Passport Acceptance Fee Going Up

A U.S. State Department fee increase for passport acceptance takes effect next week.

Beginning Monday, April 2, the passport acceptance fee will rise from $25 to $35. The $10 fee increase applies only to U.S. applicants who use the DS-11 form, U.S. Passport Application. The increase doesn’t apply to adults eligible to renew their U.S. passport by mail using the DS-82 form.

Passports are an important part of the Postal Service’s business. Post Offices accepted more than 6.5 million passport applications during the previous fiscal year, generating $164.9 million in revenue. 

Margate Dedication Toots 'Horne'

 

From left, Margate Branch Manager, Customer Services Richard Elam, Rock Road Historical Group, Inc. President Hazel Armbrister and Pompano Main Office Supervisor, Customer Services Cherylann Franco reveal the Lena Horne stamp enlargement.

 

Legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne is the 41st stamp in the Black Heritage stamp series. Recently, Margate Branch Manager, Customer Services Richard Elam presented an enlargement of the stamp to the Rock Road Historical Group, Inc. and other community members at a presentation honoring Horne.

Horne used her platform as an entertainer to become one of America’s most public advocates for civil rights and gender equality. Truth be told, she never planned on a career in entertainment. By her own admission, she couldn’t sing or dance very well when she auditioned at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club in 1933 at the age of 16.

 

But what she initially lacked in talent, she made up for in beauty.

 

The world would come to know her not simply as a pretty face. More than any song she sang, character she portrayed, or dance she performed, Horne’s intellect, spirit and unrelenting pursuit of justice, righteousness and fairness are what made her special.  

She blossomed from humble roots. A product of a hard-scrabble childhood that began in Brooklyn, she  bounced around from state to state, family member to family member, all along feeling inadequate, like she didn’t fit in, like she didn’t belong.

 

Perhaps it was that uncomfortable upbringing that helped her cultivate a tough exterior that would later serve her well as she broke new ground in the entertainment industry and became an activist in the Freedom Movement.

 

Although her name will always be synonymous with an era of elegance, sophistication and grace, Lena Horne’s life — by her own admittance — was always about one thing: Survival. In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, she existed and persisted, and along the way, she became a star, an advocate, a leader and a legend.

 

She broke new ground for black performers when she signed one of the first long-term contracts with a major Hollywood studio. And she ruffled more than a few feathers when she refused to play subservient roles typically given to blacks during that time.

 

She inspired everyone. She was the pin-up girl of choice for black G.I.s serving in World War II. With Lena Horne’s photo on your footlocker, you had the courage to fight another day. During World War II, Horne entertained at camps for black servicemen, and after the war worked on behalf of Japanese Americans who were facing discriminatory housing policies. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt in pressing for anti-lynching legislation.

 

In the 1960s, Horne continued her high-profile work for civil rights, performing at rallies in the South, supporting the work of the National Council for Negro Women, and participating in the 1963 March on Washington.

 

She used her elegance, charisma, and fame to become an important spokesperson for civil rights. So impactful, her name is listed on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Her passion and purpose earned her a Kennedy Center Honors award in 1984.

 

From left, Cal's Beauty Salon Owner Delores Bullard, Historic Ali Cultural Arts Program Director Cherolyn Davis, Self-Motivated Entrepreneur and Registered Nurse Darlene Brown Ponder and Rock Road Historical Group, Inc. President Hazel Armbrister were pleased to participate in the Lena Horne stamp dedication.

Photos: Fort Lauderdale Customer Relations Coordinator Kelly Worthman

Supervisor Earns His NSP 'Diploma'

 

Yanier Leon (above) is a recent graduate of the New Supervisor Program (NSP).

 

He started his career as a City Carrier Assistant at the Oakland Park Branch in 2013, and three years later, was promoted to Supervisor, Customer Services at the Snapper Creek Branch in Miami. He is now Supervisor, Customer Services at the Pembroke Pines Branch. 

 

At his graduation ceremony, Acting District Manager Timothy Costello and South Florida Cluster members congratulated Leon on his accomplishment and thanked him for accepting the challenges of a supervisor.

 

Leon was so excited to have received his “diploma” and looks forward to a great future with the Postal Service.

