Bonnie

I had to laugh at this, John. It reminds me of the tacky culverts used as flower containers along the sides of the road leading into Boquete, a project of the former mayor. Most of them either are broken, contain dead plants, or both. They're a real eyesore, not unlike the equally offensive flower boxes the same mayor had constructed and emblazoned with "Alcaldia de Boquete" or something similar. I do think most of the latter have been removed, though. We have had little to thank all the construction for, but at least we can say it is leading somewhere positive.

And the Panamonte Bridge is moving along too.

I responded to the News Boquete link and received this in return: www.boquetemedical.com. Or click here: Boquete Medical

Where is this web site? There is no URL or link provided, and a Google search comes up empty.

I am in need of someone to come to my home to refinish the front door (dog scratches) and the top of a long, built-in desk (people scratches). Can anyone recommend such a person?

U.S. Embassy Panama Consular Section American Citizen Services Unit Next week, representatives from the U.S. Social Security Administration will visit Panama City to offer services and information. They will also receive Foreign Enforcement Questionnaires (FEQ). In addition, ACS will be offering voter registration assistance at separate events. Below, please find the list of scheduled social security and voter registration events: Social Security Assistance What: Radio Interview – Social Security Information Where: Radio Chiriqui – 106.9 FM / www.radiochiriqui.com When: Tuesday, June 12 from 7:30 – 7:45 AM What: Radio show - Social Security Information Where: Gerry D’s Radio Show - Cool 89.3 FM / http://www.coolfmpanama.com/ When: Tuesday, June 12 from 8:30 – 9:15 AM What: Facebook Live on Social Security Services Where: http://www.facebook.com/panamaestamosunidos When: Tuesday, June 12 from 10:30 – 10:50 AM What: Social Security Services/Information Where: Wyndham Hotel, Albrook Mall, Salon Contadora 1, Mezzanine When: Tuesday, June 12 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM What: Social Security Services/Information Where: Wyndham Hotel, Albrook Mall, Salon Contadora 1, Mezzanine When: Wednesday, June 13 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Voter Registration Assistance What: Voter registration potluck Where: Balboa Union Church When: Saturday, June 9 from 12:30 – 2:00 PM What: American Society voting registration Where: Wyndham Hotel, Albrook Mall When: Wednesday, June 20 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM WHAT TO BRING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICES (please bring legible copies of all documents to be submitted): SSA Proof of Life: If you are required to comply with this requirement this year (i.e. your SSN ends in 00 thru 49; you receive benefits for someone else; you are age 90 or over), please bring your cedula or passport. Medicare Enrollment/Cancellation: To enroll in Medicare, you should complete and sign this form and to cancel your enrollment please complete and sign this form. Social Security Replacement Card: Bring a copy of your valid U.S. passport and completed form SS-5FS. Social Security Card for child under 12: Bring a copy of the U.S. passport for one of the parents, the child’s “copia integra” birth certificate, and the child’s U.S. passport (as well as copies) as well as completed form SS-5FS. Change of Address for Social Security: Bring your current passport or cedula. International Direct Deposit Enrollment: If you wish to enroll, please send an e-mail to Panama-FBU@state.gov to request the form. For general inquiries please bring your social security number and your valid U.S. passport or cedula. We look forward to seeing you! Sincerely, American Citizen Services Unit U.S. Embassy in Panama Assistance: U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama 507-317-5000 Panama-ACS@state.gov https://pa.usembassy.gov/ State Department - Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 Panama Country Information Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Al fin. Por ultimo.

Alison, there's no need to go to PC to renew your passport anymore. It can be done by DHL, and it takes about two weeks. Mailboxes, Etc. knows the drill. They can even take your picture. Easy peasy.

