STAYING in TouchKellam’s Corner

Credit Did you know?

October 2013 Newsletter | VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 10 | www.ktparkslaw.com

Custody factors considered by Courts

Portsmouth’s desire for more rec centers

Cyber Security Awareness Month

October hosted the annual Virginia Beach Bar Association’s golf tournament, which is always a good time. My goal is al-ways to not harm myself or others during the event and I am pleased to say it was a success! [I play golf infrequently]

Although it was a warm beginning of the month (was high 80s during the golf tournament), it appears that Fall has finally ar-rived. Deb and Lia love Halloween and the office is decorated accordingly. Deb is particularly excited for this month as she and her family are going to Disney World the week of Hallow-een - I’m sure she’ll have some great pictures to share in next month’s newsletter! Speaking of Halloween, we’d love to see any particularly cute or extravagant costume pictures (kids or adults) - please send them along!

Consumers will spend roughly $6.9 billion

this year on Halloween items. Not just can-

dy, but costumes and decorations too. This

year’s average is $75.03 per person, down

from last year’s $79.82, per the National

Retail Federation. Halloween spending has

been on the rise since 2005 and is second

only to Christmas spending.

Technology is rapidly changing and so are thieves’ tactics to get your private information. Thieves can hack into online stores and place card skimmers at store registers, gas pumps, and ATMs. They will use your information to open new accounts, default on those accounts, and destroy your credit. It’s imperative that you not only take steps to prevent identity theft, but also know what to do in the event it happens to you. Check our website for more information at http://goo.gl/W5A1Bh.

This publication is intended to educate the general public about various issues. It is not intended to be legal advice. Every case is different.

IN THIS ISSUE:

When planning holiday travel, it’s important to follow a

few driving-related precautions to help ensure your fam-

ily’s safety. Did you know that the Wednesday through

Sunday of Thanksgiving week is the busiest travel time

in the United States? According to the Department of

Transportation, long-distance travel increases by 54%.

An estimated 35-45 million people travel during this time,

with approximately 90% traveling by car. The National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that Thanks-

giving was the deadliest holiday for car crashes in 2010. If

you are among the millions visiting family this year, here

are a few things you can do to help ensure your trip goes

smoothly:

Plan your route before you get on the road. Check for

things like weather, construction, or severe traffic that

may force you to detour from your normal path (in which

case it would be good to have a GPS or map handy). Be

aware of any tolls you might encounter and have plenty

of cash or make sure your E-Z Pass is paid up. You should

also have a general understanding of traffic laws that

might differ from Virginia’s. New York City, for example,

does not allow right turns at red lights.

Take your car to a mechanic to make sure it is in top op-

erating condition. Check all fluid levels and tire pressure,

including the spare. Know phone numbers for roadside

assistance in case your vehicle breaks down. Make sure

your cell phone is fully charged, and keep an emergency

kit on hand, including flares, duct tape, a flashlight, ban-

dages, water, snacks etc.

If you are traveling with children, have plenty of activities

to occupy them, as distracted parents can be a danger on

the road. Make sure electronic devices are fully charged.

Try to stop every two to three hours to stretch your legs

and give yourself a break. The most important thing to

remember is that every person in your vehicle should be

wearing a seatbelt, no matter the age. It is especially im-

portant to make sure children are in proper seats corre-

sponding to their size/age. Seatbelts increase your chance

of surviving an accident by 75%.

When traveling with pets, they should be in a secured

crate or special “pet seatbelt.” That may sound ridicu-

lous, but it is as important as making sure children are

buckled. If you are in an accident your pet can become a

projectile, not only injuring themselves, but possibly injur-

ing yourself or passengers. Just like children, pets can be

severely injured by airbags. They also can be a danger if

left running loose in the car by distracting the driver, or (in

the case of small pets) getting down by the gas and brake

pedals, with the potential of causing an accident.

Don’t let heavy traffic, impolite drivers or the possibility

of being late stress you out. Remain calm, obey all traffic

laws, and get to your destination safely!

PERSONAL INJURY

We value all our clients. If you refer someone to us, we promise to answer his or her ques-tions and provide first-rate, attentive service. We want to thank you for your referrals and for coming back to us when we can be of service.

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”

We welcome your referrals!

– Theodore Roosevelt

Portsmouth mayor Kenny Wright has big ideas for a new recreational center in the Trux-tun area. According to the Virginian-Pilot (http://goo.gl/woaxh4), Wright wants a “me-ga-recreation center in every quadrant of the city,” offering amenities and services such as pools, gymnasiums, and mentoring. Wright says that there are around 14,000 kids who need a place to go after school, with many of them coming from single-parent families in an area with high crime rates. Kids busy with organized activities tend to stay out of trouble. There are five recreational centers within two miles of the proposed site, however.

