As a USPS strategic communications specialist, Mark Wahl publicizes Postal Service news and activities, such as last year’s Stamp Encore contest, in the Pittsburgh area. As a lifelong “yinzer” — a slang term for a native or resident of Pittsburgh — he was thrilled to see the Mister Rogers stamp from 2018 voted the winner of the contest.
“When the Stamp Encore contest was announced, I began promoting it on Facebook and local TV,” Wahl said.
Those stories gained the attention of the Fred Rogers Institute, Fred Rogers Productions and the Heinz History Center, which is home to largest collection of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” artifacts in the world.
Their campaigns for fans to get out the vote for the Mister Rogers stamp may have contributed to its landslide win by more than 40,000 votes.
Or it could have been social media posts from actors Tom Hanks, who played Rogers in the 2019 movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and Jamie Lee Curtis that put the stamp over the top.
Either way, Wahl considers the outcome a job well done and a win for a local idol.
Grabbing safety by the collar
Tyler, TX, Postmaster Aaron Williams is doing his part to spread the word about dog bite safety during the USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign.
In a recent segment for the local CBS affiliate, Williams highlighted the risks dogs can pose to carriers. In Texas, there were 358 reported dog attacks on postal workers, making the state No. 2 in the nation last year for canine attacks on employees.
He described some of the measures taken to keep carriers safe, including the use of mobile scanners to warn of the presence of a dog at an address and dog bite self-defense training. Williams also said dog owners have a role to play in keeping employees and their neighbors safe.
According to Williams, the emphasis on safety is working. There were just two dog attacks on Tyler employees last year, which he described as “two too many.”
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