Post Offices in the California towns of Escondido (92025), Blythe (92225) and Crestline (92325) each recently celebrated their once-a-century ZIP Code date with destiny.
Escondido set off streamers to a cheering crowd at exactly 9:20 and 25 seconds on the morning of Sept. 20. Attendees could also see a new USPS delivery vehicle, mingle with postal employees and collect a special cancellation stamp designed by local artist Hannah Ramirez. Escondido Mayor Dane White helped welcome guests.
“Celebrating the small things helps us all to remember that we are part of a larger organization,” Marlene Lopez, a USPS secretary, said.
Blythe and Crestline also both created special date-meets-ZIP postmarks, and Crestline hosted an informational display set up by the Rim of the World Historical Society chronicling the office’s history.
“I was pleased to see so many people interested and engaged in this special Zip Code Day today,” Crestline Postmaster Ken Cooper said, noting it won’t happen again for another hundred years. “I am glad I got to help the community celebrate.”
High season in Santa Claus
Since 1983, Santa Claus, IN — believed to be the only town in the world named after the jolly old elf — has run a yearly contest for high schoolers to design a holiday postmark.
“It’s an endearing holiday tradition,” Postmaster Joshua Graham told WBIW.com, a local news website. “It contributes to the charm of the spirit each season.”
This year’s honors went to Christopher Scherer of Mariah Hill, IN, for his sketch of Kriss Kringle driving a pickup truck with a Christmas tree and gifts in its bed.
The Post Office for the small town of 2,700 typically receives more than 400,000 mailpieces from around the world in December, as opposed to its usual monthly tally of 13,000.
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