Nancy Gervasio, Craigsville, VA
“Letters to Barbara,” the article about first lady Barbara Bush’s fondness for mail, was great. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
Shannon Santos, Charlotte, NC
Charlotte, NC, Rural Carrier Shannon Santos was recently delivering a package to a customer’s home when she smelled smoke. Santos got no response when she banged on the front door and windows. She soon spotted the customer inside, apparently sound asleep on a sofa. Santos called 911, and smoke billowed from the residence when emergency […]
Peace offering
Peace Rose, a stamp that celebrates one of the world’s most popular flowers, was released April 21. The stamp features a detail from a photograph of a peace rose’s blossom. The flower’s creamy yellow petals are pink at the edges. “Dating back to the earliest times, flowers have been used to mark the happiest and […]
Now boarding
April Burger has been helping customers see the world for 30 years. The Jefferson City, MO, retail associate specializes in serving passport customers. In January, the State Department named her its Passport Acceptance Agent of the Year — choosing her unanimously from 45,000 contenders across the nation. During late winter and early spring — peak season […]
Help is here
The Postal Service wants employees to know about its online resources to help them process and deliver ballots and Political Mail during this year’s elections. The Election and Political Mail 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 […]
Tammra Billings, Whitewater, WI
Rural Carrier Tammra Billings was recently delivering mail on a snowy day in Whitewater, WI, when she spotted an older customer waiting to cross a road. Billings and the customer exchanged smiles and waves, but as she prepared to pull away from a mailbox, she looked back and saw that the woman had fallen. The […]
Karin Nolf, West Palm Beach, FL
“Return to sender,” the story about the bride-to-be who received a nice surprise after mistakenly mailing a wedding invitation to the wrong address, was so sweet. I had to control my tears. […]
Taxing time
The Postal Service helped last-minute tax filers mail their returns this week, including some customers who received an extra day after the IRS extended the deadline due to a technical glitch. USPS canceled an estimated 50.7 million pieces of First-Class Mail April 17, down almost 50 percent from Tax Day 2008, when 100.6 million pieces […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.84 percent during the week ending April 13, unchanged from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.25 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.22 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail. It also helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Priority seating
The Freedom, ME, restaurant that recently switched to a mail-only reservation system has been flooded with seating requests. The Lost Kitchen has received more than 10,000 notecards from hopeful diners since April 1, when the restaurant began accepting reservation requests through the mail. Owner Erin French switched to the mail-only system after receiving thousands of […]
In the mail
USPS is mailing information about Informed Delivery to employees, part of the organization’s drive to encourage postal workers to sign up for the free feature. If you receive mailed paycheck stubs from the Postal Service, you’ll see an Informed Delivery “stuffer” in the envelope that contains your April 20 statement. The stuffer will provide an […]
Anthony Buzzitta, St. Louis
The “Ready for retirement?” article was interesting. This is my third year saving with the Thrift Savings Plan, and I’ve made a commitment to max it out. My advice to co-workers is to save now and don’t waste another day. […]
Michael Farnworth, Salmon, ID
It was peak season — just days before Christmas last year — when Salmon, ID, Postmaster Michael Farnworth heard from a grieving customer with a heartbreaking request. The woman, whose newborn daughter had died at only 8 days old, was worried that the burial dress she’d ordered online from a retailer across the country wouldn’t […]
Cursive connection
It started as a cursive writing lesson in one Dallas third-grade class, but it’s become a life lesson. When Karen Gunter, a teacher at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, showed images of the U.S. Constitution to her third-graders last fall, she realized they didn’t know how to read cursive writing. A parent suggested Gunter contact Presbyterian […]
Bites to remember
Postal Service employees who’ve been attacked by dogs are stepping into the spotlight this week to share their stories — and in some cases, their scars. Dearborn, MI, Letter Carrier Tameka Toliver recalls being pinned on a porch by a dog that bit her above her knee. “It happened so fast, even with all my […]
