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Throughout your lifetime you will meet people who cross your path for a number of reasons. Some will stay, some will pass through, some you will work with and then there are some who will use you for what you have or what they can get from you. Those are the people my mother called “users” and warned me about. Hopefully the ones who turn out to be your true friends for life will outweigh the ones who use you. True friends are few and far between, and if you find them along the way in life you better keep them forever. Never take friendship for granted. Some of our oldest and dearest friends start out to be our own sisters, brothers, cousins or the soul sisters from a different mother. These are the people in your life who will never sell you out or tell others of your poor choices you may have made in course of your lifetime. (There’s also our dogs who really are the only ones on this planet that know the true meaning of the words “true friendship.”) True friends will laugh with and at you, cry with you, hold your hand and hold you up when you think you’re going down for the count. You know that you can call them day or night and tell them everything and anything and there will be no judging on the other end of the phone, they will always be there to lend you a helping hand without expecting anything in return. True friends know when you are really in need of a hug or just a slap to bring you back to reality. I know this because I have this with my family and true friends, and I wouldn’t trade in one of them for anything. You have to know the difference between a true friend and just a friend.  Sometimes you have to wait for their true colors to come out and you stop and say to yourself, “Why did I ever think this person was my friend?” This is a great life lesson for all. Being blessed with good family and friends is one of God’s greatest gifts he has given us, so pick them wisely and get rid of the people in your life that have nothing but negativity to offer you. Keep the good ones close and you will never be alone a day in your life.  Live, love and laugh-- it’s good for your soul. Laughter really is the best medicine. Thank you to my family, my true friends, and my boys (the two legged and four legged) in my life. I don’t know where I would be without them. Rock on, people. Rock on. Or as Barely and Guinness say, bark on Bordas Dog Nation, bark on.

What do I want to be when I grow up?  A question we only think of asking our children.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my job with Bordas & Bordas, but I feel I missed something along the way in my life of 51 years and that is helping animals (mostly dogs).  I wanted to be a vet or a nurse, but I’m not that great with blood and guts. Being dyslexic and not being a bookworm was the real killer for me. The thought of reading something wrong or giving too much or not enough meds always scared me.   I hope in my later years I can do my best to be the voice of reason on why people should spay and neuter their pets, help dogs who are chained outside to dog boxes, tires, etc. I want them to have a life off a chain - I want to help STOP dog fighting and help older dogs that were put in shelters because their families could not take the time to care for them due to cancer or just old age. I want them to live out their last days loved and cared for like they should be. I would do my best to help them cross over with one last look of a loving caring human before they shut their eyes and head over the Rainbow Bridge. I have strong feelings toward the aforementioned and here is why: Spaying and neutering: Why? To help stop the over population of animals that end up in our shelters or running on our streets.  Spaying and neutering also helps them live longer lives and helps them stop roaming. Just a few facts. This list could go on and on. Dogs living on chains, tires or dog boxes:  Why would anyone do this to a dog? If you can’t love them like your own child or interact with them on a daily basis other than to feed and water them, then why have them at all? Living on a chain hooked to a dog box, tree or tire is just insane to me.   I’ll never understand this. Dog Fighting: Why would anyone want to teach a dog to fight to the death? If I need to explain this to anyone, then they are the problem. It’s an awful thing for me to even think about.  When the dog doesn’t win, the owners are known to do awful things that, most of the time, leads the dog to death. What’s wrong with people? Taking care of senior dogs/ terminally ill dogs: If I could, I would love to open a hospice for dogs (volunteers would be needed). Too many dogs are taken to the shelter because people don’t want to care for their aging friends or because they don’t want to deal with the expense of an aging, or a terminally ill dog.  This dog has done nothing but love you unconditionally and still will even after you walk out that door at the shelter.  All dogs do go to Heaven no matter what people have told me.  I’ve lost some very special dogs over the years, and I know they hung around the house for a few extra days before they headed to the rainbow bridge just to make sure I would be okay.  That is true love and devotion.  Why would you not want to do the same for them? With this being said, please think before getting what is supposed to be your “furever friend.” It is truly a life long commitment for them and you. Rock on, Bordas dog nation, rock on.

At the Bordas & Bordas Christmas party, the partners gave their employees a gift that I, along with most of the others, weren’t expecting. A TRIP TO VEGAS!  Everyone was ecstatic and blown away.  Not only was this for each employee, but the employee AND a guest.  For anyone who was married, it was a no-brainer…you take your spouse, right?  But for those of us who are single, you had a choice to make.  Besides my oldest son, Ryan (who was my first choice but due to job responsibilities, couldn’t be my guest), I chose my dearest and closest lifelong friend, Pam McClure. I met Pam when I was 16 years old and began working for Mobay in the Purchasing Department at the beginning of my senior year in high school.  Pam was already an employee in the department.  I don’t know what it was about either of our personalities, but we just “clicked”-- despite an age difference.  From then until this day, Pam has been my very best friend and a huge part of my life.  I have never doubted her friendship or loyalty.  She is always there for me through the most difficult and best times of my life and she never hesitates when I need her.  She was there through both of my parents’ deaths, the birth of my youngest son, Gage, a couple of medical procedures, my divorce, and heck, she even went to a few school functions and posed as my sons’ surrogate grandmother for Grandparents’ Day!  To this day, both of my sons call her “Aunt Pammy.” Pam is the kindest, most loving person I’ve ever known.  She is an amazing mother, wife, grandmother, stepparent, sister and aunt.  She is so adaptable to any environment or situation.  She can be very classy on one hand and yet a tomboy on another. I have learned calmness, compassion, patience, respect and understanding from her. These are qualities I didn’t always have in my younger years.  She has a terrific sense of humor, provides me with some of the best advice I’ve been given in my life and gives me her honest opinion on everything. She has taught me so much- not like conscientious teaching (“this piece of the puzzle goes here”), but just by how she listens to me when I have a problem and things she’ll say or how she’ll react.  I remember her saying one time, “If I’m having an issue with more two people in my life, I might want to take a look in the mirror!”  I have never forgotten that!  Although, she did teach me about the “tool box” and how everyone has one.  It’s all about what you put in yours and how you use each tool as each one serves a different purpose at different times. Pretty deep, right?  But makes perfect sense.  It took me years to understand and utilize my own toolbox. I could go on and on about what and how Pam has been there for me, but this is supposed to be a blog, not a novel. She is just full of life and makes the most out of every opportunity. I’ve never known anyone like her and because she has never let me down, I wanted to show her my gratitude for the past 32 years by taking her as my guest on this trip. When I asked her, she said she was honored that I chose her for the trip. In all honesty, it is me who is honored that she accepted! I am very blessed and fortunate to have met her and to have her in my life.

