More appeals were sent to the Postal Regulatory Commission in early December to save the Venice Post Office. It is not known at press time when the appeals will be heard.
Individuals in Venice and the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher are handling the cases for our side. One of the issues is whether the sale of the Venice Post Office constitutes a closure that can legally come before the Commission or whether it is simply a relocation to the Postal Annex. Arguments from Venice are that of course the post office is being closed, and sold, no matter where the service is being moved. We are contending that the closure will cause irreparable harm to the historic building and the historic mural within, as well as to the Venice community which would lose its center of gravity.
The mural, painted in 1941 by renown artist Edward Biberman is now on a stamp (above), produced in Venice. The stamp which is legal first class postage is being sold at cost by the Save the Venice Post Office Coalition. Members of the Coalition have set up a table in front of the post office on several days a week, where they are collecting petition signatures against the closing and selling sheets of 24 stamps for $12. The price of a first class letter is increasing from 44 cents to 45 cents in January. Stamps can also be obtained by calling 310-396-2525 or emailing savevenicepostoffice@freevenice.org.
Categories: Post Office
Good luck with your lawsuit. I hope you win and can save your beautiful New Deal Post office & mural. This is an important case because the new rule of the PRC and USPS published in the Federal Register in 8/31/2011 that defines a post office “relocation” as being unable to be appealed seems an underhanded way to cut the public out of protesting the closure of their post office. Then USPS is able to sell the building and the public has no say whatsoever. This is not democracy. This is something else.