Batter Up! Postal Service Hits Homer At Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

Joe DiMaggio had an outstanding baseball career complete with 10 pennants and nine World Series titles, a collection of awards, and a Baseball Hall of Fame induction.  Yet there was another part of his life that brought incredible meaning to him in his later years.  In 1992, DiMaggio gave his name and fundraising efforts to support a children’s hospital at Memorial Regional in Hollywood FL, making clear the one caveat to all of his support:  No child will ever be turned away because of inability to pay. 

On Saturday, September 8, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital hosted a birthday party celebrating 20 years of world-class healthcare.  A highlight was District Manager Jeffrey Becker and Hollywood Officer-In-Charge Michael Lloyd who presented an enlargement of the Joe DiMaggio stamp to hospital administrators Nina Beauchesne and Sharon Kaplan and to Morris Engelberg, DiMaggio’s friend and confidante.  During the stamp dedication, Engelberg praised the man behind the legend who was admired for his skill and grace as a fielder and 
base runner.

District Manager Jeffrey Becker and Hollywood Officer-In-Charge Michael Lloyd get ready for stamp presentation.  Photo:  Eileen Cescon

(L to R):  Morris Engelberg, Jeffrey Becker, Michael Lloyd, and Nina Beauchesne on stage.

Photo:  Eileen Cescon

Mr. and Mrs. Morris Engelberg pose with DiMaggio stamp framed artwork.  Photo: Eileen  Cescon 

Hospital administration and a host of celebrities gather onstage for the lighting of the cake.                                     Photo:  Eileen Cescon

Sparky the Fire Dog shakes on a promise to Hollywood OIC Michael Lloyd that the neighborhood dogs will respect their letter carrier.  Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

(L to R) Hollywood OIC Michael Lloyd and wife, Jo; Miami Customer Relations Coordinator Briggett Glinton; Fort Pierce Customer Relations Coordinator Ann Marie Tighe; Hollywood Supervisor, Customer Services Alyce McMahon; and Hollywood Clerk Robin Stewart.  Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

Morris Engelberg, Joe DiMaggio's friend and confidante, takes a closer look at the special cachet envelope commemorating the hospital's 20-year anniversary.                                             Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

Special cachet envelope is available at $4.00 each at Hollywood Post Offices.

Mrs. Engelberg (in green) chats with CRC Ann Marie Tighe (right) while Eileen Cescon (background) takes a break from photography duties to chat with Mr. Engelberg.  Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

Giant Golden Oreo cookie and friends can't wait to taste the birthday cake.  Photo:  Briggett Glinton

(L to R) Hospital Administrator Sharon Kaplan; Joe DiMaggio's good friend, Morris Engelberg; District Manager Jeffrey Becker, Hollywood Officer-In-Charge Michael Lloyd; and Hospital Administrator Nina Beauchesne.  Photo:  Briggett Glinton

Batten Down the Hatch Act

During this election season, remember to review provisions of the Hatch Act which applies to all postal employees.  The Hatch Act prohibits employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, in any government office, wearing an official uniform or using a government vehicle. That means no shirts and no hats, buttons or other items displaying the name or likeness of a candidate or political party. The law also prohibits employees from distributing partisan political messages at work.

Using a USPS computer or telephone to make a political contribution also is illegal, as is making political contributions while on the clock. Employees who use USPS email to send partisan political messages violate federal law and risk losing their jobs. Employees who receive email containing such messages should immediately delete them.

Employees can place political bumper stickers on their personal vehicles. If an employee’s car is parked on postal or other government property, the Hatch Act limits to one the number of visible bumper stickers that can be placed on the vehicle. If the vehicle is used for postal business, the employee must cover all political bumper stickers during the time the car is used for official work.

Employees aren’t completely prohibited from participating in the political process. They can register to vote and support their favorite candidates by voting on Election Day. Employees can participate in registration drives and contribute money to political organizations. They also can be candidates for public office, but only in nonpartisan elections.

For “Frequently Asked Questions about the Hatch Act:   

https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2012/09sep/hatchact_faqs.htm.  Employees also may contact their local Field Law Office for more information, call the Ethics Helpline at 202-268-6346, or send an email to ethics.help@usps.gov.

DiMaggio Stamp to Hit Home Run at Children's Hospital this Saturday

Joe DiMaggio had an outstanding baseball career complete with 10 pennants and nine World Series titles, a collection of awards, and a Baseball Hall of Fame induction, yet there was another part of his life that brought incredible meaning to him in his later years.  In 1992, DiMaggio gave his name and fundraising efforts to support a children’s hospital at Memorial Regional in Hollywood FL, making clear the one caveat to all of his support:  No child will ever be turned away because of inability to pay. 

On Saturday, September 8, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is hosting a birthday celebration commemorating 20 years of world-class healthcare.  The event will be from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on hospital grounds at 1005 Joe DiMaggio Blvd in Hollywood.   At 6:00 pm, District Manager Jeffrey Becker and Hollywood Officer-In-Charge Michael Lloyd will present an enlargement of the Joe DiMaggio stamp to hospital administrators and to Morris Engelberg, DiMaggio's closest friend and confidante over the last 16 years of his life.

To commemorate the hospital’s “two decades of world-class care,” the Postal Service created a special cachet envelope.  At the event, employees will distribute flyers promoting the availability of these cachets at $4.00 each at these Hollywood Post Offices:

Hollywood Main Office, 1801 Polk St

Hillcrest Postal Store, 4229 Hollywood Blvd

West Hollywood Hills Branch,  5771 Johnson St

This birthday party is a community event for families with a children’s movie under the stars, petting zoo, interactive games, and many other kid-friendly activities – all free!  Be sure your children visit the postal booth to pick up a coloring book and crayons while supplies last.

