State of the City – 2015
The Paramount Chamber of Commerce recently held its annual State of the City Address at Paramount Park Plaza. The event was sponsored by Paramount Petroleum and more than 150 business and community leaders were in attendance.
Jon Tanklage, President of the Paramount Chamber began by saying, “The Paramount Chamber’s focus has been and always will be to promote economic growth in the City of Paramount. We do this by encouraging local spending, and raising awareness about the products and services that are available in the community.” Tanklage then spoke about various programs and services provided by the Chamber including; printing 240,000 copies of the Pulse Beat, packaging welcome packets which are hand delivered via their partnership with Emmanuel Reformed Church, offering free business counseling to entrepreneurs and business owners, hosting monthly educational workshops, providing monthly Networking Breakfasts, and putting on community events including; The State of the City Address, Job Fair, Golf Classic, Paramount Carnival and Community Fair, and a Poker Tournament. He closed by saying, “I work with a lot of great people at the Chamber and have honestly benefitted from the relationships I’ve made as a member. The staff does great work, and the Board of Directors, and Ambassadors are a truly committed group of individuals. We hope you like what we’re doing and continue to support the Chamber in its efforts to promote Paramount.”
Following Tanklage was Paramount Unified School District Superintendent Herman Mendez. The Superintendent began by introducing the award winning Paramount High school choir under the direction of Sandra Wilson-Espinoza.
Paramount Chamber of Commerce pulse beat
15357 Paramount Boulevard, Paramount, CA 90723
Their performance was entertaining and well received by those in attendance.
Mendez began his presentation by saying “Our school moniker or tag line states Great things are happening in Paramount Schools, and along with our Board of Education, who are here today, we have indeed many examples to be proud of that support the statement.” Graduation rates are at their highest level, dropout rates continue to decline, students continue to receive the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship (18 so far), Paramount schools are recognized
for their quality programs and include 3 Designated National Forum Schools to Watch middle schools, a 2014 California Model Continuation School and five Honor Roll schools recognized by the 2013 California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) organization.
To prepare students for the future the district is focusing on the 4 Cs – the skills of collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. He then spoke about the districts career and technical education (CTE) programs available to students ; Engineering, Medical
and Media. He then shared the following statistics about CTE programs; high school students involved in CTE are more engaged, perform better and have higher graduation rates. A person with a CTE-related associate degree or credential will earn on average $4,000 - $19,000 more a year than a person with a humanities associate degree. In Connecticut, every public dollar invested in community colleges returns $16.40 over the course of a students’ career, and the state’s economy receives $5 billion annually in income from this investment. CTE addresses
the needs of high-growth industries and helps close the skills gap. He closed by saying skilled trades are the hardest jobs to fill in the United States, with recent data citing 806,000 jobs open in the trade, transportation and utilities sector and 293,000 jobs open in manufacturing. Health care occupations, many of which require an associate degree or less, make up 12 of the 20 fastest growing occupations. After Superintendent Mendez spoke Mayor Diane Martinez briefly addressed the audi-
Continued on Page 13
Paramount City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal at the 2015 State of the City address.
Chamber President Jon Tanklage
PUSD Superintendent Herman Mendez
Mayor Diane Martinez
City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal
The City will present “Smarts, Arts & Healthy Hearts” this summer, a celebration of academic achievers, local artists, and the City’s focus on fitness.
“Smarts, Arts & Healthy Hearts” will take place on Saturday, June 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Paramount Park.
If you are an artist living or going to school in Paramount and would like to show your work at the event, please contact the Paramount Recreation Department at (562) 220-2121.
ing to a close this month, I want to thankbers for giving me the opportunity and the honor to serve in this capacity. Being a lifelong resident of Paramount, I know what a great, caring, committed community this is, from the high school students who volunteer around town to our older folks who gather regularly at our Senior Center. I’m proud to be associated with all the fantastic people that call our City home and who make it such a fine place to live, work, and play.
Pitching In
Art can be in a variety of media – painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, multi-media, and more. It can simply be exhibited or offered for sale.
Speaking of the people who make Paramount great, special acknowledgement is due for the volunteers who took part in the latest “Pitch In, Paramount”
We will provide a booth, a table, and chairs. Artists are responsible for arranging and displaying their artwork and need to be present during the length of the event. They are also responsible for the breakdown of the display.
Walk With Me at Relay For Life
The American Cancer Society’s annual Relay For Life offers an opportunity to honor cancer survivors, promote how individuals can reduce their cancer risk, and raise money to help end cancer. This year’s Paramount Relay for Life is scheduled for Saturday morning, May 3, at 9:00 a.m. at Paramount Park and goes for 24 hours.
