Bronx Hit With Legionnaire’s Disease Outbreak

By WRSMH on August 11, 2015

Bronx Legionnaires Disease Outbreak SlowingSeveral weeks after a breakout of Legionnaires’ disease in the South Bronx, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced over the weekend that the outbreak is finally “tapering off.” The current Legionnaire’s outbreak is the largest in the city’s history, killing 10 and hospitalizing more than 100 others.

Read the rest…

Posted in: General

10 Ways to Save Water…Without Drying Out Your Summer Plans

By WRSMH on June 20, 2014

Water is at a premium in a number of states, and water conservation is an important part of protecting the health of our planet no matter where we are.  Conserving water also helps cut down on your utility bills, whether you receive city water service or use electricity to run a well pump.

New York Summer
To help conserve both water and energy this summer, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Choose your own water glass, or use a water bottle.  Refill it throughout the day instead of getting a new glass each time.  You’ll save water and cut down on the dishes you have to wash.
  2. If you drop ice cubes, put them in a house plant or a pet’s water dish instead of tossing them in the sink.  Plants and pets need extra water in summer as well, so they’ll thank you.
  3. Share water from fish tanks with non-edible plants instead of pouring it out.  Your ornamental plants and shrubs will love the nutrient-rich water left behind by the fish.

    Read the rest…

Posted in: General

Five Ways to Find the Perfect Graduation Gift

By WRSMH on June 6, 2014

New York Personal InjuryStudents all over New York are graduating this spring and summer. Graduation is a huge milestone in a teen’s or young adult’s life, and many family members and friends mark the occasion with a gift. Here are five ways to offer a gift the new graduate will love now and in the future:

Name That Major

For high school students who have already chosen a college major or for recent college graduates, a gift relating to their field of study is always helpful. For students entering a field of study, you can help them purchase what they’ll need: tools for auto mechanics students, lab equipment for science majors, or books for any student. Some schools offer gift cards; contact the school’s bookstore to find out.

Read the rest…

Posted in: General

The World’s Strangest Easter Traditions

By WRSMH on April 16, 2014

weird easter traditionsIt’s almost Easter. And once again, families across the nation are looking forward to the many traditions that take place during the spring holiday. Egg painting, chocolate, bunnies, and egg hunting will be happening in homes everywhere. But Easter is a worldwide holiday, and not everyone celebrates in the same fashion as the U.S.

At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we’ve decided to spotlight some of these funny, strange, and sometimes awesome Easter traditions from around the world.

Don’t You Mean Halloween? – In Finland, Easter takes on a decidedly Halloween theme. Children dress up as witches and go trick-or-treating during a festival, with bonfires lit to scare off witches, who are seen as becoming very powerful during that time.

It’s the Easter Bilby, Charlie Brown – In Australia, there is no Easter Bunny. Rather, it is the Easter Bilby who brings treats. The bilby is a small desert-dwelling marsupial that is endangered. Most see its recognition during Easter as bringing awareness to the endangered creature. Plus, bunnies are seen as pests on the continent.

Read the rest…

Posted in: General

The 5 Best Fictional Versions of New York City

By WRSMH on April 10, 2014

It seems as though New York City is used as the setting for a new movie, TV show, or book every week. And why not? Its landscape, attitude, importance, and population are iconic! Countless romantic comedies, police dramas, and any other realistic stories have featured timeless pieces of New York as background. However, every so often a story comes along that takes The Big Apple and turns it on its head.

Whether these are startling new interpretations of our grand city or cities that are New York City in everything but name, NYC has been reinterpreted in ways that are almost as memorable as the real one. So, courtesy of the lifelong New York attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, here are five of the best fictional versions of our city.

5. Escape from New York – Not every movie predicts a good outcome for The Big Apple in the future. Director John Carpenter’s future-set (technically 1988) thriller Escape from New York sees all of Manhattan turned into a walled-off prison to deal with a 400% increase in crime throughout the U.S. Criminals are thrown in and are never allowed to leave. Inside, gangs, psychotics, and everyone else is left to fend for themselves. Of course, the President of the United States happens to crash land inside, leaving hero Snake Plissken to venture in and rescue him. Probably the last fictional version of NYC you would want to visit.

Read the rest…

Posted in: General

10 Quintessential New York Movies

By WRSMH on February 20, 2014

New York IconsLike every New Yorker, the attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP are proud to live in the greatest states in the country. New York has even become one of the most iconic places in the world. As such, it has been home to thousands of films across the decades, with New York City, in particular, playing a major role in movies of every genre. But while NY is the backdrop to countless tales, there are some movies that are defined by being in New York, and vice versa, define the state.

So, in honor of our state and the numerous great movies that take place here, we present to you quintessential New York movies.

King Kong – The ultimate story of a stranger coming to The Big Apple? Only this time, it’s a giant ape.  Images of New York on film don’t get much more iconic than King Kong hanging off the Empire State Building and swatting biplanes out of the sky.

Read the rest…

Posted in: General

Did You Know These Were Olympic Sports?

By WRSMH on February 14, 2014

The 2014 Winter Olympics are well under way in Sochi, Russia, bringing a spirit of fun competition between countries throughout the world. And while the Winter Olympics are frequently a showcase for some of the oddest sports, like biathalon (cross country skiing mixed with shooting a rifle) or curling (ice shuffleboard), there are plenty more odd competitions to be found.

Throughout the modern history of Summer and Winter Olympics, athletes have competed in some of the strangest competitions known to man. Some have found underground popularity for decades. Others only graced us with their supremely odd presence for one year. In either case, they deserve the occasional spotlight.

Read the rest…

Posted in: General

Five Classic New York City Urban Legends

By WRSMH on January 22, 2014

There are few cities older or bigger in the United States than New York City. The hustle and bustle of everyday life fills it with energy and history. And with all that history, urban legends naturally begin to form. Whether you are a lifelong New Yorker or a one-time visitor, you may be well aware of these local myths, but do you know the truth behind them?

Alligators in the Sewers

New York City is home to some of the biggest and oldest underground sewers in the nation. And while there have been many myths about what lives down there, the number one theory is alligators. Blame it on a thoughtless family who flushed a pet alligator one day when it got too big. Now there are whole colonies of them underground!

Read the rest…

Posted in: General