Pillars of the community

Rural post offices serve as community centers in Upper County

by KARL HOLAPPA staff writer

For 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 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 infrastructure, 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.

The Easton Post Office is housed in a former snowmobile dealership.

Antique post boxes adorn the interior at the Easton Post Office

Having spent most of his career in a rural setting, Del Gaizo said he loves the small town atmosphere and the connections it forges between him, his employees and the residents who rely on them. “We get to know our customers, their names and what’s going on in their families,” he said. “Someone comes in and you get to know that person, and you kind of build a relationship with them. I love working with people on this job, and without the people, there’s no post office. I owe everything to them.”

CENTERS OF ACTIVITY

Up the hill in Easton, Shana Canterbury serves as the smiling face at the Easton Post Office. She interacts with most residents on a daily basis as they drop into the small structure that once housed a snowmobile dealership. “Aw, this guy is going to be bummed,” Canterbury says as a man pulls up in a pickup truck and saunters into the building. “Sorry, no mail for you today!” Such is a day in the life of a rural postal employee in a town where delivery has never existed, save for a handoff over the counter. Canterbury has worked for the postal service for six years, spending time in Ronald and Roslyn before becoming the personality behind the Easton location two years ago. “Six days a week, it’s me,” she said. “Unless I’m on vacation.”

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Roslyn Post Office employees Katie Stefanovich, Debbie Porter and Postmaster John Del Gaizo pose in front of the office’s newly-created mural.

The following is a list of the history of post offices in Kittitas County:

Bertha (1898-1900) Boylston (1910-1919) Burge (1883-1888) Casland (1919-1930) Cle Elum (1887-Date) Clealum (1903-1904) Cliffdell (1924-1934) Easton (1890-Date) Ellensburg (1894-Date) Ellensburgh (1873-1894) Galena (1905-1909) Hyak (1919-1921) Hyak (1923-1979) Keechelus (1915-1919) Kittitas (1909-Date) Kittitass (1871-1884) Lea (1881-1882) Liberty (1892-1951) Martin (1892-1902) McCallum (1884-1898) Meadow Creek (1913-1916) Milton (1881-1884) Nastash (1881-1881) Oren (1884-1891) Pleasant Grove (1872-1881) Reclamation (1922-1923) Ronald (1890-1896) Ronald (1909-Date) Roslyn (1887-Date) Rowan (1911-1912) Roza (1904-1935) South Cle Elum (1909-Date) Sparta (1879-1882) Taneum (1871-1873) Teanaway (1885-1901) Thorp (1891-Date) Thrall (1911-1915) Umtanum (1906-1911) Vantage (1945-1964) Wymer (1912-1938)

— Kittitas County, Washington Genealogy and History , Genealogy Trails

continued from page 9 Having worked in retail and owned her own business prior to working for the postal service, Canterbury said her time behind the counter has been an adventure over the six years. She said the postal service is unique in that people don’t have options to choose from when they require mail service, unlike choosing a bank or a grocery store. “Everybody that lives in this town comes here for their mail,” she said. “They may be 5, or they may be 93, like one of my favorite customers. You see them frequently during the week, and it’s every background, every experience, every age. They all come here.” Canterbury’s days are filled with small town socialization she said can be likened to chats neighbors might have over a fence line. Having originally lived in a larger city, she said her admiration runs deep after seeing how small towns operate on a daily basis.

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Post boxes at the Ronald Post Office. All residents collect their mail at the location. continued from previous page

“You realize that the world is completely and entirely connected,” she said. “I’ve been witness to every type of kindness, if somebody is in need. They’ll see a neighbor they haven’t seen before, and they start talking about how their truck is stuck in such and such. So and so walks in and offers up their tractor. Beyond that, what struck me is their willingness to go beyond just loaning something and even teach someone else a skill. I’ve been privy to conversations where someone is welding something, and three guys want to learn. They’re trading resources and skills like neighbors, and I’m impressed by that.” And for some, they have been heading to the post office every day to pick up their mail for their entire lives. Canterbury has customers who know nothing different, and she said that routine is ingrained into their way of being. “The ceremony of coming to pick up your mail every day is a big part of some of these people’s lives,” she said. “I’ve got a customer that comes in that is beginning to suffer from a bit of dementia, and his touchstone of the day is that he comes and gets the mail, because it’s what he has always done. It’s like this reset button of starting his routine of the day. It’s not only important for a lot of people, but it’s also crucial for a lot of people just for their daily correspondence because they prefer it to be done the old-fashioned way.” •

A plaque dedicating the Roslyn Post Office stands in the lobby.

A sign reminds patrons of the Roslyn Post Office to take care during winter months.

The Ronald Post Office serves as a center of activity for the small town.