Legal Advice Blog: Legal Advice, Case Insights, & Local Law Information

Our modern world has seen goods and commodities transport on the once mighty and ubiquitous railroad system give way to transport by the private trucking industry, putting more than 11 million trucks on U.S. highways logging over 288 billion (with a "B") miles a year. The interstate these days seems like a trucking industry world that we're all just living (or more pointedly trying to survive) in. Road haulage is one of the most dangerous industries in America, and the danger is ever increasing. In 2009, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, reported that tractor-trailers and large trucks were involved in 286,000 crashes, which led to over 3,000 deaths and 74,000 injuries. By 2010, the number of tractor trailer collisions had doubled. Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation recorded 500,000 collisions in 2010 that resulted in more than 5,000 fatalities. Not surprisingly, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 76 percent of these fatalities from tractor-trailer collisions were the occupants of the passenger vehicle. There are a number of common factors involved in trucking-related collisions, including: Size and weight. A tractor-trailer is more than 25 times heavier than the average passenger vehicle, ranging in weight from 12,100 to 80,000 pounds, which means that it takes a tractor-trailer longer to stop than a car or light truck. A car traveling 55 mph takes 265 feet to stop, while a large truck needs at least another 45 feet. Driver Fatigue. Truck drivers get paid by the mile, not by the hour, and, therefore, sometimes drive longer than they should. Fatigue can decrease driver reaction time and impair driver judgment. In fact, a 2006 government survey suggested that around 13% of tractor trailer collisions are fatigue related. Driver Distraction. As anyone who has spent any time on the Pennsylvania Turnpike can attest, long hours spent in the relative monotony of the interstate system can cause some truck drivers to become distracted and bored. Improper weight distribution. In contrast to the routes they drive, the one thing that is seemingly ever-changing for a tractor-trailer driver is the type and density of the haul load. This can lead to problems in the load distribution and if a load is not properly distributed, the trailer can sway. Passenger vehicle driving. I certainly do not mean to suggest that tractor-trailer collisions are caused exclusively by the tractor-trailer drivers. In fact, as often as not, it is the driver of the involved passenger vehicle who is responsible, aggressively weaving through traffic lanes and cutting in front of tractor-trailers, which forces them to brake suddenly. Winter is possibly the most dangerous time of the year, seeing a significant uptick in the volume of truck traffic trying to make on-time holiday deliveries, coupled with the wintry mix of rainy, foggy, snowy, icy weather conditions, which only adds to the likelihood of a collision. Unfortunately, trucking related fatalities continue to rise. However, hope seems to be on the way. The trucking industry in the United States is in the midst of an estimated $2 billion regulatory upheaval that will fundamentally change the way truck drivers operate on America's highways. The next few years will see the phase-in of mandatory laws requiring all U.S. tractor-trailer operators to carry an electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) in their vehicle. This EOBR is basically a tracking device that can offer real-time monitoring of a host of factors designed to reduce tractor trailer-related collisions, including when a truck's engine is running and its on-duty status, to help ensure that drivers are not working for more than 14 consecutive hours. The EOBR's also contain a number of "apps" to improve safety, like a graphical display that gradually turns from green to red as a driver chews through his permissible time behind the wheel. In the meantime, however, there remain a host of effective steps we passenger drivers can take to protect ourselves out on the road. With the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season, the last thing on most of our minds is driving safety, but it is also one of the most important considerations this time of the year. So, if you have read this far, please go all in with me and give some thought to the following safety tips as you head out on the road this winter. 1. You better recognize. Please respect the operational limitations of the tractor-trailer. The size and weight of these trucks make maneuverability very different than cars or light trucks. This means you have to give yourself plenty of distance both behind and in front of a tractor trailer. The classic, "2-second" following distance we were all taught as teenagers is grossly insufficient when sharing the road with a tractor trailer, so please give yourself a wide berth when following a semi. 2. Don't cut 'em off. Avoid passing a truck and then quickly moving back into the truck's lane or cutting in front of the truck to exit. Often we find ourselves being pushed by speedy drivers behind us, and this can present a particularly perilous situation when we approach a semi in our adjacent lane of travel. You know this  situation: a semi on your right and a car or truck barreling down on you from behind. The natural tendency is to pass the semi to get out of the way of the speeding driver as quickly as possible by cutting in front of the truck. But such an unexpected move can force the truck driver to slam on his brakes which puts not only your vehicle, but other vehicles nearby in danger. Always make sure to safely pass a truck, leaving plenty of distance in your wake, before you attempt to move back into the truck's lane. Likewise, avoid passing a tractor trailer quickly to cut directly in front of it to exit. This behavior causes accidents. 