Hurricane Sandy: October 26 Update

The South Florida District Emergency Management Team continues to track Hurricane Sandy through National Hurricane Center Advisories. Their priority is the safety and well being of all employees. 

At 11 a.m., Sandy is a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 80 mph with higher gusts.   The National Hurricane Center reports that some weakening is possible during the next day or so. 

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center; tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 275 miles.  The wind field is expected to grow in size during the next couple of days.

The tropical storm watch for the Florida Keys south of Ocean Reef to Craig Key and for Florida Bay has been discontinued.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Florida East Coast from Ocean Reef to Flagler Beach, and Lake Okeechobee.  A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

At this time, all postal operations are normal throughout the South Florida District.  Employees are reminded to call the USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline for up-to-date information on work schedules and facility status.

USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline

1-888-363-7462

If you are a deaf or hard-of-hearing employee, here’s how to contact the Postal Service in an emergency: If you have a mobile phone with a relay app such as Sorenson, Sprint, Purple, etc., call the voice hotline number through your phone’s relay service or contact us online via the Federal IP Relay at www.federalip.us.  If you use TDD, call the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

New Federal Register Notices on Mailing and Shipping Services

International Product and Price Changes (Shipping Services) — In this final rule, the Postal Service provides revised mailing standards in the International Mail Manual (IMM) to reflect prices, product features, and classification changes to Shipping Services, including Global Express Guaranteed (GXG), Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, and First-Class Package International Service.  For additional information, please visit http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-10-23/html/2012-25994.htm.

International Mailing Services: Proposed Product and Price Changes (Mailing Services) — In this proposed rule, the Postal Service provides revised mailing standards throughout the various Individual Country Listings in the IMM to reflect price adjustments for Mailing Services — First-Class Mail International and extra services.  For additional information, please visit http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-10-23/html/2012-25992.htm.

New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products — In this proposed rule, the Postal Service provides revised mailing standards in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) to implement proposed Mailing Services price changes, including several mail classification changes, modifications to mailpiece characteristics, and changes in classification terminology. For additional information, please visit http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-10-23/html/2012-25995.htm.

Proper Handling of Absentee Ballots

USPS is reminding employees to deliver all Election Mail ballots to election officials, regardless of whether postage is due.

According to Postal Operations Manual 171.3, absentee ballots materials are handled differently than other unpaid or short-paid mailpieces. According to the policy, absentee ballots addressed to an election office — with or without sufficient postage — must be delivered and cannot be held for postage payment.

In addition:

• Short-paid and unpaid absentee balloting materials must not be returned to the voter for additional postage. Postage is collected from the election office upon delivery or at a later date.
• Account for absentee ballots with insufficient or no postage using existing procedures for postage-due mail. Try to collect the postage due from the election office at the time of delivery. However, absentee ballots must be delivered even if the receiving election office refuses to pay.
• Military and overseas absentee ballots bearing indicia “US Postage Paid 39 USC 3406” are not short-paid. No additional postage is needed.
• Willful delay of absentee balloting material or other election material is a violation of policy, ethics and the law.

For additional information, read the stand-up talk on the handling of absentee ballots with insufficient or no postage. Also refer to the stand-up talk for Business Reply Mail ballots for information on delivering ballots and collecting unpaid or short-paid fees at later dates.

Postal Service Delivers Holiday Cheer to Service Members Worldwide

Ensuring care packages arrive in time for the holiday season is a priority for friends and family members of military personnel serving around the world. To help get packages on their way, the U.S. Postal Service offers a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box at a price of $13.45. The price includes a $2 per box discount for military mail being sent to APO/FPO/DPO (Air/Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office, Diplomatic Post Office) destinations worldwide. 

In addition to a lower cost per package customers can be assured that shipping with the Postal Service will provide reliable, trusted and secure delivery to military personnel stationed anywhere in the world.

Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at local Post Offices, or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship.

To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by Dec. 25, cards and packages to military APO/FPO/DPO address oversees should be sent no later than the mailing dates listed below.
   

Military Mail Addressed To	Express Mail Military Service (EMM)	First-Class Mail           Letters/Cards	Priority Mail	Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)	Space Available Mail (SAM)	Parcel Post
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092	Dec. 17	Dec.10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 13
APO/FPO AE ZIP 093	N/A	Dec. 3	Dec. 3	Nov. 30	Nov. 26	Nov. 13
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 13
APO/FPO AA ZIP 340	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 13
APO/FPO AP ZIPs 962-966	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 13

EMM – Available at select military/diplomatic Post Offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.

PAL – Provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post Items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight for 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

SAM – Parcels are paid at Parcel Post prices with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined.  SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space available basis.

The recommended last day to mail the most economical postage to overseas military destinations, including Iraq and Afghanistan, is Nov. 13. Mail addressed to military Post Offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. APO/FPO/DPO addresses generally require customs forms.

Support Our Troops by Sending Care Packages

With Priority Mail service supplies as the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the Postal Service created a free “Military Care Kit” based on the items most frequently requested by military families.  The kit contains two Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes, two Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes, Priority Mail tape, Priority Mail address labels, and appropriate customs forms.  To order the kit, call 800-610-8734.
Guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found at www.usps.com/ship/apo-fpo-guidelines.htm.  To order Flat Rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo go to store.usps.com.

Hurricane Sandy: October 25 Update

The South Florida District Emergency Management Team continues to track Hurricane Sandy through National Hurricane Center Advisories.  Under the leadership of District Manager Jeffrey Becker, the EMT consists of senior postal managers and Postal Inspectors who meet regularly to review current weather conditions and to make operational decisions for the district.  Their priority is the safety and well being of all employees. 

