Dissecting a Shark at the South Florida Museum of Science
On Friday, August 27th, the South Florida Museum of Science launched their series “Nights at the Museum,” which include access to the newly opened Observatory, interesting “ScienTerrific” activities including exciting electrons, a shark dissection and touch tank demonstrations. In this video, kids learn to dissect a shark. See our “Photo Galleries” for photos of this fun and educational evening.
Mixer at The Wellness Experience and Fit Studio
Dr. Randall Laurich of The Wellness Experience and Rhonda Ashkettle of The Fit Studio talk about a collaborative fitness/wellness program that they offer, as next-door neighbor businesses in Kobosko’s Crossing, Wellington, Florida. They presented a business mixer on August 26th and offered appetizers and drinks, while educating the public about their services. See photos of their mixer under “Archives/Photo Galleries” at aroundwellington.com too!
A Happy Customer at Sleek’s Happy Hour
On Thursday, August 26th, the staff at Sleek Med Spa in the Mall at Wellington Green hosted a “Girlie Happy Hour,” including appetizers, drinks and specials on their many services. Here’s one happy customer Valentina Aved, who enjoyed having her first chemical peel at Sleek.
AW Spotlight
The Law Office of Malcolm E. Harrison, P.A.
Saving Families from Foreclosure, One at a Time
By Krista Martinelli
Do you happen to know someone who is about to lose their home? Thanks to a perfect background for foreclosure defense, Malcolm E. Harrison has been able to save many families in our area from being evicted from their homes.
With a Harvard Law School degree, a master’s degree in real property law from the University of Miami and a personable style, Harrison could have taken his practice in many directions. The Palm Beach County native worked as a bank lawyer on Wall Street, prior to returning to Florida and is “very familiar with talking with bankers” and speaking their language.
In 2006, a friend asked for his help in a foreclosure defense case. Harrison did an excellent job with her defense; she told a few friends, and soon after he had helped ten people with foreclosure cases. It was just at the beginning of the economic downturn. He helped because he cared, and the clients kept coming.
Today, after approximately 4,000 clients have sought out his help, Harrison is a leader in his field. His business started out of his home and now the Law Office of Malcolm E. Harrison, located in the heart of Wellington just one block away from the Wellington Community Center, employs fifteen people. Another lawyer Michelle Moore joined the firm in the beginning of 2010. It’s a good thing that their office keeps expanding because the foreclosure problem does not seem to be going away quickly.
“There’s a silent massacre going on in Palm Beach County,” says Harrison. While everyone knows that there are a couple of empty houses on just about every street, they do not know the actual numbers. Currently, there are approximately 49,000 foreclosure cases not yet settled in Palm Beach County. Courts issue as many as 400 foreclosure judgments per day in Palm Beach County. “These are local families losing their homes,” says Harrison, warning that these numbers could worsen before the situation gets better. “People are scared, desperate and frustrated after their experiences with the banks,” he explains.
What can the Law Office of Malcolm E. Harrison do to help these families, who are about to lose their homes? There are two ways that they can help, depending on the situation. 1. They can help families to get loan modifications and ultimately stay in their homes. 2. They can actively fight foreclosure, making the bank prove their case.
Harrison wants people facing foreclosure to know that they have options. The most common misconception is that they cannot afford a lawyer; however, Harrison offers very affordable rates. The initial consultation is free. He outlines a number of options in the first (free) hour that he spends with a new client, including the “Cash for Keys” program, loan modification options, and helpful information about the timing of the foreclosure. If people have questions, Harrison is happy to provide answers in the initial consultation. “It’s my community service,” he explains cheerfully.
His clients truly appreciate the peace of mind that they get. “One lady calls me her ‘Ambien man,’” says Harrison. Many others have confessed that after their initial consultation, “it’s the first night I’ve had a good night’s sleep.” Even in the cases where clients cannot keep their homes, Harrison can give some perspective. “I can give you a better idea of the actual date that you will have to leave,” he says. Also, clients can sometimes receive $5,000 toward the move (Cash for Keys program). The main thing, according to Harrison, is just knowing that no one is not going to be knocking on your door tomorrow. “It’s certainty versus uncertainty.”
