Feds now want to see your birth certificate, passport to renew driver’s license

February 12, 2011 Areawide Comments Off

The new RealID law requires more proof that you're who you say you are. "Alien" license image from XYZ

The new RealID law requires more proof that you're who you say you are. "Alien" license image from info4all.us

Called the Real ID Act, new rules handed down by the federal government will require anyone renewing a driver’s license – even if you’ve been driving for decades – to produce proof that you are who you say you are.

And the only acceptable documents will be a birth certificate or a passport.

This is supposed to help protect the U.S. from terrorists. The regulations were developed after the 9/11 Commission reported that 18 of the 19 hijackers had used forged driver’s licenses to board planes.

You probably haven’t heard of this new requirement, and that’s one reason why the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles – along departments in the rest of the 50 states – has received an extension for implementing it.

The rule was supposed to go into effect this May. The extension is until October 2011.

Why state’s aren’t ready and the public hasn’t been alerted by now is unclear, since this anti-terrorism act was enacted on May 11, 2005.

Connecticut received $3 million to upgrade technology to implement the new Real ID procedures. States will now be required to store digital images of IDs for up to 10 years and to link their driver’s license databases to one another.

One problem female drivers will face with this new law is that their name at birth and their married name often aren’t going to be the same.

Under the Real ID, however, if you aren’t able to produce the necessary proof, you can still be issued what’s called a “noncompliant” license. These licenses will be adequate for driving or cashing checks, but won’t be accepted as valid at airports or some federal agencies or to receive federal benefits.

There has been opposition to the Real ID Act across the country. At last count, 25 states have approved legislation or resolutions not to comply. This includes Arizona, where then-Governor Janet Napolitano – now Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security – signed a bill opting out of the program, according to a report in InfoWorld.com, “Obama will inherit a real mess on Real ID,” posted Dec. 22, 2008.

Others include Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Washington.

These states, however, still had to promise they will improve their licenses to make them more difficult to forge.

According to a report in USA Today (see related links) all of this is expected to cost states a total of $3.9 billion.

Existing driver’s licenses will continue to be accepted as federal identification until December 2014. If you are 50 or older on that date, you will have another three years before you will be required to have a Real ID card.

The Real ID Act also affects other areas considered to be of importance by the Office of Homeland Security. It also:

changes visa limits for temporary workers, nurses, and Australian citizens.

funds some reports and pilot projects related to border security.

introduces rules covering “delivery bonds” (similar to bail bonds but for accused illegal aliens who have been released pending hearings.

updates and tightens the laws on application for asylum, and for deportation of aliens for terrorist activity.

waives laws that interfere with construction of physical barriers at the borders.

Posted Feb. 12, 2011

New adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice premieres at UConn

February 12, 2011 Arts & Entertainment Comments Off

Alexandra Perlwitz as Elizabeth Bennet and Kevin Coubal as Mr. Darcy in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice playing in the Nafe Katter Theatre, Storrs, Feb. 24 – March 6. Photo by Bob Copley, Jr.

The Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT), located on the UConn campus, will present Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice from Feb. 24 through March 6, 2011 in the Nafe Katter Theatre.

CRT is presenting the East Coast premiere of this exciting new stage adaptation.

The works of Jane Austen have been read and adapted for almost 200 years, but no adaptation has been more popular or illuminating than the recent translation to the stage of Pride and Prejudice by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan.

This version captures Austen’s cleverness and fervor in the telling of this witty, elegant, sharply observed and richly rendered love story in which the Bennets, an early 19th Century, British middle-class family with no sons and five eligible daughters must find them husbands.

Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia Bennet are all awaiting the day a wealthy bachelor sweeps them off their feet. When the Bingleys arrive, the Bennets are thrilled. Young Mr. Bingley is an eligible bachelor and Mrs. Bennet is sure one of her daughters will be his match.

Yet when Mr. Bingley arrives at the public ball with his sister and close friend Mr. Darcy, the encounters are not what the Bennets expected.

Despite all the complications and obstacles, despite their pride and prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are drawn together in one of the most romantic stories ever told.

(For tickets and information, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu )

Director Helene Kvale said, “It is a delight to be working on a period piece that engenders such a passionate response amongst contemporary audiences. Austen’s beautifully constructed narrative, wrapped in wit and irony, is not just a romance, but a subtle commentary on 1811 English domestic life. In the context of revolutionary upheaval abroad, Pride & Prejudice raises questions about the marriage market and the strictures of class and gender. We are drawn in by Austen’s gloriously portrayed characters, rich in dimension and humor.”

Dramaturg Dassia Posner said, “There is something wonderful about experiencing Austen directly, for the audience and for the actors who are studying 19th century life from card games to embroidery to literature, including an understanding of how class and gender impacted relationships. We are going to continue this hands-on approach to Austen with audience dance workshops and an afternoon tea at the Nathan Hale Inn.”

