Maine Injury, Accident, & Disability Law Blog : Maine Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Joe Bornstein Law Firm : Portland Bangor Maine

The weekend of June 26th marked the first ever nationally coordinated attempt to detect and decrease drinking while boating. Operation Dry Water, as the program is called, was intended to raise awareness on the dangers of drinking and boating, and to facilitate a crackdown on impaired boat operators nationwide.

Boating Under the Influence (BUI) is an all too common occurrence on the waterways of Maine. Each summer, approximately 20% of boating fatalities are caused by intoxicated boaters, as alcohol impairs one’s judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time. Intensifying the effects of alcohol are sun, wind and motion, all commonly associated with time on the water.

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Summer in Maine is a special time whether you’re a lifelong resident or a weeklong tourist. Be it lounging lakeside, sitting on the sand of your favorite beach, or navigating through one of Maine’s many nature trails, there’s no lack enjoyment in our great state. But when it comes to family affairs, perhaps nothing tops Maine’s historic fairs and festivals.

For roughly four months, fairs and festivals take center stage in “Vacationland.” Be it agricultural, musical or culinary, these summer and fall events showcase all things Maine. From native animals, vegetables and pies, to parades, entertainment and amusements, the fairs and festivals attract visitors from near and far. Lasting anywhere from one day to one week, some towns have seen generations upon generations file through their fairgrounds for over 100 years. Tradition is what keeps the fairgrounds open, fun is what keeps the families coming back. 

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On June 18, the Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness held their annual awards dinner and silent auction. This year’s event celebrated Les Otten as the Center’s Person of the Year and raised over $100,000 for the non-profit organization. Otten has been the Center’s Chairman of the Board of Directors for the past five years.

The Cromwell Center is an innovative leader in disabilities awareness education. The goal of the Center is to change the attitude of people without disabilities by educating them about those who have a disability. Through teaching kids, educators, employers and employees, the Cromwell Center strives to ensure that people with disabilities - be it learning, behavioral and emotional, developmental, or physical - receive the same respect, acceptance and opportunity that every person deserves regardless of physical or mental condition.

In addition to hands on education, the Cromwell Center provides public and school libraries with collections of educational and informational books on special needs. Since 2004, the program has reached approximately 25,000 students in over 100 schools.

The Cromwell Center is named after a young boy, Jeremiah Cromwell, who was institutionalized in the early 1900s in the Maine School for the Feeble-Minded. It is not known why he was institutionalized or the nature of his disability, or whether he had one at all. But what is known is that Jeremiah Cromwell was alone. He died at school at the age of 16 and no family member came to retrieve his body for a proper burial.

It is because of Jeremiah’s hardship, and the hardships faced by many children today, that the Cromwell Center is working on behalf of children with disabilities. Through hard work and dedication, the Center envisions that one day no one will ever again experience the anonymity and suffering of Jeremiah Cromwell.

The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein is proud to support the Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness for their efforts and achievements in educating the youths of today. As a proud member of the Board of Directors, Joe Bornstein, would like to congratulate colleague Les Otten, a deserving honoree, for his leadership and hard work. May the Cromwell Center’s hard work today pay dividends tomorrow.

For more information on the Cromwell Center please visit: www.cromwellcenter.org.

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Robert Indiana, a Vinalhaven resident best known for his work during the Pop Art movement of the 1960’s, has been named the recipient of the 2009 Maine in America Award. The annual award is given by the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland to honor an individual or group who has made an outstanding contribution to Maine’s role in American art. Previous winners of the award are John Wilmerding (2006), Andrew Wyeth (2007), and Will Barnet (2008).

After graduating from technical school, Indiana moved to Manhattan and joined an art movement that combined commercial art with philosophical thought, challenging through irony a traditionally elitist mentality of art. Indiana’s approach is self-described as “sculptural poems.

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Traveling in Maine this summer? Worried about spending your summer stuck behind tourists and construction vehicles? Well, thanks to the Maine Department of Transportation’s travel information service, you may not have to.

