Pulse Beat March 2013 by City of Paramount

BEAT PULSE BEAT

March 2013

It Was a Tough Year - But Paramount Passed the Test

The Paramount Chamber of Commerce recently hosted Paramount’s annual State of the City Address, sponsored by Paramount Petroleum.

Event speakers included City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal, who used clever quotes from her parents’ favorite motivational anecdotes to explain how the City of Paramount made it through one of the toughest years in recent history.

“If ever there was a year that tested us as an organization, last year was it. The State struggled to get its chaotic ﬁnances under control and local government paid the price. It was a tough year but we toughed it out. With only very minor exceptions, we have kept all our programs, services, and events intact and we retained our ﬁscal health. So, I’m happy and proud to be able to present to you some of the accomplishments of 2012.

“But first I’d like to mention my parents, Sergio and Nellie Benedetti. Like many of yours, my parents are members of the Greatest Generation. They made it through very hard times like the Depression, the Great War, and periods of significant social upheaval. Reflecting on their wisdom and experience was a helpful guide over the past year.

“When things were not going well, my mom always insisted that primping was the antidote. Wash your hair, slap on some makeup ... and you’d feel better. She also believed that you had to eat right, get some fresh air, and everything would be ﬁne. We took Nellie’s advice. We continued our focused effort on spifﬁng things up which has transformed the look of the city over the years. And we added more opportunities for our residents to engage in outdoor activities and exercise.

Paramount Chamber of Commerce PULSE BEAT

15357 Paramount Boulevard, Paramount, CA 90723

“At Progress Park Plaza, a multi-year renovation continued with upgrades to the hall and restrooms. We repainted the Community Center at Paramount Park. And we resurfaced chunks of Paramount Blvd. (from Alondra to Somerset) and Downey Ave. (from Somerset to Rosecrans), along with our normal residential street projects.

“Our outdoor art museum gained a fun mosaic at the Paramount Pond that highlights the early days of the Iceland skating rink and invention of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine.

“A number of years ago, we built a small outdoor gym at Dills Park, which proved to be so popular we increased its size. We’ve now added one at Progress Park and another will be installed at Paramount Park this year. Also at Paramount Park, we put in new play equipment that promotes strength and balance such as rock climbing and rope walking.

“The City’s STAR after-school program at Jefferson School was designated a Healthy Behaviors site by L.A. County.

“Construction began on a bike path along the MTA right-of-way between Lakewood Blvd. and Somerset, which will hook up with the trail that runs through Bellﬂower for a total of 2-1/2 miles.

“Our signature project of the year is the 1⁄4-mile running track, artificial turf field and outdoor gym called Salud Park. Along with Southern California Edison, we turned an empty electricity corridor into something attractive and useful.

“Now, my dad, Sergio, spent many years as a little league coach. He was tough, but he was successful and his team was always in the championship hunt. When things weren’t

What’s inside

gelling, there were no excuses with my dad but to try harder and keep going. So, we did that too last year. We sucked it up and we stepped it up. And we had amazing support and cooperation from many sectors of the community to help us along

“The loss of redevelopment created a $4.5 million gap in our budget, or about 15%, the bulk of which paid for capital improvement projects. It was not an option to stop investing in nice streets and sidewalks, attractive parks and open spaces, art, and facilities like the Sheriff’s Station or the Clearwater Building.

“We set up a system that will ensure funds for continued capital improvements. This, however, did impact operations. We have always had a lean staff and now we are at our leanest. Over the past several years, through retirement incentives and lay-offs, our workforce has been reduced by 21%.

“But to the public, most of the adjustments have been invisible. From top to bottom, our employees have stepped up, taken on additional duties, found efﬁciencies, and are making it work.

“We were assisted ﬁscally by a trend of increased sales tax revenues, up 14.9% over the previous year, that came from new retail in town and higher gas prices. We ended 2012 with the healthy beginnings of a capital reserve fund that will pay for future projects, a $300,000 surplus, and a robust reserve that equals about 50% of our annual operating costs (very high for a municipality).

“The community stepped up in a big way. We’ve come to rely on a consistent supply of volunteers to help with clean ups, assisting needy homeowners, and many other things.

Last year we held ﬁve volunteer clean up days with a whopping 609 people participating, up 300% over 2011. Credit goes to our local churches, and Emmanuel Reformed Church, speciﬁcally, has provided so much help.

“Also, Paramount Unified instituted a graduation requirement of community service hours, and many high school kids show up for our Pitch In, Paramount days.

“For the new bike path, we were so conﬁdent we could get volunteers to do the landscaping that we took it out of the bid, saving the city $100,000. The community’s assistance has helped keep Paramount looking good.