I will be taking part with the Mayor
Martinez Marchers. Come out and join us. It only takes an hour and a minimum donation of $10. For more information, please call (562) 743-3555.
Resident Rates and Season Passes for Summer Swimming
clean-up day on Saturday, Jan. 31. A total of 67 individuals from Paramount High School and West Campus, the high school ROTC, and Emmanuel Reformed and Lifegate Foursquare churches joined together to help out. They painted over graffiti on both the east and west sides of the railroad right-of-way between Jefferson and Monroe, covering about 3,225 feet of vandalized surface.
Thank you for your dedication to Paramount.
Free Electronic Waste Pick Up
As you may know, all of your old electronic equipment that you no longer want cannot be thrown away in the trash – it must be recycled, by state law. These are items such as computers, televisions, microwaves, cell phones, telephones, stereos, typewriters, fax machines, and more.
With summer just around the corner, swim season is near for our City pools. Paramount residents and PUSD families can receive special rates for recreational swimming at the Paramount Park pool – $1 per entry for youth (ages 17 and under) and $2 per entry for adults. In order to qualify for these resident rates you will need an identification band, which can be purchased for $1 and is good for the entire summer. Be sure and bring it with you every time you visit the pool this year. (Per-visit rates for non-residents or those without an ID band are $3 for youth and $4 for adults.)
CalMet Services, the City’s trash hauler, offers easy curbside pick-up of this electronic waste.
The collection is free and available to homes, apartments, and mobile home parks in Paramount. To schedule a pickup, call CalMet at (562) 259-1239 at least one day before your normal trash day. Then place the e-waste at your curbside on trash day.
You can buy the ID bands beginning on May 19 at the Community Services and Recreation Office at 15300 Downey Ave. They can also be purchased at Paramount Park Pool beginning June 14. Proof of residency (photo ID and current utility bill) or proof of PUSD enrollment (current-year school ID) are required to obtain an ID band.
Haul Away Large Trash Items, Don’t
Dump Them
Also available to residents and PUSD families this summer are season passes for use at both Paramount Park and Orange pools.
These passes ($20 Youth/$30 Adult) will provide you with admission to the pools all summer without having to pay the entrance fee each time you go. In addition, they will give you priority entry during recreational swim hours. If you buy a pass, you do not need to purchase or wear the aforementioned ID bands. But you do need to show the same proof of residency or PUSD enrollment as mentioned above.
It’s also illegal to dump anything in the alleys, streets, sidewalks, or public
families. A special registration event will be held at Progress Plaza East (15500 Downey Ave.) on May 19 only from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Remember to bring proof of residency (photo ID and current utility bill) or proof of PUSD enrollment (current-year school ID), with you, along with proof of age.
rights-of-way in Paramount. Not only is it a major blemish on our landscape and quality of life, but it could create a health hazard, too. Also, owners of property adjacent to where such dumping occurs can be fined.
But there is an easy way to dispose of large items like furniture or appliances that won’t fit in a regular trash container.
Cal-Met Services will pick them up for free from residential customers.
Starting on May 20, you can register in person at the Community Services and Recreation Offi ce (15300 Downey Ave., Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) and Paramount Park Community Center (14400 Paramount Blvd., Monday - Thursday, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.).
Call (562) 259-1239, extension 244, on the day before your normal trash pick-up and tell them you have bulky items to be collected. Then place those items on the curb with your trash.
You can register online (www.paramountcity.com on the Parks & Recreation page) starting May 20. If you don’t have an online account already, you will need to create one at the Recreation Department office at 15300 Downey Ave. Again, bring proof of residency or PUSD enrollment and proof of age.
Keep in mind that things like lumber, concrete, auto parts, and toxins such as paint and used motor oil cannot be removed in this way.
The service is free for single-family residences and multi-family properties with trash barrels, not bins. For residential properties with trash bins and for commercial accounts there is a $16.96 per item charge.
All registration for non-residents begins June 2.
For more information, please call (562) 220-2121.
Keep Recycling Used Motor Oil
Sign Up for Summer Day Camp
Also on May 19, residents can register either online or at the Recreation Office (15300 Downey Ave.) for the City’s Summer Day Camp.
To further this round-up of recycling/ disposal options in town, if you have used motor oil don’t pour it on the ground or down a storm drain or put it in a container and toss in the trash. It would contaminate and pollute the soil, groundwater, rivers,
Children ages 5 to 12 are eligible to participate in the camp, which runs from
and the ocean. Plus, it’s illegal. But dirty motor oil can be cleaned and used again. There are easy ways to dispose of the spent lubricant, as well as the dirty filters, in Paramount.
June 16 through August 8. The cost is $75 per week, per child, and the program operates from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for July 4.
In addition to being a safe and fun place to spend the summer, the camp also provides a healthy breakfast and lunch, as well as swim lessons.
