Gulfport Post Office Petitions Mailed

89-year-old Maxine Wehry says Gulfport has everything she needs.

"I can walk any place. (Gulfport) has restaurants, shops and a Post Office," she said. "It's an ideal place for me to grow old," Wehry added.

Wehry is one of the many Gulfport residents who visit the Post Office inside the Gulfport Beach Bazaar on a regular basis. She's lived in Town Shores for 10 years and says she moved here because of the convenience, including the location of the post office.

Wehry, along with 570 others signed a petition to keep the Post Office in Gulfport. Before mailing a box out on Tuesday morning, she added her name on the list, right below a neighbor of hers. "Oh, Barbara was in here," she said as she signed the sheet. "She lives right below me."

Barbara Hall, Wehry's neighbor, moved to Town Shores in May and says she signed the petition because she would be directly affected if the office were moved.

"I don't have a car," she said. "I can walk here. It would cost me money to use another Post Office." Hall said she would have to use a Taxi or get a ride to use the other nearest Post Office on 22nd Ave S in St. Petersburg.

Hall can't imagine losing the Gulfport Post Office. "I hate it, I don't like any of this foolishness," she said.

The owners of the Gulfport Beach Bazaar, Angela and Biff Lagan, started circulating the petition to keep the Community Post Office in the Gulfport Beach Bazaar, where it's been since 1952, on Friday.

One by one supporters came in on Tuesday and added their names on the list.

"I want the Post Office here, in our neighborhood," LM Foster said.

"This is part of our routine, we come here once or twice a week," Rene and Dyane Dezainde said.

"I think it would not be good for the community," Jean McGuire said.

Along with community support, the Lagan's gathered 571 signatures and included them in their bid application for the post office contract. The Lagan's overnighted the bid and signatures to the U.S. Postal Service Tuesday afternoon.

The petition read:

"The signers of this petition strongly support keeping the Contract Post Office in its current location at 3115 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport FL. The loss of this facility, where it has been located since 1952, would cause undue hardship to our community."

Angela Lagan says they also included a formal letter from Mayor Mike Yakes, the Gulfport Area Chamber of Commerce, Gulfport Merchants Association and themselves.

The Lagan's and community members are showing their support because they recently found out there is another bidder for the contract, and it's coming from South Pasadena.

"I'm surprised that someone from South Pasadena would put in a bid," Lagan said. "Given the significance of the history the post office has in Gulfport", she added in a previous story on Gulfport Patch.

Although the Lagan's bought the bazaar in August, the contract to operate the Post Office in the back of the building is still under the previous owners. The Lagan's have to bid for the contract with the U.S. Postal Service. Angela believes they'll find out who gets the bid by the end of this month.

For more information about the Gulfport Beach Bazaar check out their new website. Don't forget to "like" them on Facebook.

The U.S. Post Office and Gulfport Beach Bazaar is located at 3115 Beach Boulevard S.

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• Local Voices Blog: "Help Save the Gulfport Post Office!"
• _Supporters Rally to Keep Post Office in Gulfport_