By Tamas Mondovics

Holiday stamp pins as gifts and refreshments greeted local residents recently at the Valrico Post Office located at 2406 S.R. 60 E. in Valrico, as part of "Mail Early Day," a campaign organized to ease the increased traffic during the 2007 holiday season.

"It's always the busiest time of the year for us," says Dotti A. Hulan, postmaster of the Valrico Post Office. This is her fourth holiday season at this office and says that no post office in the country is exempt from the increased work load this time of year.

According to Hulan, "Mail Early Day" was advertised in the lobbies of each participating office and was designed to accomplish two things.

"First of all we want to show our appreciation to all of our customers," says Hulan. "We also try to encourage everyone to get their holiday mailing needs done early in order to avoid waiting in long lines and to cut down on the congestion inside the office as well as outside on our parking lot."

According to Hulan, by far, the busiest time of the year for most post offices is the day after Thanksgiving. The smooth operation of all mail delivery done here is due to the hard work of the 91 staff members responsible for the coverage of 44 routes, just in the Valrico area.

The Postal services' Sun Coast District, which has grown tremendously over the years and includes the Valrico office, is now numbering more than 220. Each area has seen its share of changes along with a huge increase of work load.

Hulan says that due to the high volume of parcels during the busy holiday season, carriers will have to return twice and often three times a day just to cover their own routes.

Valrico resident Neta DeHate, a 30-year veteran who has worked at the Valrico Post Office for the last 22 years, agrees with the huge change in the area and the increased work load the office now has to handle.

"When I started here there were only a dozen routes but now we have 44 and growing," DeHate says. "Where we used to have orange groves are now houses. I miss the trees."

Commenting on the heavy holiday work load DeHate admits, "It's really busy and a lot harder to get everything done, but I love it. It's a good thing, since we are making people happy."

Delivery supervisor Dennis Brooks of wanted to draw attention to the Valrico community's generosity during the recent food drive and the Toy for Tots event.

"Valrico residents are commended for their generous and giving spirit," Brooks says. "This office has received more gifts and toys then anyone else in the district."