Post office efforts on track — for now At a meeting of the Save the La Jolla Post Office Task Force on March 16, organizers announced headway was being made in the fight to save the Wall Street post office from relocation. Members of the task force detailed their meetings with Congresswoman Susan Davis and Congressman Brian Bilbray, emphasizing that the bipartisan issue has enabled the politicians to work together. “We have a strong sense of support from them,” said task force member Joe LaCava. “They’ve made a commitment to make sure the U.S. Postal Service is a little more cooperative than they have been. There’s a sense they’ll work together on an issue of mutual interest.” Leslie Davis, interim chairwoman of the task force, said the group was currently trying to establish whether or not the USPS would follow a legal process that states if a federal property is sold, a local entity should have first right of refusal on the property before it is opened to the possibility of private ownership. Because the post office is considered a “quasi federal ownership,” members of the task force were unclear if the USPS would be required to follow that process. Task force member Diane Kane announced she was in the process of possibly having the post office building listed with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as on the National Register of Historic Places. She had submitted an application for the building to be listed on the National Trust’s “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” list. The task force has put forth three plans for saving the post office. Plan A would involve saving the building and the services it houses in its entirety, essentially keeping the post office as it is now. Plans B and C account for various changes to the post office, including if it loses postal services entirely. “We want to protect the services, the building and the [Belle Baranceanu] mural, but if we can’t protect the services, we at least want the building and the mural,” Davis said. In order to ensure the building will be protected in the case the USPS?relocates its services and sells the property, the task force will host a meeting on March 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the La Jolla Recreation Center, located at 615 Prospect St. The meeting — which will include a panel of three to four experts, including architects and historical preservationists — will gather input from the community on how the building might be repurposed. “The purpose of the meeting is to ask, ‘Should we lose the services, how do we reimagine the building as a community?’” Davis said. The task force will hold its next regular meeting on March 23 at 1:30 p.m. at the La Jolla Historical Society’s Balmer Annex. —Kendra Hartmann Big changes announced for La Jolla Art & Wine Festival The La Jolla Art & Wine Festival is experiencing big changes, in the form of a move to the heart of the village and a new partnership with the La Jolla Village Merchants Association (LJVMA). In its fourth year, the festival will take advantage of its new location — on Girard Avenue between Prospect and Kline streets — which will allow the event to double the number of artists to 200, according to organizers. “This year’s festival will be in downtown La Jolla, where historically a festival has always been held,” said Sherry Ahern, the event’s founder. “This festival celebrates our artist-colony roots. The change of location is a win for the festival, and a win for the merchants because we plan to bring crowds into their stores.” For the past three years, the festival has occurred on upper Girard, near La Jolla Elementary School. The LJAWF raises money for three schools (Torrey Pines Elementary, La Jolla Elementary and Bird Rock Elementary) and this year has added a fourth beneficiary: Muirlands Middle School. Through the new partnership with the LJVMA, the festival will receive much-needed support. “Because we are working closely with the merchants, we will not be charging admission this year,” Ahern said, adding that school representatives will be seeking donations from festival attendees. Artists who wish to sell their pieces during the show can apply via Juried Art Services. The application is at www.juriedartservices.com (click on “2012 La Jolla Art & Wine Festival). The festival will include a wine and beer garden, a family art center and plenty of “street-mosphere” — including small musical groups and performers. LJAWF will take place Oct. 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Organizers hold monthly meetings, and volunteers and sponsors are needed. To learn more or to join the email list, visit www.ljawf.com. For information about the La Jolla Village Merchants Association, visit www.lajollabythesea.com. — Sharon Jones