Are you a Black Friday shopper or Cyber Monday shopper? Maybe you shop throughout the holiday season. No matter when you buy your holiday gifts, you can relax knowing the U.S. Postal Service will get your packages to their destination this holiday season.  Holiday mailing deadlines are fast approaching, and the Postal Service is ready to deliver. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the Postal Service expects to deliver more than 900 million packages and nearly 15 billion pieces of mail – for a total of nearly 16 billion cheerful deliveries this holiday season.    Customers planning to mail cards and packages are encouraged to visit a local Post Office no later than the below dates for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office and domestic addresses:*

• Dec. 4    – APO/FPO/DPO (ZIP Code 093 only) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 11  – APO/FPO/DPO (all other ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 14 – USPS Retail Ground
• Dec. 18  – APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 20 – First-Class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 20  –  Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 20 – Priority Mail
• Dec. 20  – Alaska to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 22  – Alaska to mainland Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 22  – Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 22 – Priority Mail Express

*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed Dec. 22 through Dec. 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two (2) business days.  To send packages to loved ones serving in the military or at diplomatic posts abroad, the Postal Service offers a discounted price of $17.40 on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. The price includes a $1.50 per-box discount for mail sent to APO/FPO/DPO destinations worldwide.  To handle the surge in volume, the Postal Service is expanding its Sunday delivery operations in select high package volume locations during the holiday season. More than 5 million packages are expected to be delivered each Sunday in December. Mail carriers will also deliver Priority Mail Express packages on Christmas Day for an additional fee in select locations.

Busiest Week

The notion of a “busiest day” is a thing of the past, thanks to the increase in early and online gift shopping. Customer mailing and shipping traffic is expected to increase beginning Dec. 10, and the Postal Service expects to deliver nearly 200 million packages per week during these two weeks. The week of Dec. 17-23 is predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week, when nearly 3 billion pieces of First-Class Mail, including greeting cards, will be processed and delivered.

 Wrap Up the Holidays from Home

Consumers don’t even have to leave home to ship their packages, they can simply visit usps.com.The Postal Service anticipates Dec. 17 will be the Postal Service’s busiest day online with more than 8 million consumers predicted to visit usps.com for help shipping that special holiday gift. It’s predicted that nearly 105 million consumers will visit the website between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. And usps.com is always open.  It’s estimated nearly 400,000 consumers will use the Click-N-Ship feature and other online services on Dec. 17 to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup.

The official start of the holiday season begins tonight with The Sperry’s Santa Claus Parade as Santa & Mrs. Claus are welcomed to historic Downtown Port Huron!  Following the parade, Santa will pull the switch lighting the McMorran Christmas Tree! The community is invited to take part in this night of lights, music and all things Christmas and it is all free.  The  Parade gets underway tonight at 6 p.m.  The parade will head north down Main Street to McMorran for the annual lighting of the Christmas Tree.  Santa will receive the key to the city and light the tree.  Santa will then be greeting children inside the McMorran Memorial Room following the conclusion of the parade and tree lighting. A holiday film sponsored by Sperry’s Moviehouse will be screened in the McMorran Theatre as well – for free!  The Parade is being sponsored by Sperry’s Moviehouse

Today is Black Friday – when stores give some of the best deals for your Christmas shopping.  Many stores opened early with sales last night and still others waited until the early hours today to bring out their specially marked merchandise.  According to reports, you can get some great deals, today, but there is also cyber Monday coming up on the 26^th for those of you who enjoy shopping online.  Many people say they are well into completing their shopping chores, while others might even skip today’s and Monday’s sales and wait until closer to Christmas to get their bargains.  Whichever way you choose, be safe out there on the roadways and also be aware of your surroundings as you move from the stores to your cars.  Store your packages out of sight when loading up your car, and be sure to park in well-lighted areas.

WGRT sends best wishes for a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day.  Drive safe and enjoy your family and friends and be sure to stay tuned to your great music station, WGRT 102.3FM!

Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 22 in observance of Thanksgiving.  Tractor Supply, which operates more than 1,725 stores nationwide with more than 28,000 team members, will reopen Friday at 6 a.m.   “Tractor Supply stores will continue its tradition of being closed on Thanksgiving so our team members can spend the holiday with loved ones or however they choose,” said John Ordus, senior vice president of store operations at Tractor Supply Company. “Our stores will be open on Friday, Nov. 23 for the holiday season, and our team members will be ready to provide an excellent shopping experience throughout the holiday season.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations, advises travelers planning trips across Michigan border crossings with Canada about several steps that can be taken to expedite their arrival into the United States during the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday shopping weekend.  “During the holiday season, we will continually monitor traffic and wait times and adjust staffing accordingly to help with traffic flow while upholding our border security mission” said Christopher Perry, Director of Field Operations. “It is important to be prepared before you arrive, it really saves time.”  With the holiday weekend approaching, travelers should expect increased traffic at border crossings across Michigan and are reminded of a few simple steps they can employ when crossing the border.

Tip #1 – Acquire the appropriate travel document. Passports, U.S. Passport Cards, Enhanced Driver’s Licenses are just a few of the approved documents. A list of all approved travel documents can be found at cbp.gov/travel. The site has lots of valuable information to help facilitate your border inspection experience.
Tip # 2 – Prepare for the inspection process before arriving at the inspection booth by having your travel documents in hand. Roll down vehicle windows, end all phone conversations and remove hats and sunglasses before entering the inspection area.
Tip #3 – Become a Trusted Traveler. These programs provide modified screening for preapproved members, improve security by being more efficient during screenings, and facilitate legitimate trade and travel. Learn more about DHS Trusted Traveler Programs online at dhs.gov/trusted-traveler-programs.
Tip #4 – Check border wait times and give yourself extra time. Travelers can check traffic conditions at the border by downloading CBP’s Border Wait Time APP to their mobile devices for real time border crossing traffic conditions. The app is available in both Google Play and Apple App store.
Tip #5 – Declare your goods. Travelers should declare all items being brought from abroad that will remain in the U.S. This includes gifts and Duty Free purchases.                                                                                                                  Tip #6 – Food and Plants. There are numerous agricultural restrictions on fruits, meats, and plants. Before bringing these items back, check the CBP website on bringing agricultural products into the U.S. If you decide to take your chances and bring it with you, be certain to declare it, and be willing to surrender it if it turns out to be prohibited