Friday, September 25, 2026
These stamps pay homage to a pioneering photographer
The release showcases five of Linda McCartney’s images
The Postal Service will dedicate its Linda McCartney stamps on Friday, Sept. 25, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Born Linda Eastman in Scarsdale, NY, in 1941, she rose to prominence in 1966 after photographing the Rolling Stones while working as an editorial receptionist at Town and Country magazine.
She became known as a chronicler of 1960s music culture. A 1968 portrait of Eric Clapton made her the first female photographer to have her work appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
She met future husband — Paul McCartney, bass guitarist for British rock band the Beatles — while on assignment in London in 1967.
Linda McCartney later became a musician in the pop-rock band Wings, a cookbook author and animal rights activist.
McCartney died in 1998 at age 56.
Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using five of McCartney’s photographs. The selvage — the area surrounding the stamps — features a black-and-white image of McCartney behind the camera.
The stamps will be sold in sheets of 20 and will be available at Post Offices and on usps.com.
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USPS drivers show off their skill in a ‘Roadeo’
A driving maneuver challenge was part of logistics symposium in Oklahoma
Eight truck drivers for USPS recently competed at the Postal Service “Roadeo,” a competition to honor the best behind the wheel of the organization’s tractor-trailers and large trucks.
The contest was part of the organization’s annual logistics symposium held Sept. 14-16 at the USPS National Center for Employee Development in Norman, OK.
The drivers competed locally for a chance to represent their region on a closed obstacle course designed to test their ability to perform tight maneuvers.
The winners were Frank Louis III, a motor vehicle operator in Fredericksburg, VA, and Jeffrey McLeroy Sr., a tractor-trailer operator in Atlanta.
The symposium also honored 48 USPS drivers with the National Safety Council Million Mile Award, which honors professional drivers who have reached 1 million miles without a preventable incident.
Symposium attendees also got to tour the Norman facility’s new center for excellence, or COE, for driver training, which is scheduled to open later this year.
“By having the COE available, the Postal Service will make it easier for interested drivers to receive more than standard driver training but also prepare them for a career with the Postal Service,” said Pete Routsolias, the Postal Service’s chief logistics officer.
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People
Central Area communications specialist passes
An employee is remembered and a baker gets a shot at stamp stardom
Strategic Communications Specialist Tim Norman of Elgin, IL, died Aug. 31. He was 68.
Norman was with the Postal Service for more than 40 years and started as a letter carrier. He spent the past 20 years in Corporate Communications, during which time he worked as a writer-editor, USPS spokesperson, speechwriter and an award-winning video producer. He most recently served as a strategic communications specialist in Chicago supporting field operations in Illinois 1 and Illinois 2 districts.
One of his last assignments included coordinating a USPS presence at the Original Lowrider Chicago Classic Supershow in August where the local postmaster delivered remarks and attendees purchased Lowriders stamps.
“Tim was a tremendous man and was incredibly respected in the Postal Service and in his community,” said Central Area Strategic Communications Manager Mark Inglett. “He was so much more than a talented and dedicated colleague. Tim was kind, compassionate and a dear friend. Words cannot describe the pain we feel or how much he will be missed.”
“Tim was a valued member of the Corporate Communications team and always willing to lend a hand. We’ll never forget him, his contributions to USPS or the positive impact he had on everyone and everything around him,” said Darleen Reid-DeMeo, field communications director. “He will be missed greatly by his family as well as countless friends and co-workers.”
Her cookies started as a hobby — now they’re on stamps
Greg Breeding, an art director and designer for USPS, wanted a fun twist on a holiday dessert for the newest contemporary Christmas stamps.
After reviewing the latest trends and the work of cookie designers and bakers, Breeding reached out to Kyrie Johnson, a Norfolk, VA, baker and designer with a social media following. He enlisted her to create, bake and decorate the four cookies that are featured on the 2026 stamps.
Johnson took up baking in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I started playing around to figure out recipes, and then it kind of spiraled from there. I ended up with a wall of cookie cutters and an Instagram page. It kind of came out of nowhere,” she said.
She now has almost 35,000 followers.
When Breeding approached Johnson about doing a stamp, she was initially dubious it was a legitimate opportunity. After researching USPS and Breeding, she was convinced — and now finds seeing her work on a stamp “surreal.”
“They sent me the pictures of my cookies on the stamps, I was like ‘Whoa, this is so crazy,’” she said.
Johnson baked replicas of her featured cookies for the stamps’ recent unveiling at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, DC.
“And to think baking was something I just did on a whim that became this hobby and passion and now it’s on a stamp,” she said.
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News Quiz
Schooling along the shoreline
What do you know about the U.S. Coast Guard Academy stamp dedication?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. What two iconic vessels are featured on the U.S. Coast Guard Academy stamp?
a) USCGC Bertholf and USCGC Eagle
b) USCGC Cheyenne and USCGC Thetis
c) USCGC Dauntless and USCGC Reliance
d) USCGC Mellon and USCGC Mohawk
2. What did photographer Natalia Kostikova use to simulate snow on the wreath featured on this year’s Winter Wreath Global Forever stamp?
a) Baking soda
b) Powdered sugar
c) Rock salt
d) Spray paint
3. Which of the following countries does not mark its independence on Sept. 15 each year?
a) Costa Rica
b) El Salvador
c) Honduras
d) Mexico
4. Where should USPS Operation Santa letters be mailed?
a) 100 Santa Lane, North Pole, 22222
b) 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888
c) 1225 Candy Cane Lane, North Pole, 12345
d) 888 Kindness Road, North Pole, 55555
5. What is the main purpose of the Privacy Act of 1974?
a) To prevent personally identifiable information from being improperly disclosed
b) To protect citizens’ financial data from fraudulent investment schemes
c) To safeguard the rights of people who don’t want their tax returns made public
d) To stop marketers from making unwanted sales calls to private phone numbers
Answers: 1) a. 2) a. 3) d. 4) b. 5) a.
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What's included
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These stamps pay homage to a pioneering photographer
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USPS drivers show off their skill in a ‘Roadeo’
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People
Central Area communications specialist passes
An employee is remembered and a baker gets a shot at stamp stardom
-
News Quiz
Schooling along the shoreline
What do you know about the U.S. Coast Guard Academy stamp dedication?