Pulse Beat April 2008 by City of Paramount

BEAT PULSE BEAT

Paramount Chamber Golf Classic

he Paramount Chamber 2008 Golf Classic was a sell out. The event which is sponsored by Carlton Forge and played at Westridge Golf Course went off without a hitch. The weather was great and so was the lunch provided by Transcom Services.

While some golfers waited their turn for the Putting Contest sponsored by Vernon Security, others hurried to buy rafﬂe tickets for a chance to win a full set of Nike Clubs donated by Fenico Precision Castings. Whether or not they bought a rafﬂe ticket, each golfer felt like a winner when they picked up their free putter donated by Total Western.

An 11:30 shotgun start signaled the beginning of the team scramble tournament. While playing the course golfers participated in Closest to the Pin and Long Drive contests sponsored by Lindsay Lumber. If luck was on their side golfers also had the chance to win $25,000 for a Hole-in-One donated by Heath Machine.

Cold beverages donated by Triangle Distributing, Pepsi, and Central Water Basin were quickly consumed by golfers in the afternoon sun. As the day came to an end everyone gathered in the ban-

quet room for a relaxing awards dinner. Chamber President Leonard Crespo made the following presentations to the winners: Closest to the Pin’s, Lisa Rains, Paul Hesse and Darrel Jackson; Putting Contest, Pastor Larry Jameson and First Place Team Scramble; Darrel Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Lou Apodaca and Joe Holland. Team Scramble awards were sponsored by LA County Supervisor Don Knabe.

The evening ended with the drawing of rafﬂe tickets for more than $2,500 in prizes. The grand prize, a full set of Nike clubs, bag and covers went to Kirby LaCaze.

Remembering Patricia

Patricia Lamphear, long time resident of Paramount died Monday, March 17 at home surrounded by her family. She was 84.

Mrs. Lamphear lost her threeand-a- half year battle with lung cancer.

Pat moved to the southland from Michigan during the great depression attending Dorsey High School in Los Angeles.

During WWII she met and married Everett Ralph Lamphear, an Army Lieutenant. They raised six children.

She lived the last 55 years of her life in Paramount, giving tirelessly to her community and to her church. She volunteered continuously for Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church as well as acting as a weekly lector for the

Saturday evening Mass. She was a member of the Altar Society and an associate of the Daughters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. She was a lifetime member of the Women’s Club of Paramount, Friends of the Library, and President of the Lincoln PTA. She welcomed countless exchange students into her home as a participant in the Paramount Sister City program with Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.

She is survived by her six children and 15 grandchildren. The family requested that donations be made to the American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers. A private interment was held at Riverside National Cemetery.

Grand rafﬂe prize winner Kirby LaCaze owner of Heath Machine with friend Bill Badaski of Carlton Forge.

New winners of the Paramount Chamber of Commerce 2008 Golf Classic. From left: Darrel Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Lou Apodaca and Joe Holland.

Mayor, Gene Daniels

Beginning of a New Term

In March, the Paramount City Council held its annual reorganization meeting, and it was my honor to be selected as your mayor for the next year. I thank them for the opportunity. The Council also elected Diane J. Martinez as the City’s vice mayor.

Public ofﬁcials and community members have long worked together in Paramount to make our City better. I’m proud to have been a member of that team for a good many years. The progress will continue. It’ll be my pleasure to share the news with you on this page over the coming year.

City Council and Commission Meetings

In case you didn’t realize it, all City Council and City Commission meetings are open for the public to attend. All regularly scheduled meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 16400 Colorado Ave. in the Civic Center (entrance from Paramount Blvd.) There is lots of free parking and the Chambers has plenty of seating. (We even serve free cookies and coffee.)

The City Council’s regularly scheduled meetings are on the ﬁrst Tuesday of each month starting at 7 p.m. and the third Tuesday of each month beginning at 5 p.m.

The Planning Commission meets the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

The Parks and Recreation Commission meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

The Public Safety Commission meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.

The Public Works Commission meets the ﬁrst Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.

The agendas for each of these meetings are publicly posted at least 72 hours before the meeting at City Hall, the Library and the Paramount Sheriff’s Station. The City Council agenda can also be found on the city’s website, www.paramountcity.com.

