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Plymouth man pitches in on fight against cancer; throws out first pitch on Pink Night

Matt Romboldi and son Charlie throw out the first pitch for "Pink" night at the Plymouth Pilgrims baseball game to celebrate cancer research. Matt welcomes the community to participate in "Run for Faith" a family oriented road race to raise additional funds for cancer research and set for Sunday, August 11, 8:30 a.m. at Plimouth Plantation.
Matt Romboldi and son Charlie throw out the first pitch for “Pink” night at the Plymouth Pilgrims baseball game to celebrate cancer research. Matt welcomes the community to participate in “Run for Faith” a family oriented road race to raise additional funds for cancer research and set for Sunday, August 11, 8:30 a.m. at Plimouth Plantation.

PLYMOUTH, MA…

For Matthew Romboldi, Plymouth resident and owner of Lombard’s Waste removal, the fight against cancer became personal when he lost his mother Marcy “Faith” Romboldi to ovarian cancer in 2010. With his annual road race, The Run for Faith 4-miler, he’s raised more than $10,000 to fight cancer. So when the Plymouth Pilgrims asked him to throw out the first pitch on Pink Night, a promotion to benefit Jordan Hospital’s Breast Center, it was an offer he could not refuse.

“My mother was all about her faith, her family and helping others and that was long before she had cancer,” said Romboldi before the game. “If she was still with us, she’d be dressed in sitting in the front row, dressed in pink from head to toe and saying a silent prayer that I would reach the catcher’s mitt in the air.”

Pink Night occurred on Thursday, July 18 at the Plymouth Pilgrims game versus the Laconia Muskrats. Forges Field was adorned with a pink rubber on the mound and pink bases. Prior to the game, breast cancer survivors walked the bases—all in an effort to raise breast cancer awareness and the work of the Jordan Hospital Breast Center.

The nationally-accredited Jordan Hospital Breast Center represents a concerted effort across medical, radiological and surgical disciplines at Jordan Hospital to provide the highest quality breast health care. Jordan’s advanced technology and multidisciplinary approach enables them to streamline the process from the time a patient enters the system and an abnormality is detected. The Jordan Breast Center’s goal is to have most diagnoses within five business days.

“The Run for Faith and Jordan Breast Center’s Kayla’s Beat Goes On 5k are the only road races in Plymouth that raise money to treat and fight cancer,” said Romboldi. “By consistently holding fundraisers and awareness events like this, we will hopefully find the cure for all cancers one day.”

The third annual Run for Faith 4Miler, which is a gold member in the Bayside Runner Racing Series, will take place on Sunday, August 11 at 8:30 a.m. at historic Plimouth Plantation. The Run for Faith’s 4.58-mile race loop includes spectacular views of Cape Cod Bay, the Eel River and scenic horse farms, as well as unmatched history.

The entry fee is $25 – which will once again go to scholarships for Plymouth high school students and cancer research (this year’s Run for Faith resulted in two $2,500 scholarships graduating Plymouth North and Plymouth South high school students in addition to the aforementioned $10,000 to Dana Farber’s Yawkey Center for Cancer Care).

Water stations are plentiful and the event is professionally timed by Spitler Racing Systems. Prizes will go to top finishers, male and female, and awards will be given to top finishers for various age groups, including the Stroller Division.

The Run for Faith is organized by Run for Faith, Inc., which is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to commemorate the special life of Faith “Marcy” Romboldi who gave so much of herself to both individuals and the community.

The Run for Faith’s current roster of sponsors includes: Baker’s Auto; Marty’s Buick GMC Isuzu; The East Bay Grille; Mayflower Food & Spirits; Stevens The Florist; RJF Homes; Cape Auto; G&G Silk Screen Embroidery; B&B Auto Body; Dunlap’s Propane; Associated Engineers; Wood’s Seafood; Kingston House of Pizza; Almeida Towing Service; Plimouth Plantation; Davis Carpentry; Dunlap’s Oil; Richard’s Wine & Spirits; Mike Tupper, Welding; and the Lobster Pound. Interested sponsors can contact Matthew Romboldi at 508-400-0751.

To register for the Run for Faith, please visit www.runforfaithplymouth.org. The registration deadline is midnight on August 8. You can view the course online at http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/42074524.

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A setback in the fight for your online reputation

online reputation managementSo, a disgruntled customer/client takes their aggravation out on your company in an online forum. Justified or not, that requires action. You counter by encouraging customers and clients who have benefitted from your products or services to post positive reviews to the same forum.  Several do but nowhere do you see those posts, just that glaring negative one. What gives?

