galveston Island businesses in particular rely on the downtown facility, Thomas Monday pleaded with U.S. Postmaster General John Potter to reopen the post office damaged last month by Hurricane Ike, The (Galveston County) Daily News reported.

"This is a real hardship," Thomas said. "Some of our people have no transportation."

The newspaper said while some Galveston mail routes were back in service, some residents and businesses were being forced to make daily treks to La Marque, Texas, and have to wait in line for hours to pick up their mail.

Postal officials have said the downtown facility would be closed for "an undetermined time," while restoration of Galveston's other post office would be finished within five months, the Daily News reported.