16/01 Gazette

Transcription

16/01 Gazette

January 2016
A Momentous Year Begins
as Postmasters Prepare for
a Bright Future in UPMA
page 4
Editor’s View
Janette “Gugi” Degen
Editor
re you ready to get refreshed, set
new goals or get a boost? Or are
you still feeling a little broken
from last year and not sure how to start
taking the steps to mend yourself?
Where do you want to go? How are
you going to get there? As an organization, we need to ask ourselves these questions. The first step is to make the new
year the greatest year by setting some objectives we can focus on together. We
have accomplished some historic and crucial changes that will strengthen our relationships and commitments to recruit and
offer a lifetime of opportunities to create a
blueprint for your career.
From our vantage point, we will lead
our members with drive and passion—
raising the bar for success. Albert Einstein
said, “What you see depends on where
you stand.” If we look at things from a different view, we may see them differently.
And that can made a difference in our
lives.
Enjoy this issue and meet my editorial
staff.
helpful in their quest to become managers,
as well as processes and information to
help Postmasters run their offices.
We want to keep you all educated on
how our members of Congress and pending legislation are affecting each of us and
how we can take action to change it for
the better. Our retirees are a large part of
our group, so they will, of course, always
be included in our publication.
If there is any information you can
share that would be helpful to other Postmasters, please don’t hesitate to contact us
so we can share it with all of our members. We need human interest stories, as
well as instructional information. The
Gazette is your magazine; we invite you
to share information that will benefit other
members.
My wish for this new year is that you
will look forward to reading the Gazette
from cover to cover as soon as it arrives in
your mailbox. The Gazette also is posted
on the NAPUS website even before it arrives at your home, so check the website
regularly.
Karen Boudreaux
Rick Dama
I have enjoyed serving on the National
Editorial Board the past year and am honored to serve Postmasters in this capacity
for another year. It certainly has been a learning experience from
which I have benefited.
I’ve learned so much
from working with the
board, consisting of
Gugi, Rick and our publisher, Karen
Young.
Now that NAPUS is evolving and
inviting many more postal employees
from the various employee groups to join
our professional organization, we want to
include something of interest for everyone. We plan to provide information our
new members from the craft can find
Christmas came early when the phone
rang and it showed Bob Levi calling. My
first thought was, “What would Bob want
with me?” When I
picked up the phone it
was Tony; my first
thought then was, “What
did I do wrong now?”
Much to my surprise,
Tony asked if I would be
interested in serving as associate editor
again for 2016. I was speechless for
maybe five seconds, then, of course, I
couldn’t say enough about how I would
appreciate the opportunity to serve as associate editor again, especially serving the
last year of our NAPUS family as we
know it now.
continued on page 12
Janette “Gugi” Degen
Editor
Postmaster
Spencerville, OH 45887
gugidegen@gmail.com
Karen Boudreaux
Associate Editor
Postmaster
Loreauville, LA 70552
cajunpostmaster@cox.net
Rick Dama
Associate Editor
Retired Postmaster
N 6196 County Road F
Sullivan, WI 53178
radpm3262@gmail.com
C. Lynn Wilson
Photographer
Postmaster
Comanche, OK 73529
lynnmobile@cableone.net
The Postmasters Gazette
is published by Balent-Young
Publishing, Inc., PO Box 734,
Front Royal, VA 22630-1600;
540-636-2569, phone/fax;
e-mail: kbalentyoung@gmail.
com
For editorial inquiries, contact
Gugi Degen, editor, 4252 Pioneer Rd., Elida, OH 458079784; 419-302-5842.
For subscription service
or change of address,
please call the NAPUS National
Office, 703-683-9027.
For more information about
NAPUS, go to www.napus.org
or scan the QR code below.
Contents
V o l u m e 95 / N u m b e r 1 • J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6
Features
Columns
2 Editor’s View
Gugi Degen
13
Postmasters
Recognized as
Business Connect
Winners
16
Clara McCullar: Ready
to Take the Helm of
PM Retired
by Sally Robinson
4 Advocating for Postmasters
Tony Leonardi
7 Working Together
Dan Heins
8 Officers’ Forum
Jeff Schoch, Drew Martin and
Greg Nors
10 Making a Difference
Dave Ravenelle
11 Legislative Action
Bob Levi
Departments
6 2016 Leadership
22
Postmaster in a New Kind
of Town
by Cathy Watts
24
Oldest Living Retired
Iowa Postmaster Still
Going Strong
Scintillating Jackson
Square
by Karen Boudreaux
Postmasters Gazette (ISSN-0032-552X) is printed 10 times
a year—monthly, except for combined April/May and October/
November issues—by the National Association of Postmasters
of the United States (NAPUS), 8 Herbert St., Alexandria, VA
22305-2600; 703-683-9027; www.napus.org. Periodicals
postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and other mailing offices.
Subscriptions All NAPUS and NAPUS Postmasters Retired
members receive Postmasters Gazette as part of their membership dues. The nonmember subscription rate is $18 a year;
single copies, $3. For address changes, contact the NAPUS National Office, 703-683-9027.
9 Thrift Savings Plan
November 2015
12 Committees
15 Guest Columns
by Sheila Ludwikowski
26
Conference
Registration Form
Cori Crawford and Agnes Elam
20 Faces and Places
29 2016 National
Convention
Registration Form
30
32
33
38
39
Postal Lifestyles
TIPS
Postmasters Retired
Credit Union
Chapter Officers
Advertising Inquiries Please contact Balent-Young Publishing,
PO Box 734, Front Royal, VA 22630; 540-636-2569, phone/fax;
e-mail, kbalentyoung@gmail.com.
Publication Content Opinions expressed herein are those of
the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of
NAPUS. The publication of any advertisement herein does not
necessarily constitute NAPUS endorsement of the products or
services offered. Articles, photos and/or artwork may be mailed
or e-mailed to Postmasters Gazette, PO Box 734, Front Royal,
VA 22630; 540-636-2569, phone/fax, kbalentyoung@gmail.
com, with a copy of just the article also mailed to the editor.
Reprint Permission © 2016. Permission is hereby granted to
NAPUS members to reprint material from Postmasters Gazette,
provided proper credit is given. Nonmembers may request written reprint permission by writing to the editor.
Postmasters: Please send all address labels clipped from
undeliverable copies, along with USPS Form 3579, to Postmasters Gazette, 8 Herbert St., Alexandria, VA 22305-2600.
Advocating for Postmasters
Tony Leonardi
President
What’s Coming in 2016
for NAPUS
A
s 2016 begins, we have a full plate of items already
of the solution and help our new organization run
scheduled. We start the new year with our Leadersmoothly right from the start.
ship Conference, March 12-16, where your presence
Shortly after our Leadership Conference in
is needed more than ever. There are many reasons
March, chapter conventions will begin and continue
you need to attend, but none more important than
until late June. We will be putting together training
meeting directly with our nathat is more specific to helping
tion’s leaders in the House and
Postmasters, managers and suSenate; they will decide the fate
pervisors do their jobs effecof a much-overdue postal retively. There will be help with
“It is the people—
form bill.
eCareer so you can get promotour members—who
The Postal Service legislative
ed, if you wish. Other training
initiative revolves around some
programs will help members
will decide how
key provisions: refund of any
understand how to protect their
successful we will
FERS surplus, recalculation of
jobs with programs such as
the CSRS/FERS liability, relief
CSV/SOV.
be.”
from the retiree FEHBP preThese conferences offer
funding obligation through
tremendous opportunities for
Medicare integration, maintaining the current exinetworking and making the contacts necessary to engent rate increase, granting the authority to mail
sure you know what to do should you find yourself
beer, wine and distilled spirits and offering nonin trouble. Many chapters are holding joint convenpostal services to state, local and tribal governments.
tions and already are laying the groundwork for an
NAPUS fully understands a postal bill is critical
efficient and effective transition. I am looking forto the USPS remaining viable, so we will be asking
ward to seeing what the combining of these two
you to discuss these topics with your congressional
proud organizations will look like when we all are
representatives, in addition to Postmaster and EASin the same room, working together.
specific items that place a moratorium on the reducAug. 27 through Sept.1 will be our first-ever
tion of hours in rural post offices, MSPB rights and
joint national convention with the League of Postexpansion of management’s consultative rights.
masters. In New Orleans, we will hold elections for
Besides our busy legislative agenda, we will be
area vice presidents and area coordinators who will
conducting joint training classes to ensure a smooth
represent us as we go forward in our new organizatransition as we go forward with the consolidation of
tion, United Postmasters and Managers of America
NAPUS and the League of Postmasters. This train(UPMA). It will be a great opportunity to fellowship
ing will provide guidance on the steps that must be
and network with our League counterparts, as well
taken to form a new chapter constitution. You will be
as recognize and thank all the national officers and
given information on how to combine the finances
committee chairs who have made our organization
from both organizations into one. In addition, you
what it is. You will hear some of our past national
will receive valuable templates on how to file the
presidents speak at our general session about what
forms necessary for your state publication. I urge
NAPUS has meant to them. You will get a chance to
continued on page 9
you to make plans now to attend so you can be part
4 January 2016 / Postmasters Gazette
NAPUS Executive Board
National PM Rep
Committee
PRESIDENT
Larry Hall, chair, 170 Trevarthen Rd., Eclectic,
AL 36024; h: 334-857-3229; c: 334-2202584; larryhall1@windstream.net
Tony Leonardi, Rocky Hill, CT, 06067; 703-683-9027; tleonardi@napus.org.
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Dan Heins, Stewartville, MN, 55976; 507-533-4571; dheins@napus.org
Edith Bradshaw, 895 W Emerald Lake Dr.,
Sumter, SC 29153; h: 803-905-1311;
c: 803-315-4879; b-shaw@msn.com
VICE PRESIDENTS
Area 1
AK/ID/IL/IA/MN/MO/MT/ND/OR/SD/WA/WI/WY
Jim Maher, Chesterfield, MO 63005; 314-551-3588; jmaher300@aol.com
Edmund Carley, Lincoln, IL 62656; 217-732-4912; edmund.a.carley@att.net
Curt Artery, Guernsey, WY 82214; 307-836-2804; kartery409@hotmail.com
Area 2
CT/RI/DE/DC/ME/MD/MA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/PA/VT
Richard Hui, Gardner MA 01440; 978-537-8030; rghui@msn.com
Barbara Swiderski, Bowdoinham, ME 04008; 207-666-3465;
barbski72@yahoo.com
Jeff Schoch, Pottstown, PA 19464; 610-323-6620; schochjs@comcast.net
Area 3
AL/FL/GA/IN/KY/NC/OH/PR&VI/SC/TN/VA/WV
Tammy Powell, Fountain Inn, SC 29644; 864-862-3383; palmettopost
master@charter.net
Susan Rice, Woodland, AL 36280; 256-449-6162; sueleerice@aol.com
Drew Martin, West Jefferson, NC 28640; 336-246-8861; drewdm@me.com
Area 4
AZ/AR/CA/CO/HI/KS/LA/MS/NE/NV/NM/OK/TX/UT
Joan Mallon, Kiowa, CO 80117; 303-621-2011; joanmallon1@aol.com
Brent Cofield, Blair, OK 73526; 580-563-2200; okiebrentpm@yahoo.com
Greg Nors, Hillsboro, TX 76645; 254-582-3572; g-nors@msn.com
POSTMASTERS RETIRED PRESIDENT
Clara McCullar, 324 Country Club Lane, Selmer, TN 38375-1537;
731-645-6619; camccullar@charter.net
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dave Ravenelle, 8 Herbert St., Alexandria, VA 22305-2600; 703-683-9027;
dravenelle@napus.org
Jaime Chacon, PO Box 2014, Mission Viejo,
CA 92690-0014; h: 949-249-2071;
c: 949-584-3307; jaimenapuspmrep@
yahoo.com
George Finley,1601 Forum Circle, Lot 151,
Graford, TX 76449; c: 512-365-0066;
geoeva@usa.net
Brenda Gibbs, PO Box 445, Garnavillo, IA
52049; h: 563-964-2178; c: 563-8809490; gibbsbk@hotmail.com
Mark Gowan, 6280 Kalama Rd., Kapaa, HI
96746-8629; h: 808-822-4386; c: 808634-7174; markgowan53@msn.com
Richard Hui, PO Box 745, Gardner, MA
01440-0745; o: 978-537-8030; c: 978549-3360; rghui@msn.com
Bill Judge, 1610 Scottsdale Dr., Tipp City, OH
45371; o: 937-773-6424; c: 513-7029702; judgey55@yahoo.com
James Kirschbaum, 1007 Shady Oak Dr.,
North Mankato, MN 56003-3436; h: 507625-6995; c: 507-382-1689; kirsc@
hickorytech.net
Kevin Romeyn, PO Box 1, Warrenton, OR
97146-0001; o: 503-861-7371;
h: 503-861-9699; c: 503-440-1370;
kevbo1959@yahoo.com
John Sertich, PO Box 73, Belleville, IL 62220;
o: 618-233-0390; c: 618-830-6535;
jmsert@hotmail.com
Go to www.napus.org and click on
“postmaster representation” for
more information.
Postmasters Gazette /January 2016
5
NAPUS
Registration Form
NAPUS 2016 Leadership
Conference
March 12-16, 2016
Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA
2016
LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE
MARCH 12-16
You also may register online at www.napus.org.
Please Note: one attendee per registration form.
Name (as it should appear on your badge): _______________________________________________________________
First Name _____________________________________
Title (please check one that applies):
❏ Supervisor
❏ Postmaster
❏ Station Manager
Post Office You Represent:
Last Name ________________________________________
❏ Postmaster Retired
❏ District Employee
❏ Associate Member
❏ Area Employee
❏ Guest
❏ PMR
City _________________________________________________________ State __________
Your Mailing Address: ______________________________________________________________________________
City __________________________________ State ________ ZIP _____________________
Daytime phone: ______________________________________
Fax: ________________________________________
E-mail: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Registration Fee: (please circle fee that applies)
Registration
On or before Feb. 1, 2016
$170
After Feb. 1, 2016
$190
Payment (Payment in full, using one of the following payment options, must accompany this form):
❏ Check payable to NAPUS
❏ Visa/MasterCard only
Card Number
_____________________________________________________
Expiration Date _____/_____ Card Security Code ___________
Signature _____________________________________________
Registration Cancellation Policy:
Requests for cancellation refunds must be made in writing and be sent to the address below. Requests must be postmarked by
Feb. 1, 2016.
