Michelle Vea, Oxnard, CA
Thank you for the helpful “Here’s the skinny” article that explained the flat-sized mailpiece rules. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
Rhonda Channell, Valley Head, WV
Retail Associate Rhonda Channell was on duty recently at the Valley Head, WV, Post Office when customer Jessy Darden called with an urgent request. Darden’s elderly mother, who lived in an isolated mountaintop residence, was having a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting and the pair were en route to a nearby fire station […]
Day’s work
James Day is a soldier on a mission. Day is the clerk in charge of the mailroom at Camp Arifjan — an installation in Kuwait that the Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard use to provide ground support for armored vehicles and helicopters. Day, who often works with limited support, is responsible for distributing […]
‘Job’ seeking
Link is seeking employees to showcase in “On the job,” a regular column that profiles individual Postal Service workers and their contributions to the organization. More than 20 employees have been featured since the series began in April, including a San Diego automotive mechanic; a Pittsburgh master facilitator; a Riverdale, MD, retail associate; a St. […]
Election central
USPS wants employees to know about the online resources available to help them accept, process and deliver ballots and political mailpieces during this year’s elections. The Election and Political Mail 2018 Blue page has an interactive map that allows employees to find the names and contact information for each state’s election and political mail coordinators. Lists of the election and […]
In the mail
Reminder: The USPS Affiliates Program helps business customers create Every Door Direct Mail campaigns. Through the program, service providers help small businesses with a variety of direct mailing needs, including design, printing, list services, mail preparation, online payment and measurement. USPS recently launched a campaign to educate business customers about the program and show them […]
Kevin Berard, Warwick, RI
Letter Carrier Kevin Berard was recently making deliveries in Warwick, RI, when he grew concerned about a customer whose mail was piling up. Berard alerted a neighbor, who arranged for a wellness check. The customer was discovered unconscious and was taken to a hospital for treatment of a stroke. Emergency responders praised the letter carrier […]
Eleanor Baker, Potomac, MD
I always learn something new from reading Link’s “On the job” feature. The recent profiles of Duluth, GA, Custodian Michael Preston and Acting Organizational Development Analyst Mark Wahl were particularly interesting. […]
To their health
To help employees make smart choices about their health plans and lifestyles, the Hickory, NC, Post Office recently held its first health and wellness fair. Employees learned about fitness, nutrition, stress management and more. Medical professionals offered free screenings, while local police officers and firefighters provided safety tips. Additionally, postal representatives were on hand to […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.78 percent during the week ending Sept. 28, unchanged from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.16 percent) topped the districts, while Western (97.99 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Pedal to the metal
The Postal Service dedicated its Hot Wheels stamps Sept. 29 at an automotive race in Fort Worth, TX. The stamps celebrate the pocket-sized, die-cast metal racing cars that Mattel Inc. introduced 50 years ago. “Right from the start, Hot Wheels were a thrilling experience. There wasn’t anything really like them on the market. Sure, there […]
Engineering systems
Scott Bombaugh has been named the Postal Service’s acting vice president of engineering systems, effective Sept. 30. He will oversee engineering efforts focused on USPS automation systems and direct engineering and acquisition support functions. Previously, Bombaugh served as technology applications and development director. He joined the Postal Service as a mechanical engineer in 1988 and […]
Yazdel Molina, San Juan, PR
I enjoyed watching the videos from “The Art of Magic,” “Dragons” and “United States Air Mail” stamp dedication ceremonies. USPS is doing exceptional work. […]
Richard Hoyt, Hudson, FL
Letter Carrier Richard Hoyt was recently delivering mail in Hudson, FL, when he noticed a disabled customer in distress. The woman, who relies on a motorized scooter, had just spilled chlorine on her leg and foot while maintaining her swimming pool. Hoyt rushed to the customer’s aid — grabbing a garden hose and washing off […]
Active measures
USPS now has a better way to measure its service performance. Internal Service Performance Measurement (SPM) became the organization’s official reporting and recording system Oct. 1. It replaces External First-Class (EXFC), which was retired Sept. 30. Here’s what you should know: • Internal SPM will help USPS improve service. The system offers a more accurate […]
