Westmoreland County Philatelic Society - January 2010 Newsletter

MEETING DATE

February 14

The next meeting of the stamp club will be February 14. We will vote in the Linn’s Most Popular 2009 Stamp Poll. Please bring cookies for the table. The hall is open from 1 pm, the meeting starts at 2:15 pm.

2 pkg. Lemon-Lime Kool Aid

2 qts. Water

2 cups Sugar

1 qt. Lime sherbet

1 qt. Vanilla ice cream

1 qt. Gingerale

Combine Kool Aid, water and sugar in bowl. Add ½ the sherbet and ½ the ice cream. Mix well. Add ginger ale and remaining sherbet and ice cream. Serves 24.

York County Stamp Show – Friday, January 22, 2010; 11am to 6pm; Saturday, January 23, 2010; 10am to 5pm, White Rose Philatelic Society, York Fairgrounds, Horticulture Hall, 334 Carlisle Ave., York. Contact John Hufnagel, 717-235-1528 or glenrockotts@comcast.net.. About 25 dealers make this trip worthwhile. The exhibits are also very good.

Cranberry Stamp and Postcard Show - Sunday, January 24, 2010; 10:00am - 4:00pm. Sheraton Inn, Cranberry, PA (North of downtown Pittsburgh, at the interchange of I-79 and the PA turnpike) 910 Sheraton Drive, About 7-10 stamp and cover dealers from the local area, good selections, a nice program. Sponsored by Sandra and Jan Harris. 412-851-1674.

COLOPEX 2010 – Friday, February 5, 2010; 10 AM to 6 PM; Saturday, February 6, 2010; 10 AM to 6 PM; Sunday, February 7, 2010; 10 AM to 4 PM; Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 300 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43062. Sponsored by the Columbus Philatelic Club. There will be about 30 dealers. http://www.colopex.com/

The Quarterly Wilkinsburg Stamp Show – Sunday, February 21, 2010; 10:00am to 4:00pm; Churchill Borough Building, 2300 William Penn Highway. (take the Churchill Exit building is about 2 blocks on the left). For more information contact James J. Reeves at 800-701-7091.

On January 14, 2010, in Los Angeles, California, at the El Pueblo Historical Monument, the Postal Service will issue a 44-cent, Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 12 stamps. Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland, the stamp goes on sale nationwide January 14, 2010. The $5.28 Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger souvenir sheet will not be split, and the stamps will not be sold individually. The U.S. Postal Service introduced its Celebrating Lunar New Year series in 2008. This is the third stamp in that series, which will continue through 2019 with stamps for the Year of the Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Art Director Ethel Kessler and artist Kam Mak, who grew up in New York City’s Chinatown and now lives in Brooklyn, worked on the new series and decided to focus on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year Holiday is celebrated. To commemorate the Year of the Tiger, which begins February 14, 2010, they chose narcissus flowers, considered auspicious at any time of the year and, thus, especially appropriate at this time of renewed hope for the future. The illustration was originally created using oil paints on a fiberboard panel. Kessler’s design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, using Clarence Lee’s intricate paper-cut design of a tiger and the Chinese character — drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — for “Tiger.” First day address:

All orders must be postmarked by March 15, 2010. There are eight philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

· Year of the Tiger Limited Edition Note Card Set , 12 note cards, 12 coordinating envelopes, and a sheet of 12 Year of the Tiger stamps

· Cancellation Keepsake (Two Souvenir Sheets & One Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover), $12.95.