Last year the Law Office of Malcolm E. Harrison helped 265 families to find their way out of foreclosure and stay in their homes. In many cases, this is accomplished by getting loan modifications via direct mediations with the banks. According to Harrison, it’s similar to mediation in the case of a divorce. The face to face mediation brings with it a greater chance of success. In foreclosure defense, the goal is to make the banks prove their case. In many instances, this slows down the foreclosure process. While this is a by-product of the main goal, it’s also helpful to the client, buying them time to look for additional income.
Most difficult of all is the human suffering that comes with being displaced, and the role that Harrison sometimes must play. “I’m not a cheerleader,” says Harrison. “I will fight for you . . . but I will not lie to you.” So the unpleasant job of telling someone that they need to leave their home comes with the territory. The rule of thumb for buying a house used to be in the range of three times your annual income. It’s not surprising that Palm Beach County was headed for a big fall – when the median income was approximately $60,000 and the average home price was $380,000.
Harrison and his staff are all local residents, working to save their “neighbors” from foreclosure. They aim to save families from being displaced, allowing them to keep their homes. In the cases where this is impossible (for example, when there’s no income or only a partial income), they help the family to make a “graceful exit.” For example, an exit is better over the summer in the case of kids, so that they are not “jerked out of school” during the school year.
What makes The Law Office of Malcolm E. Harrison stand apart from the rest? “We actually care and actually help people,” says Harrison. His true compassion for others combined with his inside-out knowledge of the world of foreclosure makes Harrison a force to be reckoned with. You definitely want him on your side – especially if you’re trying to hold onto your home in these challenging times.
The Law Office of Malcolm E. Harrison
12230 Forest Hill Blvd. Suite 110R
Wellington, FL 33414
561-214-6163
I’m thinking about you. What else can I say?
The palm trees on the reverse
are a delusion; so is the pink sand.
What we have are the usual
fractured coke bottles and the smell
of backed-up drains, too sweet,
like a mango on the verge
of rot, which we have also.
The air clear sweat, mosquitoes
& their tracks; birds & elusive.
Time comes in waves here, a sickness, one
day after the other rolling on;
I move up, it’s called
awake, then down into the uneasy
nights but never
forward. The roosters crow
for hours before dawn, and a prodded
child howls & howls
on the pocked road to school.
In the hold with the baggage
there are two prisoners,
their heads shaved by bayonets, & ten crates
of queasy chicks. Each spring
there’s race of cripples, from the store
to the church. This is the sort of junk
I carry with me; and a clipping
about democracy from the local paper.
Outside the window
they’re building the damn hotel,
nail by nail, someone’s
crumbling dream. A universe that includes you
can’t be all bad, but
does it? At this distance
you’re a mirage, a glossy image
fixed in the posture
of the last time I saw you.
Turn you over, there’s the place
for the address. Wish you were
here. Love comes
in waves like the ocean, a sickness which goes on
& on, a hollow cave
in the head, filling & pounding, a kicked ear.
Oasis Compassion’s Women’s Center and Sept. 7th Jewelry Party Fundraiser
Dear Friends,
I am so excited to share the news with you that our local food pantry, Oasis Compassion Agency, will be opening a brand new Women’s Center this coming Saturday, August 28th! The celebration runs from 10a.m. – 2p.m. and it would be great for you to stop by and see what will be happening here! Oasis Compassion is an organization truly committed to helping the working poor in our community receive a “hand up”, not a “hand out.” Please check out their website at www.oasiscompassion.org .
