aramount’s rehabilitation programs for commercial and residential properties are going as strong as ever after 25 years. The City has partnered with hundreds of building owners over this time to physically improve their sites with such upgrades as fresh stucco, new roofs, renovated signage, decorative walls and attractive landscaping. On most of these remodels, the City pays 80% of the construction costs.
One of the largest new projects is the Para Latino Medical Center at 15711-15717 Paramount Blvd. This saw two vacant buildings combined into one 11,930-square-foot clinic. Other recent improvements include a former single-family house at 15350 Paramount Blvd. that was turned into an insurance office and a rejuvenated 20-unit apartment building, also on Paramount Blvd.
These programs have been one of the successful ways Paramount has transformed its public spaces to provide a clean, identifiable and unified look throughout town.
For more information about the Commercial and Residential Rebate Programs, please call (562) 220-2036.
State Farm Maria Galli before.
State Farm Maria Galli after.
Para Latino Medical Center before.
Para Latino Medical Center after.
Paramount Lions are True “Angels”
A special nod of gratitude and recognition goes to the Paramount Lions Club for donating 100 tickets to Paramount families for the Los Angeles Angels/Minnesota Twins game at Angel Stadium on Saturday, July 25.
This is the fifth year in a row that the Paramount Lions have purchased tickets for residents, which were given to the City’s Recreation Department for distribution to kids and parents involved in youth groups. The Department then arranged for transportation, and held a fun-filled tailgate party at the stadium prior to the game.
It was a great time, and it couldn’t have happened without the generosity of the Lions, who have been performing good deeds like this in Paramount for more than 50 years.
Post Office Parking Improvements
Thanks to agreements coordinated between the City, the United States Postal Service and Southern California Edison, parking at our post office on Somerset Blvd. has been substantially expanded and improved.
In addition to the extra space, the project included new signage and landscaping, and two utility boxes received an artistic overhaul with some freshly painted murals. The added parking was put on Southern California Edison right-of-way land and has produced a better overall design and traffic flow for the entire property.
A grand re-opening will be held Thursday, September 3, at 10:00 a.m. to showcase the new parking lot, as well as the Post Office’s renovated passport facility. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez – who was instrumental in coordinating the parking project – is scheduled
to be on hand. There will also be a business fair that will highlight mailing services the Post Office offers local companies.
Heave Your Household Hazardous Waste On August 29
For toxic materials that can’t be thrown away in the trash, Los Angeles County holds collection events at various locations and has five permanent collection sites. Products such as motor oil, anti-freeze, paint, turpentine, pesticides and herbicides, household and car batteries, acid-based cleansers, expired pharmaceuticals, fluorescent light bulbs and e-waste are properly disposed of by the county. This service is free.
Locally, there will be a “Round-up” collection on August 29 in Downey from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The location is the Los Angeles County Office of Education at 9300 Imperial Highway. You will enter the Round-up from Clark Ave. just north of the 105 Freeway. Bring the items in a sturdy box, preferably in their original labeled containers. There is a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste per trip. Be prepared to leave the containers and boxes. Remove all other items from your trunk.
To find a full list of what is acceptable, and where all other locations are, call 1 (888) CLEAN-LA (1-888-253-2652) or visit http:// www.lacsd.org or www.888CleanLA.com.
Summer Rec Fun Continuing
The City’s slate of summer recreation programs is cruising through the season with big attendance numbers. The pool at Paramount Park has, once again, been absolutely swamped with recreational swimmers and those taking lessons.
One really fun family-oriented offering at the pool has been the Friday Night “Dive-In” Movies. You bring the family and play in the pool while watching a favorite family film. Chaperone policy is as follows: guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older. Any child under the age of 6 must be accompanied in the water by a chaperone.
The “Dive-In” is open from 6:45-8:45 p.m. on Fridays through August 21. Tickets are 50¢ for 17 & under, $1 for 18 & over and 50¢ for seniors.
Call (562) 220-2121 for more information.
Activities for Seniors
The City also has a great line-up yearround for our senior citizen residents. Here’s
a sampling of what’s available. Free exercise classes every Monday from 11 a.m. - noon. Bingo on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (donations of $1 get you three cards). Blood pressure testing the second Wednesday of the month from11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dancing to live music on Thursdays from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Movie Day on Friday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. (50¢ for refreshments). And our Walking Club meets Friday mornings at 9 a.m.