There was a question earlier this morning about how to add pages to one's U.S. passport, but by the time I got the answer, the question had disappeared. Here is the response from the Embassy: Hi Bonnie! The State Department actually no longer offers extra pages. Instead, people should obtain a new passport if they run out of pages. This State Department FAQ includes this question, if you would like to share it with the forum: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/faqs.html We won’t be offering adult ppt renewal services at this outreach so the person asking would need to renew by mail or come to the emb

I call attention to this sentence: " Additionally, representatives from the U.S. Social Security Administration will be available on June 14 to offer services to beneficiaries or individuals with questions about Social Security. " The transfer of social security services from the embassy in Panama to that in Costa Rica has caused headaches for many people. If you are one, this is your chance to receive face to face social security assistance. Follow the directions in the announcement to make your appointment now as the slots fill quickly. Note, too, that adult passport renewal services are not being offered. This can be accomplished easily by mail. Finally, for those who sill be seeking services for which there is a fee, payment can be made only by certified check from a local bank made payable to U.S. Embassy Panama. I encourage anyone who plans to seek assistance at this outreach to read the directions carefully and follow them to a tee. Help is available for only four hours (one hour off for lunch), leaving little time to correct errors. And the next community outreach likely will not be in less than six months, perhaps longer.

U.S. Embassy Panama Consular Section American Citizen Services Unit The American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Panama will be visiting Boquete, Chiriqui on Thursday, June 14, 2018 to provide passport, notarial, and voting assistance services to U.S. Citizens. Additionally, representatives from the U.S. Social Security Administration will be available on June 14 to offer services to beneficiaries or individuals with questions about Social Security. They will also receive Foreign Enforcement Questionnaires (FEQ) and International Direct Deposit enrollment forms. Please note that due to logistical constraints, we are not able to provide passport renewal services for adults (Form DS-82) at the event. WHERE,WHEN, AND HOW: Where: Biblioteca de Boquete,Avenida Central, Bajo Boquete, Panama When: Thursday, June 14. Notarial services 10am-12pm. Passport services 1-3pm. Social Security Services 10am-12pm and 1-3pm. Voting assistance 10am-12pm and 1-3pm. How: Please register below according to the service that you require: For Social Security Services/Information, register here For Minor Passport Renewal or Lost and Stolen Passport Services, register here (Please note that we will NOT accept adult passport renewals during this outreach event. To renew adult passports, please use the passport by mail service). For Notarial Services, register here For Voting Assistance, please come by any time between 10am-12pm and 1-3pm. HOW TO PAY FOR PASSPORT AND NOTARIAL SERVICES (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): The Embassy can only accept payment by local banker’s cashier check (known in Spanish as “Cheque Certificado”) made payable to “U.S. Embassy Panama,” issued within the past five months. Our office has confirmed with the State Department that, unfortunately, we cannot accept cash or credit card payments. The notarial fee is $50 per each signature of the Consular Officer. A list of passport fees can be found here. Other than passport and notarial services, all other services are no-fee. WHAT TO BRING FOR PASSPORT AND NOTARIAL SERVICES: Passports: Please note that we will NOT accept adult passport renewals during this outreach event. To renew adult passports, please use the passport by mail service. For passport renewals for minors, in addition to the completed DS-11 application, bring a copy of the photo page of the minor’s passport, a copy of both parents’ passports /cedulas, one recent color photo with a white background that measures 5x5 cm (2X2 inches) and a copy of the minor’s birth certificate, in addition to the original birth certificate and passport/ cedulas. The fee for passport renewal is currently $115.00 for a minor (under 16) and $145.00 (for a minor 16 years of age and older). The minor (under 16) and both parents or guardians must appear in person. If only one parent is present in Panama, the “Statement of Consent from Absent Parent” Form DS-3053, notarized in the United States, is required. Please note that the DS-3053 will not be accepted if notarized in Panama. For lost/stolen passports, in addition to the completed DS-11 application and the DS-64 statement regarding a lost or stolen passport, one recent color photo with a white background that measures 5x5 cm (2X2 inches), a Panamanian police report documenting the lost/stolen passport, and documentation of your identity (government-issued identification cards and/or proof of U.S. citizenship). The fee is currently $145 for an adult (over the age of 16) replacement of a lost or stolen passport. Notarizations: Here is the link with details. If you are requesting the notarization of your driver’s license, bring a photocopy of the front and back page of your license, as well as your license. If you are requesting notarization of benefits documents, bring the original and a copy of the document(s) showing the amount of benefits you receive monthly or annually. The notarial fee is $50.00 for each signature of the Consular Officer. WHAT TO BRING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND OTHER FEDERAL BENEFITS SERVICES (please bring legible copies of all documents to be submitted): SSA Proof of Life: If you are required to comply with this requirement this year (i.e. your SSN ends in 00 thru 49; you receive benefits for someone else; you are age 90 or over), please bring your cedula or passport. Medicare Enrollment/Cancellation: To enroll in Medicare, you should complete and sign this form and to cancel your enrollment please complete and sign thisform. Social Security Replacement Card: Bring a copy of your valid U.S. passport and completed form SS-5FS. Social Security Card for child under 12: Bring a copy of the U.S. passport for one of the parents, the child’s “copia integra” birth certificate, the child’s U.S. passport (as well as copies) and a completed form SS-5FS. Change of Address for Social Security: Bring your current passport or cedula. International Direct Deposit Enrollment: If you wish to enroll, please send an e-mail to Panama-FBU@state.gov to request the form. A NOTE ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION Voting: The Federal Voting Absentee Program suggests that you submit a new registration every year. If you haven’t yet registered to receive your absentee ballot in 2018, here is a link with information on registering. We encourage you to look at the voting website. Please know that you may be able to register and request your absentee ballot on line, without needing to visit us in person. For any other services not listed above and for general inquiries, please bring your current passport/cedula and your Social Security number. We look forward to seeing you there! Sincerely, American Citizen Services Unit U.S. Embassy in Panama Assistance: U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama 507-317-5000 Panama-ACS@state.gov https://pa.usembassy.gov/ State Department - Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 Panama Country Information Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

