Effective Jan. 15, 2005, all mail (other than large parcels) will be delivered from the Sterrett post office to residents inside the town limits of Westover using a new 35147 zip code and the town name &uot;Westover.&uot;

That is the same zip code for the town of Sterrett but with the Westover name will result in Westover delivery.

The change gives the town of Westover its own postal identity, according to incoming Mayor Mark McLaughlin.

McLaughlin will take office on Oct. 4.

According to McLaughlin and current Westover Mayor Roger West, the Sterrett Post Office will deliver mail to all residents inside the town limits who will use the 35147 zip code and Westover town name.

The two pointed out, however, those who have post office boxes at the Westover post office with a 35185 zip code will be unaffected.

And parcels too large for home delivery may be retrieved at the Westover post office.

At present, Westover residents get mail from

Harpersville, Sterrett, Chelsea and

Wilsonville Post Offices and must use the corresponding

zip codes, according to which town is in their address.

The change came about as a result of efforts by the Town of Westover.

After receiving a request to provide postal service to the Westover area, the U.S. Postal Service sent out a survey to 442 customers.

Of those, 259 surveys were not returned, but 118 customers voted for the change while 65 opposed it.

&uot;I think it provides for us a needed identity,&uot; McLaughlin said.

He also said the change will help Westover collect taxes such as use taxes for construction supplies which although purchased elsewhere should be paid to the town of use.

He said as Westover had no postal identify, those taxes were lost to the town