New Deal Art Murals At Post Offices
Filed under: post offices, postal, postal news, usps, USPS News Link
With about 1,200 murals and 200 sculptures in Post Offices nationwide, USPS is the custodian of the largest public art collection owned by any federal agency.
The artwork was created from 1934-1943 during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative. With the nation facing 25 percent unemployment in 1933, the New Deal sponsored several art programs to help put people back to work and restore national confidence.
The murals and sculptures seen in Post Offices were produced under the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts. Unlike the Works Progress Administration/Federal Art Project, this program was not directed toward providing economic relief. Instead, the art placed in Post Offices was intended to help boost the morale of people suffering during the Great Depression.
The Postal Service makes every effort to preserve and safeguard the art for future generations. In addition, the Postal Service traditionally will not remove the artwork from its community of origin, even if a Post Office closes. It is the Postal Service’s position that the artwork was created for a particular community and should remain in that community.
Click here to view murals. Click here for information about postal guidelines for photographing New Deal Art in postal facilities.
This oil on canvas mural, “Postman in Storm,” was painted by Robert Tabor and is located in Independence, IA. The mural was installed in January 1938 and restored in 2000.
PostalReporter Archive:
2005 Mural In Linden Texas Post Office
Drive-In Post Offices
Filed under: photos, post offices, postal, postal news, usps
With recent stories about cars crashing into Post Offices– maybe it’s time to bring back “Drive-In Post Offices.”
Ohio: Car crashes into Heath post office
California: Car Crashes Into Walnut Creek Post Office
Houston Drive-In, Texas, 1951
Granville W. Elder, acting postmaster of the Houston, Texas, Post Office, first experimented with a drive-in for customers in late 1947 to expedite the handling of Christmas mail. Set up in the Sam Houston Coliseum, the drive-in was used by thousands of Houstonians and relieved traffic congestion near the downtown Post Office. In the 1950s, drive-ins – some of them seasonal – also popped up at offices in Illinois, California, and Maryland, but the idea was never broadly embraced.
Drive-In Post Office In Houston, Texas, 1951
Post Office To Be Named In Honor of Slain Ohio Letter Carrier
Press Release issued by the office of Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s (D-Oh)
Washington, Jul 14 –
Today the House of Representatives unanimously approved Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s (D-OH) legislation to rename the Post Office at 13301 Smith Road in Cleveland, Ohio as the David John Donafee Post Office Building in honor of Mr. Donafee, a public servant who was struck by a car and killed on February 14, 2008.
“David served Northeast Ohio as a postal carrier for 14 years. Coworkers knew David for his geniality and positive spirit, sense of humor, and willingness to go out of his way for anyone. I am proud to lead the effort to honor his service to our community.”
David John Donafee was a lifelong Northeast Ohioan who committed his life to family and community. David was born and raised in Brook Park, Ohio and graduated from Polaris High School in Berea. He was well-known in the local hockey community for his support of and involvement in his sons’ youth hockey league. He announced and scored the games, and was the “heart of all the teams,” according his wife, Sandi.
“On February 14, 2008–Valentine’s Day–David was walking his route in Parma Heights, Ohio, like any other day, when he was struck by a car and killed. His tragic death resounded in the community and with his coworkers. I mourn the loss of this honorable man, and my sympathy goes out to his family and friends,” said Kucinich.
“Mr. Donafee is deserving of our honor and praise,” added Kucinich.
Post Office Wait Time in Line Averages by Area and District
“This is the average wait time, across all shops. Shopper begins clock once they enter the queue line and stops when they are called by the clerk to the window.”
“The average score for wait time is the percentage of the time the shoppers were served in 5 minutes or less as per our target.”
“The Mystery Shop program is used to measure wait time in line in FY 2009. There are 8,725 Mystery shop office s that got shopped approximately twice per that were shopped approximately twice per Quarter, or a Total of 64,972 shops in FY 2009.”
“The New York Metro (NYM) area was dissolved in FY 09. Districts from this area have been absorbed by either the Northeast (NE) or the Eastern (EA) area. This report reflects the FY 10 configuration of districts to areas. Accordingly, WTIL scores for districts of the former NYM area are listed under their new areas and reflected in the respective NE and EA area aggregate scores.”