All the right places
Mariam Bluiett wants to help USPS grow. This is why the Greater Indiana District business development specialist encourages employees to participate in the organization’s sales lead generation programs. “Sales leads help business development specialists to find revenue in all the right places, which boosts the bottom line of USPS,” Bluiett says. USPS offers several lead […]
Shared responsibility
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October, allows Postal Service employees to brush up on their skills and learn how to protect USPS networks against potential cyberthreats. This year’s theme is “Cybersecurity is Our Shared Responsibility and We All Must Work Together to Improve our Nation’s Cybersecurity.” Here are some tips from the CyberSafe at […]
Tag along
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 […]
Beverly Bohannon, Hackettstown, NJ
Letter Carrier Beverly Bohannon was recently delivering mail in Hackettstown, NJ, when she encountered a 5-year-old girl crying outside her residence. The child said she’d been asleep at home with her mother, and she’d woken up to find that she was alone. Bohannon comforted the girl and rang the doorbell — getting no answer — […]
Mary Betts, Washington, DC
Come on, now! Willie Clemmons, the 91-year old Los Angeles mail handler who recently celebrated 68 years as a postal employee, is wonderful. If I could look as good as he does when I reach his age — shoot, I’d keep working for the Postal Service, too. […]
Firsthand knowledge
Yvette Hixon has experienced the wonders of Informed Delivery firsthand. Hixon, Southern Area’s Dallas-based master black belt trainer, recently spent several weeks on pins and needles waiting to hear from her son Brandon, an Air Force enlistee who was away at basic training. She was overjoyed when she checked her Informed Delivery email and saw […]
Writing on the wall
John Kennerk knows that words matter. This is why the Fort Wayne, IN, Processing and Distribution Center maintenance supervisor has placed motivational messages on the walls of his workplace. “The employees tell me they like them, and it also encourages them to walk further down the hallway, get engaged and start talking to the people […]
More time
The deadline to complete two CyberSafe at USPS training courses has been extended to Sunday, Oct. 7. USPS granted the extension to accommodate employees who were affected by Hurricane Florence and those helping with the recovery efforts. Every employee with an ACE ID must complete the following courses by the new deadline: • CyberSafe Fundamentals […]
Weathering storms
The Postal Employees’ Relief Fund (PERF) and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) are available to aid USPS workers affected by Hurricane Florence and other emergencies. PERF helps postal employees and retirees whose homes were significantly damaged by natural disasters or house fires. PERF isn’t an emergency relief organization like the American Red Cross or insurance companies […]
Dyrol Washington, Warminster, PA
Letter Carrier Dyrol Washington was delivering mail on a spring day in a Warminster, PA, neighborhood when he spotted a woman who appeared to be unconscious in a parked car. As Washington got closer, he noticed that only one window was slightly cracked open — then he saw a toddler in the back seat. The […]
Lindsay Peach, Ashland, KY
One of my favorite recent Link articles was “Road to redemption,” the story of how Cross River, NY, Postmaster Clarence Carson overcame many obstacles, including homelessness. […]
Board leadership
Robert M. Duncan and David C. Williams have been elected chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the USPS Board of Governors. The elections occurred Sept. 13 during an open meeting of the board’s temporary emergency committee (TEC). Also, Williams was appointed chairman, and Duncan, vice chairman, of the TEC. Both Duncan and Williams were recently […]
Always improving
Tony Aldridge is always looking to improve. Aldridge, a mail handler at the Detroit Processing and Distribution Center, recently participated in USPS yellow belt training after noticing room for improvement in the way mail moves through the workroom floor. Detroit District offers this training to all employees, part of the Postal Service’s broader effort to […]
Band of sisters
Yvonne Yoerger once imagined herself playing in the U.S. Air Force Band. Last month, she got pretty close. Yoerger, a USPS Corporate Communications manager and trombone player, took the stage with the surviving original members of the Women’s Air Force (WAF) Band at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. […]
Supply and demand
The Postal Service has implemented an initiative to improve collaboration with key suppliers and internal business partners. The Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program emphasizes joint communication among participants, reduced risks to the supply chain, and high levels of supplier performance, innovation and value. In fiscal 2017, USPS spent more than $12.3 billion for transportation, supplies, […]