Paramount Chamber of Commerce
Hosts 2016 State of the City Address
The 2016 State of the City Address hosted by the Paramount Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by Paramount Petroleum and AltAir Paramount sold out. Featured speakers included Mayor Tom Hansen, City Manager John Moreno, PUSD Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez, and Paramount Chamber President Leonard Crespo.
President Leonard Crespo kicked off the event with some Chamber trivia; sharing with attendees the Chamber of Commerce began in 1924 as the Hynes/Clearwater Chamber of Commerce. The first Chamber President was H.W. McKelver; in 1947 the Chamber incorporated and became the Paramount Chamber of Commerce. Crespo went on to say, “before there was a city planning department there was a Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber raised money for beautification projects, and courted new businesses. Over the years the Chamber’s focus has changed to meet the needs of the community, but their mission has been and always will be promoting economic growth.”
Mr. Crespo also talked about Paramount business success stories: Weber Metals; is in the process of installing the largest press in the Western Hemisphere. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in the project, and hundreds of new jobs will be created. Marukan Vinegar; is opening a new plant in Griffin Georgia to meet the demand for its gourmet rice vinegars, and better serve the Eastern United States and exports across the Atlantic. Wavefront Technology; is experiencing one of their best years ever with an eight week backlog for their holographic materials. Paramount Petroleum; has partnered with AltAir Paramount to go green with the manufacturing of jet
and diesel fuel made from cow tallow. Alondra Hot Wings; which opened their first location in Paramount, just opened their fifth restaurant in the City of Pasadena. Bianchi Theatres; opened its multi- screen indoor theatre in 1998 and recently opened a two screen 400 car capacity drive-in. CalMet Services; is building a 25 million dollar state of the art Materials Recovery Facility to serve Paramount and surrounding communities. The facility will create 150 new jobs and the City will receive a host fee of approximately one million dollars a year. Northgate Gon-
zalez; is remodeling their shopping center and attracting new businesses to the downtown.
Crespo closed by saying, “As you can see there are a lot of good things happening in Paramount and the Chamber is proud to be an active partner in the City’s growth.”
Next to speak was the new Paramount Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Ruth Perez, “let me begin by saying that Paramount is indeed fortunate to have a Chamber and business community that recognizes the central role of schools in economic development. In business terms, public schools
are a community’s most critical investment. As all of you in this room realize public education has always been the best way to level the playing field so that every child in America has the opportunity to succeed.
Placing educational opportunities within the reach of every child has long been in the vision of this governing board of education.” She then shared the following; attendance is up, more students are taking and passing AP courses, the dropout rate continues to decline, the district continues to invest in technology with more computers and tablets for the class-
room, the Career and Technical Education programs are doing well and growing.
The District is also promoting a College and Careers culture. Each school has a plan to promote awareness. Paramount High School is providing free SAT prep courses for students on Saturdays and increasing the advanced level courses not only at the senior campus, but also the 9th grade center campus.
Dr. Perez ended her presentation by saying, “the wealth of the City of Paramount is reflective of the progress, achieve -
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Leonard Crespo
Total-Western, Inc.
Paramount Chamber President
Dr. Ruth Perez Superintendent - Paramount Unified School District
Tom Hansen Mayor City of Paramount
John Moreno City Manager City of Paramount
State of the City sponsor Paramount Petroleum - AltAir Paramount; from left; Ed Becker, Frank Mitchell, Annina Brown, Bill Winters, and Jamie Abrego.
Recipient of Senator Ricardo Lara 2015 Excellence in Business Award
Proud to Serve As Your Mayor
On March 1, the Paramount City Council held its annual reorganization meeting, during which I was chosen by my fellow Councilmembers to be your mayor over the coming year. I deeply appreciate this show of support from my colleagues.
The Council also elected Councilmember Peggy Lemons as vice mayor.
I have lived in Paramount for almost 60 years and have had the pleasure of serving on the City Council since 2003. Before that, I was a member of the City’s Parks and Recreation, Public Works, and Planning commissions. So I have seen the many changes our City has been through over the years and also the great dedication, teamwork, and commitment coming from all corners of our community to make Paramount a proud and productive city.