Hotel Reservations:
NAPUS has reserved a block of rooms at the discounted rate of $234, single/double/triple/quad, plus tax. You must call the Crystal
Gateway Marriott Hotel directly to make reservations at (703) 920-3230. This rate will be available on a first-come, first-served
basis until Feb. 1, 2016; rooms may be depleted quickly, so please call as soon as possible. A first-night, non-refundable room
deposit will be charged to your credit card on Feb. 1, 2016.
Banquet Seating:
Registrants will be seated with their chapters on a first-come basis. Registrations received after Feb. 1, 2016, are not
guaranteed to be placed at chapter tables and will be seated where space is available. Banquet tickets will be enclosed in your
conference materials distributed to all registrants at the beginning of the conference.
Please mail completed forms, with payment in full, to:
NAPUS Leadership Conference Registration
8 Herbert St.
Alexandria, VA 22305-2600
Working Together
Dan Heins
Secretary-Treasurer
Big Changes Are Coming
G
reetings, everyone! Happy New Year, as well! We
held jointly and will help us usher in UPMA two
have rolled around to 2016. With each new year
months later.
comes new hopes and dreams for many of us. If we
On the state level, I know that many of you, too,
make resolutions and are able to keep them, we are
are planning to have joint conventions and meetings
proud of ourselves. If we are not able to keep them,
throughout the year. The more we take the opportuniwe may well be saying, “Here I go again!” Whichevty to get to know one another—in many cases, we
er category you fall into, do not give up; you never
know each other as fellow Postmasters and manknow when things will change for the better. We
agers—we can begin to work together to make sure
need to be prepared for those times, as well.
we represent the best interests of all EAS employees
For us NAPUS members, this promises to be a
and our associate members going forward.
year of some very, very big
The stronger our voice as we
changes. By this time next year,
work for the betterment of all emNAPUS and the League of Postployees, the better it will be for all
“The stronger our
masters will no longer exist. We
of us. The closer the relationships
will move forward and be memwe can build with the Postal Servoice
as
we
work
bers of United Postmasters and
vice at all levels, the better it will
Managers of America (UPMA).
be for all of us. If you are a leader
for the betterment
This will be a big change. Howin your state chapter, make sure
of all employees,
ever, as we talked throughout the
you are reaching out to the district
process of drawing up consolidamanager and their direct reports to
the better it will
tion documents and making preset in place what the structure of
be for all of us.”
sentations to members about
UPMA will look like. It is imporwhy we are making the change,
tant they understand how similar
it became more and more obvious that it was necesthings may be. However, we are going to be new and
sary and the time was right.
stronger starting in November.
On the national level, we will have an opportunity
It is not too late to attend our Leadership Conferto meet some of the members of the League at our
ence in March; we would love to have you be part of
Leadership Conference in March. Because the
it. As well as providing an opportunity for training, it
League decided not to hold its Legislative Forum this
also will offer an opportunity to visit Capitol Hill to
year, we invited them to join us. This venue will give
help our congressional representatives understand the
us an excellent opportunity to offer joint training for
issues facing the Postal Service and us, as the manthe officers who will be taking on the leadership roles
agers of the organization. If you are interested in
from both organizations as we move past Nov. 1,
coming to the conference and need to find a room2016, and are, indeed, one new organization.
mate to share expenses, talk with your state president
The better we can lay that foundation now, the
or secretary-treasurer; they may be able to put you in
stronger and more solid we will be as we go forward.
touch with someone who is in a similar situation.
Then, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1, we will have another
Please do not let this be a deterrent to attending the
opportunity to join with members of the League
conference.
when we have our first joint national convention in
I leave you with this quote from Helen Keller:
New Orleans. While we still will be two organiza“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to
tions, which will necessitate having separate business
keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an inmeetings, all the other events and activities will be
vincible host against difficulties.”
7
Officers’ Forum
Meet the New Vice Presidents
Jeff Schoch
Area 2
Greetings, everyone, and a special
thank-you to Area 2 for electing me
vice president. Let me introduce myself.
I am the Postmaster of Pottstown, PA.
The positions I have held in NAPUS in
our state include president, vice president, PM representative for 13 years
and photographer. I have been active in
NAPUS since 1989 and will continue to
support our great organization as we
progress in the future.
My postal career started in 1984 as a
clerk/carrier (31 years ago). I was selected for the leadership program in
1985 and trained in all areas of the
Postal Service, such as Customer Service supervisor, Postmaster, Finance
manager, Labor Relations specialist,
Field Operations and MDO on all tours
in the plant, as well as a supervisor in
all areas of the plant.
In 1987, I became superintendent of
Mails, a Level-19 position. In 1990, I
was awarded my first Postmaster position—a Level-21 in Paoli, PA. In 1993,
I was asked by the district manager to
lateral into the Postmaster position in
Phoenixville, a Level-21. In 2003, I became the Postmaster of Norristown, a
Level-24 with 10 stations. In 2008, I
took a lateral/downgrade into my present position as Postmaster of Pottstown,
a Level-22.
Since then, I have had details as the
POOM, OIC-acting plant manager/
Postmaster of the new Tri-County
Annex. I consolidated a large, Level-24
office, two Level-21 offices and a
Level-20 office into one facility, while
overseeing 10 stations, a VMF and the
plant.
I will be married 40 years this
March. My wife and I have three won8 January 2016 / Postmasters Gazette
From left: National Vice Presidents Jeff Schoch, Drew Martin and Greg Nors.
derful children: a son and two daughters. In addition, we have seven grandchildren who range in age from 1 to 20.
My interests are my grandkids, softball, basketball and soapbox derby. I belong to two service clubs in my local
area: AMBUCS, which is a civic club
devoted to “Creating independence and
mobility for individuals with disabilities,” and PAL—Police Athletic
League—which is involved with seeing
that all children from ages 5 through 19
have the opportunity to play sports in
our area at a minimal fee.
I look forward to our challenges as
an organization; I want to be a part of
the success our great organization will
achieve over the next year or so. I look
forward to being a part of our executive
leadership team and doing my part to
advocate for my fellow Postmasters so
we can continue as “Honorable” Postmasters in years to come.
Drew Martin
Area 3
The future looks bright once again
for Postmasters. Indeed, it’s a brandnew day for all postal managers in
America.
Not so long ago, the outlook for our
organization was uncertain; our numbers were declining and our prospects
were less than promising. Then came
talk of consolidation between NAPUS
and the League of Postmasters. Both
sides came together in a historic effort
to put differences aside and the interests
of members first.
Just one year later, we find ourselves
in the process of bringing that bold idea
to life. For the first time in a long time,
we can look forward to bigger and better things on the horizon for our people.
Near the end of my recent term as
Area 7 vice president, representing
North and South Carolina, I was honored and thrilled to be part of reintroducing a powerful idea that had been
tried before without success. This time,
thanks to some very dedicated and visionary leaders, things would be different.
This year marks the beginning of our
newly united organization. Yet, we are
not only reinventing ourselves as a unified group; we are gaining new potential. The added strength and security
that will come with unification are certain to be manifested in future dealings
with our employer. The USPS knows
and respects numbers—especially big
numbers.
So, as I begin my new term, the
main focus of my efforts and energy
will be on helping to make sure our
membership numbers grow as rapidly
as possible. By the time NAPUS and
the League officially join forces this
fall, I want to be confident that UPMA
is assured of a hugely successful start.
Greg Nors
Area 4
I am the Postmaster in Hillsboro,
TX, and the new Area 4 vice president.
Not only do I look forward to working
with the other Area 4 vice presidents,
but I am very excited to become a member of the NAPUS Executive Board.
This position will involve a lot of hard
work and dedication, but I am up for the
challenge. I am sure President Tony will
keep all of us quite busy as we lead the
organization into a new era.
For those of you who do not know
me, I will give you a little background
on my postal and NAPUS careers. I
started working for the USPS in August
1994 as a city letter carrier. When I was
given my first OIC assignment in 1998,
I joined NAPUS. Little did I know what
an awesome organization I had just
joined and what a great extended family
of which I would be blessed to become
a part.
In 1999, I was promoted to my first
Postmaster position. I was promoted
again a year later and several times
since then. But what is really important
is that I became extremely involved in
Texas NAPUS. In 2001, I was elected
the 2nd vice president, then went on to
become the chapter president in 2004.
I was elected the Area 18 vice president and served on the National Executive Committee in 2006 and 2007. Also,
I just ended my term as chapter secretary-treasurer—a position I held since
2011.
I know we all have seen a lot of
changes over the past couple years;
times have been challenging and stressful. But with NAPUS’ leadership and
our NAPUS family, we all have overcome many challenges. As I begin to
serve in this new capacity on the Executive Board, I will work hard to represent
Postmasters and strive to make a difference.
Advocating for Postmasters
continued from page 4
reminisce with old friends about days
gone by and see how bright the future can
be—if we are willing to work at it. I
promise this will be a convention you do
not want to miss.
Finally, on Nov. 1, 2016, we will dissolve NAPUS and join with the League of
Postmasters to form a new organization:
UPMA. We already have prepared the articles and bylaws by which we will govern
our new organization; I believe they are
well thought-out and thorough documents
that will serve us well. Some items still
need to be finalized, but, I assure you, we
are working closely with the League in
order to stay ahead of schedule.
It is important that we always remember it is the people—our members—who
will decide how successful we will be. I
believe the changes we have made within
NAPUS will give us an opportunity to
grow membership and build a strong foundation on which UPMA can grow for
decades to come.
This will be a busy year. These are
only some highlights of what’s coming
our way.
I want to leave you with a quote from
journalist Sydney J. Harris, which I think
summarizes how many of us feel: “Our
dilemma is that we hate change and love it
at the same time; what we really want
is for things to remain the same, but get
better.”
Thrift Savings Plan Returns
G Fund
F Fund
C Fund
S Fund
I Fund
November 2015
0.17%
(0.24%)
0.31%
1.75%
(0.86%)
12-month
2.05%
1.42%
2.83%
2.03%
(2.64%)
L Income
L 2020
L 2030
L 2040
L 2050
November 2015
0.17%
0.17%
0.20%
0.24%
0.24%
12-month
2.09%
1.78%
1.70%
1.60%
1.38%
These returns are the net of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. The performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal
value will fluctuate, so that investors’ shares, when sold, may be worth more or
less than their original cost. More information may be found at www.tsp.gov.
9
Making a Difference
Dave Ravenelle
Executive Director
new year, a new way; we must move forward—
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will require prolooking to our future and all the opportunities it
gramming changes to recognize a new management organizapresents. As we begin our transformation from
tion. We have met with the PDC and have received their proNAPUS and the League to United Postmasters and
posal of the cost. Postal manuals and forms will need to be
Managers of America (UPMA), we will be faced with operaupdated to reflect and recognize the new organization.
tional challenges, as well as opportunities to update and imPersonnel and duties, as well as the physical combining of
prove operating programs, service to our members and our
office locations, must be completed before the Nov. 1, 2016,
website.
creation date of UPMA. Office consolidation includes inteThe idea to consolidate the two Postmaster organizations
grating, evaluating and making a decision on a payroll system,
was not new. Numerous attempts by capable and hard-working
office technology, equipment leases and business insurances.
leadership had failed to produce the desired results. But beAll must be in place on day one.
cause of recent changes within the Postal Service, the idea
Some of the operational changes will involve an update to
now had fertile ground in which to take
our membership database. Our current
root. The adage “the trouble with opportuoperating system, NOAH, is obsolete.
nity is that it always comes disguised as
The version of Microsoft Access and Mi“We
will
continue
hard work” has never been truer than in
crosoft SQL it uses no longer is supported
this case. This opportunity was made posby Microsoft. Because of this limitation,
to train, support
sible by forward-thinking leadership and
we have been running the program on an
and represent our
hard work in both organizations.
older computer.
What was different this time? The idea
The new program will be web-based,
members.”
of consolidation was the same, but this
which will allow us to eliminate a server
idea would now have a shared vision. An
that will be out of its extended warranty
idea without a vision is like a plane without wings; it’s diffiin October 2016. Server maintenance and support costs will
cult to get off the ground. Many meetings between the organibe reduced with the web version of a membership program.
zations provided the groundwork and the vision for the conThe new web-based program will have significant advantages
solidation process and goals.
and capabilities, such as meeting registration, the ability of
Because of the creation of a shared vision, both organizamembers to manage their own profiles and e-mail notifications.
tions were able to effectively address the concerns of their
A new website will be developed, featuring social media
memberships. This vision was key to the success and, with the
links and video training. The goal is to make the website a
adoption of a constitution and bylaws for a new organization
vital interactive link between the organization and its memapproved at both national conventions in 2015, UPMA was
bers. While printed communication is a valuable tool, it does
born.
not meet the requirement for time-sensitive dissemination of
With the approval from both organizations to consolidate,
information. To encourage members to view our website, we
the next step in the process was the legal creation of the new
must be vigilant in maintaining and updating information.
organization. Our new identity required a new name and logo,
The staffing and training requirements of the new organialong with tax identification numbers. The new organization
zation become a great opportunity to introduce new programs,
would require new local and state business licenses and perduties and priorities. Considerations beyond the obvious of
mits. The recent filing of articles of incorporation with new
“who does what” include employee benefits and policies. The
federal tax-exemption authorization has completed the legal
transition will provide an opportunity to identify, strengthen
creation of UPMA.
and enhance current services.
A key benefit to our members is legal defense. We will be
But some things won’t change. Service to our membership
selecting an attorney and creating a legal defense plan that is
and our chapters will remain as our core focus and mission.
fair and meets the needs of our membership. The plan will be
How we deliver our service and interact with our members
based on an evaluation of the different plans currently offered
will change. We will continue to train, support and represent
by both organizations and our experience with administration
our members—with the Postal Service and in the halls of
and cost.
Congress.
