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www.MonteforteLaw.com (978) 653-4092 Practical wisdom, trusted advice.
April 2021
Jill and I became parents 17 years ago this April when our daughter, Gabby, was born. It’s hard to believe — and I get choked up just writing about it — that my little baby girl with round cheeks and bright blue eyes can now drive and is considering colleges. Today, Gabby is strong-willed, determined, and independent. She knows what she wants and doesn’t put up with anything from anyone. Gabby wasn’t always this outgoing. Like many little kids, she was very shy until she was about 5 years old. As my parents’ first grandchild and my grandparents’ first great-grandchild, she stole everyone’s hearts. Actually, it’s only fitting that Gabby’s birthstone is a diamond. She’s always had “diamond taste,” and I think we can blame my mom, grandmother, and aunts for that. My mom would run to the grocery store and come back with a dress for Gabby! We had bins of clothes for her, and she never wore anything twice. Ever since she was born, Gabby has been a daddy’s girl. I can remember walking in the door after work and seeing her run up to me. She would follow me around for the rest of the night, knowing full well even at that age that I was wrapped around her finger. To this day, Gabby knows that if Jill says no to something, she can act sweetly toward me and usually persuade me to say yes. Jill is just so much stronger than I am when it comes to the sweet act! And I’m not the only one. Her brother, Mikey, will never admit it, but he adores his older sister. She’s less than two years older than him and has always been his second mom. When they were younger, she made sure everyone knew they couldn’t mess with her brother. Gabby has always taken care of Mikey, and as a result, he trusts her opinion more than he trusts Jill and me. If Jill says he needs a haircut, his response is just a shrug. But when Gabby says it, it’s time to go to the barbershop! Mikey will never admit just how much his sister means to him, but it’s obvious to Jill and me. Personally, I cherish every moment I get to spoil that little girl. I’m so proud of the young woman Gabby has become and the way she has faced this past year. You’ve heard a story like this before: Because of the pandemic, we couldn’t host Gabby’s Sweet 16 party, and she had to wait to get her learner’s permit. She was bummed, of course, but she took it 17 Years Later REFLECTING ON LIFE WITH OUR DAUGHTER
all in stride. Today, she has her driver’s license and her own car, courtesy of Mom and Dad, but she has a job at a local ice cream shop to pay for her car. These days, Gabby is busy with school, work, and dance. This upcoming season will be her final year dancing with the same company she’s been with since she was very little, and it’s so hard to believe this chapter in our lives is coming to an end. She has a list of colleges she wants to apply to, as well, and has even told us that she wants to follow in my footsteps and become a lawyer. She then said the area of law I practice is boring, so I guess you win some, you lose some! Regardless of what she chooses to do with the rest of her life, I’m not worried. Gabby is strong, intelligent, and outgoing. Whatever she does, she will do it wholeheartedly and continue to make Jill and me proud.
Happy birthday, Gabby. I love you more than you could ever know!
–Mike Monteforte
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For the First Time, a Vegan Restaurant Gets a Michelin Star
It’s difficult to take animal products out of French cuisine and replace them with lemongrass, seaweed, and fir (yes, the tree). French meals are generally meat-centric, featuring vegetables solely as a side dish. And, even with no meat, how do you cut out cheese and cream? Claire Vallee, owner of the vegan restaurant ONA, found a way. The name is an acronym, standing for “origine non-animale.” And her restaurant, located near Bordeaux, France, was among the 54 restaurants to earn their first Michelin star in 2021. Although a few restaurants in the U.S. and Germany featuring vegan dishes have earned Michelin stars in the past, no restaurant that was 100% vegan has been honored with a star. ONA had a bumpy start despite this amazing honor. After crowdfunding and securing a loan from La Nef, which specializes in loans for ethical and eco-friendly businesses, Vallee still ran out of money to complete construction. Undaunted, she used social media to rally 80 volunteers to help finish the job over the course of two months. She finally opened ONA in 2016. “This is a good thing for the vegan community, as this star is evidence that French gastronomy is becoming more inclusive, that plant-based dishes belong there, too,” Vallee told CNN.
