Thanksgiving Event A Good Time for Nearly 500 Local Elders
The elders of our community were honored Thursday, November 17 at the 36th Annual Seniors Thanksgiving Dinner.
It was a capacity crowd of almost 500 folks who danced to the tunes of Grupo Neblina, dined on a turkey lunch with all the trimmings, won a gaggle of raffle prizes, and just had an enjoyable time. The surroundings were decorated brightly and there was much visiting, laughter, and happy conversation filling the room.
The usual team of volunteers worked seamlessly – the Paramount Rotary Club and City staff plated the food and the Paramount High School Corsairs service club, with help from the local Wells Fargo branch, served. The participation of these terrific community members, year in and year out, helps make this event a great success.
Healthcare Partners of America, Caremore Health Plan, and Applecare Medical Group were on site as sponsors. In addition, multiple local businesses provided money and prizes to offset the costs. A special thank you to all who made these contributions. Your generosity is much appreciated.
$500+
L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe; Clinica Medica Hispana; Ace Clearwater Enterprises; Caremore Health Plan; Communication Workers of America Local 9400; Weber Metals; Applecare Medical Group; HealthCare Partners of America; Total Western.
Up to $300
Paramount Petroleum; Standard Catering; Tepic Sister Cities; CalMet Services; FENICO Precision Casting; Knights of Columbus. Under $200
Demaria Electric Motor Services; Los Compadres Restaurant; The Water Store; Vicky Professional Services; Walmart.
Gift Certificates
Alondra Hot Wings; Antojitos Mexicanos; Bank of California; Big Ben Car Wash; Casa Gamino Restaurant; Enrique’s Mexican Restaurant; Gus’s Deli; The Home Depot; Los Compadres Restaurant; Northgate Market; Shakey’s Pizza.
Part of the tradition of the Senior Thanksgiving Dinner is acknowledging those in the crowd who are 90 years old and above. A few of them spoke this year with the Pulse Beat.
Refugio Gomez 100, born September 8, 1916
“Everybody be happy, share what you have, be nice to people, give respect.” This was just part of the positive outlook on life that Refugio shared. “I’ve been in Paramount since 1965. Some of the neighborhoods had no sidewalks, now it looks pretty nice. I bought two homes here back then for $65,000.”
Chize Ouchi, 97, born on Dec. 28, 1918.
“Keep everybody healthy, enjoy every minute of every day, that’s what I tell my great grandchildren,” Chize said. “Been here since 1948 and really love Paramount.” In the early days, she and her husband, Edward, had a chicken ranch. “Paramount has progressed and became a really great city.”
Ralph Matsumoto 95, born on June 9, 1921.
While Thanksgiving is enjoyable for Ralph, “The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday since that’s our wedding anniversary.” He and his wife, Amy, will have lived in Paramount for 60 years in Paramount as of 2017. “We’re known as Paramount Pioneers, since that was the year the City incorporated. We could see cows right across the street when we opened our kitchen windows.”
Santiago Mata 92, born July 22, 1924 “I like everything and love everybody,” Santiago said in reference to a good, long life. “And Paramount is a beautiful town, very clean.”
Glenn Swain 92, born November 28, 1923
“Springtime in the Rockies is my favorite time of year,” Glenn said, which was also a reference to his favorite song. “I spent five years in the Army during World War II and received three Purple Hearts. This area, years ago, was all cows, dairies all over the place, lots of oranges, and there have been lots of changes over the years.”
Recipient of Senator Ricardo Lara 2015 Excellence in Business Award
The Air Quality Management District in Paramount
The following are remarks I made at the November 15 Paramount City Council meeting regarding air quality readings found by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in one industrial neighborhood in town. The readings have led to some news stories in local media and a town hall meeting in the community held by SCAQMD. The English and Spanish versions are included.
Keep in mind, if you smell a strong odor or see a lot of dust or smoke in your neighborhood, you can call 1-800-CUT SMOG (1-800-288-7664) to report your observations. Think of words that clearly describe the odor (like oily, musty, metallic, pungent, smoky, sweet, or sour). AQMD accepts these calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I want to address some things tonight about the issues going on with the AQMD and the air quality readings in town.
First I want to strongly express that this concerns and affects ALL of us.
This is not us versus them. We all live here, many of us for many, many years. The health, safety and well-being of everyone in town is our top priority.
It is extremely important that we all understand the information we are receiving from the AQMD.