“We saw another great turnout for the Paramount Education Partnership fundraiser, which raised $83,600 for scholarships. Over the past nine years, PEP has funded 157 scholarships to the tune of $425,000. The support from Supervisor Don Knabe and the business community has been consistent despite the difﬁcult times.

“Our public safety team kept up their incredible work, and crime was down by 5.4% over the prior year. We invest a lot in public safety and it pays off. We have a multi-agency public safety team that approaches crime comprehensively. The result has been a consistent trend of falling crime over the years.

“One unexpected cost-saving last year involved our municipal election. For the second time in a row, no candidates ﬁled to run against the incumbents. We were able to cancel the election and save $74,000.

“We’ve maintained services and programs, added parks and amenities, kept crime down, and posted a surplus. Volunteerism is at an

LA County Supervisor Don Kabe

Paramount Chamber President Leonard Crespo

Paramount City Manger Linda Benedetti-Leal

Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons

Paramount Uniﬁed Superintendent Dr. David Verdugo

Thank You For the Opportunity

My year-long term as mayor has come to a close, and I want to thank our residents and my fellow councilmembers for giving me the opportunity to serve. It’s a great honor, and a wonderful experience, representing our City and leading the Council.

We have a truly committed community of fantastic people, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

More Free Exercise Options Opening for Residents

As you may have noticed, the City is in the construction phase of a biking/walking trail along the Metropolitan Transit Authority right-of-way. This new healthy-living resource is another aspect of the City’s “outdoor gym” project for residents that has included the makeover of Dills Park (paths and exercise equipment) and Progress Park (new exercise equipment). Soon, Paramount Park will have an outdoor exercise station, too, and Salud Park, which is totally devoted to ﬁtness, is opening in late-March or early-April.

The Paramount bike trail and walkway is an extension of an existing path that runs through Bellﬂower. In town, it will extend between Lakewood Blvd. and Somerset Blvd. and be lit

and landscaped. The length through the two neighboring cities will total 2-1/2 miles.

One interesting and economical aspect of the project comes courtesy of the upsurge in volunteerism that Paramount has experienced over the last year. There has been a huge turnout of residents for the “Pitch In, Paramount” days that involve various types of cleanups throughout town.

Drawing on this consistent supply of folks who have been helping to make Paramount look good, all of the landscaping for the bike path will be planted by volunteers. This will save the City $100,000 in these tough economic times, money that will be used for other programs and services for residents.

The trail is expected to be up and running (or riding) by early spring.

And watch for announcements about the grand opening of Salud Park.

State of the City Showing on TV and Internet

The Paramount Chamber of Commerce produced its annual State of the City event at Progress Park Plaza last month. Speakers included City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal, PUSD Superintendent Dr. David Verdugo and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. If you would like to see a video of the presentation, it is airing on Time Warner cable channel 36 on Monday at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

You can also see it streaming on the City website’s homepage at www. paramountcity.com.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

This winter has seen a string of cold spells. During periods of such weather, when people look for ways to heat their

homes, the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning increases. This is why Southern California Gas Co. and the Los Angeles Fire Department are reminding the public about important safety tips to reduce the risk of CO exposure.

CO poisoning can occur as a result of a poorly ventilated heater or a CO leak from another source. Symptoms can include nausea, headaches, paralysis and even death. Keep the following tips in mind to help prevent CO poisoning:

• Never use a gas oven, portable barbeque or range for space heating.

• Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur as a result of a poorly ventilated heater.

• Have natural gas furnaces checked at least once a year by a licensed heating contractor or SoCalGas.

• Vacuum and clean regularly in and around the furnace, particularly around the burner compartment, to prevent a build-up of dust and lint.

• Never store items in, on, or around the appliance that can obstruct airﬂow.

If you suspect that you or a loved one is suffering from CO poisoning, call 911 immediately.

Visit www.socalgas.com/safety for more information on staying safe.

Utility Payment Scam

The Gas Company is also warning customers to be aware of a payment scam involving utility imposters demanding that customers pay their energy bills with pre-paid cash cards or face immediate termination of utility service.

Customers of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have reported that individuals misrepresenting themselves as utility employees are calling and threatening to turn off electric and water service if payment is not made to them that day.

Utility customers have been told that the payment must be made by purchasing a pre-paid cash card, and are directed to another phone number where information is then obtained from the card and the cash value is removed from the card.

SoCalGas advises customers to be alert and not provide any type of ﬁnancial information if they receive a call from a suspicious company. The Gas Company’s customers have multiple payment options: online, pre-enrolled direct debit, by mail, or in person at an authorized payment location.

For customers behind in their payment, the utility provides past due notiﬁcation in writing before service is shut-off for non-payment.

When customers call SoCalGas for billing inquiries, employees will always be able to provide account information and the exact past due balance.

Additionally, all SoCalGas employees on company business are required to carry a photo ID badge.

