[RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 9, Issue 5

Brian Boettger brian_boettger at hotmail.com
Fri Apr 6 14:35:56 UTC 2007 

Great Idea, I'll write one...


>From: towntalk-request at riverdale-park.org
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>To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
>Subject: TownTalk Digest, Vol 9, Issue 5
>Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:00:05 +0000
>
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>Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Re: this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")
>       (Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland)
>    2. Re: this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system") (Roland Walker)
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 21:41:47 -0400
>From: Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland <twacks at his.com>
>Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")
>To: "Maureen Farrington" <maureen.farrington at gmail.com>
>Cc: TownTalk <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
>Message-ID: <97C6FCF3-A3AB-4ADC-9683-D67B5DC3B778 at his.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
>While I don't think it's worth an *enormous* effort, I think it would
>be a good idea to have us listed as *acceptable* for 20737 (I think
>we don't want to have "Riverdale Park" be the default for 20737, to
>distinguish the incorporated municipality from unincorporated county).
>
>Probably the most efficient way to do this is write our congressional
>rep, Steny Hoyer, and ask him to get the post office to update their
>database ( (as suggested by Jim Coleman, while I was writing this
>note).  I've heard from friends who were congressional staffers that
>handwritten notes (yes, on paper) tend to work best.  Here's what I
>would write (and will, unless I get distracted, which is all too
>likely these days):
>,
>Dear Mr. Hoyer,
>
>As I'm sure you know, the citizens of the Town of Riverdale voted in
>1998 to officially change the name of our town to "Riverdale Park."
>Recently a resident, Dwight Holmes, found out that "Riverdale Park"
>was not a known "city" name to the Postal Service for our ZIP code.
>He contacted the Postal Service to attempt to correct this, and was
>told that it was not possible.  I am hoping that you could help us to
>fix this situation, as the name of our town was legally changed
>almost a decade ago.  We would like to have "Riverdale Park" added to
>the Postal Service's lost of "acceptable names for ZIP code 20737";
>we understand that ZIP code 20737 covers much more than our town, and
>are not asking that the entire ZIP code be changed, just that we be
>recognized as a town within the ZIP code.
>
>Thank you for your attention to this matter.
>
>SIncerely,
>
>Alan K. Thompson
>
>A half-dozen letters like this would probably get a result!
>
>	Alan
>
>On Apr 5, 2007, at 3:10 PM, Maureen Farrington wrote:
>
> > I don't think there is any real use in pursuing any of this.  On NPR
> > the other day in their traffic report, they described the section of
> > the BW parkway by the 410 exit as being "in Hyattsville."
> >
> > Sure we could petiton USPS and google maps (who also doesn't know that
> > Riverdale Park exists) but it doesn't matter.  We just need more
> > publicity so that it enters the public consciousness as to which town
> > is where.
> >
> > -Maureen
> >
> > On 4/4/07, Dwight Holmes <dwightrholmes at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> On 4/4/07, CHRISTINA DAVIS <book-smart at verizon.net> wrote:
> >> Or perhaps in the
> >>> intervening decade the post office has gotten easier to work with?
> >>
> >> The more i look at this, the more nonsensical and inconsistent the
> >> USPS's system is.  Just in our area, we have small towns that have
> >> their very own zipcode and don't share it with others (Bladensburg &
> >> Mt Ranier).  Then, we have small towns on the zipcode marquee that
> >> share with everybody (Hyattsville, College Park, Brentwood).  We have
> >> at least one unincorporated "town" with its own zipcode (Lanham) and
> >> then we have at least three incorporated towns like Riverdale Park
> >> that not only don't get their own zipcode, but aren't even
> >> "acceptable
> >> names" in the zipcode system.  That means if someone wants to write
> >> you and is looking up your zipcode and knows you live in Riverdale
> >> Park or Edmonston or *parts of* Cheverly they'll get confused. But
> >> most confused of all if you live in Riverdale Park!!
> >>
> >> If you go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp and type in
> >> Edmonston MD you get this:
> >>
> >> 20781    (EDMONSTON, MD IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE HYATTSVILLE)
> >>
> >> So your town isn't acceptable but at least it exists!
