NEW PARTNER. The U.S. Mint is joining USPS to produce the "50 State Quarters Greetings from America" collectibles. "The Postal Service is proud to join the United States Mint in the introduction of this fun and educational program," said USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto.

The collectibles include state cards for each of the 50 United States, along with portfolios featuring five state quarters and the corresponding Greetings stamps. Since the 50 State Quarters program continues through 2008, the state cards and portfolios also will be issued until the last of the quarters is released. The Jan. 10 unveiling featured the first portfolio to be made available and the corresponding state cards, featuring Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi — the quarters issued during 2002.

The portfolio for each year will be priced at $29.99, while the set of five state cards for each year will be priced at $27.99. To order, call 800-STAMP-24, or go online at www.usps.com/shop.

NEW CATALOG. The Postal Service produces "USA Philatelic," a quarterly catalog of stamps and related products. The Spring 2003 edition of this comprehensive, illustrated catalog is available by calling 800-STAMP-24. It also can be requested online at www.usps.com. New stamps and postal stationery being issued through March 2003 are featured in the latest issue.

NEW YEAR FOR LANCE. The 2003 USPS Pro Cycling Team includes everyone from the Tour de France squad that helped Lance Armstrong win his fourth straight victory. In 2003, the team will work to get Armstrong his record-tying fifth straight Tour de France victory.

"For the first time in a long time, we have been able to retain everyone from the Tour de France team," Armstrong said. "I think we have started to really hit our stride in terms of teamwork, communication and camaraderie. I'm looking forward to 2003 with these guys."