The 2,100 citizens of North Pole, Alaska take Christmas very seriously. Since 1954, they've volunteered for Operation Santa, a program of the US Postal Service which answers letters to Santa Claus. The program has volunteers all over the country, and many letters are routed through Alaska to get the special North Pole postmark. However, the USPS is discontinuing the practice of sending letters to the town of North Pole.
North Pole residents are upset over the changes, and also unhappy that North Pole cancellations will now be stamped in Anchorage instead of Fairbanks, which is only 15 miles from North Pole. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCHNHQco9s98ruRro8qyPD2vwB_AD9C2K4TG3 -via Consumerist
(image credit: AP/Sam Harrel)
Anchorage-based agency spokeswoman Pamela Moody said dealing with the tighter restrictions is not feasible in Alaska.
"It's always been a good program, but we're in different times and concerned for the privacy of the information," she said.
Moody stressed that kids around the world can still send letters to Santa Claus. The Postal Service still runs the giant Operation Santa Program in which children around the world can have their letters to Santa answered, and the restrictions do not affect private organizations running their own letter efforts.
But what will change are the generically addressed letters to "Santa Claus, North Pole" that for years have been forwarded to volunteers in the Alaska town. That program will stop, unless changes are made before Christmas.
North Pole residents are upset over the changes, and also unhappy that North Pole cancellations will now be stamped in Anchorage instead of Fairbanks, which is only 15 miles from North Pole. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCHNHQco9s98ruRro8qyPD2vwB_AD9C2K4TG3 -via Consumerist
(image credit: AP/Sam Harrel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H0H_0H0#Santa_Claus
I don't live here, just working in the area.
I have been here for a few days and haven't heard anything about this. Guess I'll ask tomorrow at the post office.
And LAME.
Fourth! And Fail.
http://www.santaclaus.posti.fi/
"Around Christmas 2001, Santa received 700,000 items by mail - letters, cards and parcels. So far, the elves have found 184 countries from which Santa has received a total of nearly eight million items in the past 20 years."
The security excuse seems flimsy. There are probably other factors, like some grouchy new supervisor somewhere who didn't think that the program was dignified.
Well if that's the case, it's defiantly a good thing that this course of action is taking place. It could be dangerous to have that many return addresses floating around sent by kids who provide more trust then they should to an unknown source, especially to a pedo. People will gladly blame others for the dismantling of the program without looking at the facts, but it’s good that there are those out there that actually use their head to keep the ignorant safe.
NAIS (The National Animal Identification System), is a so-called disease tracking food safety program the USDA is forcing on those who own even one chicken or any other farm animal. Many are being signed up without their knowledge or permission. Non-food animals such as horses, llamas, parakeets, etc are included in this program. Over 90% oppose this program yet the USDA continues to force this unwanted program on those who need it least.
Under NAIS you register your premises, microchip all critters at your cost, report all their movements, births, deaths to a database, then risk losing them to depopulation if disease is suspected in a 6 mile radius! Currently, only sex offenders/child molesters are tagged tracked and register their premises. Animal owners will be tracked closer than illegals, drug delaers, sex offenders or that guy that blew away 13 people and wounded others at Ft. Hood.
Protection from disease is why we are told NAIS is needed, but the real reason is for the benefit of big agriculture/factory farms so they can sell meat globally. But they do not have to tag/ track individual critters. They get ONE lot number for each animal group. And the tracking of any animals stops at slaughter, after which many food safety issues occur.
The listening sessions held during the summer by the USDA about NAIS show the people are overwhelmingly against NAIS. But the USDA said these sessions showed "substantial support" for NAIS... Huh?!?!?!? They apparently were listening with fingers in their ears!) See nonais dot org for more info on the program that will affect everyone who eats.
Wisconsin is already arresting the Amish for not signing up who oppose NAIS on religious reasons. Heck, they do not even have electricity, how will they file those reports that they used orse #4959678 to take them to church or the store!?!?!?!?
You do realize that USPS stands for United States Postal Service because it's a FEDERAL agency.
Their decision, which they've overturned, if anything was a left wing decision since the federal government is controlled by the left.
But hey, thanks for showing why the left is less right and more wrong.