Our interaction with the Postal Data Center (PDC) and the
★
★★
★★★
Legislative Action
Major Impacts Loom Without Legislation
APUS National PAC for PostmasAs previously mentioned, NAPUS is attenBob Levi
Director of Government Relations tive to the issue of reduced hours imposed on
ters/Government Relations Chair
Edmund Carley explained in the
rural and small-town post offices. The concern
previous Gazette why it is so important
focuses on two core issues: the uncertainty of savings
for NAPUS members to attend the upcoming Leaderand the impact on customer service. So, concurrent
ship Conference. “Postmasters must engage Congress
with urging a legislative moratorium on further reat every level,” he said. “We have to communicate
ductions, in September, NAPUS filed comments with
face-to-face, educate and lead on issues that directly
the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) related to a
affect Postmasters, supervisors and managers.”
Postal Service proposal to combine certain costs of
I would add, “If not now, when?”
small rural post offices with the costs of larger post
One of the last items considered by Congress before reoffices. NAPUS contended that such consolidation of expenscessing for the year was passage of the “Omnibus Budget
es would make it extremely difficult to evaluate cost savings
Bill” to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2016. Once
attributable to post office hour reductions.
again, we successfully defeated efforts to slash health and reIn late November, the PRC issued its ruling, noting
tirement benefits. NAPUS now is gearing up for the fights that
NAPUS’ concerns. Consequently, the commission will require
will emerge during the next budget cycle.
the Postal Service to provide an annual explanation of the post
Also, as calendar year 2015 drew to a close, Sen. Tom
office sampling used to calculate small post office costs, deCarper’s postal relief bill (S. 2051) gained momentum by
tailed data for each post office CAG level, a data record for
earning the co-sponsorship of Republican Sens. Jerry Moran
the expenses of CAG Level K-L post offices by finance numof Kansas and Roy Blunt of Missouri. The bill now is bipartibers and a separate accounting for certain costs associated
san and supported by two key members of the Senate Approwith small post office clerk costs to preserve transparency.
priations Committee. Also, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill
NAPUS believes the PRC-required data will help provide a
of Missouri joined as a co-sponsor.
more complete record of the costs associated with the impleAs described in a previous Gazette, the Carper bill includes
mentation of the hour reductions.
the key elements that NAPUS has urged Congress to adopt as
Coupled with the moratorium proposed in S. 2051, the
part of postal legislation. These core issues include addressing
PRC requirements would enable the agency, Congress and the
the retiree health prefunding obligation, providing a more acPostal Service to thoughtfully evaluate hour reduction data. In
curate calculation of the Postal Service’s pension liability and
addition, the moratorium would provide some breathing space
refunding the pension overpayment, creating a more equitable
to assess customer impact (i.e., Retail Customer Experience),
means of setting postage rates and providing for greater opbecause the Postal Service does not currently undertake this
portunities to market innovative products and services.
evaluation in rural areas. The irony of the absence of such an
The bill also includes provisions advanced by the three
assessment is that, over the past two decades, 65 percent of
postal management organizations in the bill introduced by Sen.
population growth in the United States has occurred in rural
Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota (S. 1742): a moratorium on
areas; clearly, more attention to rural areas is warranted.
further reductions of post office operating hours, a clarification
Finally, as you are no doubt aware, 2016 is an election
of managerial pay consultations and providing certain EAS
year. Presidential candidates—particularly on the GOP side—
employees access to the Merit Systems Protection Board
are engaging in an entertaining and consequential campaign.
process. The three management organizations have construcThe presence in the race of five sitting senators (Cruz, Rubio,
tively collaborated to promote legislation that will ensure a viGraham, Paul and Sanders) has ramifications on the Senate
able Postal Service that provides high-quality, accessible servcalendar and provides the opportunity for Postmasters to raise
ice and furthers the legislative priorities of our members.
postal legislation at town-hall meetings during the primary
At this point, S. 2051 is the sole vehicle for postal relief; we
and caucus season.
urge the Senate and House postal committees to consider the
Planning the legislative component of the NAPUS Leaderbill in early 2016. Expeditious consideration of S. 2051 is necship Conference is in full swing. Both houses of Congress
essary due to the April 2016 expiration of the 4.3 percent exiwill be in session during our conference, March 14-16, so
gent postage rate adjustment. Without legislative reform, its
plan to attend and make your voices heard.
lapse will have a major impact on postal finances and services.
11
Committees
This Is the Year of
Membership
By Kathy Frame, Membership/Services co-chair
ellow Postmasters, managers, retirees and friends: I am humbled
and honored that President Tony
appointed me co-chair, with Drew Martin, of the Membership/Services Committee. He mentioned that, working
National Committee Chairs
Membership/Services—Kathy Frame, Neffs,
PA 18065; o: 610-767-7230; c: 484-2947440; pm18066@yahoo.com. Drew Martin,
West Jefferson, NC 28640: o: 336-246-8861;
c: 828-434-0612; drewdm@me.com
PAC for Postmasters/Government
Relations—Edmund Carley, PO Box 1, Lincoln, IL 62656; o: 217-734-4912; c: 217-8999256; edmund.a.carley@att.net
Education & Development—Becky Burbach, Dubuque, IA 52001; o: 563-593-6559;
c: 608-604-4934; burbach1@hotmail.com
Constitution & Bylaws—Louise Nix, Cleveland, GA 30528; 706-865-4511, louisenix@
yahoo.com
Special Officers
National Convention Chair—Benny Daigle,
113 Crochet St., Pierre Part, LA 70339; c:
225-335-5111; benny.b.daigle@gmail.com
Parliamentarian—John Galera, 94-346
Hokuala St. #123, Mililani, HI 96789; c: 808284-2833; johngalera1@gmail.com
Chaplain—James Gillispie, 1410 W 115th
St., Jenks, OK, 74037-3423; h: 918-2999013; c: 918-694-9998; pmgillispie2@cox.net
Sergeants-at-Arms—James Dillard, 10209
Tanglewood Dr., Meridian, MS 39307; c: 601692-3922. Kris Schmit, Fredonia, WI 53021;
c: 262-689-8250; schmut@milwpc.com
Aide to the President—LeAndra Beckemeyer, Howe, TX 75359; 903-532-9602; leandra
beck@gmail.com
Liaison to the President—Linda Gurka, Suttons Bay, MI 49682; o: 231-271-3622; c: 734646-2346; lgurka49682@gmail.com
Aide to the Secretary-Treasurer—Anita
Pfiefer, 20576 Kearney Path, Lakeville, MN
55044; c: 507-390-1164; amp2016@yahoo.
com
with me the past couple years on the
Executive Board, he was confident of
appointing me due to my passion for
Postmasters, managers and our organization. I can assure you he is correct. As
I serve you in any position, it is with
nothing but passion and the love of this
organization and my fellow Postmasters
and managers whom I serve.
I would like to share some ideas for
building your membership. My goal as
your new co-chair is to stay engaged
with all the state membership chairs and
bring ideas to each of you to help build
your state’s membership. I will be asking each of you what you are doing to
promote membership and what success
you are having.
This will allow me to share whatever
you are doing with other states. In
Pennsylvania, the officers just recently
sent out a mailing to all non-member
offices to share what our organization
has to offer; we included 1187s with return envelopes. We also informed all
our district VPs, with a list in their respective area, so they could contact
those offices shortly after they received
the letter. This would allow non-members to ask someone in person any questions they might have. This also prevents that manager from putting the
1187 on a back burner.
Some of the responses we received
from Postmaster non-members were
they thought they were members. They
thought when they were promoted from
supervisor to Postmaster that their organization membership would automatically switch. If we have Postmasters
who think that in Pennsylvania, I bet
they think that in every state. The mailing was very successful and we were
able to build our membership in Pennsylvania.
Free membership offered by the
NAPUS National Office until April
2016 also was used and is a very good
tool. The access membership provides
through our newsletters, magazine and
conventions is worth the cost of membership alone; we made sure we shared
that. I would encourage you to talk to
the offices in your state who are nonmembers; you will be surprised how
your membership will grow.
We are a team; anything you are
doing that is working would be great to
share with all of us. President Tony has
been messaging that career awareness
conferences are becoming very successful venues in which to recruit new
members. If your state can get information as to when and where these career
awareness conferences are being held,
you can request to have a booth and
sign up members by the dozens. More
information on this will be coming in
the very near future.
I always have stressed our NAPUS
slogan, “Let us do together what we
cannot do alone.” I will serve you to the
best of my ability.
Editor’s View
Thank you, Tony and Gugi, for the
vote of confidence to serve as associate
editor again for 2016. Thanks also to
Karen Boudreaux, associate editor, and
Karen Young, our publisher, for wanting to work with me another year.
The challenge will be to join our two
great Postmaster organizations, supervisors and managers through communication—whether that comes from the
Gazette, state publications, websites or
e-mail—and do it in a way that is interesting, informative and fun.
Now, let’s see. I’ll be working with
Janette “Gugi” and two Karens—I’m
good with that!
Postmasters
Recognized as
Business Connect
Winners
T
hree Postmasters were named
Door Direct Mail® (EDDM) revenue perform-
grand prize winners in the Business
ance over the same period last year. The win-
Connect Program for Quarter 3,
ners traveled to Washington, DC, to visit Postal
FY15. The program is for Postmas-
Service Headquarters and have lunch with the
ters and managers, Customer Service, to under-
PMG, deputy PMG and other postal execu-
stand the importance of educating customers in
tives. They also toured the Capitol and Smith-
their communities and communicating specific
sonian National Postal Museum.
product/service information
based on customers’ needs.
Quarter 3 winners were
measured on Priority Mail Express,™ Priority Mail 1-, 2®
or 3-day and Every
Quarter 3 Business Connect winners
with PMG Megan Brennan, from left:
Postmaster Renee Jacobson, Baker,
CA; Postmaster Elizabeth Uphoff,
Toluca, IL; Brennan; and Postmaster
Michelle Thostenson, Niland, CA.
Michele R. Thostenson,
Postmaster of Niland, CA,
increased revenue at her office 40.6 percent over
SPLY. She was recognized
for helping business own-
ers with shipping items correctly, networking with local salons and increasing Priority Mail Flat Rate parcel volume to customers during the summer
season.
She also identified a local date
farmer who was bringing in 10 to 15
packages a day to the retail counter.
Thostenson worked with him to use
flat-rate boxes for carrier pickup; the
farmer has since grown the business and
moved to the next level for shipping.
She identifies sales leads when she
works the retail operation and spends
time communicating with customers,
making sure her clerks ask the right
questions of customers to capture potential new business. Thostenson also
works with local businesses to promote
EDDM. She continually helps customers meet their business needs and
works with the local school system to
determine its mailing needs.
Niland is a small town; the office has
just two employees besides the Postmaster. POOM Jorge Navarro said,
“Michele is tenacious, proactive, hardworking, enthusiastic and has an incredible work ethic in order to get everything done. She does route inspections
and additional tasks I ask of her. Her
dedication to the job is noteworthy.”
Thostenson started her postal career
in 1991 as a highway contractor, Star
Route driver. She became Postmaster of
Ocotillo in 2003, serving there until
2014, when she was promoted to Postmaster of Niland.
Renee A. Jacobson, Postmaster of
Baker, CA, increased revenue at her office 55 percent over SPLY. She is in a
small community and interacts with the
local school district to support their
mailing needs, proposing EDDM for a
monthly newsletter and sports calendar.
She also is involved with the local
Chamber of Commerce and promotes
the value of Priority Mail.
Jacobson helps customers with shipping and teaches them about apps,
tracking and shipping quotes. She interacts with four shippers from Las Vegas
who prefer working through a smaller
office, as well as developing an excel14 January 2016 / Postmasters Gazette
lent customer service relationship with a
local shipper who had moved out of the
area, but is coming back to build a new
warehouse and using the Baker Post Office for packaging.
She talks to customers and business
owners about the ease of using eBay
and how convenient it is to ship through
the USPS. MPOO Abraham Cooper
said, “They couldn’t have picked a better person to represent the San Diego
District.”
Jacobson began her postal career in
2001 as a casual clerk. She was promoted to PMR in 2002 and installed as
Postmaster of Baker in 2008. “Working
for the Postal Service has been such a
pleasure for me,” she said. “I enjoy the
daily challenges and the ever-changing
postal world, including learning ways to
earn revenue for my office. I also interact with other offices in an effort to get
new and innovative ideas.”
Elizabeth Uphoff, Postmaster of
Toluca, IL, increased revenue at her office 37.1 percent over SPLY. She works
closely with business customers to have
a clear understanding of their business
needs and promotes EDDM. She provides samples, colored paper and heavier paper and shows customers what
they can do to showcase their advertising. She has apps available on a desktop
computer, which can easily attach to emails.
Uphoff also works with local
churches to use EDDM mailings for
fund-raisers. She networks with eBayers
using Priority Mail as businesses increase mailings during the holiday season. She works with a software company for national plumbing companies to
increase their revenue and build their
businesses. And she is instrumental with
her district, which interacts with Postal
Headquarters toward implementing retail products and services that can increase revenue.
POOM Jim Brummitt said, “Liz is
an outstanding representative of her district and area. This recognition couldn’t
happen to a better person. She has excellent customer service skills and is
very active in the community.”
In Our Prayers
… the family of Henry
“Tug” Rawlings, retired Postmaster of Sparta, MI, who died
Oct. 14. Cards may be sent to his
wife Carol, 821 Peggy Way Dr.,
Funedin, FL 34698.
… the family of Robert
Doud, retired Postmaster of
Comstock, MI, who died Nov.
14. He also served the Comstock
Fire Department for 55 years.
… the family of David Hanson, retired Postmaster of
Jamestown, ND, who died Nov.
21. Cards may be sent to his wife
Elaine, 902 19th St. NE, Jamestown, ND 58401.
… the family of Norman Anderson, retired Postmaster of
Concord, NE, who died Nov. 29;
he was 96.
… Marilyn Duhigg, former
Gazette national editor and retired Postmaster of Galena, IL,
whose husband Dave died Dec.
6. Her address is 26371 Peer
Lane, Bonita Springs, FL 34135.
… the family of Gloria
Kunert, retired Postmaster of
Ringwood, NJ, who died Dec. 9.
Cards may be sent to her son,
Edward: 351 Cupsaw Dr., Ringwood, NJ 07456.
She has been a Postmaster for more
than 10 years at Toluca, an APO, and
oversees four RMPOs. She began her
career in 1987 as a PTF clerk; she was
installed as Postmaster in 1999. Uphoff
also received a Benjamin Award in
2009.
