McNamara Retires after 27 Years

Letter Carrier Patricia McNamara

Palms West Branch Letter Carrier Patricia McNamara after 27 years of postal service. She served in the U.S. Navy for four years and then started her career as a Letter Carrier in West Palm Beach in 1988.

Recently, co-workers surprised McNamara with a celebration in her honor.

“Patricia always is the one who coordinates the celebrations for the whole office and now it is our turn to show her how much she is appreciated and we are sure going to miss her,” said Letter Carrier Liz Martinez.

McNamara thanked her co-workers and friends for her gift card and celebration. She also recommended to them that they save their sick leave.

“You never know what is going to happen as you approach retirement. I had a blood vessel burst in my right eye while delivering my route two and half weeks before retiring,” McNamara said. “And you can always add your sick leave hours to your time served after your retirement date is calculated.”

L to R: Palms West Branch Manager, Customer Services Andy Moir; Letter Carrier Patricia McNamara; West Palm Beach, FL, Officer In Charge Robert Weiser; and Supervisor, Customer Services Tim Price.

L to R: Palms West Letter Carriers Liz Martinez, Patricia McNamara, Tameka Vega, and Gail Webster. McNamara's three co-workers came in on their day off to prepare the lunchroom for her retirement celebration.

Photos: Karin Nolf

Congratulations to Oakland Park Letter Carrier Barbara Horchler

Photo: Amy McCall

Fort Lauderdale Officer in Charge David Guiney (right) thanked Oakland Park Letter Carrier Barbara Horchler (left) for more than thirty years of government service as he presented her Retirement Certificate. 

“Now I’m going to spend time with my grandchild and do some things I have been putting off,” said Horchler. 
Congratulations, Barbara!

More Stamps May Become 'Forever'

USPS filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) March 25 for a proposed classification change that would give non-denominated, non-expiring Forever status for five additional First-Class Mail stamp categories.
If approved by the PRC, the following denominated stamps would be converted to Forever status, effective April 26:

• A postcard stamp
• The two-ounce letter stamp (includes wedding stamps)
• The three-ounce letter stamp
• The additional ounce stamp
• The first ounce non-machinable surcharge stamp.

The change aims to provide customers with additional convenience in purchasing and maintaining stocks of up-to-date postage and be more economical for the Postal Service.
Whenever prices change in the future, customers will no longer have to purchase stamps with the new prices.
The PRC filing is available on the agency’s site.

Sign Up for Free Credit Monitoring

The deadline for employees to sign up for the free credit-monitoring service offered by the Postal Service is Wednesday, March 31.
Employees are encouraged to register for the service, which USPS offered following a cyber intrusion into some postal information systems last year.
After the incident, USPS mailed employees letters containing an activation code for the service. Employees who didn’t receive a letter should contact the HR Shared Service Center to have a replacement sent.
The service is offered free of charge for one year.

Passport Fair in Miami on Sat, April 18

Your summer vacation may begin with a trip to the Miami GMF Postal Store on Saturday, April 18. A Passport Fair at 2200 NW 72 Avenue in Miami is scheduled 6:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon. No appointments required.

Passport Book: $80 (under age 16) and $110 (age 16 and older) 

Passport Card: $15 (under age 16) and $30 (age 16 and older)

Money order, check, bank draft, or cashier’s check to U.S. Department of State. No debit or credit cards.

The USPS processing fee is $25 per application. And it's only $15 for two passport photos. Debit or credit card, cash, money order, or check payable to USPS.

Applications are available at usps.com/passport; but remember not to sign your form until you're given further instruction at the fair.

For additional information, contact Miami Customer Relations Coordinator Mirtha Uriarte at 305-470-0386.

CFC Thanks Our Employees

L to R: South Florida District Manager Jeffery Taylor; Miami County Line Annex Letter Carrier Patricia Coney; and Manager, Human Resources Jann Miller attended the Combined Federal Campaign Awards ceremony. Photos: Karin Nolf

Boca Raton, FL, Letter Carrier Frederick Dowdell, Sr., was a Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) keyworker who especially was happy about his office achieving the highest percentage increase of participation.

Story by Damaris Agrait, Manager, Learning Development and Diversity 
Karin Nolf, A/Customer Relations Coordinator, West Palm Beach

On March 20, the Atlantic Coast Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) hosted a celebration at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, FL, to recognize federal agencies that achieved or surpassed 2014 goals.

The perseverance of the Loaned Executives and keyworkers, coupled with the generosity of postal employees, resulted in the U.S. Postal Service being recognized in the “Highest Dollar Amount Raised” category. The Loaned Executives who worked diligently throughout this year’s campaign are Letter Carriers John Booth, Pat Coney, David Huggins, and Leona Yerks.  Damaris Agrait, Manager, Learning, Development and Diversity, who coordinated this year’s campaign wanted to especially thank South Florida District Leadership, Loaned Executives, ISC Coordinator Donna Demirgian and keyworkers, along with Jennifer Thonus, Administrative Assistant, Human Resources. 

