Friday, September 13, 2024
Two holiday stamp releases arrive
One shows the Madonna and Child, the other features yuletide symbols
The Postal Service will release this year’s first holiday stamps on Saturday, Sept. 14.
The first is the Christmas Madonna and Child stamp, which will feature an oil painting from the workshop of the 17th century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, known as “Sassoferrato” (1609-1685). The extent to which Sassoferrato had a hand in painting it is unknown, so the portrait is attributed to his workshop.
Born in the Marche region of central Italy, Sassoferrato achieved success by emulating the work of earlier Renaissance artists.
Modestly scaled depictions of the Madonna and Child were among the artist’s most popular paintings. He and his workshop produced many versions of this particular Madonna and Child; the version on the stamp is from the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
The artwork depicts a watchful Madonna, her head tilted toward the sleeping Christ child nestled against her.
William Gicker served as art director. Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which will be sold in booklets of 20.
The second release is Holiday Joy, which will feature four folk-art inspired images of colorful flowers and Christmas ornaments.
Antonio Alcalá worked with Michelle Muñoz to create the images of holiday décor, inspired by vintage ornaments and Mexican folk art.
The artwork depicts two colorful Christmas ornaments, a vibrant poinsettia surrounded by greenery, and a whimsical flower centered against green leaves and delicate scrollwork.
The stamps will be available in booklets of 20.
USPS will dedicate both releases at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, and the stamps will be available at Post Offices and usps.com.
People
Special deliveries
A carrier bonds with a customer, employees solve a puzzle and a Post Office marks a big event
Gaylend “Zee” Zahn, a San Diego letter carrier, has a special assistant: Roman Toriello, a young man with special needs who enjoys helping Zahn on his route.
Each day, Roman, 16, accompanies Zahn as he makes deliveries in the neighborhood, including opening gates for the carrier.
“Although Roman cannot read a clock, he knows when it’s time to ‘meet Zee’ and ‘deliver the mail’ because he stops watching his cartoons, puts on his sandals and gets his sunglasses and USPS ball cap,” said Tasha Toriello, Roman’s mom.
Zahn said the excitement is mutual — he enjoys spending part of his day with Roman.
“To help him out … just a little every single day makes my heart feel good,” Zahn said.
Piece by piece
To help promote the new Protect Sea Turtles stamps, employees at the Wethersfield, CT, Post Office recently put together a puzzle that features one of the ancient mariners.
Retail associates Deborah Daniels and Ellen Dolezel and Harold Vera, a custodian, are self-described dissectologists — people who love puzzles. And they like to encourage others to take up the hobby, according to Denyse Bailey, Connecticut District safety clerk.
“Puzzles can help improve concentration, short-term memory and visual-spatial reasoning,” Bailey said. “They can strengthen connections between brain cells, which can improve problem-solving skills and logical thinking.”
It’s a date
July 20 was a special day in Carlisle, AR, a small city about 40 miles east of Little Rock: The date matched the local ZIP Code: 72024.
To mark the occasion, the city held an event at a local park with live music, games, vendors, cornhole tournaments and food trucks.
The Carlisle Post Office also got in the action, offering customers snacks and the opportunity to receive a special pictorial postmark.
“People” appears regularly in Link. Got news to share? Email us.
News Quiz
First things first
How much do you know about stamps, charitable drives and other recent topics?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. When did the First Continental Congress, the subject of a new stamp, convene?
a) 1774
b) 1775
c) 1776
d) 1777
2. What is the theme of the Combined Federal Campaign that began Sept. 1?
a) “Be a Change Maker”
b) “Give for Good”
c) “Give Happy”
d) “Show Some Love”
3. Who wrote the Postal Posts blog entry on altruism?
a) Louis DeJoy, postmaster general
b) Doug Tulino, deputy postmaster general and chief human resources officer
c) Jenny Utterback, organization development vice president
d) None of the above
4. The Federal Flexible Spending Account Program recently reopened enrollment for new and existing employees who experience which of these qualifying life events?
a) A marriage
b) A divorce
c) The birth of a child
d) All of the above
5. Ahmed Amin, a USPS distribution operations supervisor in Orlando, FL, recently competed on which TV reality show?
a) “America’s Got Talent”
b) “American Idol”
c) “American Ninja Warrior”
d) “The Voice”
Answers: 1) a. 2) c. 3) b. 4) d. 5) c.
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Two holiday stamp releases arrive
One shows the Madonna and Child, the other features yuletide symbols
-
People
Special deliveries
A carrier bonds with a customer, employees solve a puzzle and a Post Office marks a big event
-
News Quiz
First things first
How much do you know about stamps, charitable drives and other recent topics?