Barbara Wick, Jacksonville, FL
I’m so glad that Lisa Light, the Hazel Park, MI, letter carrier who was recently highlighted in “Heroes’ corner,” warned her customer that she smelled natural gas on the front porch. […]
Chris Baker
Posts by Chris Baker
Faraway friends
Two people who live 4,700 miles apart were recently reminded of the power of mail to leave lasting impressions. When Andrew Piotrowski was a child living in Vernon Hills, IL, in the mid-1990s, he penned a letter to Kristina Brunjai, a young refugee who had fled to a safe zone in war-torn Croatia. Brunjai, who […]
Need to know
Here come the holidays. The Postal Service will issue its Global: Poinsettia Forever stamp Sunday, Aug. 26. The stamp can be used to mail a 1-ounce letter to any country where First-Class Mail International service is available. The current First-Class Mail 1-ounce international letter rate is $1.15. The stamp, which also can be used domestically, features […]
PIT stop
The Postal Service has released Safety Depends on Me video that underscores the importance of operating powered industrial trucks (PITs) safely. The video features a simulation in which a worker listens to music on headphones while operating a PIT at a postal plant. The employee, who isn’t wearing a seatbelt, uses the PIT to lift […]
News quiz
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: USPS-produced Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelopes and Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes are not flat-sized mailpieces. a) True b) False 2. Through the Inform 5 […]
Michele Williams, Ocklawaha, FL
Rural Carrier Michele Williams was on her way to work recently in Ocklawaha, FL, when she spotted a disabled customer being attacked by a dog. Williams stopped to assist the man, using dog repellent spray to safely end the attack. After the customer retrieved a lost shoe, Williams comforted him until he regained his composure. […]
Deborah Spaulding, Tioga, PA
I recently used the new HERO career activities platform and loved how easy it was. […]
Five a day
The Postal Service has introduced Inform 5, an initiative to encourage employees to promote Informed Delivery to customers. Informed Delivery allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, tablets and mobile devices. Through Inform 5, USPS wants employees to tell at least five customers each day about Informed Delivery. […]
Hailing HERO
A new Postal Service video showcases HERO, a system that employees can use to manage their career development activities from a single online platform. HERO, which USPS recently introduced, allows employees to receive training, apply for job openings, enter performance goals and more. “There is a future where employees and managers can be more efficient […]
Making waves
The Postal Service held a special ceremony last week for a stamp that depicts Hawaii’s iconic Nāpali coast. The stamp, which features a sunset image of crashing waves against the coastline, is part of O Beautiful, a pane of 20 stamps that visually represent lyrics to the patriotic standard “America the Beautiful.” The Aug. 16 […]
Alakazam!
The Art of Magic stamp pane and souvenir sheet were released this month. Here are five facts about magic that you may not have known. 1. Harry Houdini was more than an illusionist. He also founded his own film company and was an accomplished aviator who made one of the first flights in Australia. Additionally, […]
Karen Laney, Kidron, OH
I really enjoy reading the stories in Link. […]
Ivan Crisostomo, Sacramento, CA
A California teenager has credited a Postal Service employee with protecting her at a critical time — just moments after she says she escaped a months-long ordeal of captivity and abuse. Letter Carrier Ivan Crisostomo was delivering mail in a Sacramento, CA, neighborhood in June when he spotted 16-year-old Crystal Allen hiding in a yard, […]
Here’s the skinny
The Postal Service wants to clear up a few misunderstandings about flat-sized mailpieces. Here’s what you should know: • First things first: Know how to recognize flat-sized mailpieces. The Domestic Mail Manual has all the information you need, especially chapters 101 and 201. Generally speaking, flat-sized mailpieces are no more than 15 inches long, no […]
Need to know
SVweb gets a new look. SVWeb, a site dedicated to the Surface Visibility program, has a new look. The site has been reorganized to help users easily access its Facility Management, Reporting and Administrative pages. Also, the updated home page now displays the week’s compliance and transportation scores, and a bar at the top of […]
News quiz
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Fill in the blanks: Last week, USPS reported (blank) in total revenue and a net loss of (blank) for fiscal 2018’s third quarter (April 1-June 30). a) $651 million, […]