If customers receive a phone call that makes them feel uncomfortable, they should hang up and call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200, or 1-800-342-4545 in Spanish, or the local authorities to ﬁle a report.

Mayor, Peggy Lemons

Community News

Paramount residents Howard and Mary Lou Jones recently celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary by renewing their vows. The ceremony was ofﬁciated by Pastor Jameson while more than 130 guests shared the moment.

In Paramount, there are many active Neighborhood Watch teams operating in the City to provide extra eyes and ears for the Sheriff’s Department.

Neighborhood Watch is a partnership in crime prevention. Residents come to know their neighbors, look out for each other’s welfare and property, and report suspicious activities.

It’s productive, too – on average, areas with active Neighborhood Watch participation have much less crime than those without it.

At NW meetings, residents work with City and Sheriff’s Department personnel, expressing ideas and concerns about issues in their neighborhood. Any number of things can be discussed at Neighborhood Watch meetings. Apart from potential criminal behavior, these can include parking problems, street racing, street vendors, code enforcement issues – anything and everything that affects the quality of

life for residents in Paramount.

Residents are also informed of the many services and programs available to them, such as GRIP (anti-gang), STAR (after school opportunities), PEP (educational help), PAT (preventing auto theft), CERT (emergency training), SASSFA (employment help), CPR/1st Aid and more.

Keep in mind, also, that any resident who reports criminal activity through Neighborhood Watch can remain totally anonymous if they so choose.

The Sheriff’s Department appreciates everyone’s help in protecting our community, because a deputy cannot be present everywhere, at all times. Since neighbors know better than anybody what happens on their street, this is a good way to do your part for public safety.

Neighborhood Watch groups can also help residents prepare for natural disasters and set up plans for checking on neighbors after disasters hit.

Clubs & Organizations

AVERY DE LA CRUZ – WINS PARAMOUNT LIONS 76TH ANNUAL STUDENT SPEAKER CONTEST

This year’s winner of the Paramount Lions International Student Speaker Contest is Avery James De La Cruz, 9th grade student at Paramount High School. Avery took ﬁrst place for his topic “How Do We Create and Keep Jobs in America?” “Each year the level of competition gets better and better,” said Paramount Lions Club President Bill Kalpakoff, “making it more and more difﬁcult for our judges to decide on only one winner. These young people raised the bar for future competitions.”

Avery was awarded a $75 cash prize; the five finalists- Paramount High: Seraina Aguilar and Brandon DeSigueira (2012 winner) and Dominquez High: Joana Granados, Eli Guzman (2011 winner), and Jorge Medina, each received a $25 cash award for their participation.

Avery’s next competition will be at the Zone Level on March 9, where the winner will receive $100. The winner at each of the next levels of competition will advance to: Region Level ($150 cash award); District Level ($4500 scholarship); Area Level ($6500 scholarship) and the ﬁnal competition on June 2 ($10,000 scholarship). The overall winner will receive over $21,000 in cash awards and scholarships.

Avery was born in Paramount and is an avid reader, loves puzzles, and music. He is active in school serving as ASB President-West Campus and as Board

representative for his school. In addition, Avery participates in athletics at Paramount High- cross-country and long distance track. He aspires to attend either MIT or Cornell in pursuit of his goal to become a Biomedical Engineer.

Lion Darlene Harris, Chairperson of the event, expressed appreciation for the support, time, and guidance given by Dominguez High’s Peter Sunnarborg and Paramount High’s Autumn Bignami, who recruit and encourage participation by their students. “These two dedicated professionals carve time out of their very busy schedules to give their students an opportunity to experience the power of public speaking and the chance to compete for sizable scholarships. We thank and applaud them for their efforts; we couldn’t do it without them.”

Avery De La Cruz and his coach, Autumn Bignami.

Paramount Rotary Sponsors Speech Contest

Every year Rotary District 5280 sponsors a speech contest for high school students. Clubs within the district are encouraged to have their own speech contests and send winners to the District level competition. As a result, Paramount Rotary Club recently held its annual speech contest. The event took place at the Clearwater Building, which was generously provided by the City of Paramount.

Rotary Director, Matt Wagner organized the event and explained the competition rules. President Greg Buckner (Paramount High School Principal, PHS) introduced five contestants from PHS; Leah Barker, Carla Barrera, Brandon Desiqueria, Jasmine Esparza and Faby Zuniga. The students are seniors, largely student government members and two are Rotary Interact Club members. According to Autumn Bignami, Activities Director at PHS, the contending five are already winners, having been selected to compete from a preliminary speech contest at PHS. Matt Wagner explained that each of the five had designed an original four to six

minute speech applying Rotary’s four way test; “is it the truth, is it fair to all, is it beneﬁcial to all, does it build goodwill” related to a challenge within their family, school, community, state or nation. Each student delivered their speech and was scored by Rotarians according to a rubric involving content, organization, use of language, delivery an overall effect.