“Family is more important than any
other aspect of life,” she said. “Customers will remember you when you
provide them with sincere, caring retail
experience. Customers will recall your
efforts when you provide them with
genuine, thoughtful treatment.”
Guest Columns
The Rewards of Being
a Postmaster
By Cori Crawford
arma is the universal principle
of cause and effect: One good
turn deserves another. How
people treat you is their karma; how you
react is yours. As I get older, I truly believe my destiny is earned through my
actions and behaviors.
Just recently, my karma kicked in.
My ATV, which I use for plowing,
wouldn’t start; I searched high and low
for someone to fix it. Through the
grapevine, I was given a name of a person to call. He said he would come pick
it up on Saturday; of course, the snow
started falling Friday afternoon.
That night, a truck and trailer pulled
in my driveway. The repairman said he
wanted to pick it up early and work on
it because the snow was going to be
heavier than expected. As we started
talking, he said he thought he knew me
from somewhere; come to find out, I
was his Postmaster years earlier when I
worked in Hartland.
He continued with a story about how
one Saturday he had a flight out of the
country and had been promised their
passports would be delivered that day.
The passports were lost in action, so he
called my office. I happened to be at
work that Saturday and, after hearing
his dilemma, told him I would see what
I could do. The passports were located;
I met them near the airport and gave
them their passports so they could make
their flight that day.
Back to my karma. The next morning, I was a little worried because we
‘Just What Is a Postmaster,
Anyway?’
By Agnes Elam
his question was posed to me on
my last day in Mobile, AL, at the
2015 National Convention, by a
young waitress at a coffee shop while
we were having breakfast. I wondered,
should I give her the formal definition
as given by Wikipedia? “A Postmaster
is the head of an individual post office.”
Or should I go into some detail? She
seemed interested and somewhat confused as to what the Postal Service even
does.
I opted to explain that a Postmaster
manages the retail and delivery operations in post offices and, in some cases,
sells retail items, such as stamps, and
helps customers with their mailings. But
a Postmaster, as we all know, does so
much more! We manage, mentor, guide,
deliver mail and packages, handle customer issues, handle employee problems and make sure the post office
doors open—no matter what!
The young woman went on to explain that she never visited her local
post office. She thanked me for explaining and told me she saw many of us
(Postmasters) the past week (during the
convention) and wanted to ask, but felt
strange asking.
had about nine inches of snow and I
didn’t have a way to clear my long hill
and driveway. But, when I looked outside, I saw they had been plowed. Not
only did he clean my driveway, he had
worked late into the evening and delivered my ATV Saturday afternoon, ready
to go when the next snow falls.
As Postmasters, we do so many
things day in and day out and don’t
think twice about giving “extra” service
to help our customers, as well as our
employees. December is the month we
go into overdrive: parcel volume is
higher than we have ever experienced,
delivery is seven days a week, there are
long hours, long lines
at our window—it is
Cori Crawford is the
relentless for the next
past Wisconsin Chapter
25 days. Employees
president and Postmasget tired, so we help
ter of Brookfield.
by giving them a little break and family time because we
risk losing them if we don’t.
It’s all in a day’s work as a Postmaster; I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
I realized then we have an entire
generation of people approaching adulthood who never have visited a post office; many of them do not even know
how to address a letter. In this age of
electronic communication, the hardcopy letter has fallen
by the wayside.
Agnes Elam is the
She ended our conNew Jersey Chapter
versation by saying she
editor and Postmaster
loves to get cards and
of Port Norris.
packages in the mail;
all is not lost, after all. The Postal Service will survive and go on to serve the
next generation of customers long into
the future!
15
Ready to Take
the Helm of
PM Retired
Clara
McCullar
C
By Sally Robinson
lara McCormick was born in the house
behind the Stantonville, TN, Post Office
where Miss Bessie was Postmaster. One
of Clara’s best friends growing up was
Miss Bessie’s daughter, Sandy Carroll, who went
on to become a celebrated singer. During my
visit to Sam and Clara’s house, we stopped at the
music studio where Sandy’s husband Jim Gaines
records her music. He is a Grammy winner and
played some of her songs for me. Thus began a
day of reflection into the life of Clara McCormick McCullar who met her husband at the
post office.
Sam and Clara both are retired Postmasters
and very much integrated into the town of
Selmer, TN. When Clara married Sam, she became a part of the McCullars, who date back to
the emigration of Alexander M. McCullar. He
was born in 1758 in County Antrim in Ireland
and landed in America in 1771.
Sam and Clara have been married 24 years
Retired Postmasters
and have four children beClara and Sam
tween them: Maury Mulder,
McCullar
Christy McMahan, Syd Mulder and Eve McCullar Moore. Nine grandchildren round out the family; they live in Atlanta
and Brentwood and Ramer, TN.
The McCullars’ house is surrounded by lots of
trees and a golf course. Sam, an avid golfer, and
Clara, a sometimes golfer, enjoy their beautiful
home, which contains lots of family photos and
mementoes, some of which are antiques from
Sam’s mother and his dad’s collection of pipes.
Next, our journey took us to Stantonville to a
senior luncheon with Clara’s family and friends.
I had the privilege of meeting her mother, Evelyn, and hearing her sister, Belinda Christopher,
entertain us with a medley of gospel songs.
Clara’s popularity among her peers was almost
overwhelming at times.
Besides her postal and NAPUS activities,
Clara is entrenched in her community of Mc-
Nairy County, including serving as a member of Habitat
for Humanity’s Steering and
Selection committees, and a
volunteer for the "Jesus
Cares" Ministry as a Vision
Team member and the annual
fund-raiser. She is a member
of the Methodist Church of
Selmer, serving as Worship
Committee chair, United
Methodist Women chair and
on the Pastor Parrish Relations Committee, as well as
singing in the choir.
Clara, who is a benevolent
person, thought I would enjoy
meeting Jeff York—the man
Clara with her sister Belinda and mother Evelyn
who wrote the article about
he had since birth to be able to stand at a table—
her for the local newspaper; indeed I would!
all day—to write articles for the local newspaper,
What a brilliant man who restored my faith in the
review sports events and publish the church bulhuman spirit. He overcame a debilitating disease
letin. He captured Clara’s life in a way that exClara and Sam met at the post office.
pounded on her ability to lead
this great organization. A brilliant mind not lost through a
handicap, but, rather, another
picture of a friend of Clara’s.
We then went to see her first
post office at Stantonville, a
Level-13, and her last post office, Michie, a Level-16. She
began her postal career as a
clerk in Miss Bessie’s office in
Stantonville and continued to
serve 35 years in the Postal Service. She was OIC of a Level18 office, acting supervisor at a
Level-20, and served on route
17
Clara first worked at the
Stantonville, TN, Post
Office.
She retired from the Michie,
TN, Post Office.
inspection and Function 4
teams, as well as serving on a
RCA hiring team, Postmaster
selection committee and women’s advisory council.
We ended the day at Shiloh Battlefield and ate catfish along the Tennessee
River. Clara could not finish her dinner
because, everywhere we went, so many
people knew Clara and stopped to speak
to her; she worked in a shirt factory before starting to work for the Postal Service. Clara made her own clothes, took
piano lessons and began a journey into a
new life of service and commitment.
She and Sam have such interesting
backgrounds. He retired from Bolivar,
TN, with 31 years of service. He played
football and basketball in high school,
attended college and taught school before entering the Postal Service. Clara
collected stamps and roosters, farmed,
bowled and became a homemaker. She
was a den mother and started Boy Scout
and Girl Scout groups so her children
wouldn’t miss out on anything.
Clara loves to sew and embroider.
They both love to travel in their motorhome; they have visited every state except Arizona, Idaho and Kansas.
She has shared her musical talent
with us at conventions; she comes from
a musical family. Her father and his two
brothers sang and played guitar on the
radio. When asked who had the most influence in her life, she replied without
hesitation, “Miss Bessie Carroll and her
grandmother Jessie.”
Clara and Sam’s lives now revolve
Members of the Tennessee Chapter
were busy supporting their candidate
for PM Retired president on election
day at the 2015 National Convention
in Mobile, AL.
around grandchildren, NAPUS, church
and their community, where she serves
on the Election Commission. They try
to attend all their grandchildren’s sporting events and still find time to enjoy
their motorhome; they spend two
months in Florida each winter.
Her Tennessee NAPUS career spans
30 years, which includes, but is not limited to, co-chair of Tennessee’s first
scholarship committee, service rep, career development, secretary-treasurer,
executive vice president and president.
She currently is serving as chaplain.
On the national level, Clara served
as Area 11 national vice president and
registration chair for the 1992 National
Convention in Nashville, with a registration of 4,300. She also served as
chair of the following committees: VIP,
Tellers, First-Timers, Audit, Budget
and Nomination. Before being elected
president, she also served as PM Retired national secretary-treasurer and
vice president.
I asked Clara a lot of questions and
wasn’t surprised at her answers: The
best years of her life were being a mother; her biggest surprise was when Sam
planned their surprise honeymoon to the
Bahamas; her goal after she graduated
high school was to volunteer and make
a difference in her community.
Clara said she retired after Sam had
been retired five years; they had plans
for things they wanted to do together.
They wanted to start a new chapter in
their life—not as Postmasters, but as
part of Postmasters Retired—and contribute to the organization.
Selmer is in the southwest corner of
Tennessee. I flew into Nashville and
began the three-hour ride to Selmer
where I would learn much about this
amazing couple who like and admire
each other and sometimes think and say
the same things. They admire the work
done at St. Jude’s. They dote on their
children and grandchildren and are
proud of all their accomplishments. Before going to watch a grandchild’s volleyball game, they watched volleyball
on TV so they could understand the
game better.
Clara and Sam enjoy their trips in their motorhome.
Clara said she decided to run for
PM Retired office because she wanted
to be part of the solution—not the
problem: “If we don’t care, who will?”
she said. “I have just begun my service
to NAPUS.” Her goals include an emphasis on membership and UPMA—
being inclusive of everyone, thinking
positively, establishing a good rapport
with the National Office, working on
legislation and involving as many people as possible.
Clara made her committee appointees based on a person’s expertise
in a particular field, their dedication and
being proven leaders. “This is going to
be a very interesting year as we consolidate the two Postmaster organizations,”
she observed. “I look forward to it, but
we will need 100 percent from everyone
involved to bring the organizations together.” She added, “The Postal Service
helped give our family a good life. I am
anxious to get started in my new position.”
Finally, we ended where we began—
back in Selmer and the house that love
has built. Clara’s new journey is beginning, which will include her helper and
helpmate Sam. Throughout our time
together, we talked about her love of
NAPUS and why she joined in the first
place: “Because everyone has a voice
and a vote in NAPUS; they make things
happen.”
Well, Clara, it all begins anew in January. Your journey
will be what it alSally Robinson is the PM
ways has been: serRetired editor.
vice to your community, your church and your fellow
Postmasters—active and retired.
Serve long and well, Clara. Your
journey has just begun.
19
Faces and Places
Compiled by Karen Young, Gazette publisher
New Jersey PM Keeps Her
Community Involved
hiloh, NJ, Postmaster Mary Cashgoodwill and lightheartedness with me
Fleckenstein and her staff partto the post office.”
nered with the Cumberland CounFleckenstein said she is proof that if
ty Sheriff’s Department to provide child
you work hard and are nice to people,
identification program services to comgreat things can happen; the system
munity children for the office’s Kid
works. Shinn had a binder sent out by
Print Day this past
Marketing with cussummer. Officer John
tomer involvement
Schweibinz fingerideas; Fleckenstein
printed the children
has added her own
and took vital contact
ideas. She has had
information for use if
the post office open
there ever would be a
for Christmas/house
need for an Amber
tours, had more than
Alert. Fleckenstein
10 pictorial cancellaand Retail Associate
tions and read and
Lisa Muffley assisted
donated countless
and told the parents
Owney—the Postal
about the importance
Service’s canine
Officer
John
Schweibinz
fingerof keeping the chilmascot—books in
printed children at the Shiloh,
dren’s information
each town in which
NJ, Post Office on Kid Print
up-to-date in case of
she’s worked.
Day to help promote safety.
an emergency.
She has hosted a
To decorate the office for Kid Print
Kid Print event every year since the adDay, art classes from the local elemenvent of the Amber Alert stamps, held
tary school were asked to design their
customer appreciation days on April 15,
own commemorative stamp. The designs were displayed in the lobby;
friends and family members were invited to vote for their favorite stamp. The
winning design was made into a pictorial cancellation later in the year.
his past July, the Postal Service
Fleckenstein began at the Shiloh
released the Summer Harvest
Post Office in 2001; she was a junior in
Forever stamps. The designs—
college and was hired as a PMR. She
inspired by vintage produce advertisworked when needed and traveled to
ing—showcase some of America’s famany other offices.
vorite summer foods: cantaloupes,
She credits Postmaster Janice
corn, tomatoes and watermelon. An eShinn, now retired, for being a mentor
mail was sent from the Kentuckiana
and teacher. “Many of the things I do
District Retail manager asking for at
now were modeled by her; she made
least one office in each MPOO group
the job fun,” said Fleckenstein. “I took
to hold a stamp dedication for the
those lessons with me when I became
Summer Harvest stamps. The intent
OIC in 2004 and later Greenwich Postwas to feature local farmers and promaster in 2005. I brought a sense of
Mary Fleckenstein, Postmaster of Shiloh,
NJ, holds a binder full of her projects for
marketing and customer involvement.
One of these, her favorite, is researching
the history of the three local post offices;
the photo is of the Greenwich Post Office
around 1825.
sponsored fun events when new stamps
come out and held seminars for eBay,
business mailers, CardStore and Every
Door Direct Mail.® “We all are busy,”
she said, “especially this time of year.
But if you take the time and plan an
event that shows your customers you
care, they will reward you with their
loyalty.”
Kentucky Post Offices
Provide a Bountiful Harvest
mote local farmers’ markets.
Greenup, KY, Postmaster Teri
Thomas—the 2014 NAPUS Jessie Harrison Excellence Award winner—organized an event at the Greenup County Extension Office. “I love when you can
connect a stamp to your community,”
she said. “It is important for the Postal
Service to be present in the community.”
The new extension office was a great
venue for the dedication and right
across the street from a local farmer’s
market. The stamps were well-received
and the enlarged print of
the stamps was donated
to the extension office.
