Pulse Beat June 2016 by City of Paramount

Paramount pulse Beat pulse Beat

June

2016

Downtown’s Rejuvenation Well Underway

As you are probably well aware, the aesthetic transformation of Downtown Paramount is in full swing.

Pardon our dust and excuse the narrowing of the boulevard to a single lane on both the northbound and southbound sides. This is only temporary during the construction phase.

The City’s dramatic rebuilding of our main business district running between Jackson St. and Alondra Blvd. is creating a fresh identity for Downtown Paramount. A “Boulevard of Gardens” using drought-tolerant plants will be grown along the

thoroughfare (planting began at the start of June).

As you can tell while driving along Paramount Blvd, the sidewalks are being wid

ened and the formerly mounded planting areas are being flattened for the new landscaping design. Fresh signage will unify the downtown thematically and new banners will decorate the light poles.

Everything should be finished by Labor Day, which will be here quicker than it seems. Then the new downtown Paramount, in all its lush, pedestrian-friendly beautification, will be a reality.

Recipient of Senator Ricardo Lara 2015 Excellence in Business Award

Mobile City Council

Come out and visit with your elected representatives as part of our series of “Mobile City Council” events that we will be holding throughout town on a quarterly basis. These will be in addition to the regularly scheduled Council meetings.

The Council will tour specific neighborhoods before holding a meet-andgreet with community members. The first of these will be at Meadows Park, 15753 Gundry Ave., on Tuesday, June 21, from 4:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Say hello, ask questions, share your thoughts and ideas. Hope to see you there.

Painted Curb Addresses

Canning Hunger is a non-profit organization that has received a permit from the City to approach singlefamily homes in Paramount about repainting curb address numbers. Canning Hunger employees will wear an orange shirt, carry ID, and have a copy of the City permit.

They are allowed to ask for voluntary donations, which the group then uses to

provide free meals for the needy, as well as housing and job training for folks in transitional living facilities.

If you have questions or need to report a problem, call 1-800-354-FOOD (3663).

New Weekend Reservations for Park Picnic Shelters

The City currently has picnic shelters at Paramount, Meadows and Garfield parks. All have been available for use on a first-come, first-served basis to any park user. This sometimes posed issues for residents regarding access and use.

Over the years, there have been complaints regarding arguments over shelters, multiple shelters being taken by a single group, and non-residents using the shelters at the exclusion of residents.

As a result, a new program has been adopted to let residents reserve the shelters for personal events on weekends, good all day until the park closes. (The new program does not apply to picnic tables.)

Only Paramount residents and Paramount Unified School District families can reserve a park picnic shelter. A reservation request must be filled out one week in advance of the event, subject to availability, at the Recreation Office (15300 Downey Ave.) or the Paramount Community Center (14400 Paramount Blvd.). Proof of Paramount residency is needed (a valid California Driver License or current utility bill) or PUSD attendance.

Two adjacent shelters can be reserved with usage limited to picnics and family celebrations. There is a $10 reservation fee for residents along with a $50 deposit fee. The deposit fee

will be returned following inspection of the picnic shelter to ensure it was not damaged or left with debris.

If any picnic shelters in the park are not reserved, they will continue to be available on a first-come, first-served basis to any park user.

For more information, please call (562) 220-2121.

Senior Center Volunteer Recognized for Volunteering

Each year, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe honors senior residents in the communities of his district during Older Americans Recognition Day. This year, Rosalie Villaruel of Paramount was acknowledged, and we offer our congratulations.

Rosalia is a native of Mexico who came to the United States and settled in Paramount 30 years ago where she earned her GED and became involved with the community.

With education as her passion, she began volunteering in 1993 at Wirtz Elementary School, Paramount High School, and Paramount High School West to help in her children’s classrooms. From there she became part of a number of organizations dedicated to educational issues, including the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE).

In 2009, Rosalia started attending the City’s Senior Nutrition Program, and quickly ended up as a volunteer. She has been a greeter, tray server, party assistant, and excursion supervisor. When asked why she volunteers, she said, “I enjoy giving back to others what God has given me. It is a pleasure to help and put a smile on people’s faces.”

Rosalia enjoys coming to the Paramount Senior Center so much that she volunteers two-to-three days a week (when she’s not watching her granddaughter). We thank her for providing our community with wonderful service.

