Super Bowl Souvenir Envelopes Now Available

The National Football League is authorizing, and the South Florida District is promoting, a 2010 Super Bowl commemorative souvenir envelope honoring the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach Postmasters are offering these numbered, limited edition envelopes at $10 each while supplies last. Football fans throughout the district may place an order and send a postal money order or personal check made payable to “Postmaster (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach).” There’s a one-time shipping and handling fee of $7.25. Envelopes will be mailed within 2 to 4 weeks after Monday, February 8, 2010, via Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation. Mail order envelopes cannot be picked up in person.

Check with your supervisor for an order form attached to the Newsbreak dated 2/3/10.

Black Heritage Stamp is Available in June

February is Black History Month, and this year's theme is "The History of Black Economic Empowerment."

The Postal Service promotes the story of Black Heritage through stamps, celebrating many African American people, places, and achievements. Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) is the subject of the 33rd stamp in the Black Heritage Series, which goes on sale June 22.

Micheaux wrote, directed, produced, and distributed more than 40 movies during the first half of the 20th century, when African-American filmmakers were rare and support for their work was scarce. His entrepreneurial spirit and independent vision continue to inspire new generations of filmmakers and artists.

There are 40.7 million African Americans living in the United States and they make up 13.5 percent of the total U.S population. As a percentage of U.S. buying power, African Americans represent 8.5 percent, or $913 billion.

What is this Gator Doing on "Groundhog's Day"?

It's "Groundhog's Day" ... and inquiring minds want to know why this alligator has emerged from the depths of the canal behind the Stuart Post Office.
Photo: Janice Zynko

Today is February 2. The groundhog has spoken. And it's bad news.

"Punxsutawney Phil" has emerged to see his shadow, meaning winter will last another six weeks. German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on February 2, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.

How did our little rodent friend (yes, groundhogs are classified as rodents) get his name? From Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the site of the annual Groundhog event. There are a few other "predictors" around the country, but they all pale in comparison to Phil's ability to predict the remainder of winter. And for the record, Phil sees his shadow about 9 out of 10 times.

But enough on the rodent. Is there any significance of an alligator emerging from a canal to sun itself in South Florida on February 2? Send your creative thoughts to the blog for posting.

Tickets Selling Like Hotcakes for Local "Cuckoo" Production

(Maintenance) Chief Rick Amezquita

Tickets sales for a local production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" are selling like hotcakes!

Miami Maintenance Manager Rick Amezquita is cast in a leading role and will make his acting debut opening night, Friday, February 5. He will play "Chief," a character in a mental hospital since the end of World War II. The play is based on Ken Kesey's original novel about a struggle for personal freedom under the most dire of circumstances. A free-thinking loner stuck in a mental hospital leads a rebellion of patients against a controlling nurse who will resort to anything to stamp out independent thought and action among her patients.

Performance dates are February 5, 6, 12, and 13 at 8 pm; February 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 2 pm at the Davie Pine Island Multi-Purpose Center, 3801 S Pine Island Road in Davie. Tickets are $12 at the door, $10 in advance, $8 each for groups of 10 or more. Contact Jill Cuba at 954-797-1153 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm or Fern Katz at 954-473-0372 between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm ... or E-Mail actofdavie1999@yahoo.com.

It's "Lights, Camera, Action!" for Zeigler and "Party Nights TV" Production

Safety Specialist John Zeigler has a second career in television production on the weekend. He's a co-producer of a TV Show called "Party Nights TV" on the ION network. Last Saturday's broadcast featured a prayer and footage of earthquake victims in Haiti, as well as footage of Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Fergi of the Black Eyed Peas, Robin Givings, and Venus Williams. Future broadcasts will feature other artists and coverage of various South Florida events, including the Super Bowl and Jazz in the Gardens.

"Party Nights TV" is broadcast at 2 pm every other Saturday ... Check your local listing for the ION Network channel in your neighborhood and tune in to the next show on Saturday, February 13.

Hollywood Residents Earn Recycling Rewards

RecycleBank is now offering its Rewards-for-Recycling Program to Hollywood residents.

RecycleBank encourages people to recycle by rewarding households with points for their efforts. These points are redeemable at local and national retailers, restaurants, grocers, and more.

Nearly 32,000 Hollywood households received new 95 gallon recycling carts outfitted with special tags that connect the address with individual RecycleBank accounts. Recycling trucks read the identification tags during recycling pick up and record the weight of recyclables. Weight of collections is converted into points that can be used to "shop" for rewards from hundreds of businesses in more than 20 categories.

After activating their RecycleBank accounts, Hollywood residents can log on to www.RecycleBank.com or call 888-727-2978 to redeem rewards from local reward partners such as Publix, Winn-Dixie, Sage Oyster Bar, Ocean Alley, Café Italia, SAS Martini Lounge, Little Bakery, Yoga One Yoga Studio, Dandee Donuts, Vocelli Pizza and many more.

Residents also may choose from a host of national partners such as Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Seventh Generation, Burt´s Bees, CVS Pharmacy, The Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.

There also is an option to donate points to local school environmental programs through the RecycleBank Green Schools Program. Similar to frequent flier programs, the more a family recycles, the more RecycleBank points each household earns.

Contact Waste & Recycling News Reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com

Thanks to Carroll Burgess, CHMM, Compliance/Risk Mitigation Specialist, Environmental Policy & Programs, US Postal Service, for submitting this information.