Rockwall Articles
© 2008 USPS. All rights reserved
WASHINGTON, DC — Demand for the Forever Stamp continues to increase as the May 12 stamp price change approaches. In the past several weeks, Postal Service customers have been buying Forever Stamps at a rate of about 30 million per day, bringing the amount sold to more than 6 billion since they were first offered in April 2007.
"We knew the Forever Stamp would be a big hit with our customers and we continue to replenish our stock to meet demand," said Postal Service Consumer Advocate Delores Killette. "We introduced these stamps as a customer convenience to ease the transition during price changes, and they also deliver economic value."
The Forever Stamp, as the name suggests, can be used to mail a one-ounce First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change. Customers who buy Forever Stamps now at the current First-Class Mail stamp price of 41 cents will save a penny when the price of stamps — including the Forever Stamp — increases to 42 cents on May 12.
Forever Stamps, featuring an image of the Liberty Bell, are available for purchase at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com, by phone at 1-800-STAMP-24, and from Automated Postal Centers and ATMs. They are sold in booklets of 20 and sheetlets of 18.
Detailed information about all the new prices, including ways to save on Express Mail and Priority Mail, is available at usps.com/prices
John Troxell has made a name for himself with designers and builders. Aside from his Rockwall mural, Troxell’s work is displayed on the walls of Akron General Hospital, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Metro General Hospital, Sherwin Williams Corporation and numerous others.
Mural Featured at Blue Canyon Restaurant
Stephanie Martin
John Troxell, a resident of Chesterland, Ohio, completed his last brush stroke on a mural at Blue Canyon, Kitchen, Tavern and Wine Bar. This measure marked the end of his latest endeavor within the artist community. Troxell is a past recipient of the Hudson Valley Art Association Award, William Grauer Award and was named Best of Show at the Fairmont Center for the Arts.
The mural, according to Troxell, represents, "Americana and something fun but sophisticated". The idea behind the mural was born between brainstorming sessions between Troxell and Blue Canyon staff in Twinsburg, Ohio. Troxell also attributes the great American Regionalist work of Grant Wood, John Stuart Curry and Thomas Hart Benton as providing inspiration for his Blue Canyon murals.
The mural consist of multiple framed segments of early America. The scenes take the observer on a journey through America. Frames are isolated to represent an early farmer’s harvest, the introduction of industry, gold mining, music, nature and more.
Approximately 5X53 ft, the art work was painted in one piece at Troxell’s studio in Ohio. Troxell then had to cut the mural into six segments for transport to Rockwall. Troxell hand carried the segments on his flight and custom-fit the mural in the Kitchen dining environment at Blue Canyon.
To view Troxell’s gallery paintings go to www.bonfoey.com or visit Blue Canyon Restaurant at The Harbor.
Vintage Mahogany Speedboats...
© 2007 USPS. All Rights Reserved.
If you've always wanted to own a boat but could never afford one, you'll be able to cruise away for the price of a First-Class stamp. These four stamps showcase the polished mahogany and gleaming chrome hardware that characterize the nation's historic wooden motorboats. These vintage watercraft, still in use today, were built by four manufacturers. The stamps depict the following boats:
Frolic, a 1915 Hutchinson Brothers launch.
Dispatch, a 1931 Gar Wood triple cockpit runabout.
Thunderbird, a 1939 Hacker-Craft commuter boat.
Duckers, a 1954 Chris-Craft Racing Runabout.
The selvage — or decorative area around the stamps on the pane of 12 stamps — features a recent photograph of Miss Columbia by Benjamin Mendlowitz. The boat is a modern re-creation of the original Miss Columbia, designed by George F. Crouch and built in 1924. Robert Devens of Green Cove Springs, FL, owns the replica and berths her for the summer on the Muskoka Lakes of Ontario, Canada.
1915 Hutchinson Brothers Launch
A popular style for touring and commuting, the long-deck launch was offered with a four- or six-cylinder marine engine capable of reaching 30 mph.
Powered by a 110-horsepower, six-cylinder Chrysler Crown engine, the attractive 30-foot craft on the stamp was custom-built in 1915 by Hutchinson Brothers Boat Co., Alexandria Bay, NY. Frolic owners Bill and Tish Kartozian of Danville, CA, dock her on Lake Tahoe.
1931 Gar Wood Triple Cockpit Runabout
Gar Wood 33-foot triple cockpit runabouts are considered some of the finest runabouts produced by the famous boatbuilding firm in Marysville, MI. Elegant and powerful, these craft were offered with either a Scripps V-12 or a Gar Wood Liberty V-12 engine and were capable of exceeding 50 mph.