We need to learn things as soon as the AQMD learns them and it needs to be presented in a way that everyone can understand.
Along those lines, I want everyone to know that we are looking to form some kind of committee that will bring everyone together.
We want everyone reading from the same page in order to follow what AQMD is doing, and to get all the correct information out to our residents.
You know, Paramount was not a planned community like Lakewood or Cerritos. As things started changing from agriculture and dairies many decades ago, a lot of industry came in.
A lot of this happened before we were a city. The county pretty much had an open door policy for development.
This is why we have industry next to homes. It’s like this in a lot of Southeast LA County. We deal with these challenges every day.
It’s important to know what a city can and can’t do by law.
We don’t write air quality or soil pollution laws.
We are not the enforcement agency for these laws. We are unable to issue permits or levy fines.
The AQMD and state agencies do all of those things, and we have trusted them to protect us.
In the same way you trust the FDA when buying your groceries or the County Health Dept. when eating at restaurants.
Maybe we put too much trust in them because they don’t seem to be very good at communicating with the cities they’re supposed to be protecting.
Here’s one thing we will be doing. We are working with our City Attorney’s office to see if we can temporarily halt any new metal companies from opening in the City until the AQMD can get things under control.
Now let me share with you the latest activity in town.
The AQMD has had air-quality monitors in some of our industrial areas for a few years.
Recently they asked about putting more in and we helped get them up as fast as possible. Normally this would require permits, but we waived them.
We helped them get permission from Southern California Edison to install the monitors on utility poles. And believe me, Edison is not always easy to work with.
We also offered to put the monitors on City-owned stop signs and street signs.
One of the monitors found the elevated levels of hexavalent chromium. According to the AQMD, one source has been located and they are looking for additional sources
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
– George Bernard Shaw
in this part of town.
Unfortunately, before the AQMD let us know about any of this, they sent out a press release.
And at the town hall meeting last week, their staff gave an extremely technical presentation that, at least for me, was hard to understand.
I don’t think most of the questions that residents asked got very good answers, either.
Also, here’s what they didn’t say at the meeting but what an AQMD official told the Press Telegram newspaper.
Hexavalent chromium is not easily carried by the wind and the sample they found did not pose any immediate danger to residents.
The AQMD found one resident living in the area where the levels were present.
I point these things out not to deny any real threats, but that AQMD needs to be clear and forthright in their communications with us, and not frighten our residents.
They’re saying the area of the readings is around Jefferson, Texaco, Illinois and Monroe streets.
They don’t know who is causing it yet, and their investigation is ongoing. And we are going to put pressure on them to get it figured out quickly.
I want to also say something about the State taking soil samples in town. Some people have been saying the City wouldn’t allow the samples to be taken. This is not true.
They did take samples in 2014 from a number of parkways and tree wells around town including a parkway across from Village Skate Park. The sample from this parkway came back at safe levels
Then the State wanted to take samples from the park itself. Our City Attorney wrote them a letter saying we would like to cooperate but we’d first like to see a plan.
We never heard back. We figured if this was of immediate concern they would have had the decency to get back to us.
I’m telling you all of this to stress that we’re concerned and will work with anybody to find answers but we need to be communicating in an honest, open way.
To get there, this is what we’re doing. To completely understand and stay on top of the monitoring results, we proactively hired a consultant who specializes in these things. We did this months ago.
As I mentioned, we’re looking at a temporary halt to new metal companies in town.
We’ve already put our business license data and City Code Enforcement officers at the disposal of AQMD.
We’re trying to get AQMD to share more information with us and with you.
This would include frequent briefings and holding more public meetings. And asking them to make the information more understandable.
We have written to the Board of Directors of AQMD asking them to please get their staff members to work with us better.
We want them to collect more data and facts and make sure it’s all tested properly.
And we’re going to form the committee I mentioned, and very soon.
Let me close with this. We’re glad that AQMD is in town.
We support everything they’re doing and we will continue to provide all the help we can.
We’re committed to getting every bit of information out to the community, as well as finding the source of these levels.
And we agree that it needs to move fast and cover as wide an area as necessary.
This is personal for us. Everyone on this dais has lived here for most of their lives.
We’ve raised our families here, sent our children and grandchildren to school in Paramount.
And we’re committed to making things
better in this regard.
Thank you for listening.
