Battle over the mail

The cash-strapped Postal Service is closing branches nationwide, drawing complaints from customers and lawmakers who question the retrenchment.

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The Potomac Station post office on Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray area of Alexandria is one of the area post offices slated to close because of budget cuts.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Don Carlson, SSA (Sales and Service Associate) with the Postal Service, calculates the shipping price for a customer. Don works at the Potomac Station post office.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Don Carlson helps customer Stephanie Meletis mail her package.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Inside the Potomac Station post office, Shawn Domagal-Goldman of Alexandria purchases a mailing box he will use to return merchandise he purchased.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Shawn Domagal-Goldman of Alexandria uses packaging tape to seal a box he just bought from this post office.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Ready Post mailers for sale at the Potomac Station post office.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Packaging items for sale inside the Potomac Station post office located in the Del Ray area of Alexandria.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Theresa Morrow of Alexandria holds her 2-month-old son Wyatt as she pulls the package she is going to mail from under her baby carriage. Morrow is inside the Potomac Station post office in Alexandria, one of the area post offices slated to close because of budget cuts.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Jesse Porter of Arlington and Theresa Morrow, holding her baby Wyatt, 2-months-old, wait to mail their items inside the Potomac Station post office.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Theresa Morrow from Alexandria hands Wyatt, 2 months old, to Peggy Lively of Fairfax so she can take her package to the counter to be mailed.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann leaves the Downtown Station post office in Leesburg. Theismann is a regular at this location. This Leesburg post office at 15 East Market St. is one of the area post offices slated to close because of budget cuts.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Postal Clerk Ranjeet Saini takes care of Fidencio A. Garcia, at the counter as Taylor Welsh waits in line inside the Downtown Station Leesburg post office.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Taylor Welsh leaves the Downtown Station post office in Leesburg with his mail.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Robert G. Brown of Leesburg has been using the Downtown Station post office for 20 years. He says the figures the Postal Service used to determine which post offices to close are not correct.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Post office boxes inside the Downtown Station post office in Leesburg. Leesburg Courthouse is just across the street.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Elaine Milleman walks past the Pimmit Hills Branch post office in Falls Church. She has been using this branch since 1980 and is fighting its closure.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

Elaine Milleman stands outside the Pimmit Hills Branch post office in Falls Church.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

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