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

Healthy Homes, Healthy Families recently sponsored a two-part class on the hazards of lead in Lewiston and Auburn. According to the Maine Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Lewiston-Auburn has the highest number of lead poisoned children in Maine.

Lead poisoning is a serious environmental hazard that can lead to learning disabilities and behavioral problems that can last a lifetime. Children are most vulnerable, with lead dust being the main cause.

More than 60% of housing in Maine may have lead paint in it. Those that live in older homes with chipped paint are at the greatest risk and most poisonings that occur in rental property are due to paint in poor condition. Any building or home built before 1950 is likely to contain lead paint.

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On March 25th, the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) celebrated their 6th annual CeleSoiree. The event is an evening of fun that raises money to benefit Maine’s immigrants.

The night featured international cuisine from local Portland restaurants, live African drumming and Middle Eastern music, and a silent auction featuring photographs, paintings, fiber arts and jewelry, donated by over 100 Maine artists and businesses. The event filled the Portland Company with all walks of life who came together to support equality and access to justice.

Immigrants have long helped shape Maine’s culture and economy. Today's immigrants from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East follow in the footsteps of those from Africa, Canada, China and Europe who have come to our state for generations. ILAP estimates that there are over 55,000 immigrants living in Maine today.

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Maine has many miles of rural land with many farms, barns, and stables. With warm weather nearing, more and more horses will soon be out and about on our roadways. Therefore, it’s important to know the rules of the road both for horses and their riders, as well as approaching drivers.

Horses are prey animals, which means they react to their surroundings. They can be frightened or startled by loud noises, bicycles, barking dogs, cars, trucks, and just about anything around them. Horses react instinctively, potentially causing unforeseen circumstances. For the safety of all, when near horses, it is wise to expect the unexpected.

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Mainers can now file their state taxes online for free. Last year, over 375,000 residents took advantage of this free service.

Maine's FastFile is considered the quickest, most accurate and efficient way to file income tax returns. Not only does the free program do many of the calculations for you, it also saves taxpayers money because the return process is less expensive to process than paper returns.

The advantages of filing online include: 

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The 5th annual Dine Around the World was held February 11th at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. More than 250 guests were in attendance to sample food from twenty of greater Portland’s best restaurants and bid on gifts donated by local businesses.

The fundraiser is one of the most celebrated in Portland and helps raise money to house the families of those receiving medical treatment at Mercy Hospital or the Maine Medical Center.

Located less than a block from Mercy Hospital and close to Maine Medical Center, Gary’s House provides guests a place to rest and recuperate while dealing with emotional and physical stresses of illness and hospitalization.

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The national non-profit organization Tread Lightly! recently held a seminar promoting proper outdoor ethics. The goal of the seminar was to teach people who love the great outdoors to balance their enjoyment with the need to maintain a healthy environment.

As Mainers, we are fortunate to have an abundance of land and water available for recreation. Be it in the open ocean or on one of Maine’s 6,000 lakes, in the fields or on the trails, or on the mountains or at the beach, the state’s vast outdoors provides endless amounts of adventure. And because we are lucky enough to explore nature’s playground, it’s equally important that we maintain it.

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On January 15th, the Boston Red Sox and Portland Sea Dogs teamed up to help “Strike Out Cancer in Kids.”

Sea Dogs players and coaches were joined by Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie for a night of fun at the Wyndham Hotel. The evening, known as the Strike Out Cancer in Kids Hot Stove Dinner, raises money for children undergoing cancer treatment at the Maine Children’s Cancer Program in Scarborough.

The Strike Out Cancer in Kids Program was developed in 1994. Through the program, people and businesses can pledge money for each strikeout thrown by a Portland Sea Dogs pitcher.

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In wake of the recent storm that left many Mainers without power, the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has released an important message:

Improper operation or placement of gas powered generators or similar alternative heating or power sources can lead to Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death. The poisonous gas is found in combustion fumes from sources such as cars and trucks, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, and gas ranges and heating systems. The poisonous gas can build up in enclosed areas, harming people and animals who breathe it, as high levels of CO inhalation can cause loss of consciousness and death.

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Mainers who have an outstanding fine or fee due in any of the state’s courts can now conveniently pay online.

Outstanding fine amounts are updated online every Tuesday morning and can be searched by name and date of birth or court docket number. Those that use the new service will be charged a premium service fee of $6.

When paying an outstanding fine or fee online, you will need:

• Your name and date of birth or court docket number
• A valid credit card (Discover, Visa or MasterCard)

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