The new Hamlin Postmaster, Alison Vandertang, holds one of the new stuffed animals the post office is offering, featuring a reproduction of a stamp affixed to the $10 buy. Alison, a Spencerport resident, has served the U.S. Post Office for the past 28 years, having been the North Greece Postmaster for nearly two years. She started this new job on February 18 and in a short time said she found 'the employees are great and the customers are very nice."

New postmaster welcomed in Hamlin

For the past 28 years, Alison Vandertang has traveled from post office to post office as a way to advance her career. Now as postmaster of the Hamlin Post Office, she hopes to remain in one place until she retires.

"I've worked at 12 post offices since I started," she said, listing off post offices that range from Fancher to California. "I hope Hamlin is my final stop."

Vandertang, who has been in Hamlin for six weeks now, began her career as a clerk on the letter sorting machines. She replaced long-time postmaster Terry Wright, who retired in March.

"I've enjoyed the people that I've worked with over the years," she said. "I also enjoy working with the customers."

The Hamlin Post Office, Vandertang said, has recently become home to a new "retail wall" where customers can purchase anything from stuffed bears to framed photos of specialty stamps.

Vandertang and her husband, Bill, live in Spencerport. Her son, Mark Evans, and his wife have two children, Meriah and Kyrsten. When she's not at the post office, Vandertang and her husband enjoy following NASCAR racing. "We just love it," she said. "We go to a lot of the races."