Pre Sale Ride Tickets are now on sale at the Chamber office. Save up to 75% off regular ticket prices, 8 rides for $10. For more Fiesta information call: 562.634.3980.
Community booth participants at time of printing:
Clinica Medica Hispana
Gallatin Dental Group
LGH Ceramics
Bianchi Theatres
Kids Dental Kare
Mid Cities Financial Credit Union
Domino’s Pizza
Paramount Group
SCE Federal Credit Union
Funeraria del Angel
Gabby’s Hot Dog’s State Farm/Galli Agency
Education Month in Paramount
The City of Paramount proclaims September of each year as Education Month to emphasize the importance and value of education for the entire community. The celebration was highlighted at the September 1st City Council meeting during which the Council and members of the Paramount Unified School District Board of Education honored the Teachers of the Year from each District school. The following individuals received this special recognition:
Clauhdet Garnett Early Childhood Education
Kimberly Bardsley Alondra
Anne Bilek, Katie Hwang Collins
Maria de Oliveira Le Compte Gaines
James Wulkowicz Hollydale
Carlos Sierra Jackson
Mercedes Batres Jefferson
Yvonne Cruz Keppel
Veronica Valdez Lakewood
Christina Wolf Lincoln
Art Luna Los Cerritos
Jason Gonzales Mokler
Leilani Coco Paramount Park
Gracie Diaz Roosevelt
Christina Patterson Tanner
Maria Childres Wirtz
Stacy Willard Zamboni
Lisa Ferrer Buena Vista
Brent Rummell Paramount High – West
John Teeples Paramount High – Senior Romichelle Del Rosario Adult Education Center
Also recognized at the meeting were last year’s co-Valedictorians from Paramount High School – Jessica Hernandez and Gabriela Robles – as well as the class Salutatorian, Victor Salcedo.
The commitment of these dedicated professionals to the education and advancement of our children, and the hard work done by these remarkable students, is commendable. Congratulations to all!
Education and Safety Fair
Another major part of Education Month is the annual Community Education and Safety (or Safe and Smart) Fair, which will be held in Paramount Park on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will feature area colleges and trade schools, as well as service clubs with details about scholarship programs for local students. Public safety agencies and safety-related businesses will also take part, and offer employment information.
Staff from PUSD schools will be on hand to answer questions about programs at their sites and to offer any assistance with student education. A booth featuring the Paramount Education Partnership, STAR After School Program, and the City Recreation Department will be there to answer questions regarding after-school programs offered by the City.
Music and entertainment for the day will be provided by local performance groups. Plus, the winners of the Earth Day T-Shirt Design Contest from all District schools will be recognized by the City Council and Board of Education. (The top winner will have their design reproduced on the City’s Earth Day t-shirt in 2010.) Honored, also, will be the top students from each grade
from each school in the District.
For more information, call (562) 2202121.
Big Turnout For Track Meet
The City’s Annual Track Meet was held on a Saturday morning in June at the new Paramount High School Stadium. More than 600 students from all kindergarten through 8th grade schools – a new record – took part in a variety of track and field events. Paramount Park School was the overall winner for the 3rd straight year followed by Los Cerritos School as this year’s runner-up. Special thanks go to Paramount High School Varsity Track Coach Chris Barboza and her track team who again oversaw the entire event. The City Council saluted Barboza, as well as principal Topekia Jones and teacher Adam Springston (Paramount Park) and principal Elizabeth Salcedo and teacher April O’Connor (Los Cerritos) at the September meeting.
Councilmember To Be Honored
Human Services Association (HSA) is a community-based agency that has provided a wide range of social services to residents of southeast Los Angeles County since 1940. These include everything from care-giving and food service for seniors to programs to prevent child abuse, domestic violence and teen pregnancy.
Each year, the organization presents a “Spirit of Service” Award to a community member who has devoted time and energy toward advancing its goals. This year’s honoree is Paramount Councilmember Gene Daniels. He will be given the award at a special dinner on September 30.
Councilmember Daniels has been a
member of the Paramount City Council since 1997 and, during that time, served as our Mayor for three separate terms. Previously, he spent seven years on the Planning Commission. The retired real estate appraiser was president of the Golden State Mobile Home League for nine years. Born in Halltown, West Virginia, Gene served in the Korean Conflict with the U.S. Navy, and settled in Long Beach after his discharge from the Navy in 1955. He has lived in Paramount for over 25 years, is married to wife Lucie, and has two children and six grandchildren. Daniels is a longtime member of the Paramount Lions Club, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Emmanuel Reformed Church, where he serves on the Food Ministry.