El Distrito de Administración de la Calidad del Aire en Paramount
Quiero discutir algunos detalles sobre lo que está sucediendo con AQMD y las lecturas de calidad del aire en la ciudad. Pero primero quiero expresar firmemente que esto nos concierne y afecta a todos.
Este no es un asunto de nosotros contra ellos. Todos vivimos aquí, muchos de nosotros hemos vivido en Paramount por muchísimos años. La salud, la seguridad y el bienestar de todos en la ciudad es nuestra máxima prioridad.
Es extremadamente importante que todos entendamos la información que estamos recibiendo de AQMD.
Necesitamos ser informados de todo detalle, en cuanto AQMD obtenga nueva información, y esta debe ser presentada de una manera en la que todos puedan entenderla.
Es por esto que quiero que todos sepan que estamos buscando la manera de formar algún tipo de comité que se encargue de unificar a todas las partes interesadas.
Queremos que todos estemos en la misma página para poder seguir de cerca lo que hace AQMD y para que todo detalle sea correctamente comunicado a nuestros residents.
Hay que tomar en cuenta que Paramount no fue una comunidad propiamente planeada como lo fueron Lakewood o Cerritos. Décadas atrás, cuando los tiempos empezaron a cambiar la agricultura y granjas lecheras fueron substituidas por una gran cantidad de la industria.
Mucho de esto pasó antes de que fuéramos considerados como ciudad. El Condado prácticamente aceptaba toda industria que significara desarrollo. Es por esto que las plantas industriales están junto a las casas. Este es el caso de muchos lugares en el Sureste del Condado de Los Angeles. Estos son nuestros desafíos diarios.
Es importante saber lo que una ciudad puede y no puede hacer bajo la ley. No formulamos leyes de calidad del aire o de contaminación del suelo.
No somos la agencia reguladora del cumplimiento de estas leyes. No podemos emitir permisos ni cobrar multas.
AQMD y agencias del Gobierno del Estado son los encargados de hacer todo esto, y hemos confiado en ellas para que nos protejan.
De la misma manera en la que confiamos en el FDA cuando compramos provisiones o en el Departamento de Salud del Condado cuando comemos en restaurantes. Tal vez confiamos demasiado en esas agencias porque no parecen ser muy buenos comunicándose con las ciudades que se supone están protegiendo.
Esta es una de las cosas que estaremos haciendo. Estamos trabajando con la oficina del abogado de la ciudad sobre la posibilidad de detener temporalmente la apertura de nuevas empresas de metales en la ciudad hasta que AQMD pueda controlar esta situación.
Ahora permítanme compartir con ustedes lo ultimo ocurrido en nuestra ciudad. Por varios años, AQMD ha tenido monitores de calidad del aire en algunas de nuestras áreas industriales.
Recientemente, nos pidieron que les permitiéramos poner más y les ayudamos a instalarlos lo más pronto posible. Normalmente esto requeriría permisos, Pero dispensamos en tramite.
Les ayudamos a obtener el permiso de Southern California Edison para instalar los monitores en postes de servicio público. Y créanme, no siempre es fácil trabajar con Edison.
Mayor, Daryl Hofmeyer
Talking or Texting on Cell Phones While Driving – Not Worth
There are plenty of facts, figures, and details about distracted driving, but the California Office of Traffic Safety wants you to know the plain and simple ones:
Part of the enjoyment of the holiday season is the chance to gather with friends and family for parties. Sometimes, however, gatherings such as these can get a little out of hand and bother our neighbors.
• 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention.
Paramount has a “loud party” patrol that responds to resident complaints about such nuisances.
• Up to 6,000 people nationwide are killed in crashes where driver distractions are involved.
problem with those who are causing it.
• If something falls to the floor, pull over before trying to reach it.
If you’re planning a party, be sure to take your neighbors into consideration and refrain from playing loud music and making other intrusive noises into the early morning hours.
Project LEAD Sending Positive Message to Paramount Fifth Graders
• Talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.
• Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph. Most crashes happen with less than three seconds reaction time.
If a call for disturbing the peace comes into the Sheriff’s Station, there will be a visit to the location and a first-warning notice will be issued. If a return visit is made, the responsible party (property owner, tenant, etc.) will be liable for fines. For instance, a second visit within 30 days will produce a fine of $250. The third, fourth, and fifth visits within 30 days of the first call will entail fines of $500, $750 and $1,000, respectively. In addition, the cost of extra resources involved (multiple deputies, helicopter, and so on) can be passed on.