Student Art Winners

Every year, the Paramount Traditional Artists Guild sponsors an art contest for Paramount students from kindergarten through high school. This year, the 10th annual show, 17 schools took part. There were 624 total entries, which is a record number.

The winners were introduced at the March 4th City Council meeting, where they received their cash awards. (To see a photo of the kids who attended, please look on the “Awards Presentation” page of this month’s Pulse Beat.)

Congratulations are due to each and every winner:

First Place Art: Kindergarten, Destiny Sinclair (Lakewood); 1st Grade, Alejandro Vazquez (Hollydale); 2nd Grade, Melody Fu (Lincoln); 3rd Grade, Yuliana Martinez (Zamboni); 4th Grade, Diego Castaneda (Our Lady of Refuge); 5th Grade, Pamela Romero (Zamboni); 6th Grade, Daisy Vega

(Lincoln); 7th Grade, Michelle Reynoso (Our Lady of Refuge); 8th Grade, Samuel Mendez (Lincoln); 9th Grade, Elizabeth Munoz (Paramount High School West); 11th Grade, Liliana Macias (Paramount High School); 12th Grade, Marco Veloz (Buena Vista High School).

Special Awards: Best Composition, Enrique Ramirez-Vasquez (12th grade – Paramount High); Chamber of Commerce Award, Daniela Sanchez (6th grade – Lincoln); Superintendent’s Award, Alonso Macias (11th grade – Buena Vista High); Commissioner’s Award, Judith Lopez (12th grade – Paramount High); Mayor’s Award, Victor Fu (3rd grade – Lincoln) and Raul Munoz (10th grade – Paramount High).

New Website Design

Speaking of the City’s website, it has been completely revamped, with a new look and added features. For instance, now you can have email contact with councilmembers directly. Just ﬁnd the “Council” link on the home page, which will take you to our page, where you can click on the “email” link under each photo. From there you can send your email.

The site now has some great graphics such as a panoramic slide show of views around town, a community calendar, City Council meeting agendas, links to the Paramount Uniﬁed School District and the Chamber of Commerce, and the entire municipal code (which is easily searchable).

Stop on by and visit us at, again, www. paramountcity.com.

RV and Commercial Vehicle Parking Waivers

Here’s a reminder that the City is issuing free waivers as part of the new regulations for parking RVs and commercial vehicles in town.

Under the new law – which took affect on March 5th – RVs can no longer be parked on Paramount streets but they can be parked on private property. Commercial vehicles cannot be parked on Paramount streets or on private residential property.

In both cases, however, owners of these vehicles will have a long phase-in period before the new regulations will apply, as long as they get a waiver. Applications for the free, one-year waivers are available at the Paramount Sheriff’s Station at 15001 Paramount Blvd. The waiver application period goes through May 15, 2008. (No waivers will be given after May 15, 2008.) The waiver will then be good until May 16, 2009. After that date, owners will have to ﬁnd alternative parking for their vehicles. For RVs, applicants must show proof of Paramount residency and proof that the RV is registered to a Paramount residential address. For commercial vehicles, applicants must show proof of Paramount residency or of owning or operating a business in Paramount. (Only business owners who currently park their commercial vehicles on the street would require a waiver.)

Please call (562) 220-2002 for more information.

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. Paul Valery

Capt. Christy Guyovich will take over as commander of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Lakewood Station this month, in effect becoming the chief of police for the Paramount team. She replaces Capt. David Fender, who served in the same capacity for the last six years and has been promoted to another location in the Department.

Capt. Guyovich becomes the first woman commander in the 54-year history of the Lakewood Station, and is the 18th captain since 1954. The 19-year veteran of the Department worked as a sergeant at the Station in 1999, and returned as a lieutenant in 2004 as watch commander on the evening shift.

“I’m excited and honored to gain this promotion,” she said. “And I’m looking forward very much to working with the Paramount community. The city’s reputation for dedicated and innovative law enforcement has been in place for a long time, and we’ll strive to make things even better.”

Also joining the law enforcement team is Sergeant Michael Zymkowitz. A 25-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, he’s no stranger to Paramount, having served here as a patrolman and detective in the past. “I’ve got a lot of strong connections to this community,” Sgt. Zymkowitz said. “It’s great to be back, making new friends and continuing the work we’re all dedicated to.”

