Law Office Daniel J Miller - September 2020

Law Office Daniel J Miller - September 2020

INYOUR DEFENSE

SEPTEMBER 2020

757.852.3000 | LegalDefense.com

THE TWIST OF FATE THAT SAVED MY GRANDPARENTS The Right Place and the Right Time

Many of us are fortunate enough to have learned valuable lessons from our grandparents when we grew up. I know I was incredibly lucky to have known my maternal grandfather, considering how and when he had come to the United States. He was raised in Germany in the early 20th century, and arrived in New York City after having narrowly escaped the Holocaust. My grandfather never talked a lot about that experience or about his life before coming to the United States in any respect. He lost a lot of his family in the Holocaust, and while I can’t say for sure, I think he might have felt some guilt for having escaped it — and he did so by the slightest twist of fate. My grandfather was born into an orthodox Jewish family in Switzerland as Siegfried “Siegi” Aschkense — later renaming himself Sidney. He and his family moved to Cologne, Germany, when he was still very young, where he attended school. However, during the rise of Nazism, he couldn’t continue his schooling, get a job, or make a living as a professional boxer — something he potentially could have done otherwise. So, as a teenager, he moved to France where he became a professional boxer. In 1933, he was the Cantonal, Switzerland, boxing champion. In 1936, my grandfather returned to Cologne to be at his dying mother’s bedside. While he was there, the SS arrested him as a spy. In a fortunate twist of fate, however, one of the SS officers recognized my grandfather as a former boxing opponent from years earlier, and this officer eventually accompanied him on a train to smuggle him into Switzerland, where one of my grandfather’s sisters lived. My grandfather’s boxing career saved his life. That same year, another of my grandfather’s sisters, who was a U.S. citizen, helped him legally emigrate to Brooklyn, New York. He started boxing again to “earn his keep.” In 1937 and 1938, he wore the Star of David on his boxing trunks to demonstrate that Jews could fight, too. Later on, he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he worked as a truck driver, and where he met my grandmother, Adele Schalkewitz. Later on, he moved to Norfolk, where he became a watchmaker, and later owned Ashe Jewelers (he shortened his last name to “Ashe” later in his life). He and my grandmother had

four kids, one of whom was my mother. Meanwhile, 15 of his family members died in the Holocaust. It’s safe to say that I would not be here today if my grandfather had not had the opportunity to leave Germany when he did. While I never heard the account from my grandfather directly, I think about his narrow escape and I can’t help

but surmise that there’s something out there guiding our actions. I don’t know if it’s a divine being or fate, but I know there’s something. I’ve noticed those same twists of fate in my own life as well. Take the night I decided to go to law school, for example. It was just after my band broke up. I was at a bar, and I ran into a friend with whom I had gone to college. We talked for a long time, and while I don’t remember a lot of the specifics about that conversation, I do remember that I left the bar that night knowing I would pursue a career in law. The same thing happened when I bought my last house. I was scouring the market without any luck, and then while I was walking through the neighborhood I wanted to live in, I ran into some friends who told me about a house they knew was going on sale soon but wasn’t officially on the market yet. That ended up being the house I bought. The crazy part about all of that, though, was my friends weren’t even from that neighborhood! So many factors had to come together for me to buy the house I wanted. Because of my grandparents’ experience, and now because of some of my own experiences, I’ve come to believe that sometimes, things just happen at the right place and the right time. Sometimes, that means we start the career we’re meant to have. Other times, it means we save our lives. All we have to do is keep ourselves open to that possibility.

– Daniel J. Miller

757.852.3000 1

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com

H ow to E njoy the F inal D ays of S ummer in V irginia B each

Just because summer is coming to an end doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do outside in and around Virginia Beach. If you’re trying to squeeze a few more days of summer fun into your schedule this month, we have a few events coming up in September that you should definitely look into!

NEPTUNE’S SURFING CLASSIC When: Sept. 5–6, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where: On the Beach (1st to 10th Street) Price: Free to watch!