The South Florida District salutes all employees who promoted the CFC to ensure success. Collectively, they helped raise $2,072,584 for the 2014 Atlantic Coast Combined Federal Campaign.

Boca Raton, FL, Letter Carrier Frederick Dowdell was a CFC keyworker who shared his strategy:

“I encouraged every employee who gave the year before to do the same or a little bit more this year, and for those employees who did not give, I encouraged them to pledge at least $5 per pay period. I did this for weeks until I had talked with every employee.”

It worked. The Boca Raton, FL, Main Office earned the “Highest Percentage Increase of Participation” category of Organizations with 101 to 500 employees.

Congratulations to the employees at the following offices and the keyworkers who promoted the CFC:

Organizations 100 or Fewer Employees

                                      

Highest % Participation: Gateway Finance Station, Goulds Finance Unit, Sawgrass Postal Store

              

Organizations 101 to 500 Employees

                                             

Highest % Participation: North Miami Branch                                      

                                            

Highest % Increase in Participation: Boca Raton Main Office                                 

                                               

Highest % Dollar Increase over Goal: Margate Branch                                               

                                                                                  

Organizations 500 or More Employees

                                               

Highest % Participation: Royal Palm P&DC

                                                                                             

Highest % Increase in Participation: Miami P&DC, Royal Palm P&DC             

                                             

Highest % Dollar Increase over Goal: Royal Palm P&DC           

CFC KEYWORKERS

BELLE GLADE

Main Office: James Vickers; Downtown Station: Dave Huggins

BOCA RATON

Boca Rio Branch: Sally Francisco; Main Office: Frederick Dowdell Sr.; Boca West Carrier Annex: Robert Stinson; Boca Palmetto Park Annex: Dave Huggins

BOYNTON BEACH

Main Office: Mildred Brown; Boynton Jog Road Station: Tina Davis

CLEWISTON

Main Office: Samantha Hamilton

DANIA

Dania Post Office: Lynne Schultz

DEERFIELD BEACH

Deerfield Carrier Annex: Patty Langford; Main Office: Yvonne Goodman

DELRAY BEACH

Delray West Branch: Deanna Ciaccio; Main Office: Mike Goulet-Dion

  

FORT LAUDERDALE

Alridge Station: Emma Cusack; Davie Branch: Eldon Weaver; Everglades Branch: Ducharne Mortimer; Fort Lauderdale VMF: Sydney Charles, Lisa Mallonn; Inverrary Branch: Tatiana Witherspoon; Lauderridge Carrier Annex: Georgina Griffin, Angela Hampton; Melrose Vista Branch: Phyllis Echols; Main Office Carrier Annex (MOCA): Chandra Shields, Sharon Timmerman; North Ridge Annex: Sharon Stroh; Oakland Park Branch: Walter Solorzano; Plantation Branch: Carolyn Wallace; Sawgrass Postal Store: Bridget Weiner; Southside Station: Sandra Darling-Holt, Shirley Pratt; Sunrise Branch: Lori Chomiak; Tamarac Branch: Leona Yerks; Weston Branch: Tom Lopresti; Westside Branch: Jerrel Kinloch

FORT PIERCE

Orange Avenue Station: Jim Osborne; Main Office: Robbin Davis, Jacqueline Long

HALLANDALE

Hallandale Post Office: Robert Miller, Carol Vanderwynkle

HAVERHILL

Haverhill Branch: Jackie Crespo

HIALEAH

Bright Station: Arthur Sorey Jr.; Hialeah Carrier Annex: Julio Diez; Hialeah Lakes Station: Pedro Duque; Main Office: Morris Atkins; Miami Gardens Branch: Daisy Martin; Palmetto Lakes Station: Jorge Cuervo; Promenade Station: Philip Prieto

HOBE SOUND

Main Office: Frankin Meyer

HOLLYWOOD

Chapel Lakes: Sandra Munoz; Flamingo Branch: Isabel Cristy Oliveras; Main Office: Leanne Mankowski, Susan Seward; Miramar Branch: Deidre Beal; Pembroke Pines Branch: Tom Piro; West Hollywood Hills Station: Michelle Gipson, Rick Stroetz

HOMESTEAD

Florida City Branch: Steven Spivey; Homestead Post Office: Gilbert Betancourt; Princeton Branch: Michael Fleming

