TOWER, MI -- The United States Post Office retail shop in Tower was open for the last time Monday, as it was one of the post offices that is being shutdown to save money.

Services, such as buying boxes and sending packages, will no longer be available in Tower.

But there is good news for PO Box users. 

They can still pick up mail at the same place, because of the new Village Post Office system the USPS is experimenting with.

"We didn't want Tower to lose our Post Office, it still gives us identity I think. So many people just come up here and get their mail, and we didn't want that to change," said Diane Ricketts, the owner of Black River Party Store.

The USPS leased the space they used from Diane and her husband at the convenience store, but with cutbacks, the USPS will now only pay a fraction of what the Ricketts' once received.  This is just one of the goals for the USPS to save money by having Village Post Offices.

Black River Party Store will sell stamps under the new designation.  This is just the fourth Village Post Office in the nation.

The employee in the office will be transferred to the Onaway branch, which will now serve as Tower's main post office.