There was a $65,000 city-wide recreation study done recently that recommended fixing up the existing centers, but Wright feels they are too old and outdated to implement his plans. Councilwoman Elizabeth Psimas has suggested working with the city’s schools and churches as a resource to supplement the existing centers. At the city council meet-ing on September 16, Psimas opined that Portsmouth first needs a comprehensive, long-term plan for the whole city, looking towards the future and not just what Portsmouth needs today. Even though there is money in the budget (around $5 million) for a new building in Truxtun now, there are numerous reoccurring operating costs such as em-ployees and general maintenance to consider. Churchland does not have a recreational center at all and many residents say if a new building goes up, it needs to be in Church-land first.

‘Tis the season for Halloween, candy corn and all things pumpkin! There is advertising for pumpkin everything all over the place – coffee, doughnuts, bagels and desserts. One of Kellam’s (and Cara’s) favorites is Yvette Chewning’s pumpkin roll that my Mom use to make and now Cara and I make for him every year. I used to think rolled cakes were difficult, but they are actually very easy. You can really dress up rolled cakes with decorative icing or patterned powdered sugar designs and give as gifts. I think the cream cheese filling is better than regular cake icing. You can find the recipe and pictures of the process on our website library at http://goo.gl/RRZSfr. While I do not care for pumpkin pie, I do like the pumpkin cookies that Courtney brought to the family recipe box. They’re moist from the pumpkin, so they will not keep for long-which in our house is never a problem. You can serve them warm out of the oven (my fav), room temperature or chilled in the fridge. You can find the recipe and pictures of the process on our website library at http://goo.gl/GkmpIZ. I actually just made these so you could see them…. well, that’s what I told myself anyway -- enjoy!

Bryant was very excited to have his cousin “ABCs”, aka Avery, along with friend Molly come over for a fun night of pizza & games. The girls were great sports and made him a very happy boy by playing Disney Infinity, Cootie and Parcheesi.

In anticipation of Halloween, Gretel got into the spirit with her pumpkin shirt! She loves the thing - we think it’s because it’s snug and keeps her warm. She’s posing on the giant bear that was once Avery’s, but Gretel has laid claim to it as her living room bed.

Family Time...

Family Law:

On The Local Front - Town Center

In a divorce action, if the parents cannot come to an agreement regarding custody and visitation of their children, the Court will make a decision for them. The Court‘s focus will be what is in the children’s best interests, as required by Virginia law. There are ten factors the Court must consider, including the children’s mental and phys-ical needs, the relationship between each parent and each child, and the role each parent has played in raising the children. Learn more at http://goo.gl/TPZBwt.

Deb Dishes:

4164 Virginia Beach Blvd, Suite 204Virginia Beach, VA 23452-1762pho: 757.453.7744 | fax: 757.453.7578www.ktparkslaw.com

Custody factors considered by Courts

Portsmouth’s desire for more rec centers

Cyber Security Awareness Month

Law Office of Kellam T. Parks, PLLC

Law Office of Kellam T. Parks, PLLC

Ktparkslaw

Kellam Parks, Esquire

Visit our blog @ www.ktparkslaw.com/blog

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, so I am going to give some information and tips regarding online security. I have pre-viously written about my favorite password manager, LastPass. Whether you use this app, another app, or no app at all for pass-words, you must have strong, secure passwords. There is an en-lightening infographic at RoboForm’s website (another password manager) which discusses how “hackable” your password may be (and also has a test box to actually check yours). http://lp.roboform.com/cyber. Another good resource is the National Cyber Security Alliance’s website - http://www.staysafeonline.org/. This site has a ton of information for both individuals and businesses on how to be smart about online safety/privacy. I’ll leave you with a few practical tips for iPad users to beef up their security:

1. Set a pass code (use a real password, not a 4-digit code)2. Activate auto-lock (and set it for a short duration) so that your

device is protected when you are not using it3. Set a maximum allowable number of pass code attempts (so that the device is wiped if someone tries to hack it)4. Disable Bluetooth when not in use (so that it cannot be exploited)5. Install a tracking app for locating your device if lost (Apple provides “Find My iPad” for free)6. Make it harder for thieves to disable the tracking app by turn-ing on “Restrictions” and locking changes to “Location Ser-vices” (Settings>General>Restrictions [set to enabled] >Location Services [set to “Don’t Allow Changes”])7. Lock down Siri. Siri can be accessed from a locked iPad and thus someone can access your contacts, etc. even though locked. To do this- Settings>General>Passcode lock> “Allow access to Siri when locked with a passcode” - OFF

Tech Tip:

New address? New phone number? New Email? Help us stay current by letting us know. Call Deb at 757.453.7579 or email her at dmontagna@ktparkslaw.com. If you wish to unsubscribe to this newsletter, please call Deb. Thanks!