SANTA DELIVERS THE MAIL

Santa's reindeer may be good for the long haul. But when it comes to local deliveries, nothing beats a mail truck.

Santa delivered about 30 parcels and Express Mail in Cape Girardeau Christmas Day.

Mail carrier Jimmie Roberts of Chaffee donned the red suit, white beard and black gloves and boots Wednesday to make the holiday deliveries. The local post office began sending Santa on the mail route about five years ago.

But this was Roberts' first chance to play mailman Santa.

Other mail carriers in the Cape Girardeau area also delivered mail on Christmas Day, but they weren't dressed as Santa.

Some 400 holiday packages and Express Mail were delivered in the Cape Girardeau region Wednesday, including about 200 in the city of Cape Girardeau alone, postal officials said.

Roberts' attire garnered a lot of smiles and waves from passing motorists and onlookers.

Children stopped and stared as Santa made his rounds.

He was a hit with Jeanne Goodman's two sons when he stopped to deliver a package to the next-door neighbor's house on Horseshoe Ridge.

"Merry Christmas," shouted 4-year-old Clay Goodman and his 7-year-old brother, Jason, as they stood at their front door.

"Thanks for bringing all that great stuff," Clay Goodman said.

"They were just shocked when they saw him pull up in the mail truck," Jeanne Goodman said.

It didn't matter to her sons that Santa didn't bring them a package. After all, they already had opened their presents from Santa, she pointed out.

"They were just thrilled," she said.

Santa received rave reviews at Lester Goodin's home on North Park.

Goodin was surprised the Postal Service delivers mail on Christmas Day.

"It is a wonderful thing. That is special delivery," said Goodin, who received two Christmas packages from his daughter in Washington, D.C.

Goodin invited Roberts into his home. But the mailman politely refused, citing Postal Service regulations.

Roberts said he enjoyed his Santa rounds. But he said he would have rather spent Christmas Day at home with his two sons, ages 5 and 8.

Roberts said he donned the Santa suit at a family gathering Christmas Eve, much to the delight of his sons.