Crumbling ceiling leads to temporary closure of Van Horne post office

Van Horne residents will get their mail in Newhall for at least a few more weeks as the building's owner repairs their post office.

"We hate to inconvenience our customers, but safety is an issue," said Rich Watkins, U.S. Postal Service regional spokesman in Kansas City, Mo. "It appears as though the ceiling is crumbling."

Watkins said a sign directing Van Horne's 179 customers to Newhall was posted when the building was closed Nov. 28. He said letters will be mailed to Van Horne residents explaining the Postal Service's repair plans and schedule, as soon as those plans are finalized with the building's owner.

"We're working with the building's owner right now," he said. "We need to iron those details out before we can get back to our customers. It's going to take at least a few weeks just to get it back up to safety standards."

Watkins said about 75 percent of the nation's post offices are housed in leased buildings.

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