I look forward very much to the honor of serving my third term as your mayor over the next 12 months, and I value the opportunity.
I look forward, also, to sharing the latest news with you here in the Pulse Beat every month.
Farmers Market Returns! Now at Progress Park
Look for the Paramount Farmers Market to open once again on Friday, March 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and then every Friday at the same time. It will have a new location at Progress Park. This is a high-profile spot and will allow for shoppers to stock up on their healthy fruits and vegetables before the weekend begins.
Come on out and support this great community resource.
“State of the City” Showing on YouTube
The Paramount Chamber of Commerce produced its annual State of the City event at Progress Park Plaza last month. This included presentations by City Manager John Moreno and Paramount Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Ruth Perez.
A video of the event is available for viewing on the City’s YouTube channel. Just visit www.youtube.com/cityofparamount.
There are a number of other shows posted there, as well, covering events in town, City Council presentations, and more.
Live Well Paramount Community Fair
Live Well Paramount (formerly the Smarts, Arts & Healthy Hearts Fair) will be held Saturday, May 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Paramount Park. With the
theme of “Be Smart, Be Creative, Be Fit,” the fair will support education, promote local artists, and feature a variety of health/ fitness vendors to encourage healthy behaviors. The top ten Paramount High School students from each grade will also be recognized by the City Council and Paramount Unified School District Board of Education.
In addition, the day will feature the Live Well Paramount 1K & 5K Super Hero Fun Run (the 1K for adults and children 3rd grade and below, the 5K for adults and anyone 4th grade and above.)
You need to register for the races, and forms are now available from the following locations: the Community Services and Recreation Office (15300 Downey Ave.), Paramount Park Community Center (14400 Paramount Blvd.), or City Hall (16400 Colorado Ave.). They can also be downloaded from the City website, www.paramountcity. com. There is a $5 fee to take part in each run. Participants will receive an official race t-shirt.
Contact the Paramount Recreation Department at (562) 220-2121 for more information.
Free Income Tax Help and Other Filing Information
According to Rep. Lucille RoyballAllard’s website, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers free tax help to taxpayers who have an income generally of $53,000 and below and who cannot prepare their own tax returns.
IRS-certified volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. Most locations also offer free electronic filing.
The VITA sites near Paramount include: The Weingart Senior Center, 5220 Oliva Ave., Lakewood, 90712; (562) 630-6141.
People’s Community Center, 9121 Long Beach Blvd., South Gate, 90280; (323) 537-2760.
Saint Helen Church, 9314 Madison Ave., South Gate, 90280; (323) 563-3522.
AAB - Bell Gardens, 6423 Florence Pl.,
Bell Gardens, 90201; (562) 806-5400. The Barbara J. Riley Com. Sr. Ctr., 7810 Quill Dr., Downey, 90242; (562) 904-7223 (for seniors only).
You will need to bring:
• Valid photo ID – driver’s license, California photo ID, or passport.
• Date of birth, Social Security numbers for taxpayer, their spouse, and dependents if applicable.
• Income tax documentation including W-2, W-2G, 1099-R from all employers.
• Interest and dividend statements from banks and other financial institutions (Form 1099).
• Total amount paid for day care per child. Bring day care provider’s address, phone number, and tax identifying number (the provider’s Social Security number or business employer identification number).
• Current tax year’s package if you have received one.
• A blank voided check for bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit of refund.
• Copy of last year’s federal and state returns if available.
In addition to the VITA program, the IRS offers a Free File option for everyone, regardless of income. You can visit the IRS Free File website at www.irs.gov/uac/FreeFile:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free to learn about the different options and how to take advantage of this program when filing your federal taxes.
Also, you may be interested to learn more about the Earned Income Tax Credit, also known as the EITC. The EITC is a credit for people who earn low-to-moderate incomes (individuals with earned income less than $46,997 and married couples filing jointly with income less than $52,427).
The EITC can reduce taxes and result in a refund, which means working families and individuals keep more of what they earn.