Low-Cost Pet Vaccinations

The City is providing its annual low-cost vaccinations for all dogs and cats in the community at two special “Vaccine-A-Thons” this summer. The first will be Wednesday, June 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; the second will be held Wednesday, July 20, also from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. They will take place at Paramount Park, 14410 Paramount Blvd.

Rabies vaccinations (required for all dogs under California law) will be priced at $5 each (plus a $2 medical waste disposal fee). This is a $10-$15 savings over traditional prices. A complete selection of other pet vaccinations will be available at discounted prices, with special combination “packs” to allow pet owners even greater savings when they purchase multiple vaccinations. You can also get general health exams and services for discounted prices. (A list of these services and their costs can be found online at www.vetcarepetclinic.com or on flyers available at City Hall.)

Flea control products Comfortis and Trifexis may be purchased at special prices. You can also have a microchip registration done for identification purposes (if your pet is ever lost) for $30 and nail trimming for $15.

Pet licensing is available on site, and free educational materials and general health care tips for dogs and cats will be distributed. Checks and cash only will be accepted for licensing. Checks, cash, and credit cards will be accepted for the veterinarian services.

Please remember – dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers. All services are provided by licensed veterinarians from Vet Care Vaccination Services, Inc. in conjunction with South East Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA). For more information, please call (562) 220-2018.

Mayor, Daryl Hofmeyer

details about distracted driving, but the Cali fornia Ofﬁce of Trafﬁc Safety wants you to know the plain and simple ones:

• 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention.

• Up to 6,000 people nationwide are killed in crashes where driver distractions are involved.

• 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.

• The act of talking on a cell phone, even hands free, can give you “inattention blind ness,” 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.

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.

• If something falls to the ﬂoor, pull over

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

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

From left, Deputy Ginger Matson, Lt. David Auner, and Deputy Adriana Rojas. Paramount Deputies Adriana Rojas and Ginger Matson recently were recognized by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with Life Saving Awards for actions they took in August, 2015. Responding to a rescue call at a Paramount address within one minute, the two found a newborn infant that was unresponsive and not breathing.

A ticket for $159 for texting or talking on a cell phone is a major distraction to your wallet.

Deputy Rojas immediately cleared the baby’s airway and, with the assistance of

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.

Clean and Safe on the Fourth of July

come acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.

Deputy Matson, stimulated him by rubbing his chest until breathing began. Paramedics arrived to take over administering first aid to the infant, who was transported to the hospital and recovered completely.

The quick emergency medical actions of Deputy Rojas and Deputy Matson were instrumental in saving the infant’s life, and were richly deserving of the Department’s special award.

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.

• 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.

There are eight service clubs and churches operating stands that sell legal fireworks this year in Paramount. As always, illegal fireworks are banned within the City. (The regulations are laid out below.)

• 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.

• Don’t program your GPS, MP3 player, or other devices while driving.

• Pull over and stop to read maps.

• No grooming.

Last year, Sheriff’s deputies issued dozens of citations totaling tens of thousands of dollars in fines to persons caught lighting illegal fireworks. The collected money helps pay for providing law enforcement services leading up to, and including, the July 4th holiday.

• No reading.

• No watching videos.

Here is a reminder of what’s legal and illegal in Paramount when it comes to those fireworks…

• Try not to get too involved with passengers.

Fireworks Alert

The City of Paramount would like to remind you that we have a “zero tolerance” illegal-fireworks ordinance with the following restrictions:

• Only Safe and Sane fireworks can be set off anywhere in the City on July 3rd and July 4th only. Setting them off on any other date can result in a $250 fine.

streets of Paramount aren’t left a mess. For more information please call (562) 220-2002.

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.

Alerta Fuegos Artificiales

Summer Vacation Home Checks

With summertime approaching, remember that if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time, you can schedule a home check.

A la Ciudad de Paramount le gustaría recordarles que tenemos un reglamento de “Cero Tolerancia” sobre el uso de fuegos artificiales ilegales con las siguientes restricciones:

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.

• Los fuegos artficiales “Safe and Sane” solo pueden ser encendidos los días 3 y 4 Julio. El encenderlos cualquier otro día puede resultar en una multa de $250.

• Deberá tener 16 años de edad o más para poder comprar fuegos artificiales “Safe and Sane.”