The ﬁve contestants addressed the following: Leah spoke to the challenge of student obesity, Carla to the challenge of bullying in the lives of students, Brandon to the challenge of stalemated Republican/ Democratic perspectives in government, Jasmine the challenge of making all disabled people part of the main stream, and Faby spoke to the challenge of alcoholism. Once all the speeches had been heard and scored, a $75 ﬁrst place cash prize was awarded to Brandon Desiquerida, $50 second place to Faby Zuniga, and a $25 third place cash prize was awarded to Jasmine Esparza. Brandon will now go on to the District speech contest with a $1000 grand prize.

PASSPORT DAY IN THE USA – MARCH 9, 2013

The Paramount Post Ofﬁce is hosting a special passport event in Paramount, on Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm to provide passport information to U.S. citizens and to accept passport applications. The Paramount Post Ofﬁce is joining the Department of State in celebrating Passport Day in the USA 2013, a national passport acceptance and outreach event.

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport book when entering or re-entering the United States by air. U.S. citizens entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry must present a passport book, passport card, or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government.

Information on the cost and how to apply for a U.S. passport is available at travel.state. gov. U.S. citizens may also obtain passport information by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778.

Faith Based Communities In Action

In Paramount, the faith based community plays an active role. Many churches offer activities and programs which are utilized by families and kids who may not have the ability to participate in fee-based activities. Hundreds of children are involved weekly in kids and youth clubs, programs and activities that keep them out of gangs and help keep others out. Diverse programs, from tutoring to sports to music, give local youth an opportunity to engage in activities that are both safe and wholesome.

Our local churches also provide food giveaways and, over the years, have distributed hundreds of pounds of food to those in need. At holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, our churches also provide toys and good to families within the community.

Many of the churches in town also provide services, classes and counseling to families that may be experiencing difﬁculties or persons struggling with addictions.

Most recently, in this time of limited resources, many members of our local churches have participated in volunteer clean-up days to do things such as assist elderly or lowincome families with home improvements, paint out grafﬁti, paint bridges and fences, and generally assist the city with clean-up tasks.

The commitment of the faith based community to the welfare of the city as a whole is genuine and commendable. Along with the city, our schools, and the business community, it contributes in a very tangible way to improving the quality of life in Paramount.

Power of Email Marketing

Contest winners from left: Fabio Zuniga (2nd place), Dr. Greg Buckner, Brandon Desiqueria (1st place) and Jasmine Esparza (3rd place).

Stater Bros. Holiday Campaign Raises Over $1.5 Million for the Hungry

Throughout the months of November and December 2012, all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets, in conjunction with the company’s charitable arm Stater Bros. Charities, “harvested hope” in Southern California communities. The 4th Annual “Harvesting Hope in our Community” program once again raised funds and food to assist with hunger relief efforts in the communities where Stater Bros. customers and employees live and work.

• Stater Bros. Charities presented $470,000 in cash donations to over 100 Southern California food banks and selfhelp organizations.

• Stater Bros. Supermarkets contributed over $30,000 to qualiﬁed nonproﬁt organizations that feed the hungry to help with the purchase of turkeys for Thanksgiving.

• The traditional Salvation Army Red Kettles in front of Stater Bros. Supermarkets collected $540,580 this Holiday Season to provide much needed assistance to the local poor and homeless.

• During November and December, food barrels were located inside all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets, and, as a result, over 274,000 pounds of food valued at more than $400,000 was donated to local food banks.

• Approximately $150,000 in cash was also generously donated by customers and employees at Stater Bros. check stands during November and December. These funds will be allocated to food banks in the summer of 2013 when food reserves are traditionally low.

“The Stater Bros. ‘Family’ believes strongly in giving back to the communities we serve because we just don’t do business in a community, we are part of the community, and this year the need was greater than ever,” stated Jack H. Brown, Chairman and Chief Executive Ofﬁce of Stater Bros. Markets. “During these tough times ... we will not let our customers stand alone,” added Brown.

The Stater Bros. “Harvesting Hope in our Community” campaign winds up Stater Bros.’ year-long efforts to support nonproﬁt organizations in the communities it serves. Each year, Stater Bros. and Stater Bros. Charities contribute over $15 million to assist those in need, with an emphasis on worthy programs that benefit hunger relief, children’s services, veterans care, education, and the elderly.

In addition, Stater Bros. donates over 3 million pounds of food annually to the local food bank.

Paramount Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic

The Pennies Start Rolling In

The annual “Pennies for PEP” campaign begins this month.