To learn more about the EITC and to see if you qualify, visit the IRS’s EITC page at www.irs.gov/Credits-&-Deductions/ Individuals/Earned-Income-Tax-Credit/ Do-I-Qualify-for-Earned-Income-TaxCredit-EITC.
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”
Mayor, Daryl Hofmeyer
The City of Paramount’s Public Safety Department has long offered some very inventive ways to help residents and businesses guard against crime. One of those is the Scarecrow Program.
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.
• Talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.
This tool provides financial assistance to small, family-owned businesses (retail stores, not warehouse/storage/office/industrial facilities) for the purchase of security camera surveillance systems. The City pays for 50% of the total installation cost, and the business owner is responsible for the remaining 50%. The business owner is responsible for any monthly fees or additional equipment.
• Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph. Most crashes happen with less than three seconds reaction time.
The idea is to help prevent robberies at these small businesses by having the camera system’s visibility act as a deterrent. If, however, a robbery does occur, the video tape can be used by law enforcement as an investigative tool.
• 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.
An example of a situation where a crime took place, and the Scarecrow camera led to the quick arrest of a suspect, took place recently.
In December of last year, a customer at a local liquor store made a purchase using counterfeit money. After this was discovered by the owner, Sheriff’s Department deputies
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.
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.
• If something falls to the floor, pull over before trying to reach it.
were able to view video footage and get a still picture of the suspect.
As it turned out, the suspect was recognized by members of the City’s Public Safety staff. Soon thereafter, the suspect was arrested for the crime.
Project LEAD Sending Positive Message to Paramount Fifth Graders
Meet and Greet with Law Enforcement on 2nd Wednesdays
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.
You can have Coffee with the Captain and Chat with the Deputies at Starbucks on the Paramount Pond on the second Wednesday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
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.
Sadly, too many young people first become acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.
Depending on schedules, Lakewood Station Captain Allen Castellano, Lieutenant Dave Auner of the Paramount Station, and various deputies who serve in the City will be on hand for informal discussions about community and public safety issues. In March, for instance, the meet and greet will be on the 9th. So come out and express your opinions and ask questions about public safety and law enforcement in town.
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.
Starbucks address is 16280 Paramount Blvd. For more information, please call (562) 220-2002.
Applications Available Now for Summer and Fall 2016 at El Camino College Compton Center
• Turn off your phone when you get behind the wheel.
Early Registration Available to New Students
• Don’t text or call someone when you know they are likely to be driving.
• Make a pact with your family, spouse, and caregivers never to use the phone with kids in the car.
In-district high school seniors and college bound students are encouraged to apply immediately to enroll at El Camino College Compton Center for summer and fall 2016.
• No eating or drinking while 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.
Summer Vacation Home Checks
• Don’t program your GPS, MP3 player, or other devices while driving.
• Pull over and stop to read maps.
• No grooming.
• No reading.
• No watching videos.
• Try not to get too involved with passengers.
“A lot of students wait until the last minute to begin the enrollment process,” said Keith Curry, provost for El Camino College Compton Center. “If students complete the steps to enroll and register for classes early, they will get the classes they need to stay on track to graduate on time.”
Priority Registration is available to students living within the Compton Community College District and students who graduate from high schools within the district. The Compton Community College District includes: Paramount, Compton, Lynwood and Willowbrook, as well as portions of Athens, Bellflower, Carson, Downey, Dominguez, Lakewood, North Long Beach and Southgate. In-district students must complete all four steps to enroll at ECC Compton Center before March 31, 2016 to be eligible for priority registration.
ECC Compton Center outreach sessions at my high school, which helped me with the steps to enroll. I received priority registration and got all the classes I needed. A student services advisor at the Welcome Center helped me determine which classes would be best for my schedule overall.”
With summertime approaching, remember that if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time, you can schedule a home check.
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.