New Haven Postmaster Kim Gibbons teamed
up with Gethsemani
Farms at the Abbey of
Gethsemani—the oldest
monastery in the country—for her event. In
1848, 44 Trappist monks from the
Abbey of Melleray in western France
made a new home in the hills of central
Kentucky.
According to Gibbons, the abbey
had its own post office at one time, established July 10, 1901. Frederick M.
Dunne, the abbot at the time, was appointed Postmaster. He kept the title
until his death in 1944. Brother Alexander White was appointed acting Postmaster, then Postmaster on Feb. 28,
1945; he served until his death on
March 5, 1982. The Trappist, KY, Post
Office was discontinued May 28, 1983;
mail delivery was established at the
New Haven Post Office.
Gibbons explained the abbey has a
large mail-order business selling homemade fruitcake and fudge. Until this
year, they also made and sold a variety
of cheeses. Christmas is their busiest
Celebrating the release
of the Summer Harvest
stamps in Greenup, KY,
were, from left: MPOO
John Dampier, Kentucky Rep. Tanya Pullin,
District Marketing
Manager Alisa Zanetti
and Greenup Postmaster Teri Thomas.
time; the post office arranges one to two
extra runs a day, three weeks before
Christmas.
The monks are self-sustaining. At
one time, they farmed the land and had
a dairy farm. They now lease their land
to local farmers and depend on sales of
their fruitcake, fudge and hand-crafted
items for their livelihood and upkeep of
the abbey. In 1988, The Wall Street
Journal named the Gethsemani fruitcake “best overall.” This year, the Food
Network featured the abbey’s fudge on
one of its shows. Gethsemani’s website
is www.monks.org.
New Haven Postmaster Kim
Gibbons organized a Summer Harvest stamps dedication at the local Abbey of
Gethsemani. From left: former U.S. Rep. Ron Mazzoli,
Father Ken Fortner of St.
Vincent de Paul Catholic
Church in New Haven,
Brother Roger Kaler of the
abbey, Abbot Dom Elias of
the abbey, USPS District
Marketing Manager Alisa
Zanetti and Gibbons.
A number of former Postmasters attended the Summer Harvest stamps dedication and
were pictured with former Rep.
Ron Mazzoli (center) and
Brother Roger Kaler (third
from right), from left: Marion
“Totsie” Boone, New Haven;
Bob Hummer, Hodgenville;
Rosie Thompson, New Hope;
Beverly Roberts, St. Catharine;
Andie Boone, OIC, Howardstown; Jeannine Roy, New
Haven; Judy Burns, Chaplin;
and Ann Metcalf, Bradfordsville. Not pictured: Marlene Harrell, Glendale.
21
By Cathy Watts
retired in the early-out offered March 31, 2009.
At age 51, I knew I would continue to work,
but didn’t know what I would do. I sold my
house in Florida and moved to Tennessee to
live near my (then 24-year-old) son. I intended
to work part time somewhere fun, hopefully
making $1,000 a month to supplement my retirement.
I applied to work at my favorite clothing store,
Chico’s, and soon was hired. It seemed fun at first, but I
quickly realized my feet hurt, I didn’t like working nights
and weekends (I think I already knew that) and when the
holiday season arrived, it was going to be like the post office all over again. I also realized I spent more on clothes
than I was earning, so, after three months, I quit. You can
do that if you aren’t working toward a retirement.
I took the tax course at H&R Block and planned to
prepare taxes the following January; I thought I would
just take off from October until then and rest. But, it
seems every time I have more than two weeks off, I get
restless.
Luckily, about two weeks later, I got a call from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). I had applied for
a position as an accounting clerk when I first arrived in
town, but when they called me three months later for an
interview, I turned them down; I didn’t want to work full
time, especially for $20,000 a year. You can do that when
you are retired.
The woman who called offered me a part-time temporary position in the contract office, working 10-2, Monday through Friday, for $15 an hour. I happily took that
position; it paid twice what Chico’s was paying. But, after
about five months, I quit because I was bored.
After that, I tried a short stint selling insurance and
counseling postal employees on retirement. I found that,
although I loved talking about the post office with the employees, I did not like cold calling or selling insurance.
Then, while on vacation during another period of unemployment, I received a call out of the blue from a vice
president at MTSU. It seems he was desperate for someone to come run the campus post office. The manager
was retiring and the vice president had no idea where he
would find someone who would know how to run the
post office. He talked to the contract manager for whom I
had worked part-time and she suggested me. I met with
him on June 29, 2010, and was hired immediately. The
former manager retired the next day.
Believe it or not, there is a whole world of “Postmasters” out there of whom you have never heard. Almost
every college and university has a post office or mail
center that compares with a small associate post office.
Many are contract stations, but some are not. My post
office is a contract station (completely manual), with a
post office window. We have about 5,000 private post
office boxes (3,000 for students and 2,000 for faculty
and staff) and two large meter machines to meter university mail.
I have responsibility for another department—Distribution—that delivers UPS and FedEx packages to the departments. This department has a manager and three carriers. I also have one carrier who delivers mail twice a
day to the administration buildings.
There also is an organization for people like us: the
College and University Mail Service Association
(CUMSA), which is a regional association (there are
about five other regionals) and the national organization,
NACUMS—the National Association of College and
University Mail Services.
I attended my first CUMSA conference in 2011 and
felt like I had gone home. When they went around the
room to have the new members introduce themselves, I
told them about NAPUS. I told them I had been state
president, secretary-treasurer, editor; I looked around the
room and saw them looking at me as if they had just
found a treasure. After the meeting, several of them came
up and said how happy they were to have someone with
my experience in their group. Before the convention
ended, they asked me to serve on their board as a member-at-large.
Yes, there is life after the post office. And yes, it can
be even better. If you loved working at the post office,
but were frustrated by the micro-management and the
constant changes, a job as a university mail manager
could be right up your alley. Working here reminds me
of my early days as a Postmaster in the ’90s—before
MPOOs and districts watched your every move; the
days when someone trusted you to actually run your
post office without having to prove you actually dis-
patched the mail. A
world without fear!
And even better, I
am allowed to make
changes to improve my operation. In the Postal Service,
we always had new programs pushed on us. Here, I decide what new programs we need to use. For instance, I
realized the manual way we handled student packages
gave us no accountability if they said they did not receive
their package. I proposed a new inbound tracking system
to provide better control.
I put out bids and spent $25,000 on four handheld
scanners, two signature pads and the software. I recently
selected new postage meters for the university to process
our mail, as well as getting a small meter for our contract
station. I have a vice president who lets me run my department as I see fit.
My pay is not as much as I made as a Postmaster, but,
together with my retirement, I make as much or more
than I did before. I earn five weeks’ annual leave a year
and only work 37.5 hours a week; I never work on weekends. We are closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
The busy times at the university are much
different. We are flooded with parcels (book
rentals) at the beginning of the fall and spring
semesters, but get no extra volume at Christmas or the first of the month. No one cares
what time I get the mail up. I am visited about
Cathy Watts is the former
four times a year by my post office for an aviFlorida Chapter editor and
ation security audit and once a year for my firetired Postmaster of
nancial audit.
Apalachicola, Fl; cathy.
Life is good outside the post office. I’m
watts@ymail.com.
now Postmaster in a different kind of town
and it is great! I highly recommend that, if you
have recently retired, you look into working in the college
and university system or something similar. But first, take
a few months off and enjoy yourself!
23
Oldest Living Retired Iowa
Still Going
O
By Sheila Ludwikowski
n Friday, Oct. 9, Keva Richardson, retired
Postmaster of Thurman, IA, traveled to
Ottumwa, IA, to interview the oldest living retired Iowa Postmaster. Celma Birdsall, age 107 years young, is living at the
Ottumwa Good Samaritan Society Center.
She is the retired Postmaster of Floris and
a dual member of NAPUS and the League since she was
appointed Postmaster in 1951.
Celma was born July 24, 1908. She, her husband and
their children—ages 6, 7 and 8 (two boys and one girl)—
moved to a 40-acre farm next to Floris in 1948. They always had lived in the city; when they moved to a farm with
no electricity, no running water and no outhouse, it was
quite a culture shock.
The Postmaster of Floris, Ralph Glattfelder, was their
neighbor and lived about a half mile from them. Celma got
to know him and his wife; she would drive Ralph’s wife
around on errands. It was during this time the Postmaster
asked Celma if she would be willing to fill in for him at the
post office so he could take a vacation.
She agreed and began working for the Post Office Department on June 1, 1950. “I was no spring chicken when I
started at the post office,” Celma said. On Sunday, June 6,
just five days after she started, Celma received a call
from Ralph’s wife, saying something was wrong with
Ralph and could she come over.
By the time Celma got there, Ralph had died. On
Monday morning, Ralph’s wife handed Celma keys and
said, “Here are the keys; go open the post office.” Celma
didn’t even know how to open the safe.
Monday morning, she called the local inspector and
told him the Postmaster had died. The only thing he said
was, “Can you get along all right?” “I will try,” she responded.
The only way she made it through those days was because of an old mail carrier, Paul C. Rouch; according to
Celma, he was a “real treasure.” He knew everyone and
was the only reason she survived the first few days as Postmaster.
The mail for Floris came on the Rock Island Railway
six days a week; in 1950, the post office was a Fourth-
Class office. There wasn’t a clerk, only a Postmaster, who
worked 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
For the next three months, Celma ran the Floris Post
Office. Then finally, one day, the local inspector, who was
out of Ottumwa, showed up and, for the second time,
asked, “Can you get along all right?” To which she replied,
“I will try.”
Before 1950, Celma had no desire to work for the federal government, but she forced herself to take the civil
service test. On May 24, 1951, she was politically appointed by President Harry S Truman and Postmaster General
Jesse M. Donaldson as the Floris Postmaster. (All presidential Postmaster appointments were ended by Congress
in 1969.)
This past October, Keva asked Celma if she had her
Postmaster certificate; she pointed to a drawer. In the
drawer were her Hampton, IA, High School yearbook, her
Postmaster certificate and her certificate of honorary life
membership from NAPUS. With these documents were
copies of her paycheck
Celma cherishes her Poststubs.
master and honorary lifeCelma’s first paycheck
time NAPUS membership
was for $10.60; her paycertificates.
Postmaster
Strong
check stub dated June 5, 1950, showed a FourthClass office salary of $1,069/year. Her paycheck
stub dated June 1, 1952, showed a Third-Class office salary of $2,883/year. For the first year, Celma
paid her salary out of the post office till in the office. Then, all Postmasters were brought to Ottumwa for a meeting. From then on, things changed; she
had to send her timecard in to get paid. In 1952, Floris
went to a Third-Class office and she was able to hire a
clerk.
Keva asked what Celma remembered most about her
first day at the post office. She said she was very nervous
because she didn’t know very many people. When she first
started at the Floris Post Office, she didn’t have a telephone. She was able to get one installed after a while and
then was able to talk to Postmasters in Drakesville and Pulaski. They were about the same-size office and because
the Postmasters had served longer than her, she would call
them for helpful information.
In 1978, Celma retired from the Floris Post Office after
27 years of service. She says she was pushed out because
retirement was mandatory once you reached the age of 70.
Three months after she retired,
this moratorium was removed. Celma
Keva Richardson, resaid if she could, she would have
tired Iowa Postmaster,
worked forever; she loved her job!
interviewed Celma
Today, as a result of POStPlan, Floris Birdsall—still enjoying
Happy Hour at age 107.
is a two-hour remotely managed post
office under the administrative office of
Bloomfield. Celma has kept her post office box in Floris;
her daughter goes and picks up her mail. She says the
worst thing now is you never know who is going to be
working in the post office.
When asked what advice she would give Postmasters
today, Celma said she loved to serve the people and was
always happy to help. She did a lot of extra things for customers, such as wrapping packages for them and taking
extra time to help them. She knows this type of service has
gone by the wayside; it makes her sad
to see this.
As the interview ended, Celma was
headed to Happy Hour, which is every
day at 2 p.m. We can hope we all get to
be 107 years young with our health
and, best of all, able to go every day to
Happy Hour at 2 p.m.!
Let’s show Celma how much we appreciate her by sending her a card or a
letter. If just 10 Postmasters and retired PostmasSheila Ludwikowski is
ters in every state sent her
the Iowa Chapter editor
a note, imagine how much
and Postmaster of Perry.
it would brighten her day.
She would have cards to share at Happy
Hour for weeks! Her mailing address is
Celma Birdsall, 2035 Chester Ave. #401,
Ottumwa, IA 52501.
25
Scintillating
Jackson Square
By Karen Boudreaux
H
Photo by Pat Garin
istoric Jackson Square is a timeless attraction in the heart of New Orleans’ French
Quarter. Originally known in the 18th century as “Place d’Armes,” it later was renamed in honor of Battle of New Orleans hero Andrew
Jackson. The artists, restaurants, museums, merchants
and the square itself make Jackson Square one of the
French Quarter’s most popular destinations. Receiving
National Landmark status in 1960, the square attracts
visitors and locals who gather to listen to street performers, have their palms read by a gypsy, browse the
shops, have a chicory coffee and beignet at Café du
Monde or just relax under a tree while life in the French
Quarter moves around them.
This famous landmark facing the Mississippi River
is surrounded by historic buildings, including the St.
Louis Cathedral, The Presbytère and Cabildo
(Louisiana state museums), not to mention the Upper
and Lower Pontalba Building, built in 1850, considered
the oldest apartment building in the United States. Retail shops, museums, galleries and restaurants are on the
ground level; the second and third floors still house
prestigious apartments.
For well more
than a half-century,
there has been an
open-air artist
colony at Jackson Square. Local
artists paint, draw, create portraits
and caricatures and display their
work on the square’s iron fence.
Some have been there for generations! Under the shade of the oak
trees, you can sit and have a pastel
portrait done in about one hour;
you will be hard-pressed to find
better portrait artists working outside
anywhere else in the world.
Artists must have permits to sell their
work in the square and only 200 are issued annually, which means you’ll be
browsing through pieces by legitimate
and talented artists. Across Chartres
Street sits the Cabildo, the 18th-century
building where the Louisiana Purchase
was signed.
Finding Jackson Square is quite
easy. It occupies 2.5 acres on the Mississippi River, on Decatur Street between the Jax Brewery Shopping
Mall and the French Market, in front
Photos by
Karen
Boudreaux
of the St. Louis Cathedral.