Easter is the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church. The holiday marks the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Everyone has their favorite Easter traditions from attending Mass and eating a big dinner to hunting for Easter eggs and spending time with family. In honor of the blessed holiday, the Bordas & Bordas attorneys and staff have collaborated to share their favorite things about Easter! Jim Bordas: Growing up in the Bordas household, Easter was a holiday second only to Christmas. I have many wonderful Easter memories, some of which are brought back by reviewing old Easter pictures of my brothers and sisters and my mom and dad all dressed up in our Sunday best.  Even though we attended church as a family on a weekly basis, and back in the 50s and 60s, wore dressy clothes, which meant coats and ties for the boys and dresses for the girls, Easter was even more dressy.  We all had new outfits to wear to church on Easter Sunday! Easter Week for my family was one of reverence.  I can’t remember a time in my life that I felt closer to our Lord and Savior than I did Easter Week when I was young.  As a young Catholic boy, I participated with many of my Catholic friends and my brothers and sisters, in observance of all the Catholic Lenten traditions.  We all gave up something for Lent, be it candy, cake, ice cream, whatever it happened to be.  In my family, we not only gave up at least one thing that we really liked and found it difficult to give up, but we also tried to do something positive as often as possible that we normally didn’t do.  The sacrificing I think brought us closer to God and also taught us something about willpower. Some of my fondest Easter moments were listening to the daily sermons that were given during Holy Week and attending the Stations of the Cross.  That’s not to say that all of Easter was so serious.  Certainly my mother made sure that the Easter bunny left presents for each one of us!  We participated in Mom’s Easter egg hunts that I thought were the absolute best.  That is until I met my wife.  She tops them all with not only the presents that she gives to me, our children, our grandchildren and our friends, but also the great Easter egg hunts that she takes charge of almost every year.  These Easter egg hunts involve 60-75 plastic Easter eggs with change inside the eggs.  Some of the Easter eggs even have dollar bills, and one or two have five dollar bills.  So it’s a lot of fun and excitement for the little kids and sometimes even the bigger ones to participate in Linda’s Easter egg hunts. One of the most memorable Easter egg hunts that I can recall is one that was held in Colorado where my youngest son, Ben, was working.  Linda had the egg hunt for his buddies, all of whom were in their early 20s.  We hid the eggs with change and dollar bills.  The participants thought that was the most interesting Easter egg hunt ever! In short, Easter is to me a season whereby I’m able to concentrate more on Christ, where I have a chance to become closer to Christ, and become a better person.  It’s also a season where I take time to reflect on those days gone by that were spent with family and friends and the very special moments where we were for the most part thanking the good God above for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and my family.  I continue to do that to this day. Jamie Bordas: My favorite thing about Easter has always been going to Mass with my family. This is the one holiday that we should think about its true meaning more than any other. Everything about Easter Mass --- people dressed up, the Gospel reading, the music --- helps me do that. Geoff Brown: My favorite thing about Easter is spending time with some of our closest friends who we visit every year over Easter weekend.  Even though our kids are older now, they still enjoy the Easter egg hunt and going to Mass together at the church near where they live. Zak Zatezalo: As if Easter could get any more miraculous, it will always hold the most special place in my heart, because five years ago on Easter my son was born five weeks premature, with a host of life-threatening complications, after my wife suffered some very serious medical complications. But thanks to God and the heroic efforts of Dr. Bob Wetzel and a host of doctors at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, our son made it.  For us, Easter offers the opportunity to reflect on the profound miracle of the season in the most spiritual and personal way imaginable. Tyler Smith: My favorite Easter memories involved watching my children participate in their first Easter egg hunt and searching and finding their first Easter egg basket. Bryan Pasciak: I enjoy getting together with my family, eating a great meal and celebrating the most important holiday. Laura Pollard: My mother loves to decorate for holidays, and Easter is no exception. Every year, she puts out this statue of a bunny, and it has a really mean look on its face. I always teased her about the “scary bunny,” and even though I have not lived at home for several years now, she will still always text me a photo letting me know that the “scary bunny” is out on display, and the Easter season is upon us. Michelle Marinacci: Growing up, Easter meant my grandfather would make kibbee for our family’s Easter dinner.  He only made kibbee on special occasions and, when he did, everyone was usually excluded from the kitchen except me.  It was one of our special times together.  Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of the hours I would spend with him in my grandparents’ kitchen, just the two of us, while he made kibbee (I “helped” by tasting) and we talked about anything and everything.   Easter was probably his favorite holiday and it just hasn’t been the same since we lost him. Sharon Eubanks: My favorite memory goes way back to childhood and one that I reinvented for my three children:  It was the Easter egg hunt!  My parents would have to hide those eggs at least 20 times, and we would never tire of it.  We did it alI day, after we got home from church.  I did the same for my daughters, only with plastic eggs filled with candy.  On a couple of accessions, we went to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House—an over the top egg hunt in every way! Jodi Cunningham: One of my favorite Easter memories as a child was hunting for eggs on Easter morning before heading to church. Linda Scaggs: I love Easter music.  