During the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, ONA went to takeout only. With the rise in popularity of plant-based diets, demand for vegan restaurants has been growing, but ONA still struggled. Last fall, its seven-course menu featured dishes with intriguing combinations of fir, boletus and sake shiitake mushrooms, dulse seaweed, lemongrass, and galangal (also known as Thai ginger). Today, the restaurant is currently closed because of the pandemic, but the victory is huge for French cuisine. Gwendal Poullenec, the international head of the Michelin Guides, told The New York Times, “The general public might not associate pure veganism with a gastronomical experience.” But a Michelin star could liberate chefs who are still reluctant to explore plant-based cooking. For most of us, international travel won’t be on the menu anytime soon — but we hope ONA opens its doors again soon. The world deserves to enjoy ONA’s award-winning menu!
Up in Flames The Fyre Festival’s Legal Fallout for Influencers
transfers” between the founders and many of the event’s promoters, and he began to sue the celebrities and influencers that drove the hype behind the festival. For example, McFarland and Ja Rule reportedly paid Kendall Jenner over $275,000 to publish an Instagram post promoting the festival. Although Jenner denied liability, she did not disclose on the post that it was paid and sponsored. Messer’s attorney further argued that Jenner had not told her Instagram followers that she’d pulled out of the festival after learning of its disastrous problems. Although more legal parameters will likely spring up in the future to further define the limits of influencer marketing, this will certainly make any celebrity think twice about accepting money to promote events and brands. And that’s definitely for the best!
“[The organizers] had six to eight weeks to pull off something that should have taken close to a year,” says Chris Smith, who directed a Netflix documentary on the festival. “But what was most surprising to me was going to the Bahamas and seeing the aftermath of what was left behind and the effect on the people there.” The local economy was devastated. “They had engaged with so much of the local community to try and pull this off. There were hundreds of day laborers working,” says Smith. “Fyre had such a high profile that I don’t think anyone could have assumed that it wouldn’t work out.” As the Fyre Festival fell apart, Gregory Messer — the trustee in charge of overseeing the bankruptcy for Fyre Media — looked into the finances. He began to suspect that there had been “fraudulent
Influencer marketing has long been a legal gray area, but recently settled celebrity lawsuits related to the Fyre Festival — a failed luxury musical festival — have definitely added some color to the debate. The idea for the Fyre Festival came from rapper Ja Rule and his business partner Billy McFarland, a 25-year-old CEO of a luxury concierge service. The duo created the event together and touted it as the world’s most expensive music festival. They’d also launched an attractive marketing campaign which included celebrity promotions by Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and other influencers. All the while, the organizers knew the Fyre Festival was doomed from the start. In lieu of a multiday, luxury experience, thousands of people were scammed and left stranded in the Bahamas instead.