Paramount Legend Enshrined in Hall of Fame
Here’s a fun announcement – Frank Zamboni is being honored by his induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
In 1940, Zamboni, his brother and a cousin opened Iceland skating rink in Paramount (then known as Hynes-Clearwater). While managing the business, Frank soon learned that maintaining the ice was labor intensive and set out to develop a machine that could create a good sheet of ice in a fraction of the time previously required. This led to the invention of the machine bearing his name – the Zamboni ice resurfacer, which remains the overwhelming choice for ice rink operators throughout the world. It is still manufactured here in town.
Before this latest honor, Zamboni was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2001; the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
Mayor, Diane Martinez
On Patrol
Paramount Station Welcomes New Lieutenant, Eddie Hernandez
The Paramount Sheriff’s Station has a new leader with the recent promotion of Lieutenant Eddie Hernandez.
A 21-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, he will oversee day-to-day operations at the Station.
The El Salvador native came to the United States when he was 5 years old and grew up in Los Angeles. He began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a Community Service Officer. One year later, Hernandez entered the Sheriff’s Academy to become a deputy officer, after which he was assigned to the Inmate Reception Center.
In 1995, a transfer took him to Century Station – which provides services for Lynwood and the county areas of Florence/Firestone, Willowbrook/Athens – to begin patrol training. In 2004, Hernandez was promoted to sergeant and transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility. He later he moved to Lakewood Station as a field supervisor, then served as a field sergeant for eight months and as a special assignment sergeant dedicated to the City of Lakewood for 18 months.
Further stints followed with the Department in its Personnel and Facility’s Planning bureaus.
March 2009 saw his promotion to lieutenant back at Lakewood Station where he worked as a shift watch commander before coming over to head the Paramount Station.
Hernandez has a BA from the University of La Verne in Public Administration. Fluent in Spanish, he enjoys attending sports events, reading books on personal development and achievement, and studying various historical events.
“I’m extremely excited about my assignment here,” he noted. “Paramount is known for the close partnership between City staff and Sheriff’s Department personnel. The innovative law enforcement efforts and dedication to public safety have produced some really great results over the years. I’m pleased to be a part of the team that will continue those strong efforts.”
Sheriff’s Station Offers
Variety of Services
The Paramount Public Safety Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have a strong partnership that brings the finest law enforcement services to the residents of Paramount. The Paramount Sheriff’s Station, located at 15001 Paramount Blvd., is a prime example of the relationship.
The facility offers a number of services for the public. Among those are: filing crime reports; reporting suspicious activities and talking to deputies; paying parking violations and vehicle impound release fees; and responding to or making code enforcement complaints. Deputies are also available at the Station to interview victims and criminal suspects.
The Paramount Sheriff’s Station houses 70 employees – 42 sworn (Sheriff personnel) and 28 non-sworn (City Public Safety Dept.) Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on holidays.
Paramount Chamber Welcomes New Board Member Ben
Berg
Ben is the co-owner of Transcom Telecommunications in business since 1986. The company specializes in developing solutions for telephone, data and video systems. It’s a one-stop-shop for telecom, voice/data, VOIP and video surveillance systems. According to Ben, “We started Transcom not to be the biggest, but the best. When you don’t want to be the phone expert, we are the people you call.”
The phone number for the Station is (562) 220-2002. Paramount Elks
53nd Annual Deep Pit BBQ
8108 E. Alondra Blvd., Paramount Saturday, September 12, 2009
Food served 4:00 – 8:00 pm
For Information: 562-633-1804
Adults: $9.00 Children: $5:00
Ben Berg
Lieutenant Eddie Hernandez
Paramount Hosts Relay For Life
“Relay
Paramount recently hosted it’s first ever Relay For Life at Alondra School. For 24hours, hundreds of participants walked and camped out for one common cause and that is to find a cure for cancer.
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraiser. During the 24-hours the courage of survivors is celebrated and their strength remembered. The proceeds from Relay For Life help the American Cancer Society fund cutting edge research, education, advocacy, prevention, and provide free services and programs to cancer patients.
Despite the economic downturn, dedi-
Tanner School Graduation
Long time Paramount resident George Tanner was a guest speaker at the recent Tanner School graduation ceremony. The school was named after George’s father Howard Tanner who was Paramount’s first Superintendent of Schools. George encouraged the children to utilize their own special talents and spoke of the importance of being confident, thinking positive, being a good listener and not procrastinating, “Get it Done,” George said. He closed by saying that the most important thing of all is to continue being a good person.
cated volunteers surpassed they’re goal of $25,000. In addition to onsite fundraisers, “relayers” raised money by having carwashes, bake sales, yard sales and reached out to local businesses for sponsorships prior to the event.