I never tire of “Up From the Grave He Arose” or “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” with all the Hallelujahs! Corey Pietranton: While growing up in Moundsville, my favorite Easter memories were made at my grandparent’s house on South Highland Avenue.  Their tiny house was always packed with wonderful people, great food and lots of laughter.  They hosted an annual Easter egg hunt for their grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends, which always turned into an epic battle to find the egg with money hidden inside. Jeanne Dedo: Easter was all about getting dressed up in our new dresses, hats, gloves and shoes, and going to Mass first thing in the morning. We would then come home and have the whole family over for dinner. Getting our Easter baskets was a plus, too! Susan Wilson: Easter has been (as a mom) one of my most favorite holidays where you dress your children up—in my case two boys—in their suits for church, the Easter egg hunt on the lawn, and then Sunday dinner at my mother-in-law’s house. The past several years, I have “inherited” Easter dinner from my mother-in-law who hosted my rather large family for many, many years while the boys were growing up.  I am now continuing the tradition and we all enjoy the pretty Easter flowers, the decorated eggs, good food and everyone just being together. Marilyn Bell: I always remember getting a new Easter dress for church, including new white patent leather shoes, white gloves and sometimes a hat, and going to church all decked out!  And especially loved getting up very early on Easter morning and hunting for my Easter basket.  One year, I remember the “Easter Bunny” hid my basket in the oven!!  Today, I have a greater appreciation for Easter.  The greatest gift ever – a Risen Savior! Ellie Wallace: When our children were little, my sisters and I would gather at my mom and dad’s to color Easter eggs.  One year when we were preparing and setting the cups of colored water around the table my daughter, Tonya, who was maybe 1 or 2 at the time reached over, grabbed one of the cups and began drinking it before we could pull it away from her.  She thought it was Kool-Aid. Becky Murphy: Easter is the BEST holiday because JESUS died for our sins and rose from the dead three days later. HOW GLORIOUS IS THAT!? Ryan McQuaid: Fun factoid: The name Easter owes its origin to Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes the hare and egg. Crystal Shaver: It was Easter Sunday.  I was at church sitting in a pew with my family, and it was time to pray.  So I closed my eyes, put my head down, and put my hands in my lap, when all of the sudden, I heard a loud popping sound, and then felt a burning sensation on my right hand.  When I opened my eyes, there was blood coming from my right index finger running down on to my Easter dress.  Of course I screamed, and everyone turned to look.  The light bulb directly above me had burst, and the glass came down and cut my finger.  We had to leave church and go to the hospital.  I ended up getting three stiches in my finger, and I still have the scar today.  And I never close my eyes during prayer ever since that happened. Sherry Sharpsky:. I used to love playing “Easter Bunny” for my kids when they were little…shopping for their Easter baskets and filling them with candy, toys and their favorite things. At night, when they were asleep, I would sprinkle Easter grass on the floor, close to where I would hide their baskets, and they thought that was so neat! Then, as they would sit in the floor eating chocolate bunnies for breakfast, they would talk of how they heard the Easter bunny hopping through the house with their baskets. Sally Blon: A favorite childhood memory of Easter was waking up and running downstairs to find my basket. My mom wrapped our baskets with see-through colored wrap, and all of us kids got our own color so we could tell them apart. I always loved the first look of my Easter basket because it was so pretty–that is until I tore the plastic wrap off to get to the chocolate bunny! Erin Dodd: Sitting at lunch the other day with my husband and my daughter, Aleigha, she said, “What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Easter?”  My husband said, “The Easter Bunny.”  I said, “He Has Risen.”  She responded, “You’re right, mamma. That’s what it should be, but most people answer like Dad did.” At that moment, I realized the beauty of Easter that I have held dear all these years has carried over to my daughter just the way I wanted.  That makes this year my best Easter memory ever.  It’s not about the candy, the eggs or the bunny.  It’s not about the bonnet or the spring dresses or the ham on the table and the hunting for baskets, it’s about HIM.  So, knowing and celebrating the true meaning is most important to me. Amy Wilson: Best memories of Easter as a child - the church Easter egg hunts.  As a little tike, I was in awe at seeking the beautiful brightly colored Easter eggs scattered throughout the church lawn. Darcy Springer: As for most, if not all Christians, the crucifixion is the most important element of Easter.  The Easter bunny and eggs and everything else are a nice tradition but Christ dying on the cross is the real celebration. My favorite memories as a kid on Easter was getting a brand new dress, patent leather shoes, a bonnet and best of all, a new little purse!  My favorite memories with my own kids on Easter were hiding their Easter baskets and them running all over the house in their jammies hunting the baskets. Krystal Clark: Since I was a little girl,I have always enjoyed Easter. Probably my fondest memory of Easter growing up was when all of my relatives from my dad’s side of the family would come to our house the day before as they lived out of state and would crash at our house over night for the festivities.  We had a pretty large house growing up, but never enough space to house everyone comfortably.  Therefore I would wake up Easter morning and have cousins sleeping on my bedroom floor.  I would rush downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny brought me. I remember the excitement as I uncovered all of the goodies from my basket.  My mom and dad would spend a greater portion of the day preparing the meal for the entire family.  All of us kids would spend the day eating our candy and playing with our new toys.  