Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Welcoming Our New Veterans

South Florida District Field Recruiter Lorraine Ramsey (standing right) recognizes new veterans during their orientation class. 
Newly-hired veterans and their assigned location, pictured from left, Postal Support Employee (PSE) Terry Paul, Mail Handler Assistance (MHA), Miami International Service Center (ISC); Ronald Daniels, Jr., MHA, Miami Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC); Yolanda Sailor, PSE, Sunrise Branch; Luis De La Nuez, Rural Carrier Associate (RCA), Key Largo Post Office; and Jorge Torres, City Carrier Assistant (CCA), Homestead Main Post Office.

The South Florida District recognized newly-hired veterans during orientation with a letter of appreciation from Postmaster General Megan Brennan who also sent each veteran a special badge and lanyard.

In her letter, Brennan stated “Please accept the veterans badge and lanyard as a small token of our deepest gratitude for the sacrifices you have made on behalf of our great nation. I hope you will wear this badge, together with your Postal Service ID badge, with pride and patriotism.” 

Photos: Miami Customer Relations Coordinator Mirtha Uriarte 

Celebrating 130 Years of Service

From left: Palm Beach Gardens Manager, Customer Services Virginia Rhodes, Letter Carrier Earl Harmon, Deirdre O'Donnell, Randy Baird, and A/Manager, Customer Service Operations (MCSO) Pablo Estupinan. Not pictured: Supervisor, Customer Services Mary Burnett. Photo: West Palm Beach Customer Relations Coordinator Curlita Rogers-Saunders

Palm Beach Gardens letter carriers were honored for their years of service among their peers. Recognized were Letter Carrier Randy Baird, 40 years; Deirdre O’Donnell, 30 years; and Earl Harmon, 30 years. Supervisor, Customer Services Mary Burnett also was recognized for 30 years of service. A/Manager, Customer Service Operations (MCSO) Pablo Estupinan thanked the employees for their years of loyalty to the Postal Service and encouraged them to continue to take pride in our business.


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Instructor Rings Bell for Mail 'Class'

Miami City Carrier Academy Instructor Melvin Mills (standing) reviewed the various classes of mailpieces, providing samples of each, with his students. He then gave an exercise to familiarize themselves with the classes of mail they will be handling daily.
Miami City Carrier Academy Instructor, Melvin Mills (far left) poses with his current class of newly-hired letters carriers. Front Row, from left:Tasheka Copeland, Alridge Station, Fort Lauderdale; Marcela Glick, Sunrise Branch; and Noarkel Hall, Flamingo Branch, Hollywood. Back Row, from left: Miami City Carrier Academy Instructor Melvin Mills; Letters Carriers Kayla Wilson, Inverrary Branch; Bryan Farrington, Davie Branch; Stephen Thompson, Melrose Vista Branch, Fort Lauderdale; Eboni Jackson, Weston Branch; Ceylon Green, West Hollywood Hills Station; Racquel McNeal, Miami Gardens Branch; Kiatana Lawrence, Tamarac Branch; Calandra Brown, Plantation Branch; and Mykeesha Bankston, Fort Lauderdale Main Office Carrier Annex. Not pictured: Jymeka Sutton, Hollywood Main Office.

Photos: Miami Customer Relations Coordinator Mirtha Uriarte

Hart's Heart is in Palm Beach Gardens

From left: Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Manager, Customer Services Virginia Rhodes;Supervisor, Customer Services Othir Torres, Jr.; Letter Carrier Brittany Hart; Supervisor, Customer Services Rufus Graham II; and Supervisor, Customer Services Nicholas Zawackis. Photo: West Palm Beach Customer Relations Coordinator Curlita Rogers-Saunders

Palm Beach Gardens, FL, welcomes Letter Carrier Brittany Hart who was a Retail Associate at Washington Park Station in El Paso, TX, the past three years.
“I’m excited to relocate to be closer to my family,” said Hart. “I’m eager to learn about delivery and hope to move up into the managerial ranks.
“We are happy to have Brittany join our Palm Beach Gardens team, and I look forward to helping her with her career aspirations,” said Manager, Customer Services Virginia Rhodes. 