The 2009 Relay For Life Paramount committee would like to thank everyone who helped make the inaugural Relay For Life of Paramount a success. For cancer information please visit www.cancer.org.
If you would like to participate in Relay For Life of Paramount 2010, visit www. relayforlife.org/paramountca or call Evelin Landeros at (562) 413-1542.
Local Dance Team Wins BIG!
The City of Paramount Recreation dance team, Paramount Dance Company recently won the 6th Annual Las Vegas World Competition. The dancers were directed by Miss Danaly and Miss Daileen Perez. The team won
Mayor Diane Martinez is joined by Vice Mayor Tom Hansen and councilmember Gene Daniels at Paramount’s first
for Life” fund raiser. Mayor Martinez congratulated all the volunteers for their hard work and praised event organizers for their hard work.
25 PEP Scholarships Awarded, Double The Number Of Previous Years
The Paramount Education Partnership, Inc. (PEP) has announced the recipients of its 6th annual Dollars For Scholars program. One of the most pressing needs in today’s economy is funding for higher education. The PEP scholarships help deserving students achieve their educational goals by providing $1,000 for community college attendees and $3,000 for students going to a four-year university. All recipients are graduates from Paramount High School.
There were 81 applications submitted to PEP this year. Students were graded in a number of categories, including academic achievement, an essay, academic recommendations, extracurricular activities and, most importantly, financial need. In previous years, 12 scholarships were awarded. In 2009, due to the generosity of the local business community, which contributed nearly $100,000 to the annual fundraiser in June, scholarships have been given to 25 Paramount students.
Given the number of worthy applicants, the PEP Scholarship Committee had a difficult time selecting the final recipients.
Here, then, are this year’s 25 honorees. PEP is proud of their accomplishments and looks forward to hearing about their future successes.
If you are interested in making a tax-deductible financial contribution to the PEP Scholarship Program so that even more scholars can benefit in the future, please contact Suleyma Rosales, recreation supervisor, at (562) 220-2145 or via email at srosales@paramountcity.com.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Chamber Vice President Dr. Max Martinez recently participated in the Inglewood Forum Remote Area Medical (RAM) free clinic. The event was the largest and longest running free clinic in the 25 year history of RAM. Dr. Martinez in addition to dozens of other volunteer dentists performed dental and surgical procedures including extractions and fillings from 6:00 am - 6:00 pm on hundreds of patients and still barely scratched the surface. Max’s wife Michelle, his sons Max Nicolas and Matthew and his daughter Holly also volunteered, they helped patients fill out paperwork, pointed them in the right direction and anything else that was needed. Dr. Max said, “It was the experience of a lifetime. The people were so appreciative and the need was so great, I hope RAM can make it happen again and that more doctors and dentists are able to participate, I promise you this; they won’t regret it.”
Welcome New Chamber Ambassador Gianna Youngblood
Company: Southern So. Cal. Immediate Medical Center
7300 Alondra Blvd. #101, Paramount Major Product or Service: Industrial Medicine
Why Did You Join the Chamber? It’s a great way to support, develop and network with the community.
Education: CSUN & Cerritos College- Business Administration Favorite Saying? It’s great to be alive! If You Were Granted Three Wishes What Would They Be?
(1) More time to volunteer (2) House all of the homeless (3) Win the lottery because it would help me with wishes 1 & 2.
Seniors
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.
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.
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.
Frank J. Zamboni To Be Inducted Into United States Hockey Hall Of Fame
USA Hockey announced that Frank Zamboni will be honored by the United States Hockey Hall of Fame alongside the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team, Tony Amonte, Tom Barrasso and John LeClaire as the Class of 2009.
Early Innovation
In 1940, Frank Zamboni, his brother and a cousin opened the Iceland skating rink in Paramount, California. While managing the business, Frank soon learned that maintaining the ice was a labor intensive task and set out to develop a machine which could create a good sheet of ice in a fraction of the time previously required.
He had a natural talent, which would eventually lead to the invention of his eponymous machine – the Zamboni ice resurfacer. As his son, Richard Zamboni said: “He never saw mechanical challenges as a place to stop; they were a beginning point. He always seemed to be thinking about the machines and never really sat back and felt that the product was the best it could be. He knew that there had to be a way to continually improve and worked on it day in and day out.”
The Model A
After numerous attempts, by 1949 Frank had a working prototype, the “Model A” for which he applied and was granted a patent.
