LIVERMORE FALLS — U.S. Postal Service officials opened its first village post office in Maine on Wednesday morning at Pike’s Corner Oasis on Park Street, also known as Route 133.

The Postal Service announced in 2011 that it would be reducing hours or closing hours at post offices around the country to run more efficiently and save money, and also as a way to increase access to postal products and services in rural communities.

These village post offices are in a variety of locations, including convenience stores, gas stations, local businesses, libraries or other government agencies. They are operated by the management of those locations, according to Melissa Lohnes, corporate communications spokeswoman for the northeast area of the U.S. Postal Service.

Pike’s Village Post Office will be located in an alcove inside the general store/restaurant. It will offer a variety of Postal Service products and services including first-class mail “Forever” stamps, prepaid priority mail flat-rate products, free priority mail flat-rate boxes and package drop off.

There also will be post office boxes on a carousel in the future.

The East Livermore Post Office, a short distance down the road, will have its hours reduced in from about eight to two as was proposed by the Postal Service in 2012. The hours are still in the process of being established.

Read More: Livermore Falls has the first village post office in Maine | Sun Journal##.