PHOTO CONTEST WINNER: We recently mentioned enjoying Pennsylvania Magazine. Today, we would like to mention an important photo printed recently. Darwin Martin of Bradford reached out to let us know he won second place in Pennsylvania Magazine’s 2020 Photo contest.

His entry, a photo of Kinzua Bridge, can be seen in the September/October edition of the magazine.

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HOLIDAY MAILING: The Postal Service plans for peak season all year. And while customers may not think about the holidays until the season is upon them, it’s important to know how to properly ship all the gifts on your list.

There are guidelines to keep certain hazardous, restricted and perishable items out of the mail — both domestically and internationally.

At the most basic level, there are items you can’t send through the mail. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: liquor; ammunition; explosives; Mercury (including items which contain mercury such as thermometers) and gasoline.

It’s suggested to never reuse boxes as they can weaken in the shipping process. But if you decide to reuse, make sure any labels or markings are removed or completely covered over, especially if the box you choose to reuse has labels or markings associated with hazardous, prohibited or restricted materials.

In some cases, oddly shaped packages, such as tubes, are charged a higher price because those pieces must be processed manually.

Packages sent within the United States can’t weigh more than 70 pounds and can’t measure more than 108 inches total in length and around the widest part of the package. All packages must be large enough to hold the required delivery and return addresses, mailing labels and postage on the outside of the package.

NEVER over pack a box, which can cause the sides or the seams to bulge or break, as well as cause injury to postal employees.

Additional holiday news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom.