Santa Post Office may close next year
Name withheld by request • Santa • 2026-08-30
Our little Santa Post Office is in a building owned by a man who had some serious health setbacks this past year and is no longer residing in the county. The USPS is renting the space and, as of next year, the annual lease is up with no certainty of renewal. For all of those who use the post office and enjoy having the service locally since we don't have carrier service here, we need to come up with some options for keeping the post office in our town. Fernwood Post Office is at capacity and the St. Maries Post Office is quite a drive for daily mail pickup.
One solution might be renting/buying the old library in Fernwood and consolidating the Fernwood and Santa Post Offices there. I'd rather drive four mile to Fernwood than 18+ to St. Maries. Also, there is a possibility to purchase the property where the Santa Post Office currently resides, and for an enterprising individual or collective, that could become a lovely little commercial hub.
Let's not do nothing and see yet another essential service dry up in the upriver community.
Cell Towers in Residential Neighborhoods
Name withheld by request • Santa • 2026-07-16
Former County Commissioners pushed through approval for Inland Cellular to build a tower in a residential part of Santa, despite very vocal dissent from residents. Inland Cellular made the promise that the 4G tower would never be upgraded to 5G. Technically, they are correct, as 5G cannot traverse long stretches in rural areas; however, a few weeks ago, Inland Cellular "upgraded" their tower, which now shows up in devices as 5G and has three times the amount of power draw than it previously had.
Although the United States government hasn't updated its safety and regulatory requirements for cell towers since 1996, the industry has rapidly advanced, technologically, and multiplied the presence of these towers throughout the country. Currently, studies from 64 countries, including Germany and Israel, show serious concerns with health risks for humans, animals, insects, and plant life. Cancer cases are reportedly tripled among people who reside close to cell towers.
The rush for "connectivity" must not come at the cost of lives. Dalton Gardens successfully lobbied to keep out all cell towers from their residential neighborhoods and we must follow their example, because if these studies are correct, it is unconscionable that anyone should have to be exposed to radiation at these levels. It's time to get cell towers out of our residential areas.