Letter to the Editor:

Several months ago Dirt Works approached Rudy at the Blanco Post Office for two new post office boxes. We were told that there were no boxes available and Rudy’s suggestion was for us to put up a mailbox on Hwy 281 at Rolling Hills Road. As a business owner I did not feel that having a mailbox on a major Hwy was a viable option due to the type of correspondence we receive.

Not only is my business located at this intersection, I also live on the property and have for seven years. I know from first hand experience that this is a bad intersection, adding the mailbox situation just makes it even more dangerous.

I contacted TXDOT to inquire why we couldn’t do away with the mailboxes on Hwy 281 and get the locking “Cluster Box Units” for safety. TXDOT told me that they had been trying to get this done in the past with no luck. I then contacted my Blanco County Commissioner, Paul Granberg, and he also had no problem with relocating the C.B.U’s to the location on Rolling Hills Road.

I took it upon myself to get everyone together to get this problem resolved. A meeting was scheduled with me, TXDOT officials, Paul Granberg and Rudy, our postmaster.

I had already shown sketches of my plan for a proposed C.B.U location including turnouts to the others when Rudy arrived to the meeting. Everyone was in agreement that this was a safer area to place these boxes. Having the proper equipment and labor force, I offered to do the site work, pour concrete, place base and asphalt for the turnout, supply labor to install the boxes and even pay for the C.B.U.’s at a cost out of my pocket of over six thousand dollars. It was obvious that Rudy was against the whole idea. He openly expressed his negativity at making this happen. Why was he so against this change? Was it somehow creating more work for him?

TXDOT has had to replace the mailbox stands several times in the past and private homeowners have had to endure the cost of replacing their mailboxes. I asked Rudy, “How many people would have to be killed at this site for him to realize the danger?” No response.

Ten days go by; we contact Rudy to check on the status of the situation. Rudy’s answer to us was that because one person did not want to change from the mailboxes to C.B.U.’s that it was not going to happen. I was appalled! Is this person, our postmaster, so obsessed with the power our government has given him that he would use that power for his own selfish, personal agenda rather than do the right thing for the safety and welfare of Blanco citizens, who pay his salary?

As this saga continued, we got a blessing in disguise – a replacement postmaster comes in while Rudy is on leave. We approached him with our proposed plan and again offered to cover all cost. It was a no brainer – lets get started! SO WE DID. He provided us with the specifications and we completed the project without a hitch. Within days we were informed that all the boxes had been taken. They are full and some of my neighbors are even on a waiting list to get a box at this location.

On Monday April 30th, I went to the Blanco Post Office to request that Rudy order a 3rd C.B.U. to accommodate these neighbors. I told him that I would install the box as I had the first two, if the post office would bare the expense of the unit. I was astonished when Rudy told me that he wasn’t even aware that the boxes had been installed, (even though mail has been being delivered to them for days) and that he would check on the situation and get back to me. I guess we will see…

I will never understand why I have gotten so much resistance from Rudy on this issue. If you have had problems and want to make a complaint call the Austin office at 512-342-1350.

Sincerely,

Wayne Dworaczyk

101 Rolling Hills Road

Blanco, Texas 78606