3. Know your "No Zones" Tractor trailers have much larger "blind spots" or "no zones", those areas where you cannot be seen in a semi's rear or side view mirrors. The "no-zones" for tractor trailers are around the left rear, right front, and in the back of a tractor trailer, and traveling in these areas puts you at significant risk that a truck driver will pull into your travel lane without seeing you. Remember this maxim: if you can't see the driver in the truck's side mirrors, the driver can't see you. To minimize the risk of riding in the "no zone": Avoid travelling alongside a tractor trailer for longer than it takes you to pass the truck at a reasonable speed (this also minimizes the risk of injury from a tractor trailer tire blowout). Get in the habit of either passing a tractor trailer immediately when you approach one or dropping back in your lane behind the truck to a point where the truck driver can easily see your vehicle in his side view mirror. If you decide to pass, take a few extra seconds to make sure the truck is not signaling any imminent lane changes before you pass. Look for turn signals or even slight drifting towards your lane of travel. Honking the horn as you begin to pass can also help alert a truck driver that you intend to pass. If you decide to pass, don't change lanes too quickly. Sudden movement in a driver's periphery can sometimes cause a tractor trailer to react unpredictably. Instead, use your turn signal beginning from a safe starting distance and give the tractor trailer every available visual indicator of your intentions. 4. Get Back and Stay Back Maintain a following distance of 20 to 25 car lengths behind any tractor-trailer, which allows more distance to maximize braking capabilities. Also give tractor trailers a wider berth when following them uphill. Shifting gears can sometimes be more problematic for a truck driver travelling uphill and trucks on inclines can and do drift backwards. Finally, remain alert to tractor trailers making a right turn. Tractor trailers must "swing wide" to make a sharp right turn at an intersection, and often times must move left in order to swing right. This can be confusing if you are behind a truck, because the natural tendency is to think the truck is turning left, so you keep going. Then, when the truck cuts back right, you're trapped in what is often termed the "right turn squeeze", which can cause significant damage and injury. 5. Get Off The Road in an Emergency In an emergency, pull completely off the road as far as possible. If you can safely set out flares or triangles, place them at both ends to warn approaching traffic. Then move as far away from your vehicle as you can, preferably on the far side of any guardrail, and immediately contact the state and/or local police to alert them to the road hazard. Law enforcement officers are trained how to appropriately warn approaching traffic of the hazard, reroute traffic safely around your broken down vehicle, and have it moved off the road promptly. Under no circumstances is it ever advisable to try and fix a problem yourself while on the side of the highway, even if the problem is as basic as changing a tire. And this is particularly true at night. It is practically as hazardous to stop on a highway shoulder after dark as it is to stop in a highway travel lane, because night vision often plays tricks on people's perception on the roadway. For instance, the lights a truck driver sees in the distance and assumes belong to a vehicle in a moving travel lane may instead belong to a vehicle stalled on the road or on the shoulder. If the driver of a tractor trailer makes this error, he is likely to strike your vehicle when it is stopped on the shoulder, and truck drivers are especially prone to make these errors in judgment at night when they are tired after a long day's drive. 6. Night Time Is Not the Right Time Fatigued driving remains the scourge of commercial transportation. Given the nature of the industry's demands, truck drivers remain exposed to excessive rates of sleep apnea and insomnia. The best way to combat this is to limit your driving between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Trying to drive all night to get to your destination (still a popular tactic for Myrtle Beach vacationers from the Ohio Valley) disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of the human body and can lead to decreased perception and reaction times, as well as sheer exhaustion, all of which are a recipe for catastrophe. The commercial transportation industry and our government are working to improve highway safety and reduce trucking-related collisions. But, regardless of the scope and timing of these new regulations, following the practices outlined above can keep the odds in our favor. So drive defensively, stay alert and be safe this winter and every other time you venture out on the highway.

