New employee milestones page

Have you or a colleague achieved a professional or personal milestone? If so, let us hear all about it.

We've created a new page just for that purpose. You can get there by clicking the Milestones tab, which can be found at the top, far right of the Postmarks home page.

In this case, the word "milestone" will be defined by you. Anniversaries, promotions, retirements, or anything along those lines would be perfect to submit.

Pickel retiring from USPS | The Demopolis Times

This article about Demopolis Postmaster Buddy Pickel was in Tuesday's The Demopolis Times. He will be missed by many. Please join us in wishing him all of the best in his approaching retirement.

Demopolis Postmaster Buddy Pickel. Picture courtesy of The Demopolis Times. 

Pickel retiring from USPS
by Jason Cannon

Buddy Pickel joined the Demopolis Post Office as a carrier fresh off a 30 month stint with the U.S. Air Force. He would spend the next 414 months building his career.

Pickel, who has served as the Demopolis Postmaster since 2006, will retire Feb. 1 and close out a 34 and half year career with USPS that has stretched his commute all over West Alabama.

“I never wanted to move my family,” the Demopolis native said. “We wanted to stay right here.”

Pickel has served as postmaster in five offices and worked in USPS offices in Newbern, Sawyerville, Georgiana, Marion Junction, Marion, Linden, Livingston and Demopolis .

The price of one First Class stamp on Pickel’s first day on the job was 15 cents. Monday, the price went up to 45 cents. But the price of a stamp isn’t the only thing that has changed over the past three-plus decades.

Pickel said automation of the sorting process has had one of the longest and profound effects on mail delivery.

“When I first started, we had seven clerks that sorted the mail,” he said. “Now, we’ve got three. It used to be all done by hand, all right here. Now, it’s done by machine…the mail is already sorted when it gets here.”

With no mail to sort or customers to help a week from today, Pickel said he would spend [sic]....

“I love staying busy,” he said, noting he enjoys working in the yard, hunting and fishing.

“I doubt I’ll stay unemployed. I’ll need something to do.”

Next week, Pickel will hand the keys to the post office to an interim postmaster while the USPS seeks candidates to fill his position.

And as he readies himself to lock his door for the final time, Pickel said he could only offer one piece of advice to whomever follows him.

“Customer service is what it’s all about,” he said. “Just serve the people.”

The tough got going

Center Point was one of the places in Alabama that was hit hard by Monday's tornado outbreak. Once again, the Center Point Post Office staff proved what a class act they are by doing whatever it took to get our customers their mail when they need it the most.

The Center Point Post Office was damaged in the storm and, as of this morning, there was still no electricity in the building.

This is how the parking lot near the post office looked when we pulled up this morning.

Even though the power was still out and the window was officially closed, everyone worked hard in the near dark to get the mail sorted and the carriers out on the street as early as possible.

The lack of light, the difficulty even getting to the building, and the appearance of being closed did not deter the customers, who were lined up in the lobby. Customer Services Manager Michelle Davis (above) was one of the employees who hustled to answer questions and provide whatever assistance that she could.

Rural Carrier Melinda Jemison skillfully navigated her way through downed trees and power lines, fallen debris, and clean-up crews to deliver on her route.

City Carrier Gena Meadows is awestruck at the devastation that took place at Center Point Elementary School, which is right across the street from the post office. The tornado caused a gas leak at the school, which then resulted in an explosion.

Repeatedly, Center Point Post Office has set the standard for how a post office should function: the large staff works together to serve our customers, keep themselves safe, and watch out for each other.

Restricting facility access: a postal inspector answers your questions

Recently, Postal Inspector Tony Robinson received a question about what constitutes a security violation in regard to restroom access. 
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Since the answers that he provided are relevant to all Postal facilities in Alabama, he shared his explanation with us with the hope that all Alabama USPS employees understand the security regulations and why such policies are necessary. 


Q: The post office does not have public restrooms.  Where can I find this written, so that I may post this for all of the SSA's to read.  Is this not a security violation?


A: Toilets are inside the restricted area of postal facilities and come under “support areas,” not public areas.  


AS503 does allow a Contract Driver’s Room in large P&D facilities to provide space and utilities for a commercial telephone, electric water cooler and toilet facility; however, such should designed so that contract drivers are discouraged from direct access to the workroom floor and located so that management can observe drivers.  In all other offices, contract drivers are not allowed unfettered access to linger in the workroom area (District Policy sent out last year and the year or two before that). 

None of the facilities in Alabama that I have visited have toiletries provided in the public areas.  The closest example of two that do is Florence and Decatur, but John Smith will have to go through the US Marshalls to use them on the floors having a federal court room (not likely unless Mr. Smith has court room business to conduct there).

Title 39 Code of Federal Regulations Part 231.1 designates the Chief Postal Inspector as the security officer for the USPS  who is responsible for issuing instructions and regulations regarding security.  Part 231.2 designates the postmaster or supervisor designated by the postmaster as the security control officer responsible for ensuring that operations are carried out in accordance to rules and regulations set forth by USPIS.

Passport offices are supposed to be conducted in the public accessed areas.  I have found a few over the years that were allowing people to go to the workroom area: this should not be happening.  The district also sent out a notice regarding passport offices to discontinue such practices.   

If we didn’t have such a policy, it would not take much for someone seeking revenge (ie. Ex-boyfriend) to ask to use the restroom only to gain unquestioned access to the workroom floor.

Tony Robinson

Postal Inspector