Frank J. Zamboni & Co. was established and soon rink owners throughout North America were hearing stories of a machine which could resurface their ice, saving them valuable time and resources. Frank used feedback from the arena managers and
owners of his new machines to continually improve upon his previous models.
Frank developed many relationships in the sport of hockey and shared his time with arena managers around the world, helping them to build their sport and improve the quality of their ice and ultimately the game. Frank was a member of a number of ice industry and arena management organizations and was a founding member of the Ice Skating Institute.
Awards and Recognition
Frank was honored with an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Clarkson University in 1988, just before his death at the age of 88. In 2000, he was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame; the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
Industry Leader
Since introducing the world’s first selfpropelled ice resurfacing machine in 1949, Frank Zamboni worked tirelessly on the continued evolution of his machines. His belief in ongoing product improvement and innovation lives on today in the company which he founded. Frank often remarked to arena managers and industry colleagues, “The principal product you have to sell is the ice itself.”
With a history that spans over six decades, the Zamboni Company preserves its founder’s legacy as the leader in ice resurfacing technology. Zamboni remains the overwhelming choice for ice rink operators throughout the world.
Protect Your Personal Account
Step 1
Ensure that the checks you use have security features designed to prevent fraud. Look on the back of one of your personal checks to find a list of security features, and contact your financial institution to see if checks with additional features are available.
Step 2
Keep your checkbook in a safe place at all times. If you receive cashed or canceled checks back from your bank, make sure you keep them locked up in a safe place, not just sitting around your home where someone could find them.
Step 3
Do not put more personal information on your checks than necessary. Under no circumstances should your credit card number or Social Security number appear anywhere on your checks. In fact, it’s even a good idea not to include your telephone number as part of your personal information.
Step 4
Do not make your checks payable to cash, and do not sign a check until you’re in the bank and ready to cash it. If your checks are payable to cash and are stolen, anyone who gets his hands on one can cash it without difficulty. If someone steals a check you’ve already endorsed, the money is as good as gone.
Step 5
Flip through your checkbook when you get new checks from your bank to make sure that the check numbering sequence is not broken. It should be continuous, with no missing numbers. If a check is missing, call the bank right away and have any check bearing that number canceled.
Step 6
Use a colorfast pen. Ballpoint pens and pens that use marker ink can be washed. Instead, use a gel pen--the color is actually trapped in the dye of
Seniors: Filling Medicare’s Gaps to Protect Assets
BY MARIA F. GALLI STATE FARM (562) 817-5620
Whether you’re approaching your golden years or are experiencing them, it’s important to be aware of how your healthcare options change at age 65. Many believe that Medicare will pay for all of their medical expenses. Unfortunately, it won’t. There are several ways to help protect your assets. You may want to consider a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy (sometimes referred to as a “Medigap” policy) to help lower your out-of-pocket expenses. It’s a policy specifically designed to fill some of the gaps in your Medicare coverage.
Because Medicare Supplement Insurance is strictly regulated by both federal and state governments, only 10 standardized plans are offered, and not all plans are offered in every state. These plans pay most, if not all, Medicare coinsurance amounts.
Medicare supplement policies are labeled with the letters “A” through “J.” Plan “A” gives you a basic benefit plan. Plan “B” provides additional benefits, and so on. Additional benefits may include: co-insurance for skilled nursing care, preventive care, and emergency
treatment while traveling in a foreign country, doctor’s charges over the approved Medicare amount, prescription medicine, or at-home recovery charges. Insurers choose which plans they will market (unless a state dictates otherwise). A complete statement of coverage can be found in the policy itself. You will need to choose which plan best suits your needs and budget.
While the plan coverage offered by insurance companies is identical, no two insurance companies are alike. So, it’s important to take a close look at the company’s financial stability and level of customer service when making your decision. Once you’ve purchased a policy, you’ll be pleased to know that as long as you use a Medicare-approved physician, you may not need to submit any additional paperwork to Medicare or your supplemental insurance carrier.
Be aware that neither Medicare nor a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy will cover all costs associated with long term care assistance if you’re no longer able to care for yourself. So, it’s best to consult an insurance professional to discuss all your insurance needs and in most areas, you may contact your local insurance agent for more information on your financial needs as well.
Potted Orchids
The most popular potted orchids are Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum and Phalaenopsis. However, America’s favorite orchid is the phalaenopsis because it is the one best suited for growing in the home. Also, known as the moth orchid or butterfly orchid, its blooms can last anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks. Foliage is semierect and a medium olive-green color. Phalaenopsis orchids can grow under the same conditions as the African violet. Place in bright light but avoid direct sun on the leaves. Dark green, limp foliage indicates too little light.
the paper, making check washing impossible.
