Theresa Singer, Middleburg, VA
Howard Rogers, the retiring retail associate profiled in “Step by step,” is an inspirational American. Job well done, sir. […]
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Posts by tom_simpson
Darryl Plowman, Duncansville, PA
Rural Carrier Darryl Plowman was delivering mail recently in Duncansville, PA, when he noticed a car blocking a mailbox he needed to access. As he pulled over to investigate, Plowman realized that the vehicle in question was running, and he soon saw that the driver was slumped over. Finding the woman unresponsive when he knocked […]
Mr. Eclipse
Few people are better prepared than Fred Espenak to observe this month’s total solar eclipse. Espenak, who snapped the image that appears on the Postal Service’s new Total Eclipse of the Sun stamp, is a world-renowned eclipse expert. The retired NASA astrophysicist has witnessed 20 total solar eclipses across the world and even wrote a […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.79 percent during the week ending July 28, down from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.19 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.25 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail. It also helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Protecting pollinators
Protect Pollinators, five stamps that pay tribute to monarch butterflies and western honeybees, will be released by USPS Aug. 3. The stamps depict the insects pollinating a variety of North American plants, including the coneflower, golden ragwort, zinnia, New England aster and goldenrod. Monarch butterflies and western honeybees are two species that help grow many […]
Earlimart, CA, Postmaster Alex Grijalva
“I encourage my employees to be themselves and to treat our customers with dignity and respect. I truly believe it shows.” […]
Stacy Chamberlain, Gays Mills, WI
Rural Carrier Stacy Chamberlain was delivering mail recently in Gays Mills, WI, when he spotted an older customer who’d fallen down an embankment near her home. He pulled over and rushed to help the woman. He was joined by her son, who came running from the family’s barn when he saw Chamberlain. The woman told […]
Aileen Kirts, Potomac, IL
“Best practices” reminds me that the best part of my day is when a new customer thanks me for my help or when a regular customer comments on my “happy to help you” attitude. […]
Sharks!
The Postal Service has released Sharks, a pane of 20 stamps that feature realistic illustrations of five species that inhabit American waters. The stamps feature mako, thresher, great white, hammerhead and whale sharks. Studies show that the regional elimination of sharks results in the loss of fish and other species down the food chain — […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.86 percent during the week ending July 21, up from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.21 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.2 percent) led the areas. To see the latest results, go to the Enterprise Analytics site and select “Scanning” on the left hand side, and then “DES […]
Rapid response
When Chicago’s summer heat is on but the air conditioning at a local USPS facility goes off, the call goes out to a unique group of employees. The crew, known as the Outside Facility Building Equipment Mechanics squad, responds to a host of emergencies — including malfunctioning air conditioners, broken carts and burst drain pipes. […]
Baltimore Acting District Manager Dane Coleman
“When you’re having safety talks with your employees, the key message is about them going home safely to their families — to the people who love them. There is just no room for failure in getting out the safety message.” […]
Read More… from Baltimore Acting District Manager Dane Coleman
Charles Bahleda, Lehigh Valley, PA
Hats off to Rural Carrier Judith Gagnon, who recently came to the aid of an older customer in Newmarket, NH. I’m so proud of how our employees look out for our customers. […]
Kristopher Golembiewski, Burton, MI
Retail Associate Kristopher Golembiewski was helping customers recently at the Burton, MI, Post Office when he noticed someone in line who seemed unwell. At the counter, the woman’s speech was slurred, she dropped several items and she seemed forgetful, so Golembiewski asked her repeatedly if she was OK before she left. The following day, the […]
Before the box
Informed Delivery is proving popular with residential consumers, including some who know a thing or two about the mail: Postal Service employees. The new feature, which USPS rolled out nationwide in April, provides residential consumers with digital previews of their incoming mail. Postal employees are among Informed Delivery’s most enthusiastic fans. “Seeing the mail that’s […]
Solar system
The Postal Service has completed the installation of a state-of-the-art solar power generation system at the Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center. The 13-megawatt direct current system, comprised of approximately 35,000 solar panels that cover 23 acres, makes the facility the largest installation generating electricity through solar energy in Los Angeles. By itself, the system […]
Ink & Paint
The Postal Service’s new Disney Villains stamps honor the Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department, the famed group that helped create some of the most beloved characters in cinematic history. The stamps feature 10 characters, including the Evil Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and Captain Hook from “Peter Pan.” One of […]
Green Bay, WI, Plant Manager Jeff Grendziak
“If we can prevent one person from getting injured, then we’ve all had a great day.” […]
Jack Landrum, Winfield, KS
When an older Postal Service customer in Winfield, KS, recently showed signs of rapidly declining health, Letter Carrier Jack Landrum wanted to be sure she had access to any assistance she needed. When Landrum checked on the woman after he noticed her mail piling up, she was able to answer her apartment door. Several days […]
Richard Kwiatkowski, Santa Clarita, CA
I have much respect for David Hampton and all those who are properly disposing of worn U.S. flags. […]
Works of art
Art lovers gathered in Chadds Ford, PA, July 12 to dedicate stamps honoring Andrew Wyeth on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Wyeth (1917-2009), one of the most prominent American artists of the 20th century, is widely known for his use of symbolism to depict the people and places he personally knew. Chadds Ford, Wyeth’s […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.83 percent during the week ending July 7, up from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.17 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.26 percent) led the areas. To see the latest results, go to the Enterprise Analytics site and select “Scanning” on the left hand side, and then “DES […]
New features
The Postal Service recently redesigned Post Office Boxes Online (POBOL), a usps.com application. The application allows customers to request payment reminders via email, view the status of their POBOL accounts online, set up automatic payments, and view their online payment histories. Here’s what’s new: • Customers can now close their PO Boxes online. • If a […]
Hole in one
Highlights from the Postal Service’s recent Have a Ball! stamps dedication are featured in a new video. The 35-second spot features remarks from Sales and Customer Relations Sr. VP Cliff Rucker, who dedicated the stamps at the U.S. Open Championship in Hartford, WI. “Sports provide a foundation of enjoyment, character-building, sportsmanship and collaboration,” Rucker says. […]
Reading to write
The Library of Congress is using the mail to help young people learn more about literature. The library’s annual Letters About Literature contest asks students in grades 4-12 to write to an author — living or dead — about how his or her work affected the reader’s life. More than 43,700 readers across the nation […]
Tammie Halverson, Viroqua, WI; Saifoloi Faaituala, Honolulu; Joseph Sanchez, Anaheim, CA
Postal Service employees in Wisconsin, Hawaii and California recently took decisive action in emergencies. Letter Carrier Tammie Halverson was delivering mail in Viroqua, WI, when she saw a man fall to the sidewalk from a second-floor apartment. She rushed back to her vehicle to retrieve her phone and call 911, then returned to the scene […]
Shasta, CA, Officer in Charge Kao Saelee
“It’s important to look for new leads every day because if we don’t find them, our competitors will.” […]
Luella Gilmore, Columbia, SC
I’ve purchased three sheets of the Have A Ball! stamps spotlighted in the “Feeling good” story. The team that developed these stamps definitely hit one out of the park. […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.82 percent during the week ending June 23, unchanged from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.22 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.26 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail. It also helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Degree of success
Peter Bedrosian has handed many important mailpieces to his customers during his 38-year Postal Service career, but one recent delivery stands out. The Whitinsville, MA, letter carrier presented Nick Johnson, a recent high school graduate, with his diploma. Bedrosian has delivered mail to Johnson’s neighborhood for 25 years. He has watched the young man grow […]