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SUTTON ISLAND, Maine - This offshore island, one of five islands that make up the town of Cranberry Isles, has no year-round residents. It doesn’t even have any roads to speak of, which is one reason it has had a peculiar seasonal mail delivery system to serve the occupants of 25 or so seasonal homes. Residents say that since at least the 1950s, and perhaps longer, mail has been delivered to the island by a private passenger ferry service, leaving packages, postcards, letters, bills, and whatever else had enough postage in a specially marked trash can on the float at...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq , July 18, 2008 – When Patton’s tanks rolled across North African desert sands, letters of encouragement, love and support from family back home connected 1st Armored Division soldiers to loved ones left behind. Army Pfc. Courtney Flaherty, a unit mail clerk and Pacific, Miss., native, sifts through letters for Spc. Daniel Conley, of Columbiaville, Mich., in the mail room of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, on Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, on July 12, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st...

Can Canada’s mail carriers be trusted to deliver the mail to Israel’s embassy in Ottawa, its consulate in Toronto, or any other location affiliated with the Jewish state? It’s a valid question: At its national convention earlier this month, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers passed a resolution that included the following provision: “CUPW will … support the international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions until Israel recognizes the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.” I’m no labour expert. But doesn’t this mean that a mailman who, say, slips the new Eddie Bauer catalog through the mail slot at 180 Bloor...

HIT, Iraq, April 7, 2008 – Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Natt knows a large chunk of his battalion’s morale rests on his shoulders, and he says he doesn’t mind at all. Natt, 22, a mail clerk from Mangham, La., is responsible for ensuring that Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, receive their mail as soon as possible. “I’m responsible for getting mail from postal in al Asad, Iraq, to our battalion and detachments,” Natt said. “I also keep the mail secure. I make sure nothing is lost or stolen.” It’s work...

Cannot post: Here is the link:http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD_LOST_POSTCARD?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Stamps to Cost a Penny More February 11, 2008 By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press Writer Mailing a Letter Will Cost a Penny More Starting in May WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mailing a letter will soon cost a penny more. The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday. The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect. The post office has sold...

Will the check be in the mail?Last Edited: Saturday, 19 Jan 2008, 1:47 PM EST TAMPA - Cash can be like a jolt of caffeine to a national economy. In 2001, the federal government sent every income taxpayer a $300 rebate check. It ran up our debt, but also helped end our last recession. Now President Bush and Congressional leaders want to try it again. This time they may send every income taxpayer a larger check. Economists say that could stimulate our economy again if recipients spend much of their rebates on products. "Letting American people keep more of their...

House members spent $20.3 million on mailings to constituentsFriday, December 28, 2007 By DENNIS CONRAD ~ The Associated Press Pieces of mass mailings from Congressmen were seen Dec. 19 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Gerald Herbert Associated Press WASHINGTON -- U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail -- meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging. They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos and...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, Afghanistan, Dec. 25, 2007 – Soldiers from 458th Adjutant General Postal Company stationed here run the central mail hub for the entire Task Force Bayonet area of operations and are responsible for handling, sorting, and processing all incoming and outgoing letters and packages through Jalalabad, Afghanistan, for thousands of soldiers. A forklift aligns to move a bulk pallet of outgoing mail to the air strip Dec. 20, 2007, to load onto the next C-130 Hercules at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Afghanistan. Mail at FOB Fenty has tripled since the beginning of November, averaging 9,000 pounds...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, Dec. 21, 2007 – While most soldiers are tucked in their beds for the night, a mail handler with 461st Human Resource Battalion, out of Decatur, Ga., is waiting for the mail to arrive. Army Pfc. Cassie Durkin, from Whitewater, Wis., a human resource specialist for 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, sorts packages at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, Dec. 14, 2007. Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “We started getting a spike in mail at the end of October,” explained Army Spc. Tony Rogers,...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2007 – Staten Island residents are getting a little help sending mail to servicemembers these days thanks to a local troop-support group. Staten Island Project Homefront Inc. in the New York City borough has set up a “Postage Due” account for those sending mail to troops from the community’s main post office, its executive director said. “Our main effort is to send items to our military,” John T. Semich said. “We also help families by supplying postage (for Staten Island residents to send packages) to the combat zones.” The project’s volunteers focus on packing up special-request...