On January 22, 2010, in Park City, Utah, the Postal Service will issue a 44-cent, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. Designed by Howard E. Paine, Delaplane, Virginia, the stamp goes on sale nationwide January 22, 2010. With this stamp featuring an illustration of a snowboarder, the U.S. Postal Service® continues its tradition of honoring the spirit of athleticism and international unity inspired by the Olympic Games. The stamp will be issued to coincide with the XXI Olympic Winter Games, which will be held February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Illustrator Steven McCracken, Winchester, Virginia, captures the thrill of one Olympic sport by portraying an airborne snowboarder against the backdrop of a snow-capped mountain. First day address:

All orders must be postmarked by March 23, 2010. There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

On February 3, 2010, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service will issue a $4.90, Mackinac Bridge (Priority Mail) definitive stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp, designed by Carl T. Herrman of North Las Vegas, Nevada, goes on sale nationwide February 3, 2010. Artist Dan Cosgrove, Clarendon Hills, Illinois, used several panoramic photographs of the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan to create the stamp artwork, which features seagulls flying around the two towers and a large ship passing underneath. This is one of several designs that the artist has produced for the U.S. Postal Service. First day address:

All orders must be postmarked by April 5, 2010. There is one philatelic product available for this stamp issue:

On February 3, 2010, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service will issue a $18.30, Bixby Creek Bridge (Express Mail) definitive stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp, designed by Carl T. Herrman of North Las Vegas, Nevada, goes on sale nationwide February 3, 2010. This Express Mail stamp features a color digital illustration of Bixby Creek Bridge in California, by Dan Cosgrove of Clarendon Hills, Illinois. With this issuance, the U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to the elegance and craftsmanship of this historic bridge on the Big Sur Coast Highway. First day address:

All orders must be postmarked by April 5, 2010. There is one philatelic product available for this stamp issue:

On February 4, 2010, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service will issue a 44-cent, Distinguished Sailors commemorative stamp in four designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp, designed by Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Virginia, goes on sale nationwide February 4, 2010. With the issuance of the Distinguished Sailors stamp, the U.S. Postal Service honors a tradition of excellence in the U.S. Navy that began with the authorization for two warships by the Continental Congress on October 13, 1775. These stamps commemorate four sailors who served with bravery and distinction during the 20th Century: William S. Sims, Arleigh A. Burke, John McCloy, and Doris Miller. The stamp pane identifies the four sailors, the approximate date of each photograph, and a ship named in honor of each sailor. First day address:

All orders must be postmarked by April 6, 2010. There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

Jan. 4, Koi Fish. Two 28¢ postal cards and a 28¢+28¢ reply card bearing new Cradle to Cradle logo, Kansas City, MO 64144

Jan. 4, Seabiscuit. Twelve 44¢ stamped envelopes (single design) bearing new Cradle to Cradle logo, multiple sizes and two flap types, Kansas City, MO 64144

Jan. 4, Liberty Bell. Twelve nondenominated (44¢) forever stamped envelopes (single design) bearing new Cradle to Cradle logo, multiple sizes and two flap types, Kansas City, MO 64144

“Cradle to Cradle” Certification provides a company with a means to tangibly, credibly measure achievement in environmentally intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality. This means using environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water, and maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility. If a candidate product achieves the necessary criteria, it is certified as a Basic, Silver, Gold or Platinum product and can be branded as “Cradle to Cradle” CertifiedCM.

The U.S. Postal Service is the only mailing or shipping company in the nation to achieve "Cradle to Cradle" Certification at the Silver level from MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) for human and environmental health. Postal Service mailing and shipping supplies already had exceeded government requirements, including recycled content standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Going beyond existing federal and state agency requirements was a goal in seeking certification.

“Cradle to Cradle” Certification is a scientifically based process that reviews specific criteria to assess the environmental attributes of materials used in products. MBDC examined 60 packaging items, breaking those items down to 250 component materials and then further analyzing 1,400 individual ingredients in those component materials before awarding the certification.

In addition to the issues detailed above, expect to see the following stamps in 2010:

Canada will issue two more stamps for the 2010 Winter Olympics on January 12. These stamps feature the metropolitan Olympic venue of Vancouver and the rural mountain ski slopes of Whistler. The stamps will also be available in a souvenir sheet. Now is the time to start that Olympic collection.

Michael Bublé. Nat King Cole. Frank Sinatra. Natalie Cole. The U.S. Postal Service delivers the perfect holiday playlist with the hit CD, Letters to Santa.

Letters to Santa is available at a select group of 9,800 Post Offices across the country in major metropolitan areas and also can be purchased online at www.usps.com/shop for $9.99.