It is the mission of the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce to BUILD solid relationships and provide quality services which SUPPORT chamber members and businesses, in order to PROMOTE the economic vitality of our community. Volume 28, Number 8 August 2008 CORNERSTONES of Irwindale Seizing a Golden Opportunity for Valley Commerce By: Adam B. Schiff, D-Pasadena, represents the 29th Congressional District. If you commute in Los Angeles County, you spend too much time behind the wheel - 72 hours a year too much to be exact. Los Angeles is the most Platinum congested region in the nation, and this costs an average commuter $1374 a year more than others spend for time and gasoline. In fact, the average Southern Californian consumes 57 extra gallons of gas a year stuck in traffi c, and with a Silver gallon of gas approaching $5, this is a crushing burden for many families. Silver With millions of frustrated commuters stuck on our freeways, Los Angeles also has the distinction of having the worst year-round pollution in the country. It is an economic and health imperative that we reduce congestion Bronze on our freeways, cut traffi c and commute times, and decrease smog - and investing in mass transit is a big part of the answer. There is no question that the Gold Line Foothill Extension, which will extend the Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa and beyond to Ontario Airport, will Corporate be a part of our future - but that future should be now. It will not only give AJL A. J. LONGO & ASSOCIATES )NSURANCEs&INANCIAL3ERVICES people a clean, comfortable and cost-effective way to get to work or school, ROYAL COACHES AUTO BODY & TOWING (Golden Opportunity-continued on page 9) Alexandria Hernandez named Irwindale’s 2008 Business Solution Young Citizen of the Year! Seminar: Preventing Sexual Congratulations to three of Irwindale’s outstanding Harassment teenagers: Alexandria Hernandez, Hannah Fraijo (details on page 13) and Angelica Torres. Each was honored in the Irwindale Chamber’s annual Young Citizen of the Year competition, which was held at the Irwindale Senior Inside this issue: Center on July 8, 2008. Presenting sponsor for this Calendar 3 st event was Vineyard Bank. Speech sponsors were 1 Member News 4-9 Centennial Bank, City of Hope, Foothill Transit and Green Pages 10-11 United Rock Products and the dinner sponsor was Legislative Updates 12-13 Picasso’s Café, Bakery & Catering. Irwindale Rocks! 14-16 First place winner, Alexandria Hernandez, was awarded Pillars of Irwindale 17 a $1000.00 cash prize and $1000.00 savings bond from Labor Law 18 presenting sponsor Vineyard Bank. Second place Chamber/City Information 19 winner, Hannah Fraijo, received a $300.00 cash prize Phone: (626) 960-6606 while third place winner, Angelica Torres, received Fax: (626) 960-3868 $200.00. All three contestants received Certifi cates of Recognition from Congresswoman www.irwindalechamber.org Hilda Solis, Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, and Senator Gloria Romero. (Young Citizen-continued on page 7) PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER WITH SOY INK. 2 REACH MILLER BREWING COMPANY IS PROUD TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY REACH NEW POSSIBILITIES AND PROGRESS IN R ESPONSIBILITY, EMPLOYMENT, AIDS/HIV, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND HERITAGE INITIATIVES. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI 2007 3 Calendar of Events August 2008 “The summer night is like a perfection of thought.” - Wallace Stevens- 5 Ambassador Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 6 Environmental Committee Noon Chamber Offi ce 7 Business Development Committee 8:00 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 12 Irwindale Educational Foundation 7:30 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 12 CEO Roundtable 7:30 a.m. TBA 14 Let’s Do Lunch 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Edison CTAC Presenting Sponsor: Picasso’s Cafe Bakery & Catering 20 Business Solutions 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Irwindale Preventing Sexual Harassment Community Center 25 Board of Directors Meeting 3:00 p.m. Chamber Offi ce 28 Good Morning Irwindale 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Picasso’s Cafe Presenting Sponsor: Foothill Transit September 2008 The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds. -Abraham Lincoln- 1 Labor Day CHAMBER CLOSED 2 Ambassador Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 3 Environmental Committee Noon Chamber Offi ce Everything but Ordinary.SM 4 Business Development Committee 8:00 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 9 Irwindale Educational Foundation 7:30 a.m. Chamber Offi ce Kim Travanty 9 CEO Roundtable 7:30 a.m. TBA Assistant Vice President, Customer Service Manager Irwindale Banking Center 11 Let’s Do Lunch 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Edison CTAC 16008 Foothill Blvd. 22 Board of Directors Meeting 3:00 p.m. Chamber Offi ce (626) 208-3203 25 GMI/Mini