I am thrilled to also share an exciting way for you to have a lot of fun helping support this new center. Starting Tuesday, September 7th, Oasis will have a bi-weekly “Ladies Night Out” at the center. This is an opportunity for you ladies to come have a relaxing, fun evening making new friends, enjoying some light refreshments, and doing a little shopping! Our first event will be a Premier Designs Jewelry Party on September 7th at 7p.m. Please come and see what the center is all about, grab a copy of the Ladies Night Out schedule of events, bring a friend and be a part of something wonderful! Below are some more specific details on how our first event will help support Oasis Compassion’s Women’s Center.
Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions or if you already have plans for this evening and would like to place an order. 50% of the profit on EVERY order will go directly to the Women’s Center! Every party booked as a result of this Ladies’ Night will result in 25% of the profit going back to Oasis as well, so please know that you do not have to shop to help support this great cause! You can choose to call me and pick a date to have some friends over, receive free jewelry AND know that donations will go to Oasis as a result!!!
Thank you in advance for marking this event on your calendar and sharing it with your friends. I look forward to seeing you on September 7th!
Andrea McKenney
Independent Consultant, Premier Designs High Fashion Jewelry
561-506-5967
Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup this Friday, August 28th, 2010
Loxahatchee, FL-August 24, 2010 – The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup this Friday, August 28, 2010. The event will be held from 6-8p.m. and is open to all current and interested volunteers.
The Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup will feature a new volunteer sign up station and games. All the volunteers can meet the new barn manager, play some minute to win it
barn games, and win prizes.
Volunteers are needed at VTRC to assist with barn chores and lessons throughout the day. There are over 100 volunteers and each day about 20 volunteers are on site. The Center currently serves clients Monday through Saturday.
To reserve a spot at this year’s Vinceremos Volunteer Roundup please call Barb at 561.236.0982.
The VTRC is a nonprofit organization based in Loxahatchee, FL, that provides recreational and therapeutic riding instruction to people of all ages with varying developmental, physical, and psychological disabilities. The organization, founded in 1982, assists more than 350 adults and children every year, helping them gain a sense of accomplishment, greater independence, and a higher quality of life. The VTRC has received a “Premier Accreditation” rating from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA).
For more information on the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center or to download a volunteer application please visit www.vinceremos.com or visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/vinceremos.
Shakespeare’s Gone Wild at the Lake Worth Playhouse!
is the fastest, funniest, fiercest comedy
Shakespeare never intended… but wishes he had. 
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Join our trio of madcap men in tights as they take you on an irreverent,
fast-paced romp through all 37 of the Bard’s plays, weaving their wicked way through
each of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies.
“This show is insanely fabulous,” says the show’s director, Stephanie Haber, “and the cast is pure joy!”
The trio of Playhouse veterans that make up the cast are: Todd “Canker Blossom” Caster, J. Paul “Saucy Knave” Heiner and Calvin “Punkin’ Bloomers” Bankert.
Mr. Caster has played a vast array of historical characters throughout his lengthy stage career. Audiences will recognize him from previous Playhouse shows, The Woman in Black and Leading Ladies, in which he skillfully portrayed nine different characters between the two shows. When the overachieving actor’s uncle’s housekeeper’s cousin, who happens to be a cashier at the Publix where director Stephanie Haber shops, gave Mr. Caster notice of the Shakespeare audition, he jumped at the opportunity to beat his own record. “Stephanie asked me if I would possibly agree to play 14 different characters,” Caster said. “My reply was simply ‘only 14?'”
Mr. Heiner has played numerous roles on the Playhouse stage which he describes in words almost as elegant as those of the bard himself: “I have morphed from a drunken deadbeat well-meaning daddy (Hollywood Arms) to a Manischewitz-quaffing (offstage) CEO hell-bent on finding the perfect rock of engagement (Modern Orthodox), unto the able curse of a Pulitzer-prized play of terrifying proportions (The Crucible), to a greased radio jockey in the biggest, most fabulous high school musical ever (Grease), to a seriously damaged cereal-starved killer mouse of a man trapped in a winter storm (The Mousetrap).” Mr. Heiner uses his broad acting range to bring Shakespeare’s many, diverse characters to life.