> >>
> >> But if you type in Riverdale Park MD you get this:
> >>
> >> We're sorry! We were unable to process your request.
> >>
> >> Please complete the field(s) indicated below.
> >> * Required Fields
> >> All field labels with a * are required
> >> * City
> >>
> >>                 Please enter a city.
> >>
> >> So unlike Edmonston which exists but isn't acceptable, Riverdale Park
> >> doesn't even exist. <sigh>
> >>
> >> Here's what I found while taking a look at the zipcodes and towns
> >> that
> >> surround Riverdale Park, and a couple of other nearby ones.
> >>
> >> some results from area zipcodes from usps.com's zipcode search page
> >> (http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp) are below. the zipcode
> >> map at http://www.hyattsvillewiki.com/page/Hyattsville+Zip+Code
> >> +Map is
> >> also very useful!  (population and area are from wikipedia;
> >> determination of which towns are incorporated is based on the ADC
> >> map's use of yellow coloring of town areas)
> >>
> >> in sum we have:
> >>
> >> 1] Incorporated towns that appear to have a coterminus relationship
> >> with their zipcode:
> >> Mt Ranier (pop 8498, area .65 sq mi) (20712 -- no other towns or
> >> areas listed)
> >> Bladensburg (pop 7661, area 1.0 sq mi) (20710 - no other town or
> >> areas listed)
> >> (Why can't we be more like Bladensburg!?!)
> >>
> >> 2] Incorporated towns *not* recognized by the USPS zipcode system:
> >> Riverdale Park (pop 6690, area 1.6 sq mi) (20737, as Riverdale)
> >> Cheverly (20781, as Hyattsville -- but ok within 20784 and 20785)
> >> Edmonston (20782, as Hyattsville)
> >>
> >> 3] Incorporated towns recognized as "acceptable":
> >> University Park (20782)
> >> Berwyn Heights (20740)
> >> Colmar Manor (20722)
> >> Cottage City (20722)
> >> North Brentwood (spelled 4 different ways!) (20722)
> >> Glenarden (20706)
> >> Landover Hills (20784)
> >> New Carrollton (20784)
> >> Cheverly (20784 and 20785)
> >>
> >> 4] *Un*incorporated areas that are an "actual city name"
> >> Lanham (20706)
> >>
> >> 5] *Un*incorporated areas recognized as "acceptable"
> >> Chillum (20782)
> >> West Hyattsville (20782)
> >> Lanham Seabrook (20706)
> >> Seabrook (20706)
> >>
> >> I pulled the above "actual," "acceptable" and "not acceptable" city
> >> names in the USPS system zipcode searches
> >> (http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp) for the following:
> >> 20737,
> >> 20782, 20781, 20740, 20722, 20710, 20712, 20706, 20785, 20784:
> >>
> >> 20737:
> >> Actual City name in 20737
> >> RIVERDALE, MD
> >>
> >> 20782:
> >> Actual City name in 20782
> >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> >> Acceptable City names in 20782
> >> CHILLUM, MD
> >> UNIVERSITY PA, MD
> >> UNIVERSITY PARK, MD
> >> W HYATTSVILLE, MD
> >> WEST HYATTSVILLE, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> AVONDALE, MD
> >> GREEN MEADOW, MD
> >> LEWISDALE, MD
> >> PRINCE GEORGES METRO CTR, MD
> >>
> >> 20781:
> >> Actual City name in 20781
> >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> AVONDALE, MD
> >> CHEVERLY, MD
> >> EDMONSTON, MD
> >> ROGERS HEIGHTS, MD
> >> TUXEDO, MD
> >>
> >> 20740:
> >> Actual City name in 20740
> >> COLLEGE PARK, MD
> >> Acceptable City names in 20740
> >> BERWYN HEIGHTS, MD
> >> BERWYN HTS, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> BERWYN, MD
> >> NORTH COLLEGE PARK, MD
> >>
> >> 20722
> >> Actual City name in 20722
> >> BRENTWOOD, MD
> >> Acceptable City names in 20722
> >> COLMAR MANOR, MD
> >> COTTAGE CITY, MD
> >> N BRENTWOOD, MD
> >> NO BRENTWOOD, MD
> >> NORTH BRENTWO, MD
> >> NORTH BRENTWOOD, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> BRENTWD, MD
> >>
> >> 20710
> >> Actual City name in 20710
> >> BLADENSBURG, MD
> >>
> >> 20712
> >> Actual City name in 20712
> >> MOUNT RAINIER, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> MT RAINIER, MD
> >>
> >> 20706
> >> Actual City name in 20706
> >> LANHAM, MD  [which is not incorporated]
> >> Acceptable City names in 20706
