Pulse Beat August 2010 by City of Paramount

PULSE BEAT PULSE BEAT

August 2010

PEP Fundraiser Achieves Big Results for Paramount Scholarships

The Paramount Education Partnership would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who supported and attended the 7th Annual Fundraising Event on June 18. There was a big turnout of attendees for “Tropical Pleasures,” the Hawaiian luau-themed casino night, and they all enjoyed an evening of fantastic food and lots of fun playing games for a good cause.

The generosity of this year’s donors and sponsors was fantastic, with nearly $90,000 being raised. It shows just how important the Paramount business community sees educational achievement.

A special note of appreciation goes out to these particularly generous donors:

The Ofﬁce of Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe ($25,000)

Paramount Petroleum Corporation ($10,000)

Marukan Vinegar (USA), Inc. ($10,000)

Weber Metals, Inc. ($10,000)

The Paramount Lions Club ($9,000)

It should also be noted that, for the second delicious year, Marukan Vinegar (USA) provided an endless supply of the ﬁnest sushi, all donated to the event.

Every year, the support that PEP receives from the community provides the opportunity to give scholarships to

deserving Paramount students attending a university, community college or trade school, students who are working to better themselves. “Thank You” does not

What’s inside

begin to cover the gratitude felt toward those companies and individuals who make this possible.

For a complete list of donors and

sponsors who supported this year’s PEP fundraiser, please go to the CityScape page (inside back cover) of this issue of the Pulse Beat.

did

of the

The casino-style games provided a fun-ﬁlled way to help raise money for college scholarships for Paramount students.

The Hawaiian luau theme extended to the entertainment for the evening, which included a number of brightly-costumed hula dancers.

As they

last year, Marukan Vinegar (USA), Inc. donated

scrumptious supply

freshest sushi to the fundraiser.

Impressive Drop In Crime Continues

Maintaining a fantastic trend that dates back to the 1990s, Paramount’s crime statistics decreased again in the ﬁrst half of this year.

Compared to the January-June period in 2009, Part 1 violent crimes (homicide, rape, assault, robbery) fell a hefty 11%, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Leading the way here were big drops in assault (28%) and homicide (50%). Auto theft, also, was down by a healthy 26%.

The crime numbers in Paramount were much lower than those reported for the overall area patrolled by the Sheriff’s Department. For its entire jurisdiction, the Sheriff reported a 3.81% decrease in violent crime for these six months.

Last year we had our lowest level of crime in Paramount since 1975, and 2010 is off to an even better start. This good news is a direct result of the help and alertness of our community, our positive relationship with the Sheriff’s Department and a devotion to innovative and tireless public safety programs.

Paramount Pride Winners

Here’s a special nod to the winners of this year’s Paramount Pride, the City’s program that honors well maintained and attractive properties. We featured their addresses in last month’s CityScape in the Pulse Beat, and you can see their photo from the July 6th City Council meeting elsewhere in this issue. But I wanted to mention their names here to speciﬁcally thank them for helping to make our City a nice and appealing place to live and work:

Maria & Brian Galli; Billy & Betty Koops; Rogelio & Eloisa Gonzalez; Gustavo & Dora Garcia; Hector & Maria

Tostado; Ramon & Maria Ruiz; Santos Herrera; James & Beverly Munson; Efren & Florecita Jocson; and Juan Castro.

Residents Encouraged to Install Smoke Alarms and Sprinklers

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is partnering with the United States Fire Administration to promote the new “Install. Inspect. Protect.” public awareness smoke alarm campaign.

The campaign highlights three things people can do to improve their chances of survival in the event of a ﬁre:

1) Install and maintain smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, which can help save the life of residents and firefighters.

2) Practice ﬁre escape plans.

3) Perform a home safety walk-through to remove ﬁre hazards in the home.

The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:

Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.

Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.

Get smoke alarms that can sound fast.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.

Inspect and test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks, as a reminder.

If possible, install residential ﬁre sprinklers in your home.

Avoid painting or covering the ﬁre sprinkler, because that will affect its sensitivity to heat.

For more information on “Install. Inspect. Protect.” and other ﬁre prevention information, please visit www.usfa.dhs. gov/smokealarms.

