Issuu

Paramount pulse Beat pulse Beat

Chamber Luncheon Benefits

Paramount High Girls Program

The Paramount Chamber of Commerce held the first annual Women in Business & Leadership Luncheon on Tuesday May 29th at Progress Park. The luncheon benefits the Paramount High School Girls Empowerment program. Many of the girls in the program attended the event and heard from a top notch panel including Vice Chair of the CA Board of Equalization – Fiona Ma, Mayor of Montebello – Vanessa Delgado, Vice Mayor of the city of Bell – Ana Maria Quintana, and our own Paramount success

story Ashley Leon-Vazquez, an entrepreneur who co-owns Horchateria Rio Luna coffee house here in Paramount and Donas craft donuts in Downey. “It’s been a dream of mine to put together an event where we can have a conversation about women succeeding in business and in leadership roles” said Brenda Olmos, current President of the Paramount Chamber and moderator for the event. “The event was very well attended, which I think confirms that there’s a demand for meetups like this to give women, and girls, tools and

strategies to excel as leaders in business and in the community” Major support for this event came from L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn as well as from many Paramount Chamber business members. Weber

Metals, MPG Pizza, The City of Paramount, and Total Western Inc., who are all Chamber members, were sponsors of the luncheon.

“Our Chamber member sponsors for this event were great, they agreed to get behind this event soon after hearing about it and even sent their employees to attend” said Chamber

Executive Director Kyle Miller. “Stories about Paramount businesses supporting and giving back to the community often get lost and this is another example of our Chamber members supporting the community”. For more information on the Girls Empowerment program please call Paramount High School. For information on Chamber membership please call our office, 562-634-3980.

Brenda Olmos, Paramount Chamber of Commerce President was the moderator for an inspiring luncheon where influential panelists were able to share their experiences.

Panelist from left: Fiona Ma, Vanessa Delgado and Ana Maria Quintana.

Dr. Max Martinez Honored by Alma Mater

Congratulations are due to Paramount’s own Dr. Max Martinez who has been honored this year as a Distinguished Alumni by the Long Beach State Alumni Association.

The local dentist graduated from the university in 1978 with a degree in biology.

CSULB’s highest alumni honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award is bestowed annually in each of the school’s colleges. In this case, it was the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

In addition to demonstrated pride and positive affinity for CSULB, awardees have achieved a record of distinction, recognition, and accomplishment in their fields and a proven record of leadership and service to their communities and society at large.

Dr. Max has certainly been a leader in the Paramount community for a long time, and it’s a pleasure to pass along the news of his very-much deserved award.

Summer Program Offers Kids Free Meals and Activities

The Paramount Unified School District and the City of Paramount are once again providing a free Summer Nutrition and Activity Program (SNAP) for local kids.

The federally funded program offers meals and activities Monday through Friday for children 18 and younger at all elementary and middle schools in the District (except for Jackson). It starts June 11 and ends August 3.

SNAP is walk-in with no registration. Children can participate any time during operating hours.

Breakfast is served from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Staff members lead physical fitness activities and arts and crafts from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Lunch is served from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

SNAP gives the kids of Paramount a place to have fun and some delicious meals during the summer break, all at no cost.

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

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 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; the second will be Wednesday, July 18, 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, Trifexis, and NexGard 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. 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.

Weekend Reservations for Park Picnic Shelters

With summer upon us, here is a recap of the City’s reservation policy for the picnic shelters that are located at Paramount and Meadows parks.

Residents can reserve the shelters for personal events on weekends, all day long until the park closes. (This does not apply to non-sheltered picnic tables.)

Only Paramount residents can reserve a park picnic shelter, although Paramount Unified School District families can make reservations for a child’s party (ages 18 and under).

A reservation request must be filled out one week before the event, subject to availability, at the Recreation Office (15300 Downey Ave.) or the Paramount Community Center (14400 Paramount Blvd.). Proof of Paramount residency (a valid California driver’s license or current utility bill) or PUSD attendance is needed.

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.

Updated Traffic Signal Upgrades

The City has a yearly schedule of street projects that resurface and refurbish our avenues and boulevards throughout Paramount. Here’s an interesting side note: upgrades to the signals at our intersections are also incorporated into these projects. This includes replacing the pedestrian-crossing buttons, installing vehicle-detection camera systems to help traffic flow (if they are not already in place), and changing the illuminated streetname signs with LED lights.

