August 2007

Dear Seniors:

As summer winds down, many of you may be taking the opportunity to travel, perhaps internationally. I would like to take this opportunity to help you plan and enjoy a great vacation. More specifically, I would like to address the recent issues many of you have been experiencing receiving passports from the State Department. I am pleased to provide some useful guidelines to help you obtain your travel documents in time, as well as to outline what we are doing to help on a federal level.

Whether this is the trip of a lifetime you are planning or standard travel for you and your family, there are a few simple steps, which if taken, will aid you. First, organize early. Travel planning involves many unknown factors, and the more time you allot to the planning process before you depart, the more you can educate yourself with your itinerary and the information about your destination. Second, make sure you familiarize yourself about the climate, current events and health warning of your destination. The United States Department of State Bureau of Counsular Affairs is responsible for providing travel warnings, information sheets and public announcements through United States embassies in countries around the globe. Checking with them via phone, fax or through their website (http://travel.state.gov/) can save you time and provide you with the most up to date information on local developments at your destination.

Many of you have contacted me with concerns regarding the slow pace at which passports are being processed by the State Department and questions regarding the shifting requirements of documentation for receiving passports. If you require assistance in receiving a passport in time for your trip, or would like more information regarding requirements necessary for travel documentation, please contact Claudia Neidhardt in my district office at (978) 531-1996.

While some may choose to travel overseas this fall, others will enjoy travel opportunities right here in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts! The American Association of Retired People has chosen Boston, MA as the host city for its Life@50 Event and Expo, from September 6-8, 2007. The festival will include many quest speakers, from Bob Newhart to Michael Douglas, and will feature a performance by Tony Bennett. For information on what promises to be a memorable event in the great city of Boston, visit http://www.aarp.org/aarp_benefits/natl_events/boston/.

Sincerely,

John F. Tierney