Showing posts with label post office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label post office. Show all posts

Buy your Forever postage stamps before Friday

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

On April 9, 2024, the United States Postal Service® filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of Mailing Services price changes to take effect July 14, 2024

The new rates include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents

All mailing prices are expected to increase a small amount.


The price tables proposed to take effect July 14, 2024 are available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website

The price changes have to be favorably reviewed by the PRC, but in the meantime you may want to invest in Forever stamps before Friday.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.


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2024 postage stamps mark the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Dungeons & Dragons stamps 2024

This stamp release marks the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, described by its owners as the World’s Greatest Role-playing Game, that has become a cultural phenomenon. 

By inviting participants to imagine themselves as wizards, warriors and other adventurers in exciting and treacherous fantasy worlds, Dungeons & Dragons opened doors to whole new universes of creativity for generations of players. 

The pane of 20 stamps features 10 different designs that highlight characters, creatures and encounters familiar to players of the game. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps and pane with existing illustrations.


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Mail stolen on Ashworth dumped at Cromwell Park

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Photo by Steve Vaschakas
A reader sent photos of piles of mail he found dumped at Cromwell Park, in the SW corner trail before noon on Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Cromwell Park is at 180th and Meridian in Shoreline.

The visible addresses were from 167xx to 178xx Ashworth. Most of the mail was junk and circulars but there were a fair amount of bills and one small Amazon Prime mailer which had been ripped open and contents removed.

I suggest that when you find dumped mail, it's best to pick it up and take it to a post office - the retail center is in Gateway Plaza at 185th and Aurora. 

Soggy newspaper grocery ads can be safely discarded.

In this case, the finder notified Shoreline police and guided them to the location.

--Diane Hettrick

3-28-2023 updated with photo credit and disposition of the mail

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Mountlake Terrace post office to remain

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Mountlake Terrace post office photo courtesy MLTNews.com
By Diane Hettrick

Thanks to reporting in MLTNews.com we have learned that the Mountlake Terrace Post Office will stay at its current location for now.

U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Kim Frum confirmed Wednesday that the post office building lease has been extended at 23210 57th Ave W until 2025.

In March 2022, a Postal Service spokesperson said that the property owner wasn’t interested in renewing the post office lease, which was set to expire January 31, 2023. The spokesperson also said that the Postal Service would be conducting a search for a new post office location.

In September, Mountlake Terrace’s then-acting city manager Stephen Clifton and Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright pledged to assist in finding a new Mountlake Terrace location for the post office.

Shoreline / LFP residents will remember the saga when the North City Post Office property was sold for development (now The Postmark Apartments). The USPS, in spite of cooperation from the City of Shoreline, was unable to locate a property large enough for all functions. The service ended up with a processing center in Gateway Place in Mountlake Terrace and a retail center in Gateway Plaza in Shoreline.

Delivery vans were parked on Shoreline city property on Ballinger Way for months, but now are apparently using space near the processing center in Gateway Place in Mountlake Terrace.



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Mountlake Terrace post office to be relocated - postal service taking public comments

Friday, November 18, 2022

By Diane Hettrick

When the postal service, which never bothered to buy the land, lost its location in North City, residents in Lake Forest Park and NE Shoreline found it easiest to use the small postal station in Mountlake Terrace at 23210 57th Ave W.

Now the postal service has lost that location as well. Their lease is ending and they will have to move out of the building by February 2023.

They are scouting for locations, with the assistance of Mountlake Terrace officials, but have not located anything near the 3,100 square feet within the 98043 zip code they want.

They went through a similar process in Shoreline and ended up with three locations: retail and PO Boxes at Gateway Plaza on N 185th in Shoreline; processing at Gateway Place N 205th in Mountlake Terrace, and for a time their vans were parked on city owned property on Ballinger Way.


They recently sent a postcard to Mountlake Terrace residents

The notice says that “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of a public meeting, we are inviting you to send your comments on the proposal to the following address within the next 30 days:

Attn: Mountlake Terrace WA – Relocation
United States Postal Service
PO Box 27497
Greensboro, NC 27498-1103”


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AG Ferguson files new lawsuit to stop far-reaching Postal Service rule changes

Friday, October 8, 2021


Changes mirror those Postal Service wanted ahead of the 2020 election that Ferguson successfully blocked in federal court

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson partnered Thursday, October 7, 2021 with a coalition of states that will file a complaint with the Postal Regulatory Commission challenging drastic operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service that threaten critical mail delivery. 

These mirror changes Postmaster General and Trump-appointee Louis DeJoy intended to make before the 2020 election that Ferguson successfully blocked in federal court last fall.

