A public, first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Winter Olympics stamps will begin at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, outdoors at Gallivan Plaza, located at the corner of 200 S. State.
The stamps go on sale nationwide Jan. 7. Salt Lake City is America's choice to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2002.Robert F. Harris, vice president of legislative affairs, will dedicate the stamp for the U.S. Postal Service. Once known as one of the fastest men in the world, Harris was twice a member of the All-American Track Team and a qualifier for the 1964 Summer Olympic Games.
Lou Busch, designer of the new stamps, has created artwork that projects the movement and suspense of the sports. Busch is a veteran stamp designer, having also produced artwork for the 1992 Winter Olympic stamps and the 1991 basketball stamp.
The Winter Olympics stamps are available in panes of 20 stamps, a format that will be used for more stamps in 1994 than any previous year, Postal Service officials say.
Customers have 30 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the new stamps at a local post office, affix the stamps to envelopes, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), insert a card of postcard thickness, tuck in the flap and place the envelopes in a larger envelope. The envelope should be addressed Customer Affixed Stamps, Winter Olympics, Postmaster, Salt Lake City, UT 84199-0991.
Requests for first-day-of-issue cancellations must be made by Feb. 5.