The holiday angel: Angie returns in USPS holiday commercial

Remember Angie? The generous soul who bails out her co-workers as they pile on the packages for her to handle? Angie's back for a return engagement in the latest USPS TV commercial, "You Shouldn't Have."

Angie's friends and neighbors are piling on the packages again, this time during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season - even while she's giving them festive treats like those featured on the Postal Service's Holiday Cookies stamps.

From the comfort of , Angie uses Carrier Pickup Online Notification on USPS.com to request a pickup for all those packages. Quick, easy and convenient.

The ad made its debut during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast and is being shown on national networks during prime time viewing throughout the holiday season. You also can watch it on USPS Postal Vision and USPS-TV On Demand.

Flexible Spending Accounts: Grace period adds even more flex to tax-free spending

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) now are even more flexible, with a new grace period to make sure you don't lose a penny of your contributions.

The Internal Revenue

Service has added a grace period, which will run from Jan. 1 through March 15, for FSA participants to use funds left in their accounts at the end of the previous plan year. This includes both health care and dependent care FSAs.

Here's an example. You sign up for a health care FSA for $1,500. On Dec. 1 you see you've managed only $1,000 in FSA expenses. Under the old rules, you'd have to spend your remaining $500 on eligible expenses by Dec. 31, or forfeit the money. But now - thanks to the new grace period - you have until March 15 to spend and claim the remaining $500.

The grace period is in effect beginning with 2005 FSAs and continues for 2006 and beyond. To take advantage of the grace period, employees need to remain as FSA participants on Dec. 31 of each year. Check the details in the FSA brochure you received in the mail.

As always, your FSA dollars are set aside tax-free, a considerable savings. This year's FSA open season runs through Dec. 31 at 5 P.M. CT.

PMG Jack Potter and Vonzell officially kick off holiday season

Vonzell at the Bryant Park tree- lighting ceremony with Postmaster General Jack Potter.

Cold weather didn't keep a gracious New York City crowd from extending warm holiday greetings to Postmaster General Jack Potter and USPS Holiday Spokesperson Vonzell Solomon. New Yorkers of all ages turned out in droves to help them officially kick off the holiday season at a tree-lighting ceremony in Bryant Park.

Earlier that day, Vonzell sang "O Come All Ye Faithful" live on ABC's Good Morning America and then carried the message to Fox television network, taping a piece to let holiday shipping customers know that the Postal Service is their one-stop shipping solution.

Whether it's extended hours and Automated Postal Centers for customer convenience or online shipping solutions at USPS.com, the Postal Service will be there to help make the holidays special.

We're ready for you! Deputy PMG Donahoe and Consumer Advocate Killette carry holiday-readiness message

Deputy PMG Pat Donahoe and Consumer Advocate Delores Killette carried our holiday-readiness message to the media in Washington, DC.

Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahoe and newly appointed Consumer Advocate Delores Killette are spreading the word that the Postal Service is ready for the holiday mailing season.

USPS expects to deliver more than 20 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

With more than 15,000 seasonal employees added to our busiest facilities, more than 7,400 Post Offices across the country offering extended hours and more than 2,500 Automated Postal Centers providing convenient access to many of our services - and our USPS.com Web site that never closes - USPS is more than ready to handle the holiday mail rush. The busiest mailing day is expected to be Monday, Dec. 19. The busiest delivery day will be two days later.

Cataloging your next move

Used to be when you moved, your catalogs didn't follow you. Not any more.

Thanks to the new Catalog Request Card Service available through Mover's

Guide Online at USPS.com, that's changing.

The new service is a natural expansion of the Postal Service's Internet change-of-address form. After customers complete the online form, they have the option of selecting specific catalogs - current or new - or choosing "No Thanks." In the first month of the program, nearly 113,000 people requested more than 650,000 catalogs.

The service also is available with the printed Mover's Guide, available in Post Offices.

National Consumer Protection Week theme announced

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2006 is Feb. 5-11. The Postal Service's theme is "Fighting Fraud: It's a Family Matter" for the eighth annual consumer awareness campaign.

NCPW was launched in 1999 to highlight consumer issues and promote education. Its mission is

to help people learn about their consumer rights and empower them to protect themselves from fraud and abuse in the marketplace.

Take the train to savings: Transportation contract saves more than $18 million

Norfolk Southern is one of three rail companies awarded new USPS intermodal transportation contracts.

New contracts with rail and highway transportation will save the Postal Service $18 million annually.

Contracts for the combined use of rail and highway networks - called intermodal transportation - cover the transport of mail and equipment on more than 1,300 one- way unscheduled transportation segments around the country.

Surface Operations, Surface Transportation and Supply Management worked with suppliers through a Web-based bidding tool to best match supplier capabilities and efficiencies with USPS operational requirements.

The result? A decrease of more than 15 percent for these rail and highway contracts - for a total impact of more than $18 million annually.

It's just one example of how supply chain management delivers results.

Revenue soars at Nevada air show: Nellis Air Force Base welcomes veterans

More than 125,000 people came to welcome America's veterans at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas. Many of them also welcomed two framed postal stamp art pieces and three collectible envelopes, including one honoring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

Operation Welcome - a celebration to publicly honor, thank and recognize America's 2.7 million Vietnam veterans - was part of Aviation Nation 2005.

Moapa, NV, Postmaster Chris Pearce led a postal effort that raised $12,000 at three retail booths on the flight line.