The U.S. Postal Service says it's eliminating 56 jobs by closing a regional office in Macon.

This will affect the South Georgia district office at 451 College St., but not the main Macon post office in the same building, said spokeswoman Nancy Ross. That post office will remain open.

The closing is part of a national effort by the postal service to get leaner and cut costs, due to a drastic drop in mail use.

Ross says the 56 jobs will be eliminated over a four-month period. Some employees who qualify will be offered early retirement and the service will try to find new jobs for others.

The South Georgia district office manages post offices in Central and South Georgia and part of South Carolina, Ross said. Another regional office will pick up its duties.

The postal service says the change will not affect customer service, mail delivery, post office operations or ZIP codes.

Internationally acclaimed piano soloist and chamber musician, Dr. Margery McDuffie Whatley, will perform a concert to benefit the Wesleyan College Music Department at Porter Auditorium, Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 3PM. Tickets $25 Adults / $10 students.

On Monday, March 28th, she will host a master class from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. The class is free and open to the public.

BEARSTOCK is Mercer University's annual, outdoor, day-long music festival. This year, it is being held at Macon's historic Tatnall Square Park, just across the street from Mercer's campus.

2011 Lineup:

The Silver Comet
A Ransom Plea
Venice Is Sinking
Stribling
Broken Bootstraps
Chelsea Hughes
The Less
Bottle Up and Explode
Ocean Is Theory
JuBee and the Morning After
Needmore
theKey
Parachute Musical (Presented by TheBlueIndian.com)
DJ Pharmer (Presented by DSEL Promotions)

Bearstock announced the Headliners Roscoe Dash and 3OH!3 in a news conference.

The event is free and open to the public and is scheduled for Saturday, April 16 from noon until 11 p.m.