Entry bubble Passport Cards and Fee Changes

By: Jake | February 04, 2008 | Category: Travel

Passport and other travel documents

I am going to Vancouver this summer so I applied for a passport last week to avoid passport delays that can plague travelers in the spring and summer months.

What I didn't expect was to save money. I saved because the Department of State raised passport fees on Friday, February 1. The difference between the old and new prices is $3. The fee to expedite a passport did not change. The new passport fees are:

Adult passport book - $75  + execution fee $25 = $100
Under age 16 - $60 + execution fee $25 = $85

DOS also started accepting applications for the new passport card on Friday. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will eventually require all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. The card carries the same validity as a passport book, but does not allow you to travel internationally by air. The card will speed up the border entry process for citizens re-entering the country from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by sea and/or land. DOS plans to start sending cards to applicants in the spring. The passport card fees are:

Adult passport card - $20 + execution fee $25 = $45
Under age 16 - $10 + execution fee $25 = $35

Also DOS now requires that children under the age of 16 must now appear in person to apply for either a passport book or card.

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cards   jake   passports   travel  

 

Entry bubble Post Holiday Recycling

By: Colleen | December 26, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

In the words of the great philosopher Charlie Brown, "Another Christmas, come and gone." It's the "day after" and everyone is busy returning that beautiful sweater from Aunt Bethany, or using their newly received gift cards to buy presents for those who may have been forgotten on the first round of shopping (oops!).

We may have won the battle, but we've not yet won the war. We've still got to deal with the post-Christmas clean up. If your home is anything like mine, I'm sure you have bags of wrapping paper sitting around, bows stuck to everything, and piles of holiday cards from friends and family in various locations.

The easy solution? Dump it all, throw it away—out of sight, out of mind. The not difficult and greener solution? Recycle! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Years than during any other time of the year.

All that wrapping paper? Most of it is recyclable. USA.gov has tons of information regarding the best ways to dispose of holiday waste. Separate your party leftovers into paper, plastics, and glass. It's best if you use washable plates and utensils to cut down on waste while you eat, drink, and be merry.

As Joanne mentioned yesterday, you may be able to re-plant your tree. If not, many cities offer special recycling services and pick-up times for live trees.

How 'bout all those holiday cards? Quite popular, aren't you!? Cut off the front, and use the pictures as post cards for next year. Many churches and community centers also collect these for arts and crafts or greeting cards.

For more tips on recycling year-round check out Nancy's post.

Hey, you might even consider recycling Aunt Bethany's sweater—she'd love to see it on you next year!

| View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cards   christmas   colleen   holiday   paper   recycle   recycling   wrapping  

 

Entry bubble Federal Holiday Closings

By: Jake | December 10, 2007 | Category: General

If you have business with the federal government that you were planning to take care of on Christmas Eve Day, you may want to avoid some holiday blues and check to see if the federal office will be open.

Last Thursday, President Bush issued an executive order declaring all federal executive branch agencies be closed on Monday, December 24th. The President does state in the order that certain offices and installations of the federal government may remain open where it is deemed necessary in the interest of national security, defense or other public need.

The Santas of the federal government, the U.S. Postal Service, will be making regular deliveries on Christmas Eve Day and delivering Express Mail in most major cities on Christmas Day. Don't expect to mail something on Christmas Eve and have it there on Christmas Day though.

The USPS recommends that all First-Class Mail and Priority Mail be sent by Dec. 20 and that Express Mail be sent by Dec. 22. Mail sent by Parcel Post, the cheapest service, should be in the mail by Dec. 15. You can visit the holiday section of their website for more information.

Since a lot of other federal agencies websites I looked at do not state their holiday hours, but instead link to the Office of Personnel Management's federal holiday calendar,  I emailed some agencies to see if they would be open on Christmas Eve Day.

The Social Security Administration said all of its local offices will be closed. I have not heard from the Internal Revenue Service or Department of State, but will update this blog when I do.

The Federal Citizen Information Center will be closed, which means the National Contact Center phone lines (1-800-FED INFO, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of State Overseas Citizen Services) will all be closed and USA.gov web chat will not be available. Remember that you can find answers 24/7 on any government question you have by search our government information knowledgebase, also known as our FAQs. I will be off Christmas Eve Day, but I will be posting a blog.

| View Comments [9] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cards   holidays   packages