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Makin’ It Better NEWSLETTER
January 2020
Oregon Workers’ Compensation | Personal Injury | Social Security Disability
1139 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103 • 503-325-8600 • JoeDiBartolomeo.com
A WINTER FOOD WONDERLAND
Don’t Let the Season Stop Your Fun in the Kitchen
If you do your best to eat seasonally, you’re not alone. In recent years, more and more people have embraced the idea of eating fresh, local produce that cycles throughout the year. Some choose the path for health reasons — studies have shown that organic fruits and vegetables, which are more common on small farms, have 20%–40% more antioxidants than conventionally grown ones — while others want to decrease the carbon footprint of the food on their plates to help fight climate change. Regardless of the reason why, many have embraced this simple fact: The fresher produce is, the better it tastes! A tomato engineered to travel hundreds of miles to your dinner table just doesn’t pack the same flavor punch as one picked in your own backyard. In the spring, summer, and even the fall, eating seasonally is relatively easy. If you have access to a farmers market or local co-op, it’s no doubt bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables during the warmer months. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, greens, peaches, cherries, strawberries, blueberries — all of these tasty foods and more overflow in the spring and summer. Once fall arrives, an abundance of squash and apples shows up to complement the summer bounty. Winter, however, is another story. When the weather turns chilly, berries and delicate greens disappear, and produce in general seems scarce, which can make it feel impossible to eat seasonally.
However, even when there’s snow on the ground, there is more seasonal food out there than you might think! Here are just a few of the fresh vegetables and fruits the U.S. has to offer in winter:
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes • Winter squash • Turnips • Parsnips • Rutabagas • Winter radishes • Celeriac • Citrus fruits • Kale • Carrots • Beets • Onions • Garlic
fruit throughout the year. A bag of frozen strawberries can make an excellent pie, and canned peaches are delicious on ice cream! Winter greens like kale can make for delicious versions of your favorite salads, too, and if you’re concerned about kale’s toughness, simply massage the leaves with olive oil and let them chill in the fridge overnight. Some farmers even have greenhouses that enable them to grow herbs, leafy greens, and other warm- weather delights year-round. If you’re struggling to find sources for local, seasonal produce, don’t worry; the internet has your back. Websites like LocalHarvest. org can connect you with farmers, farmers markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscriptions, and food events in your area. Just type in your zip code, and its search engine will offer up suggestions on where to shop. With resources like this at your disposal, there’s no reason to quit the kitchen this winter. In fact, you might just discover a new favorite dish!
• Broccoli • Cabbage • Pomegranates • Leeks • Brussels sprouts
Root vegetables, like potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and beets, are ideal for roasting and can pair with bread and cheese for hearty dishes like roasted root vegetable salad (see FoodNetwork.com for a great recipe), shaved carrot tart with ricotta (Saveur.com), or chicken and root vegetable soup (BonAppetit.com). If you’re missing the fruits of summer, try adding pomegranates and citrus to your diet, and seek out farmers who offer canned, frozen, or preserved local
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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HISTORY’S SWEETEST THEFT The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist
Maple syrup holds a proud place in the history and culture of Quebec, Canada. It’s also a big part of Quebec’s economy, with 72% of the world’s maple syrup produced in Quebec alone. Due to tactics employed by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ), the NPR-backed podcast “The Indicator” estimates that maple syrup is valued at approximately $1,300 per barrel — over 20 times more than crude oil. The FPAQ controls the available syrup supply, never releasing enough maple syrup to meet demand, which increases the price. As a result, most of the world’s maple syrup is stored in various reserves.
knocked over one of the empty barrels. The inspector alerted the police, who would go on to arrest 17 men in connection to the theft, including Vallières himself. Police were then able to recover hundreds of barrels of the stolen syrup, but most of it was never recovered — likely lost to pancake breakfasts far away.
Between 2011 and 2012, a group of thieves decided to liberate the syrup from an FPAQ facility in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec. Stealing syrup from Canada doesn’t sound as glamorous as stealing cash from a Vegas casino, but their plan could rival the plot of “Ocean’s Eleven.” At the FPAQ facility, syrup was stored in unmarked metal barrels and only inspected once a year. The heist, led by a man named Richard Vallières, involved transporting the barrels to a remote sugar shack in the Canadian wilderness, where they siphoned off the maple syrup, refilled the barrels with water, and returned the barrels to the facility. The stolen syrup was then trucked east to
New Brunswick and south across the border into Vermont. Wisely, the thieves sold their ill-gotten goods in small batches, avoiding suspicion from legitimate syrup distributors. In what is now known as the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, thieves made off with 10,000 barrels of maple syrup valued at $18.7 million. This remains one of the most costly heists in Canadian history. Vallières himself became a millionaire and took his family on three tropical vacations in one year. Unfortunately, the thieves got sloppy and stopped refilling the barrels with water. When an FPAQ inspector visited the targeted facility in the fall of 2012, he accidentally
HOWMUCHWILL IT COST? Fees for Hiring a Workers’ Compensation Attorney
“How much will it cost?” It’s a question our firm hears a lot, and it’s a natural one to ask when you’re faced with the uncertainty that comes with a workplace injury. After all, if you’re already dealing with medical bills and lost wages, why risk adding legal fees on top of the financial strain? That’s why Oregon workers’ compensation attorneys use a win-win payment structure. TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD) is the regulatory body that oversees just about every aspect of on-the- job injury claims. They regulate how much insurance companies have to reimburse you for meals and lodging while traveling to and from doctors’ appointments, how much those physicians can charge for their services, and yes, how much attorneys can charge for representing your claim. In fact, after you and your legal team have established a fee agreement, the WCD requires an administrative law judge or department official to approve the deal before it’s paid. RESULTS-BASED PAYMENT Another way you are protected from exorbitant legal fees is your attorney will only be paid if they are successful. This doesn’t
just mean your benefit denial is overturned or you reach a settlement. The attorney has to be “instrumental” in achieving these results. Thus, you don’t have to worry about paying for a lost case or about hiring an attorney only to find their services weren’t needed. Fees only apply when your representative gets you positive results. COSTS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT Sometimes expenses arise as the result of fighting a claim denial. These can include the cost of obtaining medical records or medical expert opinions. In some cases, the court may rule that the insurer pay for these costs, rather than pass them on to the injured worker. Since we don’t want you to have to worry about any surprise fees, our workers’ compensation fee agreement covers all the contingencies of these extra costs. This is all to say that you have nothing to lose by speaking with an experienced Oregon workers’ compensation attorney. Rather than add to the mounting costs of your injury, they can help you secure the benefits you need to get back on your feet.