Across the street from the
square, you’ll find
the world-famous
Café Du Monde.
Directly in front
of the square,
you can find
carriages offering rides
around the Quarter. In the
square, in addition to the
amazing artists, you will
find street performers
who can keep you entertained.
History of Jackson Square
When New Orleans was
founded, it was nothing more than
a French trading camp. After a
few years, the camp was
organized into a formal
colony and was subdivided into “city blocks,” with
streets that ran perpendicular and parallel to the
Mississippi River. In the
center of this layout, right
on the river, was a oneblock common area: the
Place d’Armes, designed
by architect Louis Pilié.
The Place d’Armes (or
Plaza de Armas, as the Spanish called it)
was used as a public square, military parade ground and open-air market. On
Chartres Street on the northwest side
stood a church (now Saint Louis Cathe-
Making Reservations with the Marriott
We have been informed by the Marriott there are
people in our block holding multiple room reservations.
Subsequently, members are not able to get our $109
convention rate. We have sold out more than 95 percent
of the room block. The hotel has plenty of rooms, but
NAPUS is reluctant to add more rooms to the block this
far out because of the financial penalties that will be
assessed if we contract for rooms we do not use.
If you have an extra room you won’t be using,
please call the hotel—504-581-1000—and correct
your reservation so others will have the opportunity to
get a room at our convention rate.
Also, Southern Decadence, an annual New Orleans
event, will be held over Labor Day weekend. Because of
the huge influx of visitors to the city at the tail end of
the NAPUS convention, the hotel convention rate of
$109 is available only during the convention dates: Aug.
27 to Sept. 1, 2016. Don’t wait to make your reservations! Call 800-654-3990, passcode: 2016 Postmasters
Convention; or go online at https://aws.passkey.com/
g/52446502.
dral) and the governor’s mansion (the
Cabildo). Because of its central location, proximity to the river port and the
presence of both a church and seat of
government, the square was the epicenter of New Orleans life and the hub of
local shipping and commerce. The
Place d’Armes continued to function in
this capacity throughout the rule of the
French, the Spanish, the French again
and, finally, American rule after the
Louisiana Purchase.
Following the Battle of
New Orleans in 1814, the
Baroness Pontalba (builder
of the Pontalba Apartments, which bear her
name and remain in use
today) lobbied for and financed a redesign of the
public square. The new design incorporated an iron
fence, formal gardens,
walkways and benches for
sitting. In the center of the
square stands one of three
bronze statues of General
Andrew Jackson, hero of
New Orleans. In 1815,
after the Battle of New Orleans, the square was renamed “Jackson Square” in the general’s honor.
St. Louis Cathedral
The St. Louis Cathedral is one of
New Orleans’ most notable landmarks.
Truly, this is the heart of old New Orleans. Since 1727,
New Orleanians
have worshipped in
churches on this site.
It was dedicated to Louis IX, sainted
king of France, and was, thus, perhaps
the first building in New Orleans of
brick-between-posts (briquette-entrepoteaux) construction, an effective
method of building that continued to be
used in Louisiana
until at least the
middle of the 19th
century.
In this first little
church were baptized the children of
colonists and the
children of slaves.
Here were married
the lowly and the
highborn, and through its doors were
borne the mortal remains of the faithful
for the burial rites of the Holy Mother
Church on the last journey to the little
cemetery on St. Peter Street.
As the mother church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, St. Louis
Cathedral has a long and interesting history. It is the oldest continuously active
Roman Catholic cathedral in the United
States, originally built in
1727 and dedicated to King
Louis IX of France, “the Crusading King,” who later was
canonized by the church. The
original St. Louis Cathedral
burned during the great fire
of 1794 and was rebuilt. The
present structure was completed in the 1850s.
In September 1987, the
cathedral witnessed the historic visit of Pope John Paul II; the
plaza directly in front of the church was
renamed in the pope’s honor. Shortly afterward, the cathedral’s status was upgraded to a basilica.
The Louisiana
Karen Boudreaux is a
Chapter hopes you are
Gazette associate editor,
making plans now to
the Louisiana Chapter
visit New Orleans this
editor and Postmaster
August for the NAPUS
of Loreauville.
national convention
and looks forward to welcoming you to
this exciting city, with so much to do,
see and enjoy.
112th National Convention
Aug. 27-Sept. 1, 2016
Official Registration Form
Registration also available online at www.napus.org
Please complete one form per registrant. Photocopy the form for additional registrations.
First Name:________________________________ Last Name:______________________________________
Title:_____________________________________ First Name (for your badge):__________________________
First-Timer? ❏ Yes ❏ No
Post Office You Represent City: ___________________________ State:_______
PM Retired First-Timer? ❏ Yes ❏ No
Your Mailing Address:_________________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________________________ State:______ ZIP+4___________________________
Daytime Phone:__________________________________ Fax:_______________________________________
E-mail:_________________________________________________
Convention Registration (only one person per form):
Please circle the
appropriate fee:
9/4/152/28/16
Postmaster/Associate/Supervisor/
Station Manager/District Employee/
Area Employee/PMR
Postmasters Retired or Guest*
(PM Retired Luncheon included)
$190
3/1/16- 6/1/165/31/16 8/20/16 On-Site
$215
$167.50 $186.25
Auxiliary/Spouse/Postmaster Guest $142.50 $161.25
(Does NOT include PM Retired Luncheon)
$240
$265
$205 $223.75
$180
198.75
Children (17 and under) $75; includes child’s meal at the Grand Banquet.
*PM Retired member may have one guest (not an active PM) register for
the same price.
Payment Information
Convention Fee:
$________________
_____ Additional tickets for Postmasters
Retired Luncheon @ $25 each
$________________
Total Payment:
$________________
❏ Check payable to NAPUS
Hotel Reservation
NAPUS has a special rate at the
convention hotel beginning Sept.
10, 2015. You must call the hotel
directly to make a reservation. The
NAPUS National Office will not handle room reservations. To make a
reservation, you must make a deposit to the hotel in the amount of
your first night’s lodging; this deposit is non-refundable after July
1, 2016. All room cancellations
must be made directly with the
hotel. To secure the special NAPUS
rate, you must identify yourself as
part of the NAPUS convention. The
rate is available only until July 1,
2016, or all rooms in the block are
sold, whichever comes first.
New Orleans Marriott
504-581-1000
$109—single/double/triple/quad
Be sure to request the NAPUS
convention rate.
❏ Visa/MasterCard
Card number_____________________________________________
Card security code:_____________
Expiration date:______________
(3- or 4-digit code
imprinted on card)
Signature:_______________________________________________
Mail with full payment to NAPUS National Convention
Registration, 8 Herbert St., Alexandria, VA 22305-2600.
Questions? Call 703-683-9027
Registration Cancellation
Refund Policy
Requests for cancellation refunds must
be made in writing to the NAPUS National
Office. Requests must be postmarked by
April 1, 2016, for 75 percent refund; and
by July 1, 2016, for 50 percent refund.
No refunds after July 1, 2016. These
dates will be strictly adhered to; exemptions may be made with approval of the
NAPUS national president.
Postal
Lifestyles
Holiday Re-Solutions for the
New Year… and Beyond
Submitted by the USPS EAP
he beginning of a new year
often gives us time to pause
and reflect on where we have
been during the past year and
where we would like to be going in the
upcoming year. It is a time of high expectations and new hopes. Many of us
strive for some type of self-improvement or positive change.
While it is sometimes necessary to
make changes in order to improve ourselves, at other times it can be equally
important to remember things we already know, but “forget” to practice.
History tells us that many New Year’s
resolutions are quickly and easily forgotten.
Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, this year, you may want to try to
focus on re-solutions—things we already know, but fail to practice. Here
are some ideas for re-solutions we
might find helpful:
Self care: We can become so caught
up in schedules, tasks and caring for
others, we neglect to take care of ourselves. Better self care—paying attention to or increasing our allowance for
sleep, nutrition and exercise—allows us
to improve the quality of our own lives
and also potentially increases our capacity to maintain and improve our ability
to fulfill our many roles.
Time management: We often can
become stretched too thin by committing (or being committed to) more than
we can realistically handle. Taking one
thing at a time, prioritizing our needs
and demands and simplifying our lives
by cutting out things that really aren’t
that important or benefit us allow more
time for the things that are the most important.
Relax: This re-solution really is a
combination of the first two. Taking
time away from our daily routines to engage in an activity we enjoy and find relaxing and refreshing can allow us to
“recharge our batteries” and have more
energy for our everyday tasks, particularly those that we find bothersome,
monotonous or draining. Examples are
taking time for a hobby, reading, meditating, journaling or similar activities.
Maintain balance in your life: All
the aspects of your life are important;
the three major aspects of life are work,
rest and play. Maintaining a balance
among these three helps maintain quality of life. If one area gets out of balance,
the other two often suffer, as well. Treat
all three as if they are equally important
(because they are!) in order to get the
most out of them.
Manage your expectations: Give
yourself a break. Don’t try to be perfect;
everyone has faults. Don’t blame yourself when things don’t go as planned;
failure often is a group effort. Taking on
too much responsibility or biting off
more than we can chew often is an invitation for more stress to enter our lives.
By pacing ourselves, managing what we
expect to accomplish and taking time to
appreciate our accomplishments, we
can feel a greater sense of success and
reward for our efforts.
Focus on what you can control:
When we spend all of our energy and
effort on things we can’t control, we have less energy to
address the things we can control. Prioritizing is critical;
first addressing the things that
are most important reduces
stress. If things aren’t flowing
as expected, make changes to
make them flow better when
possible. Don’t sweat the
small stuff; it wouldn’t be
small stuff if it was important.
Take control of your life:
Avoidance can seem like an
attractive way of dealing with
things that are stress-provoking; it often seems the easier
way of dealing with unpleasant people or situations. However, avoidance often leads to
increased stress and less-positive outcomes. Addressing a
tough issue head-on gives you
the greatest control and is almost always the most effective way of resolving it.
Find what works for you: Everyone
has their own way of doing things, their
own rituals and patterns of behavior.
People tend to be most comfortable
with what is familiar to them. What
works for someone else might not work
best for you; everyone is different. Establish your own patterns and rituals to
meet your own needs. Don’t necessarily
depend on what worked for someone
else because it might not work as well
for you. Make changes and set routines
that work for you.
Laugh often: Laughter really is the
best medicine; laughing actually releases natural anti-depressants in our brain.
Taking ourselves too seriously or placing undue importance on less-important
things in our lives creates stress. Laughing helps balance out some of the stressors we encounter every day. Watching
a comedy, listening to a comedian or
just talking with friends you enjoy can
help you find ways to laugh. Finding
humor in everyday occurrences is an-
other way to help reduce your stress.
Express gratitude: Be mindful of
the good things in your life; negative
things create stress. Balance some of the
negatives in life by being grateful for
the positive things. Health, prosperity,
family and friends easily are taken for
granted. Remembering what is really
important is one way of staying positive.
Be honest: While saying something
nice is rarely offensive, sometimes
being nice, instead of honest, can create
unforeseen problems down the road. Be
honest with yourself and with others
about your needs, your resources, your
time and availability and your plans. Although sometimes telling a “little white
lie” is an easy way to deal with stressful
situations or people, it also can become
problematic in the long run, causing
more headaches and taking more time
to undo than if it had been dealt with
honestly up front.
Connect with others: Part of being
honest with yourself is knowing when to seek out others
with whom to share yourself.
Whether you need companionship, support, help, enjoyment, company or just someone with whom to share
things, seeking out others is a
great way to make life more
enjoyable. Often, doing things
with others gives meaning to
our activities. Dinners,
movies and walks all tend to
be much more enjoyable
when shared with others.
Know when to seek help:
Sometimes life can be overwhelming. Pressures, deadlines, commitments, stress
and unexpected occurrences
can become paralyzing if we
feel we can’t cope with what
life has sent our way. Knowing when to go it alone and
when to seek help can be an
important skill in reacting to
life’s surprises. Reaching out to others
when necessary allows us to express our
feelings, get feedback and look at situations from a different perspective.
Friends, family and co-workers all can
be excellent sources of support when
necessary.
When professional help is necessary,
the Employee Assistance Program is
available to provide support, comfort
and assistance. EAP professionals are
available around the clock at 800-3274968 (TTY: 877-492-7341). It takes
only a minute to be connected to someone who can help with whatever challenges you might face.
Life coaching, offered as a free service through the EAP, is a great way for
you to start your re-solutions. Plan now
to make next year one of improvement,
success and happiness. The first step
may be calling your EAP to set up
coaching services. Call whenever it is
convenient for you; they are open 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
31
TIPS—To Increase Performance & Solutions
I Have (More Than) a Best Friend at Work!
By Mark Wahl
“That’s the craziest question on the survey.” “Best
friend at work, are you serious? I don’t need best
friends at work; I make my own friends.” “I went
home and told my wife about the question on the
Postal Pulse Survey about best friend at work; she said,
‘You better not have a best friend at work; I’m your
best friend.’”
These are just a few of the responses from fellow
employees regarding question 10 on the new Postal
Pulse surveys. But this is good because our employees actually are talking about the surveys; it is a step
in the right direction. So, what can you do at your
local office?
Keep talking, engaging and asking for feedback and
opinions. Of all the things I’ve learned in my 29 years
in the Postal Service, the one that hasn’t changed is all
employees and customers love giving advice, personal
views and—yes—opinions, but not necessarily if they
need to take a survey.
But that is the beauty about the new Postal Pulse
surveys. There are only 12 elements, numbered Q01
through Q12, and they are backed by millions of data
from our new partner Gallup—the most-trusted and
well-known company for polling. What a great team:
the most-trusted polling company working with the
most-trusted federal agency for the past 14 years.
Postmaster General Megan Brennan has made employee engagement and investment her number one
priority. I’ve only had the opportunity to meet Megan
one time, but, with that type of forward thinking and
commitment, I have to consider her my newest best
friend at work.
The Postal Pulse breaks the results down into three
engagement indexes: engaged, not engaged and actively disengaged. You must admit, it does not take a survey to indicate who the actively disengaged employees
are in your office; you know them already. In fact, you
spend most of your time and efforts addressing them.