Simple Strategies for Better Event Marketing
Friday, May 16, 2014 - 10am to 12pm
Attend this presentation and learn how to use the power of event marketing to get potential and existing customers to take four key actions:
• Sign up
• Speak up
• Show up • Follow up Good marketing is about eliciting a physical and measurable response. In this practical and engaging seminar, you will learn how to find, convert, and keep new and existing customers through effective event marketing. You will also learn best practices related to the who, when, where, and what that makes an event a memorable experience. Learn how events can engage customers. Take your events to the next level using e-mail, social, traditional, and internet marketing tools. Fee: $20
“Enrollment went very smooth for me,” said Oscar Gonzalez-Ortega, a 2015 graduate of Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School. “I attended the
All new students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to begin the four easy steps to enroll at El Camino College Compton Center: applY– New and returning students must complete an application prepare – All new students must participate in an Orientation session and are encouraged to take advantage of the practice placement tests test – Assessment testing must be completed prior to registering for classes plan– Students must see a counselor prior to registration to develop an education plan
(Make checks payable to LBCC SBDC)
Current high school seniors interested in attending ECC Compton Center for summer or fall 2016 are encouraged to apply and complete all four of the required Steps to Enrollment as early as possible, even if they haven’t made their final decision about higher education.
Despierta América Features Kimberly’s Dance Studio
In February Paramount’s only dance studio; Kimberly’s Dance Studio (KDS) was featured live on the national Spanish morning show, Despierta América. The daily program airs live on Univision and is broadcast throughout the United States. As part of a special Valentine’s Day performance, dancers from KDS performed their award winning routine,
“Can’t Hurry Love”. Studio owner, Kimberly Gonzalez-Tapia, was there for all the behind the scenes action and expressed her gratitude to Univision for the invitation, and to the City of Paramount for supporting her business. For more information about Kimberly’s award winning dance studio call 562.630.0570.
S tate of the C ity a ddre SS
Sponsored by: Paramount Petroleum ~ AltAir Paramount
View more photos on the Paramount Chamber Facebook page and video on the Paramount Chamber YouTube channel.
From left; Pastor Deborah Jameson (lifegate Church), laura Warth (Chapel of Change Christian Fellowship) Pastor Brian Warth (Chape of Change Christian Fellowship) and Pastor larry Jameson (lifegate Church).
Paramount Parks & recreation Director David Johnson, and ronald Gonzaleslawrence representing Assemblyman Anthony rendon.
Carlton Forge table.
Paramount unified School Board Members Alicia Anderson and linda Garcia.
Dr. Max Martinez and Vice Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer.
Paramount unified School District table.
Sponsored by: Paramount Petroleum ~ AltAir Paramount
View more photos on the Paramount Chamber Facebook page and video on the Paramount Chamber YouTube channel.
SC Fuels table.
Weber Metals table.
Arthur Wong (ACE Clearwater) and Frank Mitchell (Paramount Petroleum).
Total-Western, inc. table.
Marukan - “The World’s Finest Rice Vinegar” Announces New Production Facility Plans in Griffin, GA
Marukan Vinegar (U.S.A.) Inc., pronounced (Mar-oo-kahn), plans to open its second U.S. brewery in Griffin, GA by 2017. This new facility will increase the company’s production capacity for its rapidly growing line of gourmet rice vinegars and serve as an operational hub to more efficiently supply the Eastern United States and exports across the Atlantic. The company’s first facility in the U.S. was opened in Paramount, California in 1974. The California plant will continue to operate and serve as the company headquarters for the U.S. subsidiary.
“It has been my dream and vision to build Marukan’s second U.S. plant in the Eastern United States”, said Chairman Denzaemon Sasada. “This location in Griffin is ideal for our natural brewing method and we are very excited to join many other quality Japanese companies who have found a new home in Georgia”, Sasada continued.
Marukan’s new production facility is expected to bring about 15 new jobs to the area and a $13 million dollar investment in the initial phase. The phaseone structure will be under 100,000 sq. ft., leaving ample room for future expansion. Company president of the U.S. subsidiary, Jon Tanklage, explains “This plant will exceed the needs of our current Eastern United States demand, but could be outgrown quickly with the growth that we expect in the coming years. So we are designing a facility that can be added onto relatively easily and the lot size provides for that expansion.” Tanklage added, “The county of Spaulding, the city of Griffin, and even the state of Georgia got involved to make sure we could tailor the project to our needs. They have all been wonderful to work with.”