Expo 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Picasso’s Cafe www.vineyardbank.com Presenting Sponsor: Picasso’s Cafe Bakery & Catering 30 Fall Forum-Waste Not, Want Not 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. City of Hope Presenting Sponsor: Veolia ES Technical Solutions October 2008 Every ship that comes to America got its chart from Columbus. -Ralph Waldo Emerson- 1 Environmental Committee Noon Chamber Offi ce 2 Business Development Committee 8:00 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 7 Ambassador Meeting 8:00 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 9 Let’s Do Lunch 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Edison CTAC Presenting Sponsor: Picasso’s Cafe Bakery & Catering 14 Irwindale Educational Foundation 7:30 a.m. Chamber Offi ce 14 CEO Roundtable 7:30 a.m. TBA 23 Milestone Breakfast 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Edison CTAC Presenting Sponsor: Picasso’s Cafe Bakery & Catering 27 Board of Directors Meeting 3:00 p.m. Chamber Offi ce For details, future events or to RSVP please visit our online calendar at www.irwindalechamber.org PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER WITH SOY INK. 4 Member News Verizon Wireless Retailer is the name and the DBA is Wireless Edge. We are located at 432 S. Myrtle Ave. Monrovia, CA, 91016. We have been in business since 1999. We handle major business accounts (L-R) Roxanne and Val Villar, Verizon and also consumer accounts Wireless with Marissa Buckisch, in 4 counties. We do phone Picasso’s Cafe Bakery & Catering. upgrades, new activations and sell all kinds of accessories for any cell phone. Every customer gets a free accessory at the time of activation. Here are some of our satisfi ed customers. Miller Brewing Company, Worley Parsons Los Angeles World Airports, Ontario Airport, Van Nuys Airport, Palmdale Airport, Certi-Fresh Foods (seafood supplier for Benihana, Shogun, PF Changs, Red Lobster, Macaroni Grill etc.), Homeland Security Department of Water & Power Los Angeles, City of Monrovia Fire Department, Monrovia Police Department and the list goes on. We also do employee day events where we give away prizes and sign up employees on site. The best service we offer that retail stores do not is, we deliver the phones to your offi ce or home to make it easier for the customer. Wireless Edge 432 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia 626-695-6582 A good, not just good-looking, website should be the hub of your marketing. This requires smart goals, simple tools, a defi nite plan, and complete visibility to focus on what users want: relevance. Hip3 Marketing creates deeper engagement from users. Jon Cline, Hip3 Marketing with Vee Focusing on your targeted Clark, SCE Federal Credit Union. relevance rather than the wide reach of a generic message, we build communities and buyers using Internet and related marketing tactics. Hip3 provides optimization, analytics, email, search, and social marketing services for both existing and new websites as well as a Salesforce.com setup, integration, and consulting. Jon Cline can be reached at: 621 N. Azusa Ave. 106 S. Grand Ave. www.hip3.com or (877) 341-Hip3 x300. (626) 339-7337 (626) 967-6450 5 Member News Oakmont Executive Transportation specializes in corporate and executive ground transportation and has been in business for over fi fteen years. Clients from large corporations to small families use Oakmont for airport transportation, to and from meetings, and/or to and from (L-R)Vee Clark, SCE Federal special events on the weekends. Credit Union with Sue Lynch, Oakmont is known for our reliable Oakmont Limousine. service. Our “attention to detail” gives our clients confi dence that their transportation needs will always be met. Our professionally trained chauffeurs, new model Cadillac fl eet, fl ight tracking, and GPS systems provide a level of unmatched service. Further, you will always reach a live, friendly voice over the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We service all of the 5 major airports in the area as well as all local private airports. To take the stress out of traveling or to just relax and get out for a night out on the town, call us and experience our wonderful, personable service! Oakmont Executive Transportation 909.592.1144 Toll Free 877.481.5466 [email protected] United California Discount Corporation is a factoring company that was incorporated in California in 1975. The service we provide to our clients is we buy current accounts receivable as they are created. This allows growing companies that are strapped for cash to continue issuing 30 day credit Vee Clark, SCE Federal Credit Union and Mike Roman, United terms to their customers but by California Discount. selling the invoices to us as they are created, their cash fl ow is the same as if they were getting COD terms. Additionally we credit 24 X 7 Support One call does check all new customers for our clients, we guarantee credit on all approved accounts, and we perform a highly professional Available I.T.