Some of these upgrades provide newer technology to create better timing cycles, and the LEDs offer a cleaner and brighter sign to enhance navigation and safety for our drivers.

On the recent Alondra Blvd project, for instance, the City was able to improve five intersections; we now have only 15 major intersections left city-wide to be renovated in this way.

Sign Up for the City E-Newsletter

Now you can receive your Paramount news conveniently on your computer or phone by signing up for the new electronic version of the Around Town newsletter. To subscribe, go to paramountcity. com and find a link on the homepage to input your email address. Or you can text Aroundtown to 22828 (standard text message rates apply).

Mayor, Diane J. Martinez

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:

The Paramount Unified School District and the City of Paramount are once again providing a free Summer Nutrition and Activity Program (SNAP) for local kids.

make reservations for a child’s party (ages 18 and under).

• If something falls to the ﬂoor, pull over before trying to reach it.

• 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.

SNAP is walk-in with no registration. Children can participate any time during operating hours.

• 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.

Breakfast is served from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Staff members lead physical fitness activities and arts and crafts from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Lunch is served from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Project LEAD Sending Positive Message to Paramount Fifth Graders

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.

SNAP gives the kids of Paramount a place to have fun and some delicious meals during the summer break, all at no cost.

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

• 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.

Low-Cost Pet Vaccinations

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.

The City is providing its annual lowcost vaccinations for all dogs and cats in the community at two special “VaccineA-Thons” this summer. The first will be Wednesday, June 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; the second will be Wednesday, July 18, also from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. They will take place at Paramount Park, 14410 Paramount Blvd.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• No reading.

• No watching videos.

• Try not to get too involved with passengers.

Flea control products Comfortis, Trifexis, and NexGard 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. Checks and cash only will be accepted for licensing. Checks, cash, and credit cards will be accepted for the veterinarian services.

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.

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.

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

Updated Traffic Signal Upgrades

Sadly, too many young people ﬁrst become acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.

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.

The City has a yearly schedule of street projects that resurface and refurbish our avenues and boulevards throughout Paramount.

Here’s an interesting side note: upgrades to the signals at our intersections are also incorporated into these projects. This includes replacing the pedestriancrossing buttons, installing vehicledetection camera systems to help traffic flow (if they are not already in place), and changing the illuminated street-name signs with LED lights.

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.

Summer Vacation Home Checks

Some of these upgrades provide newer technology to create better timing cycles, and the LEDs offer a cleaner and brighter sign to enhance navigation and safety for our drivers.

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

On the recent Alondra Blvd project, for instance, the City was able to improve five intersections; we now have only 15 major intersections left city-wide to be renovated in this way.

Sign Up for the City E-Newsletter

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.

Now you can receive your Paramount news conveniently on your computer or phone by signing up for the new electronic version of the Around Town newsletter.

Simple Strategies for Better Event Marketing

To subscribe, go to paramountcity. com and find a link on the homepage to input your email address. Or you can text Aroundtown to 22828 (standard text message rates apply).

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

Please remember – dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers.

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 • 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

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 checks payable to LBCC SBDC)

Weekend Reservations for Park Picnic Shelters

With summer upon us, here is a recap of the City’s reservation policy for the picnic shelters that are located at Paramount and Meadows parks.

Residents can reserve the shelters for personal events on weekends, all day long until the park closes. (This does not apply to non-sheltered picnic tables.)

Only Paramount residents can reserve a park picnic shelter, although Paramount Unified School District families can

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 law enforcement services leading up to, and including, the July 4th holiday.

Fireworks Alert

• 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.

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

ON PATROL

Continued from Page 4

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

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

Please clean up after the fun so the streets of Paramount aren’t left a mess. For more information please call (562) 220-2002.

Alerta Fuegos Artificiales

• 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.

• 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.

Use the Paramount Station Parking Lot for Online Exchanges

If you use an online site or phone app to buy and sell things between private parties you could run the risk of encountering scams or robberies when you meet the buyer or seller.

The City of Paramount and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are offering a safe place for these transactions at the Paramount Sheriff’s Station public parking lot from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on holidays. There are two parking spaces for this Internet Purchase Exchange Zone.

The Station is located at 15001 Para -

mount Blvd. Call (562) 220-2002 if you have any questions.

Most who utilize these sales venues are good, honest people. But meeting a complete stranger to exchange money for items could pose inherent risks.

If you are meeting people to buy or sell items, consider some of the suggestions below.

