Clifton, AZ, Retail Associate Mary Schwarz — who saved the life of an infant last summer — was recently honored by Ed Ruiz, WestPac Area retail and delivery operations vice president, at a ceremony celebrating her actions.
In July, Kylie Vega walked into the Clifton Post Office with her infant daughter, Nova, when the child suddenly became unresponsive. Schwarz, who was a trained nurse for 13 years before joining the Postal Service, began CPR.
Clifton Police Officer Shari Aguilar responded to a 911 call and took the employee and infant to a nearby medical clinic. Nova began to breathe on her own while on the way to the clinic where medical professionals took over her care.
“The ability to not injure that baby’s heart further but still giving her a firm enough pump to circulate blood throughout her body … I am very blessed to have been trained to do that,” Schwarz said.
Nova — now 11 months old — and her parents, Kylie and Rudy, were at the ceremony to show their appreciation, along with Aguilar.
“Each year, we have many, many postal employees who do heroic acts, and the Postal Service always likes to recognize them because they go over and beyond,” Ruiz said while presenting Schwarz with a challenge coin and a commendation letter from the postmaster general. “Mary is no different. She is our hero here in the state of Arizona, and we are very proud of her. She saved such a beautiful little baby.”
According to Postmaster Joanna Simmons, the retail associate’s actions have a had an impact on the community. “It has really brought people together,” she said.
Postmarking a community’s pride
Ortonville, MI, Post Office recently celebrated the town’s annual fall festivities with a special pictorial postmark to commemorating the event.
The postmark unveiling was part of Septemberfest, a community celebration that included local vendors, family activities, live entertainment and the presentation of citizen of the year awards.
“This is a family-friendly community that takes pride in the old town history of this area,” Postmaster Kristi Cetrone said. “The postmark will become part of history as it will be featured by the Historical Society and Old Mill Museum.”
This kind of community participation helps bring more attention to the Postal Service, Retail Associate Jerry Rollinson said.
“The customers are good people who welcome everyone to celebrate the history of this quiet, peaceful town,” he said.
The postmark image displays “Septemberfest,” bordered by fireworks, stars and the American flag. It also features “1776” and “2026” in a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
A small-town Post Office celebrates a first
Wrightsville, GA, recently made history with the installation of Marisha Lanier as its first Black postmaster.
“As a second-generation postmaster, it is an honor to serve as the postmaster of my hometown,” Lanier said. “Our team works hard every day to ensure secure, timely, and dependable service for every customer.”
Georgia District Manager Falonda Woods reflected on the significance of the day and the responsibility of the role.
“Today, we gather to celebrate leadership, service, perseverance and the start of a new chapter in the story of the Wrightsville Post Office,” she said.
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