10 New Postmasters Begin Duties

Ten new San Gabriel Valley postmasters were sworn in Wednesday in the largest ceremony for the position in California.

The postmasters arrive at their counters today in Alhambra, Azusa, Claremont, Covina, El Monte, La Verne, Pomona, Rosemead, San Dimas and Walnut.

“Being named to this position fulfills one of my all-time goals,” said Lillie Stacy, a 16-year postal veteran named as postmaster for the Azusa Post Office, which handles 85,500 pieces of mail daily.

The big turnover was prompted by an early-retirement offer to postal workers across the nation, said Christine Dugas, a U.S. Post Office spokeswoman. She said 46,000 employees nationwide have taken the buyout, designed to reduce costs.

Many of those offered the best incentives were postmasters with many years on the job, she said.

Since July, 1992, 350 employees in the Santa Ana area, which encompasses the San Gabriel Valley, most of Orange County and parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, have taken the offer, she said.

In an en masse ceremony at an Anaheim postal building, the new San Gabriel Valley postmasters, along with 12 others from the Santa Ana area, swore the same oath as President Clinton, promising “to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Tony Burkhard, Alhambra’s new postmaster, understands the traditions of the post office.

“My father is a retired letter carrier from Rosemead, my mother worked as a postal clerk, two sisters are postal employees along with both of their husbands, and two uncles . . . are retired postal employees,” he said.

Jackie Boucher, Claremont’s new postmaster, wants to hear from the public. “My door will always be open to hear their ideas and concerns,” she said.

Others postmasters sworn in were: Penny Stevenson, Pomona; Karen Martin, Covina; Kurt Holbrook, El Monte; Velma Bussey, La Verne; John Caffrey, Rosemead; Randolph Dominguez, San Dimas, and Don Walker, Walnut.