Sunday mail stops in Adventist community

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LOMA LINDA, Calif., April 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Postal Service says it has discontinued Sunday mail deliveries in Loma Linda, a predominantly Seventh-day Adventist community in Southern California.

Loma Linda residents said they were unhappy about the end of Sunday postal delivery in the city, where church doctrine observes Saturday as the Sabbath, God's day of rest, The Press-Enterprise in Riverside reported.

"Nobody works on Saturday," Galina Rudenko insisted.

Rudenko wasn't the only Loma Linda resident to object: There were complaints lodged and petitions circulated but the Postal Service was unmoved, ending Sunday delivery in the city after 81 years.

Letter carrier supervisor Duane Hubbard cited the Postal Service's computer software as a factor, saying it only understands Monday through Saturday and the Loma Linda station is unable to communicate with it Sundays.

"It's like we're on an island here on Sundays," Hubbard said.

It also costs more for Sunday delivery because they have to pay letter carriers more to work on that day, he said.

But for the city's Seventh-day Adventists, who like those of the Jewish faith observe a Saturday Sabbath, it comes down to tradition.

"It's been this way for 70 years that I know of," 81-year-old Forrest Greenman said. "I know of no reason they should change it now."