When you move into a house, you generally inspect the plumbing, check the roof and look for termites, but, in most cases you have no idea who your neighbors are. You might be lucky and get the kind who bring over a home cooked meal your first night there, want to be surrogate grandparents to your kids and are the "live and let live" type of people. Then there's the other side of the coin: the neighbors from hell. They come in many varieties. They call the police when you play your music too loud, call the dog warden the first time your dog sets foot (or paw) on their property and think no one can park in front of their house but them. On the other hand, maybe you are the neighbors from hell. You complain when their tree grows a foot over the property line, think they shouldn't mow the lawn on your day off and think children should be seen and not heard. Like it or not, you may be neighbors for years to come. They're like family....you might not like them, but they're not going away, so it may be best to call a truce and make life more peaceful for all of you. I recently spent some time with friends who lived on a mountain in the middle of nowhere in Montana. The nearest homes could barely be seen through the treetops three hairpin turns down the mountain. We walked to the upper neighbors home, but not without our sixteen inch tall can of bear mace. I thought, "Boy, when you live out here you don't have to know or see any of your neighbors." My friend soon set me straight on that. He said "Are you kidding me? These guys are my posse. If there's a fire, the fire department may take 45 minutes to get here. My neighbors will be the ones to help me put out the fire. If I get stuck in a snow drift, there's no AAA. I call a neighbor to pull me out with his truck". The moral of the story is, no matter where we live, we all have posses. That neighbor you don't like may be the one banging on your door when he sees your house on fire in the middle of the night. Your neighbor might be the only one who notices you haven't picked up the morning paper and finds you lying on the floor after a heart attack. Love them or hate them, but get along with them. It's not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do.

The Ohio Valley (and the rest of West Virginia and Ohio) is predicted to experience record low temperatures today, and the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a Wind Chill Warning for our area to remain in effect until 10:00 am Wednesday morning. The attorneys and staff at Bordas & Bordas have braved the weather to come into the office today, and would like to share the following cold weather tips for you and your family. We hope you all stay warm and safe as this "polar vortex" holds us all in its grips! For Your Home: Take care when using supplemental heating devices such as space heaters, ovens, stoves, electric blankets, or propane heaters. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that more than 50,000 residential fires annually are caused by heating. Most of these fires occur in January, as families try to beat the cold. Improper heating device use also is a common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure all the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home have fresh batteries and are functioning. If possible, try to keep your home heated to a minimum of 65 degrees. The temperature inside your walls is much lower than the temperature in the rooms of your house. Keeping your home at 65 helps ensure that the pipes inside your walls won't freeze. In case you do experience frozen pipes, learn how to use the main water shutoff valve in your home before disaster strikes. For Your Car: Make sure to check your antifreeze levels to prevent your engine block from freezing. If the locks on your door have frozen shut, try warming your key to heat up the lock from the inside. Never pour warm water on your car, as in extreme temperatures such as the ones facing the Ohio Valley this week, the water can re-freeze and create an even worse situation. Keep your gas tank at a minimum of half full, and avoid driving if you suspect the roads are icy. If you must drive, make sure to go slower than usual, and increase the distance you usually keep between your vehicle and the car in front of you. If it's been a while since you checked your car battery, consider taking a look at it. Older batteries sometimes cannot be jump-started once exposed to sub-zero temperatures. Make sure your tires are fully inflated, and also check your car's oil levels if possible. For Your Family: The Ohio Valley will be experiencing lower temperatures than it has in the past 20 years. Although you might feel that you know how to handle the cold, the weather today is different than your normal cold snap. Limit your time outdoors, and dress in warm layers to insulate your body. When walking around outdoors, walk carefully on areas you suspect might be icy. Keep dry, and change any wet clothing frequently. Learn the early warning signs of frostbite, and make sure to seek medical attention if you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms. Check in on any loved ones who you think might be at particular risk during inclement weather (such as the elderly and the disabled). If you know of anyone who needs a warm place to go, the following warming centers will be set up in Ohio, Belmont and Marshall counties. For Your Pets: Barley and Guinness recently shared some of their helpful hints to keep your furry friends warm and safe during the winter. They would like to remind you again to please keep all of your pets inside during this weather, and remember to wipe off their paws when they come inside. Dogs and cats can ingest salt or antifreeze when licking themselves clean after a romp in the snow, and a minute spent cleaning them off can prevent them from becoming ill. Never leave your pet alone outside in this sort of weather, even if you only plan to have it be for just a minute. Bang loudly on the hood of your car before you start it, as cats sometimes sleep beneath cars to escape inclement weather.