 

Photo: Fort Lauderdale Customer Relations Coordinator Kelly Worthman  

WPB Passport Fair Reels in Revenue

The West Palm Beach Main Office generated $6,050 at its Passport Fair on Saturday, March 24. Employees processed 203 passports for $5,075 and photographed 65 customers for $975. Pictured above left is West Palm Beach Main Office Lead Sales Associate Kenny Perry who instructed customers on the passport application process. Photo: West Palm Beach A/Customer Relations Coordinator Gayle Jones

Promoting Informed Delivery

Mailing Requirements Clerk Jany Dalrymple promoted Informed Delivery at a recent homeowners' association meeting. Photo: Fort Lauderdale Customer Relations Coordinator Kelly Worthman

 

Fort Lauderdale Mailing Requirements Clerk Jany Dalrymple, President of the Mapleleaf Patio Villas in Sunrise, FL, engaged 23 homeowners in conversation about the benefits of the Informed Delivery feature. 

Informed Delivery users receive images of the outside of their household’s letter-sized mailpieces soon before they arrive in their physical mailboxes. These images can be viewed via email, or they can be accessed on an online dashboard. Customers receive a text message, but not an image, of packages that soon will arrive.  

“Homeowners were very receptive to Informed Delivery and immediately signed up," said Dalrymple. 
 

USPS is encouraging all employees to use Informed Delivery, a major component of the organization’s strategy to introduce products and services that add value to mail. 

Employees can sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com. Sign-up is voluntary and must be completed off the clock.

West Palm Beach Postmaster Retires

 

Acting District Manager Timothy Costello (right) presented West Palm Beach Postmaster Robert Weiser with his Postmaster's Proclamation. Photo: Carolina Wilson

 

West Palm Beach Postmaster Robert Weiser (far right) is retiring after 44 years of dedicated service. From left, Haverhill Branch Supervisor, Customer Services Jimmy Tesoro; Supervisor, Customer Services M. Elaine Gusse; Riviera Beach Post Office Manager, Customer Services Lori Giordano; and West Palm Beach City Place Station A/Manager, Customer Services Richard Mielbye. Photo: West Palm Beach A/Customer Relations Coordinator Gayle Jones

Today West Palm Beach Postmaster Robert C. Weiser retires after 44 years of dedicated service.

Weiser began his postal career as a Letter Carrier in Long Island City, NY, in 1973 when the cost of a First-Class letter was 8 cents. He has been dedicated to providing outstanding service to customers while in various postal positions from New York City to Dallas to Philadelphia to West Palm Beach.

Since his promotion to West Palm Beach Postmaster in March 2017, Weiser has met most of the 653 employees in his jurisdiction. He was quick to praise employees for a job well done, and in spite of a busy, hectic schedule of telecons and meetings, took the time to recognize and thank them in person.

During his career, Weiser delivered mail in Long Island City and Queens, NY, prior to a promotion as Supervisor, Mails and Delivery, Long Island City. He transferred to the Dallas District in 1981 and worked in various Dallas positions, including Supervisor, Mails and Delivery; Supervisor, Mails and Collections; and Manager, Customer Services. He also served as Manager, Mail Processing and Manager, Customer Services, Irving, TX; Manager, Customer Service Operations, Dallas, TX; Officer In Charge, Plano and Richardson, TX; and Manager, Customer Services, Plano, TX. From 2007 to 2010, Weiser worked in the Philadelphia, PA District as Manager, Post Office Operations and Senior Manager, Post Office Operations. Weiser was promoted to Manager, Post Office Operations in the South Florida District in 2010.

Weiser studied accounting, business and marketing at Hunter College in New York City and at the University of Texas in Dallas.

During his 44 years, Weiser attained and shared a wealth of postal knowledge. He led by example and often described himself as “old school,” meaning that you should give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Weiser will be remembered for his dedication to the organization, to his customers, and to his colleagues and subordinates --- as well as for his quick wit and sense of humor. 

Presenting Our NSP Graduates

First Row, from left, Consuelo Sanders, Karimeh Smith, and Idalmis Jimenez. Second Row, from left:, Alexander Fonseca, Brenda Lewis-Bellinger, Carolyn Wright, Melissa Schade, Andrea Hall, and Sergio Felix. Third Row, from left,  Atty Holder, LaTosha Barnard-Clarke, Nicole Brittain, Chaunte Horne, Ryan Fitz-Gordon, Zachary Chaney, Mearlene Harris, and Acting District Manager Timothy Costello.
 

 
From left, Jino Thomas, Donna Fairley, Sheneice Humes, Francine Pierre, Jasmine Johnson, and Fernando Arias

 

From left, Luis Rangel, Millie Loureiro, Wayne James, Constance Bradley, and Daniel Nunez

 

From left, John Miceli, Shakayla Stewart, Yanier Leon, Pedro Garcia, Karen Starling Edwards, Aimee Arroyo, Victoria Bain, and Angel Ortiz
 
Photos: Charles Foreman
 

New Stamps: Fire-Breathing Dragons

The U.S. Postal Service will be joined by the American Philatelic Society (APS) to unveil four colorful stamp designs of 16 Forever stamps depicting dragons — the high-flying, fire-breathing mythological creatures that have roamed our imaginations for millennia — at the APS national summer convention and stamp show August 9-12 in Columbus, OH.