All these wonderful activities take place at the Senior Center at Paramount Park. Our seniors also have some fun events and trips coming up. August 7 will be the Summer Luau. August 12 will feature an excursion to Harrah’s Casino. Then, on Sept. 11 we’ll visit the Los Angeles County Fair and Sept. 17 is when the Fall Celebration will be held. Call (562) 220-2090 for any information about our activities for seniors.
– 7/6/09
For the last twelve years, Dapper Joe Hamilton was the resident organist for the Paramount Elks and a good friend of the community. He added a Fred Astaire grace to the dance floor and taught others to do the same. Joe had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and on July 6, 2009 he passed away, he will be truly missed.
Mayor, Diane Martinez
On Patrol
Neighborhood Watch – Making a Difference in Our Community
In Paramount, there are many active Neighborhood Watch teams operating throughout the City to provide extra eyes and ears for the Sheriff’s Department. The Neighborhood Watch program is a partnership in crime prevention. Residents come to know their neighbors, look out for each other’s welfare and property, and report suspicious activities. And it works – on average, areas with active Neighborhood Watch participation have much less crime than those without it.
Here’s a real-world example of how NW can produce results:
At a recent meeting, residents expressed concerns to public safety personnel about possible narcotics sales in their neighborhood. Deputies took actions that allowed them to obtain a search warrant. Soon thereafter, deputies served the warrant early in the morning, arrested a suspect and confiscated drugs and drug paraphernalia, as well as a vehicle and a substantial amount of cash.
This effort, from start to finish, exemplifies what Neighborhood Watch is all about. The neighborhood got involved and worked with the City and the Sheriff’s Department, and the criminal activities were eliminated. Change can happen, but it takes time and effort to help make a difference.
Keep in mind, also, that any resident who reports criminal activity can remain totally anonymous if they so choose.
To start up Neighborhood Watch in your neighborhood, contact the Public Safety Department so that City staff can help residents get organized.
The Sheriff’s Department needs everyone’s help in protecting our community, because a deputy cannot be present everywhere at all times. And since neighbors know better than anyone what happens in their own neighborhood, this is a good way to do your part and help with public safety.
Any number of topics and issues can be discussed at Neighborhood Watch meetings. Apart from potential criminal behavior, these can include parking problems, street racing, street vendors and code enforcement issues – anything and everything that affects the quality of life for residents in Paramount’s neighborhoods.
Neighborhood Watch groups can also help residents prepare for natural disasters and set up plans for checking on neighbors after disasters hit.
Anyone in town can become a part of Paramount’s Neighborhood Watch program. Call the Public Safety Department at (562) 220-2002. Our Neighborhood Watch Coordinator is Angel Arredondo.
DUI Checkpoints
The City and the Sheriff’s Department held the latest in a continuing series of DUI/Drivers License checkpoints on Friday, June 26, from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m. at 7210 Rosecrans Ave.
A total of 4,429 vehicles passed through the checkpoint. Of the motorists screened, 131 were issued traffic citations and 109 vehicles were impounded. Four field sobriety tests were conducted and two motorists were arrested for DUI.
These checkpoints – which are funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street. They serve as tools to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving and encourage sober designated drivers. They are also a way to insure that drivers have a valid driver’s license.
The next DUI checkpoint in Paramount is tentatively scheduled for September 4. The location is still to be determined.
City Council Recognizes Station 31
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Don’t Discard Your Damaged Photos
Rhonda Dinwiddie Dazzle Imaging (562) 633-8088
PLEASE DON’T discard your damaged photographs! The damage can be reversed, and your family’s heirloom photos can be restored to their original beauty. Highly-skilled and experienced photo-restoration artists can save your damaged photos by scanning the images, digitally removing the problems and reprinting them. If your photos have mildew, water damage, smoke/fire damage, folds, creases, scratches, rips, food stains, ink, crayon markings, or their just faded from old age; they can be restored to their original color and sharpness. You don’t need to throw out those precious memories your photos can regain their original pizzazz and in some cases look even better than the original.