Children and Substance Abuse

The use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is a major health problem facing our nation’s youth, as it can quickly lead to addiction, associated chronic diseases, failure in school and delinquency.

A survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that one in ﬁve 12- to 17-year-olds have used marijuana at some time. (Marijuana is continually cultivated to

be more potent.) Almost half of those who smoked cigarettes in the past month had also used illegal drugs. According to another SAMHSA study, only one in 20 teens who did not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol had used illegal drugs.

Early education and intervention can often keep kids on track. The following prevention tips are offered to help you keep your child from abusing substances:

· Educate yourself about alcohol, tobacco and drug use before talking to your children. You will lose credibility if you don’t have your facts right.

· Be ready to talk to your children as early as the fourth grade, when they may ﬁrst feel peer pressure to experiment with alcohol, drugs or cigarettes.

· Listen to your child’s or teen’s concerns with an open mind.

· Explain that it’s against the law for a child or teen to use alcohol or cigarettes and that using recreational drugs is always illegal.

· Explain how drug use can hurt people in several ways, such as the transmission of AIDS through shared needles, slowed growth and impaired coordination.

· Discuss the legal issues. A conviction for a drug offense can lead to time in prison or cost someone a job, driver’s license or college loan.

· Use real examples to convey your message, such as television news and newspaper stories.

· Establish an ongoing conversation rather than giving a one-time speech.

· Set some time aside for you and your child to act out scenarios in which one person tries to pressure another to drink alcohol, smoke or use a drug. Figure out two or three ways to handle each situation and talk about which method works best.

· Remember that you set the example. Avoid contradictions between your words and your actions.

The Paramount City Council invites you to a presentation on the latest civic projects and public programs that make Paramount a dynamic place to live, work and play. Don’t miss this event if you’re interested in what’s going on in the City. There will be plenty of refreshments too.

Generous Supporters Help Education in Paramount More

Opportunities Available At Upcoming Benefit Auction

This month, the Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) would like to formally thank some of those who support its efforts to increase the educational attainment in the city of Paramount.

A special recognition is due to PEP’s 5th Annual Beneﬁt Auction presenting sponsor, Weber Metals, for their commitment to the community, and also to the company’s Paul Dennis for his active role in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce Committee on Education.

We would also like to thank Darren Kurkowski and the Bianchi family for their continuous support of PEP. Bianchi Winery has committed to be the wine sponsor again this year for the Beneﬁt Auction, which will have “A Night in Spain” as its theme and be held Friday, June 6. They will also be donating a stay at the Bianchi Winery House in Paso Robles and a private screening at Bianchi Theatres in the skybox for 12.

We appreciate Art Navarro, marketing

communications director at AT&T Mobility, and his staff for including PEP in the ribboncutting celebration of their AT&T Mobility retail store in Paramount on Thursday, March 6.

We would like to acknowledge them for joining our efforts through a $1,500 contribution to aid in providing opportunities for a brighter future for those in our community. Their generosity is truly appreciated.

Without the support of people like these, PEP would not be able to provide the educational services that it does today. If you would like to invest in the community’s future by becoming an auction sponsor, there are plenty of sponsorship opportunities available.

For more information on becoming a sponsor, or for general information regarding PEP’s 5th Annual Beneﬁt Auction, “A Night in Spain,” Friday, June 6, please contact Aoife Hollingsworth, event coordinator, at (562) 817-0820 or aoifeh@gatewaycities.org.

ATT Mobility Grand Opening

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 7 PM

Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER Partners in Workplace Safety

Having a worker injured on the job can be overwhelming. But there is a partner who can help, who can be the employer’s touchstone in the crucial ﬁeld of “occupational medicine.”

Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER serves Paramount and a wide circle of surrounding cities, reliably and efficiently covering the needs of commercial and industrial clients. They have Board-certiﬁed physicians providing injury care and many other medical services at three (3) closeby, full-service clinics 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“We have a relationship with our clients,” said Alex Guttman, Administrator of Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER, which serves an array of employers that range from staffing agencies to school districts. “Employers have a host of needs when it comes to occupational healthcare. We collaborate with them on many levels, with a key goal being the creation and maintenance of utter safety in their workplace.”

Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER conﬁdently provides for urgent situations, even offering complimentary transportation to bring an injured worker to the clinic. They also have an array of ongoing services for pre-employment such as: physical

exams for new hires and post-employment, drug and alcohol testing, supervisor training, and accident prevention programs.

One of its newest programs, in fact, is for employees whose injury requires modiﬁed duty restrictions on the job.

“BACK-TO-WORK, as it’s called, is unique,” Guttman explained. “When a doctor deems that the injury calls for limits on what a worker can do, and the employer cannot accommodate those limitations, we provide a class that avoids lost time on the job.” The program has the individual attending “class” rather than staying at home, and is designed to educate on workplace safety, motivate for a return to work, and prepare to reach full capacity quickly.

“It’s extremely popular with all our clients, and has produced proven, positive results,” Guttman noted.

In regards to continuing resources for the employer, Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER supplies trusted work-safety know-how, allowing client companies to focus on their own business. An example of this is “Consortium Compliance,” which specializes in federally mandated random drug and alcohol testing as well as training classes for supervisors and employees with interactive videos, role-playing exercises and plenty of

question and answer sessions. There is even a convenient Internet-based capability, called E-Compliance that allows clients to access all of their testing information.

“We can also help employers understand all the details and ﬁne points of saving money on insurance related to worker’s comp and other workplace injury-related items,” Guttman related.

“All physicians aggressively promote ‘ﬁrst aid,’ which means they can be billed directly to the employer in order

to minimize recordable injuries, as per California OSHA guidelines.”

For more information on the many ways that Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER can be a proactive business partner, visit www. immediatemedical.net or contact a Client Service Representative at (562) 531-8152.

“We’re here to save our customers money and provide safety-related service,” Guttman said. “It’s a two-way relationship.”

Presents A Tour of Germany Wine Tasting

Fundraiser

May 6, 2008 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Wine Country 2301 Redondo Avenue, Signal Hill, CA 90755

$75.00 Early Bird Tickets - Deadline: April 25, 2008

$85.00 Tickets at the door or after April 25th

All donations are tax-deductible and go to help Su Casa provide services for victims and survivors of domestic violence and child abuse. Questions? Contact Christina Satki (562) 421-3297 or email: Christina@sucasadv.org

Southern California IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CENTER’s conveniently located clinics welcome Paramount & surrounding area employers.

Gaining Business Confidence and Self-Esteem

By Ian LamontDirector- Small Business Development Center

We all have good streaks and bad streaks. Whether it is your business, your favorite sports teams, or life.

When you are on a good streak, you seem to have it all —respect, innovative ideas, attainment of goals, good breaks, and when needed the beneﬁt of the doubt. You feel great, everything is going your way, but then you have a setback, a bad streak sets in, and you no longer are getting the beneﬁt of the doubt in anything.

Everyone of us wins and loses, so what is the difference between a person who extends their good streaks and keeps their bad streaks short and another who has more bad streaks than good? Conﬁdence, self-esteem, a sense of accountability, collaboration and inspiration that’s what gives some people substantially more control and conﬁdence.

So how does one build their conﬁdence and selfesteem? How do you lessen a bad streak and turn it around?

Conﬁdence is the bridge between expectations and performance; between promises and results. A good streak is created by positive actions, momentum and staying focused; which only further increases conﬁdence. Individuals who “believe” they will win are the ones who will put in the concerted effort to ensure victory.

Confidence is also a balance between arrogance — the failure to see flaws — and self-doubt. Believing you will succeed and winning, is not arrogance. Acting confident, being full of bravado but, not believing, nor doing everything in your power to succeed that, is arrogance. There is too little of former and far too much of the latter today in business, sports and especially politics.

Good streaks begin from a foundation of confidence. Leadership can instill confidence, into their small business, by empowering those around them, providing the resources needed and building a culture of performance and achievement. Building confidence throughout a business is done at four levels:

1. Individual conﬁdence: create a culture of high expectations and reward.

2. Confidence in others: be positive, supportive, encourage team-oriented behavior, over communicate all that is going on in the business and empower everyone to be a difference maker.

3. Conﬁdence in the system: practice and embrace collaboration and innovation, name “champions” and demand full accountability and then see sales, revenue and proﬁts rise.