The two convenient Certified Collection Centers in town are:
O’Reilly Auto Parts, 15725 Downey Avenue, (562) 272-1433.
For more information, please call (562) 220-2121.
Zippy Lube, 14066 Garfield Ave., (562) 808-2133.
Temporary Parking Permits For RVs
(It’s a good idea to call before taking oil and filters into the centers.)
Also with summer in mind, and the possibility of friends or relatives coming for a visit, here’s a brief review of the City’s Recreational Vehicle (RV) parking ordinance.
RVs registered to Paramount addresses cannot be parked on public streets within the City. But the City allows for the temporary on-street parking of RVs that are not registered to a Paramount address.
Paramount residents have done a great job of increasing their oil recycling numbers over the years. Back in 2010/2011, for example, 2,000 gallons were collected. The latest figures, for 2013/2014, are 11,560 gallons, along with more than 500 oil filters. Keep up the good work! For more information on recycling used oil, or for other drop off locations, please call 1-888-CLEAN-LA.
Here are some recycling tips:
The permit must be obtained by a resident and the vehicle must be parked in front of their address.
• Do not mix oil with anything else; contaminated oil is not accepted at recycling centers.
• Carry oil in clean, non-breakable containers – not metal containers.
• Do not mix oil with bleach, paint, solvents, or automotive fluids.
For out of town visitors, permits may be issued for a maximum of 31 days per household per calendar year. Permits will be issued for a maximum of 14 consecutive days per permit with a 72-hour timeframe between permits.
• Maximum container size accepted is five gallons.
The vehicle will be moved for street sweeping.
• Maximum drop-off is 20 gallons per day.
For more information, please call (562) 220-2002.
“It takes true strength of character to redefine your limits by pushing past them.”
“Until we’re educating every kid in a fantastic way, until every inner city is cleaned up, there is no shortage of things to do.”
– Katherine Reutter
– Bill Gates
Please call (562) 220-2121 with any questions.
Swim Lesson Registration
Registration for summer swim lessons begins on May 19 for residents and PUSD
Talking or Texting on Cell Phones
While Driving – Not Worth
Its name is a reference to a law enforcement radio code: 999. It means, “Officer needs emergency help.” But, in this case, it’s not a reference to an officer in need. It’s a reference to children in need.
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:
• 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.
• If something falls to the floor, pull over before trying to reach it.
Project LEAD Sending Positive Message to Paramount Fifth Graders
“999 for Kids” was created in 1985 through a joint effort of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the County’s Department of Children and Family Services. The two county agencies began working together after they recognized a need to help physically and mentally challenged children who are medically vulnerable or are victims of the most severe cases of child abuse, neglect and family violence.
• Talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.
• Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph. Most crashes happen with less than three seconds reaction time.
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.
The program raises money to purchase special items and services for these children, including sport wheelchairs, computers, special education classes, medically oriented toys and games. The funds send children to summer camps for the deaf, blind, and those with other medical issues who would not otherwise have such positive experiences.
• 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.
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.
Many deputies and their colleagues in other law enforcement agencies support 999 for Kids on their own time, too, holding fundraising events including an annual team relay swim from Catalina Island to Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.
One example of how 999 For Kids helps can be found at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, which received 54 DVD players from the group, providing the hospital with a valuable tool for hospitalized children.
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.
Sadly, too many young people first become acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.
“We’re so grateful that 999 for Kids chose Miller Children’s for such a generous donation,” Rita Goshert of the hospital’s Child Life Department said in a statement. “Watching videos serves as a wonderful distraction for hospitalized children, so this donation will help patients and their families cope with hospitalization.”
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.
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.
Identifying children’s needs and meeting them — that’s the goal of 999 for Kids, whether the need is for a group of children, like those at Miller Children’s Hospital, or for an individual, like Samira, who’s 17 and legally blind. She loves to write short stories, and she came to DCFS attention due to her mother’s refusal to provide necessary medical care, causing Samira to suffer from depression. The withdrawn Samira was placed in foster care, and has improved with counseling.
• 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.
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.
Upon being made aware of Samira’s need, 999 For Kids purchased a $9,000 specialized Braille machine that allows Samira to communicate and read in comfort – enhancing her experiences in home and at school.
• Make a pact with your family, spouse, and caregivers never to use the phone with kids in the car.
Summer Vacation Home Checks
Sheriff’s Cmdr. Warren R. Asmus said 999 for Kids couldn’t do any of these things without contributions from the supporters of the Sheriff’s youth Foundation.
• 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.
With summertime approaching, remember that if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time, you can schedule a home check.
