Success Seeks Postal Records on YFZ Ranch
 
The Eldorado Success
 
The Eldorado Success filed a request last week with the U.S. Postal Service asking for the public release of Postal Service records related to a Post Office box used by the YFZ Ranch.

The issue came up when the Success learned that local citizens who renew their rental of a local P.O. Box are required to provide two forms of identification, including one photo ID, for each person receiving mail at the box. The new guidelines were adopted in order to comply with the U.S. Patriot Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush following the 9-11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.

While numbers of local postal patrons have already complied with the new rules, under threat of having their box taken out of service, the Success has learned that some residents at the YFZ Ranch have not complied and are still receiving mail.

While looking into the issue, the Success was told that the decision to continue delivery of YFZ mail was made by a Postal Service District Supervisor.

That prompted the newspaper to inquire further into Postal Service regulations. Harley Hitchcock, a retired Postal Service employee and postal consultant for the Texas Press Association pointed out that information about personal P.O. Boxes is kept private while information regarding commercial or business boxes is supposed to be open to the public.

Armed with that information, the Success filed the Freedom of Information Act request for all information related to P.O. Box 715, the box rented by YFZ Land L.L.C. and the box that the company listed in a series of public notices they published when applying for a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a concrete batch plant.

The Success is asking for information as to who does and does not have the right to receive mail at the box and why some local citizens are required to comply with Postal Service rules while others apparently are not. Also, the newspaper wants to know the names of individuals who receive personal mail at the YFZ's commercial box.

Attorney John Jose, and Private Investigator Sam Brower, two men who are currently trying to discover who might be living at the ranch, told the Success this week that they, too, are interested in who receives mail at the YFZ box. Of course, their primary concern is proving residency for FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs.

It should be noted that Sheriff Doran, as well as his officers and jailers were required to provide identification when renewing the box rental for the Sheriff's Department. Numerous local residents have reported providing the same information.

The Freedom of Information Act is a U.S. law that requires public information to be released in a timely fashion. As required under the act, the newspaper filed its request with the custodian of the local records, Postmaster Wayne McGinnes, on Tuesday, August 10, 2004. The act requires the Postal Service to release the requested information within 20 days or respond in writing as to why it cannot comply with the request.
 
MyEldorado.net
Originally published August 19, 2004
 
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