Fleschner Stark Tanoos and Newlin - January 2019

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January 2019

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2018 was a busy year for our firm. We experienced a lot of growth as we brought on new attorneys and helped more clients. Growth has really been a trend here at the firm for the past few years. It’s a big goal to say you want to help more people, and to truly accomplish it is huge. I’m glad I can say we’ve achieved our aim. At the same time, we haven’t lost what makes our firm unique. We still have the small-town personality that I really love, and I know our clients appreciate it. I’m proud to be part of a business that is all about its community. Speaking of which, I want to share a piece of information from last January. Each year, our firm offers cab rides during the holidays. You’ll find advertisements for the cab service in bars and restaurants around Terre Haute during December and around New Year’s. Last January was the first time in recent memory that there wasn’t a single drunk-driving arrest in Terre Haute on New Year’s Eve! I’d like to think our program had something to do with it. In any case, it’s great to know that people are taking advantage of the program after having a few drinks and staying off the road. We hope to see a similarly empty list of New Year’s DUI arrests this year, but as of this writing, we don’t yet have that information. Last year was also one of growth for me. Among the year’s biggest accomplishments was moving out of my apartment and into my own house. I mentioned the transition in the October 2018 edition of the newsletter, and since then, it’s been fantastic. As a first-time homeowner, I’m still very excited. Professionally, I did a lot of developing and learning as an attorney. I put a lot of effort into staying educated and up-to-date on a number of legal topics. But book smarts don’t get you very far if you neglect to help those

around you, so I focused much of my attention on giving back to the community.

To do that, I serve on the boards of several local organizations. I feel that Terre Haute has done so

much for me over the years, so it’s crucial for me to pay it forward to other local citizens.

One organization I serve with is called Reach Services. I have cerebral palsy on my right side, so volunteering my time with a nonprofit, which aims to help people with various special needs, hits close to home. Reach Services offers resources, advocacy, outreach, and more. When I was growing up and going to school, I was told a lot about what I can’t do. I want to ensure that kids who are growing up with cerebral palsy, or any other condition, know that their opportunities are not limited. They don’t have to endure hearing what they can’t do; I want them to know about everything they can do. That’s an immeasurably important message for young people to hear. As I look ahead to the new year, my mind is on continuing to provide amazing service to our clients and help people when they need it most. When people come to us, they’re often in a tough spot and just looking for someone to rely on. I want to deliver the best help and resources that I possibly can. I look forward to learning more and being there for anyone who needs me, whether they’re a client, a family member, or a friend. From all of us at Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin, we hope you have a bright new year.

Thank you

– Caleb Fleschner

Our referrals continue to be one of the best ways clients find us, and we deeply appreciate it! for your trust and confidence.

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a u s e s L a w s

For many people, preparing for the New Year’s countdown is the most exhilarating part of the holiday season. You tune your TV to the Times Square ball drop, hand out party hats, confetti, and noisemakers, and meticulously line up some champagne flutes. What’s left to do? Pop open the champagne! There are many partiers who pop the cork with enthusiastic and careless abandon, while others point the bottle away from their faces and anxiously twist the cork until they hear those bubbles surge to the surface. Turns out, while the latter practice may be slightly less fun, it’s certainly the safer approach. On April 8, 1978, Charles J. Murray was injured when a natural cork stopper spontaneously ejected from a bottle of previously unopened Almaden Blanc de Blancs champagne and struck him in the left eye. He was preparing to serve the bubbly to a party of 40 people, so he placed 12 bottles on a rolling cart and removed the foil and wire retainer

from three or four bottles — including the one that eventually injured him. Once he started to roll the cart toward the guests, the cork shot out of the bottle all on its own. Due to the severity of his injury, Murray sued Almaden Vineyards, Inc., National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, and Carbo, Inc., alleging that they were responsible because they failed to include a proper warning label on the bottle. The defendants, however, argued that the cork stopper did not and could not spontaneously eject unless Murray had handled the bottle improperly. The case was argued by both sides for two years, but eventually, Murray won. Almaden Vineyards now prints the following on its bottles: “WARNING: THIS BOTTLE IS UNDER PRESSURE. THE STOPPER WILL EJECT SOON AFTER THE WIRE HOOD REMOVAL. TO PROTECT AGAINST INJURY TO FACE AND EYES, POINT AWAY FROM SELF AND OTHERS WHEN OPENING.”

When it comes to

bubbly- induced mayhem, the greatest potential trouble lies in the eye of the beholder — literally. With an estimated velocity of 60 miles per hour, uncontrolled corks do in fact fly faster than the blink of an eye. To avoid having to explain a not-so- fashionable eye patch at work on Monday, handle those fizzy drinks with care.

Why January? The Origin of NewYear’s Day

The month of January kicks off by welcoming the new year — there are countdowns, fireworks, and of course, the ball drop in a freezing- cold Times Square. But why?Why

Inspired by the Egyptian solar calendar, Caesar fixed the Roman year at 365 days and instituted the leap year to keep months aligned with the solstices. He moved the new year from the spring to the day that elected officials traditionally began their year-long terms, Jan. 1. This choice carried spiritual significance, since January was named for Janus, god of doors and gates. What better month to celebrate new beginnings? Under Caesar and subsequent rulers, the Roman Empire expanded its reach, carrying its calendar with it. While much of Europe adopted Caesar’s calendar, NewYear’s Day remained a hot-button issue for centuries.

