The only newspaper dedicated to the St. Louis Chinese community.                                                  Issue: 693   Date: 12/04/2003 Holiday Stamp Design Contest Adds Magic to the Holidays

St. Louis Postmaster Mark Anderson (right) announcing the Mail Early season and the Holiday Stamp Design Contest with the assistance of Carrier Square City Letter Carrier Dennis Tabb. Photos taken by USPS at Union Station this week. St. Louis, MO - The Postal Service, Union Station and the Suburban Journals announce a stamp design contest for all residents of the St. Louis metro area. The contest, called "What's your Favorite Holiday Music Memory in St. Louis " asks residents to send in their artwork showing their favorite holiday music memories of the local area. "We're excited to be working with Union Station and the Suburban Journals to offer this opportunity to folks in the metro area to demonstrate their hometown pride," said Mark Anderson, St. Louis Postmaster. "Who knows, perhaps one of the winning designs might even inspire a real stamp some day. So, I'm asking everyone to mail those stamp masterpieces right away."  Participants simply need to draw their designs on an 8 by 11-inch piece of paper and include their name, age, address and daytime phone number on the back of their drawings. Entry information will also appear in a future edition of the Suburban Journals Kids Page in December. Entries need to be mailed to:  Holiday Music Memory in St. Louis  Stamp Design Contest  PO Box 775663  St. Louis, MO 63177-5663  All entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2003. Winners in five different age categories from under 6 years to adults will be awarded prize packs and be recognized by the Postal Service, the Suburban Journals and Union Station.

POSTAL SERVICE ADVISORY REGARDING MAILINGS

St. Louis, MO - With the volumes of cards, letters and packages expected to mushroom as the area heads toward the peak mailing day of the year, St. Louis Postmaster Mark Anderson advises customers to mail early. "Our goal is to deliver increased holiday mail volumes at our normal year-round service levels to keep your holidays special," says Anderson. "Although we have taken extra measures to handle the added volume, we are asking customers to mail early to avoid a backup of mail during the last days before Christmas."

Nationally, customers will bring nearly 20 billion mailpieces to Post Offices during the holiday season, which lasts from November 28 to December 31. 

Postmaster Anderson said that customers can help speed Post Office transactions by providing retail associates with full information on packages, such as requirements for insurance, delivery confirmation, and desired time for package arrival. Other helpful mailing tips to avoid glitches include:

Write, type or print the delivery address neatly.

Always use a return address on the front of the mailpiece, in the upper left corner

Always use complete address information, such as AVE, BLVD and ST. Use the apartment or suite number as well as correct directionals, such as N, W and SW. 

Don't let an incorrect ZIP Code delay delivery of cards and letters. For ZIP Code information, 24 hours a day, year-round, call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) OR visit the Postal Service Web site - www.usps.com.

Select a container that's strong enough to protect the contents. Leave space for cushioning inside the carton. 

Always use tape that is designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced craft paper tape or glass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape.

Plain air-popped popcorn, shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts work well for cushioning package contents.

The only addresses on packages for mailing should be the delivery and return addresses. 
Tip: Place a return address label inside the package.

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

Packages that weigh at least one pound must be taken into the Post Office for mailing.

Access the Postal Service's Web site - www.usps.com - for postage calculations, the latest address information, and unique gifts at the Postal Store. You can also obtain Click-N-Ship easy-to-use online shipping labels. USPS NetPost services at this site also provide a convenient way to select and mail greeting cards or postcards.

"The Holidays are here, and we want to make sure your mail is delivered on time. Just help us by mailing early," Anderson said.