There are some simple but essential things you can do to prevent photo damage in the future: Don’t place them unprotected in drawers where constant movement and contact with other items will mar their surface. Put
Protect
them in a glass frame or good quality photo album. Mounting pages of poor quality albums frequently contain acids which will slowly degrade the quality of your pictures. Photos stored in good quality albums will have less exposure to sunlight, oxygen and pollutants which slowly fade your images. Do your self and your family a favor, store your photographs properly and they will keep their brilliance and last a lifetime.
However, when the inevitable happens, and one or more of your treasured photos becomes damaged or loses its original luster, take them to a professional digital photo restoration and retouching artist. . . one that has restored and/or enhanced hundreds or thousands of images. Don’t leave your priceless memories in the hands of an amateur. It’s best to spend a little time getting referrals and checking out testimonials of well known people in the photographic community. Make sure you ask to see numerous examples (before and after images) of previous restorations before you make your decision. Then move forward and bring those memories back to life.
Yourself and Your Property
lurking about.
• To keep your tools from being stolen, paint the handles. Thieves avoid items that are easy to identify.
Pet Therapy Brings Smiles to Patients’ and Staff At Lakewood Regional Medical Center
It has long been established that close contact with animals can have a therapeutic effect on humans. Whether a patient is ill, has a life- threatening disease, a disabling condition, or just feeling a little stressed, a small dose of animal therapy can go a long way. Studies have shown that physical contact with a pet can lower high blood pressure and improve survival rates for heart attack victims.
While it’s difficult to protect your home from professional thieves, most home burglaries are done by amateurs. These thieves are more easily thwarted if you employ some of these simple security precautions:
• Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.
• Change all the locks and tumblers when you move into a new house.
• Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.
• If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.
• Before turning your house key over to a professional house cleaner for several hours, make sure the person is honest and reputable as well as hardworking. Check all references thoroughly. If the house cleaner is from a firm, call your local Better Business Bureau to check on the firm's reputation.
• Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil -- or put it in a 35mm film can -- and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.
• Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.
• Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice
• Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs.
• Do not list your full name on your mailbox or your entry in the telephone book. Use only your initial and your last name.
• If someone comes to your door asking to use the phone to call a mechanic or the police, keep the door locked and make the call yourself.
• Dogs are good deterrents to burglars. Even a small, noisy dog can be effective -burglars do not like to have attention drawn to their presence. Be aware, however, that trained guard dogs do not make good pets. Obedience training and attack training are entirely different, and only the former is appropriate for a house pet.
• To help burglar-proof your home, install 1-inch throw deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.
• You can burglar-proof your glass patio doors by setting a pipe or metal bar in the middle bottom track of the door slide. The pipe should be the same length as the track it’s simple for a thief to break glass panels and then reach in and open a doorknob from the inside. A door with glass panels should be fortified, replaced, or secured with deadbolts that can only be opened with a key.
Because of these proven benefits, Lakewood Regional Medical Center is launching an animal-assisted therapy program for its patients. Animal-assisted therapy uses trained animals and handlers to help patients achieve specific physical, social, cognitive and emotional goals.
“Many skills can be learned or improved with the assistance of a therapy animal,” said Vikki Puffer, coordinator of LRMC animal therapy program. “Patient rehabilitation can be encouraged by such activities as walking or running with a dog, or throwing objects for the animal to retrieve while fine motor skills may be developed by petting, grooming, or feeding the animal.”
The benefits of animal contact also get more specific when dealing with patients with other problems. Animals pay no attention to age, physical disability or emotional dysfunction. They accept people as they are, making them the ideal therapy companion for the mentally or physically disabled
The emotional benefits from animals are difficult to measure; meaning that pets help humans without anyone knowing exactly why, says Cindy Bryant, Pet Therapist of Therapy Dogs International (TDI). What experts know, however, is that animals allow humans to focus, even for a short period of time, on something other than themselves.
According to Bryant, the dogs have been specially trained to interact with all types of patients. “It takes a certain type of dog to do this work and not all dogs qualify. Besides their behavior being evaluated, the dog’s health status must be cleared by a veterinarian and all their shots kept current.”
Once the dogs are cleared for training they go through a rigorous program, along with their handlers, to learn to adapt to a variety of environments, including multiple types of equipment, various sounds, and different types of patients. Every patient is evaluated separately to see if they are appropriate for the dog to visit.
