American First Day Cover Society Treasurer Mark Thompson and his wife Linda are uninjured after the devastating tornadoes in central Tennessee March 3rd. However, a big tree fell on their house in East Nashville, crushing the two dormers. (Mark’s home office was up there.) The tree also ruptured the gas line, so power is cut in the neighborhood to any homes that might have still had it. East Nashville was one of the harder-hit areas of the city.

Some of his collection may have been damaged by the rain after the tornado opened the roof, but he believes his gold-medal exhibit, “Women of the Black Heritage Series,” is fine, “maybe a little dusty.”

That’s Mark above at the 2016 first-day ceremony in Nashville for Soda Fountain Favorites, and, as you can see, he was enjoying one of the stamp subjects.

[press release]
Eric Knapp Named to ATA Board

Eric Knapp of Anchorage, Alaska, has been named to fill an unexpired term on the American Topical Association board, through 2021.

Eric has been a stamp collector since he was nine years old. His grandmother, Blanch Snyder, was a stamp and coin collector. She had other grandchildren who were Scouts, and she knew about the Stamp Collecting and Coin Collecting merit badges. She got Eric started, he earned the merit badges and he has not stopped collecting.

Eric collects United States, the Baltic States and dabbles in Canada. He also collects Alaska Postal History, Scouts on Stamps and the occasional other thing that grabs his attention. He has exhibited at the local and national level. Most of his exhibiting has been related to the study of World War II in Alaska, but he is developing other exhibits.

He is a long-time member of the Anchorage Philatelic Society and has held several offices in the club. He is currently the secretary. He is secretary/treasurer of the Alaska Collectors’ Club and is also chairman of the board of the Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs.