Kimberly Freeborough, VA
I loved “Celebrating Mr. Rogers,” the article about Theodore Rogers, the Chicago mail handler equipment operator who recently marked 65 years of federal service. He’s a shining example of the beauty of tenure. […]
Shawn Selby
Posts by Shawn Selby
Meeting challenges
The Postal Service kept the mail moving during the summer, despite weather-related challenges across the nation. The organization responded to wildfires in the west as well as Hurricane Dorian, which left a wide path of destruction in parts of the Bahamas before proceeding along the Southeastern U.S. coast. After temporarily suspending service in areas affected […]
Read all about it
Postal Service employees made headlines for all the right reasons in 2019. Ronald Murphy Jr., a Tacoma, WA, letter carrier, was dubbed the “Good Guy Mailman” after a viral video showed him going out of his way to keep a package safe for a customer. “I took an oath and I’m going to do my […]
Taking care of business
Postal Service employees aren’t the only people who made news in 2019. Customers captured headlines, too. Nikki Howard and Jaqi Wright, two Maryland sisters who started a cheesecake business after they were furloughed from their federal government jobs, relied on Priority Mail to serve their customers. “The Postal Service is invested in us and wants […]
Work in progress
Employees from every corner of the Postal Service make valuable contributions to the organization, as Link’s “On the Job” column demonstrated again this year. Several employees discussed the value of good customer service, including Linda Anderson, a Merrifield, VA, mail handler who said she knows members of the public rely on her, even if they […]
Augustine Ruiz Jr., San Jose, CA
“‘I love it,’” the article about Cross River, NY, Postmaster Clarence “Thomas” Carson’s journey from homelessness and drug addiction, was very touching. It truly gives you a sense of hope and love during this holiday season. […]
Courageous countdown: No. 4
Link is looking back at the year in “Heroes’ Corner” with a countdown of the five most-viewed articles. Coming in at No. 4 is “Life line,” the story of Heather Adams. The Portland, ME, financial programs compliance manager responded to a kidney donation plea in her community without knowing that the 31-year-old woman in desperate […]
Once more, with feeling
Link is reviewing this year’s most memorable stories during the final days of December. Here are 10 more favorites. 1. “In his shoes.” In April, a group of New Jersey postal workers honored a late colleague by hosting his 14-year-old daughter, Elaina Ficarra, on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day — another touching […]
The bottom line
“About the Business,” a Link column that began in the fall, aims to educate employees on the business of USPS. Here are some of the most interesting facts that have been covered so far: • USPS receives more than 40,000 stamp suggestions from the public annually. These ideas are submitted to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory […]
Ties that bind
Postal Service employees worked throughout 2019 to strengthen the organization’s community ties. The Minneapolis Main Post Office gave tours to thousands of customers through a citywide initiative that gives the public behind-the-scenes access to unique venues, while the Davis, IL, Post Office — which serves ZIP Code 61019 — held a “date meets ZIP” event […]
Safety first
The Postal Service began 2019 by continuing to deliver for its customers, despite extreme winter weather in much of the nation. In her first “Business Focus” video of the year, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan thanked employees for their efforts and reminded them to stay safe throughout the winter. “Please remember to wear proper footwear, […]
Tag team
Acting Customer Services Supervisor Jintal Patel and Letter Carrier Tonya Rutledge were on duty recently at the Canton, MI, Post Office when a colleague experienced symptoms of a heart attack. Rutledge immediately called 911, then she and Patel rendered first aid to their co-worker. Paramedics soon arrived to provide further assistance. The ill employee recovered […]
Leanne Payeur, Portland, ME
For the past 20 years, I have given my family members stamp sheets for Christmas, as suggested in the article “Stocking stuffers.” My family stays connected through cards and letters year-round. Stamps are gifts that keep giving, long after Christmas has come and gone. […]
Play by play
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 blank: Holiday greeting cards represented about (blank) of all U.S. household personal correspondence in 2018. a) 3.8 percent b) 8.3 percent c) 34 percent d) 43 […]
Board update
Board update. President Trump has announced his intention to nominate William Zollars, a Kansas resident, to be a member of the USPS Board of Governors. The nomination will be for the remainder of a seven-year term expiring Dec. 8, 2022. The U.S. Senate must confirm nominees before they join the board. The governors are the […]
