Don't close our post office, East Vandergrift says

There's only one place in East Vandergrift where you can see almost everyone almost every day.

With no home mail delivery, that place is the post office. But the financial crisis facing the United States Postal Service is threatening the future of this tiny town's gathering place.

The East Vandergrift post office, 15629, is located in rented space at 252 McKinley Ave., serving the borough's roughly 675 residents. The current five-year lease ends Aug. 31.

A wall in the post office is home to 400 post office boxes, of which about 340 are rented. Residents put down a $2 deposit for their key.

Landlord Albert Milauskas said Tuesday that the postal service told him it won't be renewing the lease, even after he agreed to a requested rent reduction.

Milauskas, who rents out an apartment above the post office, wouldn't say how much he charges the postal service for rent but said he agreed to lower it by $97 per month.

"They quoted me a price they wanted to negotiate with. I OK'd it," Milauskas said. "I presumed they'd follow through for the next five years. Not too long after that, a week to 10 days, I was sent another letter saying they decided to terminate the lease."

As residents came to get and send mail yesterday, they said they don't want to see the post office close.

"This has been such a long time that we've had it. I don't think they should take it away from us," Mildred Kolakowski said. "Even if we are a small town, we deserve something."

Postal spokesman Tad Kelley said the post office has not made any decisions on the office.

"In the near future, we will have a community meeting to discuss plans going forward," Kelley said in an emailed response to questions.

The meeting would be part of a feasibility study that the postal service cannot begin until after May 15, when a congressional moratorium on postal closings or consolidations ends.

Signatures wanted

Borough officials are not waiting until May to act. They are discussing launching a petition drive to show support for their post office.

Mayor Andrew Vida said officials will set up a table near the post office for residents to sign a petition within the next week or so.

Vida said U.S. Rep. Mark Critz suggested they gather petition signatures to show residents are interested in keeping the office open.

Milauskas told council what was going on with the lease on Monday.

"I want to get across to people how important it is they sign the petition to keep the post office there, not just for myself but for their sake also," he said. "After 100 years of being in East Vandergrift, it would be a shame to lose the post office."

Vida said the postal service has not shared any information with the borough, nor told them how or where residents would get their mail instead.

"All we know is what (Milauskas) told us," Vida said.

Vida said the post office is important because, "It's been there for about 125 years now. It's a spot that people always congregate around."

Where or how she would get her mail is a concern of Lori Altman, who wonders if they'd get home delivery in its place or have to go to the Vandergrift post office.

But even with home delivery, a post office would be needed to buy stamps and send packages. "It's convenient to be right here," she said.

Robert Yasczak lives in West Leechburg, but works at his father's East Vandergrift store, Henry's TV. He's a frequent customer of the post office.

"I won't go anywhere else," he said. "I don't want to see it close."

Connie Johnson is among residents who get their mail only once a week, on Saturday, because they leave for work in the morning before the post office opens, and don't get home until after it closes.

Still, she prefers getting her mail at the secure post office, rather than left at her home, and hopes her hometown post office doesn't close.

"I don't have to worry about anybody getting into my mail," she said. "I like it better this way, even if I can't get it."

George Guido contributed to this story.