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TAKE A BREAK
As April showers arrive, how do you stay dry when dashing from place to place? Luckily, wearing a raincoat doesn’t mean looking like Paddington Bear anymore. Here are several raincoat styles you’ll love so much you’ll be praying for rain. No. 1: The Everyday, Lightweight Hoodie Raincoat There’s something satisfying about wearing a black hoodie and not having to make other decisions about an outfit that day. The same applies to your everyday, lightweight black hoodie raincoat. Beautifully simple, you can wear it over anything you own — but until the rain comes, you can leave it rolled in your bag or pocket. Yes, it’s that compact! Check out Rain’s Ultralight Jacket on US.Rains.com , which fits the bill perfectly. No. 2: The Confident, Classic Trench Raincoat Just because you have a trenchcoat doesn’t mean it’s rainproof anymore — so why not buy a fashionable, elegant trenchcoat you can wear rain or shine? A high-quality trenchcoat is super practical, and it’ll also give you a classic, on-trend look for years to come. Find yours on Zappos.com , which has beautiful coats that’ll last a lifetime at a decent price. No. 3: The Practical, Stylish Poncho Ponchos are a rainy day favorite because they’re affordable, easy to put on no matter how bulky your clothes are, and generally easy to store once you’re done wearing them. If you live somewhere that doesn’t rain often or you just prefer the feeling of a loose wrap, then a light poncho might be your best option. Some even include pockets, making your life a little easier wherever you’re headed! Try Amazon.com to find diverse styles at various price points. Of course, we cannot ignore the popularity of Sherlock Holmes. Will his raincoat, the Inverness cape, be the next sensation? Combining elements from a poncho and trenchcoat, the Inverness cape is a unique style that’s fashionable and practical! No matter which style you prefer, these coats prove that looking good while staying dry is possible. TRENDING RAINCOAT STYLES FOR 2021
SPRING VEGETABLE AND CHICKEN PASTA BAKE
Inspired by TheSeasonedMom.com
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped and divided • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped and divided • 2 tsp minced garlic • 1/4 tsp salt • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 cup cooked chicken, diced • 1 14-oz can artichokes, drained and quartered • 1 cup fresh asparagus pieces • 1/2 cup carrots, grated • 1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 F and grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. 2. In the prepared dish, stir together cooked chicken, artichokes, asparagus, carrots, uncooked pasta, chicken broth, half the chives, half the parsley, garlic, salt, and 2 tbsp Parmesan. 3. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. 4. Uncover and stir. At this point, check the pasta to make sure it is al dente. If it’s undercooked, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is tender. 5. Remove from oven and garnish with remaining Parmesan, chives, and parsley.
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(978) 653-4092 www.MonteforteLaw.com 400 TradeCenter, Suite 6890 Woburn, MA 01801 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Celebrating Gabby This April
For the First Time, a Vegan Restaurant Gets a Michelin Star The Fyre Festival’s Legal Fallout for Influencers
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Spring Vegetable and Chicken Pasta Bake This Spring’s Trending Raincoat Styles
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AI Is Helping Us Explore Space!
Genius Technology
3 Ways AI Is Changing Our Lives for the Better
Detecting Disease Our health has never been more in focus than it is today, and innovators know that. Some AI devices now can detect illness just by smelling someone’s breath. The bots are designed to pick up on certain odor cues that the body gives off while fighting diseases, like cancer or diabetes. While these machines are still in the implementation and development phases, they have the potential to improve diagnostic testing and find diseases in the near future. Creating Better Engineering Platforms Engineers have thankless, albeit powerful, jobs. While they’re responsible for some of our biggest achievements, much of their job is spent tinkering with existing models to improve small components for greater success. Thanks to AI, Stanford University professor Chris Re surmises that engineers may be able to spend more time playing with greater ideas instead. Machine-learning technology is capable of understanding where the pitfalls in a device lie and how it would need to be improved. This can cut down on time spent doing mundane work, and instead, engineers can move innovation along faster than ever.
Artificial intelligence (AI) became a household feature when Apple introduced us to Siri, and it expanded with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home. However, AI can do so much more than tell us the weather or answer our customer service questions. Today, AI is more advanced than ever, and as engineers continue to tweak its capabilities, it continues to shape the way we think about the future. Here are three ways AI is expanding beyond computer programs. Exploring Mars Putting humans on Mars is NASA’s ultimate goal, so it’s probing for safe landing sites on the big red planet with the help of AI. For the past 15 years, scientists have relied on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to send photos and other valuable data to NASA. One of the crucial aspects of the planet that NASA needs to study is the craters, both old and new. But expecting the orbiter to find these with precision hasn’t always been easy. In 2020, NASA scientists developed an AI software that could detect fresh craters on Mars’ surface in the photos that the orbiter sends back. This has already led to the discovery of dozens of once- hidden craters in the orbiter’s photos.
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