Mr. Bankert, the youngest of the cast and the one known affectionately as “Punkin’ Bloomers,” has performed many times at the Playhouse but, until now, has never been forced to wear “a chick’s costume.” He is toughing it out, however, just happy to be in a play that offers him a sideline diversion from his academics and that keeps him off the streets of Lake Worth where he is known by the locals as “that strange boy who hears music inside his head.”
This is one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.
Did we mention tickets are only $15 for students and teachers?
Because who loves Shakespeare more than YOU do?
AND FOR YE LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS….
Don’t forget we offer a 10% discount off regular ticket prices
for all non-season show … like this one!DO THE MATH
Even if you buy a ticket at full price ($25 or $29), considering these guys perform
all 37 plays in 90 minutes, you’re paying less than (let’s see…. carry the two….)
.. less than $2 per play!!!
That’s an offer even a Merchant of Venice
couldn’t refuse!561-586-6410
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS
Order Tickets Now!
New Class at That’s Dancing!
A new class is being offered at That’s Dancing – read below for details…happy dancing!
Social Dance Styles Class
Standard and Latin Styled Dance Classes
Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Rumba & Tango
With instructor: Nicole Jacuetti
With or Without a Partner
When: Friday Beginning October 1st 2010 (10 week session)
Where: That’s Dancing
What: Standard and Latin Styled Dance Classes
Elementary Aged Students – Class meets from 3-4pm
Middle and High School Aged Students – Class meets from 6:30-7:30pm
Adults – Class meets from 7:30-8:30pm
10 week session begins Friday, October 1st 2010.
The session ends on Friday, December 10th 2010.
No class on Friday, November 26th.
No Registration Fee
$140 for the 10 week session
Full tuition is due upon registration.
There are no refunds for missed classes.
Ballroom shoes are strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Jazz shoes or hip hop sneakers will be mandatory if you do not wear ballroom shoes. Attire should be appropriate for style being taught. Girls should have skirts.
Sign-up today!
Register online here: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/reg.asp?id=505146
Peace, Love, Dance,
Andrea LaMaina
Co-Owner / Artistic Director
That’s Dancing
www.ThatsDancing.com
561-642-9677
thatsdancn@aol.com
Studio hours: M-Th 2-9pm, Fri 2-8pm, Sat 9am-4pm CLOSED Sunday
Mommy Moments
Free Stuff and Cool Stuff We Enjoyed this Summer
So my long-distance friend recently asked me, “What have you been doing this summer with the kids to stay busy?” As she mentioned, she was running out of ideas and the summer was starting to wear on her, as the kids were probably getting a bit stir-crazy.
I was surprised to find that I had accidentally (and happily) filled up our days this summer with fun activities. Many of the activities were free or very affordable. And all of them involved staying cool, since our heat index has been about 105 degrees each day here in Florida. I apologize for getting these ideas to you at the end of the summer and not the beginning! However, I thought it might be nice to get these ideas out there now and if you find anything useful, maybe you can hold onto it as “ammunition” to get through next summer. Especially if you’ll be home with kids and if they are not headed for camp.
Swim Lessons. My kids are five and three – swimming is one of the only outdoor activities that we can do together in the summer, thanks to the heat. If you’re going to invest in any kind of lessons over the
summer in Florida, I highly recommend swim lessons. The faster they learn to swim, the safer you will be. I’ve heard good things about the swim lessons at Calypso Bay Waterpark in Royal Palm Beach, Lake Lytal in West Palm Beach, Wellington’s Aquatic Center pool and Santa Luces High School in Lake Worth – all reasonably priced. We chose Santa Luces swim lessons (to join a few of their friends) and were impressed with the quality of the teaching and the affordable price of the lessons. These lessons are taught in two-week sessions, Tuesday thru Friday, in half-hour sessions, all for a total cost of $50 per child. The swim instructors were kind, patient and consistent. Both of my kids went from swimming with water wings to swimming without them. My five-year-old daughter already does the strokes with good form, including the crawl and the backstroke – thanks to just four weeks of lessons. She learned the elementary backstroke too. Unfortunately (like most kids I’ve seen) she never chooses to use it. For those parents who are more interested in one-on-one lessons, there are other great local instructors – Sharon Powers (561-596-5199) and “AquaPam,” also known as Pam Smith (561-758-1869).