January 26 th is quickly approaching, and you know what that means: The 56 th Annual Grammy Awards are almost upon us! Daft Punk. Pink. Kendrick Lamar. They are all set to perform! Justin Timberlake. Jay-Z. Willie Nelson. They will all be in attendance! Sadly, most of us will only be able to view this star-studded event from our television screens. It doesn't have to be this way though. The opportunity of a lifetime is within reach! Bordas & Bordas and WTRF 7 are sending one lucky Ohio Valley resident and a guest to the Grammys! We have prepared everything for you: two tickets to the live 56 th Annual Grammy Awards, two paid round-trip plane tickets to Los Angeles, first class hotel accommodations at The Standard, shuttle transportation, two tickets to the official Grammy After-Party, admission to the Grammy Museum and $300 in spending money! All you have to do is relax, plan out your outfit and think about what conversations you could have with Beyoncé. How do you enter this contest? Well, it only takes a minute. Go to this link and fill out an entry form. We are accepting entries from January 1 st to January 12 th. It is just that simple! How can you increase your odds of winning? If you "like" Bordas & Bordas Attorneys, PLLC on Facebook, a bonus code will be revealed. This bonus code will provide you with five additional entries. You can't beat that! The winner will be announced on January 12 th by WTRF 7 News. Good luck and we look forward to seeing you on the red carpet!

The death of a loved one is devastating for the families left behind, often bringing a seemingly overwhelming flood of grief and emptiness that makes it very difficult to concentrate on anything else. When a loved one dies in a hospital or nursing home setting, hardly anyone thinks about the possibility that their death was preventable in the immediate aftermath of their passing. It is typically only after a loved one has been laid to rest that a family's thinking turns towards the medical treatment that preceded the death. Unfortunately, medical errors have been determined to be the third leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for up to 440,000 deaths in this country every year, and oftentimes an autopsy is the only way to know whether a medical error was involved. At Bordas & Bordas, we receive many calls from family members of deceased loved ones who have strong suspicions that medical errors were involved, but far often it is too late to determine the nature of one's passing with any precision or provide any meaningful help to the families left behind. Although it is somewhat unnatural to consider in the wake of a loved one's passing, an autopsy is most often the only way to determine the root cause of death, which is a necessary prerequisite to determining whether a medical error was involved. Even in cases where there is a strong suspicion that a medical error has cost a family member their life, do not assume an autopsy is unnecessary. Autopsy results are among the most important and persuasive forms of evidence in wrongful death litigation, and it is hard to imagine a wrongful death case in which an attorney would prefer not to have autopsy findings available to present to a jury. In many instances, the hospital will not discuss an autopsy with the family of the deceased, and requests for such discussions can often be met with resistance. Therefore, it is important to be persistent when you have a reasonable suspicion that a loved one may have died from a medical error. Also consider going outside the hospital in which a loved one has passed to retain an independent, third-party forensic pathologist to perform the autopsy. Oftentimes an autopsy by a third-party costs significantly less than the amount the hospital charges and can circumvent any potential conflicts of interest. If you suspect that your loved one's death may be the result of a medical error, you should contact an experienced law firm right away to help guide you through that very difficult time.

Pope John Paul II called Christmas that - "our peace and our joy" - in his Christmas message twenty years ago. John Paul II, to be declared a saint this coming April, delivered a message of peace at Christmas in every year of his papacy and the message never grew tired, as every year it was preached in a world at war. One of his predecessors, John XXIII, had spoken, decades earlier, of the causes of war - what he called an "international sickness": These causes are: "the violation of the rights and dignity of the human person and the overruling of the rights of the family and of labor; the overthrow of the juridical order and of the healthy idea of the state in keeping with the Christian spirit; impairment of the liberty, integrity and security of other nations to whatever extent; the systematic oppression of the cultural and language characteristics of national minorities; the egotistical calculations of all who strive to seize control of the economic sources of the materials of common use to the detriment of other peoples; and in particular, the persecution of religion and of the Church." It is a good list - and to reverse it to the positive side of matters, his list of the causes of war calls on us to do the following in the service of peace: 1) Uphold the value of human beings and; 2) their families; and 3) especially those who are workers; in 4) a world governed by just law and order 5) upholding individual freedom; and 6) national integrity and autonomy; while 7) fighting discrimination based on nationality; 8) opposing the greedy amassing of wealth and power; and 9) opposing religious discrimination. 