Augie Ruiz and Mary Perez were visiting relatives in Illinois at Christmastime in 1965 when they were fixed up on a blind date. They saw the new James Bond movie “Thunderball” and went on a few more dates before Ruiz, a Navy sailor, embarked on his next tour of duty, and Perez boarded a bus […]
The Postal Service dedicated its latest U.S. Flag stamp last week in Fort Lauderdale, FL. South Florida District Acting Manager Timothy Costello, who led the dedication ceremony, noted flag stamps are a longtime USPS tradition. “Since 1957, the Postal Service has produced colorful stamps that celebrate the American flag in all of its beautiful red, […]
The Postal Service wants more business customers to use the Informed Visibility analytics platform. Informed Visibility shows the physical movement of letters and flats in near-real-time. The platform centralizes scanning data and other information from postal facilities and equipment from across the nation. Business customers can use an external application, Informed Visibility Mail Tracking and […]
To mark Presidents Day, here are five facts about a Postmaster who later became a commander in chief: Abraham Lincoln. 1. Lincoln was a youthful Postmaster. The future president was 24 when he was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, IL, in May 1833. He served until the office closed in May 1836. 2. His annual […]
The first time Humboldt, IA, Rural Carrier Associate Kathy Lucero saw a Postal Service customer walking a new puppy one day recently, everything was fine. But when they later crossed paths again on Lucero’s route, a crisis erupted. Two stray pit bulls bolted toward the woman and attacked her puppy, leaving her screaming for help […]
Patty Albert remembers how the Thomas Fire looked — and how it sounded. “I never knew fire had a sound, but it does,” said Albert, an Ojai, CA, rural carrier. “It sounded like 20 freight trains coming at you. It was deafening. It was the loudest roar I had ever heard in my life.” The […]
USPS has announced the recipients of the 2016 Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Awards. The awards recognize facilities, teams and projects that successfully recycle, conserve energy, reduce consumable waste and save water. The recipients are: Caparra Heights Station in San Juan, PR, where a “green team” is building sustainability awareness through no-cost and low-cost actions Erie, […]
USPS will conduct its next Postal Pulse employee survey from Tuesday, May 1-Friday, June 1. The survey measures engagement — employees’ involvement, enthusiasm and commitment to their work. The Postal Service uses the feedback to improve its workplaces. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete. Bargaining employees will receive the survey at their home […]
To help mark Valentine’s Day next week, here’s a look at five couples through the ages who used letters to express their love. 1. Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. The 19th-century poets, whose relationship inspired Barrett’s most famous sonnet (“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”), exchanged more than 500 letters. In […]
Postal Service customer Judi Gosselin still doesn’t know precisely what caused her to collapse recently in the driveway of her Johnstown, NY, home. But she’s certain of one thing: Nicole Hunt, the letter carrier who came to her aid, is a hero. “Oh my gosh, she saved my life!” Gosselin told The Leader-Herald, a local […]
“Dear John” was a great article about singer John Mayer asking fans to mail him typewritten letters. We need more folks talking about paper and envelopes. […]
You hear a lot about Postal Service employees who have banked years’ worth of sick leave during the course of their careers. What does that actually mean — and how could saving sick leave benefit you? Here are some things to keep in mind: • Conserving leave can help you when you’re sick. By saving […]
A group of New Jersey fifth-graders recently demonstrated the power of mail when they wrote letters to correct a racial injustice from 60 years earlier. In 1957, newlyweds Gilbert and Grace Caldwell were turned away from the Mount Airy Resort in Poconos, PA — the place they planned to spend their honeymoon — because they […]
The Postal Service is inviting employees to participate in National Wear Red Day, which is held annually to raise awareness of heart disease. This year’s National Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 2. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 in […]
Link marked African-American History Month last year by looking at notable African-American postal workers from the 19th century. Here’s a look at some 20th-century pioneers. 1. Christopher Scott. In 1961, this 38-year postal veteran from Los Angeles was appointed as deputy to the assistant Postmaster General for transportation, making him the highest-ranking African-American in the […]
It was love of family — not love of country music — that brought Paul Gallegos Sr. to Las Vegas on a fateful day last fall. The Lakewood, CA, letter carrier’s wife and three grown sons convinced him to join them for the Route 91 Harvest Festival, the outdoor concert where a gunman opened fire […]
“‘I’m a new woman!’” was a fantastic story. […]
A new video explains how PS Form 3849 has been updated with a simpler format with additional instructions for letter carriers, retail associates and customers. Postal Service employees are required to leave the redesigned form, now called We ReDeliver for You!, when they are unable to deliver packages and other mailpieces. The 1-minute, 30-second segment shows […]
Sometimes being a city letter carrier is about more than delivering mail and packages. Customer Connect, a joint program between USPS and the National Association of Letter Carriers, encourages carriers to identify sales opportunities for the organization. Here’s what you should know: • Customer Connect leverages relationships. The program encourages carriers to talk to business […]
Letter Carrier Donald Gray recently brought help and hope to two older Postal Service customers while delivering mail in Walton, NY. Gray first heard a tapping noise at a woman’s house and soon spotted her hand touching a front window. He investigated, saw that she was collapsed on the floor, and heard her faintly say […]
I loved the “Unexpected path” profile Stephanie Smith. Most Postal Service employees don’t realize that the Postal Inspection Service has a forensics lab — our very own “CSI” unit. […]
The Postal Service price changes that were approved last fall will take effect Sunday, Jan. 21. The changes will raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.9 percent, while most Shipping Services product prices will increase an average of 3.9 percent. The First-Class Mail single-piece Forever stamp price will increase 1 cent to 50 cents. Here […]
Dick Helling will retire from USPS this month after 42 years and 3,500 hours of banked sick leave — but these aren’t his only achievements. Helling, a custodian at the Waterloo, IA, Processing and Distribution Center, is also a longtime assistant track and field coach who specializes in shot put and discus events. During a […]
The Postal Service is releasing new Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps. Byodo-In Temple, a $6.70 Priority Mail stamp, and Sleeping Bear Dunes, a $24.70 Priority Mail Express stamp, will be issued Jan. 21. The Priority Mail stamp features a colorful illustration of the Byodo-In Temple, a popular tourist attraction in Hawaii. A special […]
The 2018 stamps featured in “Stamps spotlight” are indeed praiseworthy. […]
Letter Carrier Brandon Franklin was quick on his feet — literally — when he recently encountered a traffic emergency while delivering mail in West Bloomfield, MI. Franklin was driving on a busy road when he noticed a car moving erratically. When he attempted to pass the vehicle, he saw that the driver was slumped over […]
Postal Service employees across the nation participated in this year’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the federal workplace charity drive that concludes Jan. 12. Employees volunteered their time to promote the campaign and encourage co-workers to support the 12,000 participating charities. In Greenville, SC, Berea Branch became the first workplace in Greenville County to pledge volunteer hours, a new method […]
The Postal Service released its Year of the Dog stamp Jan. 11. The stamp is the 11th entry in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Lunar New Year, the most important holiday of the year for many Asian communities around the world, is celebrated primarily by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mongolian […]
Hazardous materials. USPS is reminding employees about the proper handling of packages that contain exempt human or animal specimens, including samples transported for routine testing of noninfectious diseases, as well as drug, alcohol, cholesterol and pregnancy testing. Mailpieces marked “Exempt Human Specimens” should be handled appropriately for the mail class and product. No special handling […]
I’m not an advocate of social media, so I try to write to one relative at least once a month. I have actually gotten my family and some friends back into letter writing. They say it feels better getting a handwritten letter in the mail than a [social media] message. […]