Thanks in part to the spread of Christianity and to the colder conditions in Northern Europe, there was a lot of resistance to the January start date. Religious leaders saw it as a pagan holiday, and much of Europe chose to restart the calendar on March 25, during the Feast of Annunciation. Much of Catholic Europe officially recognized Jan. 1 as the start of the new year after Pope Gregory reformed the solar calendar again, correcting certain mathematical errors made in Caesar’s day. There were still holdouts, however. In fact, England and its American colonies continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in March until 1752. So there you have it —we were very close to having our fireworks celebrations in lovely spring weather. Ultimately, the ubiquity of the Gregorian calendar won out, as the demands of our increasingly interconnected world made a shared calendar a necessity. So if you struggle to start your NewYear’s resolutions this winter, blame Julius Caesar.

do we start our calendars when much of the U.S. is in the dead of winter?Why January? The short answer is Julius Caesar and Roman politics. The calendar had long been a political tool in Rome. Depending on who was in power, Roman pontifices would add or subtract entire weeks from the year, manually adjusting the term limits of elected officials. As you could imagine, this caused a lot of chaos, because months frequently slipped out of time with the changing seasons. After becoming emperor, Julius Caesar brought about some much-needed reforms.

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Our Clients Say It Best

Stephanie Bartlett

“I was very pleased with how my case was handled, and the outcome was favorable. They are extremely professional, and I would recommend them to anyone needing an attorney for disability denial. William Tanoos was by my side at the hearing, and my experience with him and the law firm was better than expected. A big thank-you to all that helped in getting me my permanent disability social security!” –Donna O.

Stephanie has been with our law firm for twenty years this upcoming March. She is the executive legal assistant to Attorney Tom Newlin. She assists him with a wide variety of case types, including: estates, guardianships, real estate, general civil, small claims, adoptions, and business. She also does a lot of proofreading for the law firm, including this very newsletter. Stephanie’s favorite thing about her job is helping clients solve their legal issues. She said she is never bored and is always learning something new. She also added, “The partners are also very good to us.” People who nominated Stephanie said this: “Stephanie does A LOT for the firm, and most goes unnoticed. She is the first to always volunteer to help out in any way that she can. She is a great asset to the firm!!”

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We Handle Case Types Did You Know We Handle All of These Types of Cases?

Ingredients

2 large or 4 medium chicken thighs

2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 tablespoons water 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil Salt and pepper, to taste

3 pounds bok choy, cut into 3–4-inch ribbons 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons oyster sauce

• • •

2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. In large pot, boil three cups of water. Add chicken and reduce to simmer, cooking for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool. Once cooled, remove skin and bones, chop, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid. 2. In a large skillet over high heat, heat vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add bok choy and cook for 1 minute, stirring throughout. Add half of reserved cooking liquid, cover skillet, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer bok choy to a plate. 3. Add remaining cooking liquid and chicken to the pan, maintaining high heat. Heat chicken, then add oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch-and-water mixture, sesame oil, and bok choy. Season to taste, toss together, and serve over rice.

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Reflecting Back and Moving Forward

Watch Out for Rogue Champagne Corks This Year Why Start the New Year in Winter?

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Employee of the Month Chicken Chop Suey

Why Less Stuff Means More Freedom

A Guide to Downsizing What to Keep, Gift, Donate, and Throw Out

Many homeowners reach a point in their lives when they’re ready to move from the house they raised their families in to something smaller and more manageable. While finding the right place can be a challenge, the hardest part of downsizing is often sorting through a lifetime’s worth of possessions. This process, called contents downsizing, is much easier when you follow this four-step system. StartWith the Junk Beginning your downsizing with the hardest items will only lead to frustration and inaction. Instead, start by tackling areas of the house that are full of documents, knickknacks, and boxes you haven’t touched in years. These will be the easiest to part with and will put you in the right downsizing mindset. Donate Unwanted Items The next category contains items that are no longer valuable to you or your family but may be useful to others. These items can be donated to one of many worthy organizations, such as Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or St. Vincent de Paul. Donations are a way to give back to the less fortunate instead of simply giving or throwing things away. Give Gifts to Loved Ones If you have children, they will undoubtedly want to keep a few cherished mementos and precious possessions. Deciding who will keep what can be a

sensitive subject, so you’ll need to devise an equitable way to divvy up the goods. Some families engage in the process collaboratively, but there should always be some communication before

anything is thrown out. Your kids may value certain items more than you ever realized. If you suspect a certain heirloom could be a source of contention, it’s best to hold on to it and make it part of your estate plan. Only Keep the Essentials After completing the first three steps, you should be left with only those items you actually use and those that have the most sentimental value to you. These are the objects worth bringing to your new home. Bonus Tip: Color Code Each Category Odds are that you’ll find junk and valuables stored right next to each other. If you don’t have time to physically separate them at the moment, use different colored Post-it notes to keep everything organized when it comes time to move.

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