"BCR" STAMP PRICE CHANGE: Effective March 23, the purchase price for the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp will be raised from 40 to 45 cents. The design of the stamp will not change, and the postage value of the stamp will remain at 34 cents until there is a change in the First-Class Mail single-piece letter rate. The Breast Cancer Research semipostal, issued in 1998, has raised $24 million for research so far.

The new price of 45 cents for the Breast Cancer Research stamp will ensure enough money is earmarked for research once the next First-Class postage rate change, scheduled for June, goes into effect. Also, the change to 45 cents will be consistent with the pricing of the next semipostal - "Heroes of 2001"- which also will be priced at 45 cents.

The Breast Cancer Research stamp will be on sale through Dec. 31, 2003. The end date was established by recent legislation.

 WHERE OTHERS FEAR TO TREAD: The sign on the only cafe in town reads "No Fries 'Til Mail." Life in the community of Supai, AZ, literally survives on its mail - and eats more mail than it reads. Arguably the most remote mail route in the country, the Supai route is the last mule train delivery in the United States. The route brings everything from food to furniture to the tiny Havasupai Indian Reservation - 525 tribal members who live deep below the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

The only way in and out is an eight-mile trail traveled by foot, mule or horseback. The first two miles of the trail consist of a dizzying series of switchbacks in the Grand Canyon's red rock cliffs. The mule train makes the three- to five-hour trip five days a week, even through wind and rain. During a typical week, more than a ton of mail is sent via the mules, with each carrying a cargo of 200 pounds.

 "Heroes" Stamp Unveiled: President George W. Bush officiated at the dedication of the "Heroes of 2001" semipostal stamp in an Oval Office ceremony Monday. The President was joined by Postmaster General John E. Potter and the three New York City firefighters who raised the American flag above the devastation of New York's World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. That inspiring image was captured in a now famous photograph that forms the central design of the stamp.

The "Heroes of 2001" semipostal stamp will raise funds for the families of emergency relief personnel killed or permanently disabled in connection with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The stamp, to be issued later this year, will sell for 45 cents, and cover the basic First-Class postage rate. Funds raised from the sale of the "Heroes of 2001" semipostal will be transferred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.