To Linda Murdock, the Aromas Post Office is the town's core. So the prospect of having it closed or minimized to a trailer site, as many locals fear with the building up for sale, carries more than the possibility of losing a rare convenience in town of fewer than 3,000 people.
"It's the hub of our town," Murdock said today. "It's the only presence of a state or federal office."
Residents like Murdock have been distressed since the "for sale" sign went up on the post office building just before Christmas. With an out-of-town owner eager to sell and the U.S. Postal Service talking of moving into a trailer, citizens like Murdock dread the potential of losing much of the current service and ultimately having the local post office close altogether.
The U.S. Postal Service plans to move the Aromas site's retail and post office box services to a mobile trailer while the delivery operation would be based in Watsonville, according to a letter from the postal service to Murdock, who's also president of the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce.
Murdock and about 200 other Aromas residents upset at the proposal showed up to a meeting Sunday with U.S. Postal Service representatives who tried to calm their concerns about the building's sale and speculation about the site closing.
Despite its relative isolation, Aromas isn't alone when it comes to anxiety over losing the local post office. More and more post offices across the country - especially rural locations - have been closing in an effort to shave costs and increase efficiency.
For an expanded version of this story, see Friday's edition of the Free Lance and check back in online later on Thursday.
Kollin Kosmicki Kollin Kosmicki is editor of the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or editor@freelancenews.com.
Although the Hollister Free Lance does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Hollister Free Lance reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Hollister Free Lance in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Hollister Free Lance also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.
Suspicious fire guts Gilroy school for second time