If such disturbances come from the same location over an extended period of time, deputies will focus on solving the
• The act of talking on a cell phone, even hands free, can give you “inattention blindness,” where your brain isn’t seeing what’s right in front of you. You aren’t even aware that you are driving impaired. If you think you can handle both driving and talking on a cell phone or texting, you are kidding yourself and putting us all at risk.
Mayor’s Corner
Continued From Page 3
Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road or your hands off the steering wheel – especially texting and cell phone use, whether hands-free or handheld. Who’s doing it? Most of us. It has been estimated that, at any one time, more than 10 percent of drivers are using a mobile device.
También ofrecimos poner los monitores en los letreros de calles y los altos, propiedad de la Ciudad.
A ticket for $159 for texting or talking on a cell phone is a major distraction to your wallet.
What can you do? Most important, obey the law. It’s there for a reason. Also, do your best to eliminate distractions:
• Never text and drive.
Uno de los monitores encontró niveles elevados de Cromo Hexavalente. Según AQMD, ya se encontró una fuente productora de dichos niveles y están buscando fuentes adicionales en esta parte de la Ciudad.
• Turn off your phone when you get behind the wheel.
• Don’t text or call someone when you know they are likely to be driving.
Desafortunadamente, antes de informarnos, AQMD envió un comunicado de prensa.
• Make a pact with your family, spouse, and caregivers never to use the phone with kids in the car.
• No eating or drinking while driving.
Y en la junta abierta del ayuntamiento la semana pasada, el personal de AQMD dio una presentación extremadamente técnica. Al menos para mí, fue difícil de entender.
• Don’t program your GPS, MP3 player, or other devices while driving.
• Pull over and stop to read maps.
No creo que la mayoría de las preguntas hechas por los residentes, obtuvieron muy buenas respuestas.
• No grooming.
• No reading.
• No watching videos.
• Try not to get too involved with passengers.
También, hubo algo que no mencionaron en la junta, pero que un funcionario de AQMD dijo al periódico Press Telegram. El Cromo Hexavalente no es fácilmente transportado por el viento y la muestra que encontraron no representa ningún peligro inmediato para los residentes.
AQMD encontró un residente que vivía en el área donde los niveles estaban presentes.
Señalo todo esto, no para negar amenazas reales, sino porque AQMD debe de ser clara y directa en sus comunicaciones con nosotros, y no alarmar a nuestros residentes.
Keep in mind, also, that deputies do not divulge the identity of any residents making complaints, so you can call in anonymously.
For more information, call the Paramount Sheriff’s Station at (562) 220-2002.
Vacation Home Checks
Paramount has its own dedicated District Attorney – Kelly Tatman – who works out of the Sheriff’s Station. Her duties include making sure that criminal investigations and prosecutions in town receive full attention and don’t fall through the cracks at the larger County D.A.’s Office.
Tatman has been visiting a class of 36 students at Jefferson School as part of Project LEAD. The program, which goes into the classroom once a week for 20 weeks during the school year, uses volunteers like Tatman from the D.A.’s Office to teach fifth-graders about the law and help them recognize the social and legal consequences of criminal behavior.
Here’s a reminder that if you are a Paramount resident and have plans to be out of town during any part of the holidays, you can contact the Sheriff’s Station for a vacation home check. The City’s Public Safety Officers will periodically take a look around your home or property while you’re gone. (This free service is available throughout the year, not just during the holidays.)
Call (562) 220-2002 for more information.
Sadly, too many young people first become acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.
primero tendríamos que ver un plan.
Nunca nos respondieron. Pensamos que si esto requería atención inmediata ellos hubieran tenido la decencia de responder.
Les digo todo esto para enfatizar que estamos preocupados y trabajaremos con cualquier entidad para encontrar respuestas, pero necesitamos comunicarnos de una manera honesta y abierta.
The class from Jefferson recently went on a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance. (They will also go to a local courthouse). In addition, Project LEAD’s curriculum includes speakers connected to the criminal justice system and a mock trial involving either drug selling or gun possession on campus. Students are assigned roles and argue a criminal case to a jury consisting of other students. Teachers and parents attend, too.
Para llegar a este punto, esto es lo que estamos haciendo.
At the end of the program, the kids will participate in a graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion from the D.A.’s Office at a meeting of the Paramount Public Safety Commission.
Con el fin de entender completamente y mantenernos al tanto de los resultados de monitoreo, contratamos a un consejero especializado en estas cosas. Lo hicimos hace meses.
