16 November Program
Maritime Law
Per Erichsen
Per, semi retired, has a Bachelor of Arts degree from LaSalle College. His Juris Doctor degree is from Temple University. In addition to his law career Per was with the Peace Corps and with the United Nations as an Operations Officer. Per and wife Marian, Oriental residents, have two grown children. Per’s interests include photography, writing and acting.
Admiralty Law or maritime law is the distinct body of law (both substantive and procedural) governing navigation and shipping. Topics associated with this field in legal reference works may include: shipping; navigation; waters; commerce; seamen;towage;wharves, piers, and docks; insurance; maritime liens; canals; and recreation. Ship hijacking (piracy) is also an aspect of admiralty.
The courts and Congress seeks to create a uniform body of admiralty law both nationally and internationally in order to facilitate commerce. The federal courts derive their exclusive jurisdiction over this field from the Judiciary Act of 1789 and from Article III, Paragraph 2 of the U.S. Constitution. Congress regulates admiralty partially through the Commerce Clause. American admiralty law, formerly applying only to American tidal waters, now extends to any waters navigable within the United States for interstate or foreign commerce. In such waters admiralty jurisdiction includes maritime matters not involving interstate commerce, including recreational boating. (www.law.cornell.edu/topics/admiralty.htm.)
ORC’s Support for the Pamlico County Fishes and Loaves Program is timely given the necessity for food bank services. Our local program reflects the demand for this service nationwide…
Food banks across the nation report that the current recession and the continuing rise in unemployment are having a profound effect on their ability to feed millions of Americans living at risk of hunger, according to a new survey released today by Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief charity.
The increase is nearly universal — 99% of all participating food banks reported a significant surge in demand for emergency food assistance over the past year. The hardest hit areas include Asheville, North Carolina, Fort Myers, Florida;Kansas City, Missoui; Minneapolis;and food banks in South Carolina, Mississippi and Colorado. Food banks report that the increase is particularly driven by first-time users of the food assistance system (98 percent of food banks) and more people who have recently lost their jobs (92 percent). More than half (56 percent) of food banks reported that they are seeing more children as clients.
(Feeding America Report 9/14/09)
Pumped about Pumpkins…Reflect on the merits of your humble autumn pumpkin. When Pres. John distributed those little pumpkins originally slated for decorations for the Alzheimer’s Dinner Dance, he was selling for $1.00 a very important food source…
-Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins A and B and potassium;
-Pumpkins are 90% water;
-Pumpkins are really a fruit;
-One cup of pumpkin puree has zero cholesterol;
-Pumpkin flowers are edible;
-Pumpkins are a good source of fiber;
-Canned pumpkin, scooped into a plastic food storage container, will keep up to three months in the freeezer;
-Pumpkins can be boiled, steamed, roasted, broiled, baked and microwaved.
-Pumpkins have been grown in America for over 5,000 years and pumpkin seeds were used for medicine by Native American Indians.
Think twice about calling someone of diminutive stature a munchkin. A munchkin is a variety of pumpkin averaging 3-4 inches in diamter having a flattened appearance with a scallped bright orange skin. Flesh is orange-yellow. (Sound like anyone you know?)