Since we have had our daughter, we started a tradition of our own where we leave a candy trail through the house leading to her Easter basket.  We give her a bowl to pick up the candy as she goes along and just watching her face in excitement and anticipation and one of the best feelings in the world.  Then later in the day we get together with all of her cousins and grandma and have an Easter egg hunt and a family dinner.  It is such a joy to watch all of the kids have fun hunting for all of the eggs filled with all sorts of goodies. Tricia Pennell: Hiding my children’s Easter baskets is my favorite Easter memory.  Because they are 7 ½ years apart in age, it was fun to hide one in an easy place and the other in a really hard place!  They both inevitably helped each other look for the baskets. Sheila Cottrell: One Easter when we were kids we got six living, colored (dyed) Easter chicks, which were sold at the old McCrory’s store in Moundsville every year during Easter.  We had a blast playing with them when they were little and thought they would grow up and lay eggs….the only problem is that they ended up being all roosters.  I remember letting them out of the chicken coop to feed in the yard, and they would chase us and peck at our heels!  I really don’t like chickens anymore…unless they are breaded and fried. Jenn Mohney: My favorite memory of Easter when I was younger was waking up in Florida at my grandparents. I got to spend the day with a church service, shuffle board with my grandpa, a big family meal and searching for my basket full of eggs from the Easter bunny. Although this tradition is now a thing of the past, I’ll never forget the great memories it created. Ashley Wharton: I love spending the day with my family and watching my nieces and nephews hunt for their Easter baskets.  If I’m lucky they share some of their sweet treats with me!  Most importantly, I enjoy celebrating the most important holiday by attending Mass with my family. Jenna Tipton: Reminiscing on this special season, I see the sunshine smiling on lilies in my parents’ yard, coaxing them from bud to bloom. I feel the excitement of a child, recalling the search for each of the Easter Bunny’s “clues” that eventually lead to a basket. My Mom's handwriting was remarkably similar to his. I hear the sounds of awakening and rebirth all around us, and they fill my heart with thanks. Most at Easter, I treasure my family. Thank you for reading and have a blessed and happy Easter 2016!

One excursion my husband, Tom, and I have planned for the Bordas firm’s upcoming trip to Las Vegas is visiting the Hoover Dam. I have seen the Hoover Dam.  Passed it on the road to the Wilson family farm many, many times, according to my husband …. Many, many years ago—some here at the Bordas firm weren’t even born yet—I would travel with my then future husband and his father to their farm located in Wileyville, W.Va., down the Ohio River about 35 miles, on Rt. 7 for a good ways, then finally out Rush Run Road—a creek, literally, until a road was built—for another couple of miles to the old farmhouse that was located on 50 acres of land and on one side a hill (go figure) and the other side a small stream.  Beautiful and peaceful.  Tom’s father, Bob, loved his farm. This was his home on the weekends and many, many friends and family traveled to the Wilson farm for some good ‘ol hillbilly fun. So, on one of my first trips to the farm with Tom and his father, we were on Rt. 2 and we passed a dam. I innocently asked the name of the dam.  My future husband very quickly and without hesitation told me the name of the dam.  “That’s the Hoover Dam,”he said.  Needless to say, that had been one of Bob Wilson’s most favorite stories about me—and now my husband’s—that gets a laugh every time. That was the beginning of my understanding that my husband can say anything with a straight face.  It may have taken a while, and he still gets me sometimes, but now I almost never believe anything he says.  I just look him straight in the eye and if he is bluffing he always gives it away. When I told Tom we were going to Las Vegas and started discussing what we wanted to do, of course, the Hoover Dam came up very quickly and I told him innocently, but I have already seen the Hoover Dam …. This always brings a laugh at those memories from a long, long time ago.

With our state’s primary election just around the corner and with this being a Presidential election year, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about many of the reasons why it’s important to vote. I have to admit, I did not run out and register to vote as soon as I turned 18.  In fact, I don’t think I voted for the first time until I was in my late 20s.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize how very important it is that we all vote and take part in the democratic process.  Here are some of the reasons why: 1. So that you have someone representing you who stands for the same beliefs and ideas that you have. 2. To be part of the decision making process.  You do have a voice and you have the right to be heard.  Sometimes we hear that “it doesn’t matter” or “my vote doesn’t count” when, in fact, this is not true, especially if it is an election on a local level such as a school board representative, a sheriff, a mayor, or anyone who will be directing affecting your community. 3. We are privileged to live in a country in which we are allowed to vote and take part in the democratic process.  Men and women fought hard to give us the right to vote.  There are many, many countries whose citizens do not have this privilege or any voice in their government or the decision making process. 4. It affects your future. The representatives you put in office are making decisions now that will impact your future and the future of your children. 5. Voting gives you the opportunity to change something you don’t like in favor of something you do like. These are just a few of the reasons you should vote.  If you are not registered to vote in the upcoming primary, you have until April 19 to get registered.  Registering is easy—you can visit your local County Clerk’s office to fill out and submit a voter registration form, or you can now do it online through the Secretary of State’s office, at the following link: https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register. So let your voice be heard and vote!

