Surrounded by EBCI officials, Michael Hartley, Cherokee Post Office postmaster, cuts the ribbon on the renovations to the Post Office facility on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 3. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Cherokee Post Office has been expanded and gotten a facelift in a few other parts. Those renovations have been ongoing for the past few months and were celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the rainy morning of Wednesday, Sept. 3.
“This was one of our many projects we have in the works right now, so thank you all for being here. We’re really excited. I’m sure the post office folks are,” said Rebecca Bowe, EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) Project Management manager. “I know this has been a project that’s been in the works for a long time. This is the new space. We added just under 1,000 square feet to the post office. We renovated the existing facility, added new flooring, ceiling, lighting.”
This photo shows the outside of the expanded area.
She related to the One Feather some of the other renovations including a new roof, mold remediation, a new walkway and handrails at the entrance, and additional parking spaces.
“We want to give a shout-out to Michael (Hartley) and his crew,” Bowe said. “I know they have been conducting an orchestra working with the contractors and normal day-to-day services. So, thank you for being a very good tenant and working with us throughout this project…we’re really excited to turn this space over to them.”
Michael Hartley, Cherokee Post Office postmaster, commented, “I know it was a big financial investment, and a lot of time invested, a lot of meetings, a lot of talks, a lot of things like that. So, thanks for that. We appreciate you doing it for us in good faith in what we’re doing for the community and everybody here. It was a lot of work. I also appreciate all the people that worked on everything and got it going. I told them at one point, it’s probably like working on a running car. We’re just all over the place in here. But, we managed to survive it. It’s great. We’re looking forward to putting it to use. It’s going to help us be a lot more efficient, more safe, all the good things. Thank you. We’ll continue to do our best for the community going forward.”
Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks thanked those involved in the project. “With our contractors, we’re putting a lot in front of you. We appreciate you guys stepping up and keeping us on time and helping Becky and her staff. It means a lot to us and we just appreciate all your effort.”
This photo shows the inside of the expanded area which is on the backside of the existing facility.
In the past several weeks, EBCI officials have cut ribbons on several other projects including Soco Falls and the new Whitewater Landing. “We just have to keep moving,” said Ugvwiyuhi Hicks. “A lot more projects in front of us. Thank you, Becky – you and Zack and all your team. You guys are staying organized and helping us to make sure to be fiscally responsible and really doing things the way we need to do them.”
He added, “It’s great to see this additional space. I know it’s going to make a difference. We just appreciate all the efforts of the post office. You guys sometimes go kind of unnoticed, but you all make the world go around in a lot of ways.”
Taline Ugvwiyu (Vice Chief) Alan B. Ensley called the renovations to the Post Office a great project and noted, “It’s good to know that we’ve got a new post office. I want to thank the postal staff…it’s a very important place for the entire tribe. But, for Yellowhill, this is the hub of Yellowhill…there’s a lot of comments and a lot of conversations throughout the Tribe covering politics and everything else that happens in the post office.
This has been here for a number of years; so, I think it’s a great addition.”
