OCR Text |
Show Postal officials say mail Christmas gifts early by Mary Gatbratth HMop Times staff As the holidays draw closer, military members and their families are preparing packages for friends and loved ones in far away places. Hill Post Officer worker Ten Priest said mailing early has always been important during the busy holiday season, but with increased security measures it's especially important this year. Air and ground deadlines are posted at www.usps.gov and the base Post Office. Air parcel post, letters and cards must be mailed by: Dec. 3 to Africa. Central and South America; Dec. 10 for AsiaPacific Rim, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Mexico. Europe and the Middle East and by Dec. 14 for Canada. In addition to getting items to recipients on time, she has some tips for getting them there in tact "One of the things people do is use a small box just to cover the item," she said. "If it's something fragile it just gets crushed if something heavy lays on it And that's highly possible because there are so many different sizes, types and weights of packages." In addition to placing items in a larger box, she also suggests placing a return address on the interior of the box incase the address is unreadable. Priest added some flammable items can 10-3-0 Hilltop Times staff People who want to lend a helping hand to oth- ers this holiday season need go no further than the Base Chapel Angel Tree. "The tree will have ornaments on it that anonymously list members from a family, their ages and sizes, and their interests," said Chaplain (Major) Pat Herring, senior Protestant chaplain. "Names for the tree are submitted through unit first sergeants to the chaplains." The tree will be set up in the chapel foyer, Bldg. 475, and participants can pick up ornaments dur Tree LOANS Tuesday's Paper Good Funding Croup Inc. VA v off-bas-e humanitarian organizations, including Child Protective Services, the Women's Domestic Abuse Center and St. Elizabeth's in Emory County." After all the gifts are brought in. the chapel staff will sort them according to unit, then distribute them to the first sergeants to take to the families. More than 200 families were helped last year. For more details, call Herring or Chaplain 1 0(i, or Peggy (Capt.) Rick Harvey at Ext. 7-- 2 Wasscrlein at Ext. or Bad Credit or Conventional LOJw . -- V1 , 610 EXCHANGE RD. OGDEN, j SHOP EVERYDAY PICKINS1 VALUES NOW ACCEPTW8 All MAJOR CREDIT I DEBIT CARM Buy top quality candy at... . For Special Coupon 774-556- 0 "Our Angel Tree also has ornaments for Save BIG this holiday season! Watch Covenant' make. them aware of the sacrifices the military FIRST & SECOND MORTGAGE Rates are down Refinance Now! (801) ing regular business hours and during weekend services. They have until Dec. 16 to buy gifts for the family and return them to the chapel. Herring said there is no limit to how many names someone can take. Names and addresses of those taking the ornaments will be recorded for follow up as needed. "Some organizations on base have asked if they could sponsor a family and we try to accommodate that as well," he said. "We've also had peoincluding some from the ple from of f base ask if they can help miliUniversity of Utah in the world have made families. events The tary by Bill Orndorff Chapel sponsors Angel menagerie of diff rent packing tlien. We didn't luve tlx pallet system they have now." Steve Sterger was a military postal clerk for 21 years and currently works in a civilian postal clerk position. "Disregard the postal bulletins on the timing to mail Christmas cards and letters to folks overseas, especially to Pacific Rim and Middle East AI'Os ." he said. "Whatever the bulletin says, back that date up at least a week ... Those dates are very optimistic, under totally perfect circumstances. Obviously wliat we have here are quite less than perfect circumstances. Even if the events of Sept.l 1 had not happened. I would back those dates." Sterger said civilian postal workers are going though extraordinary measures to maintain quality control, and their hard work is slowing the mail. He also stressed the importance of required customs forms for international and Alt) shipments. "While the regulation says 'anything over 10 ounces, or if the parcel invites suspicion.' just know that right now. everything invites suspicion." he said. "Don't argue with the Mstal clerk, just fill out the form. lie very precise as to what is in the package." Anyone who places items in the package that should not be there is liable for mail fraud, Sterger said. For more information on deadlines and regulations, call the base Post Office at Ext. or a local office.. not be transported aboard aircraft (like perfume and cosmetics with alcohol) so she suggests checking for restrictions before mailing. Retired Master Sgt Herb Bohling said he had success with items wrapped in plastic bags and packed in popcorn. He said it even kept sugar cookies he received and a small tape recorder he sent home from Vietnam intact Retired Maj. Maynard Morris was also a popcorn fan. He said while he was stationed in a remote Alaskan site, he received care packages from an aunt and the popcorn worked well. Jerome Borden said. Three pound cof fee cans can do the trick for a lot of things." He added that besides popcorn, tissue paper makes a good padding. While working as a postal augmentee he noticed that abox more than eight inches on a side and weighting between pounds got the most abuse, so he suggests extra cushioning in packages those sizes. "A package that size was thrown up to 30 feet in a distribution center," he said. "If it's smaller, especially if it's flat, it will be bagged." During the Vietnam War John McFarland flew several airlifts picking up Christmas goodies at bases around the country for delivery to the front lines. "They were packed in cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes, some were in Christmas packages," he said. "We really had quite a MON-SA- T INCIUDINC iMAXFIELD'S" fi Pit,. . 3 Gtft . Get 1 Pound of Masterpiece ' Chocolates with this coupon ' and purchase of $20. c M'o c o Enplrtl 125401 i A T r! Maxfield's Candy Outlet Store - Salt Lake City 9-- 10 (801)949-111- M5. 600 Riaht in am-Gp- HORIZON Enjoy Our Private Dining Environment i 11 377 East Gentile 1050 South 200 West Monday -- Saturday 6 Lavton r Stors Hours: UT 8 (801)603-162- South Exit 200 West 2 North, layton Exit Lett on Gentile f J32 I DIRECT Featuring PRIME RIB STEAK SEAFOOD CHICKEN OPEN 5PM, TUESDAY- - SATURDAY Just Off The Beaten Trail 776-490- 0 Banquet Rooms Available 49 East 200 South, Clearfield WIRELESS ';1Mi i IL iVUiliiti)iMll4iu A iifttaiffciatiiVtfgW: OtfllAVi ) Motorola Actual Tolkaboul Sin: 3.2' T900 2way .9" 2 2 MOTOROLA WlmleiM Product Provider SAVE BIG on 2way Airtime Purchase a Motorola Talkabout T900 2way and receive a $1 00 2way service credit when reliable My2Way Free2Roam service. you sign up for one year of security and reliability that you and your family can count wirelessly, wherever you on. With My2Way service, you can receive and reply to want whenever you want - so you can have instant communication with your family and friends wherever they are in the world. Our networks deliver safety, AAETCOCALL 10421 S. Jordan Gateway, Ste. 100 South Jordan, UT AMERICA'S WIRELESS NETWORK 801.571.0218 occourtf ortce 6 Minimum on yeor service commrtrrwnt on $19 95 Free2Roam messoge plan required. $100 service credit will be applied to custonserU months service requirement hen been completed. Customer mutt moil in $100 Service Credit voucher to receive service credit. Finl month's service, purchase of T900 unit and $25 octrvation fee for each device required at lime of purchase. Early cancellation of 2Way service wil result in a $1 00 penalty charge. Service credit voucher Motorola tird TolkobouW mutt be postmarked by January 30, 2002. Certain restrictions apply. . M- lift I . you've had - . Hil f mlln mi i n a 1410 North Hill Field Road Layton (801) 444-928- 4 North of Layton Hills Mall, across from Hastings tvray he mj recent change in your duty status, get in touch with GEICO immediately. We offer: Discounts for active duty, guard, reserve and retired military o Offices near most military bases o Reduced coverage for securedstored vehicles o Emergency deployment discounts. We've served the military since 1936 and we're standing by you now. Call us. If lnwrncCo Bwriif HthAwy Ine Gcwnnwnt Employw subsidiaries of GfiCO Gtntfftl Insurance Co Gl ICO Indemnity Co GIICO Casualty GHCO auto insurance is not cvniltble m MA of NJ GHC0. Washinqton. Co DC !00'6 ronipn C J001 re QtU O |