Anyone who knows Pam, my better half, knows she loves her movies. So it's no surprise her newest blogging effort is about those "shining stars in the cinema firmament. Take it away, Pam --

"This new blog, one of MANY I have written, is just for grins and gripes.

"As a movie fan, I tend to want to rewrite the films, from time-to-time. 

"Of course, there are films that are perfection and I would not touch one frame of the magic.

"Mostly,  movie magic could use a few swipes of a fairy wand. This blog is my fairy wanding (I will always make up words, so get accustomed to it) way of rewriting some these disasters, semi-disasters, bad, not-that-bad, average, and just a little wrong movies.

"Let me start this one by saying I am not a fan of Ryan Gosling, and I am lukewarm on Emma Stone. But, that point is moot.

"So, moving on to the actual film, LaLa Land.  GO TO THE BLOG.

(Press Release)_"Lilly” the sea turtle is going home on Tuesday, May 30, after being treated at Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s (LMC) sea turtle hospital in Juno Beach, Florida.
 
The large sub-adult loggerhead turtle was found last October just north of the Center with a deep shell wound above the turtle’s shoulder. LMC’s hospital staff treated the injury with antibiotics, honey and therapeutic laser treatment. The staff veterinarian also prescribed hydrotherapy to improve range of motion in the turtle’s injured flipper, creating a whirlpool in the tank.
 
“We have used hydrotherapy on sea turtles before in extreme cases,” said Dr. Charles Manire, LMC staff veterinarian and director of research & rehabilitation. “Implementing this rehabilitation method helped Lilly begin to move its injured flipper like never before. Essentially, it’s physical therapy for sea turtles.”
 
Last December, over 600 young philanthropic leaders celebrated “Life Under Printed Palms” at Beach Bash Palm Beach, presented by Lilly Pulitzer. The event raised critical funds for Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s sea turtle and ocean conservation efforts. Many of the guests will also attend Lilly’s release.
 
“We are proud to build upon our relationship with LMC, which first began with our Palm Beach Gardens store and we were delighted when they became the beneficiary of Beach Bash,” said Michelle Kelly, Lilly Pulitzer CEO. “As for Lilly the sea turtle, many members of the team have been able to meet her, tour LMC’s impressive facilities, and get to know the talented team. We look forward to being friends and supporters of LMC for years to come.”
 
“We are very grateful to our partners at Lilly Pulitzer for rallying their entire team around Lilly’s recovery,” said Jack E. Lighton, LMC president & CEO. “Their support has brought significant awareness to our mission of sea turtle and ocean conservation. Sea turtles and Lilly Pulitzer are iconic Palm Beach pairings. Due to the corporate support we have received from the Lilly Pulitzer team, guests can “follow” our patient Lilly upon her release as she will be fitted with a GPS tracker.” 
 
Lilly’s release is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Center. Pre-release procedures will begin at 10:30 a.m. Be sure to arrive early to secure a viewing spot, and wear your brightest Lilly!
 
Immediately following the release, Lilly Pulitzer at The Gardens Mall will host a sip and shop event, featuring new summer arrivals! Lilly Pulitzer will donate 10 percent of sales from noon to 6 p.m. to Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Shoppers will also enjoy a gift with purchase!
 
To track Lilly’s migration after the release, please visit marinelife.org/track.

(Press Release)_ WEST PALM BEACH, FL. - May 23, 2017 – Brightline, the only privately funded express inter-city passenger rail service in the United States, provided business and government leaders with a sneak peek of the new downtown West Palm Beach station today. Within walking distance to destinations like the Clematis Street District, CityPlace, Centennial Park and the Waterfront, the station will welcome guests from Fort Lauderdale and Miami later this summer. The West Palm Beach station will serve visitors from Orlando in phase two of service.

“Each day we mark another milestone as Brightline continues construction and readies for the launch of service later this summer,” said Dave Howard, Brightline’s CEO. “Our partners in Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach and the Florida Chamber of Commerce have supported our efforts, and we look forward to making significant economic impacts and changing the way people travel throughout the region.”

The station is nearing completion as workers continue to put finishing touches on its interior. Crews are installing the turnstiles, security infrastructure and food and beverage area in the upper concourse.  Exterior signage has been installed, and furniture will be delivered in the coming weeks. Soon, Brightline teammates will use the facilities in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to train as the project gets closer to launch.

Home-made pizzas, bottles of wine ... see where the conversation goes! LISTEN TO THE PODCAST.

(Press Release)_MIAMI – May 11, 2017 – Brightline, the only privately-funded express inter-city passenger rail service in the United States, took delivery of two new trains that will provide service in South Florida later this year. Named BrightGreen and BrightOrange after the signature color schemes of the train cars, the sets were delivered simultaneously after a 3,052-mile journey across the country from Siemens Rolling Stock manufacturing hub in Sacramento, California. Their arrival is in celebration of National Train Day, taking place on Saturday, May 13. Combined, the two Brightline trains are approximately 1,000 feet long, each foot symbolizes the 1,000 Siemens employees who helped build them. They are 100 percent Buy America compliant, manufactured with components from more than 40 different U.S. suppliers across 20 states. BrightGreen and BrightOrange now join BrightBlue and BrightPink at Workshop b, Brightline’s 12-acre railroad operations facility in West Palm Beach.

"Today marks another milestone as we welcome two additional trainsets to Workshop b,” said Dave Howard, Brightline’s CEO. “The arrival coincides with National Train Day, which is a chance to celebrate these powerful machines and the rich history passenger rail has played in our country. Brightline is a shining example of U.S. manufacturing and innovation while setting a world-wide standard of service in the hospitality and transportation industries.”

Workshop b is now home to four trains with BrightRed, the fifth trainset, arriving late-June. Workshop b provides over 120 jobs, serving as the on-duty location for train crews as well as the site where trains are maintained, cleaned and stored. There are four tracks within the facility, two of which are covered and one featuring a 500-foot long maintenance pit underneath for performing daily inspections and service.

The popular building blocks called LEGOs have invaded The Gardens Mall, to the delight of both kids and adults.

The "LEGO Takeover Exhibit" started April 28 and will be at the mall through May 15. We took our granddaughter Cate to see it this weekend, and she "loved it." Stationed throughout the mall are larger-than-life LEGO replicas of iconic superheros like Iron Man, Captain America and Wonder Woman, along with favorites from "Star Wars" and even the "Mystery Machine" gang from "Scooby Doo." 

There are also plenty of "hands on" opportunities where you can "discover your inner builder." Cate couldn't pass up a chance to assemble her own creation from the tiny plastic blocks. Get ready to give your camera phones a workout!