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BIGGER
DAILY
Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS , APC
THE
DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road
NOVEMBER 2018
TO THOSE WHO CAN’T BE HOME
A Thanksgiving Wish
As the weather turns cold and Thanksgiving approaches, my thoughts and gratitude always turn to the truckers who link our nation together this time of year. From the Butterball turkeys driven to countless supermarkets to the Christmas gifts already en route to stores and homes across America, many of our holiday traditions would be impossible without the men and women willing to give up their own holidays to actually deliver these goods. That level of sacrifice and commitment is something that I feel goes overlooked in the national discourse. I was too young to remember my grandfather’s trucking days, but my older sister vividly remembers at least one Christmas when he couldn’t be there on Christmas morning. He drove the I-5 at odd times to try to avoid the worst of the commuters from Thanksgiving through Christmas. My sister waited to open her presents until he came in after a long drive. For my own part, I’ve always found spending the holidays away from home extremely difficult, especially Thanksgiving, a time when family and togetherness are woven into the fabric of the celebrations. I’ll never forget the first time I had a Thanksgiving away from home. I was 19 years old and pursuing an opportunity in Illinois. With only enough time and money to make it back home to the Northwest for a single visit that late in the year, Thanksgiving naturally got the short end of the stick in favor of Christmas. Thankfully, I had a good friend my age who offered to let me spend the holiday at his parents’ house in Missouri. As grateful as I was to have a turkey dinner among friends, I don’t think any act of kindness could have cured the homesickness I felt on that day.
this year. Thankfully, I’m blessed with friends and extended family in the area and a job that allows me to take the holiday off. In a time of such strife and disagreement, we need days like Thanksgiving more than ever so we can slow down and take stock of just how good we have it in this country. There has truly never been a better time or place to be alive in human history than right now in the United States of America, yet we tend to lose sight of this. Among the many blessings this Thanksgiving are the truckers who are willing to brave holiday traffic to deliver goods and services to our loved ones. They deserve our gratefulness.
In a time of such strife and disagreement, we need days like Thanksgiving more than ever so we can slow down and take stock of just how good we have it in this country.
To those making the long haul across this great nation while the rest of us sit down with our loved ones, thank you. Your underappreciated work helps makes this season magical for the rest of us. I hope you find time to sit down to a great feast of your own with family and friends whenever you make the last leg home.
Godspeed,
With my parents now living in Michigan, I’m once again spending Thanksgiving away from them
–Mark Bigger
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War heroes are revered for their acts of bravery in times of combat — and Chips, the shepherd-collie-husky crossbreed, is no different. During World War II, the Wren family donated Chips to Dogs for Defense shortly after the U.S. joined the war. Of the 40,000 dogs donated to the corps, more than 10,000 were selected to participate in the program after training. MEET CHIPS The WWII Hero Dog
Dispensary for Sick Animals Dickin Medal, the highest award an animal can achieve for their time in military conflict in Britain. After his service, Chips returned to live with the Wren family. On U.S. soil, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. These honors were eventually stripped by the Army after a policy barred animals from earning the same medals as people, but his platoon awarded him the Theater Ribbon and battle stars for his eight campaigns. To the men Chips saved, medals didn’t make him a hero — his selfless actions did.
Chips was shipped off with his handler, Private Rowell, to French Morocco. Chips and Rowell patrolled the Casablanca Conference, where Chips was introduced to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Following the meeting, Rowell and Chips went to Sicily to support the invasion as part of Operation Husky, which was where Chips earned his hero status. On July 10, 1943, Allied soldiers were attacked on the beach by an enemy machine gun team. Chips ran for the hut where the barrage of
bullets was coming from and tore into the enemies. His handler described hearing rapid noises and seeing Chips gripping one of the men by his throat until Rowell ordered the dog down. Three more men came out of the hut, their hands raised. Chips left the fight with burns and a scalp wound, but his actions saved the lives of all the men in his platoon, and later that day, he discovered more enemy soldiers. On Jan. 15, 2018 — 75 years after the Casablanca Conference — Chips was posthumously awarded the People’s
A HISTORIC VETERANS DAY
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the End of World War I
This year, Veterans Day takes on particular historic significance: Nov. 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War. Countries around the world will commemorate the signing of this peace agreement with moments of silence, centennial ceremonies, and historical exhibits. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a celebration of life. It’s a day to honor the power of peace and the living veterans across the globe who have served their countries. This November, take a moment to remember the war that helped shape the international community’s dedication to peace and thank the individuals who served to defend it. THE GREAT WAR By 1914, a world war had been years in the making, but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro- Hungarian Empire by a Serbian nationalist provided the spark that would eventually burn down much of Europe. A chain reaction of land disputes, pre-emptive attacks, and strategic alliances brought over 30 countries into World War I.