That’s a scenario several business owners have reported lately. Seems that there’s one online directory (it rhymes with the word help) that objects to positive comments in response to a negative one if those commenters have not posted before. While it’s difficult to understand this online directory’s policy, it leaves the business owner without a very important tool in defusing a toxic online comment. That’s why your online reputation strategy should always have a PR component.

Typically, we advise clients who have been victimized by a negative comment to issue a series of press releases with positive news about their company. Part of the distribution of said news release involves posting to online newsrooms, which spider quite nicely in Google. This may or may not knock the negative comment off the front page of a Google search. It will, however, will give that negative comment plenty of company–company that carries some third-party credibility.

Does this tactic prevent the bad comment from discouraging new business or prospects? It’s difficult to say the bad comment will have zero effect. Yet most consumers savvy enough to research reviews will go to more than one site for information. Chances are multiple positive news stories will be enough to trump one bad review and enhance your online reputation in the process.

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Voice4Nations Collecting School Supply Donations for Local Children in Need

Voice4Nations.org, the non-profit outreach dedicated to empowering individuals to make a difference in the world, is hosting their first annual Operation Give Back: School Supply Drive through August 2nd to collect donations for children living in shelters and those in need of assistance this upcoming school year.

“We are privileged to have the opportunity to help those in need. Through our Operation Give Back: School Supply Drive, we can provide the necessary items to children and families who otherwise would not be able to afford the back-to-school supplies,” explained Jay Reeder, founder of Voice4Nations.

Voice4Nations has partnered with local businesses and supply stores to support the children of Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, North Gwinnett Co-Op, and LAMP Ministries. Since July 8th, Voice4Nations has collected over 150 donated items, including necessities such as backpacks, flash drives, and binders. “We appreciate each and every item donated for these children. It’s inspiring to see our local community come together to support one another,” commented Mr. Reeder.

If you would like to make a charitable donation, please contact Voice4Nations’ Orchestrator, Ashley Pardue at apardue@voice4nations.org or call (678) 318-1300 ext. 107 to arrange a pick up. For more information and a list of school supplies needed, visit http://www.voice4nations.org/school-supply-drive. As an added benefit, all contributions are tax deductible.

About Voice4Nations

A new generation of Voice4Nations.org website has been launched to address the company’s three key initiatives: homelessness, the world’s water crisis and bullying prevention.

Voice4Nations, the non-profit outreach of VoiceNation, acts as a voice for the nations – a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves, like the 50 percent of all children who live in poverty. Voice4Nations’ goal is to create awareness, encourage people to make a difference, and connect them with successful organizations where they can make a contribution directly funding the need. To learn more about Voice4Nations, visit http://www.voice4nations.org.

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Old Colony Elder Services new pet food grant helps elders

Read this great article by Sue Scheible of The Patriot Ledger:
A GOOD AGE: Helping elders feed their pets as well as themselves
http://www.patriotledger.com/lifestyle/50_plus/x997482083/A-GOOD-AGE-Elders-pets-get-help-from-distant-benefactor

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Old Colony Elder Services Offers Diabetes Self-Management Program for Seniors to be held at Duxbury COA

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), a private, non-profit agency designated as an Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) serving seniors and individuals with disabilities throughout the greater Brockton and Plymouth county areas, will offer a six week “Healthy Eating” Diabetes Self-Management Program at the Duxbury Council on Aging (COA), located at 10 Mayflower Street.

The Healthy Eating Diabetes Self-Management Program will be held on Mondays, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., from July 22 to August 26, 2013. As diabetes affects seniors at a much higher rate than younger adults, the program is geared towards seniors and their caregivers. Dorothy Slack, RN, Wellness Program Manager, and Donna Marie Forand, Outreach and Education Specialist, from OCES, will lead the program.

The Healthy Eating Diabetes Self-Management Program is an evidence-based program developed at Stanford University designed to help individuals develop a greater awareness of their role in disease management. The Healthy Eating program is for the newly diagnosed and talks about the impact of diabetes on their lifestyle. Attendees will learn about common problems with diabetes, reading food labels, enhancing communication, advocating for themselves and creating an action plan.

“The goal of the Healthy Eating Diabetes Self-Management Program is to help people choose healthy eating behaviors they would like to follow and to design strategies for incorporating these behaviors into daily life. Setting weekly goals, making an action plan, giving feedback and sharing are a significant part of each workshop session,” explained Diana DiGiorgi, Executive Director of OCES.

