Every television show and town has its own all-around, know-it-all local celebrity, and for Saratoga it may as well be Linda Edwards.

It may be a bit difficult for Edwards to keep a low profile since nearly half of the city goes to her for their postal needs. When it comes to delivering fast and friendly service, Edwards can do it all, from weighing loads of shipping materials to putting proper labels on boxes to assisting customers in choosing the most economical shipping option, all the while carrying on conversations ranging in topic from shoes to thigh masters to gardening and current events.

"That's the best part of my job," said Edwards. "I enjoy interacting with my customers and getting to know them on a personal level. It's what makes being here worthwhile."

It is also what has kept the 50-year-old employee at the substation on Saratoga Avenue for the past 15 years, after serving customers at the main post office on Allendale Avenue for three years.

Doors don't open until noon, but between 8 a.m. and then, Edwards is already squaring away all the administrative work in the back room. With her radio set to soft rock on the 99.7 dial, she sorts up to 6 feet of mail and distributes it in the mailboxes, does stock inventory of store items and orders items running low and moves swiftly through accounting paperwork. One would think that four hours alone in the back room doing rather mundane work would set the tone for boredom and loneliness, but not for Edwards.

"It's postal heaven," she said. "I get a lot of work done when it's nice and quiet in the mornings."

But, with visits from sheriffs next door and residents picking up mail from their boxes, Edwards said she is not really alone.

"When people come to pick up their mail in the morning, they know that I'm in the back and yell out my name to say hi," she said. "I've known most of them long enough to recognize their voices."

Throughout the years, Edwards has gotten to know more than her customers' voices; she's grown to know the joys, trials, tribulations and triumphs in many of their lives. She's also come to understand that, as with the bond between a bartender and a regular, each experience is unique.

"I've learned a lot about my patrons through their personal stories," said Edwards. "I appreciate their openness with me and am grateful to have this type of connection with them. Many of them are like family to me. I've seen kids grow up and people get married."

Overall, the Santa Clara resident said she's happy she found her niche, and so have many of her regulars.

"I've been coming here ever since I moved to Saratoga in 1992," said Helen Sobel. "I like the hometown atmosphere here, and she takes care of my needs. What's even better is Linda can get things done quickly while keeping a positive and friendly attitude, no matter how busy or long the line is. She's like the express aisle at a grocery store."

Postal need or not, Lois and Stephen DeBrock said they like to visit Edwards on a regular basis. She was one of the first people the couple went to after returning from their vacation in Hawaii. They had a lot to say about their friend of five years.

"She's been good to us," Stephen said. "If I come in with a bad mood, I can't stay down. She makes me happy."

Lois was also eager to describe Edwards as a "one-person dynamo."

"She's very pleasant to be around. Just look at her face—she's radiant!" Lois said.

Patron Lee Ann Hernandez, who has lived in Saratoga her whole life, said Edwards is a positive change from the former employee at the station.

"She's the antithesis of a government employee," said Hernandez. "She's always anxious to help others and is knowledgeable in her line of work. She's the equivalent to a general."

Edwards may be a whiz behind the counter, but she also has a green thumb. Outside of the office, she spends her time working on her garden in her home, hanging out with friends and family and participating in church activities.

"I'm content with where I am," said Edwards. "I would not choose to work anywhere else. I'd have to be dragged out of here. This is my corner of the world."