2013 was both an ordinary and an extraordinary year in these areas in our country. It was the twelfth year of continuous war since 2001. It was the fifth year of unemployment and poverty spurred by the crash of 2008. It was an unprecedented year in ending some forms of discrimination - including one that had been Holy Writ. But others, including religious discrimination and outright religious warfare, have continued unabated. Having briefly served in our armed forces, I'm well-acquainted with the idea that our use of force around the globe is in the service of human dignity and freedom. But at Christmas, if not all year long, it is worthwhile to consider the words of St. Augustine: "It is more glorious to slay war with words than men with steel; and it is true glory to secure peace by peaceful means" (St. Augustine, Epistle 129, II). It is also worth considering some unpleasant facts. It has recently been reported that a US drone struck a series of buses carrying wedding guests in Afghanistan. More than a dozen innocent people were killed and many more were wounded, some critically. It received some coverage, but passed largely unnoticed in our media which was giving us wall-to-wall coverage of "the selfie." Of course, if the attack had been on an American wedding, everyone would know about it and it would never be off the TV for weeks. We've all been to weddings. Imagine being at one bombed from a drone. The fact that we don't makes it clear that we've placed ourselves above the victims of that attack. As a nation, we've decided that our weddings matter and our people matter, and "their" weddings and "their" people, perhaps not at all. The tens and hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have died in the wars since 2001 have been assigned a "dignity" that is less that the dignity we grant ourselves, and we act accordingly. And so what John XXIII was saying in 1959 - that "the violation of the rights and dignity of the human person and the overruling of the rights of the family" is the first cause of war, has been re-written in blood in the desert this year. Another kind of disrespect and indignity was on display in New York City, this time to one of our very own. When asked about the plight of a homeless woman in the City he leads, the pope of New York had a different idea than the Pope in Rome. Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: " that's just how God works." And that may be exactly how some of the most fortunate and wealthy in America have come to see it: they are rich and wealthy by some kind of decree from on High, as though God himself has ordained that they circle the globe in private jets while the poor sleep on the streets in winter. Bloomberg held himself up as the perfect example of: "the egotistical calculations of all who strive to seize control of the economic sources of the materials of common use to the detriment of other peoples." That may be the story of Michael Bloomberg's life, but don't ask him to reflect on it - he says "that's just how God works." I wonder how he knows. 2014 starts a new year and a new chance to show respect and concern for one another. It's a new year to see the world through the eyes of others instead of through our own personal, parochial, or national concerns and ideas. Those of us who make it into 2014 receive another chance to care for the weaker, the poorer and the sicker among us, instead of imagining that it's our own personal merit that makes their problems none of ours. John Paul's Christmas prayer said this also, twenty years ago: Wipe away, Baby Jesus, the tears of children! Embrace the sick and the elderly! Move men to lay down their arms and to draw close in a universal embrace of peace! Invite the peoples, O merciful Jesus, to tear down the walls created by poverty and unemployment, by ignorance and indifference, by discrimination and intolerance. 2014 won't be too soon.

"Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it."  Beyonce's hit song Single Ladies was all over the radio and television in 2008.  While the hook got caught in most everyone's head at some point, it actually was pretty good advice.  It seems like a significant number of people out there don't take their significant others seriously enough and either run from idea of marriage or do it for the wrong reasons.   Getting engaged and getting married is serious business.  It takes commitment, hard work, and dedication to one another.  Carrie Scanlon touched on these issues in her recent blog about advice she would give her younger self. Unfortunately for one Georgia couple who has recently been in the news, a canceled engagement turned into litigation and a $50,000.00 award against the man who called it off.  ABC News and Good Morning America recently reported a story out of Georgia where an appeals court has upheld the decision of a trial court to award a jilted fiancé $43,500.00 in damages and $6,500.00 in attorney's fees after she filed a lawsuit alleging a breach of contract to marry and fraud.  It was reported that the couple had been together for nearly four years before the man presented his girlfriend with a $10,000.00 ring which she eagerly accepted. The two already lived together and had a child.  Over the course of a seven year engagement (seven years probably  should have been a tip off that something wasn't right) the marriage never occurred and the man asked his fiancée and child to move out after he was confronted in April of 2011 with relationship he had with another woman.  Of course, testimony revealed that the dumped woman "possibly" had another relationship at some point during the engagement too. Part of the man's defense to the case was that he says he never actually asked the jilted ex to marry him.  Georgia, much like many other states, no longer recognizes common law marriage.  Common law marriage was a doctrine that provided marriage like property and asset protections when two individuals lived together and essentially acted as though they were married even though they were not.  Because there was no common law marriage, the woman in the Georgia case apparently had little recourse even though she had quit her job, sold her home, and stayed home for years to raise the couple's child.  She was surely headed for some difficult circumstances and filed the breach of contract to marry case.  Many states still recognize a cause of action for these types of heart balm actions.  Of course, this type of situation can go both ways.  In May of 2012 the Today Show reported on a similar case in New York filed by a man after his fiancée called off their upcoming wedding.  The man there sought to recover wedding costs and substantial unpaid living expenses. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have abolished the traditional breach of promise to marry law suit. West Virginia abolished stand-alone breach of promise to marry and alienation of affection cases by statute in 1969.  Ohio did so in 1978 and Pennsylvania in 1990.  