[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 82 (Thursday, June 6, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1016-E1017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE POSTAL SERVICE AND THE CITY OF EAST ORANGE--PARTNERS IN PROGRESS

                                 ______


                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 5, 1996

  Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the 
attention of my colleagues, an extraordinary partnership between the 
city of East Orange and the post office that serves its residents.
  The people of East Orange are just proud of their heritage as one of 
the cleanest cities in America. Unfortunately, as in so many other 
communities, buildings and structures in East Orange have become the 
targets of senseless disfigurement by thoughtless vandals leaving an 
unwelcome trail of graffiti.
  Mayor Cardell Cooper and Postmaster Henry Smiley have joined forces 
to help bring the sparkle back to East Orange. Their joint effort, part 
of a larger citywide project to eliminate graffiti, will result in the 
repainting of all 260 mail collection boxes in that city. The Postal 
Service will be providing free paint and brushes. Participants in the 
City's General Assistance Employability Program will do the painting.
  While this project will have mail and relay boxes looking as good as 
new, the Postal Service' East Orange Service Team is planning beyond 
that. Local residents and businesses will have the opportunity to 
``Adopt a Box,'' receiving a special certificate and the supplies 
necessary to keep the mailboxes they adopt free of graffiti.
  Fifty gallons of blue and green paint may not sound like much, when 
spread over a city that is home to 75,000 people, but it can make a big 
difference. A single coat of paint can make a shopper feel welcome, a 
visitor feel at

[[Page E1017]]

home, and a prospective resident come back and take a second look.
  One of the goals of the Postal Service is to be a good citizen in 
every community it serves. Besides contributing to a record 91 percent 
on-time delivery performance in the local area, Postmaster Smiley and 
his staff and taking a leading role in helping to make their community 
a better place to live. The partnership between the city of East Orange 
and the U.S. Postal Service is a solid example of the benefits of this 
type of cooperation.

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