Currently, the dogs visit a couple of times a month. “We would love for them to visit at least weekly but the demand for these dogs is very high and they are already booked at several hospitals. TDI is in the process of training more dogs to keep up with the demand, so, hopefully soon, we will see our furry friends on a more frequent basis,” says Jodi Hein, Chief Nurse Officer at LRMC.
Lady of the Rosary School Accepting Applications
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School in the city of Paramount is accepting applications for the school year 2009-10 for grades K through 8. The school is located at 14813 Paramount Blvd. and is fully accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of School and Colleges (WASC). Contact 562.633.6360 for more information.
Summer Enrichment Program Improving Literacy and Math Skills
School kids, like anybody else, have different levels of proficiency and pace. Not every child learns the same way; some learn material quickly and others more slowly. If your child needs help in school, it’s best not to brush it under the carpet and assume that they will catch up with the rest of the class. Getting them the help they need is the ideal thing to do.
Fortunately, for local students who fall a little behind or have trouble in a particular subject, the Paramount Education Partnership (PEP) offers a year-round program that can help them, and at no cost.
PEP’s Literacy & Math Enrichment Program provides computerized training and hands-on activities in reading, writing, and mathematics to students in grades K-8. It primarily uses educational websites and software programs, all with the goal of bringing student performance up to grade level.
There are currently 122 students enrolled in the program for summer. Classes are broken down into four periods. Within each period, students are separated into groups based on grade level, writing level, and subject matter. Since the beginning of the summer program (July 6) students have covered the following math areas: place values, integers, order of operations, decimals expressions and equations. They have completed three writing assignments, two essays, several summaries, worked on
sentence structure and sentence types and are currently writing a research paper.
Parents and students alike enjoy attending the program; they receive plenty of support from the part-time staff, a certified teacher and five volunteers from Cerritos Community College’s Summer Youth Program.
As a reward for participating in the summer program, students in the 5th-8th grades will enjoy a Destination College Tour of El Camino College, Compton Center on August 13. This will be a great opportunity for students to be exposed to a college environment. In doing so, they will hopefully see that there is life after high school, and that the opportunities for improving themselves are endless.
The summer program will wrap up with a special celebration, including great food, music and fun activities.
The Paramount Education Partnership is an alliance between the City of Paramount, the Paramount Unified School District and the Paramount Chamber of Commerce. It is dedicated to providing programs and services that improve academic skills for residents through literacy and math enrichment, homework help, English as a Second Language Classes, the Math, Engineering & Science Achievement (MESA) program and more.
For more information, please call (562) 220-2145 or 220-2250.
We are proud to be part of an All-American City and want to thank the local businesses, residences, schools and friends for your support over the years and are grateful to be involved in community
Paramount Chamber of Commerce Presidents Award, 2004
Paramount 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 Paramount, CA 90723
Phone: (562) 531 – 2060 Fax: (562) 633 – 8211
Chamber Networking Breakfast
Harrah’s Casino
August 12, 2009
$2 per person
If interested sign ups begin July 8.
Depart: 8am
Return: 2:45pm
Hawaiian Luau
August 7, 2009
$5 per person
Doors open at 5:00 pm and dinner will be served from 6:00 to 6:30 pm. Dancing will begin at 7:00 pm. Registrations begin July 10.
Senior’s Day
September 15, 2009 (FREE)
It is a perfect opportunity to check out and visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. There will be free admission for all seniors over the age of 50. We will be providing transportation. Make sure to reserve this date to join us on an excursion to the Aquarium.
Catalina Island
If interested in taking an excursion to Catalina Island, please visit the front desk or call (562) 2202090 to begin an interest list.
OUTSIDE SALES AND BODY & PAINT TECHNICIAN WITH TOOL EXPERIENCE. Trouble-shooting. Apply at Herald’s Garage, 8124 E. Alondra Blvd, Paramount. 562-633-2136, Ask for Joe.
INSURANCE SALES – Growing company seeking hard working, energetic, bilingual (Spanish/English) and sales oriented individuals with a strong interest in educating the community about Insurance and Financial Products. A positive attitude and commitment to providing exceptional customer service are required. Insurance experience is a bonus but not a necessity. More importantly, we are looking for ambitious quick learners who are excited about determining their own salary and want to be an integral part of a growing company. Email resume to maria@galliagency. com or fax resume to 562-817-5621.
