Does This Stamp Look Familiar?

To kick off National Stamp Collecting Month on October 1, the Postal Service will issue the Earthscapes Forever stamps at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington DC.

Miami motorists may recognize one of the “Earthscapes” stamps, although they never may have seen it like this before.  The image shows where Highways 95 and 395 converge in a carefully-engineered, multi-level interchange.  It’s an aerial view of one of America’s urban crossroads.

This stamp pane presents examples of three categories of earthscapes: natural, agricultural, and urban. The photographs all were created high above the planet’s surface, either snapped by “eyes in the sky” — satellites orbiting the Earth — or carefully composed by photographers in aircraft.

In the top row, one flies over America’s stunning wilderness. While a volcanic eruption scars the forests of Washington State, fog drifts over the timeless sandstone towers of Utah’s Monument Valley.  In Alaska, a wide stripe that looks like a highway is actually a glacier, a conveyor belt of ice.  At its base, jagged white shards resembling broken glass are really icebergs, bobbing in a lake.

The stamps in the center row may look like abstract art, but they show five products being gathered, grown, or harvested: salt, timber, grain, cherries, and cranberries.  Center-pivot irrigation systems create geometric shapes in the middle stamp — although bystanders on the ground might see only sprinklers in fields of wheat, alfalfa, corn, and soybeans. 

In the bottom row, urban life takes center stage.  Highways corkscrew around themselves and neat subdivisions sport tiny blue pools. It’s our familiar world, shrunken into miniature — with a fresh perspective.

How to Obtain First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks

Customers have 60 days to obtain the First-Day-Of-Issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a South Florida Post Office beginning Monday, October 1.  They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Earthscapes Stamps Special Cancellations

PO Box 92282

Washington DC 20090-2282

(The above address is for requests for all of the Earthscapes stamps.  Below address is for the Highway Interchange stamp only.)

Highway Interchange Stamp Special Cancellation

Postmaster, Miami

PO Box 52-4004

Miami FL  33152-4004

After applying the First-Day-Of-Issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by December 2, 2012.

South Florida Kicks Off Annual CFC

Will the South Florida District win the traveling trophy as it did in the 2010 CFC?

It's official ... the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) has kicked off in South Florida.
One doesn't have to go far to find people in need.  Many of your family members, friends, and neighbors will at some point benefit from the services of charities participating in the CFC.  Whether it’s advances in medicine provided by research, support for our aging parents, disaster assistance or the opportunity for a child to participate in after school programs – we all have something to gain by supporting the campaign.  

For 50 years, the CFC has offered:

Choice – You get to direct your pledge to the organizations that are closest to your interests.  This year, you may choose from more than 3,000 listed in your Giving Guide.  

Convenience – Workplace giving has advantages.  Through payroll deduction, you can give more, while only having a small amount deducted from each paycheck.  Cash and checks also are accepted.  

Confidence – Each charity is screened by your federal peers.  Requirements of each charity include: a Health and Human Service impact statement, IRS determination letter, tax form 990, and certified audits where appropriate.

Did You Know?

-- At some point in their lives, 1 in 3 women is at high risk of getting cancer; for men, 1 in 2 is at high risk. 

-- Those veterans aged 20 through 24, who have served during the war on terror, had the highest suicide rate among all veterans - estimated between two and four times higher than civilians the same age.
-- One in 4 women in the United States has endured violence from an intimate partner.
-- Almost 11 million Americans are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
-- In order to afford rent of a two-bedroom apartment at a monthly fair market rent of $1,044, individuals earning minimum wage must work 3.3 full-time jobs.
-- One in 11 households faces a constant struggle against hunger.
-- About half of all homeless women and children are fleeing domestic violence.
-- One in three adults has some form of cardiovascular disease.   

    Ordinary people experience extraordinary needs even in ordinary times.  In extraordinary times like these, those needs continue to grow.  Every day of every year, your gift to the CFC delivers hope, dignity, and comfort to thousands of people.  Will you deliver when a key worker visits your place of business?

Holiday Shipping: It's Never Too Early

USPS has released its suggested mail-by dates to help customers make sure their packages, cards and letters arrive in time for this year’s holiday season.
The first holiday mailing deadline is November 13 for customers sending Parcel Post packages to APO and FPO addresses. Space Available Mail must be mailed by November 26, regardless of the APO and FPO address.
Last-minute shoppers have until December 22 — the deadline for Express Mail packages — to send mail in the U.S. But they would be wise to send their mail before the final deadline. 

2011 FSA Claims Due Sept 30, 2012

September 30, 2012 is the deadline for Flexible Spending Account (FSA) reimbursement claims for calendar year 2011. Expenses include those made during the grace period that expired March 31, 2012.

Employees should send their claims form to:

UnitedHealthcare
FSA Customer Service Center
PO Box 981506
El Paso, TX 79998-1506
Or fax forms to 915-231-1709.

For more details, check the FSA pages on LiteBlue. Or call the FSA Customer Service Center at 800-842-2026 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (ET).  

It's Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month.
This year’s theme for Hispanic Heritage Month is “Diversity united, building America’s future today.” The theme promotes the benefits of a united and diverse workforce by encouraging reflection on Hispanic-American contributions to the U.S.
Observance of Hispanic heritage began in 1968, when Congress passed a law designating the week including Sept. 15-16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. By incorporating these dates, the law celebrated the anniversaries of national independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. In 1988, Congress amended the law, expanding the observance to a month and giving it the name it has today.
The Postal Service has more than 55,000 employees of Hispanic descent.
This year, the Postal Service issued a stamp honoring Hispanic actor José Ferrer.

Political Mail on the Campaign Trail

Customers looking for help preparing Political Campaign Mail now can turn to usps.com for assistance.

The new Political Mail website provides a plethora of Political Campaign Mail resources, including tools to help determine which USPS mail service to use and the best way to get return mail. Available too are guidelines for properly addressing mail and tips for ensuring mailing lists are up to date.

Customers also can even receive help designing mailpieces and business reply return envelopes using the contact information for Mailpiece Design Analysts.
The website features links to information on the benefits of direct mail for campaign mailers, along with a link to request further assistance from the Postal Service.

Political Campaign Mail falls under the corporate “Election Mail” initiative — part of the Delivering Results, Innovation, Value and Efficiency (DRIVE) program. For more information, go to the DRIVE website on Blue. (Note: the website is available only to readers using postal computers or BlackBerries).

DPMG Visits Lone Star State

DPMG Ron Stroman (right) thanks Houston Letter Carrier Ocie Garrett for rescuing two children from their burning home.

Deputy Postmaster General Ron Stroman earlier this month visited the Houston District to talk with employees about the importance of good customer service. He shared with employees his personal vision of the Postal Service’s future and encouraged their feedback.
Stroman told employees he is optimistic about the state of the business and is especially proud of the outstanding job that they do on a daily basis “Throughout my career, I have never seen this level of dedication,” he said. “It’s very heartwarming, and makes me proud to be a part of the Postal Service.”
The DPMG also emphasized that now is the time to step up to the plate. “In order to remain viable in today’s world, the Postal Service has to offer what its competitors offer — and more,” he said.
According to Stroman, the four USPS Customer Experience Essentials — Telephone Courtesy, It Begins with a Smile, Delivery Done Right and We Value Your Business — have a positive impact on customers’ relationships with employees. He stressed the need to make every customer interaction a positive one.
The DPMG also took time to recognize a local hero. Almeda, TX, Post Office Letter Carrier Danny Thompson rescued two children who were asleep when a fire started in their home — an event which received considerable local media coverage.  
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Thompson said. “I think any citizen in Houston would have done the same thing.”