Since the 1950s, Rankos Pharmacy in the Stadium District has operated a post office under contract with the U.S. Postal Service. Now, it is slated to be closed by Sept. 30 and neither the Rankos family nor its loyal customers are taking it lying down.
People are making their voices heard. A petition at moveon.org has gathered more than 800 signers and it is still active for more folks to sign. More than 700 letters on paper have been written as well in protest of the closure and in staunch support of Rankos which has been a jewel in Tacoma’s business landscape for generations.
Why Tacoma Postmaster Damon Coquillette informed Rankos of the impending closure of its Contract Postal Unit (CPU) is merely that the downtown U.S Post Office is a close enough alternative. The Tacoma Weekly reached out to Coquillette for an interview but instead received a statement from USPS Washington District Communications Specialist Zachary Laux…