The Alabama District a Big Winner at the Iron Bowl

Although the Iron Bowl is being played as Postmarks types this post, one thing is already clear: the Alabama District scored a big victory in the off-the-field events. This morning before the game, sales of the Iron Bowl 75th Anniversary Commemorative Envelope were phenomenal when we visited the Tuscaloosa Main Post Office. 



            Customer Phillip Casteel shows off his purchase. We know which team he is rooting for!



Tuscaloosa Distribution Clerk Wes Fuller made sure to buy a handful on his break.





SSDA Pam Conley counts out 18 commemorative envelopes purchased by one customer. Pam and all of the other Tuscaloosa window clerks really had to be on their toes this morning.





Customer Deborah Lavender (whose husband happens to be a Postal employee) stopped by to get her share.





  Customer Bill Swartz is happy to have us peek at the lovely cards that make up his hand. Would you call that a full house?






Opelika Supervisor Ray Porterfield (l) and Valley Postmaster Shawn Daley (r) stop by on their way to the big game. Even on their days off, they can't resist the urge to visit the Post Office.

If you would like to purchase your own Iron Bowl 75th Anniversary Commemorative Envelope, they go on sale at many other Post Offices across the state starting tomorrow. You'd better get them soon because supplies are limited, and this already appears to be a very popular collector's item and holiday gift.

A True Hero

On November 15, 2010, Mobile AMS Specialist Mary Freeman attended the JINSA Grateful Nation Awards on behalf of her son, Christopher, who was one of six recipients. According to JINSA, "The Grateful Nation Award, established in 2003, is presented annually to six young heroes recognized for having distinguished themselves through superior conduct in the War on Terrorism. Honorees are chosen by their respective service and come from the enlisted, noncommissioned officer and junior officer ranks. Honorees represent each of the five branches of the U.S. military and the U.S. Special Operations Command."

Christopher, a pararescue team leader in the US Army, declined to attend the event himself because he didn't want another soldier to have to deploy in his place, so his mother Mary, his wife, and his father-in-law were flown to Washington to accept the award on his behalf. 

He received the award for multiple actions of bravery in the War on Terrorism while serving in Afghanistan, including saving the lives of three wounded soldiers in a casualty evacuation mission while sustaining enemy fire. So far, Christopher is responsible for treating 147 patients and saving 98 lives. 

We'll have more about Christopher in the upcoming issue of Postmarks, and we thank Mary Freeman and Rebecca DeMouy for sharing his story with us. 

On the Thanksgiving Day, we are grateful for the unselfish service and dedication of Christopher and all of our other active duty soldiers who are away from their families today. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Postal Family Bowling

Last Sunday, all Alabama District CFC contributors were invited to a bowling party at Brunswick Lanes in Hoover. Hundreds of people attended the 3-shift affair, and everybody had a blast, as you can see in the following pictures:

At the party, all CFC contributors were entered in a variety of drawings. Here is a list of the 21 winners:

1. Audrey Betts (Annex T1) - $16.00 dinner Gift Certificate to Golden Temple

2. Kathleen Martin (Mgr, Injury Comp) - Free Hair Cut at SportClips & Dinner Certificate to Fifes
3. Eric Coleman (Bham Plant - T1) - Certificate for 1 hour Free Bowling at Oak Mountain Lanes for up to 5 people w/ free shoe rental
4. John Ollie (Green Springs Carrier Facility) - $16.00 dinner Gift Certificate to Golden Temple
5. Lisa Parker (Center Point) - Dinner Certificate to Fifes
6. Merrill Ponder (Shelby Post Office) - $25 Gift Certificate to Dreamland Barbecue
7. Ricky Pulliam (West End Post Office) - Dinner Certificate to Fifes
8. Calvin White (Annex) $20.00 Dinner Gift Certicate to McCormick & Schmick's
9. Denise Daffron (Ragland Post Office) - One Free Round of Golf w/ 1/2 cart included at Bent Brook Golf Course
10. Robert Sealy (Center Point) - $5.00 worth of Food at Tony's Hot Dogs in Southgate Shopping Center (Hwy 31 South)
11. Stephany Allison (Finance) -$21.00 MVP & Hair Cut Gift Certificate at SportClips
12. J. J. Rutledge (Woodlawn Post Office) - $10 worth of Food at Tony's Hot Dogs in Southgate Shopping Center (Hwy 31 South)
13. Anthony Ruffin (Bham Plant-T1) - $21.00 MVP & Hair Cut Gift Certificate at SportClips
14. Helen Norred (Lineville Post Office ) - One Free Round of Golf w/ 1/2 cart included at Bent Brook Golf Course & $5.00 worth of Food at Tony's Hot Dogs