Throughout history and across the globe — from Europe to the Middle East to Asia to the Americas — people have enjoyed tales of mythological creatures. Though these legendary animals vary in shape, size and color, they’re most often described as lizard-like with four legs, sharp claws, scales, wings and spiky tails. The stamps feature four colorful dragons set against four unique backgrounds.

In the Far East, dragons are ubiquitous. The wingless orange dragon weaving its way around a pagoda is inspired by creatures found in Asian art, architecture, folk religion and ancient lore. The Chinese, in particular, have venerated the dragon for thousands of years.

European folklore inspired the dragons on two other stamps. The purple dragon with orange wings and sharp black armor on its back snakes around a white castle that evokes Camelot. The green fire-breathing dragon towers over a medieval-inspired castle. The fierce beasts have even become part of the identity of many countries.

Stamps to Honor Airmail Anniversary

The U.S. Postal Service will honor the beginning of airmail service by dedicating two United States Air Mail Forever stamps this year.
The first, depicted above in blue, commemorates the pioneering spirit of the brave pilots who first flew the mail in the early years of aviation. The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place May 1, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, DC.

On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, Philadelphia, and New York—initiating the world's first regularly scheduled airmail service. 

The United States Post Office Department, the predecessor to the U.S. Postal Service, took charge of the U.S. Air Mail Service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927. Airmail delivery, daily except on Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred growth of the nation’s aviation industry. 

The second stamp, red and pictured above, will commemorate this milestone with its first-day-of-issue to take place later this summer.

Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method— a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp designs evoke that earlier period.

Background
 
For airmail service to succeed in the early days of flight, the Post Office had to develop profitable routes, such as between New York and Chicago, and to establish the infrastructure for safely making night flights. It set up lighted airfields and erected hundreds of airmail guide beacons between New York and San Francisco so that by 1924 regularly scheduled, transcontinental flying was possible, day and night.

Airmail delivery, daily except on Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.

The United States Air Mail stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First Class Mail one ounce price.

Stamp Design
 
On the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service, this stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success. The stamp, printed in intaglio, features a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN4H biplane. This type of biplane was also featured on the 24 cent stamp that was issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The words “UNITED STATES” and “AIR MAIL” are respectively at the top and bottom of the stamp. “EST” is an abbreviation for “established.” The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta; Greg Breeding was the art director.

Sally Ride Stamp to Launch in May

America’s first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride (1951–2012) inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant scientist, and dedicated educator.

The U.S. Postal Service will issue Ride on a stamp on May 23.

On June 18, 1983, Ride launched through Earth’s atmosphere aboard space shuttle Challenger, becoming the first American woman to reach space. For six days, she worked closely with her four male crewmates, proving to the world below that women were just as adept as their male counterparts in the final frontier.

Ride was the only person to sit on the investigative panels for both the Challenger and Columbia accidents. As a professor, she used her experience as an astronaut to explain complicated physics principles. In 2001, she cofounded a company devoted to fostering interest and skills in science, technology, engineering, and math among young people, particularly girls.

Through her love of science and determination to improve our world, Ride left a lasting impact on generations of students and the future of American space exploration.

After the stamp dedication ceremony, Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego will celebrate the occasion with a panel discussion, "Women in Leadership," at 6:30 p.m. Visit Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego for more information.

Source: LINK

Ft Lauderdale Lead SSA Attains Gold

 

Fort Lauderdale Main Office Supervisor, Customer Services Sherman Mosley (left) presented Lead Sales and Services Associate Alice Hughes (right) with her 30-year Service Award and pin.
 

“Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for the Postal Service," said Mosley. "Congratulations!”

 

Photo: Fort Lauderdale Customer Relations Coordinator Kelly Worthman

 

Lake Worth SSA Attains Gold

West Palm Beach Manager, Customer Service Operations Gilberto Vega (right) recognized Lake Worth Sales and Services Associate Maura Norris (left) for achieving a perfect score on a Retail Customer Experience (RCE) transaction.

 

Photo: West Palm Beach A/Customer Relations Coordinator Gayle Jones

'Won't You Be My Neighbor?'

It’s time to return to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

The Postal Service will release its Mister Rogers stamp Friday, March 23.