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Post Office Wait Time in Line Averages by Area and District
source: USPS via Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC)
Tennessee man indicted on attempted murder charges in Wytheville VA PO hostage taking
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation issued the following press release:
ROANOKE, Virginia., Jan. 21 — A Bristol, Tenn. man who held several people hostage at gun point inside the Whytheville, Va. Post Office on Dec. 23, 2009, was indicted today by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke.
The grand jury has returned a six-count indictment charging Warren Aubra Taylor, age 53, with one count of attempted murder, three counts of kidnapping, one count of discharging a firearm during the commission of a federal crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“This event could have had a violent, unhappy ending,” said Timothy J. Heaphy, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. “Because of the professionalism and skill of federal, state, and local investigators, that outcome was avoided when the hostages were released and Mr. Taylor apprehended without violence. I want to thank all of the officers who put their lives on hold to respond to the Whytheville Post Office and achieve this result. I promise that we will match their professionalism in our pursuit of a just resolution of the criminal charges filed today.”
According to the indictment, Taylor has been charged with one count of attempting to murder Terry Clark, an employee of the United States Postal Service. If convicted, this charge carries a maximum possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Taylor has been charged with three counts of kidnapping for taking Douglas Robinson, James Oliver, and Majorie Austin against their will and holding them for his own purposes, including but not limited to, making known his displeasure with the government and polices of the United States. If convicted, each count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
In addition, Taylor has been charged with one count of discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. That charge carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison. There is a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment. He is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of that charge, and depending on his criminal history, Taylor faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and possibly a maximum penalty of life in prison.
At the time of the incident, the defendant was found to be in possession of one Glock 40 caliber pistol, one North American Arms .22 caliber revolver, one Taurus .17 caliber revolver and one Taurus .45 caliber Model PT 1911, semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. The United States has included in its indictment a forfeiture count for these and other weapons.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Virginia State Police, the United State’s Marshal’s Service, the Whytheville, Virginia Police Department, and the Whytheville County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Giorno will prosecute the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
USPS: 371 Retail Stations And Branches Still Under Review For Closure
U.S. Postal Service Continues Review of Stations and Branches
Removing Cost and Maintaining Customer Access Remain Goals
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service announced today that 371 retail stations and branches remain under consideration for possible consolidation.
Today’s announcement updates a review process begun earlier this summer that examined approximately 3,600 stations and branches in urban and suburban areas across the country, focusing on facilities in relatively close proximity to one another, to determine where consolidations might be feasible, while maintaining customer access to postal services.
With nearly 37,000 Post Offices, stations, branches, contract and community post offices, the Postal Service has the largest retail network in the United States. An additional 56,000 locations such as supermarkets, drug stores, and other retailers sell postage and selected postal services. Nearly 18,000 ATMs also dispense sheets of stamps. But customers do not have to visit a physical building to purchase products and services; postage can be bought at usps.com and printed on personal computers.
The only provider of mail service to every home and business address in the country, the Postal Service is committed to providing reliable, secure, affordable service with convenient access. Unlike most federal agencies, America’s national mail system receives no tax subsidy for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Additional efficiency initiatives are continuing. Reducing over-capacity in retail and delivery operations is a good business move. Every effort will be made to maintain and improve customer access to postal services.
Today’s announcement is part of the Station and Branch Optimization and Consolidation initiative that is currently being reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission. As part of this proceeding, the Postal Service has filed periodic updates identifying the retail stations and branches that remain under consideration.
The filing does not represent a final decision on consolidation. To date, no facility-specific final decisions have been made as a result of this initiative.
Click here for the list of stations and branches currently being reviewed
APWU Local President Campaigns To Keep Yeadon Post Office Open
USPS To Close Yeadon [PA] Post Office in May 2010
Tri County First Area Local President [Mark] Hennessy has written a letter to the Manager of the Yeadon Borough, asking for their support for his campaign to keep the Yeadon Post Office open. Lansdowne Post Office supervisors told the stewards recently that they received a letter from the USPS announcing that the Yeadon Post Office will be closing in May of 2010. The Yeadon Post Office is a branch of the Lansdowne installation that offers retail services only, and is staffed by one clerk, Chief Steward Jim Gray.
Visit WWW.TRIAPWU.ORG to read President Hennessy’s letter.