Solo los fuegos artificiales “Safe and Sane” son permitidos en Paramount. Todos los otros – como cohetes que vuelan al aire, o cohetes tronadores y M80s – son ilegales.

Simple Strategies for Better Event Marketing

Friday, May 16, 2014 - 10am to 12pm

La violación de cualquiera restricción, o el uso de los cohetes ilegales, puede resultar en una multa de $1,000.

Para más información, favor de llamar al (562) 220-2002.

Attend this presentation and learn how to use the power of event marketing to get potential and existing customers to take four key actions:

• Sign up

• Speak up

• You must be 16 years or older to buy Safe and Sane fireworks.

Only Safe and Sane fireworks are allowed in Paramount. All others – like bottle rockets, firecrackers and M80s –are illegal.

Fee: $20

Violation of the above restrictions, and use of illegal fireworks, can result in a fine up to $1,000.

• Show up

Summer Vacation Home Checks

• 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.

(Make checks payable to LBCC SBDC) For

Please clean up after the fun so the

Now that summer is here, if you are taking a vacation remember that 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.

*$25.00 refundable deposit required Call the Chamber for

Paramount Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Quarter

Matt Wagner, GM Properties, Inc. was recently named Ambassador of the Quarter for the Paramount Chamber of Commerce. Matt received the award for accumulating the most points in a quarter by performing duties that help the Chamber meet its mission of promoting economic growth.

Special Thanks to the Scholarship Selection Committee For Helping Our Community

There were 185 applications submitted this year to the Paramount Education Partnership’s scholarship program. You can find the list of recipients – along with the donors from this year’s fundraiser – in this issue’s CityScape on the inside back cover. They can also be found on the City of Paramount’s website at www.paramountcity.com.

A dedicated committee of local volunteers spent many hours reviewing and rating the applications, which were each graded in a number of categories, including academic achievement, an essay, academic recommendations, extracurricular activities, and financial need.

Given the number of worthy applicants, the PEP Scholarship Committee had quite a job entailing much time and effort selecting the final honorees. Our deepest thanks go out to these community members for all their hard work:

• Paula Coony of Paramount Iceland/Zamboni Merchandising

• Flo Haynes of Weber Metals

• Dr. Myrna Morales of Paramount Unified

• Pamela Rice of Office Depot

• Dr. Manuel San Miguel of Paramount Unified

• Dr. Deborah Stark of Paramount Unified

• Mandy Stevens, Paramount Resident

• Lourdes Talamantes of Paramount Unified

• Sandra Wychgel of Marukan Vinegar (USA), Inc.

Program Offered for Students in Metals Industry

Weber Metals has an apprenticeship program they will be offering to local area residents who are 18 or older and have their high school diploma. This pre-apprenticeship program is designed to teach young adults basic job skills and knowledge of how to work in a metals manufacturing facility.

The company is looking for up to 35 participants and is running the application and selection process through Cerritos College. This opportunity fits nicely with the career and technical education (CTE) program operating at Paramount High School and participants can gain valuable job skills.

The program starts June 20 and will end with a Career Job Fair on August 1 where Weber Metals will coordinate with the various metal manufacturing businesses in the area to participate.

For more information, and to submit pre-apprenticeship application, contact Bellegran Gomez at CerritosTrainsU@Cerritos.edu. Weber Metals is not responsible for the application or selection process for the pre-apprenticeship program.

Congratulations to the great kids in Ms. Orozco’s 3rd grade class at Lincoln School who led all elementary school classes in PUSD this year with the most donated to Pennies for PEP, over $265 for college scholarships. They got their pizza party and special thanks from Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer and District officials.

and PUSD officials

help the Paramount Education Partnership’s scholarship program for college-bound local students. The $2,500 will fund 2-1/2 community college scholarships!

Paramount Student Artists Win big!

From left, Calderon, Fuentes, Rep. Roybal-Allard, and Serrano.

Three Paramount High School students were recently recognized in Congresswoman Lucille RoybalAllard’s 23rd Annual Student Art Competition.

Luis Angel Calderon, a junior, took top prize for his digital photo “Pondering Innocence.” Sophomore Juan Serrano won third place for “Art Is a Universal Phenomenon.” Senior Luis A. Fuentes grabbed honorable

mention for “Under the Moonlight.” Winners received scholarships and money for art supplies. For first place, Luis also was provided with a trip to Washington, DC, to attend the national exhibit opening. Plus, his art will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year. Works of the other winners will be displayed in the congresswoman’s district office in Commerce.