All K-8th-grade classrooms in the Paramount Uniﬁed School District have containers for students, faculty and staff to drop their spare change in and give their “two-cents” worth of support for the Paramount Education Partnership. The money gathered will go into the PEP scholarship fund.

Last year, a very generous $8,132.04 in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and the stray one- and ﬁve-dollar bills was raised.

The classrooms that contribute the most will win a pizza party.

Become a Part of the Fundraising Efforts and Promote Your Business

There’s still time to support education in Paramount while promoting your business by sponsoring or making a donation to PEP’s 10th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser. It will be held on April 26, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Progress Park Plaza, 15500 Downey Avenue. This year’s theme is Mardi Gras.

The generosity of the Paramount business community has helped make dreams of going to college become a

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all-time high and the business community is standing strongly behind our education efforts. By spifﬁng it up, shaping it up, sucking it up and stepping it up, we made it through 2012 in ﬁne fashion and are positioned to continue with the progress this community has come to expect. Thank you all for the part you play in our success. In times like these, we can’t do it alone. Congratulations to all of you. You have our deepest appreciation.”

Paramount Uniﬁed Superintendent Dr. David Verdugo spoke about District successes. “We are very proud to say that Gaines, Lincoln, and Los Cerritos Elementary, Alondra, Jackson, and Zamboni Middle Schools have achieved an Academic Performance Index of over 800.

“Our District API, a state measure for performance, grew from 620 in 2006 to 765 in 2012, a remarkable gain of 145 API growth points. One of the highest gains for a uniﬁed school district in all of Los Angeles County, if not the State. And it doesn’t stop there. There were gains in 5th grade and 8th grade science and 8th grade social studies, and in 9th grade mathematics Paramount Uniﬁed School District exceeded the County and State achievement in algebra. Our English learners API growth is at an all-time high, plus more students in 10th grade are passing the California High School Exit Exam than ever before. Not to mention, we had the largest graduating class in the history of Paramount High School. More than 950 students successfully completed their high school experience.

“The District also received State recognition for implementing a model School Attendance Review Board, we had more MESA award winners from Long Beach State and USC than ever before, and our Career Technical Education student awards included a gold medal in the division of Fine Arts, Special Effects and Specialty Graphics work.

“Paramount Uniﬁed and the City afterschool STAR program provided after-school tutoring, recreation, homework assistance and nutrition to more than 1,500 students and is considered a State Model program.

“The high school choir program, under the direction of the 2011 L.A. Music Center Bravo Award winner Mrs. Sandra Wilson-Espinoza, auditioned for and was selected to perform in

reality for many local students. Over the years, 157 scholarships worth $425,000 have gone to Paramount kids attending a university, community college or trade school to help cover their costs.

For some of these students, it has made the difference in whether or not they could continue their education. For all recipients, it has been important assistance.

This April will provide a fresh opportunity to boost another group of individuals who are working to improve their education and forge a bright future.

All donations will be made to the PEP 501c3 non-proﬁt entity, and will be tax deductible.

There will be a variety of ways that donor businesses will receive publicity for taking part.

The fundraiser features great food and lots of fun casino-type games, all for a very good cause.

Your donation is an important investment in our community.

If interested in sponsorships or other contributions, please contact Suleyma Rosales at (562) 220-2121 or srosales@paramountcity.com.

the invitation only Winter Holiday Disneyland Choir performance. The Paramount High School Men’s Varsity Soccer team has won the CIF championship for three consecutive years, and is rated 5th in the Nation. In addition, the soccer coach, PHS graduate Rafa Villaseñor, was named the Western Region National H.S. Coach of the Year and a candidate for the USA National Coach of the Year.

The Men’s Varsity Football team captured the San Gabriel Valley League co-championship in 2012 and the Ladies Tennis team won the league championship.

“Buena Vista Continuation School is being considered as a State Model continuation school. Frank J. Zamboni Middle School was recognized as a School to Watch – Taking Center Stage School, an extremely prestigious honor. Zamboni is one of the only 12 middle schools in the entire state to be recognized.”

Special guest speaker L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe addressed concerns regarding the proposed Storm Water Parcel Tax. Knabe said he was opposed to the parcel tax as written and felt it should be put before the voters like any other tax. Knabe said the proposal lacked clarity and was not projectspeciﬁc. He was also concerned that there were no exceptions for businesses or individuals who may have already implemented procedures or improvement projects to mitigate the storm water runoff.

Additional speakers included Mayor Peggy Lemons, who thanked the community for their support, and credited Paramount’s ability to weather the storm to a spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility.

Chamber President Leonard Crespo was Master of Ceremonies and echoed BenedettiLeal’s sentiments about a tough year. Crespo encouraged guests to read a report regarding Chamber activity for 2012. Highlights included: distribution of 240,000 Pulse Beats and 375 Welcome to Paramount packets; one-on-one business counseling provided to 189 clients; business workshops; a Job Fair attended by more than 300 jobseekers; and the launch of the Chamber’s new Facebook page.

