The new Post Office on Joyce Blvd. will officially open August 21, 
2000, 
according to local management.  They reported that the Postmaster 
General of 
the United States called officials at the Arkansas District demanding 
to know 
why new facility would not be open for business.  The new Northeast 
Station 
(Joyce Blvd.) cost in excess of $2.8 million for construction -- all 
told it 
was around $5 million including property.  The Arkansas District 
(Little 
Rock) and Area (Dallas) told Fayetteville postal management they were 
NOT to 
open the new facility because it wasn't in the budget and not warranted 
because a "study" wasn't done to justify it.

However, after Rep. Asa Hutchinson, Mayor Fred Hanna, Sen. Tim 
Hutchinson, 
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, and untold others got in contact with the 
Postmaster 
General, suddenly Dallas announced that a "study" was done in the past 
2 days 
which justified the facility to be opened immediately.  What a crock!  
It was 
the lead story in local newspapers and TV today.  The credibility of 
the 
Postal Service was shot to hell with one big lie.

Clerks who won bid jobs for new facility were told Thursday to start 
window 
training July 31st.  Clerks and carriers will be transferred to the 
Northeast 
Station August 21st, according to management.

OTHER NEWS....
JIM LEWIS, now retired, was re-paid for the Letter of Demand issued 
last 
December, a welcome surprise.

ROB DEVICK won the bid on Jake Lamkin's old job (T-3).

DONNIE THOMPSON won the bid on Jeanine Haught's T-1 job.

DELORIS HUDSON's job (window, Dickson Street) is in question.  At 
first, 
management said it would be abolished.  But after further discussion, 
it was 
decided to put the job on hold until they talk further with Little Rock 
about 
creating more jobs on Joyce and retaining the old ones on Dickson.

I will be going to California to the NATIONAL APWU CONVENTION a week 
from 
Saturday as a State Delegate.

Loren
7/14/2000