DiBartolomeo Law Office - July 2019

DiBartolomeo Law Office - July 2019

Makin’ It Better NEWSLETTER

July 2019

Oregon Workers’ Compensation | Personal Injury | Social Security Disability

1139 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103 • 503-325-8600 • JoeDiBartolomeo.com

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HIRE

The Qualities That Define a Candidate’s Potential

LONG-TERM PROSPECTS A recent Gallup poll found that one-fifth of millennials have changed jobs within the past year, more than three times the percentage of nonmillennial workers. This statistic demonstrates the importance of inquiring about a candidate’s long-term aspirations. It also shows how important it is to provide advancement opportunities for your staff members. Employees will eventually leave your company, and you’ll have to replace them. That’s just a fact of life. How often you need to do so, however, depends on how well you hire. CULTURE FIT Every employee takes part in and contributes to your company culture, but hiring for culture fit alone can be a dangerous game. A good culture fit is not somebody who you think will be your friend and want to go for a drink after work. Too many business owners assume a perfect company culture is one where everyone wants to hang out all the time. That’s great, but what really matters is whether a candidate will enjoy working at your company and whether they reflect your core values. The best workplaces allow for a diversity of attitude and temperament, so don’t close yourself off looking for a certain type of personality. Instead, focus on assessing whether somebody can communicate well and get along with others. If they can do that, who cares where they spend their nights and weekends?

“Time spent on hiring is time well-spent.”

How refined a candidate’s skills need to be will depend on the nature of their position. Roles that require specialized talent, like graphic design or dentistry, should be filled with folks who are trained before they arrive on day one. You’ll still need to train them on the ins and outs of your company, but you simply cannot afford to teach employees in these positions the fundamentals of their job. For less specialized roles, you can hire based on soft skill. If somebody is friendly and organized, they have a chance to succeed as an office administrator even if they’ve never answered phones professionally. INTEREST “Employees who actively target the places they want to work will bring a passion to the job far beyond those simply interested in collecting a paycheck,” says Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas. A candidate shouldn’t just be looking for any job; they should be enthusiastically pursuing a job with you. Gauging a candidate’s level of enthusiasm should be a central component of your hiring process. Does the candidate know about your products or services? Do they seem excited just to be in your office? In this regard, sometimes the questions they ask you during an interview are more important than the questions you ask them. After all, anyone serious about working somewhere is going to be curious about what that place is like.

–Robert Half

A growing business needs team members. Finding the right ones is essential in scaling a company and creating a vibrant culture. Every entrepreneur has made a bad hiring decision at some point or another. When that happens, it’s extremely costly to replace existing workers and train new ones. It’s vital to place a premium on developing a hiring process that allows you to select worthy candidates who will excel in their roles. A good hiring system involves many factors. You have to cast a wide net in order to attract the largest number of candidates; ensure the recruitment process presents your company as a place where top talent would want to work; and, most importantly, identify the skills and characteristics that will allow you to choose the right people. Let’s take a look at some of the most important qualities a candidate can possess. SKILLS Anyone you’re looking at hiring should, of course, be able to do the job they’re applying for. If you’re not absolutely certain that a potential hire will be able to pull their weight, every other consideration becomes moot. A chef could be the sweetest, most driven person in the world, but that’s all for naught if they can’t cook well. An unskilled hire becomes an anchor around the neck of their coworkers, which will sow seeds of discontent in a hurry.

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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DID YOU SEE THAT? 3 Famous UFO Sightings (Besides Roswell)

Going stargazing this summer? Be sure to keep your eyes out for unidentified flying objects (UFOs)! July 2 is World UFO Day, commemorating the supposed UFO crash that took place in 1974 in Roswell, New Mexico. Everyone knows about the strange things that happened in Roswell, but let’s look at a few lesser- known, but no less strange, UFO sightings. THE FIRST FLYING SAUCER On June 24, 1947, civilian pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying his plane near Mount Rainier in Washington when he reported seeing nine blue, glowing objects flying in a V formation at around 1,700 mph. Arnold would later describe the crafts’ motions like “a saucer if you skip it across water.” The government confirmed there were no aircraft tests in the area that day. In the following weeks, other sightings of Arnold’s flying saucers would crop up across the region. THE RENDLESHAM FOREST INCIDENT Things got weird at a Royal Air Force military base in England on Dec. 26, 1980. At around 3 a.m.,

two Air Force members saw odd lights falling into the nearby Rendlesham Forest. They reported finding a metallic object giving off lights and still moving. The object was gone when police arrived, but they found unusual markings at the site. A few days later, more servicemen went into the forest where they spotted three mysterious bright lights in the sky that shone for hours. EAST COAST GO FAST VIDEO In 2015, a U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter captured video of a bizarre, fast-moving object that had no visible wings and emitted no heat or no exhaust trail. The video, which can be viewed at COI.ToTheStarsAcademy. com/2015-go-fast-footage , shows the object in the fighter’s targeting system. The pilot and the weapon systems officer can be heard shouting and asking, “What is that, man?” The video leaked in 2017 along with news of the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program (AATIP), a secret U.S. government organization investigating UFOs. Most UFO sightings have rational explanations. Even the famous Roswell Incident was proven to be debris from a surveillance program the U.S. military used to spy on the Soviet Union. But there’s something to be said about how a UFO sighting makes us look up at the night sky and wonder if we’re not alone.

DRIVING ON THE 4THOF JULY Safety is Key

Happy Independence Day from all of us at the Di Bartolomeo Law Office! We’re gearing up to enjoy a day of barbecuing and watching fireworks with our friends and family, and we’re sure many of you are doing the same. But as we celebrate the liberties we enjoy as a country, we also need to do our part to keep one another safe on the roads. A DAY FOR CELEBRATION, A NIGHT FOR CAUTION Unfortunately, there are those who have a little too much fun on the Fourth of July and then make the tremendously bad decision to get behind the wheel. That’s why this holiday has

on driving home — at least one hour per standard drink you’ve consumed. You can also have a taxi or rideshare pick you up.