Summer Vacation Home Checks
Como mencioné, estamos viendo la posibilidad de detener temporalmente la aperture de nuevas empresas de metales en la ciudad.
With summertime approaching, remember that if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time, you can schedule a home check.
Hemos proporcionado a AQMD los datos de nuestra licencia comercial y puesto a su disposición oficiales encargados de la aplicación del código de la Ciudad.
Paramount residents can contact the Sheriff’s Station about having Volunteers on Patrol keep an eye on your home or property while you’re gone.
Call (562) 220-2002 to ask about vacation checks.
Estamos intentando que AQMD comparta más información con nosotros y con ustedes.
Esto incluiría frecuentes juntas informativas y más reuniones públicas. Y pidiéndoles que comuniquen esta información de una más comprensible.
Simple Strategies for Better Event Marketing
Hemos escrito a la Junta Directiva de AQMD pidiéndoles que pidan a sus empleados que colaboren con nosotros de una major manera.
Friday, May 16, 2014 - 10am to 12pm
Attend this presentation and learn how to use the power of event marketing to get potential and existing customers to take four key actions:
Dicen que el area de las lecturas es alrededor de las calles Jefferson, Texaco, Illinois, y Monroe. Aún no saben quién lo está causando, y su investigación sigue en marcha. Y vamos a presionarlos para que lo resuelvan rápidamente.
Queremos que recolecten más cifras y datos y que se aseguren de que todo sea propiamente examinado.
• Sign up • Speak up • Show up • Follow up Good marketing is about eliciting a physical and measurable response. In this practical and engaging seminar, you will learn how to find, convert, and keep new and existing customers through effective event marketing. You will also learn best practices related to the who, when, where, and what that makes an event a memorable experience. Learn how events can engage customers. Take your events to the next level using e-mail, social, traditional, and internet marketing tools. Fee: $20
Quiero también decir algo sobre el Gobierno del Estado y la toma de muestras de suelo en la Ciudad. Algunas personas han estado diciendo que la Ciudad no permitió que las muestras fueran tomadas. Esto no es verdad.
Y vamos a formar el comité que mencioné, y muy pronto.
Permítanme cerrar con esto. Nos da gusto que AQMD esté en la ciudad.
Apoyamos todo lo que están haciendo y seguiremos brindando toda la ayuda que podamos.
(Make checks payable to LBCC SBDC)
For Reservations: 562-938-5051 SBDC Or jgrass@lbcc.edu
La muestras fueron tomadas en el 2014 en varias jardineras y de la base de árboles por toda de la ciudad, incluyendo una de las jardineras frente a Village Skate Park. Las muestras recogidas en esta avenida arrojaron niveles seguros
Estamos comprometidos a compartir toda la información a la comunidad, así como a encontrar la fuente de estos niveles.
Y estamos de acuerdo en que esto se debe mover rápido y cubrir un área tan amplia como sea necesario.
Para nosotros, esto es personal.
Workshops will be held at: Paramount Chamber of Commerce
Todos en este estrado hemos vivido aquí durante la mayor parte de nuestras vidas.
15357 Paramount Blvd, Paramount, CA 90723
Despues, el Estado quiso tomar muestras en el parque. El Abogado de nuestra Ciudad les envió un comunicado diciendo que nos gustaría cooperar, pero
*Free Business Counseling Also Available
Hemos criado a nuestras familias aquí, enviamos a nuestros hijos y nietos a la escuela en Paramount.
*$25.00 refundable deposit required Call the Chamber for more information
Y estamos comprometidos a mejorar las cosas en cuanto a esto se refiere.
Gracias por su atención.
Pizza Hut Ribbon Cutting
Elected officials join Pizza Hut for the grand opening of their new restaurant found at 8509 Alondra Blvd., Paramount.
Pizza Hut front counter.
Mr. Pizza gets a hug.
Community Colleges Can Take You Far
Community colleges can be found in most regions of the United States, with more than 1,200 nationwide. Many community college students have learned valuable job skills and earned credit later applied to bachelor’s programs. Community colleges are affordable and people from all educational backgrounds can attend them. The following are some of the reasons people opt to attend community colleges.
Transfer to Four-Year Colleges and Universities
Students frequently complete college credits at community colleges to transfer to bachelor’s programs at universities or colleges. Studies have shown that students who study at community colleges and later transfer to four-year institutions perform at the same level academically as students entering four-year educational institutions directly from high school.