Marukan offers a popular line of rice vinegars that can be found in many finer supermarkets in the U.S. There is “Genuine Brewed” rice vinegar which is pure, unsweetened rice vinegar. Marukan “Seasoned Gourmet” rice vinegar adds natural sugar from non-GMO sugar cane and pure kosher salt for a balanced tanginess that adds flavor to dressings, sauces, marinades, as well as making perfect seasoning for cooked rice (sushi rice). “Lite” Marukan Rice Vinegar Dressing is lower in sodium and sugar
for those looking for great taste while counting calories. It is mild enough to pour right over the top of salads and offers a delectably irresistible way to enhance vegetables and entrees.
Marukan is the nation’s leading maker of 100% organic rice vinegars that are popular in the largest health food chains such as Whole Foods Market, but can also be found in local independent natural food shops as well. Many health enthusiasts have started a trend of drinking organic rice vinegars along with fresh juices to promote health and ease digestion. It all started in Japan years earlier, where drinking vinegars are now a larger segment of the industry.
“Many of our customers are using Marukan right out of the bottle as their favorite salad dressing, which has led to great growth opportunities in this country. But restaurants serving Japanese and Asian-fusion cuisine will always be a core business for us” says Tanklage who began his career with Marukan U.S.A. in sales and marketing seven years ago.
“Marukan Rice Vinegar is my secret weapon to boost the flavor of sauces, soups and gravies. It adds a freshness, a zest, that is like a note in a piece of music – with it there is harmony but without it there is something missing” says Chef Walter Staib, proprietor of The City Tavern in Philadelphia and four-time Emmy Awards winning host of “A Taste of History.” on PBS. In 2013, Chef Staib visited Japan to feature Marukan in this television show.
Marukan makes a high-quality line of Ponzu sauces which use authentic citrus that only grow in Japan. By using the real Japanese Sudachi and Yuzu fruit, Marukan Ponzu has a unique and original flavor unlike any other. Ponzu sauces are a blend of vinegar and citrus juice that are traditionally added to soy sauce. Ponzu is a very versatile sauce that works great as a marinade or cooking sauce. For dipping sushi rolls and dumplings, many Americans prefer to use ponzu with soy instead of plain soy sauce for more flavor and less sodium. Other brands simply don’t measure up to the taste of the genuine Marukan Ponzu products that start with the most authentic ingredients.
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 25 to apply for a Paramount Education Partnership (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 25.
Learning Center Offers Variety of Adult Classes
In conjunction with PEP, the City of Paramount operates the Paramount Petroleum Learning Resource Center at Spane Park, 14400 Gundry Ave. In addition to various programs for students, the Center offers the following programs and classes for adult residents.
Occupational Preparation and Basic Skills
This class is designed to build essential job competencies, evaluate potential vocational abilities, and provide job-readiness skills to obtain employment in today’s competitive job market. It takes place Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. You must register through Adult Education and Diversity Programs at Cerritos Community College.
Adult Aerobics Class
A healthy lifestyle tends to produce a healthy mind. PEP seeks to provide opportunities aimed at promoting this kind of activity. If you are looking to improve your cardiovascular efficiency, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, coordination, and percentage of body fat, this fitness class can help. Classes are offered Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Adult Basic Skills Learning
This class is designed for adults who have basic English language skills and need reinforcement in grammar, writing, speaking, and reading. The class will be a small group so all the students are guaranteed individual time and the instructor can better meet their needs. The use of educational software, workbooks, and educational websites allows students hands-on instructional practice. Monday - Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Parenting Classes
These provide proven strategies for parents dealing with children who have behavioral problems, truancy, failing grades, drug/alcohol use, and gang involvement.
