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77 Central Street, Manchester, NH 03101 • www.DaveNixonLaw.com • 603.669.7070 • May 2018
THE BUSY MONTH OF MAY
M ay is usually pretty busy for me. There are a few big dates that swing around this time of year — Mother’s Day, my anniversary, and my wife’s birthday. It can be a maddening time trying to figure out what gifts everyone would like. For years I used to tell Anne, “What do you expect from me; you’re not my mother.” But I learned pretty quickly that wasn’t right. Now, I coordinate with my daughters to put something nice together for her. This year will be our 22-year anniversary. When we first got married, it was on a Saturday, and the next day was Mother’s Day. It was pretty nice that, as we were leaving for our honeymoon, we made sure to have flowers delivered for our mothers. Now, when we celebrate our
was able to marry us, though, and it all worked out.
So, when we renewed our wedding vows a few years ago, I pulled out all the stops. I was able to buy her a real diamond engagement and wedding ring, and we exchanged vows in a church. We also threw a big reception and invited a ton of people. Anne says I tend to go over the top, but it was a blast!
When it comes to Mother’s Day, I really appreciate having my mom, Linda, here with me. I enjoy sending her flowers every year and just celebrating her for a day. For Mother’s Day one year, just after my dad had died, we got her
anniversary every year, we also send our moms flowers — it’s a good tradition we keep. For one of our anniversaries a few years ago, we renewed our wedding vows. When I first proposed to Anne, I did it on a whim, and I
a puppy and it really helped pick her up. Another time, back when I was kid, I remember I wrote her a song and played it on my guitar for Mother’s Day. When I finished, she applauded and thanked me, telling me it was great, but she’s deaf and didn’t hear any of it. Thinking back, it was pretty hilarious, and I wonder what mom was thinking at that time.
It can be a maddening time trying to figure out what gifts everyone would like. “ ”
When getting something for my wife, I’ve found it helps to work with my daughters to come up with a great gift for her. She never wants me to be extravagant, but I tend to be that way. I like to give gifts in a fun way! One year for her birthday, I was able to pull off a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” -themed gift where she had to answer all these questions to get gifts. She would answer the easy questions first and get things like a candy ring or a candy
didn’t have a ring. Then, instead of buying a ring, we put a down payment on our first house. For years she had a fake ring, and it was nice but not the real thing. We also had a bit of a hard time getting married. There was a priest who refused to marry us because, while Anne was a devout Christian, I didn’t go to church too often. My uncle
necklace. Then she’d answer the harder questions and get a real ring and a real necklace. She was going to get all the gifts anyway, but I felt it was much more fun to give them to her that way.
This May, I encourage everyone to celebrate the mothers in your lives! Surprise them with a creative gift to show how much you love them.
–Kirk Simoneau 603.669. 7070 • 1
Guiding You Through Life’s Trials
Trying New Cuisine Has Never Been Easier FOOD SUBSCRIPTION BOXES
GRAZE
Eating the same foods over and over gets old, but it’s often hard to be adventurous when you don’t want to waste money on unappetizing food. Enter the food subscription box. When you sign up for a food subscription box, you’ll have the opportunity to sample new foods without committing much money — or time at the grocery store — to the cause. Here are two tasty food subscription boxes that’ll make your mouth water.
If you like variety, exciting flavor combinations, and wholesome snacks approved by a nutritionist, you’ll love Graze. With this food box subscription, customers create a personalized snacking experience, something that many food subscription services don’t offer! Once you set your preferences, Graze handpicks eight snacks for your box. After you’ve tried your snacks, you can tell Graze how well they know your taste buds. Unfortunately, Graze is not suitable for people with allergies. Their snacks are packed in a facility that also processes nuts, wheat, milk, soy, and egg, and cross- contamination is a strong possibility.
TRY THE WORLD
Try the World believes that the most authentic way to discover a new culture from the comfort of your own home is through food. With two price points to choose from, Try the World sends you artisanal and gourmet foods from different cultures
each month. Each box comes with a “culture guide” that includes the story behind each food, recipes that incorporate the products, and tips to enhance your food- tasting experience. Like most subscription boxes, you can’t choose which country’s foods you’ll sample. However, you can purchase individual items at Try the World’s online shop. Customers can pause or cancel their subscription any time, and pricing depends on the length of your subscription.
Graze prices depend on the services and products you select, but a standard subscription starts at $13.99 per box. Like Try the World, you can purchase snacks separately from their online shop. Customers can pause their subscription for up to 12 weeks or cancel their deliveries at any time. Trying new food should be a fun, stress-free experience. Food subscription boxes allow you to sample new snacks and create foreign meals cheaply and from the comfort of your own home. Try a box the next time you’re feeling adventurous in the kitchen.
MEET TRACY BRYANT! This month, we decided to include an employee spotlight in our newsletter. What better way to start out than with our paralegal, Tracy Bryant.
He did give me a Bose speaker for my birthday though. My friends say they’re jealous of me.”