“The children that are brought to the attention of 999 For Kids are the victims of the worst cases of physical and emotional abuse,” Asmus said. “Without the generous support of our donors, we’d be unable to provide the crucial assistance these children so desperately need, and we sincerely appreciate the support.”
• No watching videos.
• Try not to get too involved with passengers.
– Provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
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.
Don’t Leave Personal Paperwork in Your Car
Here’s a tip to help you avoid being the victim of identity theft. Never leave Social Security cards, passports, birth certificates, vehicle pink slips, income tax records, checkbooks, or payroll stubs in your unattended car, even in the glove compartment.
Simple Strategies for Better Event Marketing
Friday, May 16, 2014 - 10am to 12pm
Thieves breaking into vehicles are often looking for these types of documents. Keep them at home in a safe location.
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
Living Tree Foundation Ribbon Cutting
Paramount Chamber President Jon Tanklage presents Living Tree founders rick and Lupe rodriguez with a certificate of congratulations from the Paramount Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber and City Officials join Living Tree Foundation for their ribbon cutting ceremony.
Deadline Approaching for Scholarship Submissions
If you are a Paramount resident or PUSD student planning on continuing your education career in college, you have until March 27 to apply for a PEP college scholarship.
you can get an application in the following places:
Hard copies are at Paramount City Hall, the Paramount City yard/Recreation Office, the Chamber of Commerce, the Paramount Library, and the Paramount Petroleum Community Learning Center at Spane Park. Copies can also be downloaded on the City of Paramount website homepage (www.paramountcity.com) and on the Paramount Unified School District website (www.paramount.k12.ca.us).
(These applications are for current college students and non-PUSD applicants. Graduating seniors at Paramount High School will complete the Common Scholarship Application that allows them to apply to seven other local scholarships, in addition to PEP, with just the one application. These are available through their academic counselors.)
Scholarships of between $1,000 and $4,000 are awarded to students attending community colleges, vocational/ trade/ technical schools, and four-year universities.
Finished applications need to be turned into Paramount City Hall, 16400 Colorado Avenue, Paramount, CA 90723, either in person or by mail, by the end of the day on Friday, March 27.
Eat a Great Meal While Donating to PEP
On Tuesday, March 24, Gus’s Deli will be hosting a Pennies for PEP fundraiser. A full 40% of what you spend from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (excluding of alcohol and deli meats) will be donated to PEP and go toward funding college scholarships for local students.
Gus’s is located at 8320 Alondra Blvd., Paramount.
Weber Metals Offering Scholarships
Weber Metals, an international aluminum and titanium forging supplier specializing in the aerospace and electronics/semiconductor industries, and which has been located in Paramount since 1945, is offering five $2,000 scholarships for students currently enrolled as full-time undergraduates at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school. (High school students are not eligible.)
The Weber Metals Forge your Future Today Scholarships are available to students studying manufacturing, mechanical aerospace, industrial design, electrical engineering, mining, material science, or quality assurance.
To apply, complete an online application at: sms.scholarshipamerica.org/ webermetals.
The deadline to apply is March 31.
Paramount Chamber Golf Classic
Scott Henderson Memorial Scholarship Concert to Benefit Student Scholarships
The 2015 Scott Henderson Memorial Scholarship concert will showcase the most outstanding students from the Applied Music Program at Cerritos College. Proceeds from the concert support the Scott Henderson Memorial Scholarship, which was established in memory of long-time music faculty member Scott Henderson. The scholarship benefits students in the Cerritos College Applied Music Program.
Friday, March 27, - 7 p.m.
Burnight Center Theatre, Cerritos College 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk, CA 90650
Pre-sale: General $12, ASCC discount, staff, faculty, seniors, middle and high school students (all w/ID) $10, Child (5-12) $8 (children under 5 not permitted) - At Door: General $15, ASCC discount, faculty, staff, seniors, middle and high school students (all w/ID) $12, Child (5-12) $10 (children under 5 not permitted)
Tickets may be purchased online (credit card only) at http://cms.cerritos.edu/music/ concerts/default.htm or at the box office one hour prior to the performance (cash only).
For more information, please call (562) 860- 2451 ext. 2629 or visit www.cerritos. edu/music.
Gamino Have a Heart fundraiser
r ecently Pathway’s Volunteer Hospice partnered with Casa Gamino restaurant for their Have a Heart fundraiser; customers were able to make a donation for which they received a heart to sign and place on the restaurant wall. From left; Paramount City Councilmember Peggy Lemons, Owner of Casa Gamino Gloria Gamino, Paramount Councilmember Gene Daniels, City of Paramount Mayor Diane Martinez.
Clubs & Organizations
PARAMOUNT LIONS ANNOUNCE 2015 WINNER OF STUDENT SPEAKER CONTEST
The topic for this year’s 78th Annual Lions Club Student Speaker Contest was “Water Conservation-How Can We Reduce, Recycle and Reclaim?”