4. External conﬁdence: delivering value will see customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention soar, brand and market share strengthen and the business respect and

admiration grow.

A word of caution at this point: A good streak is wonderful. An extended good streak takes leadership, good and empowered people, commitment to all four levels and incredibly hard work. You should also know that successful people fail often. Successful people try more things, fall down, pick themselves up and try again. They try over and over again, before they achieve what they set out to achieve.

During a bad streak, a conﬁdent individual trusts their abilities to be calm and focused while the less conﬁdent allow panic or haste to distract them, which adds pressure, prohibits good decision-making and prolongs a bad streak.

Conﬁdent people “believe” setbacks are detours, problems are challenges and troubles are opportunities. They redouble their efforts to ﬁnd a way around these obstacles.

In my 30 years in business, I have developed my own leadership principles (which have not changed for 15 years) on how to be conﬁdent, increase the conﬁdence of those around me and how to build a culture of high performance and achievement.

Employing my principals has allowed me to have far more good streaks over the last 30 years, than bad streaks. Through trail and error these are my Leadership and Conﬁdence principles, that work for me:

1. Share an inspired vision

2. Challenge the process

3. Enable and empower those around you

4. Model the way- walk the talk

5. Encourage from the heart

I would encourage all of you to develop your own professional principles around becoming more conﬁdent because being on consistent good streaks is a lot more fun.

Ian Lamont is the Director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located in North Long Beach. The SBDC provides “no-cost ever” 1-on-1 business counseling and mentoring. Your Paramount Chamber has partnered with the SBDC to provide this free business counseling at the Chamber office for any business in the area. The SBDC has nine experienced business counselors, including, an Accountant, Attorney, Banker, Webmaster/Technologist, along with experience counselors in sales & marketing, running a business and even starting your own business. There is never a charge (free service) to meet with any of these counselors 1-on-1. The SBDC is hosted by Long Beach City College. To set up your appointment call the Chamber office or cal the LB SBDC office at 562-570-4571. For more information about the SBDC, go to www.lbsbdc.org

Downey Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Celebrates 50th Anniversary!

Downey Plumbing congratulates Norwalk/La Mirada Plumbing on its 50th anniversary. Owner Don Skala, attributes the company’s success to “…providing value added services and implementing best practices to establish long-term relationships.”

However, Downey Plumbing’s residential and commercial clients have experienced the best in service and customer satisfaction since 1930. From plumbing, sewers and drains to heating and HVAC services, Downey Plumbing’s technicians will promptly recommend and perform responsible and economical solutions.

With two additional locations in Brea and Norwalk, commercial and residential clients beneﬁt from the same exceptional services in both Los Angeles and Orange

Counties. In the event of a plumbing emergency, a professional technician will respond to your needs by calling the 24-hour service number at 866-204-4068.

Owner Don Skala also believes in being a good corporate citizen in the communities he serves. He is a member of 18 different Chambers of Commerce and holds positions on many boards. He also believes in career opportunities for his employees and encourages them to grow with the company through professional development and onthe-job training.

For more information, visit Downey’s site at www.downeyplumbing.com or Norwalk/La Mirada Plumbing’s web site at www.laplumber.com, or visit Brea/Orange County’s site at www.ocplumber.com.

Chamber of Commerce Presidents Award, 2004

Education Partnership Platinum Sponsor A part of the City of Paramount for over 70 years, did you know that: Paramount Petroleum is one of the largest suppliers of asphalt in the United States; Paramount Petroleum is in the top 15% of all U.S. reﬁneries for Pollution Prevention performance according to the Environmental Defense Fund Paramount Petroleum, YOUR good neighbor! 14700 Downey Avenue

CA 90723 Phone: (562) 531 – 2060 Fax: (562) 633 – 8211

Joe A. Harkema Passes Away

The Harkema brothers, seen last year in front of a vintage ﬁre truck while celebrating the 90th birthday of Joe, who passed away in February. From left, Roy, Henry, Lloyd, Kenny and Joe.

Longtime Lakewood resident and former Paramount ﬁreﬁghter Joe A. Harkema, Sr. passed away on February 27, 2008. He was 91, and was born on February 13, 1917 in Little Rock, Iowa. Joe was the brother of former Paramount City Councilmember Henry Harkema.

