avoided in order to decide a case on the merits. See Nisselson v. Lemont, 469 F.3d 143, 150-51 (1st Cir.2006), cert. denied, 127 S.Ct. 2131 (2007); Fraternal Order of Police v. United States, 173 F.3d 898, 904-05 (D.C.Cir.1999); New York v. EPA, 133 F.3d 987, 992 (7th Cir.1998); see also 13B Charles Alan Wright, Arthur