When you are not “actively engaged with them,” they
more than likely take precious time in your thoughts at
work and away from work.
That, unfortunately, is our culture and
mindset. But there is hope; you can control your approach and attitude simply by focusing on your engaged employees and have a causative effect on the
teetering, not-engaged employees. Do this quick activity at work or away from work and replace it with those
thoughts about your actively disengaged employees:
• Close your eyes and think of the person or persons
who have qualities that are attractive. How do they
sound? How do they look? Do they take pride in their
work and appearance? Do they embrace their role? Do
they make you feel energized by their enthusiasm and
positive approach?
• After you open your eyes, write down their
names; you just identified your new best friends at
work. Now, how are you going to recognize or praise
their good work? Q04: “In the last seven days, I received recognition or praise for doing good work.”
• Now, the real test. Imagine if your employees
closed their eyes and thought about you. Would their
thoughts reflect the same good qualities you just envisioned as possessed by your engaged employees and
new best friends?
Before we can share results of our craft, we must
take a look at the “direct” results and “see” where we,
as EAS employees, can improve engagement, implementing just one action plan, task or activity into our
day—just one! Once our eyes are opened, only then
can we spread our efforts to our staff and employees,
with the ultimate goal of engaged customers. Engaged
employees are more likely to generate great customer
experiences. That, in turn, can help generate engaged
employees.
If this article engages you to look within first, I encourage you all to contact your district engagement
leader and ask how you can get involved with Postal
Pulse. And then my opportunity to improve Postmaster
engagement will be a success. As I opened my eyes, I
now knew the engaged employees in my district. With
the right approach, attitude and my encouragement,
you will, no doubt, open some eyes in your district, as
well.
Q06: “There is someone at work who encourages
my development.”
Mark Wahl, your friend (at work), is the Pennsylvania Chapter chaplain and Postmaster of Ingomar.
Postmasters Retired
Change Will Get Us There
Postmasters Retired
By Janiece Taylor, PM Retired vice president
hange is here and what got us
here in the past will not get us
there tomorrow. Change occurs
every day; people can do one of two
things: embrace or resist change.
Bringing a group to a consensus is
the sign of a great leader. We can’t
progress as an organization unless we
have a consensus. History was made
when all the great leaders of NAPUS
stood at the national convention this
past September in Mobile, AL, in favor
of the consolidation and became one:
United Postmasters and Managers of
America. It was very evident we wanted
to be one—one candle lights another
candle.
Reorganization can be defined as a
new tree with the same monkeys. But
this is not the case with UPMA. We are
going to have a new tree with a lot of
new monkeys! Change can be pretty
scary, but do you know what is even
scarier? The words, “I wish I had.”
Teamwork is best and change is essential. Did you know good leaders are
good listeners? Think about it; there is a
reason God gave us two ears and one
mouth.
Hopefully, you have figured out after
reading this that I am excited about our
new organization. We have a bright future: making new friends and working
together—active and retired on the
same team—to lead our new organization into the future.
Just $1.79 and 30 Days!
By Linda Carter, NAPUS Gold editor
will soon be rich, skinny, rested and
forever young! I will declutter my
house and life that are making me
fat and improve my sex life in five minutes. I will erase years from my skin,
lower my cholesterol, live longer with
tea and snack-away hair loss!
I also will help my granddaughter
ace her tests with instant brainpower. I
will outsmart the newest rip-off scam.
And I will learn about that secret supplement that will provide instant willpower and melt away 17 pounds in 30
days. Best of all, I will have it all for
just $1.79!
Okay, I’m a sucker; I bought it. It
was staring me in the face while I stood
in line at Walmart. The multi-colored,
large-print, easy-to-read glossy magazine promised not only all of the above,
but also provided easy, delicious and
healthy menus for people who don’t
cook. I’m in!
That was in October. So far, I haven’t
lost any pounds, but if I keep reading
about it, I am sure I will. My cholesterol
still is too high, although I am almost a
vegetarian. It turned out the secret supplement is spinach extract, which is
gross. And those recipes? I never have
even heard of some of the ingredients. I
did enjoy the cute pictures, crossword
puzzle and helpful hints to make my
home cozy.
So, I learned the lesson, just in time
for the new year: Change is possible, but
not easy. Change will come, but it usually takes time. Change is a work in
progress—forever. Change will not be
finished in a day, but it can start any day.
So, here we are, turning the calendar
page to a new year and heading toward
the biggest change in NAPUS history.
We already have crossed the highest
hill: We have agreed to dissolve, consolidate and create a new organization.
Everybody seems to be onboard and
excitement is rampant.
President
Clara McCullar, 324 Country Club Ln.,
Selmer, TN 38375-1537; 731-6456619; camccullar@charter.net
Vice President
Janiece Taylor, 1321 W Bend Rd., Coffeeville, AL 36524-4083; 251-2763623; billhtaylor1321@gmail.com
Secretary-Treasurer
Rodney Boland, PO Box 96, Lamont,
FL 32336-0096; 850-997-3959;
pm32347@yahoo.com
Past President
Ann McDorman, PO Box 73, Wimberley, TX 78676-0073; 817-991-4002;
txam@live.com
Editor
Sally Robinson, 325 Garfield St., #102,
Kittanning, PA 16201; 724-545-6816;
robinsal@windstream.net
Will there be bumps? Of course!
Life is all about bumps, and success is
all about how we navigate the bumps.
Both organizations—NAPUS and the
League—have imbedded cultures and
ways of doing things that aren’t easy to
change. Creating one organization on
paper, in name only, is just the beginning.
Accepting, developing, promoting,
growing and believing in the new creation require negotiating, compromising
and a determination to drive its success.
It takes the smartest, brightest and most
visionary leaders to negotiate the guidelines; it takes the very heart and soul of
all of us—every member of both organizations—to make it whole and unified.
Just as the continuous roll of the days of
the week, this new year, unblemished
page, virgin organization will move rapidly forward with or without us on
board.
Let us resolve today to be a piece of
the success of United Postmasters and
Managers of America! Let our mission
for UPMA be to create the most powerful postal management organization
33
ever. Let us resolve to invest the $1.79,
or whatever it takes, knowing the best
results will take more than 30 days and
a spinach supplement.
And with every transitional bump,
let us apply the Ten Paradoxical Commandments, attributed to Mother Teresa, as New Year’s resolutions:
1. People often are irrational, unreasonable and self-centered; love them
anyway.
2. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.
3. If you are successful, you will win
false friends and true enemies; succeed
anyway.
4. The good you do today will be
forgotten tomorrow; do good anyway.
5. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you; be honest and sincere anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with
the biggest ideas can be shot down by
the smallest men and women with the
smallest minds; think big anyway.
7. What you spend years creating
may be destroyed overnight; create anyway.
8. People really need help, but may
attack you if you help them; help people
anyway.
9. Give the world the best you have
and it will never be enough; give the
best you have anyway.
10. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous; be happy
anyway.
Continuing Service to People
people who can’t afford to purchase one
and donate these, as well.
I belong to several organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce,
Knights of Columbus, Labette County
Mayors Association, Marine Corps
League, Masonic Lodge, FFA Booster,
Labette County Businesses and Mother
of God Choir. I announce our home
football games and announce most activities, such as our 4th of July, 9-11
program, Pecan Fest and Memorial Day
programs.
I have not missed a national convention or Leadership Conference since
1998. I stay pretty busy, but love what I
do. I have been serving people since I
joined the Marine Corps in 1974 and
hope to continue for many years to
come.
By Ron Wood, PM Retired Area 10 rep
y name is Ron Wood; I am the
retired Postmaster of Chetopa,
KS. I started my career in
1980 as a PTF clerk and carrier in Independence, KS—the SCF at that time. I
worked mostly as a clerk and 204-b; in
1985. I was selected Postmaster of
Chetopa, a Level-15.
I spent the next 24 years in Chetopa.
I was OIC in several Level-18s, but
Chetopa was home. I became involved
in the local Chamber of Commerce,
serving as president one year and still
am an active member. I was elected to
the school board for three four-year
terms and currently am serving my second four-year term as mayor.
I became a NAPUS member shortly
after becoming Postmaster and became
active in 1987. I was appointed PAC
chair for Kansas in 1998 and still serve
in this capacity. I was honored to serve
under former President Dale Goff for
three years as national PAC chair. I have
served several committees as a retiree
and was asked by President Clara to
serve this year as Area 10 rep for Kansas,
Nebraska and Oklahoma. I am humbled
to continue serving Postmasters.
I am married to Bonnie; we have two
grown children—Beau and Ty—and are
so proud of them. They have given up a
lot so that I could serve Postmasters and
the citizens of Chetopa. I retired Jan. 31,
2009, and began a new, part-time career
Feb. 1, 2009, as a crop adjuster—another government-run entity. So you might
know, the paperwork is just as dense as
the Postal Service’s.
I also started a pecan (pick-AHN)cracking business that same time;
Chetopa is the pecan capital of Kansas.
We stay busy cracking and selling
pecans November through March, usually cracking somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 tons each year, depending on
the crop. I have a sign shop, but mainly
donate all my work to the school, city or
churches. I make marble headstones for
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
By Dinah Marshall, PM Retired Area 6 rep
ow often do you put yourself
last when it comes to your
health? Recently, I went with
my sister to a consultation for breast
cancer. She had been so busy helping
others she failed to focus on her own
health and wellness. She was not prepared for what her doctor told her, but
her prognosis is very good; she has
stage 1 breast cancer, which has a 90percent survival rate. She started radiation in August. We are hopeful the treat-
ments will kill all the cancer cells.
I wondered why so many of us wait
until there’s a problem before we take
action. I had to admit that I have done
the same thing: postponing a necessary
test or appointment because it was inconvenient or I just didn’t want to go.
We must become proactive by scheduling screenings such as mammograms,
colonoscopies, eye exams and regular
physical check-ups.
continued on page 36
“
he greater the risk, the greater the reward”
Your financial professional can help in
is a statement we’ve all heard referenced
the process. And we do mean process,
in many areas throughout our lives. Howbecause your “profile” may change
ever, in the investment world, we have some
over time, requiring periodic adcaveats: Taking on more risk with your investjustments to your portfolio.
ments may increase your likelihood of higher
Submitted by
Understanding your risk
returns, but you also may experience the
Jerry L. Hulick
tolerance
downs of the investment markets, including
There are a number of factors
the risk of losing some or all of your investthat can help determine your risk
ment. Can your proverbial stomach take that?
tolerance:
Investing is sometimes a balance between
• What is your time frame? The
playing it safe and settling for less or taking some
length of time remaining for you to
risks with the hopes of gaining more return. In fireach your goal matters when it
nance, just as in life, you can’t avoid risk completely,
comes to how much risk you can
but you can try to manage it and make it work in your
handle in your portfolio. The
favor.
shorter the time frame, the less
Balancing risks
risk you may want to asThere are many different kinds of risk; one is
sume, given that “riskier”
market risk. That’s the chance the value of an investinvestments may experience
ment will go down, not up, causing you to lose
greater volatility in the short
money. Another is the possiterm.
bility you may not earn
• What can you afford to
enough on your investlose? Another key consideraments to keep up with
tion is how much investable
inflation. And then
money you have available
there’s the common
after identifying your goals
risk your investand obligations and how much
ments won’t grow
you can afford to lose.
enough to get you
• What is your emotional abilito your longerty to handle risk? Some people
term goals, such
can’t handle the ups and downs
as retirement.
of the markets and, therefore,
So, how do you
are better off choosing a
find the right balmore conservative portfoance? Well, the answer
lio. Others see the ebbs
lies within each individand flows as part of
ual investor’s risk profile. At the
the process and are
end of the day, you can’t control
able to ride out marthe markets, but you can estabket volatility to reach
lish a sound, long-term plan for
their long-term goals.
pursuing your financial goals.
Investors need to
35
be savvy, always balancing the risks
they are taking with the possible rewards
and avoiding investments that are beyond their understanding or individual
tolerance for market volatility.
Investing for the long term
When investing for long-term goals,
it is important to be prudent and stay focused on the long view. You’re investing
for your family’s long-term future, not
to get rich by next week. Prices of
stocks and bonds can go up and down,
sometimes wildly. But if you’re thinking
in terms of years and not days, the shortterm peaks and valleys won’t seem so
large.
A reporter once asked J.P. Morgan
what the stock market was going to do.
Morgan solemnly replied, “I expect it
will fluctuate.” Remember: People who
have an investment plan and stay with it
do better than those who have no plan
and jump in and out of the market.
A prudent investor helps manage risk
by diversifying—spreading money
among different kinds of investments
that are not correlated to each other.
That means not just investing in different U.S. stocks, bonds and mutual funds,
but also in international markets and
other kinds of assets, maybe even real
estate or commodities, which may move
in different directions at different times.
That way, you get some of the benefits
when stock prices are up, but your portfolio won’t get totally clobbered when
they’re down. Of course, diversification
cannot guarantee a profit or protect your
portfolio from losses.
Not too much, but not too little, either
It actually can be risky to take too little risk. A person in their 20s, who puts
all of their retirement savings into conservative investments isn’t at much risk
of losing their money. But they may be
at risk of running out of money when
they retire because they weren’t able to
accumulate enough to keep up with inflation.
A reliable way to manage risk is to
choose a strategy and stick with it. This
is as much a matter of managing your
emotions as picking investments and an
asset allocation strategy that’s in line
with your investment profile. Learning as
much as you can about different investments and strategies definitely helps. If
you’re just getting started, read up on the
basics, such as 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts. If you’re closer to retirement, you may want to learn how you
can shift your investment mix and convert your assets into income. Either way,
enjoy the ride.
Courtesy of MML Investors Services
Securities offered through registered
representatives of MML Investors Ser-
Postmasters Retired
These not only provide necessary relief, but give you a sense of clarity regarding your health, as well. Isn’t it better to find out early than later? The more
we know, the better prepared we are to
handle the situation.
There are many lifestyle changes we
can make to help lower the risks of illness: eating smart, kicking the junk-food
habit and exercising regularly. We should
vices, LLC (MMLIS), member SIPC ®
(www.SIPC.org) , or a broker-dealer
who has a selling agreement with MML
Distributors, LLC (MMLD), member
SIPC,® or MML Strategic Distributors,
LLC (MSD). MMLIS, MMLD and MSD
are subsidiaries of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001, members FINRA ( www.FINRA.org).