In 1935, John and Gertrude Harkema moved from the farm in Iowa to start a new life in California. The family of six sons ﬁrst settled in Bellﬂower, and Joe graduated from Excelsior High School in 1936. Later, the family moved to what was then known as Clearwater (which eventually joined with Hynes to form Paramount).

Times were very difficult, this being the middle of the Great Depression. Another family living on the Harkema’s street was that of Captain Jones of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who became good friends with Joe. The Captain helped get Joe a job as a firefighter, and the young man went on to serve for 30 years, retiring in 1971.

Joe celebrated his 90th birthday at Progress Park Plaza in 2007. A 1940s ﬁre truck that he had actually driven while with the Department was brought to the function. The truck had been completely restored and was a beautiful sight. Joe’s son, Joe Jr., who is also retired from the Fire Department, spent many hours helping to restore the vintage vehicle.

Joe and his four brothers, all of whom served in the military during World War II, were photographed in front of the truck.

Joe A. Harkema, Sr., who was married to Mary C. Myllo for 56 years, is survived by his son Joe Jr., daughters Greta C. Creedon and Selma C. Harkema; grandchildren Richard and Robert Teasdale, Julie Borgmann, Jennifer and Jared Harkema, and Mary, Aileen, Kathleen and Timothy Creedon; and great grandchildren Ryan, Kaleigh and Tyler Borgmann, Andrew and Landry Teasdale, and Samantha and Megan Morris; as well as his brothers Henry, Roy, Lloyd and Kenny.

Workshops

Paramount Chamber Resource Center 15357 Paramount Blvd., Paramount Paramount Chamber of Commerce Free & Fee Based

Writing an Effective Business Plan: Part II, The Marketing Plan

In the second part of this three part workshop, you will learn how to market your business, how to ﬁnd your customers, how to launch and grow your business.

Fee: $30 Tuesday May 6, 2008 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Writing an Effective Business Plan: Part III, The Financial Plan

In this final workshop, you will learn how to track your business, prepare simple financial statements that allow you to know exactly how well your business is performing and how to package your financial information for leaders and investors.

Fee: $30 Tuesday May 27, 2008 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Reservations are required. Workshops are from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. For more information call 562-634-3980 x10 or email mvillasenor@paramountchamber.com

Workshops Presented by the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) All fees payable to SBDC

**Free One-on-One Business Counseling Also Available** ($25 deposit required, to be returned after appointment ends)

HELP WANTED

MECHANIC WITH TOOL EXPERIENCE. Trouble-shooting. TOP DOLLAR for TOP MECHANIC. Apply at Herald’s Garage, 8124 E. Alondra Blvd, Paramount. 562-633-2136, Ask for Joe.

SECURITY OFFICERS - Immediate Full Time & Part Time Positions. Must have valid guard and or gun permits. Call Central Patrol Service (562) 621-1500

Charles G. Hardy, Inc., Distributor of Building Material DRIVERS AND WAREHOUSEMEN wanted.15723 Vermont Ave., Paramount, Ask for Mark (562) 634-6560

SECURITY and PATROL OFFICERS NEEDED - Vernon Security currently has openings for Unarmed Guards and Patrol Ofﬁcers to work all shifts in Paramount and surrounding cities. Must have a current guard card and a clean DMV for Patrol. Call Charles at 562-790-8993 Ext.102 or apply in person at 15317 Paramount Blvd Suite 201, Paramount, CA. Must bring your guard card when applying.

International Freight Forwarding Co. Hiring OPERATIONS, ACCOUNTING, CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES REPS for its Paramount Ca. Houston Tx., & NYC ofﬁces. Experience not required. Proﬁciency in Chinese a plus. H/Ins. 401K provided. EM to laofc@zencon.com or fax 562-663-6899

Rotary Host 10th Annual Student Forum

Pictured are some of the winners who were awarded $40 each for being judged the “most inspirational speakers” (Rotary President Wilbur at right). Students also received gift cards from Doublz Burgers and Jamba Juice.