*  Employees are reminded that participation is an off-the-clock activity.

Heat Postal Commemoratives Still Hot

This summer may be the hottest on record — for more than one reason. 
For a limited time, the Miami, FL, Post Office is offering matted artwork with a commemorative envelope to celebrate the Miami Heat’s 2012 National Basketball Association Championship. 

The artwork is available for $19.99 (plus $7.70 total shipping and handling charge for one or more items).  For an order form, please visit: https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2012/08aug/miami-heat_order-form_8-2-12.pdf.

For the cost of envelopes and postage, customers also can request a pictorial postmark commemorating the Heat’s championship. Customers should affix stamps to any envelope or postcard of their choice and send their requests to: Pictorial Postmarks, Champions Station, Postmaster, PO Box 524004, Miami, FL 33152-4004.

Customers also can send stamped envelopes and postcards without addresses for postmark, as long as they supply a larger return envelope with adequate postage and their address.
There’s a charge of 5 cents per additional envelope to be postmarked, when ordering 51 or more. Checks should be made out to “Postmaster.”

Handle with Care

When customers send a package containing the remains of a loved one through the mail, they trust the Postal Service to handle it with care.
Customers have the option of mailing cremated human remains — “cremains” — to a domestic address using either Registered Mail or Express Mail Service.
For cremains sent to international addresses, Registered Mail Service is the only option. The country listing in the International Mail Manual must indicate that cremated remains are permitted and that Registered Mail Service is available for that country.
According to Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, human ashes must be packed in siftproof or other containers and sealed in durable siftproof outer containers. The contents should be identified on the address side of the package.  See Postal Bulletin 22242 for more information.

SFL 'Wait' for Recognition is Over

USPS has been conducting a Wait-Time-in-Line (WTIL) Traveling Trophy Competition to improve the retail customer experience (RCE).
At the end of each quarter, the district in each Area with the best WTIL score receives an award it retains for the next quarter. High-performing districts also receive congratulatory letters from Delivery and Post Office Operations VP Dean Granholm.
In quarter 3 results, five districts were consecutive winners, and two — Greensboro (98 percent) and Northern New England (97.2 percent) — have won six consecutive times.  
This is the first time that five districts have won WTIL recognition for two consecutive quarters. Central Pennsylvania, Gateway and Sacramento districts also have repeated their award-winning performance for the second consecutive quarter.
Other high-performing districts include Arkansas (94.6 percent) and Hawkeye (95.4 percent).
Many districts showed significant improvement in the third quarter. South Florida District’s score went from just under 76 percent in fiscal year 2011 to 84.7 percent in the first quarter of 2012 — an increase of more than 8 percentage points.
The Postal Service’s overall performance in quarter 3 was 89.8 percent.

Broaden Your Horizons in Key West

Are you looking to broaden your postal horizons?  Here’s an opportunity to be a Supervisor, Customer Services, EAS-17, at the Key West Post Office at 400 Whitehead Street in Key West.  This ad-hoc position, not to exceed two years, is open to all qualified EAS career employees within the South Florida District.  

Applications will be accepted September 1–12, 2012.    

OCCUPATION CODE:  2310-0022

NON-SCHEDULED DAYS:  SUN/TUES    HOURS:  0500 - 1400

(P``                               (Per diem and lodging will be approved for the selected applicant.) 

A Supervisor, Customer Services supervises a group of employees in the delivery, collection, and distribution of mail, and in window service activities within a Post Office, station or branch, or detached unit.

REQUIREMENTS

1.   KNOWLEDGE OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT systems and standards, and customer satisfaction indicators, as they relate to customer service operations.

2.  CHANGE MANAGEMENT: Prepares employees for change by establishing and maintaining continuous dialogue with employees; communicates change to employees and reassures them during the transition from present to future state.

3.   COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Organizes and expresses thoughts and information in a clear and concise manner while tailoring the message to the audience; engages in active listening; is aware of the impact of nonverbal cues on the message being delivered; takes into account the feelings and motivation of others when delivering  a message.

4.   EMPLOYEE FOCUS: Establishes a positive and safe work environment conducive to increasing productivity through treating employees with dignity and respect; defines the roles of employees and clarifies their responsibilities for the success of the organization; provides employees with the tools and support they need to accomplish their goals.

5.  FUNCTIONAL ADMINISTRATION: Completes administrative tasks; generates and analyzes daily reports to ensure appropriate documentation of operations.

6.    OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: Manages the operation through the use of operational plans developed to drive work unit and organizational performance; addresses labor relations issues and applies knowledge of local and national agreements to solve workplace conflicts; analyzes data on a regular basis to determine if adjustments to current operations are necessary to achieve goals.

7.    PERSONAL ACUMEN: Adapts to changes in the business environment; demonstrates trustworthiness and initiative to accomplish work unit and organizational goals and objectives.

8.    WORK UNIT PLANNING: Determines priorities of the work unit on a daily and weekly basis; identifies resources (employees and capital) needed to accomplish goals and allocates resources as allowed to support the priorities and goals established for the work unit and organization as a whole.

Interested employees must submit their eCareer profile, along with a summary of accomplishments addressing the above requirements.  Applications should be mailed for receipt by COB, Wednesday, September 12, to:                 

JOSEPH CROCE

MANAGER, POST OFFICE OPERATIONS

16000 PINES BLVD

PEMBROKE PINES FL 33082-9998