What do you remember most about Easter? Coloring Easter eggs is one of my most treasured memories. Without fail, my mother would boil a dozen eggs, which she handpicked from my grandfather’s chicken coop, and we would color them.  We would have multiple Easter egg hunts and, on occasion, if it was too cold or rainy, we hid the eggs inside.  Sometimes a really well-hidden egg wouldn’t be found until weeks later, when your nose led you to the stinking hiding place.  Another good memory is family dinners.  Growing up, we lived in Mill Creek, a small town in West Virginia, where it was normal for folks to have a chicken coop in their backyard. My grandfather, most people knew him as “Preacher Brady,” had a very big coop on his property, which included large shade trees and a grape vine.  When it was time to share a family dinner with all my aunts, uncles and cousins, my grandfather and I would go to the chicken coop to find an unsuspecting sacrifice.  After shutting up the rooster in the henhouse (you don’t want to mess with him!), my grandfather would select the plumpest hen and then the chase was on.  He used a long rod with a hook on the end to catch the terrified victim.  I loved my grandfather dearly, but this selection process was barbaric and left quite an impression.  The next step was the beheading.  After sharpening his ax at the sandstone wheel, my grandfather carried out the execution.  For those of you who don’t know where the phrase “running around like a chicken with its head chopped off,” came from, now you will know.   This may sound really cruel and horrible to some people, but for folks who grew up on a farm or in a town like mine, it was how Easter dinner started.  My grandfather’s chickens were cared for and lived a good life, until they were needed for dinner.  I’m sure they were a lot better off than the chickens you buy at the local grocery stores.  Yep, I have a lot of interesting memories of my grandfather, but this is one that really left an impression.

Bullying is a serious and widespread problem in American schools. It affects the school performance, emotional well-being, mental health, and social development of school children throughout the United States. Tonja R. Nansel et. al., Cross-national Consistency in the Relationship Between Bullying Behaviors and Psychosocial Adjustment, 158 Archive of Pediatric and Adolescent Med. 730, 733-35 (2004). Studies have shown that students with disabilities are subject to increased bullying that is often directed at the disability. In a case of first impression, the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals in T.K., S.K., individually and on behalf of L.K., v. NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, affirmed the decision of a United States District Court, which ordered the New York City Department of Education to pay for a disabled student’s private education because it failed to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). L.K., was a third grade 9-year-old girl suffered from a learning disability.  As such, she was placed in a Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) classroom, which involved teaching students who are learning disabled alongside those who are not.  Her Individualized Education Program (IEP) required a 1:1 special education itinerant teacher (SEIT), and speech, physical and occupational therapy.  During the school year, L.K. suffered from multiple incidents of repeated bullying by classmates such as: pinching, pushing, tripping, stomping on her toes and teasing, laughing at her and refusing to have contact with her.  Over the course of the school year, L.K. became increasingly unhappy, withdrawn and, as L.K.’s father described, “emotionally unavailable to learn” due to classmates’ bullying. L.K. came home crying and complained to her parents on an almost daily basis about being bullied by other students.  L.K.’s tardiness and absenteeism was becoming a major disruption to her ability to learn.  It reached a point that L.K. brought dolls to school for support on a more frequent basis due to the bullying and ostracism by others. According to L.K.’s SEITs, L.K. internalized negative comments by peers, and expressed her sadness, frustration, anxiety and discomfort with her being bullied.  Often times, L.K and her SEIT would count the days to the end of the school year.  Accordingly, L.K.’s SEITs believed that the bullying adversely affected L.K.’s academics and her social and emotional well-being.  Also, several doctors observed that many students constantly ignored L.K., and found that the minimal interactions L.K. did have with her classmates were mostly negative.  They found that L.K. seemed anxious, sad and frustrated as her head was often down.  She was not volunteering in class, as she had done before the bullying had started, and she needed more prompting from an aide. Moreover, medical experts observed that the teachers neither intervened nor delivered consequences to students. Hence, a private physician who knew L.K. for several years assessed her and recommended a different, more supportive educational environment than her current classroom. L.K.’s parents sent letters to the school’s principal and tried to speak with her about the issue. The principal acknowledged receiving the letters and admitted having knowing about an incident of bullying; however, she could not recall what, if anything, she did to investigate it.  Not satisfied with the school’s district’s response, L.K.’s parents applied for L.K.’s admission to the Summit School, a private school that specializes in providing educational services for children with learning and emotional challenges.  L.K. was accepted and her parents made a deposit.  In the meantime, public school representatives met with L.K.’s parents to discuss a behavior intervention plan (BIP) for L.K. that would create strategies for her behavioral difficulties that interfered with learning.  During this meeting, the parents requested copies of any incident reports regarding harassment of L.K., but none were provided. The school officials rejected L.K.’s parents’ attempt to discuss the bullying. The principal refused to discuss classmates’ bullying with L.K.’s parents, and did not identify any alternative time to discuss it.  The IEP team met to develop L.K.’s IEP and during this meeting, school officials again refused to discuss the bullying. The parents objected generally to L.K.’s same type of placement, and specifically to placement with the same students who were bullying her. No other placement was offered and L.K.’s parents were not aware of any option other than the same class L.K. attended. The parents rejected the IEP and placed L.K. at the Summit School the next school year.  L.K.’s parents filed an administrative complaint demanding that the school district pay for L.K.’s private school tuition.  After exhausting all administrative remedies, L.K. and her parents brought the case before Judge Jack B. Weinstien, Senior United States District Judge. The central question raised by this case was whether school personnel was deliberately indifferent to, or failed to take reasonable steps to prevent bullying that substantially restricted a child with learning disabilities in her educational opportunities in violation of the IDEA.  After completing an exhaustive analysis of: First Amendment cases, Title IX of the Civil Rights Act and IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Due Process cases under Section 1983 and various similar cases decided by the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court held that when responding to bullying incidents, which may affect the opportunities of a special education student to obtain an appropriate education, a school must take prompt and appropriate action. It must investigate if the harassment is reported to have occurred. If harassment is found to have occurred, the school must take appropriate steps to prevent it in the future.  Having applied L.K.’s facts to this rule, the U.S. 2nd Court of Appeals, affirmed the District Court’s finding that the school district did not take appropriate steps to prevent L.K. from being bullied, and therefore, affirmed the District Court’s ruling that the school district must pay for L.K.’s private tuition. Gary Mayerson, the attorney who represented the L.K. and her parents throughout all stages of the litigation, hailed the result in T.K. as a landmark civil rights decision that will go far to address the nation’s bullying problem: “The Second Circuit’s courageous decision affirming Judge Weinstein’s Judgment stands for the proposition that every student has the right to attend school free from physical or psychological abuse and every parent has the right to expect that when they communicate concerns about bullying, those concerns will be timely addressed and acted upon.”

