MONTPELIER, Vt. -
The new Vermont "Forever" stamp was unveiled at the Statehouse. It's one of 10 designs released by the Postal Service Friday that cap off the Flags of Our Nation series. With talk in recent months of drastic budget cuts and low morale, officials say the new stamp acts as a kind of affirmation.
"You know, going through a little bit of tough times, we're not going out of business and I think that's the message that's important not only to our employees, but important to our customers," said Deborah Essler of the U.S. Postal Service.
And for philatelists like Bob Edson, who's been collecting since he was nine, the new stamp brings it own allure.
"You learn history and geography, you can put yourself at the Battle of Cedar Creek or you can put yourself in designing the Vermont flag or you can put yourself in India or China or beside Henry the VIII of England-- all of these people are on stamps," said Edson of the Washington County Stamp Club.
One curious feature-- the owl in the right hand corner.
"Now owls show that Vermonters are wise, but the state bird of Vermont is the hermit thrush," Edson said.
Postal officials were unable to identify the owl, but experts we spoke with confirmed it's a great horned-- not exactly common to the whole state like the barred owl, but still well regarded.
"It will not take in my heart the place of the 41 Vermont sesquicentennial or 150th birthday stamp, which is my favorite Vermont stamp," Edson said.
Collector or not, the stamps are on sale now at a post office near you.