CRN201703-187585
Jerry L. Hulick, CLU, ChFC, ChSNC, CLTC,
Mass Benefits Consultants, is the adviser for
NAPUS’ supplemental insurance programs;
703-865-6501.
exercise daily or at least four to five times
a week for at least 30 minutes. Stay on
course by exercising with a friend.
“Me time” is essential; resolve to take
a much-needed vacation that will help
boost your life and make you happy.
Also, trying new things always is good.
Eliminate stress and learn to cope without using food or alcohol as a reliever.
Making regular doctor appointments is
key to staying healthy, wealthy and
wise.
Ready to Jump In
By Elizabeth Schnitzler, PM Retired Constitution & Bylaws Committee chair
resident Leonardi said a national
convention can rejuvenate you to
go back and tackle your job. I
turned it into a retiree’s perspective.
Early fall in northern Illinois is a
time to finish the garden work (dig potatoes, can tomatoes and make pickles).
Of course, the yard still needs to be
mowed and the flowers cared for.
I’m looking forward to going back to
school Tuesday and working with my
one-on-one student. I will be able to tell
him about the battleship I visited in Mobile; I brought him a pencil he can keep
in the special-ed room.
We got home in time to go to the Friday-night football game. It was great
seeing a grandson play, even though
they lost 50 to 0.
The 4-H year is almost finished. The
records are sitting on my desk for grandma’s approval. I will start next week
with my leadership team. We will plan
many activities for the county and carry
them out. In our area, we are called
county federation; other areas call them
ambassadors.
Oh yes, I have 17 volleyball games to
referee in the next two months. Highschool games are too fast anymore, but
they still need refs for junior high.
It’s a good thing I listened to President Tony. I’m exhausted just talking
about this, but I’m ready to jump in.
I
f you are thinking about retiring,
there are a number of issues you
must consider. As you evaluate
your options, you must also consider your assets and your vision for the future. And every
Postmaster’s situation is unique:
◆ What is your time frame for
retirement?
◆ How healthy are you? How will that
impact your health care decisions?
◆ What factors are important for survivor
benefits?
◆ If you are in the Thrift Savings Plan, will you leave
your funds with the government or roll them into various
alternatives?
In addition, you must review your basic and supplemental
life insurance, long-term care insurance, allotments and taxes.
The professionals at Mass Benefits Consultants, Inc. can
help. They will help you understand your options, ensuring
you make the right decisions.
Learn more about the NAPUS Supplemental
Retirement Plan by calling 800-221-3083.
Mass Benefits Consultants,Inc.
PO Box 828, Annandale, VA 22003-0828
800-221-3083
www.massbenefits.com
Credit Union
Home Improvements With Long-Term
Return—Make the Most of Your Money
e all have things about our
homes we want to change or
upgrade: new cabinets, flooring, landscaping. Whatever you’re looking for, there are certain home improvements that provide the best bang for
your buck.
Making improvements to your home
isn’t just about making your life better;
it’s also about investing in your future
by increasing your home’s value. But
it’s important to know that it can take
time to recoup the expenses of the improvements you make.
So, which improvements are best for
you? Take a look at the top four home
improvements below and see why these
are the best ones for your money:
Home
Estimated Return on
Improvement Cost
Investment
Front door
$1,200
98 percent
Kitchen
$20,000
80 percent
Deck
$10,000
80 percent
Adding a
bedroom
$50,000
77 percent
Replace the Front Door
There’s an old adage in real estate
that suggests features such as hardwood
floors and stainless-steel appliances get
tours, but the front porch gets the sale.
First impressions are really important
when it comes to selling your home;
people tend to make decisions based on
their gut reactions. Upgrading an old,
poorly fitting door with a newer, energy-efficient model is a cheap, quick
project that can instantly improve your
home’s efficiency and curb appeal.
With an average price of just over
$1,200, including labor, an energy-efficient front door is one of the easiest improvements with the highest return on
investment (ROI). Even better, if your
front door is in good condition, adding a
new coat of paint can add a splash of
color for less than $50. You also can add
a matching coat of paint
to shutters or add some
window boxes to break
up a monotonous front
profile and give an inviting feel.
Minor Kitchen Repairs
Full kitchen remodels can be difficult, timeconsuming and expensive. However, if you
choose to do minor upgrades, such as
new cabinets, countertops and backsplash, you can see a much better ROI.
The average amount spent for minor
updates is just under $20,000, but the
payout with an impressively high ROI is
worth every penny. Just like with the
front door, the changes are mostly aesthetic, but people are drawn to an updated kitchen and the idea they won’t have
to spend a lot of money updating it
themselves.
Wooden Decks
Over the years, outdoor spaces have
become an extension of the home that
add an outdoor dining space or that perfect place to sit and watch your kids
play. But that wasn’t always the case. In
the past, decks were considered luxuries
and remodeling dollars were better
spent on needs such as kitchen and bedroom updates. Now, more people are
looking at decks as valuable extensions
of their living space.
The average cost, based on a 16-foot
by 20-foot wooden deck, is $10,000.
The average return on investment is
considerable because of the perception
of expanded living space at a reasonable
price. Adding a deck costs about $35
per square foot, while a square foot of
inside space costs an average of $85.
Decks are a great way to
add to your space for a
modest cost.
Convert Attic Space into
a Bedroom
In many houses, the
attic is the place where unused items and holiday
decorations are hidden.
Your attic space could be a
hidden gem and the answer to space issues. Turning existing
attic space into a bedroom or office,
complete with its own bathroom, can
add value to your home and provide a
special retreat for yourself and guests
alike.
Nationally, the average cost for attic
renovation is around $50,000, which includes constructing a room, extending
utilities to it and adjusting the exterior
of the house to accommodate the new
space. This remodel provides a medium-range return on investment in resale
value, with the potential for more.
Making home improvements can add
value to your home and your life. Contact Signature FCU at 800-336-0284 to
learn more about our home equity options that can help you invest in the future of your home. Applying can be
conveniently done by phone or online at
SignatureFCU.org. Also, check out our
special Home Depot promotion on the
back cover and visit Signaturefcu.org/
Home-Equity for rates and additional
resources.
Source: Remodeling website by Hanley
Wood Media, Inc. Site: http://www.
remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2015/.
NAPUS Chapter Officers
Chapter President • Secretary-Treasurer • Editor
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut/Rhode Island
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
National
Kansas
Conventions
Kentucky
Louisiana
2016
Maine
New Orleans
Maryland
Aug. 27-Sept. 1
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Leadership
Montana
Conference
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
March 12-16
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
2016
Susan Rice, Woodland, 36280 • Ricky Long, Semmes, 36575 • Vicki Smith, Enterprise, 36330
Lori Skaggs, Ward Cove, 99928 • Celia Dumag, Sitka, 99835 • Candice Olson, Ketchikan, 99901
Karin Lopez, Laveen, 85339 • vacant • Karin Lopez
Tanya Thomas, Clinton, 72031 • Theresa Peebles, Augusta, 72006 • Teresa Shelton, Clarendon, 72029
Charles Hearne, Culver City, 90230 • Gurpreet Sohal (S), Richmond, 94803; Pam Forest (T), Running Springs, 92382
• Patricia Bennet, 848 Descanso Way, San Rafael, 94903
Joan Mallon, Kiowa, 80117 • April Mae Torres, Mead, 80542 • Frank Parker, Cascade, 80809
Peter Urbani, Waterford, CT 06385 • Paul Bianca, Sherman, CT 06784 • Kathy Santo Christo, Coventry, CT 06238
John Douds, Ocean View, 19970 • LaShawn Jones, Middletown, 19709 • Fred Latteri, Magnolia, 19962
Brian Kirke, Youngstown, 32466 • Mike Wells, Satsuma, 32189 • Scarlet Middleton, Macclenny, 32063
Robin Bugg, Sharpsburg, 30277 • Tammy Cantrell, Dahlonega, 30533 • Wendy Spears, Ashburn, 31714
Sheila Apana, Kahului, 96732 • Kenji Higaki, Honolulu, 96820 • Daniele Morris, Hanapepe, 96716
Jack Koon, Ririe, 83443 • Judy Mecham, Cambridge, 83610 • Linda Sundrstrom, Troy, 83871
Pam Bardell, Savanna, 61074 • Shelly Zellers, Havana, 62644 • Cheryl Quaka, Marseilles, 61341
Karen Wolf, Gas City, 46933 • Pam Ford, N Manchester, 46962 • Kimberly Rae Sharpe, 1711 Jenny Ln., Warsaw, 46580
Kevin Schwab, Eldora, 50627 • Rich Springer, Fulton, 61252 • Sheila Ludwikowski, Perry, 50220
Mark Clark, Clearwater, 67026 • Judy Wasko, Montezuma, 67867 • Debbie Wright, Alma, 66401
Jill Smith, Paducah, 42001 • Teri Thomas, Greenup, 41144 • Paula Berry, Hanson, 42413
Vicky Johnson, Harrisonburg, 71340 • Tracy Johnson, Walker, 70785 • Karen Boudreaux, Loreauville, 70552
Steve Pardue, Oakland, 04963 • Susan Lawson, Bethel, 04217 • Sandra Hall, 38 Snows Point Rd, St. George, 04860
Ray Walker, Woodsboro, 21798 • Robert Booker, 16813 Hawkglen Place, Lithia, FL 33547 • Ken Carter, 6149 Westbrooke Dr., Salisbury, 21801
John Fitzpatrick, Hyannis, 02601 • Donna Legro, Haverhill, 01830 • Deanna White, North Chelmsford, 01863
Linda Gurka, Suttons Bay, 49682 • Lisa Gregory, Baldwin, 49304 • Lorraine Lindsey, 1279 Klink Rd., Tekonsha, 49092
Bill Bires, Spring Valley, 55975 • Renae Ingersoll, Moorhead, 56560 • Margie Jacobson, Waterville, 56096
Gloria Bilbrew, Canton, 39046 • Mandy Whitten, 901-B Maple St., Cleveland, 38732 • Barbara Morris, 321 Pearson St., Clarksdale, 38614
Craig Slate, Cape Girardeau, 63701 • Shelly Hays, Willard, 65781 • Don Knoth, 519 Natchez Trace, Jefferson City, 65109
Kae McCloy, Ballantine, 59006 • Jamie Valgamore, Clyde Park, 59018 • Dawn Bishop-Moore, Hays, 52527
Lori Hutchison, Ceresco, 68017 • Terry Abbott, Elm Creek, 68836 • Virginia Steenson, 10345 711 Rd., Stamford, 68977
Chris Pearce, Mesquite, 89024 • Jan Williams, West Wendover, 89883 • vacant
Michael Renkert, Rumney, 03266 • Ann Provenzano, West Ossipee, 03890 • Tina Potter, Belmont, 03220
Bernadette Puodziunas, Wildwood, 08260 • Darlene McNamee, Cedarville, 08311 • Agnes Elam, Port Norris, 08349
Cynthia Ulibarri, Anton Chico, 87711 • Robert Roarke, Tucumcari, 88401 • Cynthia Ulibarri, Anton Chico, 87711
Heidi Freeman, Brewerton, 13029 • Gerald Geddis, Cambridge, 12816 • Ben Johnston, 1141 E Main St., Bradford, PA 16701
William Thayer, Cherokee, 28719 • Juanita Meeks, Pineville, 28134 • Ralph Viegelmann, 2054 Saye Brook Dr., Monroe, 28112
Carla Tinkham, E. Grand Forks, 56721 • Mary Jo Amb, Mayville, 58257 • Karen Dockter, Steele, 58482
Mari Beth Kirkland, Burton, 44099 • William Judge, Piqua, 45356 • Paul Joseph, Celina, 45822
Jeannie Little, Clayton, 74536 • Tamara Kindle, Westville, 74965 • De Wood, Wheatland, 73097
Aaron Campbell, Sandy, 97055 • Padric Fisher, Wilsonville, 97070 • Jessica Berkey, Tualatin, 97062
Jeffrey Lightner, Eldred, 16731 • Karen Yoder, Friedensburg, 17933 • Nancy Isenberg, Elderton, 15736
Pedro Nazario, Canovanas, 00729 • Elizabeth Rivera, Barceloneta, 00617 • Antonio Guzman, Aguas Buenas, 00703
Tammy Powell, Fountain Inn, 29644 • Darlene Dickson, Inman, 29349 • Kim Deese, Leesville, 29070
Sherrie Redmann, Wessington Springs, 57382 • Cheryl Tisher, Faulkton, 57438 • Lynette Jungemann, 19625 387 Ave., Wolsey, 57384
James Brady, Maynardsville, 37807 • Betty Choate, PO Box 310, Pleasantville, 37146 • Jacquelyn Taylor, Beechgrove, 37018
Ben Walker, Brookshire, 77423 • Cynthia Jameson, Leonard, 75452 • Elizabeth Owens, Del Valle, 78617
Clayton Querry, Kamas, 84036 • Lori Heyder, Honeyville, 84314 • Lorri Frandsen, Woodruff, 84086
Stacy Gregoire, Enosburg Falls, 05450 • Linda Kirkpatrick, Williston, 05495 • Norman Peters, Jefferson, 05464
Beatrice Robertson, Gretna, 24557 • Elaine Cook, Newport, 24128 • Anne Falls, 1805 Shadowlake Rd., Blacksburg, 24060
Teri Johansen, E. Olympia, 98540 • William Carlton, Elma, 98541/Kristen Luther, Mabton, 98935 • Gordon Williams, Hoquiam, 98550
Susan Murphy, Pennsboro, 26415 • Jim Bibey, 210 Center St., Elkins, 26241 • Lori Ewing, 1225 Miller Ridge Rd., Hico, 25854
Donna Woodcock, Cadott, 54727 • Sunday Barnaby, Winter, 54896 • Rick Dama, N6196 County Rd F, Sullivan, 53178
Curt Artery, Guernsey, 82214 • Cindy Paustian, Story, 82842 • Toni Benthusen, Powder River, 82648
Underline denotes a change from previous listing; please send changes to NAPUS and also to Balent-Young
Publishing, PO Box 734, Front Royal, VA 22630-0016; 540-636-2569, phone/fax; kbalentyoung@gmail.com

16/01 Gazette

Transcription

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