The Paramount Lions recently held their Club Level contest with three students (Avery De La Cruz, Carlos Loera, and Ricardo Santos) from Paramount High and two students (Maria Garcia and Stephanie Perez) from Dominguez High. Avery De La Cruz, 11th grade student at Paramount High School, was chosen as this year’s winner and received a $100 cash prize, runners-up each received a $25 cash prize.
Avery advances to the Zone Level competition which will be held on Thursday,
March 5, at 7 pm in Bellflower.
Lions Club Co-Chair, Bea Proo said, “Each year these students work hard to prepare and practice their speeches. Some of them are return competitors and we delight in seeing how their public speaking skills improve. The Paramount Lions extend heartfelt congratulations to each of the students for a job well done. We also thank the two coaches, Autumn Bignami-Paramount High and Peter Sunnarborg-Dominguez High- for their role in instilling the value of public speaking and competition in their students.”
The ultimate winner of the six levels of competition will garner $21,400 in scholarships and cash prizes.
Vicky Professional Services, Inc. – 25 Years of Quality –
starting a business – and making it thrive – is a tough road to travel. It is no small achievement to reach certain milestones. In February, Vicky Professional Services, Inc., a mainstay of the Paramount business community, celebrated an impressive highpoint, its 25th anniversary of providing accounting and tax services for small- and mediumsized businesses.
“We take great pride in having been here for 25 years,” said company founder and namesake Vicky Uisprapassorn. “We’ve been through riots, recessions, and much more. We started from scratch and now have around 1,000 clients. And we keep adding more, all through our dedication and good service. Our staff goes out of its way to supply the best service possible.”
Expert knowledge and professionalism sets the company apart, along with personalized attention. “The client is number one. They know we will do it right,” Vicky added.
The team of committed employees has made Vicky Professional Services, Inc. well known and has delivered its longevity. “Without our employees we wouldn’t be here,” Vicky said. “It’s a group effort. Our staff is conversant in the latest technology and all are highly educated.”
Vicky, herself, has 40 years of education and specialty training. She is also an Enrolled Agent, certified by the IRS to represent taxpayers before a Tax Court of Appeals anywhere in the U. S. Her expertise and experience in taxation has earned her several certifications in addition to Enrolled Agent, including Accredited Tax Preparer and Accredited Tax Advisor, these last two given by the Accreditation Council for Accounting and Taxation.
She also has high praise for Cecilia Tascon, the CPA who has been with the company for its full quarter century. “She is a great asset and has helped me reach this milestone,” Vicky said. “In accounting, a CPA is the top of the profession. Cecilia is the best I’ve seen in all my years of business.”
The company offers a remarkable array of services. These include income taxes for businesses and individuals. Creating business entities (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietors, etc.) and then performing the required accounting and tax records after the business is established (keeping the books all year long, then preparing the returns come tax season). Payroll and auditing. Worker’s comp management.
Vicky Professional Services, Inc. also provides human resources services, having written or assisted with the employee
manuals for many of its clients.
They have a unique proficiency, as well, in working with property investors, something most income tax services do not offer. In addition, Vicky Professional Services, Inc. is one of the largest bi-lingual tax specialists in the region.
“We handle doctors, dentists, manufacturers, distributors, restaurants, retail, businesses of all kinds, out of state companies, too,” Vicky said. “Our success is based on our expertise and commitment. And we guarantee our work. It all goes to making our clients feel secure.
“We’ve maintained steady growth over these two and half decades by adding services for
our clients,” Vicky continued. “For example, everyone in the office is an accountant or bookkeeper, as well as a notary public. Details like that have led many of our clients to stay with us for all 25 years. We’re going to continue that pace and that quality service. And we’re going to continue serving this community. We’ve had great support from the City and the Chamber of Commerce, where we’ve been a member since 1990.”
Vicky Professional Services, Inc. is located at 15975 Paramount Blvd., Suite A, Paramount, CA 90723; (562) 634-1178. you can also visit www.vickyprofessionalservices.com.
EA, ATP, ATA
Agent, Accredited Tax Preparer, Accredited
Vicky Professional Services President and Staff – From left: Maria Luisa Aguilera (payroll specialist), karla Michelle Magana (accountant), Sara Aguilera (administrative assistant), Cecilia Tascon, CPA (Certified Public Accountant, office manager), and, seated, Vicky Uisprapassorn,
(founder, President, Enrolled
Tax Advisor).
Vicky Uisprapassorn owner of Vicky Professional Services was joined by elected officials, chamber members, family, friends, and staff in celebration of 25 years in business.