Four-year institutions and community colleges often collaborate together to better assist students transferring from community colleges to traditional colleges and universities.
Cutting-Edge Technology
Community colleges heavily utilize technology in classroom instruction. Students can usually easily access computer labs and other learning technology. These institutions also offer training programs for students interested in working in computer technology, robotics, telecommunications, graphic design, and numerous other high-tech industries. This is very advantageous since most jobs of the future will be in high-tech industries.
Lower Cost
Community colleges are very affordable, making college education accessible for people from all economic backgrounds. They also offer financial aid assistance for qualifying students. They are student-friendly institutions and many professors have real-world experience in their areas of expertise.
Small Classes
Small class sizes are another feature making community colleges student friendly. This is very advantageous for students desiring to work closely with professors. It’s not unusual for students at larger colleges and universities to enroll in classes with hundreds of other students.
Variety of Courses and Majors
Numerous majors and programs are available. Students can obtain vocational training or complete general education requirements before transferring to a four-year institution. Many people who’ve started college but not finished enroll in community colleges.
Community colleges are a great place for people interested in high-tech careers to attend. The courses offered are very rigorous to properly prepare students for high-tech jobs.
Flexible Schedules
Courses are often offered at convenient times to accommodate working adults. Community colleges frequently offer online and other distance-learning programs.
Commitment to Diversity
Part of the allure of the college experience is having the opportunity to interact with different people, enjoy unique cultural experiences, and learn about interesting and unfamiliar concepts. Those enrolled at community colleges will meet many different types of people and have the opportunity to participate in groups and clubs sponsored by various student organizations. Students can participate in intramural sports, student government, the college newspaper, and various other activities.
Support Services
Community colleges provide various student support services to ensure students succeed – career planning, tutoring, and counseling services. These educational institutions also offer remedial courses for students that need to improve writing, math, and other skills necessary to succeed in college.
(from www.educationcorner.com.)
Winner of the Embassy Suites multi-chamber mixer Halloween costume contest.
Paramount Chamber Ambassador Luis Baez (Funeraria Palacios), with the costume contest winner for the Embassy Suites multi-chamber mixer.
Embassy Suites multi-chamber mixer.
Paramount Chamber Ambassador Margaret Garcia (PUSD Teacher) at Embassy Suites mixer.
A Dream is Fulfilled, and Paramount Gets the Delicious Results
Dreams and family. Good food and great service. All of these can be found in one Paramount restaurant, Casa Adelita.
Jesus Perez had a vision of the future at the age of eight. “Since I was little, I had a dream to have my own business,” he recalled, though, at the time, he wasn’t sure what form it might take.
He came to the U.S. and went to work for a restaurant company, and his direction came into focus. Over the next few years, Perez moved to a coffee shop as a cook then a Mexican restaurant as manager. He learned the business inside and out. Then it was time to act.
January 6 in Mexican culture is Dia de Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day), a Christmas tradition marked by spectacular parades celebrating the arrival of the Kings. On that same day in 1996, Jesus Perez saw his own day of celebration, his personal dream come true, when the first Casa Adelita opened its doors in Hawaiian Gardens.
Twenty years later, the familyowned chain has four successful locations.
Not too long after the first opening, opportunities arose in Norwalk (where he partnered with a brother) and La Habra (teaming up with another brother).
Then, in 2004, a former Burger
King on Alondra Blvd. became available. “It was going to be a much bigger place for us, and we made a lot of changes to the building,” Perez said. The Paramount and Hawaiian Gardens locations are co-owned with his wife.
Recently, the local restaurant was remodeled again. A wall was extended to add more dining space and stonework from Jalisco, Mexico, where Perez was born, was applied to the exterior. “We’re very happy with how it turned out,” he related. “We also took out booths and now have all tables, which gives us great flexibility for bigger parties.”
The restaurant seats 110. The menu features traditional Mexican fare such as tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, mole poblano, parrilldas, and more. There is a special focus on a variety of “Seven Seas” seafood dishes and soups. Fresh fruit juices are also a big draw.
Casa Adelita is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week and offers catering and a banquet room. The restaurant has live family entertainment – karaoke and mariachi – on weekend evenings. There is also a playground that produces a large family clientele. “We hear from a lot of families that they like us because the playground is fun and the food is great.”