Picnics in the Park

The summer may be winding down, but there is still plenty of prime picnicking time left for family and friends to enjoy in Paramount’s parks. When you do visit a lo-

cal park, please remember to follow the rules and regulations and help keep our parks safe, clean and fun for everyone.

• Picnic shelter areas are available on a ﬁrst come, ﬁrst served basis.

• Barbecue pits are available for your use. Please dispose of hot coals in the appropriate bins.

• No alcoholic beverages or glass containers.

• No inﬂatable bouncers or generators are allowed without a City permit.

• No loud or ampliﬁed music.

• Dogs are prohibited.

• No motor vehicles are allowed on park grounds.

• Parks are closed at dusk.

Apart from having a picnic, of course,

there are numerous other ways one can enjoy a park setting. As a site for exercising, it can’t be beat. The parks in Paramount have some great walking paths. To give you an idea of how many laps you might want to take, here are the approximate mileage ﬁgures for each.

• All American Park: 1/4 mile.

• Dills Park: 1/2 mile, 8 exercise stations.

• Paramount Park: 1/2 mile.

• Progress Park: 1/2 mile.

• Spane Park: 1/4 mile.

If you’re interested in walking with a group of ﬁtness-minded individuals, call (562) 220-2121 and the Recreation Department will see if they can match you up with a group.

Mayor, Tom Hansen

Graffiti Reward Program

Summertime can often see an up tick in grafﬁti due to school being out. Paramount, like most cities, has a reward program for individuals who come forward after witnessing this vandalism.

Our Graffiti Reward Program offers $200 to anyone who provides information or identiﬁcation that leads to the apprehension of a suspect. If the witness appears in court – or the suspect pleads guilty even without a court appearance – an additional $300 is awarded.

For more information about the Grafﬁti Reward Program, please call (562) 2202002.

The City stays on top of graffiti outbreaks, wiping them clean within 48 hours (and usually much quicker). On a routine basis, the Public Works Graffiti Removal Team examines parks, alleys, large walls and other potential areas that would attract taggers, and removes all graffiti in public view. Anyone in the community who sees graffiti can call the City’s Hotline at (562) 220-2233 and report the location so our crew can go and clean it up.

Since 2006, the City has contracted with Graffiti Tracker, a private company that provides equipment to photograph, store, and analyze all forms of graffiti in the city. A special assignment deputy uses this information to track graffiti and graffiti vandals. Since beginning this service, arrests in Paramount for graffiti activity have risen steadily, and the Tracker was responsible for 33% of those arrests made in 2009.

Truancy and Curfew – The Rules And The Consequences

While summer is still with us, though winding down, the return of school is shortly in the horizon. The Sheriff’s Department periodically conducts both daytime truancy

and nighttime curfew enforcement in Paramount. These operations are increased with the beginning of the school year.

Daytime enforcement focuses on curtailing the activities of minors who are not on campus during regular school hours. According to Paramount’s Municipal Code, regular school hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Nighttime curfew enforcement deals with those minors who are out without adult supervision from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Patrol deputies issue citations to minors violating the truancy and curfew laws. This sends a message to juveniles and assists in proactive efforts to curtail crime.

It is very important for parents and guardians to know about the potential legal consequences for any minor who is found to be truant from school or out past curfew.

Minors who are cited for truancy or curfew violation may face the following consequences:

* A ﬁne of up to $495.

* Community service hours.

* Suspension from school.

In addition to these penalties, the parents/guardians of the cited minor may be required to accompany the minor to court and may be required to successfully complete parenting classes.

For more information, please call (562) 220-2002.

Summer Vacation Home Checks

For those taking a late-summer vacation, remember that 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.

Congresswoman Sanchez Makes a Difference for Fobi Pharmacy

THE CALENDAR

Congresswoman Linda Sanchez recently paid a visit

Banco Popular

Executive Director for Pathways Volunteer Hospice Cindy Skovgard, and Pathways board member Paula Coony, at the July Networking Breakfast winning table for “Best Table Top Display” Cindy received twenty-ﬁve dollars for the winning display courtesy of breakfast sponsor Luis Acosta State Farm Insurance.

Chamber President Martin Johnson and Ambassador Chair Debbie Jameson present Ambassador Darlene Harris from State Farm Luis Acosta with a certiﬁcate of recognition as Ambassador of the Quarter. Darlene earned this award by collecting the most points in a quarter for her outstanding service as an Ambassador.

