By David Daggett on 10/27/2008 6:54 AM

Rules for Goblins and Ghouls

~Halloween Safety Tips~

     We hope you and your family have a happy and safe Halloween. While you are watching out for witches, ghosts, and goblins please remember a few safety tips so that you and your family has a safe and fun Halloween.

• Your children should be closely supervised by adults.
• Older children should go out in groups, never alone.
• Use flashlights and reflective clothing to make certain you are visible to cars.
• Always walk facing traffic (on the left side of the road). Take care when crossing streets.
• Walk - do not run on dark streets and driveways.
• Limit visits to homes of neighbors you know.
• Limit visits to homes that have their front porches lit with a welcoming light. Politely choose one piece of candy when you are offered a selection.
• Remember to kindly thank those who offer treats.
• Wear makeup instead of masks if you need to decorate your face.
• Be sure your costumes are comfortable and easy to walk in.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Refrain from eating candy while out trick or treating.
• Once home, adults should help younger children to sort candy and be sure all wrappers are in tact. Older children should do this too.
• Be extra careful of flowing costumes near open flames such as jack-o-lanterns.

     Have a goblin good time!

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By David Daggett on 10/20/2008 6:52 AM

Washing Hands Saves Lives

      Do we realize how important it is to wash our hands? Washing our hands is one of the most important germ fighting things we can do, and we should do it a number of times every day.

     Clean hands can prevent illness and save lives. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, recommend washing hands in warm water with soap for 20 seconds. Clean hands not only prevent you from getting sick, but also help prevent spreading germs from person to person.

     There has been a movement in our local hospitals over the past several years to follow proper hand hygiene guidelines. The result has been a large decrease in the number of preventable infections.

     Cold and flu season is now upon us. This is the time of year that germs spread at school and at work faster than at other times of the year. Washing hands is more important than ever for you and your family to stay healthy.

     When washing remember these tips:

• Be sure to wash the tops of your hands, as well as wrists and under nails,
• Wash hands frequently including before eating, of course,
• Before preparing food; after being in goods of people, shaking hands, etc.,
• After coughing, sneezing, and blowing your nose,
• After touching door knobs, public phones, touch screens, or any other public thing
• When a sink and soap are not available, use alcohol based anti-bacterial gel or wipes.

     Please help remind your children, family, and friends to wash their hand with warm water and soap frequently. To help you, we are providing as a courtesy a flyer you can post as a reminder. You can get a copy of the flyer by clicking here. Be sure to post the flyer where your children will see it, and take it to friends or loved ones who are in the hospital.

     Washing hands can help us all prevent illness, the spread of germs, and even saves lives! Join our Lewis and Daggett team in reminding our children, families, and co-workers of the importance of hand hygiene.

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By David Daggett on 10/13/2008 6:53 AM

Home Fire Safety

      October is fire safety month. The kids wanted to visit the local fire station to learn more. We were in for a treat. The local captain and crew took us and another family on a full tour and gave us important tips for fire safety at home.

      The firefighters were very encouraging to all of the children, gave them a full tour of the firehouse and trucks, and invited the children to come back anytime. They were very impressive and professional.

      The tour naturally included instruction on fire safety. The firefighters asked us, "What is the first thing to do in case of a fire or emergency." They were surprised and pleased when all of the children immediately, and in unison, yelled "Call 9-1-1!"

     We asked the firefighters about the most important tips for fire safety at home. The firefighters emphasized that it is important for families to discuss and plan their fire safety strategies. Interestingly their top two things for families to remember is to always have two routes to exit the house, and to have a place to meet once out of the house. The meeting place should be as simple as at the big oak tree, or the mail box.

       Family fire safety tips include:

• Having smoke alarms on every floor and outside all sleeping areas,
• Practice home fire escape plans and routes,
• Safely store and dispose of all smoking materials,
• Take extra care with all hazardous materials including paints, gasoline, and any other flammable materials,
• Practice safe operation of heaters and fire places,
• And make sure home wiring is safe and updated.

      Home fire safety is important to review with your family. Please take time to learn and practice these basic safety principles. Involve your children and you may be surprised how much they enjoy helping. Lastly, stop by and get to know your local firefighters. They are very impressive and very welcoming, and help us all be more safety conscious.

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By David Daggett on 10/6/2008 6:56 AM

An Ever Stronger Team

 

     We are proud of our team here at Lewis and Daggett. We believe our team continues to improve and get stronger.  Long time colleage Doug Nauman has been part of our L & D Team for 13 years, and  this past week we added him as our eleventh attorney.

      Prior to joining us he was an insurance adjustor with State Farm Insurance Company.

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By David Daggett on 9/29/2008 6:46 AM

Elementary Leadership

     All the recent news regarding the financial markets makes us think about our kids’ future, as well as our own. We recently attended a parents’ night at our kids’ school - actually, we went three times!

     Perhaps the most interesting part of the parents’ nights was a speech on developing children to reach their full potential. The lessons we heard apply to all of our organizations, pursuits, and even the financial markets.

     The presentation was artfully targeted to urge appropriate parenting leadership, which also seems to apply to leadership in general. The principles included a balance nurture, structure, and latitude. Providing all three principles becomes a difficult commitment in the face of challenges in our fast paced world but are essential for success.

     Nurture includes the desire of all people to be wanted and loved. Nurture is essential to give individuals a sense of belonging. Nurture is developed by showing love and respect, both directly and by example. This is an essential aspect in creating healthy people, organizations, and satisfying lives.