Parent Workshops
The purpose of these workshops is to educate parents on issues such as self-esteem, eating habits, child obesity, drug and substance abuse, communication techniques, women’s health, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Adult Computer Class
Cerritos College holds a free basic computer training class for adults who have no experience with computers on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration is required. For more information, please call (562) 220-2250.
Thank You, Paramount Volunteers!
The latest “Pitch In, Paramount” clean-up day was coordinated by the City on Saturday, Jan. 30 when 105 folks (40 from Paramount High JROTC, 20 high school students from the main campus, 35 folks from Praise Chapel, and 10 from Emmanuel Reformed Church) helped local residents-in-need by painting homes and removing vegetation and trash. They also removed vegetation and trash from a public easement. Thanks to all for your commitment to our community! Thanks to CalMet Services, also, for providing a large dumpster to help residents in the neighborhood dispose of unwanted trash, large items, and e-waste. For information on future “Pitch In” events, call (562) 220-2002.
Commercial Real Estate Buying Options
Matt Wagner GM Properties, Inc. (562) 696-0200
So you own a business and you are trying to determine if you would like to lease or buy a property for this business moving forward. After internally reviewing the financial capabilities of your business, discussing the options with your Banking relationship partner, you and your team have decided that leasing a property is in the best interest of the business at this time. However, you also determine that owning commercial real estate in the future is something that will be beneficial to your company and you want to figure out how you are going to succeed with this need.
There are several ways to go about securing the right to purchase a building in the future. The first and best option usually is to exhaust all options to buy the building that you are currently leasing. This way, you do not have to move your operations and displace your earning potential for a period of time. The best way to ensure the future opportunity is to have the language drafted into your current lease. Here are some options to look into:
First Right of Refusal: This will allow you, the tenant, to match any offer that the owners get and entertains on the property. In this instance, the owner would need to provide you a legitimate written offer and allow you a certain period of time to either match the offer or allow it to be sold to the person who submitted the other offer to the building owner. The downside to this option is that you would not be able to decide
when you would get to purchase the building, you will simply be given an opportunity to match another offer at a certain period of time.
Option to Buy: This option will grant you, the tenant, an option to purchase the building over a certain period of time for a certain price, either a set price or a market negotiated price. Most options are not transferrable and are only available to the initial granted party. Another key to exercising an option is timing. Normally, the Optionee would be required to exercise the option during a certain period of time and if they do not, the option will go away. I have noticed that most owners are not interested in giving out an option to purchase in the future. There is literally no benefit to the current owner to grant this option to buy. The benefit normally lies in the owners of the option as they have all the control on owning the property in the future. The holder of the option would control when the transaction happened and would hold a considerable amount of control on the transaction, especially for being a tenant. And lastly, all options need to have “consideration” in order to be legally valid. This consideration can be pretty much anything as long as it is cash value and documented. This “consideration” is kept by the current owner if you exercise the option or not.
Another item to think about is that if the owner of the building is interested in selling, his best buyer is you, the existing tenant. He will usually approach you first. It usually is in both parties interest to do a transaction with your current owners or tenants. Good Luck!
Feeling depressed?
(562) 445-8177
We all experience emotions and are impacted by what happens to us, and around us, the actions of others and by how we relate to others on a daily basis. We are moved by the joy, challenges and difficulties others face; often sympathizing with their suffering.
On any given day we experience a wide range of emotions such as; the joy of starting a new day on a positive note, the frustration at being cut-off by a rude driver, sadness when receiving bad news, anger at having been wronged. In other words, emotions vary greatly, with some days being better than others. Disappointment or sadness doesn’t generally lead to depression; it’s healthy to recognize and process our emotions. Identify the emotion, and think about what triggering it. When we fail to face or tend to our emotions we are open to a general emotional numbness. We can feel like nothing really matters and things are hopeless. This is depression;
• It will seek to paralyze us.
• It will isolate us.
• It will rob us of joy, activities, and interactions.
• It will focus us on the difficulties and hurt.
• It will cause our world to fade away.
