With more than a decade of USPS service, Cory Johnson knows how to make the holiday season a success.
“I always tell people: Don’t wait until the last minute,” said Johnson, a retail associate at the Syosset, NY, Post Office. “You just don’t know what can happen. The earlier you ship, the better.”
Johnson also advises customers on how to pack a box according to its contents. “Try to make the contents as tight as possible,” she tells them. “If you can, add bubble wrap or foam. If it’s fragile or hazardous, let us know and we can assist you.”
Johnson has seen a lot in her tenure — including people writing destination addresses where the return address should be — and has to clue them in.
She also makes sure customers know the rules on shipping potentially hazardous material. “I recommend customers check the information on our website and do their part to ship safely.”
A hero’s welcome … and a proposal
Rural Carrier Associate Jaylen Lockhart had a seat at the table again in the home of Guy and Marcia Miller of Aurora, IL.
The couple celebrated their second Thanksgiving dinner with the Postal Service employee, who came to Guy Miller’s rescue last year after he fell while walking his dog Bentley.
The gathering was even more meaningful this year because it included a surprise proposal. Lockhart got down on bended knee to ask girlfriend Sydney Rehm to marry him as the Millers captured the moment on camera.
Rehm said yes.
“They had champagne bottles waiting. They greeted us with a great smile. And so it was something that was very embraced and loved,” Lockhart told “Good Morning America” in an interview.
Although Lockhart, 27, and Miller, 76, met by a chance encounter, he has made a friend for life.
“I look up to Guy. I see he’s a great husband; he’s been a great dad, and a great mentor,” Lockhart told GMA. “And I’m just blessed that we’re here for another Thanksgiving and blessed to have a great role model.”
Ben there, done that
The first postmaster general plays a pivotal role in the latest documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns.
Benjamin Franklin is featured prominently throughout “The American Revolution,” a 12-hour series that aired on PBS last month.
Franklin’s voice is reprised by American performer Mandy Patinkin, who also voiced Franklin in a previous Burns documentary, “Benjamin Franklin,” that was released in 2022.
More than 60 voices in a star-studded ensemble help to narrate Burns’ latest project including Josh Brolin as George Washington, Jeff Daniels as Thomas Jefferson, Liev Schreiber as Samuel Adams, and Michael Keaton as Benedict Arnold.
The series is available to stream on PBS.org.
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