Bank closing hardship

Dear Editor,

I am writing to protest the planned closing of The Bank / Herndon, located in Herndon, Kansas. On June 23, we received a letter from The Bank, stating that The Bank in Herndon and Norcatur are to be closing as of September 25, 2015 giving no specific reason for the closing.

Our town is a town of mostly older retired people. Many are on fixed incomes and quite a number do not have access to a computer.

They will never change to computerbased banking. It costs to drive. It will be a 40-mile-round trip to the nearest bank.

This will be a real hardship for many in our town. When there is inclement weather, snow and ice in winter and heat in summer, a trip to The Bank in a neighboring town could be a safety concern for many.

There is a need to have a way to get cash. People who have accounts as well as those who do not have accounts here in Herndon use The Bank to cash checks and do business. There is a new café in Herndon, and the owner does business daily with The Bank. He does not want to become the community banker, which is what will happen if there is not a bank in Herndon. An ATM has been mentioned. If there is a charge to make a transaction on an ATM, many in Herndon would not be able to afford that amount.

The Co-op, The Pool Hall, and the Café all have a daily need to do business at The Bank, as does the City of Herndon.

The Bank provides several needed services to the community, including collecting City bills and Property and Real Estate Taxes. The weekly county newspaper is available for sale there.

The Bank employee is a certified Notary Public, and is very involved in community projects as well.

We are very concerned about losing a necessary business in Herndon.

Having restricted hours could be an option, but we need The Bank in our community.

There is a very real possibility that if The Bank closes, many of The Bank's existing accounts will not be transferred to Atwood or Oberlin.

People will leave The Bank and go to another institution. Mr. Buck said that this decision is strictly a business decision.

Maybe this should not be strictly a business decision.

Consideration needs to be given to what the lack of a bank will do to and mean to our community. We will do whatever it takes to retain The Bank in Herndon, as it is a necessary and vital business.

Signed,

Dave and Judy Ketterl,

Herndon, Kansas