> >> GLENARDEN, MD
> >> LANHAM SEABROOK, MD
> >> SEABROOK, MD
> >>
> >> 20785
> >> Actual City name in 20785
> >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> >> Acceptable City names in 20785
> >> CHEVERLY, MD
> >> LANDOVER, MD
> >> N ENGLEWOOD, MD
> >> NORTH ENGLEWOOD, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> ARDMORE, MD
> >> PALMER PARK, MD
> >>
> >> 20784
> >> Actual City name in 20784
> >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> >> Acceptable City names in 20784
> >> CHEVERLY, MD
> >> LANDOVER HILLS, MD
> >> LANDOVER HLS, MD
> >> NEW CARROLLTN, MD
> >> NEW CARROLLTON, MD
> >> Not Acceptable
> >> LANHAM, MD
> >>
> >> Dwight Holmes
> >> Riverdale PARK, MD
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TownTalk mailing list
> >> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> >> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> >> processing only
> >> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
> >>
> >> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit http://
> >> www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > TownTalk mailing list
> > To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> > TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> > processing only
> > http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
> >
> > For more information about Riverdale Park, visit http://
> > www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 00:02:33 -0400
>From: "Roland Walker" <walker at pobox.com>
>Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")
>To: TownTalk <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
>Message-ID:
>	<b0ee22d0704052102p46fd33f2m8c7ba2727661d93d at mail.gmail.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>I think that the people of the town, via their council and a
>referendum, made the policy of the name change clear.
>
>After that, it is the job of the town's professional staff to
>implement the policy and follow through.  The town staff should write
>Hoyer, contact the post office, etc.  In fact, they should have done
>so years ago.
>
>R
>
>On 4/5/07, Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland <twacks at his.com> wrote:
> > While I don't think it's worth an *enormous* effort, I think it would
> > be a good idea to have us listed as *acceptable* for 20737 (I think
> > we don't want to have "Riverdale Park" be the default for 20737, to
> > distinguish the incorporated municipality from unincorporated county).
> >
> > Probably the most efficient way to do this is write our congressional
> > rep, Steny Hoyer, and ask him to get the post office to update their
> > database ( (as suggested by Jim Coleman, while I was writing this
> > note).  I've heard from friends who were congressional staffers that
> > handwritten notes (yes, on paper) tend to work best.  Here's what I
> > would write (and will, unless I get distracted, which is all too
> > likely these days):
> > ,
> > Dear Mr. Hoyer,
> >
> > As I'm sure you know, the citizens of the Town of Riverdale voted in
> > 1998 to officially change the name of our town to "Riverdale Park."
> > Recently a resident, Dwight Holmes, found out that "Riverdale Park"
> > was not a known "city" name to the Postal Service for our ZIP code.
> > He contacted the Postal Service to attempt to correct this, and was
> > told that it was not possible.  I am hoping that you could help us to
> > fix this situation, as the name of our town was legally changed
> > almost a decade ago.  We would like to have "Riverdale Park" added to
> > the Postal Service's lost of "acceptable names for ZIP code 20737";
> > we understand that ZIP code 20737 covers much more than our town, and
> > are not asking that the entire ZIP code be changed, just that we be
> > recognized as a town within the ZIP code.
> >
> > Thank you for your attention to this matter.
> >
> > SIncerely,
> >
> > Alan K. Thompson
> >
> > A half-dozen letters like this would probably get a result!
