LONG BEACH, NY — The power sources at the retail windows of the Long Beach post office are now fully operational after the impact of Hurricane Sandy.  Customers can once again make purchases using a credit or debit card in addition to cash.   

“We are all excited to be operating our retail services at full power for our customers”, said Postmaster Francis O’Neill.  “To show the community our appreciation for their patience and support during the storm recovery process, please join us on December 13th for our GRAND RE-OPENING and CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY.”

The Long Beach post office is located at 101 East Park Avenue and serves customers in ZIP Code 11561. Retail hours are Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm and Saturday, 9:00am – 3:00pm.

The Long Beach post office team temporarily worked from alternate locations while repairs were made - processing and dispatching mail for local delivery and mail destined countrywide and overseas.   Moreover, Long Beach letter carriers were in the communities to deliver mail the day after the hurricane and continue through one of the most challenging times that we have seen in our lifetime.   

So, stop by and meet with your Postmaster and the Long Beach post office team on December 13th.”

The Postmaster is also offering some simple tips to help you manage the holidays.  “With more than 17 billion cards, letters and packages expected to be delivered this holiday season, these recommended mail by dates for your holiday shipping – and gift wrapping tips – will take the stress out of gift giving this year.  A visit from Saint Nick is close by, so we want to make your shipping experience convenient and ensure your holiday gifts get to their destinations swiftly and safely.”

RECOMMENDED ‘MAIL-BY’ DATES FOR HOLIDAY SHIPPING:
The Postal Service recommends the following mail-by dates to ensure your gifts arrives on time:

Domestic Mail – Mail sent within the United States

• Dec 14 — Parcel Post (most economical shipping service)
• Dec 20 — First Class Mail
• Dec 21 — Priority Mail
• Dec 22 — Express Mail

International Mail – Mail sent from the United States to overseas destinations

• Dec. 3-20 — International Mail (dates vary depending on country and service selected, call 1-800-  ASK-USPS for more information)

Military Mail – Sent to APO/FPO addresses

• Dec. 17 — Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) (select military and diplomatic post offices only, call 800-ASK-USPS for locations that accept this service)
• Dec. 3-10 — Priority Mail and First Class letters and parcels (dates vary depending on service selected)
• Nov 30-Dec 3 — Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL) (dates vary depending on military APO/FPO address)
• Nov 26 — Space Available Mail (SAM)
• Nov 13 — Parcel Post

SHIPPING TIPS:

As you check off your holiday gift list this season, here are some helpful tips to make sure your gifts arrive safely:

• When mailing overseas, visit www.usps.com for an international country listings guide for pricing and mailing conditions.  The direct link is: http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immctry.htm or call 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-9777) for assistance.  
• Place a card inside the package that contains both the delivery and return addresses. This ensures the safe return of an item that could not be delivered should the mailing label become damaged or fall off.
• Always use a return address, which tells the Postal Service where to return mail if it cannot be delivered.
• Select a box that is strong enough to protect the contents. USPS Flat Rate boxes are ideal for shipping!
• Do not reuse mailing boxes as they can weaken in the shipping process.
• Stuff glass and fragile, hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage.
• When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ Boxes. The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, Oxford Strategic Consulting ranked the U.S. Postal Service number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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