Friday, May 2, 2025
Lower flags for firefighters on May 4
Postal Service facilities that are open Sundays should fly the U.S. flag at half-staff on Sunday, May 4, in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.
USPS facilities that fly the flag at all times and are closed Sundays should lower the flag to half-staff when the facility closes prior to May 4. Return the flag to full staff when the facility next opens for business.
To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the half-staff position. The flag should be raised to the peak again before it’s lowered for the day.
The USPS Administrative Support Manual has guidelines on U.S. flag display and maintenance.
Watch a video of the acting PMG’s keynote address
Tulino spoke at the National Postal Forum this week
A video of Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino’s keynote address at the 2025 National Postal Forum is now available.
Tulino’s remarks, delivered April 28, focus on the Postal Service’s progress in advancing its transformation and modernization strategies, improving service performance, the evolution of its products and services, and its 250-year legacy of supporting American commerce and communities.
The video also includes the other USPS executives who spoke during the keynote session: Dr. Joshua Colin, chief performance officer; Greg White, operations integration and performance excellence executive director; Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer; Juan Nadal, strategic sales vice president; and Margaret Pepe, product solutions executive director.
The National Postal Forum — which took place April 27-30 in Nashville, TN — is an annual gathering of professionals from the mailing and shipping industry.
These stamps feature scenes from a beloved picture book
‘Goodnight Moon’ has been a favorite bedtime read since 1947
The Postal Service will release its Goodnight Moon stamps on Friday, May 2.
Written by Margaret Wise Brown with artwork by Clement Hurd, “Goodnight Moon” is among the best-selling children’s books of all time.
Reflecting philosophical shifts in early childhood education that began in the early 20th century, “Goodnight Moon” revolutionized children’s publishing when it debuted in 1947.
It was one of the first books written for very young children that focuses on everyday experiences, which became known as “here-and-now literature.”
The quiet, lullaby-like book encourages children and their parents to imagine themselves in the book’s familiar “great green room,” saying goodnight to everything they see.
Illustrations alternate between panoramic scenes of the bedroom in vibrant color and black-and-white close-ups of objects in the room.
The sense of peace and security that the book brings helps ease children to sleep.
The pane of 16 stamps features eight details from the picture book:
• The young bunny tucked into bed;
• A painting of three little bears;
• A toy house on the bedroom floor;
• Mittens and socks hung to dry;
• A tiny mouse in front of a fireplace;
• The painting of a cow jumping over the moon;
• The older bunny sitting in the rocking chair with her knitting; and
• A comb, brush and bowl of mush atop the young bunny’s bedside table.
The book’s cover image is in the center of the pane while the back features a black-and-white rendering of the bedroom.
Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps and pane using Hurd’s illustrations.
A dedication event will take place at the Rabbit hOle Museum in Kansas City, MO.
The Forever stamps will be available at Post Offices and usps.com.
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People
The role of a lifetime
Ben Franklin drops by, Betty White sells out — and more dispatches from the National Postal Forum
A special guest stole the show at this week’s National Postal Forum in Nashville, TN: Benjamin Franklin.
The first postmaster general was on hand to help USPS get a jump start on its 250th anniversary this summer.
In addition to chatting with attendees at the mailing and shipping conference, ol’ Ben also posed for lots of selfies.
“That’s what I’m here for,” he said.
Franklin was played by Brian Best, a Clarksville, TN, actor who was cast in the role after event organizers scouted local theater companies.
To prepare for the part, Best read up on Franklin’s life and watched “Franklin,” Apple TV’s recent eight-part limited series starring Michael Douglas.
“It’s been interesting to find out all the things he did for the Postal Service and the practices that he created that are still being used today,” Best said. “It’s been an honor to be here.”
Best sellers
One of the biggest draws at the National Postal Forum was the Postal Service’s retail booth, where attendees could stock up on stamps, souvenir postmarks and more.
“Attendees have been really excited about the merchandise,” said Larissa Valdez, an external customer liaison specialist based in Washington, DC.
“The Betty White stamps went fast and that was expected. The stamp has been one of the most sought after that I’ve seen at the counter,” said Josh Beacom, a Murfreesboro, TN, retail associate.
Also selling out: Mr. ZIP plush toys and books.
“Mr. ZIP is a huge hit,” said Maylee Kaiyuan, a Washington, DC, retail strategy specialist.
Going out on a high note
The National Postal Forum is a business meeting, but there are opportunities to have fun, too.
This year’s event included “NPF’s Got Talent,” where attendees could sing, dance and perform.
Among the participants: Mike Porter, a communications specialist for the chief processing and distribution officer’s organization who recently appeared in Link’s “Off the Clock” column, and Abby Martin, an integration and support manager at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC.
Porter sang and Martin played fiddle for their solo numbers, but they combined efforts to perform “The Tennessee Yodeler” — a hit with the crowd.
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
News Quiz
Delivering musical notes
How much do you know about the Grand Ole Opry mailboxes?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. How many mailboxes are located in the Grand Ole Opry Post Office?
a) 100
b) 101
c) 1,943
d) 1,974
2. Postal pilots took over airmail service from their Army counterparts in what year?
a) 1914
b) 1918
c) 1922
d) 1926
3. Mateo Romero, who created the images used on the Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture stamps, is a member of what tribal group?
a) Big Pine Paiute
b) Sauk-Suiattle
c) Pascua Yaqui
d) Southern Keres Cochiti Pueblo
4. While on his delivery route, what did Belleville, IL, Rural Carrier Jeffrey Ballenger notice that prompted him to check on a customer?
a) The customer’s trash cans were not taken from the curb.
b) The customer did not greet him on the sidewalk.
c) Mail was accumulating in the customer’s mailbox.
d) The customer’s dog was not in the yard.
5. Which products will feature the Eagle in Flight symbol to commemorate the Postal Service’s 250th anniversary?
a) A coffee table book and branded merchandise and stamps
b) Clothing, souvenirs and a documentary
c) Souvenirs, a children’s book and teachers’ lesson plan
d) Stamps, clothing and a children’s book
Answers: 1) a. 2) b. 3) d. 4) c. 5) a.
May 8, 2025
Datebook
‘Coping with Depression and Anxiety’
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar on mental health.
The session, “Coping with Depression and Anxiety,” will be held Thursday, May 8, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
Representatives from Aetna, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will lead the discussion.
Participants must register before the event on the webinar website.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must participate off the clock or during authorized breaks.
Employees with questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.
Postal Bulletin focuses on social engineering
Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published May 1, explains what social engineering is and the risks it poses to the Postal Service.
Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included.
Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
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Brief
Lower flags for firefighters on May 4
-
Watch a video of the acting PMG’s keynote address
-
These stamps feature scenes from a beloved picture book
-
People
The role of a lifetime
Ben Franklin drops by, Betty White sells out — and more dispatches from the National Postal Forum
-
News Quiz
Delivering musical notes
How much do you know about the Grand Ole Opry mailboxes?
-
May8Datebook
‘Coping with Depression and Anxiety’
-
Brief
Postal Bulletin focuses on social engineering