The kids from Jackson Middle School who helped Mr. Sierra raise an amazing $2,500 during Pennies for PEP were thanked by City

with a pizza party. Their dazzling efforts

P aramount C ity C oun C il a wards n ight

The recipients of the 2016 Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) college scholarships were recognized at the May 3 Paramount City Council meeting by the Council, the PUSD Board of Education, and the PEP Board of Directors. The students will be attending a two- or four-year college or technical school and the scholarships range from $1,000 to $4,000.

The office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe presented a donation to the Paramount Education Partnership’s college scholarship fund for $25,000 at the May 3 City Council meeting as part of the Education Month celebration. From left, Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez, School Board member Alicia Anderson, School Board Vice President Linda Garcia, Vice Mayor Peggy Lemons, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, PEP Boardmember Erin Stibal (also representing Supervisor Knabe), Councilmember Tom Hansen, PEP Boardmember Dr. Max Martinez, DDS, Councilmember Gene Daniels, and PEP Boardmember Glenn Clausen of Paramount Petroleum.

As part of Education Month in Paramount, the City Council honored Paramount Unified School District’s Teachers of the Year for 2016 at its May 3 meeting, along with the School Board and District Superintendent.

The latest winners of the Gates Millennium Scholarship from Paramount High School were recognized at the May 3 Council meeting. Gates Scholars have their tuition, books, and living expenses paid for at any college of their choice, all the way through graduate school, all of it funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Only 1,000 of the prestigious scholarships are given out each year in the entire country. Paramount High has a remarkable history with this celebrated scholarship; the current recipients bring the total number of Paramount Gates Scholars to 20. For 2016, they are Daniel A. Lopez, who will be attending UC, Berkeley, and Hector Galarza, who will be going to UCLA and was also the Salutatorian for the Pirates Class of 2016. From left, School Board member Alicia Anderson, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Councilmember Gene Daniels, Lopez, Galarza, Vice Mayor Peggy Lemons, Councilmember Tom Hansen, School Board Vice President Linda Garcia, and Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez.

The largest contributing schools in PUSD for the Pennies for PEP fundraiser this year were recognized at the May 3 meeting. Lincoln was the biggest elementary school contributor ($869.25) and Jackson the largest for middle schools (a whopping $10,058). Kelly Anderson (first row left), principal of Jackson, and Topekia Jones (first row right), principal of Lincoln, received this year’s Piggy Bank Awards for the generosity of their schools. They were joined by the Council, members of the Board of Education and the Superintendent, and members of the PEP Board of Directors.

Paramount High School Class of 2016 Valedictorian Guadalupe Quirarte and Salutatorian Hector Galarza were recognized at the City Council’s May 3 meeting. Guadalupe, who is also a PEP scholarship recipient, had a GPA of 4.61 and Hector’s was 4.25. From left, School Board member Alicia Anderson, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Councilmember Gene Daniels, Guadalupe, Hector, Vice Mayor Peggy Lemons, Councilmember Tom Hansen, School Board Vice President Linda Garcia, and Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez.

winners

a yard sign and a $50 gift card to The Home Depot for adding to the quality of life in Paramount.

The

of the annual Paramount Pride program that honors attractive, wellmaintained homes in town were recognized at the May 3 Council meeting. They each received

Free Summer College Classes Available to Current High School Students at el Camino College Compton Center

High school students can get started on their college education at El Camino College Compton Center this summer.

Free summer classes are available to eligible juniors and seniors who want to earn college credits while still in high school. Students must be California residents to be eligible for a fee waiver.

Taking college classes while still in high school is a great way to get a head start on a college degree, while saving money on enrollment fees. Also, taking college courses can help prepare high school students for college

Clubs & Organizations

curriculum and offer a sense of what to expect in higher education.

ECC Compton Center’s eight-week summer session begins June 20 and the second six-week summer session begins July 12. A variety of classes are available in many subject areas.

To participate, high school students must apply online at www.compton.edu and submit a Concurrent Enrollment Application.