The complaint details DeJoy’s failure to follow federal law in making harmful Postal Service changes. Ferguson asserts these major Postal Service changes, which range from eliminating working hours, slowing delivery of first-class mail and removing equipment, threaten the timely delivery of mail to millions of Americans who rely on the Postal Service for delivery of everything from medical prescriptions to ballots.

Ferguson led a coalition of 14 states ahead of the 2020 general election to prevent the Postal Service from making drastic changes that would have slowed election-related mail. A federal judge in Yakima specifically ordered the Postal Service to perform nightly sweeps for ballots in areas where data showed unacceptably low on-time delivery rates up to the weekend before Election Day. These slowdowns were prevalent in Michigan and Wisconsin, which were also swing states in the election.

“Millions of Americans depend on the mail every day to receive their prescriptions, pay bills, receive Social Security checks, send rent payments and more,” Ferguson said. “One political appointee does not get to decide the fate of the Postal Service. There is a process that demands accountability from the American public for a reason — and I will fight to ensure the public gets a say.”

More information here



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AG Ferguson: Washington Federal judge issues nationwide injunction blocking Postmaster General’s unlawful policies delaying mail

Friday, September 18, 2020

Bob Ferguson, Washington
state attorney general


A federal judge in Yakima, Wash., today granted Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s request to grant a nationwide injunction forcing the U.S. Postal Service to immediately halt drastic operational changes.

Judge Stanley A. Bastian issued a detailed written order Thursday afternoon September 17, 2020. In its motion for a preliminary injunction, Ferguson and the coalition of states asked the judge to order the Postal Service to:

  • Immediately stop its “leave mail behind” policy, where postal trucks are required to leave at specified times, regardless if there is mail still to be loaded
  • Continue its longstanding practice of treating all election mail as First Class mail, regardless of the paid postage
  • Replace, reassemble or reconnect any removed mail-sorting machines that are needed to ensure timely processing and delivery of election mail
  • Abide by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s public commitment to suspend the recent policy changes that have affected mail service until after the electionThe judge said his order would substantially follow the state’s motion.

“Today’s victory protects a critical institution for our country,” Ferguson said. “Americans can now confidently vote by mail and have their voices heard.”

Case background

Ferguson is leading a coalition of 14 states that filed a lawsuit over the changes to the Postal Service on Aug. 18, 2020. The coalition includes battleground states, including Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin. 

The Postal Service changes, including eliminating or reducing staff overtime, halting outgoing mail processing at state distribution centers and removing critical mail sorting equipment, threaten the timely delivery of mail to millions of Americans who rely on the Postal Service for everything from medical prescriptions to ballots.

Ferguson’s lawsuit asserts that the postmaster general unlawfully implemented drastic changes to mail service, and seeks to stop the service reductions. 

Immediately after Ferguson filed his lawsuit, the postmaster general made public commitments that he would halt some — but not all — of those changes. Since that time, mail delays continue, and questions remain about what changes are still in effect.


The changes at the Postal Service come as President Donald Trump continues to claim without evidence that widespread vote-by-mail will lead to a fraudulent election. Washington state has allowed elections to be conducted completely by mail-in ballot since 2005, and mandated the practice statewide in 2011. The state has not experienced voter fraud at any significant level.

More information HERE



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How to get your mail

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Carrier annex as viewed from Ballinger Way


The snow kept a lot of mail carriers from running their complete routes.

According to local USPS contact Ernie Swanson, "Carriers are not to attempt delivery unless access to the mailbox is safe. The mail will be held and delivered at the first safe opportunity."

He said that the carriers take all the mail with them on their route but if they can't deliver it they will take it back to the Carrier Annex in Mountlake Terrace.

It isn't required but "it would definitely make a difference if customers provided safe access to their mailbox by removing snow and ice."

Customers whose mail comes via the North City Post Office may be able to pick up their mail at the Carrier Annex but if the carrier is on his/her route, the mail would be with him/her.

The Carrier Annex is at Gateway Place in Mountlake Terrace, 6005 244th St SW, Ste 101, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. It is in the old Office Depot building next to the Cinebarre movie theater and the Mazatlan Mexican restaurant.

Or you can wait for your road to be clear.



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Serving others in spite of snow, wind, and weather

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Shoreline Fire on a call
Photo by Wayne Pridemore



By Wayne Pridemore and Diane Hettrick

Early Saturday morning there were those out in the snow who were working serving others.

Medic One on a call in the snow
Photo by Wayne Pridemore


The Shoreline Fire Department was making an emergency call at 20th Ave NW and Richmond Beach Road.

Nor sleet nor storm nor dark of night...
Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Just minutes later mailman Steve Kinsman, aka Frosty, was making a delivery on 20th Ave NW. 

Steve Kinsman delivering mail
Photo by Wayne Pridemore
 

Steve has been working this route for years. If you are near the mailbox when he comes past he will always greet you with a big smile and a friendly comment. In a couple of months Steve will have been a postal employee for forty years. He is really an outstanding individual. 

Bank robbery at North City Safeway
Photo by Lisa Nordblad


And Friday, the Shoreline Police were on the job, responding to a bank robbery at the US Bank inside the North City Safeway. They brought in a tracking K9 but were unable to locate the robber. It was all over so quickly that most shoppers did not even realize there was a problem.


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Post Office still looking for a permanent site in Shoreline

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Retail services at Gateway Plaza 185th / Midvale
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The U.S. Postal Service has made no progress in finding a site to consolidate its services in Shoreline.

"Nothing new to report, according to our Facilities Office. They would still like to find a suitable, single site where we could have the carriers and the retail in one convenient location. Failing that, we may look into extending the leases on the two locations we are currently using."

The retail services are at Gateway Plaza at 185th and Aurora / Midvale in Shoreline. The processing center is in the old Office Depot building at Gateway Place in Mountlake Terrace. The vans are parked on City of Shoreline property at the old Brightwater portal on Ballinger.

The North City post office was demolished after the land was sold to a developer.


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Stamp out hunger - Saturday - postal carrier Blue Bags

Thursday, May 10, 2018

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BLUE BAGS???

That’s what everyone will be asking on Saturday, May 12, 2018

Here’s what you can tell them.

It’s our friends and neighbors helping to “Stamp Out Hunger”

The National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive will collect nearly a half-million pounds of food for food banks in Western Washington.

Blue bags are being distributed this week, and postal customers are asked to fill this bag with non-perishable food items. Letter carriers will pick up these bags at mailboxes all day Saturday, May 12.

Food Lifeline (the food banks' Food Bank) is proud to be a partner in the “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive”, providing the muscle, the storage, and our network of more than 300 food banks, shelters and meal programs to help distribute all of the donated food.



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Photo: Shoreline Apartments

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Shoreline Apartments
Photo by Mike Remarcke

Construction has begun on the Shoreline Apartments in North City at the corner of 15th NE and NE 175th St.

The building will have 243 apartments, with underground parking. Shoreline building code requires the ground floor to be designed for business and retail, but developers do not plan to use it that way.

Structural concrete pours will soon begin and are scheduled to be complete in August. Framing will start in August. The building is expected to be complete the middle of December 2019.

The site is the former location of the North City Post Office.


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Informed Delivery - know what's coming in the mail

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Are you worried about mail theft?

If you are concerned that your mail is being interfered with, you may want to sign up for a free service from the post office.

The USPS has a free service that sends you photos of your incoming mail for that day.

The program lets users view images of letter-sized mailpieces and real time delivery information on packages.

Although, remember that the best deterrent against mail theft is a locking mailbox.

More information or sign up at Informed Delivery It is available for Shoreline / LFP ZIP codes.



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Excavation to begin soon for Shoreline Apartments in North City

Friday, February 23, 2018


The site of the Shoreline Apartments, at NE 175th and 15th NE, has been completely cleared and the next step is full scale excavation.

Excavation was scheduled for this week, but construction is often weather dependent, particularly in the early stages.

Structural concrete pours are planned to begin around the middle of April and are scheduled to be complete by middle/end of August.

Framing starts middle of August.

Completion middle of December 2019.




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Photo: Old North City Post Office demolished

Monday, February 19, 2018

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The old North City Post Office has been completely demolished. All that's left is the concrete pad that covered the site for the building, customer, van, and employee parking.

The post office is now in three different locations: retail services at Gateway Plaza, 185th and Aurora; processing center at the old Office Depot in Mountlake Terrace; and van parking at the Ballinger Portal site on Ballinger Way.



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Demolition of North City Post Office

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Demolition proceeds for the old North City Post Office
Photo by Cynthia Sheridan


Text and photo by Cynthia Sheridan

It's Demo Day! According to the on-site contractor, this process will proceed rapidly. In a day or two the sub-contractor will have completed demolition of the building.

A second sub -contractor will then come and tear out the foundation. Next, two levels of below-ground parking will be installed.

And finally the two apartment towers will be built. North City looks forward to welcoming its new neighbors but we miss our post office, especially the outgoing mailbox.



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Shoreline Post Office in transition

Sunday, January 14, 2018

A blue drop box has been installed in front of the
Gateway Plaza post office site

By Diane Hettrick
Photos by Steven H. Robinson

The Shoreline Post office is open for business. Post office boxes are in place, and a new blue drop box is outside the new retail space at Gateway Plaza, 185th and Aurora.

Some hiccups remain, mostly for employees.

Retail space at Gateway Plaza is unfinished

The interior of the retail space is unfinished.


Bathrooms are non-functional, so workers use
portable toilets in front of the MLT building


The bathrooms at the old Office Depot space in Mountlake Terrace don't work. Postal workers use portable toilets in front of the building.


Vans are neatly lined up at the Ballinger Portal site

The Ballinger Portal site on Ballinger Way, leased from the City of Shoreline, holds all the vans, but postal workers have to walk back and forth from the processing center in Mountlake Terrace.

How far this seems will probably depend on the weather - a pleasant walk in the sunshine, and not so pleasant in pounding rain.

Officials at the public meeting were clear that convenient employee parking is a priority, so this is obviously not an ideal situation.

The Postal Service real estate division hopes to find property in central Shoreline that can accommodate all the services - parking for vans, employees, and customers, the processing center, and retail services. They are open to remodeling an existing building or building a new facility. They are willing to purchase property - the old location was on leased land.

This process will take at least a year, and probably more.



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New (temporary) post office is open for business

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Postal boxes are up and running
at new location at N 185th

By Diane Hettrick


As scheduled, the post office is in its new, temporary quarters and open for business.

The USPS is still searching for a location to build or remodel so it can have all functions in one location.

Not pretty, but functional
Front counter at temporary post office
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

They expect to stay in temporary quarters for at least a year.

Retail and public functions are in Gateway Plaza at N 185th and Aurora (Midvale). All post office boxes are there as well as counter services. A blue box mail drop is a couple of doors down.

Parking is challenging at Gateway, which has popular restaurants, BECU, a cosmetology school, Starbucks and Bartells.

Signs at the old location announce the closure.
The building will be torn down for construction of
a large apartment building.
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


With a busy post office, driving and parking on site will be even more challenging.

The mail carriers are working out of the former Office Depot site in Mountlake Terrace's Gateway Place, home of the Cinnebarre Mountlake 8 movie theater. Post office vans are parked at city-owned property in the Ballinger business district.

Corrected 1-6-18 to say 185th, not 175th

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Post office retail space and location of blue boxes

Friday, December 29, 2017

Setting up new retail space at Gateway Plaza
Photo by Debbie Kellogg on Wednesday

The North City post office retail space is in process of moving into Gateway Plaza at N 185th and Aurora Ave N (technically Midvale Ave N). They are scheduled to open in the new location on Saturday.

Photos were taken on Wednesday as they set up the new location.

All customer retail spaces will be at Gateway Plaza
Photo by Debbie Kellogg on Wednesday

For those who are accustomed to dropping their outgoing mail in the Blue Box at the post office, here are the locations of Blue Boxes, according to the USPS website. Please let us know if any of these locations are not current.

Except for the Bitter Lake Post Office, you will have to park and get out of the car.

USPS COLLECTION BOX - BLUE BOXES

Mountlake Terrace Post Office - back in the corner of an L shaped strip mall

Lake Forest Market
18498 BALLINGER WAY NE, Lake Forest Park 98155

Subway in Ballinger Village
20238 BALLINGER WAY NE, SHORELINE 98155

Gateway Plaza - currently in front of Health Chiropractic

King County District Court

Ridgecrest 7-11 across from the Crest

Aurora Safeway



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Post office will open in new location Dec 30

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Post Office retail services will open Dec. 30
at Gateway Plaza in Shoreline
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
The U.S. Postal Service’s North City Post Office will relocate retail services from its current site in North City, 17233 15th Ave NE, to a new location at Gateway Plaza, 18336 Aurora Ave. N, Suite 105.

The new facility will open retail services there on Saturday, December 30, 2017. 

The lease is expiring at the current, North City location and the property owner is constructing a multi story apartment building on the site at NE 175th and 15th NE.

Retail hours at the new location will remain the same – 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday, and 8:30am to 3pm on Saturday.

All postal retail services available at the current location will be available at the new location.

Letter carriers will work out of the
Gateway Place site in Mountlake Terrace
Photo courtesy MLTNews
Letter Carriers working out of the current North City Post Office location will be moving to 6005 224th St SW, Mountlake Terrace, in the old Office Depot location, also effective on Saturday, December 30.

The 18,100 square-foot building at 6005 244th St SW, Ste 101 sits adjacent to Urology Northwest and in the same business complex (Gateway Place) as Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant and the Cinebarre movie theater.

There will be no retail services at the Mountlake Terrace site.

Ballinger Portal site
Photo courtesy Google Earth


Post Office vans will be parked at the Ballinger Portal property on Ballinger, owned by the City of Shoreline. The site is one block down Ballinger from the Mountlake Terrace site.


All locations are temporary, while the real estate division searches for a permanent location.





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