With that, you can't just sue someone because they promised to marry you and then called it off.  No matter how embarrassed or upset you might be, you can't sue for that alone.  The West Virginia Supreme Court, like other states, has made clear that a called off engagement could result in valid law suits if specific money or property or circumstances demonstrate actual damages. Bryan v. Lincoln, 168 W.Va. 556 (1981).  In the Bryan case a man actually gave his fiancé $5,000.00 to help her buy a property interest from her ex-husband.  In the end, the lady called off the engagement and actually remarried her ex.  The lady's lawyers argued that the 1969 law made clear that the man had no case.  Our Supreme Court recognized, however, "that the predominate view go no further than to bar actions for damages suffered from loss of marriage, humiliation, and other direct consequences of the breach, and do not affect the rights of the parties relative to gifts passing between them."  It was also suggested that causes of action for fraud and unjust enrichment were also valid. In a time when many people live together before marriage, houses are sold, jobs change and people begin to change their lives before they actually get married.  When those changes are made specifically because of an engagement or a promise to marry many states would likely permit a law suit to obtain specific monetary damages when the engagement is called off. Perhaps the underlying problem to all of this is the fact that some people just don't take getting married seriously enough.  There are plenty of people who get married for the right reasons and have many happy years, but just can't seem to make it work for some reason or another. But in the world of the Kim Kardashians and 72-day marriages, it seems that just as many people don't marry for the right reasons.  There is a lot of discussion and criticism these days about who should be able to marry whom when it appears that most people's attention should be better focused on who they should specifically marry. Family is one of the bedrocks of our society and of the Bordas & Bordas, PLLC firm.  When we have strong families, more people do the right thing.  When we have strong families we have a strong society.  Strong families can come in many different forms, but when a marriage starts strong, and for the right reasons, it is much easier keep our lives on track. - Article about the Georgia case referenced above - Today Show: Man Sues Ex-Fiance After she Breaks off Engagement - Today Show video and separate article about the NY case referenced above. - Article about short celebrity marriages - Article from Today Show - 7 Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage

For the past three years, Christmas has held a very distinct significance for me: the end of the semester and a break from school. Sure there were decorations, and Christmas carols on the radio, and presents and parties, but more importantly, there were no exams to stress over, no research papers to stay up late to finish, and no heavy law books to haul to and from the library each day. By the time I had completed my final exams, I didn't care whether it was Christmas, or a random Tuesday in April, so long as it meant I got to sleep in and watch hours of bad reality television again. This year, I began to realize that I was having a very different reaction to Christmas than I had experienced in recent years. I noticed which Christmas carols were played most often on the radio. I took time to drive through my neighborhood, and Oglebay Park, and admire the wonderful light displays. I spent a few evenings writing Christmas cards to all of my friends and relatives. Christmas really became a season for me, rather than just a day of the year. And, in addition to my increased enjoyment of Christmas all around me, I felt compelled to celebrate the season in another way I had not done in years, by volunteering my time to share the holidays with others. Having only lived in Wheeling for a few months, I wasn't entirely sure where to go to share my Christmas spirit. I thought maybe I would just have to wait until I returned home to Michigan for Christmas, where I could accompany my mom to volunteer with some of the organizations in my hometown. Even though that is still something I am looking forward to doing over the holidays, I was also fortunate to find a fantastic opportunity to participate in Christmas giving right here in Wheeling. Linda Bordas invited me to join her, Linda Scaggs, and Jeanne Dedo on an annual Christmas shopping trip with children from a local school. We met the students, and some of their teachers and guidance counselors, at the school in the morning. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I could tell that all of the kids were excited as we boarded the school bus to head out. A bus driver, who was generously volunteering her time during the day, drove us to the St. Clairsville mall. Once we arrived, we were each paired with a student or two, and then given free reign to shop. I think I looked at almost every item in the store while shopping with these great kids, but I can safely say that the aisles housing electronics, videogames, candy and Steelers gear got the most attention. The students were each given a set amount that they could spend, and I was very impressed at how carefully they kept track of their purchases, adding and subtracting the cost of each item as they went. It was also touching to see the students search for special items for family members, or to substitute out an item they had selected for themselves after finding something that they knew their mother or a sibling would really love. It would have been very easy for these children to spend the entire amount on things they wanted, but each of them used careful consideration for their selections, and thought of others during the process. Is there anything that embodies the Christmas spirit more than that? Linda Bordas told the kids, both at the start and end of our day together, that this is her favorite day of the year, and I have to agree with her! I am truly appreciative of this opportunity, and hope to be able to participate in this annual event again in the future. I am blessed to have found a new meaning and appreciation for the Christmas season.

Plaid, stripes, sequins, lights, ornaments. Put them together and what do you get? The infamous and celebrated Ugly Christmas Sweater. How do we celebrate the travesties? By partaking in the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater party, of course! What was once considered an obscene taste in fashion has now become an acclaimed hit in workplaces and social gatherings around the world. Where did it all begin? Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada claims to be the birthplace of the first Ugly Christmas Sweater party in 2002. For more information, check out www.christmassweaterparty.com. Here are some more fun facts about the Ugly Christmas Sweater according to www.uglychristmassweater.com: Bill Cosby is considered the Father of the Ugly Christmas Sweater. Christmas sweaters were first mass manufactured under the name "Jingle Bell Sweaters". Celebrities known for wearing Ugly Christmas Sweaters include Colin Firth in Bridget Jones' Diary, Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and, of course, Bill Cosby in The Cosby Show. National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is celebrated December 20 th. Although it may be too late this year to flaunt all the ugly you can muster, you can prepare for next year's festivities by visiting sites such as www.myuglychristmassweater.com, www.uglysweaterstore.com, and www.thesweaterstore.com to purchase your unsightly sweater. As you've seen by now, Bordas & Bordas has already put on a wonderful display of sweaters of holiday horror. Thanks to all who voted for their favorite ugly sweater, all to the benefit of three worthy local charities: the Marshall County Animal Shelter, Tri-County Help Center and National Youth Advocate Program!

Christmas is quickly approaching, and between all the shopping, decorating, parties and baking, it recently hit me that this will be the first year I won't be in Wheeling with my family on Christmas day. Even though I'm excited to be spending the holiday with someone special to me and his family, knowing that I won't be "Home for the Holidays" this year has made me reflect on Christmases from my past. Of course, there are all the wonderful childhood memories I have, such as waking up to find that Santa brought me the most amazing Barbie Dream House or that  he delivered a teddy bear to Grandma and Grandpa's house for me, but it's the more recent Christmases that stand out to me now. In between the family traditions of Christmas Eve mass at St. Vincent's followed by the annual showing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and even my brother always making breakfast Christmas morning, there are the Christmases that have marked my journey back home to Wheeling. I moved away more than eleven years ago, thinking that I'd never live in Wheeling again. Coming home for Christmas during my college years was always about having fun, catching up with my friends from high school and retelling stories about our days at Central that we've told a thousand times. It was Christmas of 006 when I realized those carefree days were coming to an end when I accepted a job in Charlotte, NC and moved four days after Christmas to start my post collegiate life. A year later, when I came home for Christmas for the first time after truly being away, I realized how much I missed and loved my hometown. It took another two years and a move to another state, but before I knew it, it was a few weeks before Christmas in 2009 and I was moving back up north. I spent the next three years living and working in Pittsburgh, PA, but still found myself longing for home, my little town in the heart of the Ohio Valley. So I decided to officially put my roots down in Wheeling and in what has seemingly become a pattern, I moved again just a few weeks before Christmas last year, but this time, into my first home in my hometown. Looking back, I love that such a wonderful time of year seems to have had a minor role in my journey back home. There have been a lot changes over the years and I have so many great memories of Christmas in Wheeling with my family and friends. I'm really looking forward to the new memories and traditions that I'll be making this Christmas.