If you’re hosting the Fourth of July festivities this year, you should make sure non-alcoholic beverages are available so guests have options for refreshments. You should also take people’s car keys at the door and cut off anyone who’s had too much. It’s not a bad idea to set aside a couch or guest room in case a stranded party guest needs to sleep off their intoxication before heading home. ON THE ROAD While you may be sober on your way back from the party, not everyone will be as wise. Be sure to remain cautious on the road; driving defensively is the best you can do. If you do spot a vehicle you believe is being operated by an intoxicated driver, pull over and call 911. If you are struck by a drunk driver, call the police and seek immediate medical attention. Then, contact an experienced auto accident attorney, like Joe Di Bartolomeo. Our team can guide you through the claims process, so you can recover and regain your independence.

one of the highest rates of fatal auto accidents — the vast majority of which involve at least one intoxicated driver. So, what can we do to reduce this tragic trend? AT THE PARTY If you go to a Fourth of July event and plan on drinking, it’s important to plan ahead of time. Come with a designated

driver you trust, or else cut yourself off several hours before you plan

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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If you have been medically determined to have a permanent disability, even if you are not 100% disabled, you qualify for an amazing offer extended by the National Parks Service. Their America the Beautiful Access Pass grants you and a specified number of accompanying adults FREE access to our nation’s national parks and federally operated recreation sites for life. admission, this isn’t the case for many major sites, such as the Grand Canyon. In either case, this access pass also grants discounts on many “Expanded Amenity Fees.” These are park specific perks that may include securing a camping site, launching a boat, or signing up for a guided tour. HOW IT WORKS By showing this access pass at the entrance to any national park or federal recreation site, you and a certain number of accompanying adults (children under 16 are always free), AREN’T THESE PLACES ALREADY FREE? While some parks do have free

will be granted entry, no fee required. For parks that charge per person, you and three adults may enter for free. At sites that admit visitors on a per-vehicle basis, your pass grants the entry of one non-commercial vehicle, regardless of the number of passengers. You can find full details at Store.usgs.gov/ faq#Access-Pass. HOW TO APPLY You can order your pass online at Store.usgs.gov/access-pass, or go in person to a participating federal recreation site, such as Fort Vancouver in Oregon or the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Washington. Applying online will cost you a $10 processing fee, but the pass is otherwise free. No matter how you apply, you will need official documentation showing you were medically determined to be disabled, as well as a photo ID and proof of citizenship or residency. We have so many breathtaking national parks and historic sites here in the Northwest. We wanted to share news

of this pass with you, so you and your family can get out and enjoy our beautiful nation this summer!

IMPOSSIBLY SILKY MASHED POTATOES

Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

• 4 Ibs. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved • 6 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 1/2 cup heavy cream • Kosher salt

Directions

1. In a stockpot or large saucepan, submerge potatoes in just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, add 2 tbsp of salt, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. 2. Drain potatoes and let cool for 3 minutes. 3. Using a ricer, grate potatoes into the original saucepan over medium heat.

4. With a wooden spoon, stir potatoes until they begin to stick to pan and steam, about 2 minutes. 5. Add butter in four equal batches, stirring constantly and adding each batch only once the last has been fully incorporated into the saucepan. 6. Stir in cream, season liberally with salt, and serve immediately.

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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503-325-8600 JoeDiBartolomeo.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1139 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103

What’s Inside

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Key Qualities to Look for in a New Hire

Going Stargazing? Watch out for UFOs!

Staying Safe on the 4th of July

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Enjoy Our Nation’s Parks for Free

Impossibly Silky Mashed Potatoes

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A Tail of Bravery

THE GUARDIAN WHO WOULD NOT LEAVE HIS WATCH ODIN LIVES UP TO HIS LEGENDARY NAME

Amid the devastation of the wildfires that tore through California in the fall of 2017, a few heroic tales rose up to give people hope. One such tale was of Odin, a loyal Great Pyrenees guard dog. Along with his sister, Tessa, and eight rescue goats, Odin is part of the Hendel family. It was mid-October when the Hendels were awoken by the smell of smoke, a fierce orange sky, and sounds of destruction — urgent warnings from Mother Nature. Gathering everyone as quickly as they could, the Hendels got their human family members and Tessa in the car, but Odin, seated proudly next to the eight goats, refused to get in. Try as they might, the Hendels could not get him to come with them, and there wasn’t enough room in the car for the eight goats. With the firestorm quickly approaching and the risk of losing even more family members increasing with each passing minute, the Hendels made the heart- wrenching decision to leave Odin and the goats behind. The family made it to safety with Tessa in tow, relieved to be together but heartbroken that Odin and

the goats weren’t with them. After several agonizing days, it was finally safe enough for them to return home and survey the destruction. What did the Hendels find? Ashes, rubble, their barn and home burned to the ground — and Odin. There he was, still guarding his eight goats and some small deer that had sought shelter with the brave canine. Weakened, burned, and limping, but nevertheless steadfast, Odin had never left his goats, even as the fire raged around them. Odin wagged his tail as he saw his family, happy to see they were also safe. The Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue and the Goatlandia Animal Sanctuary provided temporary shelter for the goats and pups while the Hendels rebuilt their barn. Odin received all the care he needed, along with a lot of love and treats. Today, Odin and his goats are back with their family, rebuilding their lives after this devastating wildfire. But the Hendels, and anyone who’s heard the story, won’t soon forget the bravery of Odin, the amazing pup.

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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