The stamp will honor Fred Rogers (1928-2003) and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” the groundbreaking public television series that is credited with inspiring and educating generations of young viewers.

Rogers hosted the innovative series, which aired nationally on public television from 1968-2001. The show combined music, puppets and educational visits to farms, factories, museums and other locations.

Each episode began with Rogers welcoming the audience into his TV “home.”

While singing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, he put on a signature cardigan sweater, changed into sneakers and began a conversation with his young viewers.

Rogers discussed many of the experiences of growing up, delicately covering topics like sharing and friendship, as well as difficult subjects like anger, fear and divorce.

Other hallmarks of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” included visits to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, where puppets like King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, X the Owl, Daniel Striped Tiger and Lady Elaine Fairchilde interacted with human friends like Mr. McFeely, the speedy deliveryman.

Source: LINK

Seeking YOUR Nominations for the PMG Sustainability Excellence Award

In 2016, Supply Management won a Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Award for reducing highway contract route transportation emissions and fuel. Who in South Florida will be among the winners for the 2017 award season?

 

2017 Award Season

The Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Award recognizes functions, areas, districts, facilities, and individuals who contribute to a sustainable workplace. In FY 2017, being leaner, greener, faster and smarter continues to be an important business driver. The program is sponsored by the Postmaster General and implemented by the Chief Sustainability Officer.

Here’s what we’re looking for:
Stories from FY 2017 that demonstrate innovation, leadership, and measurable impact on sustainability and environmental goals. 

Request your electronic nomination form: Send an email with the Subject Line “NOMINATION” to PMGAwards@usps.gov. 

You will receive an email reply with a link to the online form.

More information:

• Self-nomination and nominations by others are accepted. 
• Nominations must identify one contact person involved in the activity and one PCES manager supporting the effort.
• Up to ten additional persons can also be named for recognition
• The nomination form allows the nominator to enter data and modify the submission as many times as they like before the deadline of April 6, 2018.
• The person submitting the form will also be able to attach supporting documents and pictures of team activities.
• If you have questions about the nomination process please contact PMGAwards@usps.gov or richard.w.parlierjr@usps.gov.
• Program Overview

Protect Yourself and Safely File Taxes

Tax crimes often rise this time of year, when cybercriminals try to steal taxpayers’ information and refunds.

To protect yourself, the CyberSafe at USPS team offers these tips:

• Think before you click. Beware of emails that claim to be from the IRS and contain links or attachments. Cybercriminals may try to install malware on your computer to steal your information.

• Use strong passwords. If you file your taxes online, protect your information by using a password that contains uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

• Verify sites’ authenticity. Scammers sometimes create sites with URLs that are similar to authentic tax filing sites. Differently spelled brand names or “government” sites that use .com rather than .gov can be telltale signs of a trap.

• Use secure connections. Criminals can use public Wi-Fi or weak networks to intercept information.

• Verify requests. The IRS will never ask for credit or debit card information, demand immediate payment or threaten legal action in a cold call.

• File early. Criminals can file fraudulent tax returns using stolen personal information. One of the best defenses is to file before they have the chance.

If you believe you have become a victim of tax fraud in any form, contact the IRS.

The CyberSafe at USPS sites on Blue and LiteBlue and USPSCyberSafe.com 
have additional cybersecurity information.

Source: LINK
 

Jarrell is New Boca Raton Postmaster

 Ron Jarrell

Ron Jarrell has been promoted to Postmaster, Boca Raton, the southernmost city in Palm Beach County and a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area.

Prior to coming to South Florida, he was Manager, Post Office Operations in the Gulf Atlantic District for seven years. 

As Boca Raton Postmaster, Jarrell is responsible for the overall administrative and operational activity for approximately 365 employees at 10 stations and branches. With an annual operating budget of over $32 million, Boca Raton has approximately 188 city routes, providing service to 122,000 delivery points. Last year, Boca Raton generated approximately $203 million in total revenue.

Jarrell began his postal career as a Part Time Flexible Clerk in Nashville, TN, in 1997. He entered management as an Associate Supervisor Program graduate in 1999. During his career, Jarrell has served in various detail assignments that have included Officer In Charge, Ocala, Panama City, and Tallahassee, Florida. He was Manager, Customer Service Operations in Jacksonville, FL, in 2010.

Jarrell is a graduate of the USPS Managerial Leadership Program (MLP), and currently is in the EAS Leadership Development Program (ELD). He is Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Green Belt Certified.

“Ron’s postal experience will be an asset to the district,” said A/District Manager Timothy Costello. “Please join me in welcoming Ron to South Florida and in wishing him continued success in his postal career.”