Five Gardiner, ME, Drivers Achieve 2011 Safety Honors

Fourteen Northern New England District postal drivers have been selected for the National Safety Council's (NSC) 2011 Award of Honor: All Award of Honor recipients met the minimum criteria of 15 years or 100,000 miles without a preventable accident. Five of the honorees work at the Gardiner, ME, Post Office.

Seen left to right are Gardiner Rural Carrier Lorraine Boucher, Postmaster Audrey Johnson, Rural Carrier/Million Miler Ralph (Skip) Hunter, Letter Carrier Charles Webber and T-6 Letter Carrier John Fish . Not present is Rural Carrier Stephanie Hanley.

The 2011 Award of Honor was issued to the following seven Northern New England drivers:
Salem, NH - Joseph Russo
Salem, NH - Paula Ciras
Ferrisburgh, VT -Sally Torrey

East Calais, ME- Cassandra Molleur

Kingfield, ME - Charmayne Coffren 

Athens, ME - Richard Brown

Portland, ME - Dominic Paul Di Matteo  (past Million Mile winner)

Old Town, ME - Mark Russell

Old Town, ME - Durice Washburn

The top drivers in each Area are in the running for the 2011 USPS Joseph M. Kaplan Safe Driver of the Year Award to be announced in November.

Postmaster Parker Crosses the Pacific

Bradley, ME, Postmaster Chris Parker has been umpiring Little League baseball for 32 years. He has umpired four major tournaments in the United States, including the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. He is currently the Umpire-in-Chief of the Senior League World Series that is held in Bangor every year.

In 2005, an umpire from Guam, in Bangor for the tourney, told Parker and his assistant that he would seek an opportunity to repay them for their hospitality. This year, he invited the pair to umpire the Asia/Pacific 11-12 year-old regional tournament in Guam, which determines which team goes to Williamsport. Held during the second week of July, 11 countries participated: Guam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Saipan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, Indonisia and New Zealand.

Above left, Parker recites the Little League pledge with young ballplayers during opening ceremonies in Guam. Above right, Parker umpiring the plate at the tournament, wearing a pink shirt intended to raise breast cancer awareness.

Community Involvement and Revenue Opportunities

Four Vermont post offices hosted pictorial postmark events during June.  Irasburg, Orleans, Coventry and Newport participated in the Northeast Kingdom Relay for Life, offering the Relay for Hope, Courage, Faith and Celebrate Station pictorial postmarks. 

Altogether, 87 sheets of Breast Cancer Research stamps were sold, resulting in $957 in new postal revenue. More than 90 cachet envelopes were also sold by the Relay for Life teams.  



Above, Irasburg, VT, postal employees Yvette Sheltra and Priscilla Stebenne. Below are Newport, VT, Clerk/Troy OIC Diane Forbes and Irasburg Postmaster Sonya Kittredge.

VT Rural Carrier Honored by State, Council of the Blind

This year, the Vermont Department of Libraries, Special Services Unit (VDLSS) and the Vermont Council of the Blind (VCOB) teamed up to create an award highlighting the importance of the Postal Service in the “talking book” program and other services for visually impaired or physically handicapped Vermonters.

The inaugural award winner is longtime Chelsea, VT, Rural Carrier Peter Vermette. The judges’ decision was unanimous.

VDLSS provides audio recordings known as “talking books” by mail to those with visual or physical impairments. The nominating customer’s wife calls them “a Godsend.”  Both organizations hope to present the new postal employee award annually.

Camden, ME, PO Saluted

Postmaster Scott Boardman (at left) and TE Letter Carrier Zachary Herrick (center) accept the Department of Defense’s “Above and Beyond” Award on behalf of the Camden Post Office for its “outstanding support of our men and women who serve in the Guard or Reserve.”

Presenting the award at the group’s annual meeting was US Navy Commander Dustin Smiley (far right). The Postal Service has demonstrated consistent commitment to the goals of ESGR and to postal employees who serve in the armed forces.

“As a former sailor, I am very blessed to support our Guard and Reserves,” said Boardman. “I’m very proud of my employee, TE Carrier Zachary Herrick, who serves in the US Naval Reserve as a Builder Third Class." Herrick nominated the Camden Post Office for recognition.