• It will rob us of hope for a better tomorrow. While depression can be a debilitating condition we can fight it. We have the ability to make different choices. When we reengage in life, depression diminishes. So, if you’re depressed, seek a new start and regain control of your life. Increase your interaction with others and seek their support. Sometimes seeking medical advice or counseling can make a big difference. Make a plan then do it, this is YOUR life!
businesses renewed their membership in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce last month, they are celebrating another year
as
Hope for Healing Counseling, Inc.
State of the City
Continued from Page 1
ment and success of its schools. It’s a formula that includes wonderful outstanding students + talented teachers and staff + a caring and dedicated Board of Education + involved parents and community + a supportive City, Chamber, Businesses, Faith Community, Civic Organizations, Sherriff, and School Resource Officers to equal a team effort and for this on behalf of the Board of Education, myself and the School District, we wish to Thank you all for your support.
The final presenters were Mayor Tom Hansen and City Manager John Moreno who reported; Similar to many years past, in 2015, the City had a balanced budget and did not need to dip into the reserve fund. The size of the general reserve fund has now grown to nearly $12 million.
A major source of revenue is the utility user’s tax or UUT. Thanks to voters, Measure P passed in March of 2015. Measure P increased the UUT rate from 3% to 5.5% and was overwhelmingly approved by 76% of the voters.
The City has always dedicated the largest portion of the budget to keeping the community safe. Last year, there was an uptick in some crime categories, mostly in some of our property crime categories, while other categories went down. When putting things into a larger perspective, and looking at a 20-year history of Paramount’s crime rate, we’re still pretty low when it comes to the total number of crimes with a 47% drop over that time.
In 2015, the park project that I feel the City should be most proud of was the new Orange Avenue Splash Pad. The City took a littleused municipal pool on the west side of town, filled it in, and created a splash pad.
For decades, the City has been directly involved with education;
the City’s involvement only exists because of the close relationship between the City and the School District. The Paramount Education Partnership has been operating for 12 years. Its after-school learning center provided close to 10,000 homework sessions last year. And in 2015 more than $105,000 was raised and given out to 24 college scholarships. Over the last 12 years, more than $641,000 has been raised and 226 scholarships have been given out.
Lastly, in the arena of education, in 2015 the City continued with the after-school program called STAR, which has been going on for nine years and is funded by a State grant. Last year, 1,600 kids were involved in the program. In 2015, the STAR program had its first ever audit by the State of California. The program passed the audit with flying colors. Paramount is business friendly. The most important part of economic development is being an open, business-friendly organization… and Paramount is. The building plan approval time has historically been extremely fast, usually no more than ten business days. New and re-issued business licenses have remained steady over the last five years with 2,500 issued in 2010 and a little over 2,600 in 2015. There has been an astounding 87% increase in building permits in the last five years. In 2010, 675 permits were issued and in 2015, 1260 permits were issued. When it comes to the community at large, we’ve definitely seen improvements in the economy. Over the last five years, property values saw a nice increase. In 2010, the median home price was $225,000 and in 2015 that increased to $345,000. Also, in December 2010 the unemployment rate was a staggering 18.3%. In December 2015, the unemployment rate was at 6.8%, only about 1.5% off of the national rate.
Paramount Chamber of Commerce
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Starting A Business
Thinking of starting a business? Whether it’s home-based, retail, technology related, or not, start by reviewing some of the most common steps and resources for starting your business below. Check out the Long Beach SBDC calendar for monthly workshops on a large array of startup topics (www. longbeachsbdc.org)
1. Assess the Viability of Your Idea. What is your idea – how can you best describe it? How big is the market? What is the demand – is there a demand at all? If your idea improves on an existing product or service, what makes your idea different? Research your potential market, understand what your customers want, review the potential competition big and small and assess where your business fits. Are there opportunities abroad? Is there a niche? Know your vision, develop a purpose and use it as your guide. For help with market size check out SizeUp, ask your local SBDC for free market data.
