Take a look at our October newsletter!
Makin’ It Better NEWSLETTER
October 2022
Oregon Workers’ Compensation | Personal Injury | Social Security Disability
1139 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103 • 503-325-8600 • JoeDiBartolomeo.com
True Stories of White House Ghosts Who Haunts the President?
I’m glad it’s finally October, the month of haunted houses and ghost stories. That means I get to share some unique trivia with you. Is the White House haunted? The answer is, in fact, yes!
bed after locking the doors, and there were footsteps in your room whose door I’d left open. Jumped and looked — and no one was there! The damned place is haunted sure as shootin’. Secret Service said not even a watchman was up here at that hour. You and Margie had better come back and protect me before some of these ghosts carry me off.” Even without such detailed letters, many stories continue through common experiences and word of mouth. One of Broach’s favorite stories is about a man named David Burnes, who sold the land where the White House sits and whose voice has been reportedly heard in the Oval Office. Some ghosts were deeply personal to different presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln. Reportedly, Lincoln received regular visits from his son, Willie, who died in the White House in 1862 at age 11, most likely due to typhoid fever. Mary Todd Lincoln was so grief-stricken that she stayed in her room for weeks, but she only once spoke of seeing her son’s ghost at the foot of her bed. If you think there’s an afterlife in phantasmal form, then it might interest you to hear First Lady Grace Coolidge’s ghost account. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, Coolidge spoke in magazine accounts of seeing Lincoln looking out a window in what had been his office.
Or, at least, we have recorded stories about ghosts in the White House.
Many more people have seen Lincoln’s ghost since then — even foreign royalty and politicians. One night in 1942, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was sleeping in Lincoln’s bedroom when she heard a faint knock on her bedroom door. She opened it to see the bearded president before she fainted. She wasn’t the first foreign visitor to notice Lincoln’s presence, however. In 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stayed in the very same room. He stepped out of a hot bath with a cigar and little else and saw Lincoln by the fireplace. Famously, Churchill reportedly said, “Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage.” In his Post interview, Broach was asked if he believed in ghosts. “For sure,” he responded. “If I said no, I’d be calling about eight different presidents liars.” As it turns out, he’d be calling our allies liars too. So, that might be one of the best reasons to believe in ghosts I’ve heard yet. What’s your favorite ghost story? I’d love to hear it.
In 2017, The Washington Post interviewed Jared Broach, the founder of Nightly Spirits. His company offers tours of haunted areas across the country, but upon their launch in 2012, the only tour they offered was of the White House. According to Broach, the White House has the best ghost stories. “I’d call them the most verified,” Broach told The Post. “Honestly, we could do a 10-hour tour if we really wanted to.” Many are verified simply due to all the preservation of documents that occurs when living in the White House. In a 1946 letter written to his wife, President Harry S. Truman describes a late-night ghost encounter on a lonely night. He went to bed at 9 p.m., then 6 hours later awoke to hear three knocks at the door. “I jumped up and put on my bathrobe, opened the door, and found no one there,” he wrote. “Went out and looked up and down the hall, looked in your room and Margie’s. Still no one. Went back to
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The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
GET IT DONE! School’s Out! What Can You Do? THE TOP 5 ONLINE WORKOUTS TODAY
E.F.F.E.C.T. FITNESS ON DEMAND This boot camp-style workout program is available for free on Instagram live or on-demand. Those who have tried it are raving about the energy of the classes, the virtual community presence, and the variety of movements offered. It will build your stamina, strengthen your body, and have you sweating in minutes!
While we adjusted to spending more time at home, 2020 and 2021 were the years of online workouts, and they are only becoming more popular. The ease of burning calories and building strength right from the comfort of your own home is enticing and practical! Online workouts save time and money, offer privacy, and are flexible. In fact, getting in a quick 20-minute workout has never been easier!
at and help you achieve your fitness goals. Whether mobility, strength, or weight loss is your goal, Nike Training Club has multiple options available for you. Best of all, it’s free! PELOTON APP By now, you’ve surely heard of Peloton, the revolutionary stationary bike. But it’s much more than a bike! The app offers both on- bike training and fun rides and tons of off- bike workouts to keep things mixed up! For those times when a quick at-home workout is just what you need, or the gym is just not your cup of tea, these online classes and programs are your perfect go-to!
DAILY BURN This workout program features both
Here are some of the best tried and proven online workout programs to check out.
group workouts and one-on-one training. With thousands of choices, you can mix it up freely. One day, you can engage in weightlifting, and the next day, you can be bending and twisting with yoga. From cardio to Pilates, Daily Burn has it all! NIKE TRAINING CLUB From the comfort of your home, you can take part in a wide variety of workouts with trainers available to meet you where you’re
CRUNCH FITNESS LIVE Crunch Fitness has many physical locations nationwide, but they also have a fabulous online workout program that offers tons of variety, new movements, and on-the-fly workouts tailored to your individual fitness level and needs. Over 85 workouts are available 24/7, and you can even customize your workout and playlist!
Working While Disabled YOUR CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY
If you receive disability benefits and are working or looking to return to work, there’s good news! Social Security’s work incentives and Ticket to Work programs can help. Specific rules make it possible for people who receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits to work and still receive monthly payments. The Ticket to Work program may help if you want to work again. It is a program for people who wish to improve their earning potential and are committed to preparing for long-term success in the workplace.
