An undelivered postcard found in the United Nations complex in New York City — 72 years after it was written — recently made its way back to the writer.
The U.N. sent the postcard on to Ottawa, IL, the location of the intended recipient, who was long gone.
It took Ottawa Postmaster Mark Thompson several days to determine who the writer was. Thompson and a local reporter, Tom Collins, consulted with genealogists who figured out that the man was Sandpoint, ID, resident Alan Ball, 88.
Ball was interviewed in his local paper — and photographed with Ben Squires, a rural carrier who delivered the postcard — about the story of how he had saved his money from working summer jobs as a teen for several years to visit his aunt in Puerto Rico, stopping in New York for the trip.
Shortly before his flight to the Caribbean, he visited the United Nations and sent the postcard home — or so he thought.
“I’ll be doggoned,” Ball said in a phone interview with Collins when first told the news. “It’s a beautiful day here. You just made it more beautiful.”
The story of the postcard’s journey also appeared in The New York Times this week.
Welcome to Boomtown
Construction is booming in the Los Angeles area — and that means the region is getting lots of new mailing addresses.
Two USPS employees — Otika Horn and Martha Maher, acting growth coordinators for California 5 District — are doing their part to ensure the organization keeps pace with the changes.
So far this year, Horn and Maher have helped add more than 14,000 new delivery points by identifying construction sites, contacting developers and creating plans to add mailboxes and cluster box units at the completed properties.
“As a growth coordinator, I help drive revenue by building strong relationships with homeowners and land surveyors,” said Horn. “I actively engage with them to understand their needs, offer support and ensure smooth collaboration throughout the building process — supporting new home construction and ongoing community development.”
Little office, lots of enthusiasm
The Lauglin, NV, Post Office isn’t huge, but it’s making a big deal of the Postal Service’s 250th anniversary.
The office — which has six mail carriers, three retail associates and one custodian — is decked out in red, white and blue to help mark the milestone.
“I feel very honored to be part of an amazing organization, and as a postmaster, it’s my goal to truly make a difference in my customers’ and employees’ lives,” said Regina Montalvo, the local postmaster.
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