Genesis Coronado representing the office of Congresswoman Lucille roybal-Allard presents Vicky with a certificate from the Congresswoman.
ronald Gonzales-Lawrence representing Assemblyman Anthony rendon presents Vicky with a certificate of recognition.
Julia Juarez representing the Office of Senator Lara makes a presentation to Vicky.
Paramount City Councilmember Peggy Lemons presents Vicky with a proclamation from the City recognizing her 25th anniversary.
Chamber President Jon Tanklage (Marukan Vinegar USA) presents Vicky with a certificate of congratulations on behalf of the Paramount Chamber of Commerce.
Pathways Guides Community Through JOURNEYS
After a loved one dies, taking the first step into healing can be overwhelming. In maneuvering through this journey one day at a time, with all the varying feelings that come with that, we try to sort through them while looking for a new sense of normal.
At Pathways there are people like Joseph Johnson, who stumbled upon Pathways Volunteer Hospice while conducting an internet search on caregiving organizations to become a volunteer, and encountered a much more rewarding and profound experience.
“I would have to say I would equate it to winning the lottery. It’s a chance you take and the possibilities are endless,” he says on becoming a Pathways volunteer. “I was really thankful and eager to become a part of and take in what Pathways has to offer.”
yet it quickly became clear that Pathways goes beyond the scope of caregiving. Pathways offers families and individuals bereavement and also hospice support through the caring and attentiveness of volunteers under the guidance of professional staff.
Johnson does not only volunteer as a caregiving companion but he is also a bereavement facilitator for the JOURNE yS grief support group. Johnson highlights that meeting with those who have gone through a significant loss has changed his perspective on life in many ways. He recalls that most
recently, a young woman, who was coping with the loss of a parent had admitted to substance abuse.
“She was able to feel comfortable [in the group]. She is able to grieve more effectively instead of pacifying her pain.”
Johnson says that he is humbled to be a part of the grief and healing journey that these individuals face. And by the end of each 10 week bereavement session, he sees the group change for the better.
“There are noticeable changes each week; the group gets greater and greater,” affirms Johnson, “It becomes a family.”
Pathway’s is there to remind folks that it is okay to ask for help.
As Johnson stated, although Pathways is a relatively small organization it is greater than its size based on the dedication of the phenomenal staff in conjunction with equally dedicated volunteers.
Pathways is much more than just an organization— it’s an extension of community made up of compassionate people helping others live and adapt to changes in their lives.
The new 10 week session of JOURNEyS begins April 8. Be sure to call the Pathways office to find out more about Pathways services at 562-531-3031 or visit www.pathwayshospice.org.
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 (310) 909-9019.
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.
BILINGUAL SALES in English & Spanish with basic computer skills. Also looking for WAREHOUSE EMPLOyEE with inventory, order-picking, and/or UPS experience. Please call 562-408-1984 and ask for Ivette or send an email to mimi.kim@ptminconline.com for Mimi.
Teen Drivers
By Maria F. Galli
State Farm Insurance
562-817-5620
So, your teenage son or daughter wants to drive! Suddenly, driving has become one of the most important things in your child’s life. Scary, isn’t it?
Naturally, you may dread the increase in your auto insurance premiums. However, there is a lot more at stake than higher premiums. As parents, we all share the fear of our children becoming involved in an automobile accident. These concerns are all too often confirmed by the reality of teen crash statistics.
Although premiums are derived from the monetary cost of auto accidents, lives are priceless. No amount of premium can ever bring back a life or reverse disabilities.
Let’s look at how to reduce accidents:
* Drive defensively. Watch out for the other person.
* Obey the speed limit. Speed increases the likelihood of an accident. And adjust your speed according to the road conditions. Drive more slowly on wet or icy pavement.
* As important as your driving skill, or aptitude, is your attitude. Always act responsibly behind the wheel.
There’s no doubt your age has a lot to do with your chance of being in an accident. A study by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, found that although teen-agers drive only half as many miles as adults, their accident rate per mile is four times the adult rate.
We’d all like to pay less for auto insurance. Here are a couple ways that your child can help:
1. Many insurance companies offer lower rates to young, single drivers who are better-than-average students in high school or college. They do that because statistics show good students have considerably fewer accidents than students whose grades are average or below average.
2. Obey all traffic laws. you can’t always avoid an accident, but you can avoid traffic tickets, which can cause your insurance premiums to go up.
Contact your local insurance agent for more information on how to protect your teen driver and save at the time with great personalized coverage.
Positively
Paramount Civic Center
Paramount Places!