Credit check
The Postal Service is offering new cybersecurity training for retail associates and other employees who deal with payment cards. The mandatory online courses are designed to help users learn how to secure employee, supplier and customer data. All courses must be completed before Friday, Sept. 21. The courses are: Protecting Payment Cardholder Data: Everyone’s Responsibility, […]
Lisa Light, Hazel Park, MI
Letter Carrier Lisa Light was recently delivering mail in Hazel Park, MI, when she smelled natural gas on a customer’s front porch. Light alerted the man to the problem before continuing on her route. The customer later mailed a letter to the local Postmaster, pointing out that within 20 minutes of notifying the gas company, […]
Patricia Branch-Brown, Cleveland
We often take our Postal Service jobs for granted. We don’t always appreciate the opportunity we’ve been given to serve others. “Road to redemption,” the article about Clarence Carson overcoming homelessness and other challenges to become a Postmaster, puts it in perspective. […]
USPS finances
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal 2018’s third quarter (April 1-June 30). Here are some highlights: • Revenue. Total revenue was $17.1 billion, up 2.4 percent compared to the same period one year earlier. First-Class Mail revenue declined 2.2 percent compared to a year ago, while Marketing Mail revenue increased 1.6 […]
Postal praise
USPS is continuing to provide “fast and efficient service” despite facing significant challenges, a columnist for a national newsmagazine wrote last week. The 1,800-word essay from Ryan Cooper, national correspondent for The Week, traces the Postal Service’s history, including its role in uniting rural and urban customers through mail delivery and developing innovations like airmail […]
Return flight
The Postal Service will issue this year’s second United States Air Mail stamp Saturday, Aug. 11. The stamp, printed in red, commemorates an August 1918 flight from College Park, MD, to New York City that became the first step in establishing transcontinental routes for airmail service. The first stamp, printed in blue and released in the spring, […]
News quiz
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: To protect yourself from heat-related illnesses, you should drink at least 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes. a) True b) False 2. Where does USPS […]
In the black
The Postal Service wants employees to know about the “blackout” periods for Franked Mail mass mailings. Franked Mail is official correspondence sent by members of Congress and other authorized users. These mailpieces have the member’s facsimile signature — the frank — in the upper right corner of an envelope instead of a postage stamp. The frank […]
Tag check
The Postal Service wants employees to remember the differences between Political Mail and Election Mail tags during this year’s election season. Red Tag 57, for Political Mail, should be used for any political campaign mailing by a registered candidate, campaign committee, and committee of a political party. This tag also can be used for a political […]
Chastity Amlong and Jacqueline James, Landisville, PA
Two Postal Service employees recently helped a customer who was allegedly targeted for identity theft. Retail Associate Chastity Amlong alerted the customer after a suspected imposter contacted her about retrieving the customer’s mail, which was being held at the Landisville, PA, Post Office. The concerned customer — whom Amlong recognized — soon arrived with proper […]
Read More… from Chastity Amlong and Jacqueline James, Landisville, PA
Frances Kipper, Richmond, VA
I was glad to read “Proof positive” and learn the Postal Service has improved its proof of delivery letters. […]
The right fit
Franco Parodi knew there was a better way. Parodi, a mail handler, works on delivery barcode sorter (DBCS) machines at the Miami Processing and Distribution Center. He wanted to improve the machine’s out-of-sequence scores, which measure mail that is not placed in address sequence for the carriers. To fix the problem, Parodi determined the machine’s […]
Need to know
Postal Bulletin. Tips to help employees protect themselves from heat exhaustion and heat stroke are included in the Postal Bulletin’s Aug. 2 edition. The article is part of a broader Postal Service program that focuses on the recognition and prevention of heat-related illnesses. The organization has also sent informational postcards to every employee’s home and […]
News quiz
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: Under the Hatch Act, a postal employee cannot wear a shirt or campaign button that promotes any political candidate seeking re-election while the employee is on […]