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United States Postal Service
The Lunar New Year 2001 stamp showing the Year of
the Snake was designed by Clarence Lee. Though the
initial rendering shows a 33&CENT denomination,
the stamp will say 34&CENT when it
comes out for use.

New 34-cent
postage rate
slithers in

Stamps celebrating the
Year of the Snake will be the
first with the new rate

---

By Treena Shapiro
Star-Bulletin

When Clarence Lee completed his designs for his Lunar New Year postage stamp series in 1994, he submitted the stamps with different denominations.

Since the U.S. Postal Service began issuing the stamps in 1992, postage has gone up five cents. Lee's Year of the Boar stamp in 1993 was the last 29-cent stamp issued, with first-class postage rising to 32 cents the next day. Last year, his Year of the Hare stamp was the first 33-cent stamp.

When the post office raises first-class postage to 34 cents next month, Lee's ninth stamp -- Year of the Snake -- will be the first stamp with that denomination issued to the public.

Lee will fly to Oakland, Calif., to celebrate the issuance of his newest design, as well as the Chinese New Year, on Jan. 20.

He won't say how high the prices on his designs went, but he expects them to cover any postage increases before the series reaches completion in 2004. "For me, there's only three more years," he said. "I just hope it doesn't go above 40."

Lee, a Honolulu graphic designer, was commissioned in 1992 to design a Lunar New Year stamp for the Year of the Rooster. It was such a success that he was commissioned to do the entire Chinese zodiac the following year.

All the designs are based on traditional Chinese paper-cut artwork, he said.

This year's snake design, which he describes as "happy looking," is his favorite.

"It's not realistic and stealthy-looking, not coiled as if it's going to strike anybody," he said. "It's more playful in design."

Lee's stamps were designed in honor of his heritage, he said.

"I often think of my ancestors and my parents, who came from China and gave us a much greater opportunity to be good citizens in this country," he said.

He appreciates the postal service's effort to recognize Asian Americans, both with the stamps and the ceremonies for each new issue.

"Each year the postal people pick an area that has a large Asian community to honor the Asians and to celebrate with a stamp that honors the Asians," he said.