Paramount’s Civic Center Plaza is a beautiful botanical oasis, a one-acre garden-like public space with walking paths, benches and dynamic fountains. It links City Hall, Suburban Medical Center and the County Library as a cohesive whole while opening up a larger downtown corridor tying the Pond and the Iceland skating rink together. A special feature is a small park area around the historic “Hay Tree,” which dates back to Paramount’s days as the leading dairy producer in the state. City Hall, 16400 Colorado Ave. Bianchi Paramount Theatres
Eleven state-of-the-art luxury theatres. Featuring stadium seating, digital sound system. Two Screen Drive-In 7770 Rosecrans Avenue at Paramount Blvd.
Paramount Iceland
Home of the world famous Zamboni Ice Machine. Featuring one of the largest indoor ice skating arenas in existence. An historical landmark, with a rich
10 Tips for Implementing Lean
Lean methodology looks at eliminating the waste from any process not just manufacturing. This includes services and transactions as well. Henry Ford was practicing lean way before Toyota made this methodology popular. He didn’t call it lean then, he just called it efficiency. Check out these 10 tips on implementing lean and the seven deadly wastes that could be affecting your business.
Lean is not “lean and mean.” It’s not about getting rid of people; instead, it looks at creating value for the customer and capacity utilizing existing talent. Lean is about satisfying customer demand in the right quantity and at the right time. This is called Just-in-time processing. Everything is based on the daily customer demand rhythm called Takt Time, A German term meaning cadence. If your process can deliver
in less time than the customer requires, then the process has added-capacity. If your process cannot meet daily customer demand, then you are building a backlog. Identifying the waste is easy, getting rid of it is the hard part and takes a team effort by the people that do the work. Getting these folks to come up with ideas to improve the process in small incremental steps is called Kaizen, and you are never done. Kaizen looks at eliminating the Seven Deadly Wastes. These include:
1. Overproduction – making more than what is needed, just-in-case we do not generate a product correctly. Fix the process instead to deliver precisely what you need.
2. Waiting and Delays – Feast or famine especially when your shipping department gets slammed with the endof-the-day rush.
3. Excess Inventory- Just-in-case the vendor doesn’t get it to us on time, or not having reliable lead times from the vendor.
4. Excess Movement- Poor office layout. Too many walls, high cubicles, silos-of-excellence.
5. Excess transportation- poor layout.
6. Defects and Rework- ill-trained or un-informed employees on what quality looks like.
7. Unnecessary Processes - Folding a full day’s worth of boxes “so you can get ahead.” Instead, fold for two hours and then move product for two hours. Batching accounts payable to Thursdays, producing all of the same work because we are painting the same color, updating employee birthdates in Human Resources to once a quarter, even though birthdays happen every day.
Finally, lean looks at balancing the workflow by eliminating batching and driving to one-piece flow. We included ten tips from one of our specialized SBDC Advisors to help jumpstart your Lean Initiative at your place of business:
1. Gain Executive Buy-in as an Enterprise-wide Strategic Initiative: It is not Joe or Sally’s way. It is learning the lean methodology and making it part of the fabric of your organization.
2. Metrics Should be Measured and Public – Most organizations are “datarich.” Learn what data is appropriate for you to start seeing patterns good or bad that you can track over time. If it can be measured, it can be improved.
3. Tie Individual Performance Goals to the desired outcomes.
4. Create cross-functional teams: Implement the improvements with these teams and make the outcomes inter-dependent to the reward. This way, people help each other out and the success one of one is tied to another’s.
5. Connect with HR: Involve your Human Resources department in reinforcing your desired behaviors.
6. Create an Internal Branding and Communications Campaign.
7. Conduct Improvement Projects: Conduct monthly improvement projects called Kaizen Activity with CrossFunctional Teams so people can get to know each other and learn about each other’s work.
8. Conduct Daily Executive “WalkAbouts:” Each department should post their goals and objectives. During daily “walk-abouts” executives can then ask a department head or manager what resources they may need. This is not a time for in-depth examination; the action should provide guidance to department heads for respective goals, demonstrate a commitment from the executive to supporting those goals, and be a mechanism for monitoring progress.
9. Setup Dedicated Lean Coordinators or Green-Belts and Black Belts.
10. Benchmark: Visit other factories, stores or facilities to learn how they do business.
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
State of the City – 2015
Continued From Page 1
ence stating how encouraged she was to see such a healthy turnout for our State of the City presentation. “your interest in Paramount and your engagement in the community are very much appreciated.” Before turning the presentation over to City Manager Benedetti-Leal, Martinez shared that crime continues to decline with levels not seen since the 1960s and 1970s. She said the City is proud to provide important services and programs for residents and that Paramount has a business-friendly atmosphere for commerce to flourish.
