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The
Post Office,
The Postmark,
and
How to get your Valentine postmarked Valentine, Texas
by Phil Lately,
Texas Escapes' Gruntled Postal Correspondent
Photos courtesy of Jason Penney
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We
called the Valentine Post Office to get the straight story on Valentine's
Day and the demand for postmarks.
We found that it is a little like sending a letter to the
North Pole for Santa, except in this case, there's a real Post Office
and you actually get a reply (if you provide the card and enough postage).
Santa just throws your letter in the trash.
Postmaster Maria Carrasco has been on the job for 10
years and her busiest day of the year doesn't faze her one bit. She
says she's handled it by herself in the past, but if she should somehow
get behind, backup is available. She has a 10-year record of having
never been late.
Romantics that request a Valentine postmark for their Valentine's
Day card are the type of people who plan ahead. She received her first
requests just after the New Year and before the end of January there
were already three trays of letters ready to be stamped. |
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2001
winning artwork by Ismelda Ornelas
Courtesy
Valentine Postmaster |
The
whole town gets involved in the project. The school holds a design
contest for the 7th to 12th graders and the winner is chosen by the
city council.
The winner this year was Ismelda Ornelas. Some kids
get their artwork put on the refrigerator - Ismelda's goes on a world
tour.
After the winner is announced and the artwork sent to San
Antonio for approval, the Official (red) impression is made and
when the time comes it's placed in the lower left hand corner of the
envelope.
The regular black postmark of Valentine cancels the stamp.
The mailing schedule is well thought out.
Valentines for foreign delivery are posted on the 1st to insure enough
time to reach the loved one (some postal agencies aren't as efficient
as ours). As many as 26 different countries have requested the Valentine
cancellation.
Maria starts mailing them on the 7th of February, but for those who
notify her, she'll separate the ones that ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE an
actual February 14th postmark. It will arrive late, but with
the all-important date correct. |
How
to get your Valentine postmarked Valentine, Texas
If you would like your Valentine postmarked Valentine, Texas, place
your card with the correct address and postage into a larger envelope
and send it to:
Postmaster, Valentine, Texas 79854
Enclose a note if you want to have the Official February 14th postmark.
Please don't tell them we sent you.
© John
Troesser
Since February, 2001
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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