As the development of technology progresses, so does the probability of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs over any type of electronic device. Some include computers, cell phones and tablets, as well as communication tools such as social media sites, text messages and web chats. Cyberbullying can effect someone of any age, but the majority of this type of bullying is ranging from ages 10-20. Cyberbullying can cause many different reactions that are harmful for young kids. Kids who are bullied this way are more likely to skip school, receive poor grades, have terrible self-esteem, and sometimes even feel as though they should harm themselves. According to the 2013-2014 school crime supplement (National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics) 7 percent of students in grades 6-12 experienced some type of cyberbullying over one technology platform or another. Another study by Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey states that 15 percent of high school students were cyberbullied in the last year. The number of children being bullied over the internet is only growing and the cases are becoming more extreme. As adults there are several things that can done to make sure that we are doing everything we can to bring those percentages down. To prevent cyberbullying, adults should be aware of the sites that kids are visiting and interacting on. Adults should also try to understand how the social media sites work, so that if you think your child is being bullied you can find out exactly what is happening. Encourage your kids to tell you if they know someone is being cyberbullied - to let you know so you can help. Most importantly, educate children on how dangerous words can be. Cyberbullying is just as harmful as regular physical bullying, and one post or wrong wording could end up ruining someone else’s self-esteem or mentally harm them. Overall, cyberbullying should not be overlooked. I personally don’t believe that it will ever be completely gone, but we can decrease the percentages by being proactive and being supportive of the victims.

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that is celebrated across the globe every year on March 17. St. Patrick’s Day was established to honor the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, and was first celebrated in America in 1737. The holiday was originally celebrated with religious feast, but today the holiday is celebrated with a lot of green, parades, parties, green beer and Irish foods. Everyone has their St. Patty’s Day traditions. In honor of the famous and fun holiday, the Bordas & Bordas attorneys and staff have collaborated to share their favorite thing about St. Patrick’s Day! Jamie Bordas: My favorite thing about St. Patrick's Day has always been having a beer or two and celebrating with friends. When I was a student at Notre Dame, as you might imagine, there were some pretty big parties and I've tried to keep it that way since then. Linda Bordas: On St . Patrick's Day I always think of all of the wonderful lawyers we have from Notre Dame...my son, Jamie Bordas, Chris Regan, Geoff Brown, Laura Pollard, Maggie Tague and Bryan Pasciak. All trained by "The Irish.” So lucky to have them! Geoff Brown: My favorite thing about St. Patrick’s Day is that it reminds me that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish kick off their 2016 season in less than seven months. GO IRISH! Chris Regan: I’ve never been to Ireland, so in 2016, I’ve decided to plan a trip there with my family. If Trump becomes President, maybe I’ll stay there. Zak Zatezalo: A couple of my favorite things about St. Patrick’s Day is our family tradition of going to Mehlman’s for their corned beef and cabbage.  It’s excellent and they only offer it on St. Patrick’s Day.  Green beer for March Madness is another plus. Tyler Smith: My favorite part of St. Patrick’s Day is memories of my Uncle Red Rodio, who dyed his hair and beard green, wore suspenders and shorts, played a wash board (with an amplifier) and acted the fool, bringing love, joy and happiness to all those around him. Bryan Pasciak: Celebrating and spending time with friends and family. Maggie Tague: My favorite thing about St. Patrick’s Day this year is that not only is it the start of March Madness, but one of my favorite teams plays: the Miami Hurricanes! GO CANES! BEAT BUFFALO! Laura Pollard: When I was growing up, St. Patrick’s Day was always a big holiday for my family. We would go to the parade in Detroit, where my great uncle was even the Grand Marshal one year, and then everyone would meet for food and drinks at the restaurants and bars in the Corktown area of the city. As an adult, I have enjoyed spending several St. Patrick’s Days in Chicago, watching the river be dyed green and celebrating with thousands of other people, who are often wearing amusing green outfits. Jeremy McGraw: St. Patrick’s Day 2003 was the day that I found out that I got into law school.  They probably would have kicked me back out if they saw the celebration we had that night!  St. Patrick’s Day parties with my fraternity brothers were the best.  Go TKE! Jodi Cunningham: My favorite thing about St. Patrick’s Day is that everything is green; and green is my favorite color! Linda Scaggs: I have absolutely no St. Patrick’s Day memories.  Never gave it much thought.  BORING childhood! Corey Pietranton: St. Patrick’s Day falls at such a great time of the year for me.  It’s a few days after my birthday and a few days before spring begins. It’s a time when the sun seems to shine more brightly and life seems to be more optimistic after winter.  