Mailman arrested for stealing cards BY JOHN MARZULLI DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Saturday, December 8th 2007, 4:00 AM Every thief has a hallmark, and a Brooklyn letter carrier is the Greeting Card Bandit. The feds arrested Michael Olivio this week after an elaborate sting operation to identify the Grinch-like mailman in Bath Beach who intercepted hundreds of greeting cards for the cash inside, the Daily News has learned. After receiving complaints from residents in the 11214 area code, the bait was set. Special Agent Stephen Dolloff mailed "test greeting card letters" to the postal customers who had complained. One customer...

Peeved Patron Plugs Postal Worker Resident Shoots Chicago Postal Worker for Allegedly Delivering the Mail Too Late The Associated Press CHICAGO A postal worker in Chicago was shot in the leg late Tuesday after a resident along his postal route allegedly became angry that he was delivering the mail too late. Police said Denny Robinson, 31, was delivering mail around 6:30 p.m. in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood when he was shot in the thigh. Robinson was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment for the non-life-threatening injury. Authorities said witnesses reported hearing a person yelling the postal worker was delivering...

10/16/2007 - DALLAS (AFPN) -- While the holidays may still seem far away, Americans hoping to show their support to deployed troops must be aware of some rapidly approaching deadlines. According to the Military Postal Service Agency, or MPSA, mail going parcel post must be sent by Nov. 14, while first class mail must be sent by Dec. 10 to arrive by Dec. 25. In addition to deadlines, several other factors must be considered when sending mail downrange. For example, each country has customs regulations that apply to all incoming mail, pertaining to everything from food items to reading materials....

9/13/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Airmen will have a unique opportunity to commemorate the Air Force's 60th anniversary Sept. 18 through Oct. 18. The Air Force and U.S. Postal Service have joined forces to offer a commemorative postmark that will be available for cancellation from Sept. 18 to Oct. 18 at 40 base post offices worldwide. The pictorial cancellation features the B-24 Liberator bomber, which was flown in every combat theater during World War II. "This postmark has special meaning because bombers were the swords of Air Force history," said Andrew Stephens, a historian for the 11th Wing at Bolling...

By the time the letter marked "Return to Sender" was opened by an employee at the Montgomery County jail, prosecutors had assembled a strong case against Quinton J. Thomas: They had the cooperation of a woman who said she helped Thomas plan a robbery, and they had cellphone records that appeared to place Thomas near the Germantown parking lot where the victim of that planned robbery was fatally shot. Things looked so bad for Thomas, in fact, that his attorney had been urging him to consider pleading guilty to first-degree murder. Irritated, Thomas wrote a friend to complain about the...

Police: Mailman In Uniform Arrested In Drug Sting Postal Worker Intended To Sell Cocaine, Authorities Say POSTED: 3:26 pm EDT July 24, 2007 UPDATED: 7:04 am EDT July 25, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS -- A postal carrier wearing his work uniform was arrested this week after he tried to buy crack cocaine from undercover officers with the intention of dealing it, police said. James A. Hunter, 46, was arrested Monday at 2708 E. Thompson Road on suspicion of smoking a small sample of cocaine he allegedly accepted from the officers and asking for a price on 2 ounces of the drug, police...

Dogs Bite Mail Carriers Most In California (May 17, 2007)--It looks like mail carriers have a better chance of being bitten in California than any place else in America. As Dog Bite Awareness Week kicks off Thursday, the Post Office is releasing information on where the biggest problems are for carriers, and noting safety tips for dog owners. The New York metropolitan area had no record of a mail carrier bitten last year. Santa Ana, Calif. had the most: 96. In fact, of the top-five most likely places where mail carriers are bitten, three are in California. One carrier in...

OTTAWA (AFP) - Neither rain, sleet nor snow can stop Canada Post's trusted carriers from delivering the mail, but a cuddly house cat believed to be the devil in disguise seems to have done just that. According to reports, a Winnipeg couple was refused mail delivery this week and was asked to walk four kilometers each day to pick up their letters at a local post office in the western Canadian city because their cat terrifies the mailwoman. Canada Post spokeswoman Kathi Neal told AFP the eight-year-old black cat often sleeps underneath the front steps of the small bungalow and...

In-town Chicago mail system worst in U.S. CHICAGO, March 11 (UPI) -- A report that Chicago's in-town overnight mail delivery is the nation's worst appears indicative of the city's overall problem with postal satisfaction. The Chicago Sun-Times said that in addition to Chicago's struggles with in-town mail delivery, the Illinois metropolis has been failing in nearly every postal area related to customer satisfaction. While 92 percent remains the average quality rating of U.S postal delivery, only 77 percent of Chicago residents rated their mail services "excellent, very good or good." In response to instances of mail fraud and delivery problems,...