Family is important overall at Casa Adelita. “The restaurant business is
hard work, a lot of hours, early morning to midnight, seven days a week,” Perez said. “But my wife helps me, my children have worked here, even when they’ve been in college. We’re all working but we’re all together.
“We love being in Paramount, and we’ve made a lot of friends,” he continued. “At our recent Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting for the re-
design, I expected a small crowd but the place was filled.
“I’m happy to have my own business, and to be in Paramount. When you work hard and cooperate with others, you will eventually achieve your dream.”
Casa Adelita is located at 8063 Alondra Blvd. in Paramount, (562) 408-2360.
Friends, family, and elected officials join Casa Adelita owners Jesus and Maria Perez for their grand re-opening.
Casa Adelita Owners Jesus and Maria Perez receive a certificate of recogntion from the office of US Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, presented by Genesis Coronado.
Paramount Chamber President Gary Johnson presents a certificate of congratulations to Casa Adelita Owners Jesus and Maria Perez.
A place for great food and good music Casa Adelita restaurant.
Vice Mayor Peggy Lemons presents a certificate of congratulations from the City of Paramount to Casa Adelita Owners Jesus and Maria Perez.
Casa Adelita Owners Jesus and Maria Perez receive a plaque from the office of Senator Ricardo Lara, presented by Tonya Martin.
THE CRE PROCESS
Matt Wagner GM properties (562) 696-0200
Beginning the search for a new home for your business can be a daunting task and from my vantage point, but doing your due diligence can make the process less scary to the average business owner. Negotiating on a new building lease or purchase, going through the closing processes and coordinating every aspect of your business operations all can be made more or less intense with additional outside influences directing the decisions.
There are many outside factors that can influence a business owners decision to move as well as helping push the timing of said move. Govt involvement and/or lender details can directly affect these decisions. Add these to the demands of either the seller/lender or the new Landlord and things can get complicated very quickly. Business owners constantly are trying to find ways to increase their profit and most of the time, this profit is directly tied to the internal decisions that each business owner makes. Bank lending details, city ordinances, Landlord demands, govt interference can all directly affect a business and the profits that incur.
Please allow me to make some suggestions that may be beneficial to your business and the profits that you generate.
Early Bird gets the worm. Starting the process early can help minimize the challenges that you will incur while going through the process of deciding your next business home move. Using data that your Commercial Real Estate Broker can/will provide will help you understand the current market conditions in your immediate area. This is one of the most important factors to making
sound decisions in Commercial Real Estate. Commercial Lenders can also provide the details to which you will need to make your informed decisions. Transparency. Something we all strive for from our govt. LOL. Sorry, I will get back on track. If you’re a tenant, you should sit down with your building owner and let him know that you are considering relocating upon your lease expiration. Especially in our current market, you also want to factor in staying in his building as an alternative, as the current market is very thin to say the least. If you own your own building, you need to decide if you will keep and lease it to an occupant or if you will sell the building as a part of your relocation. If at all possible, I recommend keeping the building and continuing to build your personal wealth.
Due Diligence. Understanding your landlord’s motivation can save you much agony. Does he want to occupy the building? Have certain rights been given to other tenants that could affect your occupancy? Again, sitting down with your landlord and going through all your questions and getting everyone’s intent out in the open will help the process. Most landlords will not like to give options to tenants as it simply relinquishes power from the landlords’ perspective. However, getting options negotiated into your lease will allow you better alternatives and open some doors to other options when the time comes to making your decisions. Options are like commitments without having to actually commit. If you can get them, do it, they benefit you in the long run.
Good Luck, if you feel overwhelmed, please contact a local broker you trust and start the process of having them help you through the process. Happy Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?
The following businesses renewed their membership in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce last month, they are celebrating another year as members. Chamber and Business Resource Center services are made possible by their support.
Lifegate Church Celebrates 70th Anniversary
Lifegate Church recently celebrated their 70th Anniversary, the event was attended by parishioners, community members, and government officials. Certificates of congratulations were presented by; the City of Paramount, Paramount Chamber of Commerce, Office of Supervisor Don Knabe, Office of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Office of Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, and the Office of Senator Ricardo Lara. Attending the celebration were; Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer, Vice Mayor Peggy Lemons, and Paramount City Councilmembers Diane Martinez, and
Daniels, and Tom
Glenn Burris, President of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel delivered a sermon and commended Lifegate for their service to the community. Lifegate moved to its current location at 13376 Downey Ave., 60 years ago . Since that time the church has grown and been remodeled to meet the congregations needs. “We are here to serve the entire community and reach out to those in need,” said Pastor Jameson.