The final speaker was City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal who said, “Things are really starting to pick up again after some tough years.” Paramount is the first city in the region to experiment with a sophisticated software program that predicts where crime will occur. The program, called PredPol, maps out where crime is likely to occur over the next 10-hour period. We give PredPol maps to our deputies and ask them to spend 24 minutes out of their 10-hour shift in these areas. We started using the maps in earnest in October so it’s still very new. We did a predictive accuracy analysis and, indeed, crimes were about 12 times more likely to occur in PredPol “boxes” than any given location in Paramount. So as a tool for allocating patrol resources, the program is very useful.
Overall last year, our crime rates continued their two-decade downward trend. Compared to 2013, property crimes were down across the board. Also, felony violent crimes were down by just under 15%. These stats compare to crime stats in the 1960s and 1970s.
Water Issues – Conservation and Stable Supplies
Last year, new restrictions on water use were imposed by the State to deal with the drought. These restrictions include prescribed watering days, prohibitions against water run-off, and no water being served at restaurants unless requested by a customer.
The City Council recognizes the importance of water conservation and approved a pilot “lawn to garden” program which we’re in the very first stages of implementing. As envisioned, the City would provide guidance from a landscape architect to assist home and business owners to replace their lawns with more water-friendly plants and hardscape accents. After we get a few test gardens under our belt, the Council will finalize the guidelines for the program for roll-out to the community.
We continue to take steps to ensure a stable water supply for Paramount that is not dependent on imported water. This is important not only for cost containment purposes, but also because there is no guarantee that imported water will remain readily available.
In the area of water it is critical to plan for sustainability over the long term. For the past several years, the City Council has been aggressively pursuing much-needed infrastructure improvements to our water utility. In 2014, we had our first full year of production with our newest well, with great results. We were able to pump 91% of our daily demand, up from our historic 74%, so we really reduced the amount of water we had to buy. This resulted in an operations savings of $427,000. These savings allow us to address infrastructure needs, which aren’t cheap, with far less impact on water rates.
Just last month, the Council approved the drilling of another new well at Garfield and Jackson. The first phase will be built with bond proceeds left over from the former Redevelopment Agency.
Future Visions and Social Media
Last November we held the first ever community visioning exercise to get input from our residents on their needs, desires, and hopes for the city’s future. One of the key themes was increasing our use of social media as a way to communicate important information to residents and stakeholders. Greater shopping and dining opportunities were also very important and folks want a
farmers’ market.
We added some new apps last year. The first is a very useful, free tool called Paramount Works. This can be downloaded to your smart phone and allows you to make a request for service if you see something that needs to be done around town. you can download it by going to the app store on either your Android or iPhone. Once inside, search for “Paramount Works.” you can also access Paramount Works on the City’s website.
We also rolled out an app related to our Santa Train. It is one of our most cherished traditions with Santa traveling throughout the entire city. We can’t really predict the arrival time of the train at any given stop. To help folks manage their time better, we launched an app that allowed them to follow the progress of the train in real time. This was so popular that on the first day we had 64,000 hits, which crashed our website, but we were able to make an adjustment very quickly to handle this type of volume for the rest of the run.
Some other forays into social media included a you Tube page (type in “City of Paramount”) with videos of city events and presentations. We also have a Facebook page for the PEP program so that the scholarship recipients can stay in touch with each other and folks can see all that PEP does.
New Restaurants and Remodeling Downtown
The City Council has retained two development firms for the very specific purpose of bringing new dining choices into town. At Alondra/Downey there will be a small development with some food tenants. One will most likely be a new coffee shop/bakery concept that has locations in South Pasadena, Hol-
lywood, and Santa Monica called La Monarca.
There has been a very long-term desire from the community to have a nationally recognized sit-down restaurant, and our goal is to provide that at Paramount/Alondra. There will be other eateries at the site, as well, and we hope it will become a gathering spot for folks, much like the Pond further south down the boulevard.
This will be the northern endcap of a newly constructed downtown strip from Alondra Blvd. to Jackson Street. We are working with an urban architecture group to completely redo this strip of Paramount Blvd. Our goal is to create a more pedestrian-friendly downtown that also unifies the shopping centers on either side of the street. We are looking at a fairly radical remodel of the downtown strip which should be underway next year.
We’re particularly interested in fitness here in Paramount, and last year added to our already large circuit of outdoor gyms by installing new ones at Paramount Park, which is heavily utilized by our active seniors in conjunction with our Senior Center, and one at the north end of town at All American Park.
We have an annual fair that used to be called the Safe and Smart Fair. We changed that to the Arts, Smarts, and Healthy Hearts Fair. We added a 5K run and got 550 participants.
And we are repurposing a very old and very small swimming pool in the west end of town. The pool will be converted into a splash zone. It will contain ten colorful recirculating water features and kids will be able to run around and get wet on hot summer days. This is slated to be up and running by this summer.
Paramount Chamber of Commerce
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