Local residents shouldn't be afraid of their mail this season.

The DeKalb Post Office is doing its part to fight terrorism by turning the patriotism of its employees into a dedication toward public safety.

"The whole U.S. needs to remember why we're here," DeKalb Postmaster Bonnie Gerdef said. "It's come to the point where we need to draw the line and say let's keep going."

So far the going is good for local postal workers. Remaining calm in the face of widespread anthrax scares and being equipped with face masks and plastic gloves, business is the same for the workers as it always has been at the office.

"We're doing fine," Gerdef said. "We do our jobs and serve our customers the way we always have."

Certain heightened security measures have been put into effect. Although no mail-related anthrax scares have occurred in DeKalb, those in charge of security have payed special attention to monitoring incoming mail and watching for anything suspicious, such as packages with white powder in or on them.

Several post offices, like the one in Carol Stream, have deployed the use of a special machine to sanitize any incoming or outgoing mail, but no such machine is being used in DeKalb. Gerdef said there's no need for it.

Even with increased mail flow during the Christmas season, security measures being used by postal workers are not extremely different than they have been at any other time.

"We don't give them the satisfaction of getting us upset," Gerdef said of those causing anthrax scares.

If a suspicious package is found coming into DeKalb, which has yet to happen, it will be wrapped in a plastic bag and set aside until the HazMat (hazardous materials) team arrives to properly handle, test and dispose of it.

According to the U.S. Postal Service Web site, plans currently are being made to send out postcards to each household in America with an official message from Postmaster General John E. Potter about how to spot suspicious mail and what to do if it is found.

The postcard says that if a suspicious piece of mail is located, it should not be handled in any way. If someone does come in contact with it, they should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water and call their nearest law enforcement authority.

Happy hour in DeKalb remains prohibited, but the city council decided to make a few additions to the municipal code by restricting the use of alcoholic drinks as prizes for games or contests.

The council unanimously passed the amendments to the happy hour prohibition laws.

"This prohibits games where you win drinks. You can't have games that revolve around alcohol or award alcohol," City Attorney Margo Ely said at Monday's meeting at the DeKalb Municipal Building.

When the ordinance received its second reading, 6th Ward Ald. Dave Baker asked, "If a bar owner has a popular game, can he replace the free drink, with, say, a certificate to enter the bar free on a different day, to keep the popular game?"

Mayor Greg Sparrow responded, "Yeah, they can give away a free entry certificate or burger or whatever, but they can't give away booze."

State law already forbids awarding alcoholic drinks as prizes, but City Clerk Donna Johnson discovered that the Municipal Code of the City of DeKalb did not explicitly restrict such use of alcohol. Ely characterized this as a "typo," or an oversight, which the amendment was designed to correct.

The Illinois State Liquor Control Commission has oversight of state alcohol law enforcement, but the DeKalb Liquor Commissioner, Mayor Greg Sparrow, can enforce state as well as municipal law.

Although this portion of the municipal code perfectly mimics the state code, 1st Ward Ald. Andy Small said he believes the municipal code in its totality has nuances that are unique to DeKalb.