Commuters, tourists, and travelers alike can now access information regarding road conditions throughout the state by contacting the Maine 511 Travel Information Service. Be it weather related issues, road construction, or general traffic congestion and delays, information on the highways and byways of Maine is available online or by phone twenty-four hours a day. Travelers can dial 511 from any telephone, including mobile phones, or visit: www.511maine.gov for real time road conditions updated by the Maine Department of Transportation and State Police staff from dispatch centers throughout the state.
 

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As summer starts to heat up and the temperature rises, so does the strength of the sun. And while the hot and humid season is short in Maine and reason enough to be outside at all times, it’s important to remember to protect yourself from the sun.

In an effort to educate and promote sun safety, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention dubbed the Friday before Memorial Day Don’t Fry Day. Designed to encourage people to protect their skin, the day also intends to save lives.

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The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein is pleased to announce that our fifth annual Arrive Alive Creative Contest has come to a close. The contest asks graduating seniors to think creatively and come up with a message for their peers to “Arrive Alive” and not drink and drive. This year’s contest set a record for number of participating students.

Seniors in nine Maine high schools – Biddeford, Thornton Academy, Deering, Portland, Casco Bay, Edward Little, Lewiston, Cony, and Bangor – were invited to participate in this year’s Arrive Alive Creative Contest. Entries consisted of poems, posters, videos, paintings, bumper stickers, and fashion designs. Many of them moving, all of them real.

Five first-place winners won new laptop computers, while second and third-place winners received iPods, and all students who entered the contest took away a bag full of gifts in appreciation of their efforts.

The 2009 first place winners are:

• Athena Andoniades – Lewiston High School
• Jacqueline Cone-Ausiender – Thornton Academy
• Lindsey Giles – Bangor High School
• Ikram Mohamed – Deering High School
• Abbe-Jaye Soohey - Bangor High School

Every year, communities across Maine and America are devastated by drunk driving accidents. At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein we see firsthand the end results of these tragic accidents. In the past five years we have given away over $20,000 in prizes to graduating seniors in an attempt to raise awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving. We urge you to help send the message to teenagers to stay safe and arrive alive, and hope that you will encourage your high school to support next year’s sixth annual Arrive Alive Creative Contest.

For more information on the Arrive Alive Creative Contest and to view all current and past winning entries, please visit our website: www.ArriveAliveWithMe.com.
 

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With warm weather on the horizon, Mainers are getting their boats ready for the upcoming boating season. Be it on the lake or in the open ocean, summer is the season to be on the water. But if floating freely is your idea of fun in the sun, then it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure safety. And that’s exactly what National Safe Boating Week (May 16-22) strives to do.

Every summer in the state of Maine, we see accidents on the water that could have been avoided. From minor injuries to major fatalities, boating can provide more than its share of problems. In 2007, nearly 700 boaters were killed on the water, with another 3,500 injured. An estimated 70 percent of these accidents were on vessels captained by sailors with no formal training. Inattention, carelessness, excessive speed, and intoxication are generally the main causes of boating accidents.

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Beginning June 1st, travelers wishing to reenter the U.S. at land or sea borders must now show a passport. Neighboring countries that once accepted a valid driver’s license for such travel – Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean – now require stricter personal identification.

Known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), the new rule was originally scheduled to take effect over a year ago but was delayed by Congress among concern that Americans weren't prepared for change and that relationships with United States' biggest trading partner, Canada, would be hurt.

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On May 27th, the Muskie Fund For Legal Services held their 14th annual Access to Justice Award Dinner. This year’s dinner honored Charlie and Ellie Miller for their commitment to strengthening Maine’s civil justice system.

Founded in 1995, The Muskie Fund For Legal Services celebrates the commitment of those who work for an access to justice for all Maine residents. Named after Maine Senator Edmund S. Muskie, the nonprofit organization raises money to support legal services throughout the state and carries on the efforts of the late senator, who worked tirelessly on behalf of poor, elderly, and disadvantaged Maine residents.

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