Ann P Coonley PC, Attorney at Law

12/23/2022

Wishing all colleagues, court personnel, staff, and all clients through the years a wonderful Christmas and New Year full of joy, peace, and good health.

08/03/2022

07/17/2022

ICYMI ❤️

A statue of Mary McLeod Bethune was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol yesterday, making her the first Black American ever honored in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Established in 1864, the collection features two statues from each state, which are selected to honor notable people from each state's history. The new statue of the renowned educator and civil rights leader represents the state of Florida and is replacing one of a Confederate general which was removed last year. While there are several statues in the U.S. Capitol Building of prominent Black Americans including Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass, Dr. Bethune's statue is the first of a Black American in the 50-state Statuary Hall Collection. She is also only the 11th woman to be honored among the 100 statues.

A pioneering educator, Dr. Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial School for Negro Girls in 1904 with just $1.50. The first class had six students and supplies were so meager when the Florida school was founded that students made ink for pens from elderberry juice and pencils from burned wood. Twenty years later, it became Bethune-Cookman College.

Born in 1875 to former slaves, Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935. She became one of the first African Americans to advise a U.S. President when she served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Minority Affairs adviser. In 1936, Roosevelt appointed Bethune the director of the National Youth Administration's Division of Negro Affairs, making her the first African American woman to head a federal division. Upon her death in 1955, columnist Louis E. Martin honored Dr. Bethune's immense impact in touching many lives, stating: "She gave out faith and hope as if they were pills and she some sort of doctor."

To introduce children to her incredible legacy, we highly recommend the picture book biography "Mary McLeod Bethune" for ages 6 to 9 at https://www.amightygirl.com/mary-mcleod-bethune

For two books for adult readers interested in learning more about Mary McLeod Bethune's fascinating life, we recommend "Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State" (https://www.amightygirl.com/mary-mcleod-bethune-in-florida) and "Mary McLeod Bethune in Washington, D.C" (https://amzn.to/3Pb3Vaa)

Her writing and speeches have also been collected in "Mary McLeod Bethune: Building a Better World" at https://www.amightygirl.com/mary-mcleod-bethune-building

For more books for children and teens about pioneering African American women throughout history, visit our blog post "99 Books about Extraordinary Black Mighty Girls and Women" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14276

For more books about courageous girls and women of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, check out our blog post on "50 Inspiring Books on Girls & Women of the Civil Rights Movement" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11177

For more true stories of trailblazing girls and women throughout history, visit our "Role Models Biography" book section at https://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography/biography

05/02/2022

Happy Mother's Day to all. Be proud of what you've accomplished!

12/20/2021

Ho Ho Ho and Happy Christmas week to all!
Stay safe and well, dear clients and colleagues.
💖🌲💖🌲💖

11/29/2021

Oldy but goody:

Happy Holidays to All!

11/18/2021

This Thanksgiving season I am tuly grateful for each client that we represented through the years, and for anyone who visits this page. I hope this year you can be thankful for the good health enjoyed by those you love, and remain especially thankful for having known the ones we have lost this past year. Enjoy the beauty of the season and may you have many things for which to be thankful always.

Divorce Mediation, Simple Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Affidavits

10/09/2021

So important:

You may be aiming at your ex-partner when lashing out over holiday visitation. But the injured are always the children we claim to be fighting for.

10/04/2021

FYI, from The Patch:

CT public unions, ice cream truck drivers, police, lions, and especially smokers all have a stake in new laws that go into effect in October

06/17/2021

Obamacare Survives Latest Supreme Court Challenge

The court sidestepped the larger issue in the case, whether the 2010 health care law can stand without a provision that required most Americans to obtain insurance or pay a penalty.

03/18/2021

What Can Fully Vaccinated Folks Do?

The long-awaited COVID vaccine rollout is finally starting to pick up steam. Knowledge of the science continues to evolve, but here are the current recommendations for the fully vaccinated, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When does full protection kick in?
According to the CDC, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of a two-dose vaccine (such as Moderna or Pfizer), or two weeks after receiving a one-dose vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson).

What can fully vaccinated people safely do?
The CDC says fully vaccinated people can safely:

Gather indoors, unmasked, with other fully vaccinated people
Gather indoors, unmasked, with unvaccinated people from one other household, unless anyone in that group is at heightened risk for severe COVID-19 illness
Skip quarantine and testing after being around someone with COVID-19, unless they experience symptoms or live in a group setting
Can vaccinated people still spread COVID-19?
It's not yet clear whether, or to what extent, fully vaccinated people may still be able to transmit COVID-19 to others. For this reason, the CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people "keep taking precautions in public places like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces until we know more."

Even the fully vaccinated should still:

Avoid medium to large gatherings
Delay domestic and international travel
Watch out for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested if they experience them
Follow workplace guidance; this includes wearing cloth face coverings
Recommendations for employers
Current CDC guidance for workplaces includes the following best practices:

Have employees, guests and visitors wear cloth face coverings to contain respiratory droplets and help protect others. (The CDC says people should not wear a cloth face covering if they have trouble breathing, cannot tolerate wearing it or can’t remove it without help.)
Ensure all HVAC systems are working properly, and increase ventilation if possible.
Consider using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems.
Increase circulation of outside air, if possible, by using fans and opening doors and/or windows.
Include all employees and contractors in COVID communication plans.
Evaluate areas where employees might come into close contact, including meeting rooms, break rooms, cafeterias, and entrances and exits; elevators and escalators may require special policies.
Adjust workstations, seats and furniture to maintain 6 feet of social distancing, when possible.
Use signage and stickers to indicate safe distancing, when physical separation is not possible.
Encourage employees who have symptoms, or who live with someone who is sick with COVID-19, to stay home.
Consider conducting daily in-person or virtual health checks.
Stagger shifts, start times and break times, if possible.
Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.
Replace high-touch communal items (such as coffee pots and bulk snacks) with single-serving alternatives.

12/19/2020

Merry Christmas week to all!
🎄☃️♥️☃️🎄