Right now, there's no way to automatically prove you've mailed anything from Beverly Hills. Residents sending holiday greeting cards can't do it, businesses can't nor can tourists, when sending postcards home. Former Beverly Hills mayor, Joseph Tilem, says it's time to restore Beverly Hills' own postal identity.

The independent, five-square-mile City of Beverly Hills, was created by a vote of its people in 1924. That vote was to acquire our own water supply. The first post office in Beverly Hills was established in 1913. With the help of Will Rogers, the honorary mayor of Beverly Hills, the City got its own beautiful Crescent Station Post Office in 1934.

Beverly Hills Crescent Station Post Office

Until postal automation, decades ago, we did have our own postmark. Suddenly, without any public hearings to determine our preferences, the USPS abolished our Beverly Hills postmark and agglomerated us with much of the westside of Los Angeles. Henceforth, all mail leaving Beverly Hills was, and still is, postmarked Marina del Rey, a community many miles to the south.

The mythological city of Hollywood, which is really part of Los Angeles, is often referred to as Tinseltown. Nevertheless, its honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, made up his mind to get Hollywood its own postmark. It took lobbying and perseverance but this summer success was achieved.

The USPS has agreed that "Hollywood Home of the Stars" will henceforth be the postmark on all mail departing from Hollywood. Beverly Hills, the true home of the stars, deserves no less. Of course, we'll need the right motto, too.

If you'd like to suggest a postmark motto and/or support this effort, contact: Joe Tilem at MayorJo@aol.com

And please send a copy to the editor at:
Editor@BeverlyHillsCitizen.org.

Thank you.