For more information on how to earn college credits while enrolled in high school, go to: http://www.compton.edu/studentservices/ admissionandrecords/HighSchoolStudents.aspx

Pathways: Help for a Father in Need

Enrique didn’t know what to do…his wife had just died and he had three kids to take care of. He immediately went to his children’s school counselor and asked for help, he could not do this on his own. She referred him to Pathways.

For 45-year-old, Enrique Urrea, Pathways was a lifeline after the mother of his children died of cancer. He contacted Alan Saum, MSW at Pathways and was enrolled in CHANGES, a seven-week grief support group for children and their families. CHANGES is a large component of the bereavement services that Pathways offers free of charge to the community.

One of the most valuable things Enrique realized from the CHANGES program was how much it benefited his children. He said his oldest son was very private and holds his emotions close, but after meeting with the group he seemed to be able to share more openly how he was feeling. And that the whole family seemed to communicate better after the sessions.

“As a dad, I initially only went to the group

to support my kids, but after a few weeks I realized I really needed the support as well”, said Urrea. Through CHANGES he discovered that there were caring and empathetic people out there that he could rely on to help him move forward with his family.

For over 30 years, Pathways has tirelessly devoted their services to families in need of hope. People in grief often find it difficult to navigate through life’s “noise,” and the Pathways bereavement team helps them learn to develop healthy coping skills that empower their families to take it one day at a time. Pathways reaches cities in the Greater Long Beach Area, including Paramount, Lakewood, Cerritos, Downey, Artesia, and Bellflower.

They also support children and staff through on-campus grief counseling programs and faculty in-services in Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Bellflower, Paramount, Norwalk-La Mirada, and ABC Unified School Districts.

For more information on bereavement services, please call 562-531-3031 or visit pathwayshospice.org.

Paramount Chamber Welcomes New Ambassadors

Name: Margaret Alarcon Garcia - Teacher

Company: Paramount Unified School District

Company Address: 15110 California Ave. Paramount, CA

Office Phone: (562) 602-6000

Major Product or Service: Education How Long in Business? Teacher for 21 years.

Why Did You Join the Chamber? It’s a perfect opportunity to be involved with the business community.

Education/Training: PHS, B.A, Masters in Early Education, Teaching Credential from Cal State Long Beach.

Civic Affiliations: Teachers Association of Paramount (TAP), Member of Emmanuel Reformed Church, Kiwanis and Women’s Club of Paramount.

Where Were You Born? Downey, CA.

What is Your Favorite Saying? “Don’t Cry Because it’s Over. Smile Because it Happened.” –Dr. Seuss

Latest Accomplishment: Completing the Beach Cities Challenge (3 half marathons in the same year) and Spartan Race.

Philosophy: I’d rather live with failure than with regret.

If You Were Granted 3 Wishes What Would They Be? For my children to live a happy life, good health for my family and friends, and that all veterans be treated with the respect and honor they deserve.

Name: Veronica Sanchez

Company: Sanchez Professional Services

Company Address: 7300 Alondra Blvd. Suite 201A. Paramount, CA

Office Phone: (562) 372-1382

Major Product or Service: Taxes, Immigration Services, and Real Estate How Long in Business? 2 years and 10 years in tax preparation.

Why Did You Join the Chamber? To meet other business owners.

Where Were You Born? Mexico.

Education/Training: College, Accounting & Bookkeeping Diploma, Tax Preparation, Realtor, and Immigration Consultant. What is Your Favorite Saying? “Any goal can be achieved with effort and dedication.”

Latest Accomplishment: Own and run my own my business.

Philosophy: Enjoy life, your career, your Family. Always be willing to help, be part of a team, and be part of a community.

If You Were Granted 3 Wishes What Would They Be? Health, Wisdom, and Love.

Veronica Sanchez

Margaret Alarcon Garcia

Are you looking for Industrial Property in Southern California?

Real Estate Syndication GM Properties, Inc.

Matt Wagner (562) 696-0200

Real Estate syndication is the process of a broker or agent gathering investors into a group (most likely will be formed into a limited liability company or LLC) for the purpose of buying, operating and most likely selling income producing property. The broker or agent in this process is called a manager or syndicator. The syndicator will undertake duties to perform relevant due diligence on prospective properties on the market as well as fully inform each individual prospective investor of all aspects of the properties being looked at and the investment procedures that might influence any potential investors decision to invest his or her funds with the syndicator.