> >
> >         Alan
> >
> > On Apr 5, 2007, at 3:10 PM, Maureen Farrington wrote:
> >
> > > I don't think there is any real use in pursuing any of this.  On NPR
> > > the other day in their traffic report, they described the section of
> > > the BW parkway by the 410 exit as being "in Hyattsville."
> > >
> > > Sure we could petiton USPS and google maps (who also doesn't know that
> > > Riverdale Park exists) but it doesn't matter.  We just need more
> > > publicity so that it enters the public consciousness as to which town
> > > is where.
> > >
> > > -Maureen
> > >
> > > On 4/4/07, Dwight Holmes <dwightrholmes at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> On 4/4/07, CHRISTINA DAVIS <book-smart at verizon.net> wrote:
> > >> Or perhaps in the
> > >>> intervening decade the post office has gotten easier to work with?
> > >>
> > >> The more i look at this, the more nonsensical and inconsistent the
> > >> USPS's system is.  Just in our area, we have small towns that have
> > >> their very own zipcode and don't share it with others (Bladensburg &
> > >> Mt Ranier).  Then, we have small towns on the zipcode marquee that
> > >> share with everybody (Hyattsville, College Park, Brentwood).  We have
> > >> at least one unincorporated "town" with its own zipcode (Lanham) and
> > >> then we have at least three incorporated towns like Riverdale Park
> > >> that not only don't get their own zipcode, but aren't even
> > >> "acceptable
> > >> names" in the zipcode system.  That means if someone wants to write
> > >> you and is looking up your zipcode and knows you live in Riverdale
> > >> Park or Edmonston or *parts of* Cheverly they'll get confused. But
> > >> most confused of all if you live in Riverdale Park!!
> > >>
> > >> If you go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp and type in
> > >> Edmonston MD you get this:
> > >>
> > >> 20781    (EDMONSTON, MD IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE HYATTSVILLE)
> > >>
> > >> So your town isn't acceptable but at least it exists!
> > >>
> > >> But if you type in Riverdale Park MD you get this:
> > >>
> > >> We're sorry! We were unable to process your request.
> > >>
> > >> Please complete the field(s) indicated below.
> > >> * Required Fields
> > >> All field labels with a * are required
> > >> * City
> > >>
> > >>                 Please enter a city.
> > >>
> > >> So unlike Edmonston which exists but isn't acceptable, Riverdale Park
> > >> doesn't even exist. <sigh>
> > >>
> > >> Here's what I found while taking a look at the zipcodes and towns
> > >> that
> > >> surround Riverdale Park, and a couple of other nearby ones.
> > >>
> > >> some results from area zipcodes from usps.com's zipcode search page
> > >> (http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp) are below. the zipcode
> > >> map at http://www.hyattsvillewiki.com/page/Hyattsville+Zip+Code
> > >> +Map is
> > >> also very useful!  (population and area are from wikipedia;
> > >> determination of which towns are incorporated is based on the ADC
> > >> map's use of yellow coloring of town areas)
> > >>
> > >> in sum we have:
> > >>
> > >> 1] Incorporated towns that appear to have a coterminus relationship
> > >> with their zipcode:
> > >> Mt Ranier (pop 8498, area .65 sq mi) (20712 -- no other towns or
> > >> areas listed)
> > >> Bladensburg (pop 7661, area 1.0 sq mi) (20710 - no other town or
> > >> areas listed)
> > >> (Why can't we be more like Bladensburg!?!)