Another activity we’ve enjoyed over the summer is going to Playmobil Fun Park. Admission for all day is just $1 and you can bring a picnic lunch and eat it in the café. It’s cool, clean and very entertaining for young kids. The German-designed Playmobil toys capture the imagination of your children, whether they are into dinosaurs, princesses, Roman empires, hospitals, animal rescue or something else – there’s something for everyone. See our “AW Spotlight” story about Playmobil and related brand Lechuza last month!
Summer Movie Specials! There are so many free or affordable summer movie series for kids in our area. We tried out the Wellington Marketplace Summer Movie Fair (561-792-7334) with a couple of friends this summer. For just $5 per person, you get tickets to 9 movies (over 9 weeks). The movies are generally a year or two old. Since my kids have seen very few movies in the theaters (actually my 3-year-old had never been to the movie theater before), this really didn’t matter. My kids actually liked the first one in the series the best “Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeequel.” We didn’t make it to the end of every movie – because a few of the films were “just too scary,” according to my kids. Yet overall, it was a good experience. Good practice behaving in a dark theater (and not talking). A nice break for Mom…or Dad too!
Just today we went to the South Florida Science Museum in West Palm Beach (561-832-1988) and visited their Planetarium too. We were happy to get in for free (on the first weekend of the month) because of being Bank of America customers. We still paid for admission for the kids, but it was just $6 per child. There are many
hands-on learning activities for the children. Our kids were fascinated with the Shadow Freeze room, the ball rollercoaster, the spinning tops and the dominos play area. The latter two were part of the Science in Toyland exhibit, presented by Bank of America. Also, my three-year-old son was thrilled to be in his first planetarium, since his favorite topic is the planets right now. We saw a show called “The Friendly Stars” which was age-appropriate and just perfect for anyone else who has a budding astronaut in the family. The museum just re-opened their Observatory and telescope, which is featured on a special evening on the last Friday of each month called “Nights at the Museum.” Parents, take advantage of these special nights, where many science experts are there to explain the different exhibits and activities are going on from 6pm to 10pm, in addition to telescope viewing. When we visited the last Friday night in August, they taught the kids how to dissect a shark and let them use the tools to do it. Ewwwww! But cool stuff, if you can stomach it.
Don’t forget your local library. They do a nice job of storytimes and other activities over the summer. We took advantage of a couple of special programs that were, of course, free. You do need to sign up in advance for these activities in the children’s section of the library. There was an excellent puppet show called “Oceans of Fun.” Also, on International Fairy Day (which, honestly, is the first International Fairy Day I remember celebrating), we made our own fairies, a cute craft involving a clothes pin and a magnet. Check out the Wellington Public Library or your closest library. It’s really possibly the best free resource that we have as parents. And in this economy, it’s a great thing to be able to come home with a huge stack of new books, CDs and DVDs every week – new educational material for your kids at no cost to you.
Have you got great, inexpensive ideas for things to do with your young children? Send them our way, email: aroundwellington@earthlink.net. Also check out “Kids Corner,” where super-mom Shawn Thompson has compiled a great list of “Kids Eat Free” nights at local restaurants. BTW, if you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to “Subscribe” to our online magazine. It’s painless and we do not share our email address with any other entity! THANKS in advance for your ideas!
Krista Martinelli is the editor of www.aroundwellington.com. She’s the mother of a five-year-old girl, who is obsessed with Broadway musicals, and a three-year-old boy, who is obsessed with our solar system.
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