Town fights to save its 'center'

HOLMAN (KRQE) - Tough times for the United States Postal Service could mean some of New Mexico’s smallest towns may no longer have a post office to call their own.

However residents, who view the post office as a community centerpiece, are not sitting around waiting for the doors to permanently close.

“This may sound old fashioned and silly,” said Shelley Rains, a resident of the town of Holman in the northeastern part of the state. “We’re a community, and a community always has a post office. It’s a center.”

Holman is among 11 New Mexico communities that could lose their post offices. The others are Capulin, Cuervo, Coyote, Encino, Gladstone, La Loma, Saint Vrain, Trementina, Mills, and Fort Stanton.

They are part of a much larger, national list maintained by the postal service.

“Nationwide they’ve announced they’re going to try to close 2,000 post offices in the next five years,” said Barbara Wood, postal service spokesperson.

The postal service points to a 20 percent drop in business since 2006 as one of the reasons post offices have to shut down.

“We can’t continue the way we have in the past,” Wood said. “It’s not business as usual where we have post offices every five miles down the road.”

According to Wood, Holman has some of the most vocal opponents.

Rains is leading the charge to save the only post office in Holman, a town named after its first postmaster, Charles W. Holman, in the 1890’s. Rains was among dozens of Holman residents who gave postal representatives an earful at a recent town hall meeting, held at the nearby post office in Mora.

According to the postal service, one of the reasons Holman is on the list is because the post office does not have a postmaster. The last sitting postmaster was killed in a motorcycle crash several years ago.

“Lack of a postmaster does not reflect a lack of need by the community,” Rains said at the town hall meeting.

However, postal employees point to other reasons why Holman’s post office might have to close. Another post office in neighboring Cleveland is just 3.5 miles away. Mora’s post office is 5.5 miles away. Chacon’s post office is 7 miles away.

The effect on Holman residents would not be as bad as they imagine, Wood said.

“As far as being on a map, you still have your own zip code,” she said. “None of that changes. You’re still a town regardless of whether or not you have a post office.”

Residents’ feedback will be considered once a decision is made. If officials decide to close the post office, residents will have the opportunity to appeal.

“Maybe our opinions, our enthusiasm, our need will make a difference,” Rains said. “Maybe it won’t. But if you do not fight, you can never win.”