Question: Why is the U.S. Postal Service removing all clocks from its lobbies? Answer from the U.S. Postal Service: "It's part of our retail standardization program to make all the post offices look alike so you get the same service and the same supplies are available everywhere you go." Answer from a woman in line at the Academy Post Office on San Antonio NE: "That would be so I don't know how long I've been standing here." Yes, the clocks are gone, or they will be as post offices all over the country continue a decade-long switch to red, white...

<p>ANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- He calls himself "The Bishop." Exactly why is just one of the many mysteries surrounding the increasingly menacing figure.</p> <p>The man -- and investigators believe they are dealing with a man -- is suspected of sending at least a half-dozen threatening letters to financial institutions over the past 18 months and mailing two dud pipe bombs that arrived a day apart in Kansas City and Chicago in January.</p>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. He calls himself "The Bishop" and he's suspected of mailing two inoperable explosive devices through the mail last month. The devices arrived a day apart in Kansas City and Chicago. His work has also been found in Iowa and Wisconsin.Authorities say the devices are thought to be connected to a series of threatening letters sent to financial institutions over the past 18 months.Corporate Counterrorism expert Fred Burton says it could take help from the public to nab the suspect.In his letters, "The Bishop" has ordered financial companies to move the prices of certain stocks to predetermined rates,...

Hi All. I'm an Army dad. A package that I sent to my son at a stateside Army base was never delivered to him, through the USPS. Talking with a few other soldiers on the base, theft of packages from home seems to be rather common.I plan on bringing some attention to this matter, but am looking for any additional firsthand experiences that any of you may have had regarding this issue. No personal details needed, just any occurances that you may have had, with approximate date and base. My focus is stateside bases, any military branch.

Police investigate wave of seven letter bombs By John Steele, Crime Correspondent Last Updated: 3:51pm GMT 07/02/2007 Police chiefs today issued a nationwide warning to companies, organisations and the public after seven "viable explosive devices" were sent through the post, injuring at least seven people, over the last three weeks. The latest blast happened just after 9am today when a package exploded at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s main centre in Swansea. Three woman in the postroom were injured in the blast and taken to hospital. At least three of the recent attacks have targeted organisations connected to motoring:...

Post office delivers letter 52 years late BY FRANK SOJAK The Tribune-Democrat — Whoever sent this letter with a 3-cent stamp was overcharged. The missive to a young man in Ferndale just arrived – 52 years late. The letter, postmarked Oct. 26, 1954, presumably was lost in the mail. Brian McAteer, who resides at the Ferndale Avenue home now, said he was shocked when the letter, encased in a large, United States Postal Service window envelope, allowing the address to be seen, arrived at his home a couple weeks ago. The letter had a return address of Fieldstone Avenue in...

<p>But that a member of Bush's own Republican Party - a senator and outgoing committee chairwoman - would fail to understand basic law is disappointing.</p> <p>Nonetheless, such is the case at hand involving the recent media-generated controversy.</p> <p>A certain New York tabloid - not the one you're holding in your hands - reported last week that, while signing a postal-reform bill into law, President Bush attached "signing statement" language that supposedly asserts the executive branch's right to open mail without a warrant.</p>

Bush asserted this authority when he signed a postal overhaul bill into law Dec. 20. He then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions. That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, experts said. Bush's move came during the winter congressional recess and a year after his secret domestic electronic eavesdropping program was first revealed. It caught Capitol Hill by surprise. "Despite the president's statement that he may be able to circumvent a basic privacy protection, the new postal law continues to prohibit the government...

WASHINGTON - President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned. The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions. That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.

THE LIST The King of Stamps December 28, 2006 The Postal Service recently announced its list of the most-collected stamps. The top five, with year of introduction and how many of them have been saved by Americans, in millions: 1. Elvis Presley (1993) 124.1 2. Wonders of America (2006) 87.5 3. Wildflowers (1992) 76.1 4. Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues (1993) 75.9 5. DC Comics Super Heroes (2006) 73.0

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, Oct. 27, 2006 -- The Joint Military Mail Terminal Kuwait is gearing up for, by far, its busiest two months of the year -- the time when servicemembers are sending and receiving packages for the holiday season. A Combat Support Associcates contractor stacks packages and bags of mail at the Joint Military Mail Terminal, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Photo by Sgt. Chris Jones, USA  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The staff at the mail terminal, which is located at Camp Arifjan, is taking steps to ensure the mail process doesn’t miss a beat during November...