     Structure is the framework and expectations people have for their pursuits, responsibilities and ventures. Structure includes rules and guidelines that are required to be followed. It also includes process management protocols, as well as behavioral standards. Over time, structure becomes the values and culture of our organizations, and is reflected in all we do.

     Latitude is the freedom within the structure to use judgement to experiment and learn. Given this latitude people and organizations will have failures and setbacks. These are the areas for more growth and learning. If there are appropriate nurture and structure then the learning and growth are appreciated, accepted and raise performance to higher levels.

     Authoritative leadership within these three levels provides the best opportunities for future successes. Virtually every neurodevelopmental and psychological study supports these elements as building blocks for success.

     Balance between nurture, structure, and latitude is important. With the latest investment bank debacles it appears that the balance between structure and latitude were out of wack. We can imagine how nurture was probably out of balance too. Perhaps a few lessons in elementary leadership would benefit our political and financial leaders.

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By David Daggett on 9/22/2008 6:56 AM

Two Wheel Safety

      Motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, mopeds, and all seem to be becoming more popular. The number of registered motorcycles alone has gone up seventy-five percent in the last ten years according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

      Experts expect all forms of cycles to continue to increase in popularity due many factors including the high price of gas. Accordingly, all motorists need to be mindful of cyclists on the road, and cyclists need to exercise good safety habits.

      Nationally, North Carolina ranks eighth in motorcycle deaths, and the number doubled over just the past five years. Traffic deaths declined nationally last year reaching the lowest rate in ten years, however North Carolina had the largest increase of any state, up 121 over the prior year. In fact, most states have seen an overall decrease in traffic fatalities in recent years - North carolina is one of a few that has experienced an increase.

       We previously discussed bicycle safety in See and be Seen. Interestingly, the same rules and principles apply to bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters. Most importantly, when you are on the road you are a vehicle under the law just like any other vehicle. This means obeying traffic lights and signs, staying on the proper side of the road, not cruising past lines of motorists stopped in traffic, and all other rules of the road.

      We are likely to continue to see an increase of two wheelers on our roads. We need to work together to increase the safety on our roads to decrease injuries and deaths. It is up to all of us to practice safety daily, respect each other, and make North Carolina roads safer for everyone.

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By David Daggett on 9/15/2008 6:54 AM

School Safety Reminders

      More than 50 million children returned to school this fall, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. That means more traffic, busier rush hours, and a greater need for patience while driving.

     

        At this time of year drivers are likely to encounter things like stopped school buses, children on bicycles and scooters, and more pedestrian traffic. Unfortunately, this may sometimes translate into more accidents involving our young people.

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By David Daggett on 9/8/2008 6:55 AM

Recent Highway Safety Reminders

     Holidays always seem to be a good time for reminders of highway and driving safety. Labor Day is the end of the summer holiday weekend for many people. This year, our North Carolina Highway Patrol urged drivers to slow down, and had several initiatives in place to promote safety.

     In addition to focusing on aggressive driving and other safety measures, the Highway Patrol continued to emphasize their "Click-It or Ticket" campaign for seatbelt safety, and the "Booze It & Lose It" campaign against drunk driving.

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By David Daggett on 9/1/2008 5:38 AM

Our Incredible Community

     This past week was a very moving one for Greensboro and Winston-Salem. The communities’ response to Matt Gfeller’s fatal injury in a high school football game was incredible, and became a reflection of all of us.

Double rainbow over Reynolds High School - Monday August 25

     Of course we hear and read about tragedies on a regular basis. But most of those are what we usually consider to be within the risks of life and are just "news." This incident was described by doctors and other experts as one in a million. It was completely unexpected. When the "one in a million" hits close, we all take it personally.

     The signs of care, support, and concern through all sectors of our community were striking. We were all one, and we were all in this together. We all were in this together because we all care. We certainly can never know how the Gfeller family really feels, but certainly they know that we care.

     It seems many different factions of our community felt this incident in their own ways. Our Lewis and Daggett team had personal contact with more than 14,000 high school students across the triad this past year in our Safe Sober Prom Night program. Each one of those young people are precious to us.

     On a personal note, I have known Lisa and Bob Gfeller for more than 20 years. They are fine, honorable, spiritual, happy, loving, good people. They too have shown us how to handle a tragedy with honor, class and grace.

     We can all be proud of our community. We care about each other. We pull together when we needed. We understand the importance of community support. And to the Gfellers, we will continue to be with you.

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By David Daggett on 8/25/2008 6:54 AM

A Pink Evening

      Saturday night was a special night at Ernie Shore Field for the Winston-Salem Warthogs and our community. It was "Pink in the Park" night,  a benefit for breast cancer research, and a celebration of    breast cancer survivors.

      Our Lewis and Daggett team had a large contingent in attendance, and we were a corporate sponsor of the event. A night at the ballpark is always a great time for family fun. Our group had a great time, and it appeared that everyone else did too.

      Members and supporters of our local Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation were a delight to work with. They had a true passion for the cause and put all their efforts into making the evening a success. Likewise, we were proud of the passion our L & D team displayed at the ballpark helping out and promoting the cause.

      Of course, pink was the color of the evening. We were struck by the number of men and women who wore pink to support the cause. The survivors group shared a commonality, a "never give up" attitude, and an appreciation for the event.

      The Warthogs organization did a terrific job of hosting the event and giving support to the cause. The players even wore pink jerseys! The whole event served as visible recognition of and support for the families, patients, and survivors of breast cancer.

      We were proud to be part of the event. Our staff even got me to wear a pink shirt for the first time! After all, it was for a good cause :-)!

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