Step 7
Never leave blank spaces in the “Pay to the order of” or “Amount” fields of your checks.
Step 8
Mail all checks at a mailbox. Don’t leave them sitting in your home mailbox for a letter carrier to collect. The wrong person might get her hands on sensitive information if you simply leave it sitting out in the open.
Protect Your Business
Step 1
Prevent check fraud by creating and instituting a strict policy regarding checks at your place of business. Better yet, make it so customers cannot pay with a check. That will ensure that you’ll
never deal with check fraud.
Step 2
Train your staff to double-check the ID of anyone trying to pay by check at your place of business. In particular, your employees should make sure that ID used to verify a person’s identity is valid, not expired, and bears the same address information that appears on the check itself.
Step 3
Refuse third-party checks. If an individual has a check endorsed by a third party that he attempts to use to pay you for goods or services, do not accept it. This is one of the most common fraud ploys that criminals use
Paramount Tepic Sister Cities Association Loses a Valuable Friend
Cira Garces of Downey, a longtime member and strong supporter of the Sister Cities club passed away Friday, July 24, 2009 at the age of 78. She was active in Paramount Sister Cities and at St. Raymond’s in Downey.
She is survived by daughter Teresa, son Lawrence, three grandchildren – Geofrey, Daniel and Nicole, and one brother Ignacio.
Cira sponsored orphanages in Peru and Tijuana. She paid monthly visits to the orphanage in Tijuana bringing with her food and clothing. At St. Raymond’s she served several ministries: Greeter, Usher and Angel Tree Project. She was generous and kind hearted, often lending a hand to anyone in need.
Ana Flores, President of Sister Cities said, “We have suffered a tremendous loss, she was like a sister to me, my traveling partner to Tepic, Mexico.” At Tepic, Mexico, she would take extra school supplies
and distribute to all the young Indian children and visit the elderly in convalescent homes. While visiting, she would buy additional blankets and food on her own.
Laura Oropeza, fellow Paramount Tepic member said Cira was an extraordinary person and the City of Paramount is very grateful for her commitment in representing Paramount’s values in its’ sister cities
The plant should be kept evenly moist with humidity at 60 percent, to increase humidity, place the plant on a tray of moistened pebbles.
Feed the plant biweekly using halfstrength orchid fertilizer. The orchid plant can grow in a basket or on a piece of bark. The plant should be repotted every year. Maintain a daytime temperature of 60 F to 85 F and a nighttime temperature of 55 F to 70 F.
Doris Flower Shop, Nancy Lomeli (562) 602-2611
Cira Garces
Getting Personal – Customer Loyalty On a Budget
If your business is like most businesses in this economy, you have lost a few customers in recent months. Some might have left because they can no longer afford your product or service; others may have left for a better deal somewhere else. You can’t change the economy, but you can, using more personalized communication, encourage your best customers to stick with you at little or no cost.
Here are a few simple approaches to keep more of your customers:
Share an Article or Event Customers, much like significant others, like to know that you understand and appreciate them. Instead of buying chocolates, surprise your customer, along with a personal note, with a good article related to their business, or forward them information on an interesting event or concert coming to the area. Search engines can be a great ally in this effort. If you are in retail, have a printed copy to hand out (that’s with your actual hand). The key is to provide added value with a personal touch. With any luck, you will start an interesting conversation with your customers that you both enjoy and will want to continue.
Add a Personal Touch to Your Invoices – In this information age, it is easy to let the system take over: the work is done, the invoice goes out, the customer pays the invoice when they feel like it. Now, look at yourself as a customer… When was the last time you felt a sense of appreciation when you read the “Thank you for your business!” at the bottom of an invoice? Next time you send out your invoices, try including a personal, handwritten note to thank each customer individually. Building that personal connection goes a long way when your customer is tempted to make a switch.
Provide Exclusive Partner Discounts – Coupons sitting on the counter for everyone to grab often have little perceived value to customers. Try this. If you are a coffee shop, partner with a local book store to provide a small amount of coupons to each other with much better than average savings on a single item (say 40%). When your current or future best customers are checking out, pull the special coupon from a “secure” area and hand it to them in an envelope. You have now added value to the transaction and created an extra incentive for your customer to use the coupon. Your partner will do the same and send her best customers your way as well. As the economy improves,
customers will likely have more choices and customer loyalty efforts will become even more important. If you periodically add value and a more personal touch when interacting with your customers now, you will find that more of your customers will stick around in the future.
For more information on how to encourage customer loyalty, 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 one-on-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