Quite often, St. Patrick’s Day falls during the WVSSAC Boys Basketball Tournament in Charleston, W. Va.  I will be there once again this St. Patrick’s Day to cheer on Wheeling Central in their quest for another state title.  Let’s Go Knights! Jeanne Dedo: Being born Irish and living in Pittsburgh, Penn. was the best gift I was ever given. We went to the parade and had big block parties. Irish wakes are also a sight to behold, now that was a true celebration of an Irish person’s life.  Hearing the Irish music in the house when I was young made me love rock and country.  Also the Irish folk tale of the Little People playing tricks on everyone was awesome to see and hear, yes I believe in the Little People.  Oh the good old days!!!  I LOVE BEING IRISH!!! On St. Patty’s Day everyone is Irish. Rock out your St. Patrick’s Day people, rock it out!!! Susan Wilson: Growing up as a child, my grandfather (who is Scottish) always wanted his many grandchildren to wear orange on St. Patrick’s Day.  As a young child, I did not know why I couldn’t wear green like everyone else.  As it happens, many years later, a relative did a family tree only to find I may have some Irish history after all.  I just think it’s a fun holiday and I like to join in with the fun of the Luck of the Irish. Alena McAllister: St. Patrick’s Day reminds me of trips to Ireland with my family. I like to look through all the photos we took and remember how beautiful it is there. Marilyn Bell: I remember growing up, if you didn’t wear green to school on St. Patrick’s day you got pinched! Becky Murphy: Being that my last name is MURPHY, I am truly a fan of St. Patrick’s Day. I do celebrate my Ireland heritage and am very PROUD of my IRISH background. My Great Uncle, Vince Coyne from Bridgeport, Ohio, traveled to Ireland every year.   I remember my dad telling us that Uncle Vince was vacationing in Ireland again.  Every year I asked him if I could go with him on just one trip.  I was pretty young at the time.  I’m sure he didn’t want a kid traveling with him.  One of these days, I will plan a trip to Ireland, preferably during St. Patrick’s Day.  Enjoy and Erin Go Bragh!!! Here is my wish for each and every one of you who reads this blog! May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. Irish Blessings to you ALL, whatever your heritage! Ellie Wallace: St. Patrick’s Day to me has always denoted the coming of spring, my favorite time of year.  Even more symbolic of this time of year is the Irish color of green.  And, of course, I can’t resist adding that as a true beer lover, I have always enjoyed tipping a few “green” ones to celebrate the day. Ryan McQuaid: Guinness is life. Crystal Shaver: St. Patrick’s Day is my daughter’s birthday. Sherry Sharpsky: I’m Irish, so it’s only right that I love to celebrate my heritage. Sally Blon: There is an Irish saying, “There are only two kinds of people in the world, the Irish and those who wish they were.” On St. Patrick’s Day, this is particularly true. So get your green on and go have some green beer, don your green clothes, and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day whether you’re Irish or not. Erin Dodd: St. Patrick’s Day is, of course, one of my favorite holidays.  Why?  Well, not only is it my birthday, it was my grandmother’s birthday, too.  This always made it  extra special feeling like the world was celebrating with us.  And when my son was a child, he asked me if that made us part Leprechaun.  That makes this an unforgettable day! Amy Wilson: You’ve got to sport green that day and consume, at least, a pint of your favorite choice of beer—green of course! Missy McAbee: My favorite thing about St. Patrick’s Day is how it helps me remember my mother’s birthday, which is March 18.  Not that I would ever forget my own mom’s birthday, it is just a nice little reminder!!! Krystal Clark: While I personally have never been a big celebrator of St. Patrick’s Day I do like the happy cheery spirit that comes with the holiday.  I enjoy seeing all the folks who dress up in green or wear their fun costumes as I have seen over the years to include green silly hats and green sparkly tutus. I have also heard people really like the green beer as well.  There seems to be so much spirit and happiness that folks carry during this holiday. It really is nice to see and be around even if you are not big on celebrating this holiday. Tricia Pennell: Personally, for the past 17 years on this particular day, I have never found happiness in the holiday.  I dread this day yearly.  Unfortunately, this is the day my mom passed away suddenly. However, a friend recently explained to me that instead of being down and sad on this day, I should embrace the day and celebrate my mom, her life, her accomplishments and everything she meant to me.  I have decided to try this and hope I find joy and happiness on St. Patrick’s Day from here on out. Sheila Cottrell: I think what I like about St. Patrick’s Day is that it’s not a serious holiday….it’s all about having fun with friends and family. Jenn Mohney: I personally love this Irish holiday. For years, while living in Cleveland, I attended the St. Patrick’s Day parade that took place downtown. The roads were just full of so many different people and even more colors of green. I think it is a fun way to spend time with friends and celebrate the history of a heritage, even if you’re not Irish! Thank you for reading and have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day 2016!

