Archive for February, 2010
Snow is Coming
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
A search of the the www.NYC.gov web site, for the term, “school closings,” brings up this:
“New York City public schools are open on a regular schedule, regardless of the weather, unless there is a specific announcement that they are not.
If there are to be morning closings or delays, they will be announced between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM on the morning of the day of the closure.”
However, anticipation of tomorrow’s predicted snow is such that closure has been announced well in advance of the usual early morning phone call:
Chancellor Klein Announces Schools Closure Tomorrow
Due to anticipated inclement weather conditions, all New York City public schools will be closed tomorrow, February 10, 2010. All after-school activities, PSAL events, and all other events taking place in school buildings will also be cancelled. While travel conditions to school in the morning may not be difficult, the weather is expected to worsen as the day progresses, complicating dismissal. We are making this decision today to give parents as much time as possible to make alternative plans for tomorrow.” With respect to the predicted snow, please keep the following in mind, from the NYC Commissioner of Sanitation, John J. Doherty:
Sidewalk Safety
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Whether you’re the owner, tenant, occupant or the person in charge of any lot or building, you must clear the snow and/or ice from your sidewalk within four (4) hours after the snow has stopped falling, or by 11 a.m. if the snow stopped falling after 9 p.m. the night before.
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If the snow becomes frozen and too hard to remove, you may spread clean, unused cat litter, salt, sand, sawdust or another similarly suitable material within the same time limits.
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As you clear your sidewalk, keep in mind: YOU MUST NOT THROW SNOW INTO THE STREET. It’s against the law, and it forces Sanitation to re-plow your street. Also, you should never cover fire hydrants with snow - this could interfere with firefighting efforts.
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The bottom line is sidewalks must be thoroughly cleaned as soon as the weather permits.
Failure to comply with the law may result in fines ranging from $100 to $350.
The rest of Commissioner Doherty’s message may be found here.
Major snowstorms can bring inconvenience and danger but they can also bring an unexpected change of pace, quiet time to reflect and even the exhilaration and joy of snow-play.
Please be careful and stay safe.
[ "Snow Storm" photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alq666/98783134/ ]
“What if my Toyota Car or Truck was Recalled?”
Monday, February 8th, 2010Here is the latest information from Toyota about their huge recalls. It has been reported that the defects have been implicated in catastrophic accidents. We extend our condolences to the victims of these accidents and their families.
Here is a recent press release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on these potentially tragic defects.
If you or anyone you care about has been injured as a result of an auto defect, please call us for help.
Please drive safely and stay well.
“What if I lose my case at trial?”
Monday, February 8th, 2010The web site for the State of New York’s court system states that “There are four Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court, one in each of the State’s four Judicial Departments. These Courts resolve appeals from judgments or orders of the superior courts of original jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases, and review civil appeals taken from the Appellate Terms and the County Courts acting as appellate courts.”
Simply stated, if a litigant loses at trial, he/she has the right to have the trial court’s decision reviewed by a higher court. The higher court may, among other things, reverse the lower court’s decision.
The above link to the court system page lists the counties covered by the four Appellate Departments. Attorneys licensed to practice in the state may handle cases in any department. Most of the cases that we handle at Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., Attorneys at Law, are in the metropolitan New York area and the surrounding suburbs, which are located in the First Department and the Second Department.
Bans on Handheld Cell Phone Use (Apparently) Ineffective
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010Some interesting findings have recently been reported in the dynamic area of combatting distracted driving. Read more here.