Gene
Hansen. Dr. Max Martinez and Brenda Olmos represented the Paramount Chamber Board of Directors.
From left; Pastor Deborah Jameson, Glenn Burris, President of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, and Pastor Larry Jameson
From left; Pastors Larry and Deborah Jameson, Dr. Max Martinez (Paramount Chamber Treasurer), Brenda Olmos (Paramount Chamber Vice President), and Peggy Lemons (Vice Mayor).
10 Leading Points for Sales Success
In lean start-ups the founding entrepreneurs often function as the company’s salesperson. This can be challenging for those that are uncomfortable in a selling environment. Rest assured, it does not need to be so daunting. Success in sales is no different than any pursuit. There is a systematic method that can be followed to achieve the desired outcome. Those activities once defined, can be monitored, measured and improved upon to increase performance.
Sales processes can be broken into three components: lead generation, lead management and prospect conversion. The following is a series of questions concerning each of the three processes. Review the questions and customize a list to your organiza-
tion. Ask each person involved in the selling process to submit their answers. Then have a team building meeting where tribal knowledge can be shared, to the benefit of all involved. The more consistent and streamlined the sales process—the greater potential for overall company success.
Lead Generation:
1. How are you generating leads?
2. Where are you getting customers?
3. What percentage of leads convert to prospects?
4. Are you asking for referrals?
Lead generation is the first step and a crucial aspect of the process. The ability to convert prospects to customers is based on the quality of the lead. Lead generation can take on many forms: cold calls, referrals, mailings,
online forms and tradeshows. As a company, you have to determine your best source of quality leads.
If you already have customers, trace the sales pathway backwards to determine how they first learned about your company. Many times the most useful information can be gained by analyzing historical data. Maybe you believe many of your clients were obtained through networking, however upon further examination, you might learn that the majority of your clients came from speaking engagements or exhibition events. If that is the case for you, then focus your sales efforts toward obtaining speaking engagements rather than attending networking functions.
When you audit your sales pathway, you will learn where
many of your customers come from, then reposition your investments to fit the appropriate channels. Once you know your channels, the result will likely be that your customer acquisition cost will decrease significantly with savings going directly to the bottom line.
Referrals are one of your company’s greatest assets. Does your company have a process in place to ask for referrals? You may be missing out on additional sales opportunities by not asking customers and partners for a referral.
Measuring the percentage of leads that convert to prospects is as important as measuring the amount of prospects that become customers. This early stage measurement examines the effectiveness of your lead generation
process. Starting with a qualified lead provides a better chance for conversion.
Lead Management:
5. What is your process for organizing leads?
6. How fast are you following up on leads?
7. How do you manage the follow-up process?
Independent of the method you use to generate leads, you must have a detailed plan for follow up. Studies have shown that companies take on average 48 hours to respond to an Internet generated lead. Smaller companies do not have the luxury of a dedicated sales force and owners can easily get distracted by daily emergencies.
Anything can be achieved if an intelligent plan is in place. Try to set aside a specific time each day/week for lead follow-up. Prospects will be more patient if they receive some type of response. At the least, have a computer generated message stating an expected response time.
Lead Conversion:
8. What criteria do you use to qualify prospects?
9. At what point in the sales cycle do you determine if the prospect is qualified?
Have Safe and Happy Holidays
10. What percentage of qualified prospects convert to clients? Wasting time on a prospect that has no intention of purchasing is missed opportunity for the one that does. Knowing when to cut ties and move on is a learned sales skill. Those that succeed have an internal gauge that says, it’s time to move on.
“Now or in the immediate future, the prospect must be able and willing to purchase your product/ service at the price point you are selling”.
Are you properly investing your time with qualified prospects? What specific buying criteria must exist for a prospect to convert to a customer? It is advantageous to write down the top five. Are they able to afford your product? Are they willing to purchase now? This list can be viewed repeatedly when going through the prospecting process.
By calculating your conversion rate from prospect to customer you have a method to audit your processes. Peter Drucker once famously said, “If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” This same principle for management can be applied to your sales strategy.
If you adopt the methodology that selling is a company-wide responsibility you will have a selling machine that will constantly be producing new customers. This does not happen mysteriously; it happens as the result of planning and implementing processes. Invest some time developing a sales strategy, it will be time well spent.
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