Few foods signal the start of the fall season clearer than crisp, red apples, apple cider, and apple pie. So, if you want to get into the fall spirit right before the changing of the seasons, head on down to the Virginia Beach Farmers Market for the Apple Extravaganza, where you can peruse more than 100 craft booths and food trucks and listen to live music, all while sipping on a cup of hot apple cider.

Whether you’re a seasoned surfer, a wave-riding novice, or just a surfing enthusiast, Neptune’s Surfing Classic should give you all the thrills, excitement, and competition you could ask for from the waves that crash onto our beach. Any contenders can win prizes, and if you want to participate, registration is open until Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. The registration fee is $40 for the first division and $20 for each additional. If you sign up after the deadline, there is a $10 late fee. Space may or may not be available at that point. APPLE EXTRAVAGANZA When: Sept. 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Virginia Beach Farmers Market, 3640 Dam Neck Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23453 Price: Free! T he B est B asketball P odcast D oesn ’ t T alk A bout S tats

INTERNATIONAL SANDSCULPTING CHAMPIONSHIP When: Sept. 25–27, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Where: On the Beach (1st to 10th Street) Price: $5 per person, free for 12 and younger

Few events in Virginia Beach are as epic as this one. Expert sculptors from around the world all gather on our beach every year to show off their skills along the shoreline under a tent the size of a football field. Come spend a weekend viewing sandy works of art that seem to defy reality itself and enjoy a competition unlike any other in the world.

“Sup nerds? It’s basketball!”

Rather than focus on the number of games a team has won, “HORSE” discusses the number of tweets angry players have posted on Twitter. They also rank rap songs that mentioned the NBA, discuss why team names don’t make sense, and even talk about the time when a samurai almost seriously injured Michael Jordan. The stats and celebrities of the NBA suddenly seem more accessible after learning that professional basketball teams have just as much drama as you and your office mates. “We only talk about drama and history and ridiculousness,” says Silver. “We don’t want to talk about whether or not LeBron James is the best basketball player of all time. We would like to talk about the time that one of LeBron’s teammates was dating his mom and like that’s ... it’s infinitely more interesting … It gets you to become a basketball fan in a totally different way.”

And so begins every episode of “HORSE,” a basketball podcast that proudly claims to be about everything basketball — except for the stats. As a part of the Multitude collective of podcasts, “HORSE” is co-hosted by creators and experienced podcasters Eric Silver and Mike Schubert. The duo are real-life friends and huge basketball fans. So, what does a sports podcast cover if not the numbers on the scoreboard? Petty drama and Twitter beefs, of course. “HORSE” was listed by Vulture as one of the top comedy podcasts for NBA fans, which is very high praise given the saturated podcast market. “HORSE” is appealing to basketball fans and nonfans alike because it looks at the sport in a completely different light. Silver and Schubert started “HORSE” in 2018 with a mission to prove that you don’t have to know the stats of every player on every team to like basketball. This “no gatekeeping allowed” mentality resonates with listeners, and the podcast’s audience is made up of a mix of hardcore basketball fans and folks who have never been to an NBA game in their life.

Listen to the most recent episode at HorseHoops.com and discover how basketball is so much more than what happens on the court.

2 LEGALDEFENSE.COM

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com

Empowering People Through Horseback Riding

Therapy and rehabilitation don’t have to be confined to schools, offices, or hospitals. Sometimes, the best ways to improve mental well-being, self-esteem, and confidence come on horseback, riding through the open fields. That’s the tried-and-true approach to therapy that the EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program has taken here in the Hampton Roads area for more than 30 years. EQUI-KIDS was founded in 1989 with just one horse and four riders operating out of a stable. However, as their program has grown in notoriety, they have consistently grown their facilities and their herd of horses. In 2009, EQUI-KIDS received a generous donation of 92 acres of land, on which they built a state-of-the-art facility that is now the organization’s current location. EQUI-KIDS is probably best known for empowering children and adults with cognitive, physical, and emotion disabilities through horseback riding. While the connection between the method and the result might not seem so straightforward, research has shown that horseback riding has proven therapeutic benefits. It strengthens