Mr.. Aguirre representing Banco Popular was presented certiﬁcates of recognition from the Chamber and the ofﬁce of Congresswoman Sanchez by President Johnson.

Banco Popular’s Regional Executive, Vernon Aguirre was joined by Chamber President Martin Johnson and, Paramount Mayor Tom Hansen as well as other chamber members and customers for the grand opening of the newly constructed Banco Popular building. The new facility may be found at 15954 Paramount Blvd., for more information about banking services call, 562.633.8326.

P ARAMOUNT C ITY C OUNCIL A WARDS N IGHT

Members in the News

STATER BROS. CHARITIES DONATES $100,000 TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOD PANTRIES

Donations will be made to nonproﬁt organizations throughout the Summer as part of the Harvesting Hope In Our Communities Program

Food reserves are low, donations are down and jobs are scarce, that’s why Stater Bros. Charities is stepping in to help make a difference this summer by donating $100,000 to local food pantries.

“We are in the business of helping our neighbor and right now, some of our neighbors need a little bit more help than the rest...so it’s our hope that this donation will have a major impact in their lives,” said Jack H. Brown, Chairman and CEO of Stater Bros. Markets.

This past holiday season Stater Bros. Charities collected funds at each Stater Bros. Supermarket check stand as part of the “Harvesting Hope In Our Community” campaign. Every Stater Bros. Store Manager also joined in the effort by placing food barrels in all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets at the front of the store. In total more than 27 tons of food was distributed to local Southern California communities.

This donation will work to alleviate the continued hunger crisis this summer by helping local food pantries keep their doors open! Stater Bros. Charities is committed to helping to care for the communities Stater Bros. serves.

Ms. Maricela Parga and Pastor Deborah Jameson, both of Paramount, were honored by the City Council for having been nominated by State Senator Alan Lowenthal as the 27th District Woman of the Year. From left, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Councilmember Gene Daniels, Parga, Mayor Tom Hansen, Jameson, Councilmember Peggy Lemons and Vice Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer.

In February, the Paramount Rotary Club held a fundraiser for its college scholarships. Guitarist Daveed Alvarado and singer Gio Vergara provided entertainment of Spanish music at the event free of charge. The Council provided them with a plaque as a special thank you. From left, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Councilmember Gene Daniels, Vergara, Mayor Tom Hansen, Alvarado, Councilmember Peggy Lemons and Vice Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer.

The Paramount City Council, at its July 6th meeting, congratulated this year’s winners of Paramount Pride, the program that honors attractive and well maintained properties in town. The 10 winners – nine homes and one business – were chosen by a team of design professionals. All of the property owners were praised for adding to the quality of life in Paramount by creating a bright and appealing environment for ever yone.

Congratulations to Paramount Girls Softball

Congratulations to the Paramount Girls Softball 14U All-Star Team who took 1st place at the LA/South Bay District Tournament. The event was held on the 26th in the city of Downey. The team went on to play the State Tournament held in Lancaster and although they played an amazing game against Poway, they were eliminated during game 3.Their overall performance made the traveling a worthwhile experience for everyone who went along for the ride! The team was coached by Jorge Quijano, Ray Medina, Jaime Acevedo and Brenda Olmos.

More than half of the Fortune 500 startedcompanieswere in a recession! Startingabusinessinthese growtoughtimesandseeingit isreassuringbecause successit’llbepoisedforgreater whentheeconomy rebounds!

In July Kimberly’s Dance Studio competed in the KAR Nationals Competition in Las Vegas. Their performance of “RockN-Roll is Here to Stay” won the honor of National Champions.

Kimberly’s Dance Studio had the opportunity to entertain thousands of MLS fans when they recently performed with the Chivas USA Girls at the Home Depot Center. These “Stars of Tomorrow” performed at half-time and later met the Chivas USA Girls.

Mastering QuickBooks I

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 * 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Fee: $45

This workshop will take you through the basic set-up functions when ﬁrst utilizing QuickBooks.

You will learn:

the set-up processes how they affect your business how to set items how to set up classes how to set up customers how to set up vendors how to do invoicing how to receive payments how to make deposits how to work with credit memos how to handle and post cash sales how to work with estimates.

Facebook, My Space, Twitter-Using Social Media for your Business

Thursday, September 16, 2010 * 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Fee: $45

Do you still feel like Social Media is just for social networking? Have you ever thought of using Social Media as a business tool to enhance sales and increase proﬁtability? Many successful small businesses are connecting with customers as we speak. Social Media is a new way of putting yourself in front of your customers.

Learn how to successfully promote your business and increase awareness about your service or product. Create buzz for your business with new cost effective marketing channels.

You will learn:

• how to create and maintain a Facebook Group Page

• how to join “Groups” on LinkedIn and remain connected with business professionals throughout the world

• why 140 characters on Twitter are signiﬁcant in helping increase brand visibility and strengthen customer service

• how YouTube can be used to enhance sales and promote your business website

Make all checks payable to: LBCC

*Free Counseling Also Available *$25.00 deposit required

For Reservations:

Paramount Chamber of Commerce 15357 Paramount Blvd, Paramount, CA 90723 562-634-3980

HELP WANTED

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.

AMFED SALES, a toner and ofﬁce product company in Paramount CA, is currently seeking an inside sales representative. Applicants must have at least two years sales experience, strong phone skills, and computer skills. This position is commission based and work hours are from 9am to 5 pm Mon-Fri. Please send resume to frank@amfedsales. com or fax to 562/272-0186 Attn: Frank Vasquez”

Modern and authentic Mexican grill in the city of Paramount seeking MANAGERS, EXPERIENCED COOKS (COCINEROS), AND FOOD / CUSTOMER SERVICE. Be part of a new and growing restaurant that is to open around July 15th - August 1st. Looking for cheerful, polite and fast people who are Spanish bilingual, food service experience is a deﬁnite plus. Solicitamos cocineros. Se habla español. Phone: 562688-4674 • Email: marvinmeraz@gmail.com • Fax: 562-790-8079

•FREE- Advertisement in Paramount’s Best Read Newspaper

•FREE- Listing on the Paramount Chamber Website

•FREE- Two Listings in the Paramount Business Directory

•FREE- Member Discount Program

Women Must Focus on Retirement Income

By Maria F Galli State Farm Galli Agency

Whether they are the breadwinners in their household or not, preparing for retirement should be extremely important to women. One item of planning that must be considered is the ﬁnancial situation of the surviving spouse and what can be done to prepare for a potential shortfall.

Women survive their spouses more often than men. The Administration on Aging estimates that 7 of 10 women will outlive their husbands, highlighting the need for retirement planning even more. Unfortunately, women are often at a disadvantage when it comes to resources available for retirement. The average woman spends nearly 15 years away from the workforce, while the average man will be away for 1.6 years. This translates into lower beneﬁts from company pensions, 401(k) plans and Social Security.

Various estimates indicate expenses after the death of a husband will be 80 percent of what they had been when he was alive. Unfortunately, a widow’s

income may likely be much less than that. Of all elderly persons with income below the poverty level, over 70 percent are women. More than half were much better off ﬁnancially before their husbands died.

Less time in the workforce may also mean fewer women qualify for health beneﬁts. This can put an even greater burden on their retirement income. It is imperative for women to start saving now for their retirement, which can be accomplished through several savings vehicles. It is equally important to protect your nest egg through adequate life insurance coverage and insurance options should your health care needs change. Adequate planning for retirement and surviving a spouse can be a deciding factor in living comfortably.

Taking the time to examine household finances and planning carefully will help to ensure there are adequate means of support for either spouse during the golden years. Talk to your local qualified insurance and financial representative about your retirement needs to prepare for an enjoyable and comfortable retirement.

A Personal Umbrella for a Rainy Day

By Luis Acosta

Farm® Agent

There are so many “rainy days” that people can experience - a sick child, a broken-down car or a late mortgage payment. But what about a lawsuit?

These days lawsuits are being ﬁled, not just against big corporations, but also against people like you and me. In the blink of an eye, you could be involved in a car or boating accident, or have someone become injured on your property that could result in litigation against you seeking thousands or even millions of dollars.

Even though your primary insurance policies, such as Auto, Homeowners, Boat owners, etc., may provide substantial liability insurance coverage, it may not be enough. A Personal Liability Umbrella Policy provides additional amounts of liability coverage at an affordable price.