The Seven Winners below received a (2010 Trail Card to Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail) that can be used at 1 of 10 Locations:
15. Rebecca Smith (Montevallo) 16. Christopher Ritchey (Shannon) 17. Stephanie Young (Shelby)
18. LaWanda Harper (Center Point) 19. Francetta Gray (Hoover) 20. Leora Byrd (Hueytown)
21. Sheila Lynch (Woodlawn)

"Be the Match!" says Shaq

A message from Alabama District Nurse Kathryn Sherrill: 

The Sweet Taste of Victory at the Pelham Post Office

Pelham Carrier Kimberly Humphrey was one of four Quarter 3 winners of the Rural Reach/ Customer Connect Contest.  Winners were determined from a combination of the numbers of leads submitted with the most successful leads that resulted in sales of $25,000 or more. The winning offices received breakfast.

Pictured are Kimberly Humphrey (l) with Pelham Postmaster Rhonda Kimbrough. Kimberly received breakfast provided for the entire Pelham Post Office staff, a certificate of appreciation, and a gift of Postal memorabilia from Kimbrough for having submitted a successful lead for the store Bama Fever/ Team Fever, which brought in $35,000 of revenue to the USPS.

When asked about her approach to submitting leads, Kimberly replied, "I just know that we have a great product and that we give a much better price and better service. And coming from me, because they know me, my customers believe me."

Congratulations, Kimberly, and we look forward to hearing about who is going to win this quarter.

American Indian Heritage Month

Don't forget about the American Indian History Month Festival 2010 that is being held tomorrow in Dothan. From Come See Alabama:

American Indian History Month Festival


Please join the nine recognized American Indian Tribes of Alabama as we welcome friends from around the southeastern United States Saturday, November 20, 2010 at the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama for American Indian History Month Festival 2010. Activities include: gourd dancing, grand entry in traditional dress, traditional powwow dancing, stomp dance, host northern drum & host southern drum, guest southern drum, flute music, living history exhibits by recognized tribes, storytelling and lots of great door prizes for the audience. This year's guest flutist will be Emerson Begay (Navajo). Other special guest: The Nation of Change Dancers, Muscogee Creek Nation Stomp Dancers Speedy & Saundra Harley and Story Teller Laura Sanders (Star Clan of Creek Indians). Doors open at 4:30pm. Admission cost is $10.00 for spectators. Children 5 & under enter free. More event information is available at www.aifestival.net. We would also like to thank the Dothan Police Department for serving as our event security & helping us provide another great year of safe family fun for the whole community.

And before you go, you might want to learn how to greet someone in the language of their Alabama tribe. This comes from The Alabama Native American Homepage:

Alabama: Chikmaa! (pronounced "chick-mah")
Biloxi: He he! (pronounced "hay hay")
Cherokee: (pronounced "oh-see-yo")
Chickasaw: Chokma! (pronounced "choke-mah")
Choctaw: Halito! (pronounced "hah-lih-toh")
Coushatta: Ciká'nó! (pronounced "chee-kah-no")
Muskogee: Hesci! (pronounced "heese-chee")

Iron Bowl 75th Anniversary Commemorative Envelope

Vote to Give Your Stamp of Approval

If you would like to vote for your favorite stamp that was released in 2010, visit Beyond the Perf , which is the Online magazine of USA Philatelic. You'll have 24 stamps from which to choose -- Negro League Baseball, Adopt a Shelter Pet, Mother Teresa, Scouting, and Sunday Funnies are a mere handful -- and the last day to do so is December 5, 2010. You will also be asked why the stamp you pick is your favorite (answering is optional).