muscles, increases flexibility, and improves balance and coordination. It can also boost participants’ confidence. That boost in confidence can lead to better communication with others, furthering goals, and furthering personal and professional relationships. Along with empowering people with disabilities, EQUI-KIDS also started a program to help wounded and disabled veterans through horseback riding, called EQUI-VETS. The Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area has a large population of veterans, and many of them struggle with PTSD, depression, and other chronic mental illnesses. However, a study done by the National Institutes of Health showed that many veterans were likely to have lower PTSD scores after just a few weeks of participating in the EQUI-VETS program. EQUI-KIDS also partners with public schools in the area and offers job coaching for disabled young adults, among other programs. Hopefully, they’ll continue to impact our community for the better through their unique approach to empowering the people who need it the most.

SUDOKU

BALSAMICMARINATED FLANK STEAK

INGREDIENTS

• 2 garlic cloves, sliced • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves • 1 tbsp dried oregano • 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling • 1 3-lb flank steak • Kosher salt, to taste • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine garlic, rosemary, oregano, mustard, and vinegar in a blender. Purée until garlic is minced. 2. Add oil and continue blending until creamy, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/4 cup. 3. Place steak in a ceramic or glass baking dish and cover steak with the remaining marinade. Turn to coat the other side, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 4. Remove steak from marinade and let excess marinade drip off. Sprinkle the steak lightly with salt and pepper. 5. Light grill and oil grates with olive oil. 6. Grill steak over moderate heat for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway through, until steak is lightly charred and the internal temperature reaches 125 F. 7. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice, drizzle reserved sauce, and serve.

Inspired by FoodAndWine.com

757.852.3000 3

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com

4768 Euclid Rd. Suite 104 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757.852.3000 | LegalDefense.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

INSIDETHIS ISSUE

The Twist of Fate That Saved My Grandparents PAGE 1 Virginia Beach Events Coming Up This Month Listen to ‘HORSE,’ a Basketball Podcast PAGE 2 EQUI-KIDS: Empowering People Through Horseback Riding Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak PAGE 3 3 Fun Family Activities for Fall PAGE 4

3 FUNFAMILYACTIVITIES FORFALL GARDENING, GOLD, ANDPHOTOSHOOTS

PAN FOR GOLD. Here’s one that’s really off the beaten path: Take your family on an adventure panning for gold! Start by planning a road trip out to an old ghost town. Many of them have great tourist attractions that include gold panning. You probably won’t get rich, but it will still be a fun story. If you’re not able to make the trip, you can always create a gold panning operation at home! Visit MessForLess.net/ panning-for-gold-activity for a great step-by- step guide on how to go panning for gold in your own backyard. PLAN A FALL PHOTO SHOOT. It’s time to freshen up those family pictures hanging around the house. The changing leaves provide a beautiful background for any family portrait. Better yet, the cooler temperatures mean that an outdoor photo shoot won’t be nearly as uncomfortable as it would be in the summer. You can take your pictures by the trees in the front yard or make

It’s fall, which means social media will soon be saturated with pictures of your friends enjoying “classic” fall activities. Photos of leaf peeping, apple picking, and the occasional scarecrow run rampant. But rather than following the herd, you can make your family the trendsetter of unique fall activities! Here are a few outdoor endeavors your family will love. GET GARDENING. Fall is the time for harvest, but if you want to enjoy flowers in the spring, it’s also a time for planting. The cooler autumn air is easier on plants, but the soil is still warm enough for roots to grow before the ground freezes for winter. Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all spring bulbs that need to be planted in the fall. Do a little research with your family to determine the best time to start planting in your area.

a daytrip of it. What about pictures at the corn maze or pumpkin patch? It’s never too soon to start planning this year’s holiday card.

Spend this fall outdoors and create great new memories with your family!

4 LEGALDEFENSE.COM

Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com