GOLD STAR TROPHY WINNERS


Congratulations to Heber Springs and Clarksville Post Offices!  Each office has attained SIX GOLD STAR AWARDS!  They will each receive an engraved, lead crystal trophy to commemorate their outstanding customer service.

CONGRATULATIONS

GOLD STAR WINNERS!!



Bradley Alvey
Clarksville Post Office

Tamala Archer

Marion Post Office

Daniel Mearns

Russellville Post Office





Tamala Archer - Retail Associate Marion Post Office

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Letters from Santa program helps fulfill dreams

The Postal Service’s Letters From Santa program is helping keep the allure of jolly St. Nick alive.

Letters From Santa allows a parent, grandparent or any person to mail a letter to a child in their life from Santa postmarked at the North Pole.

This is how the program works:

• Write a letter from Santa Claus to the child and sign it “From Santa.”
• Place the letter into an envelope addressed to your child; use “Santa, North Pole” as the return address.
• Affix a First-Class Mail stamp to the envelope.
• Place the envelope into a larger envelope, affix the appropriate postage and address the larger envelope to:

NORTH POLE POSTMARK

POSTMASTER

4141 POSTMARK DR

ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998

•  Your letter from Santa will be mailed back to the child with a North Pole postmark.
• Multiple letters from Santa to different children can be mailed together in the larger envelope.

Letters from Santa must be mailed to the Anchorage, AK, Postmaster no later than Dec. 10. Santa’s helpers in Anchorage will take care of the rest.

IT’S TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

IT’S TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

TOP 10 EXPERT TIPS FOR

FLAWLESS HOLIDAY MAILING

Wrapping and gifting done — or at least almost! Be sure to help your family and friends avoid the last-minute mailing and shipping rush to keep the season merry. Take note of these common tips sure to keep the season bright — and Santa busy!

1. Print addresses clearly and in all CAPS and be sure to include all address elements —apartment numbers, suite numbers, directional information for streets. For example: 123 S Main St. or 12456 Elm St. N.

2. Include both “to” and “from” information on packages — and only on one side. Mark packages, “Fragile,” in large print on the outside of the box when shipping breakable materials.

3. Never guess a ZIP Code. Visit usps.com to find all ZIP Codes.

4. Select a box that is strong enough to protect the contents. Leave space for cushioning inside. Do not reuse mailing boxes — they weaken in the shipping process. Customers can purchase ReadyPost boxes at a local Post Office. Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes, envelopes and

tubes are free. With Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, if it fits, it ships.

5. Cushion contents with shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap or foam peanuts. Plain airpopped popcorn also is good for cushioning — it’s inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Pack contents tightly to avoid shifting during transit.

6. Always use tape that is designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylonreinforced

craft paper tape or glass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape. Do not use wrapping paper, string, masking tape or cellophane tape.

7. Place an extra label or notice with the delivery and return address inside the package. This

ensures the safe return of an item that could not be delivered should the outside label become

damaged or fall off.

8. Remove batteries from toys. Wrap and place them next to the toys in the mailing box. Customers should include the new batteries in the manufacturer’s packaging.

9. Stuff glass and fragile, hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage. When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.

10. Customers preparing international packages can complete customs forms, pay postage, print

a shipping label and receive a discount, too, online at usps.com/clicknship. And don’t forget — Express Mail delivery occurs on Christmas Day in many metropolitan areas.

Dec. 22 is the mailing deadline to most locations.

Arkansas Welcomes Donald Williams

as Senior Plant Manager

Donald Williams has been named Senior Plant Manager for the Arkansas District. He has been serving in this position since August 2012.

In this role, Donald will coordinate the efforts of more than 670 employees in the Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Fayetteville Processing and Distribution Centers, which together process and sort more than 6.5 million pieces of mail annually.

Donald is a 34-year Postal veteran who comes from the Great Lakes Area, where he was the Mail Processing Operations Manager for the Cardiss Collins Processing and Distribution Center in Chicago, Illinois. He began his Postal career in November 1978 as a Distribution Clerk in Chicago. He was promoted to his first supervisor position in 1986.

During his career, Donald has held a variety of managerial positions in Chicago including: Supervisor of Mail Processing and General Supervisor of Mails at the Old Chicago Main Post Office; and as Supervisor, Manager and Senior Manager of Distribution Operations at the Irving Park Road Processing and Distribution Center in Chicago.

He has earned his Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma training and is a graduate of the Career Management Program.

Donald is married and has three children.

Helping Hand
PERF offers aid to Sandy’s USPS victims

  

Donations by credit card or check — as well as quick contributions by texting just a few numbers on a cell phone — can go a long way towards directly helping postal employees whose homes have been damaged and families uprooted by Hurricane Sandy.

The Office of Personnel Management has authorized a “Special Solicitation” beyond the normal Combined Federal Campaign procedures to assist Hurricane Sandy’s victims. PMG Pat Donahoe has designated the Postal Employees’ Relief Fund (PERF) as the charity to receive these contributions.

One-time credit and debit card donations to PERF to specifically aid Postal Service victims of the devastating storm are accepted at the fund’s website (www.postalrelief.com) or by sending a check to the following address:

Postal Employee’s Relief Fund
PO Box 7630
Woodbridge, VA 22195

Postal employees also can text 50555 on their cell phones to make a one-time donation of $10 to PERF.

Employees may make donations specifically to aid Hurricane Sandy victims through Nov. 21.

PERF provides assistance grants to employees who are victims of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, wild fires and earthquakes. Established in 1990, PERF has distributed more than $16.2 million in grants to employees in need.

Southern Area takes first in end-to-end scanning scores

Southern Area takes first in end-to-end scanning scores

The Southern Area has captured first place in the end-to-end scanning performance ratings. Its score of 95.2 percent (as of Nov. 7) was almost two points higher than the national average for the week ending Nov. 2.

Arkansas was NUMBER ONE in the nation at the end of  FY 2012, with a score of  99.26 percent.

“I applaud every employee in the Arkansas District for this outstanding performance,” stated Kim Quayle, Arkansas District Manager. “It takes every person doing the right thing to achieve this level of excellence. Thank you.”

ELECTION DAY MAIL PROCESSING

The Postal Service plays a crucial role in the processing and delivery of Election Mail, which is critical to the American democratic process. On election night — Tuesday, Nov. 6 — employees must follow strict guidelines when turning over Business Reply Mail (BRM) ballots to voter registration officials.

Managers should make sure employees are aware of and adhere to these guidelines. Click here for a stand-up talk outlining these rules.

Additional information on Election Mail is available at Election 2012 on Blue.