On the side of an Oregon road, a lonely postman

Associated Press

SCOTTSBURG, Ore. (AP) -- The Scottsburg post office can be a lonely place. Even -- perhaps, especially -- during the holidays.

While some post offices are bursting with people and parcels, the office here, about the size of a moderately priced Winnebago, is decidedly not bursting with anything of the like.

Damien Valdez, the officer in charge, seems fairly unfazed. The place is decorated. The radio is set to Christmas music.

"Oh, it's a great job," Valdez said. "I just wish there were more people to talk to."

A temporary assignment put Valdez, a resident of Hauser, in charge of the Scottsburg office more than two years ago. "It's been two years and, with the way things move in the Postal Service and because I've been getting a lot of compliments on my work here, there is no end in sight," Valdez said.

Not that he's complaining. But, like he said, a little more company now and again wouldn't hurt.

"I'm on a main highway here and it seems that people on their way to Roseburg or Eugene could stop by on the way and do all their mailing and stamp buying," Valdez said. "I have no lines. It's an easy-in, easy-out location. We have a community bulletin board, a magazine exchange program and I even have dog treats."

The perks have snagged him at least one customer.

Loon Lake resident Jean Casey has a P.O. box in Reedsport, but she likes to stop at Scottsburg. "It's just nicer, friendlier and Damien does all my business ... This is my post office."

Valdez, who has been a postal worker for more than 30 years, said his time up the Umpqua River on state Highway 38 hasn't been a total loss.

"I've gotten to know everyone in town. They all come by to get their mail from their P.O. boxes and I usually know when and what they want," he said.

But the doom-and-gloom economy has edged its way into the office like it has most everywhere else. Post office boxes have been opening up and fewer people are sending packages.

"They used to be stacked so I couldn't move back here," he said. "Now, I may get one or two a day."

Valdez said he has a Santa box, in case he receives any letters from children, but that too is empty.

So what's a guy to do? Some car watching. Some required service reading. Some stamp ordering.

As a sort of joke for the locals, he parks his car as close to the building as humanly possible.

"I started parking closer and closer," he said. "Now, every once in a while, we measure to see how close I can get without taking off a mirror. It gives us something to talk about."