Chamber President Martin Johnson presents Debbie Jameson with a certificate of recognition as Ambassador of the Quarter at the July Networking Breakfast sponsored by Herald’s Garage.
Taking the $25 cash prize for “Best Table Top Display” was Embassy Suites in Downey. Pictured is Jean Robinson who represented Embassy Suites at the July Networking Breakfast.
FREE HEALTH FAIR
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 9am-5pm
Dusk to Dawn Urgent Care
16415 S. COLORADO AVE, Paramount, CA 90723
1-888-DRALLEN
Dusk to Dawn Urgent Care and Suburban Medical Center - Promise Hospital are joining forces with the local community to provide a FREE Health fair.
The Fair will offer free health screenings and education for: Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Asthma, Prostate, Anemia, Weight Loss, Stress Management, Smoking Cessation and more!
Medical Specialists in attendance in-
clude Dr. Eugene Allen, CEO/President of Dusk to Dawn Urgent Care and a Specialist in Emergency Medicine, along with specialists in Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Podiatry, Orthopedic Medicine, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Medicine.
A noon time concert and free refreshments will be available throughout the day.
PARAMOUNT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Invites you to attend a Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting State Farm Galli Agency
Thursday, August 27, 2009 15252 Paramount Blvd.
Beginning at 11:30 am Lunch Served
RSVP: (562) 634-3980
Business Corner
Small Businesses that Stick Together Stay Together
In times such as these, our natural reaction, as small business owners, may be to focus internally, on tasks such as how to trim costs and pare down operations. While this is certainly important, it may also be helpful to look externally for opportunities to improve your bottom line.
Right now, many local small businesses are finding creative ways to work together to help each other drive traffic and sales. Here are a few examples that may stimulate some ideas for your business:
It may be no surprise that Italian restaurants are making friends with their neighbors.
Nino’s, a family restaurant owned and operated by Vincenzo and Inge Cristiano since 1958, will treat diners who eat “sustainable seafood” – that is, meals which contain fish from fisheries with responsible harvesting practices – to a free ticket to the Aquarium of the Pacific. This partnership allows Nino’s to promote an additional $23.95 value (cost of an aquarium ticket) to diners and drives more traffic and ticket sales to the aquarium when friends and family join the free ticket holder.
Head to Ristorante da Vinci near the Long Beach airport and you can participate in the “Friday Night Flights” promotion. For $60, you can enjoy wine sampling and a scenic aerial tour of Long Beach and the coastline. In this appealing package deal, the helicopter tour company, Los Angeles Helicopter, books new flights and Da Vinci can up-sell diners to a full meal and boost customer loyalty.
Visit Downey after July 31st and you can see what may seem to be an unlikely marriage – two credit unions sharing space. The Southern California Postal Credit Union was looking for a way to set up a branch in downtown Downey, closer to its members. The City of Downey Federal Credit Union had a location in the area, but wanted to trim costs to be more competitive. By moving in together and sharing the costs of the branch, they both can achieve their goals and provide better service to their members.
Maria Grimaldo, owner of a Farmers Insurance franchise in Norwalk, recently developed and printed 3,000 flyers for three local businesses – Norwalk Florist, Norwalk Tuxedo and Revo Salon & Skin – free of charge.
Each business distributed their free flyers which encouraged customers to stop in for the “bring in your flyer” discount. Through this partnership, these businesses received free marketing materials. In turn, with her contact information on each flyer, Maria received valuable marketing for her insurance business.
In a tough economy, it’s even more important to think creatively. You may find that some of your best and most creative opportunities involve working with your fellow business owners. For more information on how to develop mutually beneficial partnerships or to receive many other types of advising for your business, call the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at (562) 570-4574. The SBDC has helped hundreds of clients in the greater Long Beach area grow and succeed.
Bret O’Connor is the Director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by Long Beach City College. The SBDC is a group of successful small business owners helping fellow entrepreneurs grow their business through low-cost workshops and no-cost oneon-one consulting in business planning, finance, marketing, and various other specialty areas (Spanish speaking consultants available). To make an appointment call: (562) 570-4574, or email: sbdcinfo@lbcc.edu.