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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If you’ve been denied a Social Security disability claim, you may be nervous about the future. Seeking legal representation for an appeal might sound like a serious undertaking, especially when paired with the other challenges of having a disability. It can help to have a road map of what to expect in the appeals process, so here’s an overview of what we do for our clients after they come us in the wake of an SSDI denial. BUILDING YOUR CASE The very first thing we’ll do is file a disability report request to review your claim file. This will show us how your claim got denied and give us a better picture of how to approach the appeal. From there, we’ll help you update your medical records, get opinions from physicians, and talk to friends and family to obtain and prepare witness statements. KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE As we move through the appeal process, we’ll keep in touch with you every step of the way. This includes regular update conferences where you can ask us questions and know exactly where your claim stands. If your case goes to a hearing, we’ll help you prepare as the date approaches. GOING FORWARD In the event that the appeal is denied after the hearing, it isn’t the end of the road — you may choose to take
your case to the Appeals Council. We’ll review the unfavorable decision to look for appealable issues to make your case. We’ll also work with you on the Appeals Council process, including preparing written arguments. Even if the council denies the review, we can connect you with attorneys who specialize in federal court appeals and can advise you on whether to take your case to the next level of the legal system. Our job is to make the appeals process as easy as possible for you. Chances are you’ve got enough on your plate to be caught up in the complex minutiae of the Social Security Administration. If you’d like our experienced team to lend a helping hand, you can reach us at 503-325-8600.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SAUERKRAUT Inspired by NourishedKitchen.com
• 2 lbs cabbage • 4 tsp fine sea salt Ingredients Equipment
• Jar • Lid with airlock • Something to weigh down cabbage, ideally made of a nonreactive material like glass
Directions
1. Remove outer leaves from cabbage. Slice very thinly. 2. In a large bowl, combine cabbage and salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. 3. Squeeze cabbage to release juices. Let the cabbage continue to soak and release juices for another 20 minutes. 4. Transfer to a jar and press down cabbage until completely submerged in its juices. Weigh down cabbage. 5. Seal jar with airlock. Let cabbage sit at room temperature and away from sunlight for one month. Once fermented, transfer to the fridge. Sauerkraut will keep for six months to one year.
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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503-325-8600 JoeDiBartolomeo.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1139 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103
What’s Inside
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How to Eat Seasonally Through the Winter
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The Sweetest Crime in History
The Cost of Fighting for Your Benefits
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Denied Disability Benefits: What’s Next?
How to Make Your Own Sauerkraut
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The Tech of 2020
TECH OF TOMORROW WHAT’S COMING IN 2020?
Here we are in the future. We may not have flying cars yet, but 2020 promises to be an exciting year for multiple tech industries. Judging by predicted developments for this year, this new decade could see many of our sci-fi fantasies come to life. Here are a few of the most promising trends we have our eyes on. EXPANDED 5G ACCESS While the long-coveted 5G mobile network became a reality in 2019, it was by no means widespread. Now, with many cellphone companies upgrading their equipment at the beginning of this year, it’s likely the average American will soon have access to this latest generation of mobile internet. If it’s anything like the rollout of 4G, we may not see much of a difference in our connectivity right away. However, as access increases, 5G devices will become more common, paving the way for some very high-speed experiences in 2021 and beyond. EXTENDED REALITY Extended reality, or XR, is an umbrella term covering virtual reality headsets, Instagram filters, augmented
reality devices, and more, and it is expected to become a household term this year. While price and hardware limitations have made this technology little more than a novelty until now, interest in XR is burgeoning in major industries like architecture and education. The line between digital and physical worlds may truly start to blur this year. MEDICAL IMPLANTS While devices like pacemakers and artificial hips have been around for decades, a new generation of implanted care devices has begun to emerge. For example, Stimwave’s micro-stimulators made a splash in the medical world last year when early tests showed they were an effective means of pain relief. As an alternative to drugs, these wireless implants block pain signals using an electrical field. This breakthrough alone may bring an end to the opioid epidemic. No one can say for certain what the future may hold, but with so many promising new technologies being implemented and improved upon today, the sky’s the limit for what we might see tomorrow.
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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