Need to know
Travel notice. If you have a USPS travel card, you won’t be permitted to send per diem reimbursement payments to your card, effective April 13. In the eTravel system, you’ll be required to select “Other” as the payment type for per diem reimbursements. This means payments for these expenses will be sent directly to you […]
Eric Hirsch, Salem, IL
Salem, IL, Letter Carrier Eric Hirsch was recently delivering mail in an isolated area when he discovered a younger man collapsed on a sidewalk. Hirsch checked on the man and found him to be unconscious, so he immediately called 911 and stayed on the scene until emergency responders arrived. Paramedics determined that the man was […]
Doreen Hayden Ryan, Somerville, MA
The new retail training described in “Role with it” is needed. It sounds like a great program. […]
Redeeming value
The coupon comeback is continuing. Forty-eight percent of consumers say they prefer to receive coupons in the mail, up from 44 percent a year ago and 40 percent in 2016, according to a new study by Valassis Communications Inc., a direct mail marketing firm. Coupon usage is up, too: Ninety-one percent of consumers say they […]
Game on
Jill Jessen believes in teamwork. The manager of the Aurora, IL, Vehicle Maintenance Facility oversees about 23 employees who work two different schedules: Some are on tour 2, an early shift, while others work tour 3, a late-day shift. “I want everyone to feel like they’re on a team, not separated into just being on […]
Missing out?
The Postal Service doesn’t have a current mailing address for about 7,000 employees. Are you one of them? If so, you’re missing important communications from USPS, including paycheck stubs, information about tax changes, salary and benefits updates, and more. Five methods are available to update your address: • LiteBlue. Use any computer to go to […]
Direct appeal
“Political Mail: Cutting Through the Noise,” a new video from the Postal Service, shows how campaigns can use direct mail to reach voters. The 1-minute, 15-second animated segment notes that 73 percent of Americans would rather receive political information by mail instead of email, phone calls or other options. “Political mail is a targeted, tangible […]
Roberta Conrad, Denver
The information shared through Link is very informative. […]
Garrett Smola, Springfield, MA
Letter Carrier Garrett Smola was picking up a package recently in Springfield, MA, when he heard yelling nearby. Smola looked around and spotted a younger man beating an older man and demanding his wallet. The Postal Service employee safely intervened, ordering the assailant to stop, at which point he fled the scene. Smola called 911 […]
Golden guys
Between the two of them, USPS colleagues Andrew Horne and Robert Capelli have logged more than a century of service. Both men work at the Merrifield, VA, Processing and Distribution Center. Horne, a culling group leader, recently marked the 50th year of his postal career, while Capelli, a maintenance support clerk, has been on the […]
In a flash
The Postal Service is helping customers apply for passports before a U.S. State Department fee increase takes effect next week. Beginning Monday, April 2, the passport acceptance fee will rise from $25 to $35. Post Offices are holding passport fairs and offering extended hours to help customers submit applications and beat the increase. “Our expanded […]
Need to know
What a day. Prosper, TX, Postmaster Jim Spradley, who recently had an elementary school named after him, has a new honor: His own day. Prosper officials recently proclaimed March 13 Jim Spradley Day to recognize the Postmaster, who has served in the role for 40 years. In addition to his postal duties, Spradley serves on […]
Landon Allen, Strawberry Plains, TN
While Strawberry Plains, TN, Rural Carrier Associate Landon Allen was recently delivering a package to an older customer, he heard unusual noises coming from inside the woman’s house. Allen investigated and discovered that the customer had fallen, suffering a broken hip. The Postal Service employee called 911 and comforted the woman until emergency responders arrived. […]
Patricia Federico, Abington, MA
I love reading the stories like “Perfect matches,” the article about Post Offices that celebrate when the date aligns with a local ZIP Code. It’s fun to learn something new each day. […]
Keeping up appearances
John Magliaro likes to look good. For 50 years, the Worcester, MA, letter carrier has shined his shoes, put on a tie and delivered the mail. He believes that as a face of the Postal Service in his community, he should always look his best. “I take pride in my uniform,” Magliaro says. When he […]