If you receive SSD benefits, you or your representative(s) must promptly report any changes in your work activities. This can include when you start or stop working, if your duties, hours, or pay have changed, or if you start paying for expenses that you need for work due to your disability. The SSA has several back-to-work incentives that allow you to try to rejoin the workforce without losing your SSD benefits. One includes a trial work period that will enable you to test your abilities to work for at least nine months. During that period, you will receive your full SSD benefits — regardless of your earnings — as long as you report your work and continue to have a disability. Another work incentive would be an expedited reinstatement. If your benefits stop because of substantial earnings, you have five years to ask the SSA to restart the benefits. This only applies if you’re unable to continue working due to your condition(s).
Luckily, you won’t have to file a new application or wait for the benefits to restart while they review your medical condition.
Some other work incentives include the following but aren’t limited to:
• Cash benefits continue, for a time, while you work • Medicare or Medicaid benefits continue while you work • Help with education, training, and rehabilitation to start a new line of work Many people who receive Social Security Disability benefits are afraid to attempt returning to work for fear of the effect it can have on their SSD benefits. If you have questions about your SSD benefits regarding returning to work, the Di Bartolomeo Law Office team is here to help you understand all of your rights and options. Give us a call today!
With this program, you could receive the following benefits:
• Free vocational rehabilitation • Training • Job referrals • Other employment support
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The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
ENSURI
SHARE YOUR TRIP. If you must travel alone, especially at night, virtually share your trip with someone. It allows you to let someone know where you are, where you are going, and when you plan to arrive at your destination. That way, if you were to not show up to the destination or aren’t on time when you said you would be, someone will have the most recent updates on where you are. GIVE FEEDBACK. This is often one of the many things people overlook regarding rideshare services. When in reality, it’s something that can potentially help future riders. If a driver makes you uncomfortable or drives in a manner that makes you feel uneasy, be sure to leave feedback. It ensures that we keep the good drivers on the road and the bad ones off.
Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft have become increasingly popular these days. Although utilizing these services is an excellent alternative for walking home alone or avoiding driving under the influence, it’s essential to know how to do it safely. CONFIRM YOUR DRIVER AND CAR. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who impersonate rideshare drivers. It can become a perilous situation if you’re not cautious. Luckily, most rideshare apps have all the information provided for their drivers so that you can confirm you have the correct ride. But, it’s still important to double-check. So, confirm that the driver’s license plate number and photo match the information provided on the rideshare app. It’s also crucial to ask the driver for the name of the passenger they are picking up — if they don’t say your name, do not get into the car! KEEP PERSONAL INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL. There’s no harm in exchanging pleasantries with your driver; sometimes, they can be chatty. But avoid giving the driver personal information, such as where you live, how long you’re traveling, or any other contact information. Uber and Lyft utilize technology that anonymizes your phone number when you call or message your driver through the app. It also covers your exact pickup and dropoff locations in the driver’s trip history.
Unfortunately, as the holiday season approaches, the risk of people driving under the influence and motor vehicle accidents increases. So, if you plan on drinking or staying out late at night, consider using a rideshare service and use the tips provided to ensure a safe ride home.
PUZZLE
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients
• 5 cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth • 2 cups Arborio rice • 2 cups of pumpkin, diced • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced • Salt, to taste • Pepper, to taste • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 2 tbsp mascarpone cheese • 2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 400 F and arrange a rack in the middle. 2. In a 3-quart baking dish, combine broth, rice, diced and puréed pumpkin, and onion. 3. Season with salt and pepper, then stir until evenly combined. 4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until water has been absorbed and rice granules are puffed. 5. Remove from the oven and stir in basil, grated Parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, and olive oil.
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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What’s Inside
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Ghost Stories From the Oval Office
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5 of the Best Online Workouts Can I Return to Work While Getting SSD Benefits?
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Rideshare Safety Tips Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto
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Creating a More Sustainable Future
Technology Improvements to Help the Environment CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Over the past year or two, many publications have challenged the idea that new technological advancements are helping us create a more sustainable future. Some of the most common examples cited are the disposal of electric vehicle batteries and the production of smartphones. How green are these technologies if they create new hazardous waste streams or increase fossil fuel use to generate electricity? Most of today’s electric vehicles use lithium- ion batteries, which are only recycled 5% of the time, even as automakers are trying to find second lives for their batteries. In a similar vein, smartphones are rarely recycled, and their production can be incredibly harmful to the environment. Some manufacturers, including Apple, have been introducing more environmentally friendly methods to create their devices.
While there are some outliers that reflect negatively on sustainable technological advancements, most organizations are working hard to make a positive difference.
Smart technology has allowed us to improve the efficiency of certain products, such as lightbulbs and HVAC systems. We can use this technology on our devices to control lights
within our homes, set a thermostat temperature, and more. We can even set timers to control when things are turned on or off. This helps us control our carbon footprint. Through reporting functions, these companies can make adjustments and improvements to devices without ever setting foot in our homes. When used correctly, technology can play a huge role in procuring a sustainable future for everyone — by increasing productivity
and efficiency while also reducing product waste and the use of harmful chemicals.
Now that companies are putting a greater focus on sustainable technology, you will begin to see improvements throughout society. It might not be immediate and there may be hiccups along the way, but with continued efforts, we can have a more sustainable future.
Companies across various industries have become more environmentally conscious.
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The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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