2. Project Your Costs and Review Your Financing Options. Although, financial projections may seem daunting, projections help predict the financial health of a potential or existing business through analyzing costs, size of the market, prices, and other conditions. Your projections can assist you greatly with determining if you can move forward with your business; consider using a financial projections template and stepby-step guide. Then, if needed, assess the type, as well as the amount of financing you may need. If financing is needed, assure your projections match your funding requests, and your funding type matches your needs - long or short. Don’t forget to call your local SBDC advisor to walk you through your financial projections, financing options, and assist you with packaging your loan - at no cost.
3. Develop a Plan. Creating a plan is an important step to starting a business, some banks require a business plan for financing and it can even be required to lease space. To begin your plan development, consider starting with a free sample plan at sites like Bplans.com.
4. Choose a Structure. Review business structure options and decide the best structure - Sole Proprietor, Partnership, LLC, Corporation, etc. Take your time choosing the right business structure and take into consideration cost, taxes, and potential liability. Contact a few local attorneys that focus on business formation and tax issues. Check out The Franchise Tax Board’s handout on forms of ownership for details about key
features, filing guidelines, and tax forms for each ownership structure.
5. Check Your Name. Is your business name already taken? This will largely depend on the type of structure you choose - for LLCs and Corporations, check out the Secretary of State’s Business Name Search - http://kepler.sos.ca.gov for Sole Proprietors and Partnerships, look up your county’s Fictitious Business Name Search website. Also, check whether a domain related to your business name is available to create a website in the future. Search GoDaddy.com.
6. Setup Your Record-Keeping Systems. Setup your record-keeping systems to help manage your business and its growth. This is great time to review CRM, Accounting, and project management software. Remember to create a new bank account to keep your personal and business accounts separate.
7. Understand Tax Obligations and Opportunities. Just about every tax agency has online publications and videos, many of which hold in-person workshops so you understand your tax obligations thoroughly. Aside from tax obligations, sometimes there are tax credit opportunities for your business too.
8. Limit Your Risk and Protect your Investments. Whenever possible, transfer major risks to insurance companies (e.g. insuring against major facility damage or injuries) or other suppliers (e.g. accounting firms, Payroll Services etc.). Review your business insurance options (Commercial Auto; General Liability, Product Liability; Professional Liability; etc.) with your insurance provider and assess the potential liabilities that may exist in your business; most personal policies will not cover business activities.
9. Look Before You Lease. You may need space to start your business. However one major mistake many small businesses make is hastily signing a bad lease. Take your time, do your research and always remember you can negotiate! Before your sign anything be sure you visit the SBDC to help you negotiate the lease.
10. Target and Market. Hopefully you reviewed your potential customers when you began researching your target customer base -- now assess their behaviors and start marketing. Marketing online can be an inexpensive start; consider email marketing through mail chimp or Constant Contact, managing social accounts with HootSuite or Sprout Social, and creating your website with tools like WordPress that are considerably more user-friendly to manage.
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Clubs & Organizations
What is Lupus?
The Paramount Rotary Club recently hosted Nicole Padilla, National Walk Manager, of the Lupus Foundation of America to shed some light on Lupus. No one knows what causes this chronic, autoimmune disease that causes inflammation which can damage major organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin and brain. Lupus ranges from mild to life-threatening, although there is no cure symptoms can usually be managed with proper treatment.
Some facts about Lupus; it is not contagious, it is not related to cancer, HIV or AIDS, it is believed that at least 1.5 million people in the U.S. have Lupus, more than 16,000 new cases each year in the U.S., it strikes mostly women of childbearing age, women of color are 2-3 times more likely develop Lupus, 90% of those with Lupus are women and people of all races and ethnic groups can develop Lupus.
Because lupus can effect so many different organs, a wide range of symptoms can occur. The most common symptoms are; extreme fatigue, headaches, joint pain, anemia, fever, swelling, chest pain, butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, light sensitivity,
hair loss, blood-clotting problems and ulcers in the mouth or nose.
The Lupus Foundation of America is the only national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, one of the world’s cruelest, most unpredictable, and devastating diseases, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact.
The Lupus Foundation of America is a charitable organization with taxexempt status granted under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education, support and advocacy. Learn more at www.lupus.org.
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