POSTAL SERVICE READIES FOR CHRISTMAS RUSH, AND SO SHOULD MAILERS

A month of shopping days remain until Christmas, which is a lot closer than you think if you are mailing."Actually, it's already too late for some package mailings overseas," said Matthew Peters, manager of customer services at the Cape Girardeau post office.

Postal authorities already are gearing up for a mountain of mail, which will start to grow the day after Thanksgiving.

The U.S. Postal Service will deliver more than 20 billion holiday letters, post cards and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas. About 1 billion pieces will be bound for international destinations. "A lot of people will be out buying Friday," said Peters. "Included in those purchases will be cards, letters and packages, many of which will go through post offices."Every day closer to Christmas will see increases in volume of all kinds, said Peters.

The final two Mondays before Christmas are really heavy days, he said. "We'll be swamped with incoming mail on those days," said Peters. "A lot of people will mail a lot of cards and letters over those two weekends." Normally the Cape Girardeau post office delivers 125,000 pieces of mail daily. During the final week before Christmas the total will surpass 200,000. On the last two Mondays before Dec. 25, the post office here will be handling 250,000 to 300,000 pieces of mail."Our biggest outflow of mail is expected on Monday, Dec. 21," said Peters. "That's the last weekend before Christmas, and we'll be swamped with everything: cards, letters and packages."Nationwide, the Postal Service is expected to handle more than 300 million cards and letters each of the last two Mondays before Christmas, and customers can expect long lines at post offices the last two days before Christmas.

Soon, the Postal Service here will add extra workers for the holidays.

A recent directive issued by the Postal Services recommend that airmail letters and cards to Africa and Central and South America be in the mail by Dec. 2, and mail to Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Middle East be in the mail by Dec. 9. It is already too late to send mail by surface transportation into those areas."We're telling people to get their cards in the mail by Dec. 17 for delivery to most areas of the U.S.," said Peters. "Express mail will be delivered on Christmas Day. Postal carriers will wear Santa Claus suits for Christmas Day Express Mail deliveries.

For gifts, the deadlines are a bit earlier. Priority mail gifts should reach coastal destinations if they are sent by Dec. 16 or 17.