While you're there, if you have any interest in stamps or stamp collecting, you can sign up to receive an online subscription to Beyond the Perf, a print copy of The Best of Beyond the Perf, and a print subscription to USA Philatelic, all of which are free.

Go vote for YOUR favorite, and Postmarks will let you know the results.

Be Somebody's Hero Tomorrow

On Thursday, November 18, the CFC team is having a non-cash charity drive in Room 277 of the Birmingham Main Post Office from 12:00pm - 8:00pm. The team is seeking donations of the following items:

• Toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, kleenex, hairbrushes, combs, etc.
• Non-perishable food items such as canned or dry goods, bottled water, etc.
• New or gently used coats, sweaters, gloves, scarves, socks, blankets, etc., anything that might help someone stay warm.

The CFC team will donate all items to charities that are listed in our pledge booklets. Participants will receive a CFC recognition gift, refreshments, and door prizes. The final drawing for a Leadership Gift will be at 2:00pm: the winner will receive an overnight stay at the Courtyard-Marriot Hotel.

Please come and join in the Postal spirit of giving. This will be the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

Safety Pays

On November 9 at the Alabama District Office in Birmingham, Safety Awards were given to the offices in Alabama that did the most to reduce accidents in FY 2010.

District Manager William Mitchell (l), Huntsville Postmaster Julia Boykin (c), Birmingham Plant Manager Mitchell Cade (r). Boykin was recognized for leading the facility that had the most reductions on both motor vehicle and industrial accidents.

Mitchell, Area 2 MPOO Greg Connor (c), Cade. Connor's facility improved the most on both motor vehicle and industrial accidents.

Mitchell,  Mobile Plant Manager Jason Reide (c), Cade. Reide led his facility to a 50% reduction in motor vehicle and industrial accidents.

Mitchell, Fairhope Manager Gaylon Levins (c), Cade

Mitchell, Tillmans Corner Manager Mitchell Goff (c), Cade

Mitchell, East Gadsden Manager Carla Daniels (c), Cade

Safety Manager Willette Davis (l) holds a bowl containing the names of all of the Alabama Post Offices that have remained accident free for the past four years. From that group, five managers were selected to receive $300.

All of the offices are listed below, with the winners highlighted in red.

Bankston, Coosada, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Eldridge, Fort Deposit, Fort Mitchell, Gallion, Harpersville, Hope Hull, McKenzie, Minter, Palmerdale, Peterson, Ramer, Rockford, Rutledge, Steele, Citronelle, Falkville, Goodwater, Livingston, Nauvoo, Reform, and Weaver.

Being safe should be everyone's number one priority. Hopefully, your office will be in the running at the end of this year.

Small But Mighty: Fairfield Post Office is Number 1 With the Customer

Out of over 600 Post Offices in the Alabama District, the Fairfield Post Office is ranked #1 for the Retail Customer Experience. Window clerks Jacqueline Washington, Robert Mitchell, and Rodrigo Mays work hard to serve the customers. In fact, on the morning when Postmarks visited Fairfield, it was quite difficult to tear them away from the steady stream of customers long enough to snap some pictures.



Pictured left to right: Supervisor Amethyst Stewart, SSDA Rodrigo Mays, SSDA Robert Mitchell, and Postmaster Ed Young.

About the Fairfield window staff, Ed Young brags, "They do an excellent job. I sit here in the office and hear them helping customers. Asking all of the right questions, greeting each customer with a smile, has become second nature to all three of them."

Brown, Mitchell, Stewart, and Mays. Not pictured is Jacqueline Washington.

The Fairfield Post Office Mural Spirit of Steel, which was painted by Frank Hartley Anderson in 1938.

And the Winner Is...

At the Health Fair on November 9, the CFC Team also had a table. The highlight of the afternoon was a drawing for Ironbowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) tickets and a pre-game meal. Entrants were CFC contributors of $1,000 or more.

Former Alabama quarterback Andrew Zow (1998-2001) with the CFC team. Zow agreed to be present to select the winner.

CFC team member Rhonda Henry is full of anticipation. Who will be the lucky winner?

No peeking.

Congratulations to Mr. Earl White, who is a Tour I mail handler at the Birmingham Plant.

When asked how he felt about the big win, White replied, "Elated!"

Other winners of the day were Alisha Clardy of the Hoover Post Office, who won $125 gift certificate for a Carousel Birthday Party at the Riverchase Galleria, and Giner Gray of the Clanton Post Office, who won the CFC gift basket.

But they weren't the only winners:  everybody wins when they contribute to the Combined Federal Campaign.

This just in from the CFC team:

WE HAVE MET AND EXCEEDED OUR GOAL: WE ARE AT $364,565.92, and the deadline has been extended to Friday, November 19th!

Birmingham Post Office Health Fair

Once again, we're reminding everyone that it is now open season for our health benefits. On November 9, there was a health fair for employees at the Birmingham Main Post Office. Representatives from several of the available plans were there to answer questions. Also present were various health organizatins and charities, and employees were given th opportunity to register with Be the Match, the bone marrow donation program.

If you weren't able to attend or are seeking more guidance in making an informed decision regarding your health care plan, you can visit the U.S Office of Personnel Management's website by clicking here.

Employees Donda Davis (l) and Danita Childers receive information packets from a Blue Cross representative. When Postmarks asked the Blue Cross representative what set her plan apart from the others  (we asked all of the representatives the same question), she responded, "We have the largest provider network. 100% of hospitals and 96% of physicians participate."

Alzheimer's of Central Alabama Tami Byrd (l) answers questions for Viola Freeman (c). The organization provides support and services for patients and caregivers in 21 Alabama counties.

Employee L.D.Brown (l) discusses the APWU Health Plan with Insurance Representative Jeffrey Matthews. When Postmarks asked Matthews what set the APWU plan apart from the other plans, Matthews replied that the APWU plan covers hypertension and diabetes at 100%, that it is a consumer-driven plan, and added, "If you have any questions or concerns, anyone can call our CEO on the phone, and he will answer. About how many companies can you say that?"

Alabama District Manager William Mitchell (r) with Be the Match's Deleana Allsopp. Be the Match is the foundation that pairs people needing bone marrow transplants with bone marrow donors. About the program, Ms. Allsopp said, "By letting us take a swab and by filling out a little paperwork, people can put themselves on the path to saving someone's life."

For a complete list of open season deadlines, look to the upper right corner on our homepage.

Freebies and Discounts for Veterans

Since about 2,000 Alabama District USPS employees are veterans, and many more are related to or know veterans, Postmarks thought that a list of free or discounted meals, goods, and services in honor of Veterans Day might be beneficial.

One website that has a long list of freebies for veterans is The Military Wallet. Here are some of the highlighted offers:

Applebee's: free meal on Thursday, November 11

Golden Corral: The 9th annual Golden Corral Military Appreciation dinner will be held on Monday, November 15, 2010 from 5 pm to 9 pm in all Golden Corral Restaurants nationwide. The free “thank you” dinner is available to any person who has ever served in the United States Military.

Chili's: free meal on Thursday, November 11.

Hooter's: free meal on Thusday, November 11.

Outback Steakhouse: free Bloomin’ Onion and Beverage on Thursday, November 11.

Krispy Kreme: free doughnut.

Subway: free six-inch sub.

Lowe's and Home Depot: 10% discount.

T.G.I. Friday’s: buy one get one free on  November 11-14.

Free Entrance to National Parks on November 11, as well as to Florida state parks (no word yet on Alabama).

Sam's Club: free Hugo® Canes for Veterans

Dollar General: 10% discount on entire purchase on Veteran’s Day

Click here to see a longer list and to obtain more details about the offers at The Military Wallet.