• Meet at a reasonable time of day, preferably during daylight.

• Do not meet alone or with children present. Have someone accompany you.

• Avoid meeting at your home. If you must, due to the size of an item, consider placing the item in the garage or on the porch/entry way.

• If the other party is not willing to meet you in a place you feel safe, do not meet.

• When purchasing items, inspect them for accuracy and be sure you are getting what you want. It is okay to change your mind and not purchase the item. If a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is. There are a lot of stolen items sold online. Drug users often sell things at extremely discounted prices just so they can get money for a fast high. Contact your local law enforcement if you think something is stolen.

• Consider having the exact amount of money agreed upon in a specific pocket.

• When purchasing online use credit cards or secure payment services instead of debit cards.

• When making online purchases in public, use your mobile phone network instead of Wi-Fi.

Summer Vacation Home Checks

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 their home or property while gone.

Call (562) 220-2002 to ask about vacation home checks.

Teachers of the Year

Every campus in the Paramount Unified School District names a Teacher of the Year. At the Paramount City Council meeting on May 1, as part of Education Month, the Council and representatives from PUSD recognized these outstanding educators.

Gates Scholars Honored

The Gates Millennium Scholarships are given to only 300 high school seniors in the country each year. Two of those students in 2018 were Karla Navarro and Armando Torres of Paramount High School. They were recognized at the May 1 City Council meeting as part of Education Month. Karla and Armando have both been on the City’s Youth Commission for two years. He will be attending Stanford and she will be going to UCLA. Since the Gates Scholarships began in 1999, Paramount High has produced 23 recipients. From left: PUSD Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez, PUSD School Board President Vivian Hansen, Vice Mayor Tom Hansen, Torres, Mayor Diane J. Martinez, Navarro, Councilmember Peggy Lemons, Councilmember Daryl Hofmeyer, and PUSD School Boardmember Tony Peña.

Class of 2018

As part of Education Month, the valedictorian (Fernanda Corona Rizo) and salutatorian (Armando Torres) of Paramount High School’s Class of 2018 were recognized at the May 1 Paramount City Council meeting. From left: PUSD Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez, PUSD School Board President Vivian Hansen, Vice Mayor Tom Hansen, Torres, Mayor Diane J. Martinez, Councilmember Peggy Lemons, Councilmember Daryl Hofmeyer, and PUSD School Boardmember Tony Peña. (Corona Rizo was not able to attend.)

Boulevard of Scholars

In the spirit of the Boulevard of Heroes that honors residents who are serving in the military, Paramount has now created a Boulevard of Scholars to recognize another group of the City’s finest. Banners featuring each year’s top 25 collegebound seniors from Paramount High School, based on their GPAs, will be featured on Alondra between Lakewood Blvd. and Paramount Blvd. The students in the inaugural group were recognized at the May 15 City Council meeting by the Council and representatives of the Paramount Unified School District, and were presented with a miniature version of their banners as mementoes.

PEP Scholars/Donors Honored During Education Month

As part of Education Month in Paramount, the City Council, the Paramount Unified School District Board of Education, and the Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) Board of Directors recognized various members of the community related to PEP at the May 1 and 15 Council meetings.

“Our long-term dedication to the importance of education is a hallmark of our town,” noted Mayor Diane J. Martinez at the May 1 Education Month kick-off. “The close relationship between the City and the School District has made both entities healthier and the community stronger.

“As a teacher myself,” she continued, “I feel it’s one of the most important things we do as a City, supporting and encouraging students, teachers, administrators, and everyone else involved in the pursuit of knowledge.”

PEP presents annual college scholarships and operates two community learning centers that provide many benefits to Paramount’s students and other residents. The City has run PEP since 2008, spending millions of dollars over the years to encourage the educational goals of all residents.

This year $140,000 was awarded for a record 42 college scholarships. That figure put PEP over the $1 million mark in scholarship money dispersed since the program began.

Scholarships are given to students attending a two- or four-year college or technical school and range from $1,000 to $4,000. The selection is based on academics, an essay, outside activities, future goals, and economic need. Major donations to the fund have come from the generous local business community with

their annual support of the PEP fundraiser.

There have also been smaller fundraisers held on a regular basis at local businesses. This past year, for instance, Alondra Hot Wings, Chipotle, Gus’s Deli BBQ & Grill, Horchateria Rio Luna, and IHOP all gave part of what their customers spent on certain days to the program.