Since arriving "in country" a little over eight months ago, I've had the chance to spend time on five different bases, I've met people from every state and from, at least, a dozen other countries. (Allow me an aside here. Regardless of what the MSM would have the folks back home believe, there really is a "multi-national" force over here. I seen and met troops from; UK, Austrailia, New Zealand, Italy, Japan, Poland, Macedonia, and Albania. These are just the ones that I've had personal contact with, I know there are others.) To get back on topic; One thing that...

I've been unable to access Yahoo email for a couple of hours. Anyone else having problems?

Junk mail postman 'still in job'   Roger Annies advised people how to reduce their junk mail A postman suspended for telling people how to stop receiving junk mail says he remains a Royal Mail employee, but will know if he is to be sacked in a week. Roger Annies, 45, attended a disciplinary hearing after circulating his own leaflet on his round in Barry, south Wales, about unsolicited mail. Royal Mail said their "door to door" service was vital to its business and keeping costs to customers down. Some residents in Barry said they may start a petition...

Teen mails taped confession of father's slaying to paperAssociated Press Posted on Sat, Sep. 02, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. - A man obsessed with the 1999 Columbine school attack made a videotape showing his father's bloody corpse and describing plans to attack his former high school, then mailed it to a newspaper which posted excerpts on its Web site. The release of the video late Thursday was the latest twist in the case, which began when Alvaro Castillo was arrested Wednesday in front of Orange High School in Hillsborough after multiple shots were fired from the parking lot. Two students suffered...

CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (May 25, 2006) -- On his second deployment to Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Lamb admits that communicating with friends and family back home is easier thanks to a relatively new program: Moto Mail. ‘Moto’ is short for ‘motivation,’ and it’s what U.S. service members like Lamb use as a means to keep contact with his friends and family back home. This roughly two-year-old program allows U.S. service members deployed overseas to receive letters via an electronic system. The letters are printed and enveloped at the military post office, and in the hands of the service...

Having developed Anti-Scam program we intend to warn you about phenomenon of International dating scam and will do our best try to help you to avoid scamming. We launch our anti-scam campaign and appeal to all people who are in the sphere of Internet dating and international marriage - Foreign men, Russian women and International marriage agencies - as we ALL suffer from scam. MEN scammed by dishonest women stop to believe that it is possible to find a good, loving Russian wife and quit. Less interested men - less opportunities for honest WOMEN to find the right guy for...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-- (March 10, 2006) -- More than 65 percent of the approximate 27,000 Marines who deployed with II Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of the Global War on Terrorism, have completed the redeployment process. As Marines return to their families and loved ones, so does their mail. Care packages intended for use in the Iraqi deserts have been routed back to the rear in anticipation of the recipient’s relocation. “Our mail room in H-24 is about to blow up,” said II Marine Headquarters Group company first sergeant, Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Kapla. “It’s important that every...

A former waitress at a Brockton strip club who says she was tired of being mistreated by men allegedly mailed explosive packages to Bridgewater State College, strip clubs, a motorcycle gang, Fox 25, and KISS 108 radio station, according to court documents unsealed yesterday. Kimberly Lynn Dasilva, 40, of Hull, who hosts sex toy parties and sells adult gift baskets from an Internet site, was arrested Friday night after FBI agents and State Police raided her home and found letters hidden in the ceiling tiles of her bedroom that allegedly linked her to the mailings last September.

Political life since the Novemeber 2005 defeat of his “Year of Reform” special-election initiatives has been a whirlwind of change for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has thoroughly revamped his political operation. The Weekly has learned that just before the upheaval began, the governor received an anonymous letter alleging serious financial mismanagement and improprieties in his political operation. The letter triggered an unprecedented round of questioning of the governor’s political consultants by his legal counsel. The “letter was a stupid smear and 1,000 percent bullshit,” said Mike Murphy, who until last month was the man in charge of Schwarzenegger’s political operation....

WASHINGTON - In the 50 years that Grant Goodman has known and corresponded with a colleague in the Philippines he never had any reason to suspect that their friendship was anything but spectacularly ordinary. But now he believes that the relationship has somehow sparked the interest of the Department of Homeland Security and led the agency to place him under surveillance.