> > >>
> > >> 2] Incorporated towns *not* recognized by the USPS zipcode system:
> > >> Riverdale Park (pop 6690, area 1.6 sq mi) (20737, as Riverdale)
> > >> Cheverly (20781, as Hyattsville -- but ok within 20784 and 20785)
> > >> Edmonston (20782, as Hyattsville)
> > >>
> > >> 3] Incorporated towns recognized as "acceptable":
> > >> University Park (20782)
> > >> Berwyn Heights (20740)
> > >> Colmar Manor (20722)
> > >> Cottage City (20722)
> > >> North Brentwood (spelled 4 different ways!) (20722)
> > >> Glenarden (20706)
> > >> Landover Hills (20784)
> > >> New Carrollton (20784)
> > >> Cheverly (20784 and 20785)
> > >>
> > >> 4] *Un*incorporated areas that are an "actual city name"
> > >> Lanham (20706)
> > >>
> > >> 5] *Un*incorporated areas recognized as "acceptable"
> > >> Chillum (20782)
> > >> West Hyattsville (20782)
> > >> Lanham Seabrook (20706)
> > >> Seabrook (20706)
> > >>
> > >> I pulled the above "actual," "acceptable" and "not acceptable" city
> > >> names in the USPS system zipcode searches
> > >> (http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp) for the following:
> > >> 20737,
> > >> 20782, 20781, 20740, 20722, 20710, 20712, 20706, 20785, 20784:
> > >>
> > >> 20737:
> > >> Actual City name in 20737
> > >> RIVERDALE, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20782:
> > >> Actual City name in 20782
> > >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> > >> Acceptable City names in 20782
> > >> CHILLUM, MD
> > >> UNIVERSITY PA, MD
> > >> UNIVERSITY PARK, MD
> > >> W HYATTSVILLE, MD
> > >> WEST HYATTSVILLE, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> AVONDALE, MD
> > >> GREEN MEADOW, MD
> > >> LEWISDALE, MD
> > >> PRINCE GEORGES METRO CTR, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20781:
> > >> Actual City name in 20781
> > >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> AVONDALE, MD
> > >> CHEVERLY, MD
> > >> EDMONSTON, MD
> > >> ROGERS HEIGHTS, MD
> > >> TUXEDO, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20740:
> > >> Actual City name in 20740
> > >> COLLEGE PARK, MD
> > >> Acceptable City names in 20740
> > >> BERWYN HEIGHTS, MD
> > >> BERWYN HTS, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> BERWYN, MD
> > >> NORTH COLLEGE PARK, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20722
> > >> Actual City name in 20722
> > >> BRENTWOOD, MD
> > >> Acceptable City names in 20722
> > >> COLMAR MANOR, MD
> > >> COTTAGE CITY, MD
> > >> N BRENTWOOD, MD
> > >> NO BRENTWOOD, MD
> > >> NORTH BRENTWO, MD
> > >> NORTH BRENTWOOD, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> BRENTWD, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20710
> > >> Actual City name in 20710
> > >> BLADENSBURG, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20712
> > >> Actual City name in 20712
> > >> MOUNT RAINIER, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> MT RAINIER, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20706
> > >> Actual City name in 20706
> > >> LANHAM, MD  [which is not incorporated]
> > >> Acceptable City names in 20706
> > >> GLENARDEN, MD
> > >> LANHAM SEABROOK, MD
> > >> SEABROOK, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20785
> > >> Actual City name in 20785
> > >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> > >> Acceptable City names in 20785
> > >> CHEVERLY, MD
> > >> LANDOVER, MD
> > >> N ENGLEWOOD, MD
> > >> NORTH ENGLEWOOD, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> ARDMORE, MD
> > >> PALMER PARK, MD
> > >>
> > >> 20784
> > >> Actual City name in 20784
> > >> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> > >> Acceptable City names in 20784
> > >> CHEVERLY, MD
> > >> LANDOVER HILLS, MD
> > >> LANDOVER HLS, MD
> > >> NEW CARROLLTN, MD
> > >> NEW CARROLLTON, MD
> > >> Not Acceptable
> > >> LANHAM, MD
> > >>
> > >> Dwight Holmes
> > >> Riverdale PARK, MD
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> TownTalk mailing list
> > >> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> > >> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> > >> processing only
> > >> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
> > >>
> > >> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit http://
> > >> www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
> > >>
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > TownTalk mailing list
> > > To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> > > TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> > > processing only
> > > http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
> > >
> > > For more information about Riverdale Park, visit http://
> > > www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TownTalk mailing list
> > To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> > TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription 
>processing only
> > http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
> >
> > For more information about Riverdale Park, visit 
>http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
> >
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________________
>TownTalk mailing list
>TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
>http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
>For more information about Riverdale Park, visit 
>http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>
>End of TownTalk Digest, Vol 9, Issue 5
>**************************************

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