The Great War that ravaged Europe resulted in a devastating loss of life, but from those ashes rose a renewed appreciation for the importance of peace and a global effort to ensure its place in the future. THE RESTORATION OF PEACE In 1918, Germany surrendered unconditionally, and the armistice ended the fighting at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, though the war did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles the following July. An estimated 16 million soldiers and civilians died in just four years, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history. VETERANS DAY Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919, to honor the one-year anniversary of the armistice, and it became a U.S. holiday in 1938. Today, Veterans Day celebrates veterans who served their country honorably. The U.K., France, Australia, and Canada also commemorate their veterans in November. If you know a veteran, thank them for their service this month.
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BEWARE THE TURKEY TRAFFIC Safe Driving This Holiday Season
HAVE A LAUGH
As traffic attorneys, we feel it’s important to remind our readers to be extra cautious on the roads this time of year. A whole fleet of inexperienced road trippers will be hitting the highways to visit relatives far and wide, clogging highways and making questionable lane changes. But there are plenty of other hazards to watch out for, some of which may be in your own cab. Here’s our advice on how to stay safe on the highways this holiday season. The sad truth is that Thanksgiving weekend has one of the highest rates of DUI-related accidents every year. If you spot a car you think is being operated by a driver who has had one too many glasses of wine at Thanksgiving dinner, pull over and call the police. Be sure to note the car’s color, make, model, and the direction it’s going. If you can get the plate numbers, great, but don’t “tail” the vehicle or attempt to get the driver to pull over. You may inadvertently cause an accident. And of course, don’t be that driver. Never get behind the wheel of a car unless you are sober. Remember: “Buzzed” driving is drunk driving, and the penalties for a DUI are severe, especially if you’re a CDL holder. WATCH FOR DRUNK DRIVERS
PUZZLE
LIMIT DISTRACTIONS
The extra traffic at Thanksgiving means it’s important to keep your head on a swivel. While you can’t control the actions of the drivers sharing the road with you, driving defensively and remaining alert gives you the best chances to anticipate and prevent an accident. Consider limiting any distractions in your vehicle, including GPS screens. The more you are able to dedicate your attention to the road ahead, the better.
LEAVE EARLY
Whether you’re going to pick up a cargo container or visit your loved ones, the last thing you should ever do this time of year is leave on time. There will be traffic. There will be delays. Nobody wants a speeding ticket on Thanksgiving, especially when you’re on the clock with an important delivery.
We wish all our readers a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
(661) 859-1177 | 3
, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER
Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1701 Westwind Drive Suite 203 Bakersfield, CA 93301
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A Thanksgiving Wish..................... PAGE 1
Chips, The WWII Hero Dog ......... PAGE 2
A Historic Veterans Day.................. PAGE 2
Beware the Turkey Traffic ............ PAGE 3
How Thanksgiving Became an Official Holiday!......................... PAGE 4
Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge!
SARAH HALE How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays celebrated throughout the United States. One of the first documented Thanksgiving celebrations took place in 1621 when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast together. But the banquet, which celebrated the colonists’ first successful harvest, wasn’t just one large meal, nor did it last for only one day; in fact, the feast lasted for three days. In later years, Thanksgiving also lasted for longer than a single meal. During the time of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress chose several days throughout the year to celebrate giving thanks. Then, in 1789, George Washington made the U.S. national government’s first Thanksgiving proclamation. He used this to speak to his fellow American citizens about the Revolution’s satisfactory conclusion and encouraged them to show their thanks for the freedoms they gained. Thanksgiving became a national holiday more than 200 years after its first celebration. It gained this status largely due to the persistence of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale was a successful magazine editor, prolific writer of
novels and poems, and author of the famous nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which was first published in her 1830 collection entitled “Poems for Our Children.” In 1827, Hale began a campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. For the next 36 years, she wrote numerous editorials and countless letters to state and federal officials expressing her desire that it gain official status. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln finally declared it a national holiday, hoping that it would help heal the wounds of the country. Lincoln decided that the holiday would take place on the last Thursday of November. It was celebrated on that day until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in the hopes of increasing retail sales during the Great Depression. However, this plan was very unpopular, and in 1941, the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. Without the efforts of Sarah Hale, we might not have the pleasure of the Thanksgiving feast we know and love to this day. This year, give thanks for family, good food, and the resolve of one woman who recognized the importance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
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