This Christmas season, like every Christmas season, we are getting the chance to revisit the age-old conflict between those who say "Merry Christmas" and those who say "Happy Holidays." One's choice of holiday greeting can quickly become the subject of discussion, dispute, debate and finally fist fights and assaults. A few days ago, a Salvation Army Bell Ringer found herself physically assaulted for telling the wrong person "Happy Holidays." It should go without saying (but apparently it doesn't) that the hostility and attitude on display when it comes to "Merry Christmas"/"Happy Holidays" these days is not exactly in the Christmas spirit. Some people who say "Happy Holidays" are accused of trying to "take Christ out of Christmas," and some may well be, but many others might just be hoping to meet someone who celebrates Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or even more controversial and/or fictitious holidays. Of course, the joke is always on the people who say happy holidays in an effort to take religion out of the equation. As our famous national physicist and astronomer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, recently pointed out via Twitter, the word "holidays" is derived from "holy days," and so, the supposedly secular "happy holiday" wishers are actually making a specific reference to the "reason for the season." Christmas warrior Bill O'Reilly would be calling the happy holidays crowd out for suckers if he could have gotten into Bronx Science alongside Tyson, but he was stuck at Chaminade. At the same time, some "Merry Christmas" wishers find themselves uttering the words "Merry Christmas" in an increasingly defiant and confrontational tone until it almost sounds like "Merry Christmas, d*** you!" That's getting a little further away yet from "peace on earth and goodwill to men." The Christian theologian, C.S. Lewis, reminded us in his masterful book, The Screwtape Letters, that one of the devil's favorite tricks was to stir up dispute, anger and even hatred between human beings over matters with as little significance as possible. He used the example of stirring up fights between Christians who prefer to say "Mass" and those who say "Holy Communion." The less there is at stake, the more pointlessly hostile and uncharitable the fights will be. The perpetual argument over Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays is very much in the spirit of what Lewis was talking about. Anyway, the whole thing is a distraction from the important things in life, such as who says "let's go Mountaineers," who says "let's go Pitt," and who says "let's go Irish." Now that's something worth getting into a solid fistfight about. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Kwanzaa!, and Celebrate Festivus (with the rest of us), this Yule Season, America.

At Bordas & Bordas, giving back to the community where we both work and live is of the utmost importance. Listed and explained below are just a few of the many recent philanthropic sponsorships we are honored to be involved with. Since its inception, the American Red Cross has provided care to those in need through disaster relief, blood donations, health and safety services, and more. The Red Cross' local branch is hosting its 28 th annual Ohio Valley Media Day Blood Drive on Monday, January 27, 2014 at the Wesbanco Arena. It is a chance to encourage increased blood donations for various uses as the month of January is infamous for very little public participation. Bordas & Bordas was pleased to contribute to the cause. The Mt. Olivet Lion's Club is gearing up for its 31 st annual Variety Show to be held on February 28 th and March 1 st, 2014. The Club has lined up several entertaining and fun acts that could make this year's program the best yet. Funds raised by the purchase of a Variety Show program ad go towards projects like food baskets for needy families, eye screenings for school children, and Leader and Pilot dogs for the blind. The Club is a very generous organization that Bordas & Bordas is happy to support. Bordas & Bordas is passionate about continuously contributing to and helping the youth involved with the OVAC. As of late, the firm sponsored the 2013 West Virginia High School Football State Playoffs and the Super Six Championships. The firm happily supported the successful event earlier this month. YMCA - simply the Y for short - is a worthy organization that serves more than 10,000 neighborhoods across the United States. Focusing on the three key areas of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, the organization strives to help every child realize and utilize his or her outstanding potential. The local installment, the J.B. Chambers YMCA, is housed right here in Wheeling and boasts health and fitness programs, aquatics, camping, and sports facilities for all to enjoy. Oglebay and Wheeling Park are beautiful staples within our community. From fishing at Schenk Lake to flying down the stories-tall water slide at the pool, Oglebay and Wheeling Park offer attractions for everyone. The Oglebay Foundation is aligned with the Access to the Parks program that allows the youth of our community to enjoy the amenities of Oglebay and Wheeling Park without charging fees for their admission. Access to the Parks provides kids with a photo ID that not only gets them into the parks for free, but enables free equipment rentals (ice skates, golf clubs, etc.), as well. As a longtime supporter, we were again happy to contribute to this worthy cause this year. Bordas & Bordas is honored to be involved with such noteworthy organizations and events. We will continue to reach out to community partners who are passionate about making a difference. As always, we encourage everyone to support these very worthy causes in any way possible.