Give and Make
Some wishes come true. Just ask Donna Stires. The Bellmawr, NJ, labor relations secretary was devastated in 1986 when she learned that her 3-year-old daughter, Jennifer, had leukemia. Hospital staffers put Stires in touch with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity that fulfills wishes for children with critical illnesses. The foundation is one of more than […]
Camera ready
Several Postal Service employees are getting 15 minutes of fame this holiday season, thanks to the organization’s latest advertising campaign. Every year, real-life postal workers audition to appear in the campaign, which includes television, online and print ads, as well as direct mailings. “I was grateful for this opportunity,” said Raymond Edison, a Clayton, MO, […]
Mealtime mishap
Letter Carrier Terry Helsel was recently delivering mail in a Youngstown, OH, neighborhood when he exchanged pleasantries with a customer who was having lunch at home. Suddenly, the woman started choking on a piece of food. Helsel rushed to her aid and performed the Heimlich maneuver until the obstruction was dislodged. The customer recovered from […]
Maria Columbus, San Francisco
Congratulations to Mail Handler Equipment Operator Theodore Rogers on celebrating 65 years of federal service. I agree with his “everything is your job” philosophy. It should be one of our mantras. […]
First Christmas
To help you get in the holiday spirit, here are five facts about the first U.S. Christmas stamp, issued in 1962. 1. The 4-cent stamp was issued in panes of 100. The image by Jim Crawford, a postal artist, depicted two lit candles near a green holiday wreath tied with a red bow. 2. The […]
It’s so easy
The week before Christmas is the busiest week of the year for USPS employees, but not all the hustle and bustle occurs at Post Offices, mailboxes and customers’ doorsteps. Things get busy online, too. Millions of customers come to usps.com in mid-December for their holiday shipping needs, including using Click-N-Ship and other features to order […]
Tugging at the heart
A new video sheds additional light on the Oregon Humane Society’s use of Informed Delivery to drive a recent fundraising campaign. The nonprofit organization, also known as OHS, rescues and supports more than 11,000 pets each year, relying solely on donations. During the campaign, OHS sent potential donors a direct mailing that highlighted Petunia, a […]
Don’t skim this
The Postal Service wants employees to keep an eye out for skimmers — small, hard-to-detect devices that fraudsters place over credit card readers to steal information. USPS recently discovered a skimmer attached to a payment device at a retail site in Great Lakes Area’s Gateway District. The skimmer was placed on top of the PIN […]
Sharon Hewitt, North Little Rock, AR
Office of Inspector General Special Agent Georg Brendel’s job, highlighted in the “Last Frontier” article, sounds amazing. It must be full of adventure. […]
Stepping up
Rural Carrier Associate Elizabeth Ridge was recently delivering mail in Harrison, MI, when she spotted a customer collapsed in his driveway. Ridge rushed to check on the man, who was neither conscious nor breathing. The Postal Service employee immediately called 911 and performed CPR on the customer until paramedics arrived and took over. The man, […]
Mail tale
The new play “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is a typical boy-meets-girl story. As long as your idea of typical is a West Coast-based Army doctor in 1942 introducing himself via letter to an aspiring actress in New York City. The two become pen pals who eventually fall in love, and their correspondence endures for three […]
Priority: New
The Postal Service has announced plans to release new Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps in 2020. Big Bend, a $7.75 Priority Mail stamp, and Grand Island Ice Caves, a $26.35 Priority Mail Express stamp, will be issued Jan. 18. The Priority Mail stamp celebrates the beauty of the Big Bend region in West Texas, where […]
Season of opportunities
Sales opportunities never take a holiday — and neither does the need to generate new revenue for the Postal Service. This is why the organization is encouraging employees to keep an eye out for sales leads during the holiday season. If you see a retailer who’s using another shipper — or if you encounter a […]
Winning campaign
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. How much money does the Postal Service want to raise during the latest Combined Federal Campaign? a) $1.75 million b) $17.5 million c) $8.3 million d) $83 million 2. […]
Where there’s smoke
City Carrier Assistant William Blish II was recently delivering mail in a Rochester, NY, neighborhood when he heard a smoke detector going off inside a customer’s home. As Blish called 911, he spotted smoke billowing up from the second floor. He rushed to the front door and pounded on it, waking up an occupant who […]