There is no cost to attend this program. Registration is required. To register, contact the Duxbury COA at 781-934-5774.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES serves 20 towns in Plymouth County as well as Avon, Easton and Stoughton. OCES is a private, non-profit organization located in Brockton and designated as one of 27 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The organization’s mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living.

The agency has 169 employees and operates more than 15 programs serving elders, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call (508) 584-1561 or visit the website at www.oldcolonyelderservices.org.

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Not your typical Sunday Stroll. Run for Faith announces Stroller Division

Faith “Marcy” Romboldi

PLYMOUTH, MA…

People participate in road races for any number of reasons. Some need the race as a goal to get in better shape. Other runners want to top a personal best time or distance. For many runners who participate in the Run for Faith, the four-mile road race is an opportunity to bond with their child via the race’s Stroller Division.

“There are loads of road races in Plymouth but I can’t think of any that have an official Stroller Division that awards prizes for the winner,” said Matthew Romboldi, said Matthew Romboldi, Run for Faith organizer and son of Marcy “Faith” Romboldi, in whose memory the race is held. Faith lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2010.

Adds Romboldi, “My mother was all about family and she’d be thrilled at how many families, including our own, participate in the Run for Faith. That we have a stroller division that makes it possible for even more families to participate is icing on the cake.”

The winner of the Stroller Division also get an added prize. In addition to the winner’s medal, the first place finisher for the Stroller Division will receive a complimentary massage at Equinox in Kingston, Mass.

“There’s a certain empowerment that comes with pushing your child in a stroller. It gives you an added boost to dig a little deeper, which makes finishing a race and meeting your goals even more rewarding,” said Nicole Romboldi, wife of Matthew Romboldi and mother to a three-year-old son, Charlie. “Of course, you feel it that much more after the race, which is why we are so happy to reward the winner of the Stroller Division with a free massage.”

The third annual Run for Faith 4Miler, which is a gold member in the Bayside Runner Racing Series, will take place on Sunday, August 11 at 8:30 a.m. at historic Plimoth Plantation. Entry fee is $25 – which will once again go to scholarships for Plymouth high school students, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Plymouth Public Library and other Plymouth charities and non-profits (Last year’s Run for Faith resulted in two $2,500 scholarships for graduating Plymouth North and Plymouth South high school students; The Run for Faith also contributed $5,000 to Dana Farber’s Yawkey Center for Cancer Care).

The Run for Faith’s four-mile race loop includes spectacular views of Cape Cod Bay, the Eel River and scenic horse farms. The course features rolling hills and unmatched history.  Water stations are plentiful and the event is professionally timed by Spitler Racing Systems. Prizes will go to top finishers, male and female, and awards will be given to top finishers for various age groups, including a Stroller Division.

The Run for Faith is organized by Run for Faith, Inc., which is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to commemorate the special life of Faith “Marcy” Romboldi who gave so much of herself to both individuals and the community.

Interested sponsors can contact Matthew Romboldi at 508-400-0751. The Run for Faith’s current roster of sponsors includes: Baker’s Auto; Marty’s Buick GMC Isuzu; The East Bay Grille; Mayflower Food & Spirits; Stevens The Florist; RJF Homes; Cape Auto; G&G Silk Screen Embroidery; B&B Auto Body; Dunlap’s Propane; Associated Engineers; Wood’s Seafood; Kingston House of Pizza; Almeida Towing Service; Plimouth Plantation; Davis Carpentry; Dunlap’s Oil; Richard’s Wine & Spirits; Mike Tupper, Welding; and the Lobster Pound. For more information, please visit www.runforfaithplymouth.org, or email info@runforfaithplymouth.org. You can view the course online at: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/42074524.

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Ramzi W. Saad, M.D. of South Shore Skin Center Attends International Dermatology Exchange Program

Ramzi W. Saad, M.D.

Ramzi W. Saad, M.D. of South Shore Skin Center, an award-winning, progressive dermatology practice for medical, surgical and cosmetic services with offices located in Plymouth and Cohasset, recently attended the International Dermatology Exchange Program (IDEP) of The Skin Cancer Foundation in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dermatologists from the U.S. and Puerto Rico met daily for sessions in a collaborative educational environment to cover advances in skin cancer management, including diagnosis and treatment, surgical techniques, and discussion of difficult cases.

“The IDEP is a key platform that enables us to exchange skin cancer treatment ideas and information with colleagues from around the world,” noted Dr. Saad. “Incidence of skin cancer continues to rise exponentially, particularly in the Northeast.”

