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QC10102013

60 The QUEE NS Courier • OCTOBER 10, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com brought to you by SCOTT BARON & ASSOCICATES, P.C. Attorneys & Counselors at Law 1-866-WAS-HURT (866) 927-4878 718.738.9800 star OF queens SCOTT BARON’S STAR OF QUEENS Gina Baldwin Americorps Hunters Point Library NYC Civic Corps COMMUNITY SERVICE: “I do community outreach for a living, and it’s always been a part of my life. Even my introduction to New York was through community service when I moved here four years ago to work with the Parks Department, so I really only known New York City in general through community service. Most of my volunteering involves environmental outreach, and eventually I became involved with the Hunters Point Library. I wanted to find a way to become involved in my local community, because most of what I do is helping other people to do the same. One of the things that makes me feel good is seeing people involved in their communities. When I see people giving their time to do things they don’t necessarily have to do, I think that’s really special and it makes me very happy.” BACKGROUND: “I was born and raised in Idaho, and when people are involved in their communities in a smaller place like that, it’s a lot more noticeable. In college I studied French and political science, and I also worked with libraries during and after my college career. That part of my life was pretty important when it comes to connecting with people. After that, I worked at an organic farm in my college town in northern Idaho, and that made me aware of local food systems and the importance of knowing where food comes from.” “My mother is also a community organizer, so being part of communities is in my blood. I just can’t help it, I love living in a city meeting people from all over the world, and this is the kind of place where everyone comes together and finds a common ground. In New York, people can connect, find something they care about, and work to share that with other people.” FAVORITE MEMORY: “I taught an outreach educational program at the Botanical Gardens for two years. One of many favorite memories is when I got that chance to work with New Yorkers who were really committed to changing their communities. I still keep in touch with most of them today, and today many of them are people who have dedicated themselves to making a positive change in their communities. They’ve built community networks all over Queens and are thriving, and I feel very honored to have that impact on their lives. The people I taught went on to really change the ways their communities interact with each other.” BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “One of the biggest challenges I’ve had, especially doing environmental outreach in the city, is getting people into the frame of mind that we’re part of a bigger global environment, and that our everyday actions do actually have an impact on the ecological world around us. It’s hard to get people to forget about their everyday needs when we live in New York, and we really do get wrapped up in this world. What we forget that there is a huge world outside of us, and we create so much trash and pollution. There are people who are really interested in taking care of this world, but it takes a lot of time to change the thinking of the larger group of people.” BY JOHANN HAMILTON Legally Speaking By: Scott Baron, Attorney at Law BLADE ROLLER Q: While rollerblading in my residential neighborhood, I tripped and fell. Moments before the accident, I had been traveling on the street. Then, I noticed a truck blocking my path. So I skated onto a driveway in order to travel for a bit on the sidewalk. I skated by several houses and then attempted to reenter the street using a second driveway. As I neared the end of the second driveway, I checked for oncoming traffic but did not stop. All of a sudden, one of my skates struck a twoinch Advertorial height differential – where the edge of that driveway met a drainage culvert that ran the length of the street. A: In general, a landowner has a duty to maintain his or her premises in a reasonably safe condition. Your attorney will contend that the defendants’ duty to make their premises reasonably safe included a duty to alter the height differential at the base of their driveway to accommodate even rollerbladers – not just pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists. The defendants may argue that you were aware of the risks, had an appreciation of the nature of the risks and voluntarily assumed the risks, but the defendants will not succeed with this argument. In New York it works only for sporting events, sponsored athletic and recreational activities, and athletic or recreational pursuits that take place at designated venues. Our courts have held that acceptance of an ‘assumption of the risk’ argument in cases involving someone traversing a street or sidewalk would whittle away too much at the general duty of landowners to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. Although you may well have been contributorily negligent, our courts will not say you assumed a risk. The law responds to changed conditions; exceptions and variations abound. Here, the information is general; always seek out competent counsel.This article shall not be construed as legal advice Copyright © 2013 Scott Baron & Associates, P.C. All rights reserved. 159-49 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach, New York 11414 1750 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710 718-738-9800, 914-337-9800, 1-866-927-4878 Our job is making sure no longer goes that waste to waste. Find out more at ThinkGreen.com Energy creation. Recycling programs. Closed-loop solutions. Those are just a few of the innovations we’re delivering for customers and communities alike. We live in a world where things can no longer go to waste. That’s why Waste Management is working to get the most from resources. It’s good for business and the environment. ©2012 Waste Management, Inc.


QC10102013
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