Postal Service studies consolidation of Huntsville facility with Birmingham

by Budd McGlaughlin
From al.com:

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The Postal Service is studying operations at its Wall Triana Highway facility and the feasibility of consolidating some of them with the Birmingham Processing and Distribution Center.


But, said a spokesman for the Postal Service, it has nothing to do with the quality of work here and a possible decision is still months away.

"The objective is to reduce costs, nothing else," said Joseph Breckinridge, the communications director for the Alabama-North Florida region.


The study, known as an Area Mail Processing study, involves an extensive review of mail processing and transportation operations in the respective areas served by the Huntsville and Birmingham plants.

The Postal Service has been searching for ways to cut costs in the way of a continuing loss of volume and revenue. From its peak in 2007, when 212 billion pieces were processed and delivered, total mail volume declined more than 40 billion pieces - with even sharper drops in single-piece first class mail. Experts expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future.

"As a result of volume losses, we have more facilities, equipment and people than we need to process a declining volume of mail," said William J. Mitchell, the Postal Service's Alabama District manager. "We have to reduce the size of our network because we are no longer receiving enough revenue to sustain its cost. One way to do that is to consolidate operations where feasible.

"That's why we're doing this study. Consolidating processing operations and placing our people where we need them always makes good business sense. We're only doing what any company would do when hit with sharp and persistent declines in income."

Breckenridge said the operations studied for consolidation concern processing mail originating in North Alabama. That operation would go to Birmingham, which is how mail is already distributed on weekends.

There are 210 people who process mail at the Wall Triana distribution facility, which serves all of North Alabama, Breckenridge said.

"We have others who finalize mail for delivery at the post offices and stations throughout Northern Alabama - but they would not be affected," he said. "Likewise, we have letter carriers and retail clerks but they would not be affected either."

He said in other consolidation moves, career employees have been placed in other Postal Service jobs.

But Breckenridge stressed that this is just a study and "we are many months from even a tentative decision."

The Postal Service is soliciting the public's input as part of the study process. Comments may be submitted to: Consumer Affairs Manager, U.S. Postal Service, P.O. Box 395, Birmingham AL 35203-0395

"As the song says, don't blink," says Larry Worley after 50 years of service.

When City Carrier Larry Worley was 15, his family moved from a farm to the city. The mailman in his new neighborhood allowed Larry to deliver his sack of mail to one side of the street and Larry's younger sister to deliver to the other side, unknowingly changing the course of Larry's life. Young  Larry thought to himself, "This is what I want to be!"

At 18, Larry officially became employed by the Postal Service. 50 years later, he is still as enthusiastic about his job and is still going strong. 

Last Thursday, employees at Huntsville's Haysland Station gathered to commemorate Mr. Worley's monumental Postal anniversary. Co-workers, his wife Linda, and District staff were present to celebrate the accomplishment and to honor Mr. Worley. It was an emotional morning for everyone. 

District Manager presenting Worley with a letter from Postmaster General Jack Potter. 

Larry Worley with his wife of over 40 years, Linda. Mrs. Worley told Postmarks, "Larry cares so much about the people on his route. We've been to funerals, made visits to nursing homes, and sometimes after dinner, Larry will say, 'I'm worried about Mrs. So-and-So. Let's go drive by her house and see how she's doing.'" Larry is a man of consistency and dedication: he has been on the same route for over 40 years as well. 

Larry Worley (l) with co-workers Roland Goodloe (c) and Jim Dickie (r) in the break room at the after party. 

Willie Trawick, Linda Worley, Larry Worley, William Mitchell, Julia Boykin, Earl Wilcher

For the next picture, Postmarks thanks City Carrier Gerry Rodriguez. He took it later that same night when the NALC honored Mr. Worley for his 50 years of service.  

Larry Worley receiving 50 Year pin from NALC Business Agent Lew Drass (soon to be National Director of City Letter Carriers).   

A more in-depth article about Mr. Worley will be in the next issue of Postmarks.