Manufactured in 1931, the runabout appearing on the stamp has a 650-horsepower, 12-cylinder Rolls Royce engine. Named Dispatch, she is owned by Tom and Maurine Turner of Carnelian Bay, CA. Her Lake Tahoe berth is next to Turner's Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant.
1939 Hacker-Craft
Based on the streamlined designs of John Hacker, Thunderbird is a 55-foot commuter boat featuring a distinctive stainless-steel cabin top that was built for millionaire George Whittell, who was fascinated with the latest aircraft, automobile and boat technology. Enamored with the lines of his personal DC-2 airplane, Whittell requested Thunderbird's hull and cockpit be built to resemble the fuselage of his twin-engine aircraft. Built in 1939 by the Huskins Boat Co. of Bay City, MI, Thunderbird's original twin 550-horsepower Kermath engines were replaced in the 1960s with twin 1000-horsepower Allison V-12 aircraft engines. The Hacker-Craft is owned by Joan Gibb of Incline Village, NV, and is berthed in the original boathouse built and designed by George Whittell in 1940 for the Thunderbird. The boathouse is connected to the main house by a 600-foot tunnel that was blasted through granite at the Thunderbird Lodge Historic Site on LakeTahoe.
1954 Chris-Craft Racing Runabout
A steady seller since 1936, the Racing Runabout exemplified Chris-Craft speed and design through 1954. Updated after World War II, the 19-foot model features a split cockpit and gleaming deck hardware. With its 158-horsepower MBL engine, this craft can exceed 40 mph. Chris-Craft runabouts remain a popular model among classic boaters who enjoy their sporty performance.
Duckers, built in 1954 in Cadillac, MI, has a 158-horsepower, six-cylinder Chris-Craft Hercules engine. She is owned by William and Nancy Kehoe of Loomis CA, who boat with her on Lake Tahoe and the Sacramento Delta.
Vintage Speedboat Stamps at the Rockwall Post Office.
The vintage speedboat stamps were issued this summer. Get them soon before they run out!































Ethan Hawke Stars in Short Film on Texas Parks Crisis
AUSTIN, TX -Environment Texas released a short film today highlighting the funding crisis in the Texas state parks system. Narrated by two-time Oscar nominee and Texas native Ethan Hawke, the film reveals a magnificent parks system beleaguered by lay-offs, dilapidated infrastructure, and proposals to sell or close as many as 18 parks. Hawke joined Environment Texas in calling on the Legislature to approve House Bill 6, which would increase funding for state and local parks by more than $90 million.
“I was born in Texas and some of my best childhood memories are of camping in Texas parks with my dad, where he taught me all about the outdoors and showed me some of Texas’ most amazing natural areas,” said Ethan Hawke. “It’s appalling that the Texas Legislature has let the parks go without even the minimal support needed to maintain them.”
Hawke was born in Austin and grew up around Fort Worth, where his father took him camping and shooting at Eagle Mountain Lake. His grandfather Howard L. Green served in the Texas House of Representatives for ten years and was Tarrant County judge for another eight years. Environment Texas is a statewide citizens’ advocacy organization based in Austin and is working to get the Texas Legislature to create sustainable and substantial funding for the Texas parks system.
“With the right commitment from our politicians, Texas could have the world-class park system that we deserve. We owe it to our children, our neighbors and ourselves to preserve these vital parts of Texas history and keep just a little bit of Texas wild,” said Hawke.
From the desert wilderness of Big Bend Ranch State Park, to the bayous and live oaks of Brazos Bend State Park, the Texas state parks are home to some of the most breathtaking views in America. The parks also help protect drinking water supplies, wildlife habitats, and provide countless recreational opportunities.
While the overall state budget increased by 68 percent between 1990 and 2003, the Legislature slashed spending on state parks by 34 percent. Today, Texas is ranked 49th in the nation for spending on state parks. The cuts have forced the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to lay off dozens of park rangers, close campgrounds, cancel plans to acquire environmentally sensitive lands and provide grants to local parks. In 2005, the agency even considered selling part of Big Bend Ranch State Park to raise additional funds. TPWD has announced that a new round of proposed cuts would mean the agency would have to close 18 state parks.
The movie can be viewed at www.EnvironmentTexas.org/center
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