The event ended with special thanks to the sponsor, Paramount Petroleum, and the giving away of centerpieces sponsored by The Gas Company.

Chamber Happenings

Doctors Hung Dang and Ramona Sabbaghian are joined by Chamber and City ofﬁcials as well as staff and friends for the grand opening of Villa Dental. Villa Dental offers general, cosmetic, implants, orthodontics, and periodontics services. Their ofﬁce is located at 15717 Paramount Blvd., Ste. C., for more information or to schedule an appointment call 562.602.1200.

Gus and Esther Exiga owners of Gusʼs Deli, BBQ & Grill celebrate the grand re-opening of Gusʼs Deli formerly known as Eastern Meats & Deli. The restaurant/deli which was established more than 30 years ago recently underwent a major remodel and name change. Gusʼs offers a wide variety of restaurant menu options in addition to catering, deli and meat counter services. Gusʼs may be found at 8320 Alondra Blvd. in Paramount, for more information or to place an order call 562. 630.2802.

Sergio and Orlando Beltran owners of the 7 Eleven convenience store located at 14160 Paramount Blvd., are joined by Chamber members, City and Chamber Ofﬁcials, family and friends for the grand opening of their second store. The brothers ﬁrst store opened in Baldwin Park two years ago and is very successful. Sergio and Orlando say they are excited about being part of the Paramount community and look forward to serving its residents. The store offers a variety of everyday food and household items, in addition to several prepared foods for lunch or dinner. For more information call 562. 529.7700.

Mariscos Mi Lindo Sinaloa owners, Joaquin and Aurora Lopez celebrate the opening of their restaurant with a ribbon cutting. The Lopezʼs were joined by Chamber and City Ofﬁcials, staff members, and special guest Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard who presented them with a certiﬁcate of congratulations for the grand opening. Mariscos Mi Lindo Sinaloa is located at 7610 Rosecrans Ave., in Paramount. The menu has lots of choices including a variety of seafoods. For more information call 562. 531.4282.

To view more event photos log on to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ParamountChamber

Mexican Restaurant Happy St. Patrick’s Day from our Family to Yours

11:00 am - 10:00 pm Fri. - Sat. 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Tanner ‘s 65th Wedding Anniversary

CALIFORNIA OUTREACH ORGANIZATION

ALEXANDER HAST (310) 926-7699, 15929 GARFIELD AVE, PARAMOUNT

WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US WITH HANDLING AND GIVING OUT THE FOOD & FOR DONORS WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP US WITH FOOD OR MONEY CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. PLEASE CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION

Now hiring, AUTO MECHANIC, BODY AND PAINT TECH., AND OUTSIDE SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER. Email Heraldsgarage@gmail.com or visit Herald’s Garage 8124 E. Alondra Blvd., Paramount.

George and Lois Tanner recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Joining the celebration were their son Lloyd and his wife Diane, and their children Gregory and Tarayn, daughter Mari and her husband K.C., and their daughters Hailey and Sophia. George age 90 came to Paramount (then Clearwater) when he was three months old. His wife Lois, age 86 was born in Paramount (then Clearwater), George and Lois are proud Paramount residents and plan to make Paramount their ﬁnal stop in life.

Quality Claims Service Makes a Difference!

By Maria F. Galli State Farm Insurance 562-817-5620

Headaches, hassles, and unnecessary strain in life can be reduced by researching the quality of claims service a company offers before purchasing an auto insurance policy. There are a few key areas to research when grading the quality of claim service provided by an auto insurer: customer satisfaction ratings, customer choices and professionalism of claim representatives.

Quality claim service means prompt response and payment for what is owed for damage and quality repair work. But after an auto crash, some other intangibles can make the claims process much less stressful. Some questions to ask when shopping for auto insurance include:

• Is the person who sells me the policy, the same person I can trust to report a claim?

• Will there be someone who can answer my questions if I have one?

• Will I have my choice of body shops to repair my vehicle?

Another measure of quality claim service is customer choice. Not only choosing the auto body repair shop, but even the choices you have in communi-

cating with the company. With today’s hectic lifestyles, some companies offer options to report claims in person, on the phone or even online, 24 hours a day. Once the claim has been reported, you want to be kept informed and updated on the claim process. These multiple choice options for communicating can go a long way to making sure the claims process is as quick and easy as possible

Finally, professional claim handling can eliminate the unnecessary stresses related to an auto crash. Professional claim handling requires special skills. Claim adjusters need to empathize with the client’s situation to establish good communication and assist them in making a claim—the professional needs to turn the anxiety of a customer not knowing what to expect into conﬁdence that the claim will be handled fairly and quickly.

