December 7, 2006

Theft of mail and packages at New Almaden Post Office has residents up in arms

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Last weekend the New Almaden Post Office was broken into and mail and packages were stolen.

The New Almaden Post Office is in a rural area with no street lights or sidewalks. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“The post office is pretty isolated out there in New Almaden,” said Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Serg Palanov. “Somewhere between Saturday at 10 a.m. and Monday at 5:50 a.m. it was broken into. Mail and packages were taken. It was turned over to the post office investigative unit.”

Post office investigators did not return calls in time for the Times deadline.

The New Almaden Post Office is located at 21300 Almaden Road in New Almaden. The location is in an unincorporated area with mostly residential homes. The New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is next door.

Residents expressed concern over the break-in of a United States Post Office.

“We had checks for the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association [NAQCPA] for delivery,” said NAQCPA President Kitty Monahan who lives nearby. “They’re going to lock up the front door from now on.”

Another resident, Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum park interpreter John Slenter, recently moved within the New Almaden area and was expecting bank statements. They came later in the mail to his relief.

Another resident has other concerns besides the break-in of the post office.

“We’re in an unincorporated area with no street lights or sidewalks,” said New Almaden resident Gillian Altieri. “Sure thieves are going to come here. We can’t even get cell phone service here. But, not all progress in bad.”

Altieri said that the kiosk where she and other residents are delivered mail has been broken into three times.

“They told us to open a P.O. box at the post office,” said Altieri. “We did that and now it’s broken into. Something has to be done about this. It seems like nobody gives a damn.”