In this day and age, living in a small community presents an area some of us find ourselves unfamiliar with – including myself. Especially if you’re a divorced, middle-aged mother of two sons.  Finding a significant other is not an easy adventure. So where do you begin?  The grocery stores? The malls? Sporting events? Bars or clubs?  None of these areas seemed like promising places to me.  For starters, most men I’ve run across at any of these locations were married, someone I already knew or who were just not appealing to me.  And when you live in a smaller community, it’s a very limited field. Everyone knows everyone and the people you do know are married, involved or simply unavailable in one way or another. The dating scene is not what it used to be when I was growing up.  But then again, not much is the same.  We now have social media and within that lies the “online dating” sites.  When these became the rage, there were always laughs among friends and family.  But, with not many other options to choose from, I figured why not!  I did some research and with some common sense, I developed my set of rules and boundaries for my own safety. There are dozens upon dozens of sites out there for anything from friendships, hook-ups, casual dating, to long-term relationships.   The worst part is, you aren’t really sure what you’re getting into until you get on one of the sites for a little while.  But here are the basics on how it works. You join the site (many are free with limited access to certain areas on their sites), give yourself a profile photo and write a short essay about why you would be the ultimate catch for someone.  It’s kind of like “selling yourself”-- like a car dealer would do to sell a vehicle!  Once you post your information and fill out the site’s personality trait questionnaire, the site starts giving you people who may be your match and then you start getting contacted by everyone and their brother.  It’s like a free for all!  And I quickly came to the conclusion that most men did not read my profile, but rather just looked through my pictures.  Most of the guys’ profiles I looked through had the basic essay that every woman wants to hear and what they are looking for in a man.  Rarely, did I run across a profile that actually seemed genuine and potentially worthwhile. The sites provide a sort of chat area for you to contact and be contacted through, so you do this little dance of questioning each other for a while.  Getting to know each other with questions through “text” was a very easy way to start weeding through who is of interest.  Most men, at least for me, would eventually show some true colors just in things they wrote.  If things seemed to be going decently, then I would eventually exchange a phone number.  At this point, I would talk on the phone numerous times. This usually told me a lot about the person.  Were they shy? Did they get offended easily? Did they provoked easily? Did they seem like a doormat? Etc., etc., etc.  If this step went well, a face-to-face was next in order.  This is where the real test came. Did they truly look like their picture? Oh boy could I tell some stories!!!!  I guess I just never understood why anyone would falsify that area of their profile if they truly had any intention of personally meeting someone. When I agreed to meet someone in person, I always chose a place that was full of people and familiar to me.  I drove myself and met them at the location.  Because let me tell you, from personal experience, there are some “different” people out there for those who may be naïve and oblivious.  I ran across some…for lack of a better word…weirdos.  But if the man seemed semi-normal, was someone I had things in common with and he struck my interest somewhat, I would agree to a second date.  After the second date, again, if things were moving along smoothly, a third date would come.  Unfortunately, I had this third date rule in place.  If I did not feel any type of connection or true interest with the gentleman, then I was done.  I wouldn’t waste any more of his time or mine. So, needless to say after many months on a few different sites, I was more than discouraged.  I mean seriously! Come on!  There’s not one guy out there with whom I could get past a third date? What was wrong with me?  Was I being too critical?  Too harsh?  Too picky?  What was my problem?  But reluctantly, with the encouragement of a co-worker (who I will not identify, but you know who you are – LOL), I joined a site I had not heard about.  I truly did not have any hopes or expectations of meeting “the one.”  I had only been on the site for about a week when I was contacted by this man.  His profile seemed genuine, not like the basic ones.  He had one picture of himself, not many with his shirt off puffing up his muscles.  He simply said that he enjoyed reading my profile and then proceeded with commenting on things my profile contained.  This was huge!  He ACTUALLY read through my story.  I thought, “Hum.  Ok.  This guy might be worth something.  He’s a good looking guy.  He likes the country and being outdoors.  He loves sports.  He has sons.  He has a respectable job.  Why not?”  So, we went through the tedious nonsense of texting, talking and then meeting for a date.   Needless to say….he was more than I expected and more importantly, we’ve made it past my third date rule! For all of you middle-aged, single parents out there in our community, don’t give up!  The online dating may not be for you because I never thought it was for me.  But I’m very happy that I found the person I did and if it hadn’t been for that particular site, I might still be single.

I’ve had a lot of people ask what Barley and Guinness have been up to over the past few months. It’s funny how if I don’t write a blog for the boys people text, e-mail or call me to see how they are doing. Both the boys are great and have been very busy outside this winter and are now getting their spring fever on. The mud they drag in from the 10 acres they get to roam on, is unreal. Muddy paw prints everywhere (inside and out). Speaking of which, I better call my pals from Panhandle to get the carpets cleaned. Over the winter, we added a sunroom onto our home and put a doggy door in for the boys. I can’t tell you how much they love this door, in and out, in and out all day long.  Recently, I was down with a funky virus that led to an upper respiratory infection, so I was home most of the week and the boys took care of me. Of course I took care of them when it came to opening the door to let them out every time they saw a squirrel, deer or any other creature outside.  Barley is our hunter and Guinness is the pointer, these brothers make a great team, except for when they bring their prize to me and show me what they’ve caught. They can stay out as long as they like because we have an underground electric fence that keeps them in our yard. So, no worries Bordas Dog Nation, the boys are doing fine and enjoying the nice weather. They are happy to hear that everyone enjoys seeing them at the office and misses them when they are too busy to have me blog for them. They would also like to remind you to adopt an animal from your local shelter if you are look for a furever friend. Adopt, don’t shop. Bark on, Bordas Dog Nation, bark on!