For a list of this year’s recipients and donors, please see CityScape on the back inside cover.

Scholarship Selection Committee

There were 151 scholarship applications submitted this year. A committee of local volunteers spent many hours reviewing and rating them.

Members of the PEP Scholarship Committee were recognized at the May 1 meeting. They were: Paula Coony of Paramount Iceland/Zamboni Merchandising; Dr. Myrna Morales of Paramount Unified; Dr. Manuel San Miguel of Paramount Unified; Lourdes Talamantes of Paramount Unified; and Sandra Wychgel of Marukan Vinegar (USA), Inc.

The City appreciates their time and effort and thanks them all.

Pennies for PEP

During the annual Pennies for PEP fundraiser, which is held in March throughout PUSD, Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez and her District-wide team produced $122,000 for the scholarship fund.

The individual schools that were most successful at fundraising were recognized at the May 15 Council meeting. They, along

representatives from local businesses that donated $5,000 or more to this year’s PEP Scholarship Fund were recognized at the May 1 City Council meeting. From left: P uSD Superintendent and PEP Boardmember Dr. ruth Perez, PuSD School Board President Vivian Hansen, Vice Mayor tom Hansen, Doug Mcintyre of Weber Metals, Mayor Diane J. Martinez, Jaime abrego of alt air Paramount, PEP Boardmember Glenn Clausen of alt air Paramount, Councilmember Peggy lemons, Councilmember Daryl Hofmeyer, and PuSD School Boardmember tony Peña.

the principals from the PuSD schools that were most successful at fundraiser during this year’s Pennies for PEP were recognized at the May 15 City Council meeting by Councilmembers along with representatives from the Paramount unified School District and the PEP Board of Directors.

with the District office, received a Pennies for PEP piggy bank for display.

In the $5,000-raised Club were Lincoln (Principal Topekia Jones) and Hollydale (Principal Lisa Nunley-Macon).

The $10,000 Club consisted of Alondra (Principal Lynn Butler) and Zamboni (Principal Sue Saikaly).

The lone member of the $20,000 Club was Paramount Park (Principal Kevin Longworth).

And the $30,000 Club belonged to Jackson (Principal Kelly Anderson). Jackson, in fact, was once again the overall top fundraiser in the District, donating an amazing $35,970. For this milestone, they received championship t-shirts, a dinner party for the staff, and a field-day of fun for the students.

There were a number of special events

and creative avenues again this year to encourage donations. For example, there was “March Madness” with brackets and winners moving forward like the college basketball playoffs.

The winner of March Madness was …. Jackson School. Principal Anderson was given a special championship belt and the school staff was provided a taco lunch while the students received an ice cream day celebration.

“While we highlight the schools that attracted the most donations, everyone in the District who gave any amount deserves special thanks and appreciation,” Mayor Martinez said. “Pennies for PEP produces real excitement on our campuses about the idea of going to college. It’s a great advertisement for higher education.”

Warehouse Maintenance Worker Flexible, Will train, Part-time, we welcome Veterans applicants. Job will include driving company vehicles. report in person or contact: Jessica Gonzalez @ 562-529-5700 - tECHCOat, 15720 Garfield ave. Paramount, Ca 90723; M-F 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

the PEP Scholars, Class of 2018.

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.

Naga Rekha

Paramount Women’s Club Installs President for 2018-19 Year

2018-19 year begins with new council. Congratulation to the new President for the coming year is Elisa Trasoras pictured in center with the new council.

2018 Cabinet for the Paramount Women’s Club. From Left: Jean Williams, Laura Oropeza, Ana Flores, Elisa Trasoras, Dolores Tripp, Cleone Hatwan, Gerda Trutzl and Beth Hauser.

Paramount visits its’ Sister City in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico

Paramount planned a spring visit by club Secretary Mayte Hernandez and her family. It was a heartfelt visit for Paramount in its’ profound mission. Mayte and her family were received with lots of sweet hugs and affection for the donations they brought from Paramount-Tepic.

First, Mayte and her family was welcomed by Tepics’ Mayoral staff. The reception was warm, and the staff displayed lots of gratitude. A team from its public social assistance arranged a van to pick up the Paramount Team for a tour and visit two orphanages, Casa Materno Infantil Asuncion de Maria, which had about 50 children living in their home and Casa Nana which housed about 15 kids. The next day the team picked up the Paramount Team again to go shopping and deliver the donations.