This is old news. As reported yesterday on this forum by Keith Woolford, Ms. Osbun has been found.

Wow! I never thought of that. What a great idea. Thanks a lot.

What do you charge?

Ummm. The title says "Buenos Vecinos de Boquete May Newsletter," but the content is about Boquete Health and Hospice. Perhaps the moderators will agree to change the title. I believe the same person does the newsletters for both organizations and inadvertently mixed up the formats.

I see now that the menu was there at the bottom of the initial post. Apparently, I didn't scroll down far enough. I apologize.

This is not at all clear, but what I think it's saying is that the driver of a vehicle, if the driver is not the owner, in the past has been held liable in the event of a traffic accident. I have to wonder if expats who have had employees driving their cars have been aware of this. I certainly wasn't.

No menu attached.

It's possible, I think, that someone just put it out there, knowing that there would be animal lovers about who would care for it.

What is the difference in the clientele, Keith?

I noticed this too, Dottie, when mine was due last December. It always had been due on the 31st, but was due in mid month in December 2017. I too wonder how much lead time you have. It’s particularly problematic in December because of all the holidays, so I would hope renewals would be allowed during at least the last two weeks of November.

The embassy has told me that they go out between April and October. If you haven't gotten your bar-coded form by October, it is my personal recommendation that you download a form and file it along with a letter explaining that you are not receiving the forms.

The Washington Post reports today that there is a high degree of dissatisfaction with Social Security offices and that a select committee has been established in the Senate to look into the matter. The article is here: https://wapo.st/2wJ8iWO The Chair of the select committee is Senator Susan M. Collins (R-Maine), and the Vice Chair is Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Pennsylvania). I have written both Senators about the problems Panamanian expats are having since social security functions, previously handled admirably by the U.S. Embassy in Panama, were transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica in October 2017. I encourage all of you who have experienced problems in this regard to write Senators Collins and Casey, too. The appointment of this special committee may be our best chance for eliciting change. There are online forms on the following online pages: https://www.collins.senate.gov/contact https://www.casey.senate.gov/contact/

I've been there twice, but they've given me a two or three time frame. I'll try again.