Your Postal Podcast 64Th Edition Transcript – September 2013 Source: Yourpostalpodcast.Com

Your Postal Podcast 64th Edition Transcript – September 2013 Source: yourpostalpodcast.com

Richard Watkins: Welcome to Your Postal Podcast. This is Richard Watkins of U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications. In this September 2013 edition, you’ll hear of a legendary musician and the Postal Service’s plan to send him on a world tour. You'll also hear about how nearly 1,000 firefighters braving a wild summer forest fire were able to reassure their loved ones that they were doing fine, thanks to hundreds of postcards donated for their use.

Ray Charles Stamp Segment

Watkins: Throughout his 58-year career, Ray Charles' voice was recorded on 250 albums, earning him 17 Grammy Awards, a bronze bust in the Playboy Jazz Hall of Fame, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now this pioneer of soul has received another honor – this one from the U.S. Postal Service. Brian Sperry is here with the details.

Brian Sperry: “I was born with music inside me.” That’s what legendary singer, songwriter, and entertainer, Ray Charles wrote in his autobiography, adding that none of his relatives could sing or play an instrument. Memorable hits like “I Got A Woman” “Hit the Road, Jack” and “Georgia,” along with his trademark sunglasses and big smile, made Charles a worldwide superstar.

Born in Albany, Georgia, in 1930, Ray Charles Robinson lost his eyesight at the age of 7. He didn’t see his blindness as a handicap. Charles said, “I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't been able to hear.”

The song “Georgia on My Mind” and his final album Genius Loves Company, both Grammy winners, were recorded a few blocks from the West Adams Branch of the Los Angeles Post Office, which was renamed for Charles in 2005.

On Sept. 23rd, 2013, Charles began appearing at every Post Office in the nation – on U.S. postage stamps. First day of issue ceremonies were held in Atlanta and Los Angeles.

(Music Plays)

That’s Charles Middleton singing the Ray Charles hit “What’d I Say.” He has performed with the Legends of Music in Las Vegas for the last 21 years. Three nights a week, he puts on the dark glasses and sings Ray Charles classics.

Charles Middleton: He’s a guy that inspires people. He’s the greatest – greatest entertainer that ever lived. His spirit -- his soul, came through a lot.

Sperry: He met Ray Charles once at Caesar’s Palace before he died.

Middleton: I went backstage and his manager introduced me, said, “Hey, Ray, this is Charles Middleton, your impressionist.” And Ray said, “Yeah, I heard about you. I love it. That was a big hug right there.”

Sperry: Charles is known for his variety of music – gospel, blues, pop, country, jazz, and even an opera piece. Many of them are in the American lexicon of timeless songs. I asked Middleton what his favorite song was. It's “America the Beautiful.”

Middleton: For my ending, I sing “America the Beautiful” – I dedicate it to the men and women in uniform – both past and present.

Watkins: By the way, approximately 5,000 select Post Offices across the country will be selling the Ray Charles Forever CD.

Oregon Postcards Segment

Watkins: Unfortunately, forests in the Western United States are often victimized by huge summer fires. Extinguishing these blazes requires the help of hundreds of specialized firefighters from all over the country. Peter Hass is here with the story of firefighters battling an Oregon inferno who were able to keep in touch with their families, thanks to a local Postmaster's simple idea.

Peter Hass: In July, specially-trained firefighters from across the country came to Oregon's Umpqua National Forest to battle four lightning-ignited fires which combined to become the massive Whiskey Complex Fire. The Postmaster in a town near the area under siege by flames was inspired to help those firefighters stay in touch with loved ones.

Tiller Postmaster Danielle Lobaugh Newman said that as thick smoke filled her small mountain community, so did fire trucks.

Danielle Lobaugh Newman: On my way to work in the morning, I would see these processions of trucks going by. And as they went by, I was thinking about the people that were in them -- husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters -- in those trucks going to really a dangerous job. So I started thinking about, well, what can we do to help. Well, at work one day, one of the fire information officers came in to update the maps and the updates they would put on our bulletin boards. And she personally mailed a postcard; picked up a stamp. And when she did that, it gave me the idea for the Operation Postcard project. And it was because she was explaining to me that she never sent mail, she only lived in Portland, but she had no way to contact her husband and tell him that she was okay. And so, that's where the idea came from.

I asked them did they not get a temporary cell tower this time, because that's what they usually do, and she said, "No, we don't have one yet." I said, so if I were to donate some postcards, do you think that would be helpful to them? And she said, "Oh, I think that would be great." So my husband and I went to a grocery store up in Roseburg and bought 50 cards and then donated them to the fire camp -- gave them to the information officer and she took them down to camp. The next day when she came in, she said all but a couple were taken and that they were thrilled to death to have them.

Hass: Lobaugh Newman said she was told by fire officials that whenever the next large blaze might occur, they have plans to institute a similar postcard mailing program as a best practice. She hopes to assist other first responder agencies with similar emergency situations to introduce the Operation Postcard program -- wherever and whenever such tragic events occur.

She also hopes that Operation Postcard causes another kind of spark:

Lobaugh Newman: Some found it kind of comical that they were sending a postcard, because they use more high tech methods of communication. And I'm thinking that they had a lot of fun doing it. There was pictures drawn on some of them, and we may have gotten some new letter writers out of it, who knows?

News Roundup

Watkins: And now for a roundup of Postal Service news. On September 19th, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told a U.S. Senate committee that the U.S. Postal Service is in the midst of a financial disaster and that its cash liquidity remains dangerously low.

The PMG is seeking legislation that will enable the Postal Service to act with speed and flexibility in the mailing and shipping marketplace and help it close a 20 billion dollar budget gap by 2017.

Quoting Mr. Donahoe, quote: The Postal Service plays an incredibly important role in the American economy and in America’s communities. And yet, it is in the midst of a financial disaster. Unquote.

Over the past two years, the Postal Service recorded roughly 20 billion dollars in net losses and defaulted on 11.1 billion dollars in retiree health benefits payments to the United States Treasury. Mr. Donahoe told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that the Postal Service will default on another 5.6 billion-dollar retiree health benefits payment that is due September 30th.

The Postmaster General added that mail needs to be kept affordable so that it remains competitive and continues to deliver value for America’s businesses.

Thanks for listening to Your Postal Podcast. Now, we’d like to hear from you. Please email your feedback and story ideas to [email protected].

One lucky listener who emails us a comment about this month’s podcast will be picked at random to receive a "Mark Twain: Stamp of Genius" commemorative booklet with four Mark Twain Forever stamps, as well as a set of eight "Neon Celebrate!" Forever stamps and notecards. One winner will be selected from all qualifying comments emailed to [email protected] by Friday, Oct. 11, 2013.

Our congratulations go out to Nathan Maines of Merrifield, Virginia, who emailed us a comment about August's podcast and has won a "Go Green" Family Activity Kit, including 16 Go Green Forever Stamps, a poster, stationery and access to online games.