Most children do not understand donations, but they do understand and feel the love that they received on our visit. Mayte’s presence was impactful and emotional for the children. The program directors were grateful for Paramount sister cities

Ribbon Cutting Cate’s Ice Cream

Presentations were made to Kate Tirathananon the owner of Cate’s Ice Cream. From left: Jonathan Flores representing Senator Ricardo Lara, Kimberly TachikiChin representing Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Marco Cuevas representing the City of Paramount, Jon Tanklage of Marukan Vinegar USA, Kate Tirathananon, Kyle Miller of Paramount Chamber of Commerce, Phoebe Liu representing Supervisor Janice Hahn, Ben Berg of Transcom Telecommunications representing the Chamber.

visit and for the much-needed items for both orphanages. Mayte expressed she was overwhelmed with the love and joy she received and to see all the happy faces was well worth the trip.

Paramount-Tepic is planning another visit in December and if you would like to contribute and/or support this mission please contact Sister Cities President Frank Barraza at 1-562-884-8377 and pledge your support today for the upcoming mission. Your invited to visit Paramount-Tepic monthly meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the Month at 7 p.m. at Paramount Park Community Center; June meeting is the 19th. Meetings are open and are filled with fun, food, raffles and lots of information about upcoming activities in and about town. SAVE THE DATE: TARDEADA DINNER/ DANCE EVENT SUNDAY JUNE, 3RD PARAMOUNT PARK COMMUNITY CENTER 4-7 P.M. COME AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS!

Frank Barraza, President ParamountTepic Sister Cities

Farwell To 2 Influencial Members of Paramounts Recent History

Manuel Guillen, a former Paramount Mayor who was involved in the city’s transformation into a thriving community died Wednesday, April 25th at the age of 83. Manuel served the city for 35 years, 21 of them on the City Council and as Mayor.

Born on July 24, 1935, Guillen was one of 13 siblings, all of whom raised families in Paramount.

His father, Guadalupe, ran a neighborhood store. To call Paramount his home was an understatement for Guillen, who

was born in the city and was part of Paramount High School’s first graduating class in 1954.

During the years that Guillen served Paramount he was instrumental in developing a public art collection, opening a the sheriff’s station in the city, bringing in the GRIP anti-gang program, and getting new businesses such as Wal-Mart, Starbucks, The Home Depot and other retailers to come to Paramount. These efforts earned Paramount the All-America City Award in 1988.

John Rodgerson, a former Treasurer for the Paramount Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Paramount, passed away in April.

John connected with Paramount in 1985 when he started working at the First State Bank in the downtown area, which is now the Banc of California. He became an active member of the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce immediately.

As a Chamber member he served on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Board during the 14

years he worked here. He retired in 1999, but continued to remain actively involved with the Rotary Club. John was a strong supporter of scholarships for PUSD students and raised funds through the Rotary Club to meet the needs of students wanting to go to college. He served as Treasurer up until his passing, making the trip in from Mission Viejo every Tuesday to attend the meetings.

He was the organizer and MC at annual golf tournaments with both organizations. John was survived by his wife Carol, three children Laura, Matthew, April and 5 grandchildren.

Manuel Guillen

John Rodgerson

Nine Ways Employers Screw Up Hiring

By liz ryan

Liz Ryan is CEO/founder of Human Workplace and author of the book “Reinvention Roadmap.” Follow her on Twitter and read her Forbes columns. This article was originally published on www.forbes.com on July 29, 2015. The following are excerpts from that article.

One of the first ways employers cause damage to themselves and the rest of us is in their hiring processes. Here are nine of the ways employers screw up hiring.

They Design jobs Badly

The first step in hiring a new person is to design the job. Even if a job has been occupied before, every time someone leaves to go to a new position inside or outside of the company there’s a great opportunity to evaluate the position and see how it needs to change.

Most employers design jobs from the standpoint “What list of tasks can we give the new employee?” They don’t think about the hiring process as a sales process, even though it is.

The smarter and more capable the person you want to hire, the more the job description has to appeal to candidates who don’t already know your company.

We load up our job descriptions with so much dreck that nobody with an ounce of self-esteem would apply -- because they can see from the job ad that the job really requires three people!

We can be more thoughtful and design jobs that a living person can perform, and

have fun doing! That’s the first big win for an employer that cares about talent.

They Write job Ads Badly

The typical job ad is a huge talent repellent. It starts out “We have an immediate need for...”

