Pillars of the community
Rural post offices serve as community centers in Upper County by KARL HOLAPPA staff writer
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or urban dwellers and even those who live in the suburbs, a trip to their local post office is generally looked on as a burden. In rural communities, the trip is commonly a routine part of the day, as well as a way of life. Such is the way things are done in Upper County, where rural post offices serve as the nerve center of communities such as Easton, Roslyn, and Ronald. Residents of these areas do not have access to the luxury of having mail delivered to them. Instead, going to the post office to pick up their mail is simply how things are done, as it has been for generations. A PERSONAL TOUCH Mail is delivered to rural post offices in both corners of Kittitas County, and residents living at the crest of the mountains even have the ability to pick up their mail at Snoqualmie Pass, although that delivery is conducted by a carrier out of North Bend. Further down the hill, Postmaster John Del Gaizo ensures that residents of Roslyn, Ronald and Easton continue to have their postal needs met. Originally from New York, Del Gaizo started his postal career the same way many fell into their professions: he responded to a job posting. Cutting his teeth in the Cle Elum Post Office in
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The Easton Post Office is housed in a former snowmobile dealership.
2002, he worked in that location for 16 years. After transferring to work as a supervisor in Yakima, he assumed his current position about a year ago after the previous postmaster for his region transferred to Cle Elum. “I asked him how I could get to where he was at,” Del Gaizo said. “He put me on the right path, and I owe a lot to him.” Having spent most of his 20 years with the postal service in Upper County, Del Gaizo said he is moved by the warmth and generosity of the residents he and his employees serve. “People come in and thank us just for doing our job and being here,” he said. In the rural communities he serves, Del Gaizo said he sees the service as not only essential to the local infra-
structure, but also valuable for the ability for residents to socialize with each other. “For some of our older customers, this may be some of the only interaction they get throughout the day,” he said. “When I delivered mail in Cle Elum, it was the same way. We bring them essentials they need, so this is vital, especially for the smaller rural communities.” With the frequency he and his employees interact with residents, Del Gaizo said the atmosphere and connection can often feel as if rural postal workers are part of an extended family that includes the residents they serve. “They come to us with their problems, and we help them in the right direction,” he said.