Attention moderator: I'm still not good at posting in the correct forum. If this is posted incorrectly, please move it the correct forum, and not delete it this time :) Thanks, papa. Dear FRiends, A friend of mine sent me, and others, this email. Since that time there has been more need. She needs help with letters, postcards, etc to these brave guys and gals who, literally, have no one at home for moral support. They receive no mail or packages from home at all. I thought some of you would be interested in knowing and, possibly, helping with a...

Going first class: Snail-mail stamps will cost 39 cents ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - The cost of mailing a letter will increase to 39 cents on Jan. 8. The Postal Service's board of governors approved the two-cent increase in first-class postal rates late Monday. It is the first increase since June 2002. The cost of mailing a postcard will increase a penny, to 24 cents, as part of the roughly 5.4 percent, across-the-board hike in most rates and fees. The increase fulfills a requirement, passed by Congress in 2003, that the Postal Service establish a $3.1 billion escrow account. Congress is...

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- It took Natasha a day trip to Moscow to find the American husband she had dreamed of. It took the next six years to get out of the nightmare that followed. A music teacher from central Russia, she was one of 200 Russian women who patiently lined up at a Moscow restaurant to meet 10 American men at a gathering hosted by a mail-order bride agency. She spoke no English but immediately caught the eye of one of the men, 16 years her senior. He was handsome and said he wanted the same things she did:...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Nov. 3, 2005) -- The mission of postal Marines in Iraq is vital to the morale of troops serving in operations, and one Marine here is helping in the fight, one package at a time. Corporal Marcus D. Kibble, inspecting noncommissioned officer, Postal Detachment 6, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group (FWD), serves as a link between Marines here, and their families at home. The Columbus, Ga., native became interested in the Marine Corps as an athlete in high school. “I was interested my freshman year,” he said. The sports enthusiast played...

DoD Announces Recommended Holiday Mail Dates             The Department of Defense announced today the recommended mailing dates to ensure that holiday cards and packages for service members arrive overseas in time for the holiday season.               "To ensure delivery … to military APO/FPO addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest mail be sent by the recommended dates provided by the U.S. Postal Service," said Mark DeDomenic, the assistant deputy director and chief of operations for the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA).  "Beat the last minute rush by bringing your mail to your post office by these suggested dates.”...

FORT HUACHUCA -- A family on the post was recently affected by a scam via the mail -- a lottery check scam. "All they need is a couple (of victims) to do it, then they're good to go," said Tanja Linton, a spokeswoman for the fort. "There is at least one family that was affected by this, which is of course one family too many." Most people these days don't faltl for these kinds of fraudulent solicitations, she said, but the criminals target victims who may be more naive about modern fraud, Linton said. Such schemes, she said, "get very...

19 September 2005 EXCLUSIVE: GRAN STARVES TO DEATH Ivy, 79, abandoned by family, friends and social services By Robert Stansfield A GRAN starved to death because her council home had no letterbox so her pension could not be delivered. Penniless Ivy Allen, 79, had barely drunk or eaten in the last three months of her life. None of her 10 children, 30 grandkids, social services or pensions officials noticed she was dying at her home in Warrington, Cheshire. Grandson Anthony Bradbury, 24, said: "I can't forgive myself." _______________ TRAGIC Ivy Allen's pension was sent back each week after the council...

A loosely knit group of thieves have been driving through subdivisions and business parks in several North Georgia counties in recent months, authorities say, stealing mail and identities to obtain money and drugs. But they were tripped up when they grabbed a laptop computer during a sting in Lumpkin County a few weeks ago, and that's when the roundup of suspects began in earnest. Federal, state and local authorities are now working to unravel the tangled network. No fewer than 20 members of what authorities call the "Mailbox Meth Gang" in Forsyth, Lumpkin and Dawson counties have been arrested and...

RightWingBob.com ... Because Bob Is Right!   Mail Bag! ...06/28/2005 10:11:22 pmReceived this message from someone signing himself as Ted Kalish. Subject: Just as badYou're just as bad as Rove these days.  Every Democrat I know, every liberal I know, wanted to get Bin Laden.  I supported the Afghanistan conflict and was dismayed when I saw focus being shifted to Iraq.  I still remember those days, and the sinking feeling in my stomach.  I knew were headed to utter disaster. Why aren't you in Iraq?  Are your kids in Iraq?  You support the Iraq war, you go fight it.  You...