Glover Retires After 30 Years

Retail Associate Christene Glover (left) received a round of applause from customers at the West Palm Beach Main Office Window Unit. A/Manager, Customer Service Operations (MCSO) Pablo Estupinan (right) presented Glover with her 30-Year Service Award and thanked her for her ongoing dedication and most of all, pleasant attitude. Glover retired February 29. Photo: West Palm Beach Customer Relations Coordinator Curlita Rogers-Saunders

How's YOUR Driving? Miami and West Palm Beach Seek Ad-Hoc Instructors

Have you ever thought to yourself that you would make a great teacher? Are you looking to broaden your postal horizons? Consider an ad-hoc position as a Driving Safety Instructor/Examiner, PS -7. The Safety Department has 5 ad-hoc positions in the Miami area and 5 ad-hoc positions in the West Palm Beach area.

Positions are open to all qualified career employees within a 50-mile commuting distance of each area and who meet the qualifications of the posting. Best qualified applicants, regardless of craft, will be selected. Mail your application to Charisse Nadal, Manager, Safety, USPS, 2200 NW 72 Ave, RM 214, Miami, FL 33152, no later than Friday, March 18, 2016.

Successful applicants will perform their assigned duties at locations specified in the vacancy announcements posted on your employee bulletin board. Reporting hours and non-scheduled days will be flexible, and selected employee(s) will not receive out of schedule premiums while serving in these ad-hoc assignments.These positions are on an “as needed” basis; when not performing DSI/Examiner duties, you will return to your current position.

Ad-hoc Driving Safety Instructors/Examiners will conduct basic road tests, vehicle familiarization, vehicle operator training, driver instructor training and certification, driver improvement and refresher training, and coach and observe driving practices. They also will provide classroom training related to the safe operation of motor vehicles and powered industrial equipment. In addition, ad-hoc positions will require the demonstration of basic computer skills which include, but are not limited to, Windows, Word, and Excel.  Applicants must demonstrate the following:

1.  Ability to work without immediate supervision.
2.   Ability to maintain records and prepare reports.
3.   Ability to provide, on an individual and group basis, both to newly-assigned and current drivers, effective instructions on the safe and proper operation of the various types of motor vehicle equipment used at the local facilities within the assigned offices.
4.   Ability to teach effectively the classroom instruction course given to newly-assigned motor vehicle operators.
5.  Ability to give driving tests to newly-assigned drivers to determine whether driving privileges should be granted to operate government-owned and leased motor vehicles.
6.  Ability to drive safely. Applicants must know and observe safe driving laws and regulations. Applicants must have three years of USPS driving experience. 
7.   Ability to maintain effective working relations with other employees under varying circumstances.
8.   Ability to evaluate driver training needs and to plan and schedule driver training activities to meet these needs.
9.  Ability to understand and comply with written instructions and to give understandable information in written or  verbal form.
10.Be safety conscious and support safety programs.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Feb 29: 'Leap Day,' 'Bachelors' Day'

Nearly every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar in the form of February 29, also known as Leap Day. Put simply, these additional 24 hours are built into the calendar to ensure that it stays in line with the Earth’s movement around the sun. 

While the modern calendar contains 365 days, the actual time it takes for Earth to orbit its star is slightly longer—roughly 365.2421 days. The difference might seem negligible, but over decades and centuries that missing quarter of a day per year can add up. To ensure consistency with the true astronomical year, it is necessary periodically to add in an extra day to make up the lost time and get the calendar back in sync with the heavens.

According to an old Irish legend, St. Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men every four years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how leap day balances the calendar.

In some places, Leap Day has been known as “Bachelors’ Day” for the same reason. A man was expected to pay a penalty (money), if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day.


In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition.