WILKINSBURG STAMP CLUB NEWS

Volume 18 Issue 8 Wilkinsburg Stamp Club is a member of APS #12293 March 2020 Romania Releases Purr-fect Cats

stamps, mini-sheet of 5 stamps + 1 label and bloc of 6 imperforat- ed stamps. Cats pictured include the British Shorthair, Persian, Siamese, Ben- gal, Sphinx Size: 33 x 48 mm Colors: Multicolor Format: Stamp Emission: Commemorative Printing: Offset lithography

Philately - is the Issued in both panes of 32 and in study of stamps and mini-sheets of five with decora- postal history and oth- tive margin and label. er related items. It also refers to the collecting, research, and enjoyment, of Pawsome News! Romania Releases...Cats! Rom- stamps and other phil- filatelia introduces into circula- atelic products. tion the postage stamps issue "Cats." “Cats" were issued on Friday, Contact Information; February 7, 2020, and are availa- We are updating our records. ble online on Romfilatelia. If you received a postcard, please fill it out and return it as The issue is completed by two soon as possible. first day covers, and as page composition in sheet of 32 Thank you! Inside this issue: Notable People on Stamps: St Patrick

Club News 2 were Calpurnius and Conchessa, traveling to France where he were Romans living in Britain in became a priest and later a bish- Trips 2 charge of the colonies. op. Club contact info. 2 His real name is believed to be Patrick was called to return to Maewyn Succat and he took on Ireland. He traveled throughout Meeting Dates 2 the name Patrick upon becoming Ireland, preaching the Gospel a priest. and converting many. Patrick Tax Time Mailing Tips 2 As a teen he was kidnapped by preached and converted all over pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland for 40 years. The date Upcoming Saint Patrick is the patron saint 3 Ireland to herd and tend sheep on cited for when Ireland was con- Stamp Shows of Ireland. He was a Christian missionary given credited with Slemish mountain, Co Antrim. verted to Christianity is 432. WILKPEX 3 converting Ireland to Christianity During his six-year captivity, he It is believed he died on 17 in the AD 400s. So many legends became fluent in the Irish lan- March, 460 at Saul, Downpat- Junior Corner – rick, thus the reason Saint Pat- 4 surround his life that the truth is guage. He escaped, managed to Cancels not easily found. walk 200 miles to a seaport, and rick's day is celebrated on March convince a local ship master to 17th. Some say it’s because he 50 Years Ago 4 St Patrick’s exact birthplace and date is not known. However it is give him passage back home. was born on 17 March. believed he was born around He is believed to have met up 375AD in Scotland. His parents with his parents in Wales before Volume 18 Issue 8 March 2020 Page 2 Club News WSC Meetings

dish. sented at the meeting and ap- ALL Visitors are welcome! *Note: Everyone is encouraged to proved by the membership to We meet the 2nd & 4th Sundays Extra Pre-Show bring something for “show and purchase them. No Holidays Meeting Scheduled for tell” the second meeting of the Next meetings month. (Does not have to be April 5th stamp related) March 8th Smaller turn out at the Feb. 23rd meeting. We still had sever- March 22nd

Our stamp Library has been al wonderful Show and Tell cleaned out, Many old items will presentations. Bill had a postcard April 5th go on the “Free Table” at on Alfred Dreyfus, Maureen had ( extra pre-show meeting ) WILKPEX Books are available a cover with a letter looking for to anyone wanting to “take out” employment from two men from April 17-18th borrow any of the books. See Russia, Con brought in Mardi WILKPEX Gras Doubloons. There was a Andy or Danielle at a meeting, if Summers Meetings you are interested in borrowing table full of donated items to peruse, and purchase. June thru August any books… Contact Danielle if 2nd Sundays only you want to help set up and or- Up-date* ganize the Library, probably in There were four that attended Doors Open 12:30 the spring. the APS Trip and all reported to Meeting starts at 2PM Andy was able to get the picnic have had a great time. grove for August 1st, So save the The Pittsburgh Stamp Club, Churchill Borough Building, date, and come and enjoy a nice agreed to sell us some Exhibit 2300 William Penn Hwy day. It is the same grove as the frames (this will eliminate our Churchill, PA 15235. one last year for the Summer renting them and transporting Free light lunch available Picnic. Watch for more infor- them every year) They were will- mation as the date draws closer… ing to part with 5 boxes, which is you are encouraged to bring a 10 frames. The offer was pre- Tax Time— Mailing Tips Officers Trip Scheduled