Hurricane Sandy is approaching the Central Bahamas as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds at 105 mph.  Sandy is traveling north at 20 mph.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Florida East Coast from Ocean Reef to Flagler Beach, and Lake Okeechobee.  A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

A tropical storm watch is in effect from the Florida East Coast from north of Flagler Beach to Fernandina Beach, the Florida Upper Keys from Ocean Reef to Craig Key, and Florida Bay.  A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area.

Employees are encouraged to listen to local weather reports for updates on Hurricane Sandy.

At this time, all postal operations are normal throughout the South Florida District.  Employees are reminded to call the USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline for up-to-date information on work schedules and facility status.

USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline

1-888-363-7462

If you are a deaf or hard-of-hearing employee, here’s how to contact the Postal Service in an emergency:

If you have a mobile phone with a relay app such as Sorenson, Sprint, Purple, etc., call the voice hotline number through your phone’s relay service or contact us online via the Federal IP Relay at www.federalip.us.  If you use TDD, call the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

750 Million Santa and Sleigh Stamps to Guide St. Nick 'Forever'

St. Nick begins navigating the nation’s mailstream to the tune of 750 million Santa and Sleigh Forever stamps. The stamp art was inspired by the 1823 poem by Clement C. Moore, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “The Night Before Christmas” or “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

On Saturday, October 13, the first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony took place at the Sunset Terrace of the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers, Pier 61 – 23rd St. and the Hudson River in New York City.  Joining U.S. Postal Service Northeast Area Vice President Richard Uluski in dedicating the stamps will be 2002 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Sarah Hughes.

“The issuance of a new American stamp is always a thrilling and historical event,” said Hughes, “and I am excited that the use of the Santa and Sleigh Forever stamps will help the nation celebrate the holiday season.”

“For the past 50 years, the Postal Service has issued Christmas-themed stamps,” said Uluski, “And it’s no surprise that since our first 4-cent Christmas ‘Wreath and Candles’ stamp was issued back in 1962, all of our holiday stamps — 102 to date — have been extremely popular. What makes these new Santa and Sleigh stamps truly unique is that this is the first time we’ve ever had a continuous picture across four Christmas stamps.”

Holiday stamps represent nearly 10 percent of all stamp sales with more than 90 billion printed since 1962. Originally drawn in pencil on paper, the image portrays Santa Claus flying through the air in his sleigh. With a cargo of toys and gifts produced in his workshop by elves, he lands on the rooftop of house after house and slides down the chimney to leave presents for girls and boys of all ages.

The 2012 Holy Family Forever stamp was issued October 10. Other holiday stamps include Eid, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. 

How to Obtain the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The USPS Store website at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. 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:

Santa and Sleigh Stamp Booklet

Postmaster
421 Eighth Ave., Rm. 2029B
New York, NY 10199-9998

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 

It's 'National Stamp Collecting Month'

October is "National Stamp Collecting Month."  Stamp collecting has often been called “the hobby of kings and the king of hobbies.” Linn’s Stamp News estimates that more than 5 million individuals in the United States collect the small pieces of paper that indicate payment of postage.
Stamps collectors include individuals from all walks of life. While President Frank Roosevelt may have been the most famous U.S. collector, other well-known collectors include financial gurus Bill Gross and Warren Buffet; astronaut Henry Hartsfield; actors Gary Burghoff, James Earl Jones and Patrick Dempsey; author James Michener; explorer Jacques Cousteau; former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova; musicians John Lennon, Freddy Mercury and Ron Wood; cartoonist Gary Trudeau; and former French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

From baseball fans to lovers of mother nature to hard-core collectors, the U.S. Postal Service’s line-up of products for National Stamp Collecting Month has something for everyone.

Among the new products are The 2012 Stamp Yearbook and 39th edition of The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps.
The stamps of 2012 celebrate a rich patchwork of American life — from poets and choreographers to national pastimes and cultural celebrations. Full of intriguing stories, stunning images and exciting new features, The 2012 Stamp Yearbook is the perfect way to savor and enjoy the year’s program.
The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps, in an easy-to-use, oversize format, is a “must-have” for collectors. This fully illustrated four-color guide to U.S. stamps is the official publication providing the most comprehensive information available about the U.S. stamp program. Beginning with the first stamps issued in 1847, the guide covers more than 4,000 stamps issued up to the present.
For baseball fans and stamp enthusiasts, Play Ball! is the perfect keepsake. The 8-1/2” x 11”,40-page softbound book is filled with the vivid paintings of artist Graig Kreindler, whose extraordinary work captures our national pastimes’ biggest icons in action. The issuances included in this book are: The 2001 Legendary Playing Fields, 2010 Negro Leagues Baseball and the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps.
Historians and students of the Civil War will want to add to their collection The Civil War: 1862 Commemorative Folio.  This extraordinary commemorative package captures a piece of Civil War history and the second stamp issuance in the five-year Civil War Sesquicentennial series.  The package consists of a handsome tri-fold folio containing The Civil War: 1862 souvenir sheet of 12 stamps and a collectible card showcasing two affixed stamps and two official First-Day-of-Issue postmarks.
Mother Earth never looked so captivating and — collectible — than on a 500-piece puzzle featuring 15 breathtaking images of America’s landscapes as seen from high above the planet’s surface. Sure to provide hours of entertainment for all ages, the 18 x 24-inch puzzle also makes a spectacular piece of art to frame or display once completed. It comes with a sheet of 15 Earthscapes Forever stamps.