If you have any interest in investing in this manner, it is important to consider the process that the syndicator will need to follow in order to produce a successful investment for the investors. Here is a list of activities in chronological order that will need to be followed:

• Research available income producing properties on the market.

• Analyze the property selected, including physical condition, economic risks, natural hazards of location, security, title and operating data, etc.

• Contract to purchase the property in the syndicators name.

• Preparing a plan for forming and managing the LLC

• Prepare an Investment circular (IC), subscription agreement, LLC-1 and LLC operating agreement, naming the syndicator as the manager of the LLC.

• Deliver copies of the IC to prospective investors for solicitation purposes.

• Obtain investors by having them sign the LLC operating agreement.

• Enter into a property management agreement with the syndicator to manage the day to day operations of the property. This needs to be signed by all investors.

• Finalize mortgage financing and sign loan documents

• File the LLC-1 (Articles of Organization) with the California Secretary of State.

• Assign the syndicators right to purchase the property to the LLC and take title to the property in the name of the newly formed LLC.

• Fund the purchase through the investors cash as well as the mortgage financing.

• Close Escrow and take control of the property, sending copies of the closing documents to all members of the LLC.

• Within 90 days of closing, the syndicator must file an LLC-12 with the Secretary of State, identifying the manager as the agent for service for public record.

• Operate the property on behalf of the LLC and distribute earnings to the investors.

When and if the property no longer meets the objectives of the formed LLC or when the initial goal of the LLC was to sell or exchange the property after a specified period of time, the syndicator will negotiate the sale of the property and distribute the net proceeds to the investors appropriately. I will discuss this process in more depth over the next couple months, so if you have interest in this type investment, sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy!

The following businesses renewed their membership in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce last month, they are celebrating another year

The Most Important Part: Developing Content for Your Small business Website

Written by: Sé Reed, Business Consultant at the SBDC hosted by long Beach City College

When small business owners first start thinking about their website, they inevitably want to focus on how the site is going to look. That’s understandable. Humans are a visual species. And deciding which shade of teal to use is much more fun than writing up detailed descriptions of various products. The problem?

Content is the only reason people are visiting your website.

That’s not to say design isn’t important. A professional looking website plays a big role in a small business’ perceived credibility. But the most beautifully designed website is useless without good information about the business and the products or services it offers. In fact, according to various studies, more than 50% of visitors leave a website without engaging because they couldn’t find the content they were looking for.

There is another reason to provide lots of relevant content about your business on your website: Google. Google and its search-engine brethren use the content on a web page to determine when and where to show that page in

their search results. No content on your website, no showing up in Google’s search results. And since more than 70 percent of U.S. households use the Internet to research their purchases even when shopping locally, not showing up in search engines can be devastating to a small business’ bottom line.

Thinking about your website content can even help you make better choices in developing your business model. If you can’t explain your primary product’s main selling points in a few sentences, that’s a sign you need to clarify your message.

So why do most small business owners treat the content of their website as an afterthought?

Much of the answer can be attributed to the typical web development process. It is a tried-and-true trope among web developers that the biggest hurdle to launching a small business website is “waiting on content”. As a result, web developers and designers often make a site with some cut-to-fit Lorem Ipsum filler text, which might look nice, but doesn’t reflect the real-world priorities of the individual business.

Build-your-own-website services can be even less focused on content,

providing flashy templates and stock photography that are heavy on the design and light on the details.

The problem is, information about a business--its history, its goals, its products and services--can only come from the business itself. And while web developers and DIY platforms assume otherwise, most small business owners simply don’t know what to say: They don’t know what sort of content their site needs, or how to start creating it.

Enter the Website Content Worksheet. This worksheet provides a starting point for the small business owner to develop their initial website content. It is not meant to be exhaustive or map out a complex website. It is designed as a series of prompts to get the small business owner to start articulating what

they already know about their business or product, but may need help freeing from the confines of their brain.

Because whether you are building your own site or working with a developer, the most important thing when it comes to writing your website content, is to start.

Sé Reed is a specialty business consultant at the Small Business Development Center hosted by Long Beach City College where she helps small business owners develop effective web and marketing strategies, including web development, social media, e-commerce, and search engine optimization through one-on-one consulting and monthly workshops. Follow her on Twitter@ sereedmedia.