Enjoy some “UnCommon Sense”

CRT’s “Uncommon Sense” Series is a collection of events, many of which are free and open to everyone, that investigate a variety of topics through performing art.

For regular updates on all “Uncommon Sense” Series events, sign up for CRT’s electronic newsletter at www.crt.uconn.edu, or call (860) 486-4226 for information.

For Pride and Prejudice, CRT will sponsor the following special events:

Dancing with Jane Austen

Join us for a free class in dance from Jane Austen’s period – learn about the mood, music and moves, and practice a few steps: on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. (finish in time for the 2 p.m. matinee) and on Tuesday, March 1 at 6 p.m. (will finish in time for the 7:30 p.m. performance). Held in Room 128 of the UConn drama building (just down the hall from the Nafe Katter Theatre).

The dance workshop will be led by Math Professor, Q Center Director and Austen fan Tom Roby, who teaches “Jane Austen Dances” at UConn.

Call 860-486-1629 for your reservation – space is limited.

High Tea at the Nathan Hale Inn

Join us for this traditional “meal” featuring a menu specially prepared by the Nathan Hale Inn and including music and a celebration of the tradition of Tea in British culture on Sunday, Feb. 27, immediately following the 2 p.m. matinee at the Blue Oak Café of the Nathan Hale Inn – with Director Helene Kvale, Dramaturg Dassia Posner, guest scholars and musicians

The cost is $25 per person, payable in advance by calling the Nathan Hale Inn at 860-487-7778 and requesting “High Tea” reservations. Advance reservations are required.

Posted Feb. 12, 2011

Gary Martin Zimmer Jan. 4, 1944 – Feb. 9, 2011

February 12, 2011 Local News, Obituaries Comments Off

Gary M. Zimmer

Gary Martin Zimmer, 67, of Storrs/Mansfield, CT, was fatally injured in a cycling accident on Feb. 9, 2011, in Jensen Beach, FL.

A native of Jersey City, NJ, born on Jan. 4, 1944, he was the only son of the late Bertha and Leo Zimmer.

Zimmer graduated from Rutgers University with a BS in Agriculture and an MS in Entomology.

Despite growing up in the city, he had a long career in agriculture, including work as Extension Plant Protection Specialist at the University of Rhode Island, Tri-state Small-farm Extension Agent (helping local farmers set up farmer’s markets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island), a five-year stint as the owner of a 70-acre farm in Ohio while also serving as the Ashland County Ohio 4H Agent, and later supervisor at Central Exterminating Pest Control Company in Cleveland, OH.

In 1985 he and his family moved to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where he managed an 80-acre estate, producing fruits, vegetables, sheep, and game birds for gourmet restaurants in Newport, RI, and Boston.

He went on to pursue a career as Head of Farm Services at the University of Connecticut, where he worked until retirement seven years ago.

He had great practical skills and after reading books on carpentry, plumbing and electrical work, designed and built two homes for his family.

He loved to travel and after studying Spanish in his 50s, took a six-month sabbatical in Talca, Chile, where he worked with local farmers and made lasting friendships. He was later invited to Western China where he demonstrated silage techniques to Uighur farmers.

Zimmer was also very active in his community, notably on the Mansfield Planning and Zoning Commission as well as the Solid Waste and Transportation committees.

He advocated for the University of CT to implement a large-scale composting operation.

A U.S. ARMY veteran, Zimmer worked at Nike Hercules missile bases in the Midwest during the Vietnam era.

Zimmer was an avid recumbent cyclist, enjoying long tours as well as regular daily excursions. Other interests included healthy cooking, the brewing of fine coffees, raising a Danish Swedish Farmdog and following domestic and international news developments.

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008, he generously participated in several research projects, including donating skin cells for iPS stem cell research.

He was predeceased by his niece Leila Eve Heald and brother-in-law David Mastrangelo. Survivors include his beloved wife of 35 years, Karen, their three sons, Noah Silver Zimmer of Norwich, CT, Jesse Porter Zimmer and wife Caroline Gravel of Quebec City, Canada, and Adam Lee Zimmer of Storrs/Mansfield, CT, his sisters Marlene Harriet Heald of Pomfret, CT, and Gail Enid Zimmer and husband David Asman of Fair Lawn, NJ, nephew and niece Morgan and Ayla Heald of Pomfret, CT, and grandchildren Xavier Gravel Zimmer and Emma Lucy Zimmer of Quebec City, as well as many cousins, aunts, and cherished friends.

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Connecticut.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (michaeljfox.org) or NAMI-CT (namict.org) at 241 Main St., 5th Floor, Hartford, CT, 06106.

Posted Feb. 12, 2011

Originally posted by Aycock Funeral Home, 950 NE Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen Beach, FL 34957