Sparkling Holidays Forever Stamps Now Available at Your Post Office

Today Postmaster General/CEO Megan Brennan will dedicate the Sparkling Holidays Forever stamps at the Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The four new stamps and a souvenir sheet showcase classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom. Each stamp portrays a close-up of Santa’s face. The four images featured in the booklet are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus.

The souvenir sheet includes a semi-jumbo stamp as part of a wider scene of one of Sundblom's paintings chosen for the Sparkling Holidays stamp booklet. In it, Santa is depicted standing by a fireplace holding a book that lists good boys and girls. Three Christmas stockings hang along a mantel decorated with greens and ornaments. Peering over his glasses, Santa reads a note among the stockings.

A quatrefoil design element surrounded by a metallic gold background encloses the scene. The use of gold metallic ink, the flow of the type, and the organic shape of the border are intended to harken back to the graphic style of the first half of the 20th century. Art director Greg Breeding designed the souvenir sheet and the stamps.

Santa’s legend is based on customs brought to America by European immigrants. St. Nicholas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, was one of Santa’s forebearers. He delivered gifts on December 5, the eve of his feast day. 

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USPS Issues Kwanzaa Stamp Today

The U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa, an annual Pan-African  holiday that brings together family, community, and culture for many African Americans. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #KwanzaaStamps.

The stamp is being issued today at the African American Cultural Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

With this new stamp design, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa, the annual Pan-African holiday, which takes place over seven days from December 26 to January 1 and brings together family, community and culture for many African-Americans.

The stamp art depicts a man, woman and child adorned in a mixture of western and traditional clothing, paying tribute to the holiday’s focus on the contemporary African-American experience while also drawing on African roots. The family is gathered around a kinara (candleholder), the warm light from the seven candles (mishumaa saba) illuminating their faces. Several other important Kwanzaa symbols sit on the table — a few ears of corn (muhindi) and various fruits and vegetables (mazao); the kikombe cha umoja (unity cup); and the mkeka, a straw mat on top of which everything is placed.

Each year, millions of African-Americans gather with friends and family throughout the week of Kwanzaa to honor the holiday’s seven founding principles — unity (Umoja), self-determination (Kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (Ujima), cooperative economics (Ujamaa), purpose (Nia), creativity (Kuumba) and faith (Imani). Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to the focus of one of these seven principles, collectively known as the Nguzo Saba.

Artist Floyd Cooper worked with art director Derry Noyes, who designed the stamp.

This is the seventh stamp design issued by the Postal Service in celebration of Kwanzaa. The first Kwanzaa commemorative stamp was issued in 1997. New designs also were issued in 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2016.

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Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria Sailed in 1492

Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus, an Italian-born explorer, in the Americas in 1492. Columbus Day 2018 occurs on Monday, October 8.

Columbus Day unofficially was celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th Century, but did not become a federal holiday until 1937. For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus’ achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage.

Columbus set sail in August 1492, bound for Asia with backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Columbus intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Instead, on October 12, he landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings established colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10^th Century.  

Columbus Day was originally observed every October 12, but was changed to the second Monday in October beginning in 1971.
 
Source: www.history.com 

Martindale is Plant Mgr, WPB P&DC

June Martindale (pictured right) has been selected as Plant Manager at the West Palm Beach Processing and Distribution Center. She has been detailed in this position since June 2018.

Martindale has almost 25 years of postal experience, beginning her career as a Data Conversion Operator at the West Des Moines, IA, Remote Encoding Center (REC). Later, she worked as a City Carrier in Webster City, IA.

In 1999, Martindale entered the managerial ranks, serving as a Supervisor, Distribution Operations in Fort Dodge, IA. She also held the positions of Supervisor, Customer Services and Manager, Customer Services, both in Des Moines, IA; and later was promoted to Manager, Customer Services. In 2012, Martindale was named Postmaster, Waterloo, IA, and later served as Postmaster, Cedar Rapids, IA. In July 2017, she was selected Operations Programs Analyst for the Southern Area.

During her career, Martindale accepted several detail assignments, including City Delivery Route Alternative Adjustment Process (CDRAAP) Lead, Green Belt Trainer, and Senior Manager, Post Office Operations in the Hawkeye District. She also was Senior Lead Manager, Distribution Operations for the Seattle District.

A Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certified Green Belt, Martindale currently is working on her LSS Black Belt certification. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Grand View College and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Drake University.

“Please join me in officially welcoming June to the South Florida postal family and in wishing her continued success in her career,” said South Florida District Manager Timothy Costello.

 

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