A car crash is already a stressful time in anyone’s life. But the quality of claim service can differentiate insurance company A from company B. Knowing that you’ve researched this before buying an auto insurance policy will give you an added confidence when the unexpected happens. Start by asking your local insurance agent about quality claim service.

CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR BY CUTTING YOUR TAXES

Vicky Uisprapassorn, EA, ATA,ATP

Vicky Professional Services, Inc. (562) 634-1178

Many people don’t realize that sound tax strategies are part of a solid personal ﬁnancial plan. So what’s practical and effective for some taxpayers may not be the best strategy for others. However, regardless of your ﬁnancial goals, it’s important to look at possible tax strategies now so you can generate tax savings for the entire year. Here are some of the best ways you can save tax dollars this year.

1. First look at the big picture: Establish your investment goals and your insurance, education, and retirement needs. Make sure you understand the beneﬁts that your company can offer you. Tax savings strategies will only make sense to you when you have a ﬁnancial plan.

2. Make your retirement plan contribution now: Even you can’t take a deduction for your contribution, remember the money you put into the plan will compound on a tax deferred basis. Don’t wait until the end of the year because you will lose the beneﬁt of compounding. Be careful however, that you won’t need the money until you are age 59 1/2. Earlier withdrawals may incur an IRS penalty.

3. Make the maximum allowable salary contribution to your company’s 401 (k) plan: If your company makes matching contributions, the return on your investment is immediate. Furthermore, the tax on your 401 (k) plan is deferred. Extra beneﬁt; many 401 (k) plans offer borrowing privileges to participants.

4. Don’t be trapped by the Alternative Minimum Tax: If you have large itemized deductions or donate large charitable gifts of appreciated property, you may be subject to the alternative minimum tax. If you are an ATM target, your tax plans may need to be drastically changed. Make sure to protect against the ATM at the beginning of the year, not the end when it may be too late to change strategies.

5. Use your W-2 withholding wisely: Consider changing the amount withheld from your paycheck. Deliberately overpaying the IRS doesn’t make sense. If your ﬁnancial situation changes during the year,

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you can always adjust your W-2 withholding upward. Your goal should be to pay no more and no less than your actual taxes for the year.

6. Use debt to save taxes: Although personal interest is no longer deductible, home mortgage interest, investment interest and business interest are still deductible with certain limitations. Now is the time to retire your personal debt and take advantage of fully deductible interest.

7. Shift income to save taxes: Use gifts as a tax sheltered way to shift income to children who are in a lower tax bracket. The maximum amount that a parent can give tax-free to each child is $14,000.00 a year. If a husband and wife make a joint gift, the maximum is $28,000.00. If your child is no longer your dependent and not subject to the kiddie tax, the earning on your gift to the child are taxes at the child’s tax bracket, which may be lower than yours. If you are supporting your elderly parents, you can use the same strategy for making an annual gift to them. If your parents are in lower tax bracket than you, you’ll save taxes by transferring income-producing assets to them. The sooner you make the gift, the more taxes you’ll save. The same limits apply to gifts to parents as to gifts to children.

8. Use Treasury bill to defer tax on interest income: Buy one year or less Treasury bill that come due in January of 2014. Since the T-bill interest isn’t taxable until the T-bill comes due, you can shift almost a full year of interest income onto 2014.

9. Invite business contact to your house: You can deduct 50 percent of the cost of business meals, even if the meals are served in your house. Of course, the meal must be a business meal, and you must keep a record of who was there and what business discussions took place.

10. Review your 2012 tax return to ﬁnd items that can be carried over to 2013: For example, you have capital loss carryovers from 2012, you can offset your 2013 capital gains by a like amount. Additional carryovers include net operating losses, charitable deductions, investments interest expense, and various tax credit.

Don’t forget to check with your tax professional for advice before you apply any of these strategies to your tax planning.

Pathways Volunteer Hospice Presents .... The Graduate

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me” uttered Ben Braddock to a predatory Mrs. Robinson. This is easily one of the most famous lines in American cinematic history. The 1967 classic ﬁlm The Graduate, based on the novel by Charles Webb, captures a unique perspective of a mesmerizing decade. We follow a naive Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate, who returns home only to get thrown into a web of deceit, lust and love—all the while, trying to ﬁgure out his heart’s true desire. As his story unfolds, he begins to discover a thing or two about the intricacies of his precarious life.

Join Pathways Volunteer Hospice invites you to join them for a special night out with family and friends at the Long Beach Playhouse on March 21st.

Enjoy a private performance of the play adaptation of this iconic story and enjoy complimentary beverages before the show. Then later, during intermission, Pathways board members and volunteers will be on hand to serve you complimentary coffee, wine and dessert. The doors open at 7:00 p.m. and curtain call is 7:30 p.m.

