Posted on 11/19/2009 2:07:18 AM PST by This_far
Starry eyed children around the world are writing letters to the jolly man at the North Pole, but this holiday season they'll not likely to get a response from Santa or his helpers.
The U.S. Postal Service is dropping a popular effort begun in 1954 in the small town of North Pole, in Alaska's interior, where volunteers tackle up to 150,000 letters addressed to Santa.
Postal Service officials cite privacy concerns loomed last winter when a postal worker in Maryland recognized a volunteer in the agency's Operation Santa program as a registered sex offender. The postal worker interceded before the individual could answer a child's letter.
The Postal Service now prohibits volunteers in such programs to have access to children's last names and addresses.
Postal Service spokeswoman Pamela Moody says dealing with the tighter restrictions is not feasible in Alaska.
Nooooo....
Come On!
That is just sad.
And the news media has already begun pointing out the lead laden toys on the market for Christmas.
How? Thought the new rules that put second hand stores and small toy makers out of business cured that. (or were supposed to)
My kids have letters from N Pole. We lived in N Pole Alaska... I hope that doesn’t mean they are closing the year round Santa store. :(
That sounds like “postmarking”. You’re only sending letters to a certain P.O. in order for it to be postmarked. I do that too, don’t think it will change, just get more expensive.
This program, like others I’ve read of for years, deals with kid’s letters to “Santa” but could wind up in your hands or the prevert from CBS. Course, the letter has the kid’s name and address, so unless they can check out every volunteer “Santa”, they end the program.
Good news, there are other programs that do the same thing and the volunteers are known to each other. Course, they’re also swamped with requests.
Merry Christmas & HNY!
Seems to me, there’s a much simpler solution than shutting the program down. Just make sure those who are handling the letters are observed and don’t have an opportunity to copy down the names and addresses on any of the letters.
I think this is an example of the over reaction that is so common in today’s world. A great program that’s been up and running for over 50 years, and has never led to a complaint, is suddenly threatened because a single sex offender was found to be participating. Why should a single bad guy be able to adversely affect the lives of thousands of children?
If the volunteers are properly supervised there won’t be an opportunity for dirty deeds. Lay out the work area in such a way that no one has a chance to do anything but postmark the letter.
I am as much in favor of reducing the risk to our children as the next guy, but there has to be a point at which it gets ridiculous.
I agree with ya, but the USPS has enough to do keeping their employees from closing Netflix down (and keeping their doors and our pockets open).
I kinda wondered when I read the article if perhaps the USPS had been wanting to rid itself of this service in these times of increasing costs and decreasing customers. This would be a great excuse to drop the program without having to take the blame for it.
Possibly to stay within a ‘state’ budget, but doubtfully due to the increased volume (remember, that’s how they cover their losses) at holidays.
I recall reading of other similar programs, both public and private ending for the same reason. That was in the mid ‘70s too. Same thing happened with Halloween.
Well what was really fun was A.. we lived there... and B the NP letter was formatted as a “deed” to a mm of North Pole Land at the shop. Very cute, considering they are teenagers now & not really into that.
I found a cool one on the internet last year. With matching envelope and printed it out myself.
Children aren’t usually old enough to read or at least to understand how the post office works. But when they see the Santa letter.......they don’t ask where it came through the post office from, they know it came from the North Pole!
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