® If using the U.S. Postal Service that has a pickup time before the There is a trip scheduled ™ to mail your tax return, you can deadline. Some Post Office President: to go to the get proof that you mailed it, and locations offer extended hours Garfield-Perry March Party track its arrival at the IRS. and late postmarking for tax fil- Andy Novotny Stamp Show Federal Tax Deadline [email protected] ers. Mar 6th - 8th, 2020 The IRS considers a tax return Proof of Mailing Holiday Inn Strongsville filed on time if it is addressed Vice-President: 15471 Royalton Rd For added peace of mind, you correctly, has enough postage, can buy a Certificate of Mailing Laura Kaczynski Strongsville, OH 44136 and is postmarked by the due at the Post Office. A Certificate [email protected] The trip is scheduled for Mar. date. April 15, 2020 – Federal of Mailing is a proof of mailing Anyone wanting to go is to tax return filing deadline receipt that proves you mailed Treasurer /Secretary contact Danielle, Mailing Tips: your tax return on a certain date. & (412) 302-4146 Send to the Correct Address Your Certificate of Mailing re- Mailing Coordinator: Check the IRS website for where ceipt will prove that you mailed to mail your tax return. Write your return on time. Danielle Weaver both the destination and return If you use Click-N-Ship®, you [email protected] addresses clearly or print your can pay for postage online and mailing label and postage. print a shipping label from your Newsletter Editor Use Correct Postage own computer. Generating a & Weigh your envelope and apply Click-N-Ship label with postage Web Tech: the right amount of postage. creates an electronic record for Deb Foltyn Most tax returns are several pag- the label on that specific date, so [email protected] es long and weigh more than 1 you need to send your package oz. Tax returns sent without on the shipping date. Your enough postage will be returned. online Click-N-Ship account will Meet the Postmark Deadline save your shipping history for If your tax return is postmarked six months. by the filing date deadline, the IRS considers it on time. Mail your return in a USPS blue col- lection box or at a Postal location Volume 18 Issue 8 March 2020 Page 3 Up Coming Stamp Shows Newsletter Fairview Park Universal Coin, American Legion Contact: David Pool It’s your newsletter! Currency & Stamp Show 11100 Winton Road Phone: 330-832-5992 Help Make it special March 1st 2020 Cincinnati, OH 45218 Hours: Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4 Original articles for the American Legion Post # 42 Contact: Xenia Coin newsletter may be submitted by 22001 Brookpark Rd. Phone: 937-376-2807 Fairview Park Universal Coin, any of the membership to Deb Fairview Park, OH 44126 Hours: Sun 10-4 Currency & Stamp Show Foltyn at a meeting or emailed to Contact: John Cotleur April 5th 2020 [email protected] Phone: 440-864-7473 Cranberry Stamp Show American Legion Post # 42 Or via regular mail: Hours: Sun 10-3 March 31, 2020 22001 Brookpark Rd. Deb Foltyn VFW POST #7505 Fairview Park, OH 44126 1023 Brintell Street Garfield-Perry March Party 331 Mars Valencia Road Contact: John Cotleur Pittsburgh, PA15201-1637

Stamp Show Mars, PA 16046 Phone: 440-864-7473 What would you like to see in Mar 6th - 8th, 2020 Contact: Kevin Kellman Hours: Sun 10-3 covered in the junior corner? Holiday Inn Strongsville Phone: 301-524-9562 15471 Royalton Rd Hours: Sun 10-4 WILKPEX Many thanks to Maureen Strongsville, OH 44136 April 17th – 18th 2020 McKeever for stepping up to take Contact: Roger Rhoads Spring Stamp Expo over the newsletter this change Hours: Fri & Sat 10-6, Sun 10-4 takes place in June. Cumberland Valley Philatelic LANCOPEX Stamp Show Society Apr 24th - 25th, 2020 Note* articles submitted may be Langhorne Tri-State Coin & April 4, 2020 Bourse only Farm & Home Center of edited for content or to fit the Stamp Show Eugene Clarke Center Lancaster County Format. March 22, 2020 235 S. Third Street 1383 Arcadia Road Club members get a free black Sheraton Bucks County Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Lancaster, PA 17601 and white hard copy of the 400 Oxford Valley 17201 Hours: Fri 10-5, Sat 10-4 newsletter. Langhorne, PA 19047 Contact Eileen Bricker Color copies available at a Contact: Allen Brock Email: [email protected] Meeting. You must send a Phone: 305-852-7678 Phone: 717-709-1314 request to Deb before the Hours: Sun 10-4 McKinley Stamp Club Show meeting, so they can be printed Apr 4th - 5th, 2020 special. St. George Serbian Orthodox Greenhills Classic Stamp and Social Hall Coin Show 4667 Applegrove St. NW March 29th, 2019 North Canton, OH 44720 WILKPEX 2020 - 70th Annual Show of the Wilkinsburg Stamp Club afternoon at 1:30

It was decided to do a second Souvenir sheet to celebrate the 70th anniversary of WILKPEX. The design was submitted by John Harding and it spoofs the Pittsburgh sunken bus. Four designs for the “Woman in the Moon” Souvenir sheet, was circulated at the Feb. 9th meeting, and the one with the most votes will be produced for the show. Anyone wanting an ad or just your name to help sponsor the show program, contact Deb The cost is: the show. Time to start working on your $10 for Name only WILKPEX 2020 This year we will be “Giving exhibits. Let Andy know you $15 -¼ page 2.75” w x 4.25” h The cachet and the cancel for the Kennywood Away!” Come to plan an exhibit, what the title will $25 -½ page 5.5” w x 4.25 h” or show have been finalized. the show and see what all the be and what size and how many $40 -full page 5.5” w x 5.5” h Subject is Bruno Sammartino. hoopla is about. frames you need… Exhibits I can work off a business card, or Excellent work by Gene to pull Friday, April 17th must be placed in the frames be- black and white logo. this together for another year. Saturday, April 18th fore the show starts. Must be received by April 10th th Thanks Gene! This is our 70 Annual Show We can always use volunteers to As usual the cachets and sou- Help make it a great one! help at the show. venir sheets will be available at It will be here before we know it. Set up Thursday Volume 18 Issue 8 March 2020 Page 4 Junior Corner — Cancels A cancellation (or cancel for postmasters in the United States envelopes. Mute cancel refers to cancels refer to cancellations ap- short; French: "oblitération") is and Canada cut their own cancel- a cancellation that includes no plied on mail sorted on trains. a mark applied on a postage lers from cork or wood in a great writing and thus "does not Ship cancels were added to stamps stamp or postal stationery to variety of designs such as stars, speak." that were mailed on or carried on a deface the stamp and prevent circles, flags, chickens, etc. These Numeral cancels are cancels ship, commonly a steamer ship in its re-use. Cancellations come are known as fancy cancels. whereby numbers were used to the late 19th-early 20th centuries. in a huge variety of designs, First day of issue are special can- identify specific post offices. Slogan cancellations contain a shapes, sizes and colors. They cellations with the date the stamp For Great Britain and Ireland, slogan, perhaps commemorative or commonly include the date and was first issued for sale and the which started using numerals in advertising, in the killer box. post office location where words "first day of issue." 1844, the shape of bars indicate mailed. The following are some Flag cancellations are a type of the actual country of use. examples of types of cancella- machine cancellation incorporat- Pen cancels refer to the use of a tions. ing a design of the United States writing pen to deface the stamp, Bullseye cancellation also flag with the stripes serving as the and were common in the 19th called "Socked on the nose" or "killer". and early 20th centuries. SOTN, is a typically of circular Hand stamped cancellations are Pictorial cancellations include design, centered on the postage cancellations added by means of a images associated with the com- stamp. hand stamping device. memoration of some event or Cancelled-to-order. Also Highway post office cancels re- anniversary. Precancels are known as CTOs, are stamps fers to cancels added in transit by stamps that have been issued that have been cancelled by a portable mail-handling equipment with printed cancellations on postal authority, but were never for sorting mail in trucks. them, typically to mass mailers. used to transmit mail. Machine cancellations are auto- Precancels cannot normally be Fancy cancels. In the second matically added by machines that used by the general public. half of the 19th century, many rapidly process large numbers of (R.P.O.)

