School's out: Drive defensively
It's summer, and that means children are out playing in
greater numbers. USPS drivers have to be more alert
around places where children play.
Whether you're in a neighborhood or near parks or playgrounds, be on the lookout for children playing and walking
as well as children on skateboards, scooters, mopeds and
bicycles.
Look. Listen. Look again. Drive defensively.
For more about USPS' Safety Depends on Me program,
go to http://blue.usps.gov/hrisp/swa/sdom/index.htm.
World Philatelic Exhibition in
Washington, DC
Throngs of philatelic fanatics crowd the
DC Convention Center for Washington
2006.
With stamp exhibits
from 135 countries, extraordinary first-day-of-
issue stamp events and
much more, the Washington 2006 World Philatelic
Exhibition was a flurry of
activity for thousands of
stamp enthusiasts. USPS
hit the ground running,
with four first-day-of-issue ceremonies slated for the event.
Kicking things off Saturday, May 27, was the biggest,
brightest, boldest stamp series ever issued. Wonders of
America: Land of Superlatives highlights 40 natural
wonders - from the largest estuary, to the windiest place,
to the hottest spot in the country. This collection of
40 stamps showcases America's natural wonders at their
finest. Postmaster General Jack Potter was on hand to
dedicate the new stamps.
The 1606 Voyage of Samuel de Champlain souvenir
sheet commemorating the 400th anniversary of de
Champlain's explorations also made its debut. Jointly issued by Canada Post and USPS, the sheet features two
50-cent Canadian stamps and two 39-cent U.S. stamps.
An homage to the collectors gathered for this event, the
Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exposition souvenir
sheet features reproductions of three stamps issued in
1923. These stamps depict well-known Washington, DC,
sights - the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol and the
statue "Freedom" - and appear on the sheet in their original denominations. Perhaps even more special for
collectors - the stamps were printed using the original
1923 stamp dyes.
To learn more about Washington 2006, visit
www.washington-2006.org.
Dilbert and Cathy continue the customer
dialogue
Dilbert cartoon characters promote Click-N-Ship and Carrier Pickup for
business customers, while the Cathy strip reminds residential customers of
options to keep their mail close at hand during summer vacations.
Cartoon characters Dilbert and Cathy were back in May
for the third postcard in our "Dialogue Campaign" with residential and business customers.
The Dilbert characters explain how quick, easy and convenient it is for business customers to use Click-N-Ship and
Carrier Pickup services on USPS.com. Meanwhile, Cathy
shows residential customers how easy it is to stay on top of
their mail during vacations by using Premium Forwarding
Service, Change of Address or Hold Mail offerings from
USPS.
For more information on the Dialogue Campaign and
other USPS direct mail initiatives, go to
http://blue.usps.gov/advertising. Under "Advertising Reference" and "Media," click on Direct.
Purple Heart stamp reissued
Unveiling the Purple Heart stamp in
Washington, DC, were National
Commander Military Order of the
Purple Heart James Randles, USPS
Board of Governors Chairman James
C. Miller, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
R. James Nicholson, Postmaster
General Jack Potter and Senior VP
Government Relations Thomas Day.
It was the first U.S.
military decoration ever
issued - a simple purple
heart-shaped piece of
cloth. Instituted by General George Washington in
1782, the award was given to three men for bravery during the American
Revolution.
|
In 2003, the Postal
Service issued the Purple
Heart stamp, paying tribute to the hundreds of
men and women who
have received the medal,
now given for wounds received during combat. In the three
years since it was issued, it has proven to be one of the
most popular stamps with many civic organizations.
Board of Governors Chairman James C. Miller rededicated the stamp in Washington, DC, at the new 39-cent
price. Postmaster General Jack Potter attended the ceremony as well. "Since the stamp was issued three years
ago, it has reminded almost every American of what others
have suffered to protect the ideals that remain at the heart
of the American experience," Potter said. "In rededicating
this stamp today, we have 50 million new opportunities to
tell their story."
FSA updates phone prompt, account
balances
If you're a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) participant,
you know you can call the FSA Customer Service Center at
800-842-2026 and press "1" for the automated system to
check on a filed claim or the balance left in your health care
or dependent care FSA.
What you may not know is that the phone prompt has
been updated to explain a change that began in January. To
access your account information, you must enter zero
followed by your 8-digit employee ID. Then, enter your FSA
personal identification number (PIN).
Your FSA PIN was automatically assigned by the FSA
Customer Service Center when you enrolled and was
printed on your FSA enrollment confirmation notice. It's different from your USPS PIN. Of course, you always can call
the FSA Customer Service Center and press "2" to speak to
a representative.
When filing a claim, just write down your 8-digit
employee ID - don't add a zero, and don't use your Social
Security number.
Potter dedicates AMBER Alert stamp
Unveiling the AMBER Alert stamp in
Washington, DC, were, from left,
Postmaster General Jack Potter, U.S.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales,
Molly Bish Foundation founder John
Bish and Assistant U.S. Attorney
General Regina Schofield.
Postmaster General
Jack Potter was on hand
at the first-day-of-issue
ceremony for the AMBER
Alert stamp, issued simultaneously in Washington,
DC, and in Arlington,
TX - town of Amber Hagerman. The girl
was abducted in 1996
while riding her bicycle. A
national alert system
named in her memory now notifies the public when a confirmed child abduction has taken place.
"I'm not asking you to save the AMBER Alert stamp, I'm
asking you to use it," said Potter. "Put this stamp on every
card, every letter, every package you mail and help share
its message of hope with every American family. Help us
bring attention to this very important issue. With 80 million AMBER Alert stamps, we can raise awareness like never
before."
Retail Standardization from the
customer's perspective
Palm Springs, CA, Post Office after
Retail Standardization.
When Palm Springs,
CA, customer services
supervisor Thetus Nelson
and retail associates
Sonia Valadez and Mike
Micotto formed a Retail
Standardization team,
they took a walk in their
customers' shoes - and
it added up to increased revenue.
They walked around the office, looking from the customer's perspective, and made changes, like moving Official
Licensed Retail Product (OLRP) items and ReadyPost
shipping supplies to locations where customers could see
them - and buy them.
Total retail revenue is up 11.7 percent year-to-date
compared with the same period last year. Express Mail revenue is up 24.1 percent, Priority Mail 15.7 percent and
First-Class Mail 8.8 percent. OLRP and ReadyPost
revenue had a combined increase in April of more than
$5,100 - an impressive 44.4 percent jump.
For more information on Retail Standardization, go to
the Advertising Web site at http://blue.usps.gov/advertising, and click on Retail Standardization.
Hurricane Preparedness Week
Speaking at a conference in Miami to kick off Hurricane
Preparedness Week, which ran through May 27, National
Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted this
year's hurricane season will be above-normal and very
active. Studies indicate an 80 percent chance of an above-
normal hurricane season with 13-16 named storms,
8-10 hurricanes and 4-6 major hurricanes.
Dangers from hurricanes take many forms, including
storm surge, high winds, tornadoes and flooding. It's important for your family to have a plan that includes all of these
hazards.
Learn what you can do to keep yourself, your family and
your property safe at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/
english/intro.shtml.
USPS National Emergency Hotline
Is your facility operating?
Call 888-363-7462
|