You have a need? I understand that people in Hell need ice water! What about me, the possible candidate -- do my needs count? If you care about hiring great people, take the zombie voice out of your job ads and talk the way humans do!

A job ad is a marketing vehicle, but most employers write jobs in the most unmarketing-like way imaginable.

You can use your job ads to tell candidates why the role is exciting and drop out three-quarters of the Essential Requirements that are actually not essential at all.

They Promote Their job Ads Badly

Most employers promote their job ads so widely that they end up having to screen tons of resumes they should never have received in the first place. We can be smarter about the way we promote our job openings.

We can use our own employees as a primary channel for talent, followed by our vendors and customers and the people who like and follow our companies. We don’t have to advertise our jobs on every available surface. That is bad marketing, not good recruiting.

They Respond To Candidates Badly

If you don’t respect your candidates -people who have taken the time and energy

7 Tips for Staying Safe on Vacation

As people continue to store more of their personal information online, identity theft has become a crime on the rise. And that risk becomes even greater when traveling.

In 2016, more than 15 million Americans were victims of identity theft, up 16 percent from the previous year, according to Experian, a global information services group. About 33 percent of that fraud took place when people were traveling.

The rise of the Internet has only aided hackers in their quest for your personal information. Your information, once it’s out there on the Internet, it’s out there. You can’t grab it back.

Here are seven tips on how to stay protected while travelling.

1. Avoid using public WiFi

Public WiFi makes it easy for thieves to hack into the information stored on your mobile phone or laptop, according to the report. Yet less than half (47 percent) of respondents avoid using public WiFi when traveling.

2. Password-protect phones and add tracking tools

Your phone stores sensitive information, such as access to your emails, and possibly even credit card information (if you use Apple Wallet or bank apps.) Only 48 percent of respondents password-protect their smartphones, making it easy for thieves to access that information. Also, only 26 percent have a tracking device set up in case their phones get stolen, the report said.

3. Don’t post location or agenda on social media

Only 32 percent of people avoid posting photos or status updates online while traveling, and only 20 percent disable geotagging on pictures, according to the survey. Sharing your agenda or location on social media allows potential thieves to keep track of where you are, making it easier for them to time a crime. Instead, wait to post about your trip until you get home, the report said.

4. Bring only what you need, lock up the rest

Only bring a passport with you if you’re traveling abroad, and always avoid bringing your Social Security card or birth certificate with you, the report advised. Also, don’t bring all of your credit and debit cards; choose instead to carry only a select few.

5. Keep a record of important documents

If your wallet or any important documents do get stolen, it’s important to know exactly what’s missing. Before you go on your trip, write down all the information from your credit and debit cards, driver’s license, medical insurance and other important documents. This will help you figure out who to call after a theft and what to tell them.

6. Monitor credit cards and reports

Monitoring bank and credit card accounts (58 percent), as well as credit reports (55 percent), was seen as helpful in detecting suspicious activity. Yet 53 percent of respondents say monitoring financial transactions is challenging, and 81 percent trust banks and credit card companies to catch fraud for them.

7. Protect your home while you’re away

Before you leave for your trip, stop your mail delivery. An overflowing mailbox is like a huge neon sign on your house that says “no one is home.” This will also ensure that important documents aren’t stolen from your mailbox while you’re gone. Stop mail delivery, online through the postal service.

to contact you -- enough to greet them and thank them in the manner of humans around the world, you don’t deserve them.

They Screen Candidates Badly

Maybe the most broken part of recruiting is the screening process. It astounds me that grown-up managers would think we could find talent by picking through resumes looking for keywords. That’s not the way to hire good people. Anybody can stuff a resume with keywords.

They Communicate With Candidates Badly

Once a person is in your interview pipeline, your job is to treat them like gold. If you have too many candidates to be able to do that, then your recruiting process is broken. You can assign an HR person to every forty or fifty candidates and tell the candidates “Sarah Jones will answer your questions.”

Then, of course, Sarah has to be on hand to answer questions by email (or phone if the questions are urgent). You answer questions from people who haven’t bought your products yet. Why would you do any less for people who might come and work for you?

They Interview People Badly

When you interview people by asking them “Tell me about a time when...” questions, you don’t deserve them. When you interview people from a script, ditto.

Lots of CEOs worry that their managers don’t know how to manage, but I will tell you this: most interviewers don’t know how to interview. They don’t how to start a human conversation or how to vet and woo people simultaneously the way a good interviewer must.

Two of the biggest areas in business training are sales training and customer

service training. That makes good sense because sales and customer service are high-touch roles. Recruiting is a high-touch role, too!

They Move Toward A job Offer Badly

We advise our CEO clients to approve new job requisitions with the following understanding: if a job isn’t filled within 45 days, it goes away. The manager who was slow to make an offer can try again next year.

It is the height of arrogance, not to mention ignorance, to get people into your pipeline via a job ad and then leave them to languish. How can you call yourself a manager when you don’t have time to attend to the people side of your role -- the most important side?

They Extend job Offers Badly

Before you extend a job offer to a candidate you have to know whether he or she is likely to accept your offer. Would you get as far as the contract-signing phase of a new supplier relationship without knowing how much the supplier needs to be paid? Of course not!

When you get serious about hiring a particular candidate, you’ll call that person on the phone or meet with them in person and extend a Supposal.

You’ll say “Supposing we were to make you an offer -- and that is the direction we’re heading and the reason for all these conversations, of course -- what would it take for you to sign the offer right away?”

You’ll talk with the candidate about his or her needs. You’ll hash things out and come to an agreement -- or agree to part friends.

You can give your company a huge recruiting advantage simply by humanizing your recruiting process.

Paramount Chamber of Commerce

Serving the community for over fifty years

Major Sponsor of Dictionaries for 3rd graders PUSD Monthly/Yearly Scholorships for PHS seniors Donate to Vets in L.B. Vets Hospital m eetings every m onday night 7:30 pm

HALL FOR RENT

Weddings * Quinceaneras * Birthdays Max 250 people - (562) 884-1357 8108 E. Alondra Blvd • 562 633-1804 www.paramountelks.org

at noon every Tuesday at Progress Plaza Park (15500 Downey Ave.) for fellowship, lunch and an informational program. Do the Club’s activities sound like fun to you? If so, please be our guest for lunch. For more information call President John Boogaard at (562) 881-0334 or Secretary Dean Mouren-Laurens at (562) 633-3224. Please visit our website at ClubRunner.ca/Paramount . We hope to see you soon!

Celebrating Distinguished CSULB Alumni

CSULB’s highest alumni honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award is bestowed annually in each College by the CSULB Alumni Association. This award recognizes their alumni who have an exemplary record of distinction and success in their chosen fields, have a proven record of impactful leadership and enduring service to their communities and society at-large, and demonstrated pride and support for The Beach.

This year the CSULB Alumni Association has acknowledged one of Paramounts beloved members as one of the 2018 Recipients - College Of Natural Sciences And Mathematics.

Max B. Martinez

Dentist and Owner of Max B. Martinez, DDs, FAgD, FACD 1978, Bachelor of science, Biology, CsuLB 1984, Doctor of Dental surgery, georgetown university Dental school

“It’s almost a storybook tale,” Max Martinez said of his journey from “an underprivileged kid” to successful dentist and entrepreneur. Dr. Martinez, who practices in Paramount, CA, is a member of the American Dental Association, a member and trustee of the California Dental Association, a board member and past president of the Harbor Dental Society, currently Executive Treasurer on the Paramount Chamber of Commerce (among other professional affiliations). He is a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and has the distinction of being one of very few dentists (less than 4 percent) in North America to receive a fellowship from the prestigious American College of Dentists.

Motivated by a strong desire to give back, Dr. Martinez has joined forces with other influential community leaders to forge a unique— and uniquely effective — civic alliance between the City of Paramount, the Paramount Unified School District, and local business owners. Perhaps most notably, the team developed the Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) program, which

has awarded over $861,000 in scholarship funding to date. Dr. Martinez also volunteers in several free clinics and organizes a free one-day dental clinic to patients- mostly children and adolescents- in his community.

Martinez and his wife, Michelle, have three children — two of whom, along with a niece, are proud Beach alumni — and they enjoy returning to campus to cheer on our sports teams, especially the Dirtbags.

Chamber Luncheon Benefits Paramount High Girls Program

Continued from page 1

max b martinez

From Left to Right: Vanessa Craven, Nancy Martinez, Megan Martinez, Max Nicolas Martinez, Tiby Martinez, Dr. Max B. Martinez, Matthew Martinez, Michelle Martinez, Gus Martinez and Krystle Morris

Panelist from left: Vanessa Delgado, Ana Maria Quintana and Ashley LeonVazquez.