South Shore Skin Center – Healthy Skin For Life

South Shore Skin Center is an award-winning, progressive dermatology practice for medical, surgical and cosmetic services. Led by Richard F. Eisen, M.D. and Ramzi W. Saad, M.D., South Shore Skin Center is a unique team of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants, surgical assistants, and licensed aestheticians who are all specialists in dermatology and share a passion for excellence and a commitment to providing the highest level of care to both children and adults in the greater Boston area.

The practice is one of only two in Southeastern Massachusetts with a Skin Cancer Mohs Surgery Unit that specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery. South Shore Skin Center’s Skin Cancer Mohs Surgery Unit in Plymouth offers immediate surgical appointments and an expert surgical staff with a combined 30 years of experience.

South Shore Skin Center offers cosmetic dermatology treatments for wrinkles, age spots, acne scarring, birthmarks, hair removal, tattoo removal and more using the Fraxel re:store DUAL and Fraxel re:pair lasers, ePrime (Evolastin procedure), Candela VBeam, Gentlelase, Gentle YAG, and Alex lasers. The practice also offers a full range of affordable anti-aging services including Clear + Brilliant, Botox, Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and other wrinkle fillers; volumizers such as Radiesse and Sculptra; Thermage; microdermabrasion; medical grade facials, micropeels and chemical peels. Oncology esthetics is also offered.

South Shore Skin Center has been awarded South Shore Living’s Best of the South Shore in 2011 and 2012. They are located at One Scobee Circle, Unit 3, in Plymouth, Mass. (508) 747-0711 and at 223 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Suite 202, in Cohasset, Mass. (781) 383-3340. For more information, visit the website at www.southshoreskincenter.com.

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Single-family homes up; inventory down. What’s next in Massachusetts real estate?

Maplewood Estates in Rockland, Massachusetts is one new housing development that’s benefitted from a dwindling inventory of existing homes in the Massachusetts residential market.

ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS

A total of 4,820 single-family homes sold in May, up from 4,540 the same month a year ago. That increase marks the highest number of transactions recorded for May since 2006 when there were 4,948 sales. In fact, May is the first month since January that sales volume increased year-over-year. While this is good news on the surface, some Massachusetts real estate professionals see the glass as half-empty, particularly with a dwindling inventory of available homes.

According to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, there is a 4.7-month supply of single-family homes for sale. The National Association of Realtors states that a balanced market typically has about a six-month supply. Anything less than that tips the market in favor of sellers.

“Out of 220 units we initially had on the market, we are almost sold out with only seven condos left,” said Mike Ojjeh of The Gables Condominium in Abington, Mass.

“If we don’t have the inventory to sell, we won’t be able to continue improving,” said Kimberly Allard-Moccia, the president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and broker-owner of Century 21 Professionals in Braintree.

The dwindling inventory has created another trend: buyers exploring new construction. Rockland, Massachusetts’ Maplewood Estates, constructed by Stonebridge Homes, reports a dramatic increase in new homes built or scheduled to be built since November 2012.

“We’ve built or begun building 15 new homes at Maplewood since the end of the last year,” said Rami Itani, business manager for Stonebridge Homes, which is based in Easton, Mass.  “What’s been interesting, particularly at Maplewood Estates, has been the variety of people who have come in looking to buy: retirees, singles, young families. Our home styles do cater to all these demographics, but I think another part is the dwindling inventory of quality homes available and how quickly those go when they hit the market.”

Located off Webster Street in Rockland, Maplewood Estates offers a rural wooded setting with easy access to major highways and is situated fairly close to Rockland’s brand new middle school and renovated high school.

Maplewood Estates is set on 30 acres of natural wooded land and is zoned for 72 homes (there are presently 32 available home sites to build on). Featuring quality construction and luxurious amenities, Maplewood Estates offers 12 floor plans to meet buyers’ needs. Those include:

  • The Arlington (1720 square feet)
  • The Arlington III (2064 square feet and four bedrooms)
  • The Ashland (1844 square feet)
  • The Ashland III (2200 square feet)
  • The Beacon (1602 square feet, one level living  and two bedrooms)
  • The Berkeley (1881 square feet)
  • The Clarendon (1812 square feet with first floor master bedroom)
  • The Dartmouth (2100 square feet)
  • The Dartmouth II (2100 square feet)
  • The Exeter (2447 square feet)
  • The Fairfield (2383 square feet)
  • The Gloucester (2749 square feet)
  • The Redwood (2054 square feet with first floor master bedroom)
  • The Newbury (1695  square feet)

Prices for homes at Maplewood Estates start at $384,000and model homes are available for tours, Monday through Friday, by appointment. Maplewood Estates hosts open houses on Saturdays and Sundays, 1pm to 4pm. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Norwell is the official realtor for Maplewood Estates. You can schedule a tour or request more information by contacting Nancy Kleber at 781-659-7955 or Nancy.Kleber@NEMoves.com.