What is an umbrella policy?

A Personal Liability Umbrella Policy provides additional layers of liability coverage over the liability coverage of your underlying policies. Personal umbrella coverage amounts typically

begin at one million dollars and can be increased in increments of one million dollars.

Here’s an example of how an umbrella policy could work: Let’s say your car is insured for liability with limits of $250,000 per person. You pull into an intersection, strike another vehicle and severely injure the other driver. This insured person sues you and the judgment against you totals $800,000. Your auto policy will pay the ﬁrst $250,000 but an umbrella policy would respond for the next $550,000.

Also an umbrella policy often insures against some types of losses for which there is no coverage in the underlying policy. Examples of such loss include libel, slander and defamation of character.

Why have an umbrella policy?

The value of a personal liability umbrella policy is to provide higher amounts of liability coverage for an affordable premium. It can help protect the ﬁnancial assets of your household when you need it most and can bring conﬁdence knowing that you have the coverage needed to help protect your family.

To see if this is a policy that can beneﬁt you, talk to your insurance agent.

Clubs & Organizations

Paramount Lions Club Installs New Officers

Paramount Lions Club members recently attended an installation ceremony for incoming officers. Eric Bengali was elected as club president for 2010, Bengali has been an active member of the Paramount Lions Club for six years. The event was presided over by Past District Governor Mike Brassard. Darlene Harris, the Club’s first female member, was elected to serve as secretary, Bill “BK” Kalpakoff as vice president and Dr. Andy Lim will serve as second vice-president.

When asked about his plans for the upcoming year Club President Eric Bengali said, “I’m looking forward to leading the Paramount Lion’s projects and continuing the Club’s commitment

to serving the community. Being a part of this very active and successful group of volunteers has been a tremendously rewarding experience and I am proud to represent this Club and this community.” Since 1947 club members have worked on a variety of community projects including: The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Paramount Friends of the Library, free eye exams and financial assistance for eye glasses. The majority of these projects are supported with funds raised at the Lions annual golf tournament and fireworks stand. For more information about the Paramount Lions Club please contact Darlene Harris, 562 531-1900.

10 Tips for Using Interns, Part-Timers, Temporary Workers and Contractors

Do you need more staff to grow your business, but lack the budget for full-time employees? There are many ways to get the help you need without breaking the bank. Here are 10 tips for effectively using interns, part-timers, temps and contractors.

1. Assess your needs. Write a job description, then ﬁgure out who could ﬁll it. Must the worker be physically present, such as a retail clerk or receptionist? Or can the job be handled by someone off-site?

2. Find a temporary agency that ﬁts your industry. Temporary agencies aren’t just for administrative positions anymore. There are agencies specializing in niches from health-care and accounting to information technology and law.

3. Know what to expect. What kind of training does the agency give its temporary workers? How are they recruited? If a temporary worker doesn’t work out, how quickly can the agency provide a replacement?

4. Contact colleges and universities. Looking for interns? Find out which schools in your area have internship programs or placement ofﬁces. You may also be able to ﬁnd interns by targeting a particular department, such as a business school’s marketing program.

5. Consider seniors and moms. In today’s economy, many seniors are seeking part-time work. And lots of moms are looking for ways to ease back into the work force after having children, or seeking part-time jobs while their children are in school.

6. Put time into training. To get the most from a part-timer or intern, you must give them the same kind of training, feedback and support you’d give any full-time employee.

7. Check out contractors carefully. Ask independent contractors for samples of their work. Get references

and check them. Ask how responsive the contractor was, how fast they turn projects around and how much direction they require.

8. Communicate. Communication is key to working successfully with independent contractors. Use online meeting tools like GoToMeeting.com, online collaboration tools like BasecampHQ.com and Box.net, and instant messaging to keep everyone on the same page.

9. Keep it legal. State and federal laws regarding treatment of interns and part-timers vary. For instance, in some states interns must be paid; in others, they can work for free. There may also be restrictions as to the number of hours a person can work without receiving beneﬁts. Your accountant or attorney can help you stay on top of the rules.

10. Treat independent contractors right. Misclassifying someone as an independent contractor can expose your business to tax liability and ﬁnes. Visit the IRS Web site (www.irs.gov) for more information on the distinctions between independent contractors and employees.

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