Ticket prices are only $25 dollars and all proceeds go to beneﬁt the many programs and services offered by Pathways at no charge to the local community.

Location: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim Street, Long Beach, CA 90804, (562) 494-1014. Please call Pathways for more information, tickets and reservations562-531-3031 or visit website at www. pathwayshospice.org.

10 Tips for Better Time Management

What’s the one thing that small business owners never seem to have enough of? No, it’s not customers, inventory or capital—it’s time. If you’re constantly wishing that there were more than 24 hours in a day, try these 10 tips to better manage your time.

1. Harness your natural rhythms. Do you notice that you have more energy in the mornings, or that you’re most creative late at night? Whenever possible, take advantage of these natural energy cycles. For instance, if you’re more energetic in the morning, schedule key tasks such as client meetings, brainstorming sessions or long-range planning then.

2. Choose a scheduling system. Having your to-do list and appointments written down in multiple places causes confusion. Create one electronic calendar you can access anywhere, such as iCal, Outlook or Google Calendar, and put all your commitments there. Simplify scheduling by sharing it with your assistant.

3. Make appointments with yourself. Important but non-urgent tasks like strategic planning often get pushed aside by urgent tasks like dealing with a customer crisis. Set aside time each week to work on long-term issues in your business, and treat this time as you would an appointment with your biggest customer.

4. Manage interruptions. Interruptions can’t be avoided, but they can be managed. Try building in a 15-minute cushion between appointments to account for interruptions; closing your door for a set time each day so you can focus; and turning off sound alerts on your computer so you don’t get distracted every time a new email arrives.

5. Get a grip on email. Try checking your email just three times a day—in the morning, before lunch and in the late afternoon. Train your team to eliminate unnecessary emails and avoid “reply all.” Consider holding a “no email” day (or afternoon) once a week so people can focus on work uninterrupted.

6. Limit meetings. Hold meetings only when necessary and keep them

as brief as possible. (Holding meetings standing up can encourage brevity.) Start on time, and people who are habitually late will quickly learn to show up on time.

7. Use technology. There are apps to help you do everything faster, from scanning receipts to sharing contact information to taking notes and more. Search “business productivity apps” online, and ask your colleagues what apps they rely on, to ﬁnd the best ones for you.

8. Pare down. Are you participating in organizations, reading industry publications or using outdated processes that no longer add value to your business? Look for ways to simplify and streamline, whether by canceling memberships, unsubscribing from emails or revamping business processes.

9. Delegate. Trying to do everything themselves is a common time-waster for small business owners. Determine which tasks only you can perform, then train your employees to take over the rest. Yes, training will take a little time upfront, but it will save you time in the long run.

10. Get enough rest and exercise. It sounds counterintuitive, but taking time out to exercise and get adequate sleep will give you the energy to get through your day more effectively and productively.

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Before launching her business, she was Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. Rieva Lesonsky also works with the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network. The SBDC is a group of successful small business owners helping fellow entrepreneurs start, sustain, and grow their business through low-cost workshops and free one-on-one consulting in business planning, ﬁnance, marketing, and various other specialty areas (Spanish speaking consultants available). To make an appointment call: (562) 9385100, or email: sbdcinfo@lbcc.edu

Make A Difference ✩ Join A Service Club

Serving the community since 1946, the Paramount Lions have been actively participating in and providing donations to support local programs such as PEP (Paramount Education Partnership), Relay for Life, City of Hope, youth sports, food banks, and eye care for families in need.

Come join our dedicated members as we build friendships and partnerships with a common goal of giving back to the community.

Join us for lunch: Thursdays --12:30-1:30 Casa Gamino Restaurant

8330 Alondra Blvd.

Google us: Paramount Lions Club Call us: 562.716.5859

ELKS LODGE 1804

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

Meetings every Monday night 730pm

HALL FOR RENT

Weddings * Quinceaneras * Birthdays Max 250 people

8108 E. Alondra Blvd • 562 633-1804 www.paramountelks.org

Paramount Rotary Club has served the Community since 1954

The Rotary Club is an organization of local business and professional people who supply humanitarian assistance to primarily local residents. Among its many services, the Club’s members personally provide:

• college/technical school scholarships to graduating Paramount students, • clothing to qualiﬁed Paramount children, • holiday season food and gift support to qualiﬁed Paramount families and, • books and educational materials to Guatemalan students, reconstructive cleft palate and clubfoot surgery to Mexican children.

The Club raises funds for community services through its annual Paramount Rotary Golf Tournament.

The Club meets 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 Berg at 562-630-1200 ext. 219 or Secretary Duane Mahan at 562-634-0234. Please visit our website at ClubRunner.ca/Paramount . We hope to see you soon!