Great Lakes Area VP Jacqueline Krage Strako
“It takes all of us working together to be part of the solution for our customers.” […]
Katie Howard
Posts by Katie Howard
Golden discovery
Dean Ball believed his wedding ring was gone for good. Ten years ago, the Abilene, TX, resident lost the $1,400 gold ring — a gift from his wife. “I thought I lost it on a job somewhere,” Ball said. Recently, Ball watched his letter carrier, Hector Piazza, walk across Ball’s front lawn to deliver his […]
Small Business Week
More than 800 Post Offices across the nation will hold events to mark National Small Business Week, which is April 30-May 6. The events will include workshops and other activities where entrepreneurs will learn how USPS can help them grow their businesses. “No business is too small to benefit from USPS products and services,” said […]
What’s in store
Luxury apartment dwellers aren’t that excited about workout rooms, internet cafes and swimming pools anymore. Instead, renters want facilities where they can store and retrieve packages, according to a new study by the University of Houston. These services could prove attractive as more consumers skip malls and department stores to shop online and package deliveries […]
Josue Ramirez, Waipahu, HI
Letter Carrier Josue Ramirez had just driven past a customer while delivering mail recently in Waipahu, HI, when he sensed trouble. The woman was walking her bichon frise, and he noticed two stray pit bulls heading their way. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he saw the pit bulls about to attack. The postal employee stopped, […]
Alabama District Retail Manager Carol Brekle
“Many businesses take advantage of the positive impact direct mail provides. It gets directly into the home and creates a one-to-one connection with the intended customer.” […]
Read More… from Alabama District Retail Manager Carol Brekle
Vanessa Sampson, Aurora, CO
I don’t think Hollywood has the information featured in the “Box populi” story. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything other than blue collection boxes in period movies. […]
Delicioso
USPS has released Delicioso, a booklet of 20 stamps that celebrate the influence of Central American, South American, Mexican and Caribbean foods and flavors on American cuisine. The stamps feature six dishes from an array of Latin American culinary traditions that have found new life and variations in the United States. The dishes are tamales, […]
Blue spruce
Greater Indiana District is sprucing up one of the Postal Service’s most recognizable symbols — its blue collection boxes. Employees recently inspected boxes throughout the district and identified about 500 that need to be restored or replaced. “The seasons are hard on them, leaving faded paint and rust over time,” said Indianapolis Maintenance Operations Manager […]
Stamp Out Hunger
The Postal Service wants managers and employees to begin preparations for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive. In a recent memo, Chief Operating Officer David Williams asked area vice presidents to ensure they have the necessary operational, staffing and transportation plans in place for the annual campaign, which will be held Saturday, May 13. […]
Lansing, MI, Retail Associate Dena Rice
“When a customer walks out the door, they have entrusted me with a valuable item they want delivered to a family member or friend. It’s important to make sure I do my part to make it happen.” […]
Diana Pavero, Orlando, FL
“Little mailman” was a great story. I love the letter that Bloomsburg, PA, City Carrier Assistant Wes Winter wrote to the child reminding him “not to lose his spark.” We should all remember that every day. […]
David Martin, Moorhead, MN
A postal customer in Moorhead, MN, recently became trapped in his garage while working on his car. Letter Carrier David Martin was the first person to respond to the man’s cries for help. He discovered that the customer had gotten entangled in an electrical cord, fallen and knocked over a large board that had pinned […]
Pacific pride
Pacific Area VP Dean Granholm will retire May 3 after more than 35 years of federal service. Granholm was appointed Pacific Area’s vice president in 2012. Under his leadership, the area optimized delivery performance, improved customer service and introduced online tools to manage delivery units and retail facilities. “Dean has been a transformative leader,” PMG […]
Answers, please
The Postal Service offers several resources to help employees answer consumers’ questions about Informed Delivery. Informed Delivery is an optional, free feature that provides residential consumers with digital previews of their incoming mail. What should you do if you receive questions about Informed Delivery? • If you encounter a consumer who is not signed up […]