Each year Paramount Rotary and Paramount Unified School District cosponsor a Student Forum where PHS students state their views and argue their points regarding vital and challenging topics of the day (e.g. presidential candidates/campaigns, public health, the war in Iraq, cell phone safety). The March 8th event was presided over by Rotarians Superintendent D. Verdugo and PHS Principal J. Monico; they were helped by thirty-five community volunteers

including School Board Members, City Council Members, and Rotarians. The 100 participating students competed for $1650 in cash prizes.

Rotary is an organization of local business and professional people who provide humanitarian assistance to Paramount residents. The Club meets at noon every Tuesday at Progress Park, visitors are welcome. For more information, call Club Secretary Duane Mahan at 562-634-0234, or connect with ClubRunner.ca/Paramount.

P ARAMOUNT A WARDS N IGHT

The March 4th Council meeting was also the annual “transition” when a new Mayor and Vice Mayor were elected by all members to serve for the next year. Numerous local, state and federal ofﬁcials were represented to honor outgoing Mayor Peggy

on her completed term.

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s Field Rep Daisy Pizana gives her a plaque.

Paramount Chamber of Commerce President Leonard Crespo presented Mayor Lemons with a special Chamber jacket.

Field Rep Luis Marquez was on hand for State Senator Alan Lowenthal.

Supervisor Don Knabe’s Deputy Erin Stibal attended the meeting on his behalf.

Presenting for Assemblymember Meryvn Dymally was Paramount businessman John Colville.

Captain David Fender offered the Sheriff’s Department’s congratulations on the Mayor’s successful year.

Representing the Los Angeles County Fire Department were Assistant Fire Chief David Richardson, Jr. and the ﬁreﬁghters from Paramount’s Station 30.

The winners of the annual student art contest sponsored by the Paramount Traditional Artists Guild were introduced and given their cash prize at the March 4th City Council meeting. (For a list of the students, their grade and school, please see this month’s Mayor’s Corner column.)

Deputy Hector Nuno of the Paramount Sheriff’s Station was commended by the Council for helping to evacuate two young children and their father from a house ﬁre he came upon on Paramount Blvd. Thanks to his fast thinking and decisive action, the ﬁre was contained and, more importantly, there were no injuries or deaths. From left, Councilmember Tom Hansen, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Nuno, Mayor Peggy Lemons, Vice Mayor Gene Daniels and Councilmember Daryl Hofmeyer.

Captain David Fender, commander of the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station for the last six years, has been transferred to another position. The Council expressed the City’s appreciation to him. From left: Councilmember Tom Hansen, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Fender, Mayor Peggy Lemons, Vice Mayor Gene Daniels and Councilmember Daryl Hofmeyer.

Her fellow City Council members presented Mayor Lemons with ﬂowers and a scrapbook commemorating her term.

The celebration of March as National Women’s History Month in the U.S. was marked by the City Council and members of the Paramount’s Women’s Club. The club was founded in 1926 and has been going strong ever since, volunteering at the Library and the hospital, delivering holiday gift baskets, presenting scholarships, and promoting education and healthy lifestyles.

Lemons

Paramount Women’s Club

spoke to the group about how to prevent Identity Theft.

Paramount-Tepic Sister Cities

Paramount-Tepic Sister Cities committee recently hosted 7 children, their teacher and two parents from Tepic, Mexico. They stayed in the homes of club members Ana Flores, Cira Garces and Laura Oropeza. While visiting the children received a tour of City Hall visited the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach where they were hosted by Senator Lowenthal, toured Lincoln Middle School, visited Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm and enjoyed a skating session at Iceland compliments of Zamboni Merchandising.

Don Knabe MC’s “VIP” Premiere

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe recently served as MC for the “VIP” premiere of the Pathways Volunteer Hospice’s “Point of Entry” Program. The event was held at the Clearwater building in Paramount and was an opportunity to highlight the many services and programs offered by Pathways and to introduce their new “Point of Entry” video that will be shared with various community groups and potential donors.

Marianne Hughlett, Chair of the Pathways Board of Directors, and Cindy Skovgard, Executive Director, gave a brief overview of the Pathways organization, which serves hundreds of people in Paramount, Bellﬂower, Cerritos, Lakewood and Long Beach.

Joining Supervisor Knabe were elected ofﬁcials and key staff from the cities served by Pathways. Pathway’s provides traditional hospice, care giving and bereavement counseling free of charge. “Their volunteer base is incredible”, commented Supervisor Knabe,