INDIANTOWN

Main Office: John Booth

JENSEN BEACH

Main Office: Debbie Harris

JUPITER

Jupiter Farms Annex: John Sheridan; Main Office: Julie Percival

KEY WEST

Key West Post Office: Omayra Cruz

LAKE PARK

Lake Park Branch: John Booth

LAKE WORTH

Greenacres Branch: Dave Huggins; Lucerne Avenue Branch: Raeko IIimaleota; Main Office: Don Brooks, Erik Mooney

LOXAHATCHEE

Main Office: Debbie Woodruff

MIAMI

Allapattah Branch: Kenneth Rodriguez; Blue Lagoon Branch: Kerby Delancy; Buena Vista Branch: Ernest Knight; Coconut Grove Station: Patricia Coney; Coral Gables Branch: Donna Mollicone-Perez, Jeanette Triana; Country Lakes Branch: Chris Collier, Luis Garcia; County Line Annex: John Herold; Doral Annex: Craig Herbster; Father Felix Varela Branch: Alberto Soto; Flagler Station: Terry Bharratsingh, Isidoro Gomez, Servando Iglesias; Gratigny Branch: La Candice Simmons; Hibiscus Carrier Annex: Robert Cuba, Jr.; Jose Marti Station: Enrique Cuesta, Zelda Williams; Kendall Carrier Annex: Minervino Arguelles, Jose Perez; Key Biscayne Branch: Roberto Pacheco; Little River Station: Dale Knowles, Dominque Simmons; Ludlam Branch: Marta Gallego; Martin L. King Branch: Yolanda Howell; Miami ISC: Faith Knowles, Patricia Guindin, Elizabeth Castellano, Lucille Roberson, Ana Brito, Twyla Johnson,  Miami P&DC: Nadrina Hayletts, Parbattie Kaimraijh, Kenny Britt; Miami VMF: Twyla Davis; Milam Dairy Annex: Ceasar Duran, Andrea Rivers; Norland Branch: Jonathan Anderson; North Miami Branch: Cal Collins, Vincent Kinloch, Chris Powers; North Miami Beach Branch: Rickie Miller; Olympia Heights Branch: Ernie Diaz, Freddy Fernandez; Quail Heights Branch: Steve Hernandez, Richard Smigla; Snapper Creek Branch: Gino Armand, Frank Ramirez; South Miami Branch: Keir Parks; Sunset Station: Julio Roger, Marshall Townsend; Tamiami Branch: Ivan Figueroa; West Carrier Annex: Frank Miralles

MIAMI BEACH

Main Office: Terrance Boland, Roberto Serrano; Normandy Station: Roberto Serrano; Ocean View Station: Laquita McKinney, Earl Tremblay; Surfside Station: Yvette Brown

OKEECHOBEE
Main Office: Melanie Jasa

OPA-LOCKA

Carol City Branch: Gloria Murray, Marilyn Ray; Royal Palm P&DC: Yanick Laforest, Starr Riegler

PALM CITY

Main Office: Neha Patel

PALM BEACH

Main Office: John Booth; Palm Beach Gardens Branch: John Booth; Palms Central Station: Pat Brady, Starr Hunter; Palms West Branch: Tim Milton

POMPANO

Atlantic Branch: Benjamin Allen, Bannqhyss Diaz, Trina Oberheim; Coconut Creek Branch: Vera Pagano; Coral Springs Branch: Tom Latocha Sr.; Main Office: Deidre Hines-Shaw, Rosalyn Jackson; Margate Branch: James Johnson, Ed Travers; Tropical Reef Branch: Anthony Garafola, Grace Perry-Wilson, Sergio Valdes

PORT ST LUCIE

Main Office: Phyllis Marino Juliane Mondo; Midport Station: Charles Buchanan

RIVIERA BEACH

Riviera Beach Branch: Cherry Parker

STUART

Main Office: Casey Salik; Stuart Carrier Annex: Corrie Reckamp, Regina Spadavecchia

TEQUESTA

Tequesta Branch: Clifton Jackson Jr.

US POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

Mary McCurry

WELLINGTON

Wellington Carrier Annex: Denise Tims

WEST PALM BEACH

Downtown Station: John Booth; West Palm Beach BMEU: Stephanie Wilburn; West Palm Beach P&DC: Wanda Brown

Chamber Thanks Hialeah Employees

Hialeah Postmaster Orlando de la Osa

Recently, the Hialeah Chamber of Commerce and Industries showed its appreciation for the dedication of postal employees to their customers. Hialeah Postmaster Orlando de la Osa accepted a plaque on behalf of employees at Bright Station, El Mercado Postal Store, Hialeah Lakes Station, Hialeah Main Office, Miami Gardens Branch, Palmetto Lakes Station, Promenade Branch, and Palm Village Station. The Postmaster is visiting Chambers of Commerce to promote the postal brand and encourage the membership to use our products and services.