Interested parties can also get more information, including plans, by visiting www.newhomesatmaplewood.com.

About Stonebridge Homes, Inc.:

For more than 20 years, Stonebridge Homes and its team, now based in South Easton, Massachusetts, have built many residential communities throughout the northeastern United States, including Maplewood Estates (www.newhomesatmaplewood.com) in Rockland, Mass. and The Gables Condominiums (www.thegables.net) in Abington, Mass. More recently, Stonebridge Homes has been focusing on building and managing construction in towns of southeastern Massachusetts, including Abington, Easton, Raynham, Taunton, Franklin, West Bridgewater, Pembroke, Rockland, Westport , Whitman and Norwell. The styles of these communities have varied from imaginative condominiums to custom single‐family homes designed by its award‐winning in‐house architect, whose specialty is customizing dream homes for individuals, couples and families. Each development is built with the same commitment for quality and satisfaction.

For more information, please visit www.stonebridgehomesinc.com or call or call 508.230.2300.

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Sugar-free doesn’t exactly mean cavity-free

Dr. Richard Wolfert, AKA “The Toothboss”

SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MA…

For those who drink diet soda and other diet drinks, one of your primary arguments for doing so is reducing your sugar intake. While there’s been some documentation that some of the chemicals in diet sodas can play a role in weight gain, there’s mounting evidence that diet drinks with artificial sweeteners can play a role in tooth decay.

“The common perception is that if there’s no sugar in a drink then it’s better for your teeth. In theory, that’s true. A regular soda with sugar is worse for your teeth than a diet soda, but that doesn’t tell the entire story,” said Dr. Richard E. Wolfert, DMD, a South Weymouth dentist known as The Toothboss with a practice located at 1121 Main Street. “The bacteria will not use artificial sweetener to form acid the way they do with regular sugars. But that doesn’t mean a diet soda can’t harm your teeth. The diet drinks are acidic on their own without the aid of the bacteria to help form the acid. Both can demineralize a tooth, causing erosion and cavities. So, although a soda with sugar may be slightly worse at causing cavities and erosion, diet drinks are not without consequences.”

So what should diet-conscious consumers drink if sugar and sugar sweeteners are both bad? Wolfert recommends good old fashioned water from the tap doesn’t cause any erosion of your teeth over any amount of exposure. It also has no calories. And, depending on your community, even offers fluoride.

Adds Wolfert. “Of course, it’s probably not realistic to think that people can drink only water and never have a soft drink. Moderation, as it is with everything, is the key. And if you want to have a diet soda, be sure to brush or at least rinse your mouth out with water shortly after to lessen the exposure to those acids found in diet drinks.”

Beyond drinking water and careful brushing, Wolfert also recommends selecting drinks that utilize sweeteners made from natural ingredients, like Stevia.

“I’m also encouraged about products that utilize sugar alcohols that can actually protect against dental cavities, like Xylitol,” said Wolfert. “Xylitol is a natural sweetener sourced from strawberries and other fruits. It’s not in drinks yet, but you can find Xylitol in chewing gums, syrups, candies and tooth pastes. Bacteria in your mouth are not able to breakdown Xylitol when you chew gum or eat candy containing the ingredients. Therefore, no bacterial acids are produced.  In the absence of bacterial acids, the process of cavity formation is nullified before it even begins. This makes Xylitol that rare thing – a sweetener that’s actually good for your teeth.”

Dr. Wolfert’s practice is located at 1121 Main Street in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, and accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental.

For more information on The Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.

About The Toothboss

The Toothboss offers: comprehensive examinations (written treatment and treatment plan provided); cosmetics; crowns, bridges and tooth-colored restorations; partial and full dentures; periodontics (early cases treated); oral surgery; restoration of conventional and small diameter implants; and emergency services (24-hour emergency phone number available).

The Toothboss accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental. They also accept all major credit cards and have arranged payment plans through CareCredit.

To schedule an initial consultation, please call 781-335-0604. For more information, visit www.toothboss.com.

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