SMYRNA – A large group of Smyrna residents told state postal officials late last month that the Smyrna Post Office is an important service and a necessary component to the economic vitality of the village.

New York State Post Office representatives alerted residents earlier in May that the post office may be closing, or consolidated, and, instead, replaced with a rural route carrier service. About 80 people turned out at a state-sponsored information session to learn more about the proposal.

“I, for one, walked away knowing less than I did before,” said village business owner and former resident, Judi Clippinger.

“People suggested lots of questions and suggestions of other ways for the post office to save money. Unfortunately, there were not a lot of answers,” she said. Clippinger Law Offices have served Smynra for over 30 years.

In a letter to the editor, Village of Smyrna Mayor Charles Edmonds warned any rural post office without an official postmaster, or those with aging or soon to be retiring post masters, to beware. He said the village post office was being targeted because its former postmaster accepted a position out of the area, and the person who replaced him was not ‘official.’