Bite sites
A total of 6,755 Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs in 2016, according to statistics USPS recently released to kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Here are the top 10 city rankings, including the number of attacks recorded there during the year. 1. Los Angeles (80) 2. Houston (62) 3. Cleveland (60) 4. […]
Roger Vaad, Omaha, NE
An accident with a circular saw recently left an Omaha, NE, postal customer in dire need of help after he cut off two fingers. “He was alone, couldn’t talk straight, was very disoriented — I think he was going into shock,” said Rural Carrier Roger Vaad, who was delivering mail when the man came running […]
Weston, FL, Retail Associate Bob Marx
“We are here to assist our customers. With mPOS, I can do just that.” […]
Charles Bahleda, Lehigh Valley, PA
Wilmington, OH, Letter Carrier Martin Mitchener did an outstanding job helping the lost 2-year-old. I almost cheered out loud reading the story. […]
Fresh start
Two Post Office murals are side by side again and looking better than ever after almost 40 years apart. The Depression-era murals, “Great Indian Council of 1833” and “Advent of the Pioneer, 1851,” greeted customers inside a Chicago Post Office before it closed in the 1970s. The murals were then placed in storage until “Great […]
‘The Wailing Mailman’
The recent death of a retired letter carrier and renowned jazz musician in the Washington, DC, area is sparking loving tributes from his admirers. Roger “Buck” Hill died last month at age 90. He was a musician for six decades and also had a 40-year postal career that inspired a memorable moniker: “The Wailing Mailman.” […]
First-class fellowship
Baltimore District Manager Angela Curtis will represent the Postal Service in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan Fellows Program. The 12-month program provides executives across the world with training and professional development. Curtis will join the program in June and receive a master’s degree in management studies upon completion. Curtis, who began her USPS career […]
Cynthia Perkins, Salamanca, NY
City Carrier Assistant Cynthia Perkins was delivering mail recently in Salamanca, NY, when she spotted a 2-year-old boy running toward a busy road. When she stopped the barefoot, topless child and asked him where he lived, he would only repeat what she said. Perkins went to several nearby houses in search of a parent or […]
Merrifield, VA, Postal Inspector Julie Hanlon
“The best way for our customers to protect themselves [from scams] is to learn how to identify and prevent fraudulent schemes such as reshipping scams, fraud on the internet and work-at-home schemes.” […]
Read More… from Merrifield, VA, Postal Inspector Julie Hanlon
Charlene Sirois, Grand Isle, ME
I have worked for the Postal Service for a year, although I’ve always been an avid stamp collector. I love reading about the people the Postal Service chooses to honor. […]
Hoops heroes
If you ask one Robersonville, NC, child to explain why the mail is important, he might say letters make wishes come true. A young basketball fan named Macah recently handed Letter Carrier Donald Keel a letter written to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. In the letter, the boy asked Curry to send him a […]
Better returns
The Postal Service is improving the way Return Receipts are handled. Currently, barcoded Return Receipts are mixed in delivery point sequence trays when they arrive at delivery units. This means required “delivered” scans for completed Return Receipts are not always performed when the receipt is being delivered back to the senders. This process will be […]
Star customer
Actress Amy Sedaris loves her neighborhood Post Office. In a new essay in the Village Voice, Sedaris, who is best known for her starring role on Comedy Central’s “Strangers with Candy,” writes about her favorite spots in her New York City neighborhood. “The [West Village] Post Office, I’d have to say that’s a place I […]
Need to know
Artis Award announced. Karen Mazurkiewicz, an Eastern Area communications program specialist, recently received the Postal Service’s first Earl C. Artis Jr. Award. The award is given to a Corporate Communications employee who demonstrates excellence in his or her work. Mazurkiewicz serves Western New York and Central Pennsylvania districts. She was honored for her contributions during […]
Tag team
From the beginning, LEE DataMail has sought new ways to use the mail. The Dallas-based marketing firm pioneered the concept of mailing tickets and itineraries to customers of Southwest Airlines, an early client. “One of the things about the mailing industry is the innovation and what people think of to do,” says Ruthie Ewers, who […]