When Tracy isn’t in the office, she’s out enjoying an active lifestyle. She’s been a softball coach for 27 years and she helps with animal rescue shelters. She herself houses seven dogs that were too abused to go on and kindly took them in herself. “I do home visits when I can,” she explains. “I like volunteering and helping all sorts of animals out of bad situations and into better homes.” Tracy has a 16-year-old daughter, Kylie, who she’s really close to. Kylie plays softball for her high school, and when Tracy states, “I’ve coached her since she was little,” it is with obvious pride. Not only does she coach and support her daughter, but Tracy also continues to play softball and box. We at Nixon, Vogelman, Barry, Slawsky and Simoneau are proud to have a paralegal on our team like Tracy who is so dedicated to helping others. She’s an amazing person and puts a lot of work, effort, and love into everything she does.
Tracy started working as a paralegal in the spring of 1991. Her goal is to help people through their most difficult moments in life. “That’s my favorite part of my job,” she says, “to give people help after all they’ve been through.” Tracy strives to help everyone who comes through our doors to get their lives back to normal. “I’m truly blessed to work here,” Tracy says, thinking about her time spent at Nixon, Vogelman, Barry, Slawsky, and Simoneau. She enjoys the friendly atmosphere and how everyone is exceptionally pleasant. “Everyone is extremely nice, and they do special things for us,” Tracy adds when talking about the higher ups. “Sometimes they let us out early, and they’ll do things like luncheons. It’s just a great place to work.” She’s been working with Kirk Simoneau for ten years, and that feat doesn’t slip past him. “He reminded me,” Tracy laughs, “but he says he’s not getting me a present.
2 • www.DaveNixonLaw.com
NEW HAMPSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF JUSTICE
There’s a national organization called the American Association of Justice, and here we have the New Hampshire Association of Justice as our state branch. This organization allocates trial lawyers with information and support, enabling them to better represent clients. Every few years, the association will take a case that they deem best to help in this process, turn it into a learning experience, and allow other lawyers, including law students, to take a crack at the case. Recently, the organization chose one of our cases at Nixon, Vogelman, Barry, Slawsky and Simoneau to be a part of this great experience. The case chosen was won by our own Kirk Simoneau not too long ago. The case they picked
was one previously featured in our newsletter — The $400K Broken Leg. In this case, a woman broke her leg after her heel was caught between two pieces of slate and she fell. Kirk was able to get a verdict for $400,000 — a commendable feat since the original offer was only $2,500. The class held about 45 people who tried to work through Kirk’s case and get a better or equal amount than he had. The students taking part went through the whole system, from selecting the jury to opening statements and throughout the rest of the trial. Kirk sat through these classes and watched how each person approached the case. He critiqued, provided advice, and let them in on how he handled the case on his own. “It’s just a lot of fun,” Kirk says. “Everyone has their
own way of handling these things. It’s interesting to see who does what.”
Katherine McDonough, one of the new lawyers here at our firm, attended the class with Kirk’s case. He watched her work through it and was impressed with her abilities. “Out of all the students I watched so far,” Kirk comments, “she’s done the best job. Her jury selection was relaxed and casual — just inviting the jury to talk, which is an important thing to do.” The New Hampshire Association of Justice is a great organization. We’re proud that they chose one of our cases to teach other trial lawyers about overcoming obstacles.
Be Inspired and
Have a Laugh
603.669. 7070 • 3
Guiding You Through Life’s Trials
77 Central Street Manchester, NH 03101 www.DaveNixonLaw.com 603.669.7070
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INSIDE This Issue
Special Days in May
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Explore New Cuisine With Food Subscription Boxes Meet One of Our Amazing Paralegals
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New Hampshire Association of Justice
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Gear Up for Grilling Season
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GET YOUR GRILL ON 2 May Holidays, 2 Reasons to Grill
Is there anything more American than grilling a burger outside on Memorial Day? This year, there’s another reason to fire up the grill that weekend: In addition to being Memorial Day, May 28 is also National Hamburger Day! Enjoy this delicious coincidence by heating up the grill, gathering the fixings, and making one of these tasty burgers at home. THE CLASSIC BURGER Nothing beats the American classic: a seasoned beef patty, a slice of cheddar cheese, a squirt each of mustard and ketchup, a layer of crunchy lettuce, some thinly sliced onions, and a couple of zesty pickles. For a homemade touch, make the pickles yourself by soaking cucumbers in a brine of vinegar, dill, and salt.
red peppers and arugula for flavor and texture. If you want to get extra fancy, pour a bit of balsamic reduction over the patty before adding the toppings. THE PORTOBELLO BURGER For a delicious veggie burger even meat eaters will love, use a portobello mushroom as your patty. Remove the stems, then marinate the mushrooms for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a clove of minced garlic. Season the
THE MEDITERRANEAN BURGER Take your patty to the next level with a
shrooms with salt and pepper, then place them on the grill just as you would any other burger. Gruyere cheese is the perfect creamy topping, and you can use grilled focaccia bread topped with garlic aioli.
As you bask in the late spring weather and the inviting smell of delicious food this Memorial Day, take a moment to remember the Americans who gave their lives so we could enjoy these freedoms, and thank those who served.
Mediterranean twist. Mix feta cheese and garlic into your ground beef before forming your patties. Serve it on a grilled ciabatta bun topped with marinated
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