WE’RE ON THE WEB! WILKINSBURG STAMP CLUB Wilkinsburgstampclub.com Home of the Famous Satirical Souvenir Sheets 50 Years ago - March 18, 1970 — US Postal Strike

March 18 1970 marks the 50th be no negotiations, Secretary of even in low-cost areas where A city carrier, Vincent Sombrot- anniversary postal strike of . The Labor William Usery did engage compensation had been ample. to, was in the forefront of rank night before, postal workers in in negotiations that brought the The practice of uniform wages and file members in New York New York voted 1,555 to 1,055 to strike to an end after 2 weeks. continues today at the Postal insisting on the strike. After the go out on strike in protest of a By all accounts, the strike was Service; even though the federal strike, he led a movement to House committee vote to limit extremely successful, and it set pay system introduced locality open up union elections and their wage increase that year to 5.4 the course of postal affairs for pay in 1990. The binding arbi- eventually headed the National percent on the heels of a 41 per- decades to come. No postal tration feature of the Act could Association of Letter Carriers cent increase in Congress’s own worker was ever disciplined for also be traced to the strike. Ac- for 24 years. Coincidentally pay. The strike was effective in the walkout. Negotiators agreed cording to a union history, bind- with the formation of the Postal shutting down postal operations in to a 6 percent wage increase ing arbitration was included in Service, five distinct unions of New York and quickly spread to retroactive to 1969, and addi- the bill “in lieu of the right to postal clerks, mail processors, about 30 other cities. Within days tional 8 percent on enactment of strike,” though of course no fed- maintenance, and motor vehicle about 152,000 workers in 671 lo- the Postal Reorganization Act. eral employee has ever had such workers merged into a new cations were on strike. It was ille- The bill had been languishing in a right. This feature of the law American Postal Workers Un- gal for federal workers to strike, Congress, but by April 16, 1970, has meant that the Postal Service ion, which provided a more uni- but union said they had no control agreement was reached. It not has never been able to exert con- fied voice for labor in political over the action. The strike shut only provided the 8 percent pay trol over its labor costs. Unions and collective bargaining nego- down New York’s financial indus- raise, but also allowed postal also insisted that the Postal Ser- tiations. try, kept 9,000 youths from receiv- workers to reach the top of the vice would not be called a gov- ing draft notices, delayed the mail- pay scale in only 8 years, which ernment corporation, to guard ing of census forms and tax re- previously took 21. After the against any implication that funds, and generally disrupted the first contract, pay for the newest workers would lose the security country’s communications. Injunc- worker had surpassed what a 21- of their federal jobs. The strike tions and heavy fines were levied year veteran had made 3 years also set in motion lasting chang- on union leaders; but the member- earlier. Although the agreement es in the postal labor movement. ship paid no attention. President directed the large increase to- Union heads that had tried to Nixon called out 24,000 military wards high-cost areas like New control the strike, and were will- personnel to distribute the mail, York, where the strike began, it ing to compromise with govern- but they were ineffective. While was effective across the nation, ment leadership, lost credibility. the president asserted there would