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Here’s what Link covered July 26-Aug. 1

The B. Free Franklin Post Office and a series of murals made news

A man in a blue suite and light green tie stands with another man wearing a light blue short-sleeve shirt with a USPS patch.
New York 2 District Manager John Tortorice, at left, with Springfield Gardens, NY, Letter Carrier Richard Clarkson, who painted murals of local landmarks on the walls of the district office.

Last week, Link stepped back in time for a look at the B. Free Franklin Post Office, a partner site of Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the dedication for the Declaration of Independence stamp took place on July 4.

If customers want to mail a postcard or letter from the location, postal employees there will hand cancel the stamp using Benjamin Franklin’s “B. Free Franklin” signature postmark.

We also told the story of Richard Clarkson, a Springfield Gardens, NY, letter carrier and artist who painted eight murals of local landmarks in a New York District 2 office stairwell.

“His commitment to both our customers and to other fellow employees shines in the passion he brought to this project,” District Manager John Tortorice said.

Speaking of art, we also shone a light on an 1817 artwork of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by architect and artist John Trumbull, which has appeared on three stamp releases.

We told you about a clean-up project that resulted in a tidy sum for the Network Distribution Center in Dallas; a new digital dashboard that offers a window into supply orders at the Material Distribution Center in Topeka, KS; and offered readers a reminder about the ethics rules surrounding working for a USPS contractor.  

“Off the Clock” profiled Joey Brezinski, an El Segundo, CA, letter carrier and former professional skateboarder; and “People” spotlighted Luwanda Owens and Catherine Bozeman, a complaints and inquiry clerk and customer relations specialist, respectively, who helped track down a missing package containing a much-needed wedding dress.

Finally, “Heroes” told the story of Rhonda Craven, a rural carrier who was delivering mail in Lexington, NC, when she heard a cry for help.

An 86-year-old customer had tripped over her car’s seatbelt and fell in a carport.

Craven called 911 and stayed with the woman until help arrived. The customer was treated for a broken leg at a hospital and has returned home.

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