SEE PAGE 2 for care & share food drive at senior center
SEE PAGE 3 FOR california ranks #48 in business taxes MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014 - NOVEMBER 9, 2014
cypressnewspress.com
Election: Democrats lead; voters support Proposition 47 by jennifer schlueter
VOLUME 1, NO. 19
California economy expected to grow strong in next 5 years By SHEL SEGAL
Recently, the Orange County Register published an article citing the City of Cypress as ranking among the 10 best cities in southern California to raise a family. These rankings were based on five factors, one of which was education. The Cypress School
The Great Recession is long over with the California economy doing much better than the national economy, local economists said at a conference on Oct. 23. In addition, economists are predicting stronger job growth and a continued housing recovery. Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, an economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corps said at the Pasadena Economic and Business Summit at Brookside Golf Club that strong growth will be a mainstay of the next five years. Ritter-Martinez added the county’s GPD will outpace the national average through 2019, with job growth in the county through 2015 recovering all the jobs it lost during the recession. But she did say that many recently hired workers are parttime as many employees are still nervous about California’s economy, meaning they don’t want to take a chance with fulltime hires. She also said she believes the Fed won’t raise short-term interest rates until next summer because of three reasons, one of which is a declining labor force participation rate “That refers to the percentage of people who are either working or actively seeking work. In September the national labor force participation
Please see page 4
Please see page 2
Governor Brown is running for a record fourth term- Photo by Terry Miller
Neel Kashkari, 41, is a first time candidate challenging current Governor Jerry Brown, 76, who would enter a record fourth term if elected, which – according to polls released last week – is likely to happen.
Democrat Brown leads with 21 percentage points, 54 percent to 33 percent, “among every age group, every ethnic group and among both men and women, “ as the San Francisco Gate reports. “That’s a very impressive
lead,” the poll’s director Mark DiCamillo told the paper. “He’s way out ahead, and none of the other Democrats have a lead like his.” According to Breitbart, Please see page 2
The progress of the five goals of the Cypress School District Beverly M. Hempstead, Superintendent of the Cypress School District, released the following message regarding the progress the district has made in its five goal areas and what more there can be done for its students: “Cypress School District is proud of its continual growth and progress, building on more
than 100 years of academic excellence. We steadfastly uphold the core belief that every child must be given an equal opportunity to achieve his/her optimum potential. Another tenet is that education is a community endeavor. Our achievements and successes are supported by the community and our high parent involvement.
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Meet The Author: Dr. William J. Havlicek Dr. William J. Havlicek, author of Van Gogh’s Untold Journey: Revelations of Faith, Family, and Artistic Inspiration, will present a different perspective of Van Gogh’s life. The author’s fifteen years of research reveal the influence of the artist’s sister-
in-law, Charles Dickens, and the words of Victor Hugo that offer a new dimension to the life of the post-impressionist painter. Join us on November 8th at 2:30 p.m. in the Cypress Library Community Room. Please call the library at 714826-0350 for more information.
Economy growth for California Continued from page 1
rate was 62.7 percent, down from 62.9 percent the previous month and 63.2 percent a year earlier,” according to a published report. Also speaking at the conference was Selma Hepp, a senior economist with the California Association of Realtors. Hepp said while the market is strong, there are some areas for concern, mainly affordability among 18- to 34-year-olds. Hepp added that while housing inventory is up, it is still situated well below the demand, adding young and first-time buyers face a lack of information when trying to purchase a home with many thinking a bank will not give them a loan. Mike Ross, CEO of Pasadena Center Operating Co., the nonprofit corporation that
manages Pasadena Convention Center, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, also spoke at this business summit. He said the city has seen a steady increase in hotel occupancy rates. Ross said the occupancy rate has jumped to 85 percent from 68 percent in 2010, adding there are plans to build several new hotels in the city and that is expected to help boost business to the convention center. This economic and business summit was a collaborative presentation by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the city of Pasadena. (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews. com. He can be followed via Twitter @segallanded.)
Care & Share Food Drive at the Cypress Senior Center The Cypress Senior Center will be holding a Food Drive from November 3 through November 26, 2014. More than 6.1 million people in California face food insecurity with nearly 400,000 individuals in the community served by Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County each year. The majority of people at risk of going hungry each month are children and single-parents, seniors on fixed incomes, the working poor, and other men and women confronted by financial difficulty or who are physically unable to earn a living. You have the chance to make a real difference in the
lives of one out of five families in Orange County who could go hungry without you. Items needed include canned food, non-perishable packaged food such as macaroni & cheese, peanut butter, cereal, rice and pasta. Food must not have passed the expiration date marked on the packages. No glass containers, please! Personal care items are also needed. Donations will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County. Please bring your donations to the Cypress Senior Center at 9031 Grindlay Street in Cypress. For more information please call (714) 229-2005.
California elections Continued from page 1
the “Field Poll was completed October 15-28 among 1,536 registered voters via live telephonic interviews.” In July, multimillionaire Kashkari, a Laguna Beach resident, experimented with living as a homeless man for 7 days in order to attract attention to California’s alarming poverty rate of 24%, as he told the Los Angeles Times. He published a video and was quoted saying: “This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life.” For the superintendent of public instruction, California will decide between two Democrats: incumbent Tom Torlakson, elected in 2010 with funding help from the California Teachers Association, and Marshall Tuck, who both tied at 28 percent, as the most recent polls have shown. “This is the only race on the ballot where the candidates don’t have a letter after their names,” DiCamillo said in the San Francisco Gate. “That forces voters to find out what their differences are without the benefit of party labels.” According to the Washington Post, 51 percent of California
voters support Proposition 47, which would no longer allow felony sentencing for six minor crimes and move “the state further away from the controversial ‘Three Strikes and You’re Out’ law passed two decades ago.” Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at the University of California at San Diego, told the Post that this “would officially end California’s tough-on-crime era.” Furthermore, the Post’s graphic shows that Californians are likely to vote Yes on Prop 1 (water bonds), and No on both Proposition 45 (Health insurance rate changes) and Proposition 46 (Doctor drug testing and raising the malpractice cap). Brown is optimistic and told reporters last Thursday: “I don’t want to presume, but this has been a well-run campaign. The reason is California was in a disaster state and it’s come back. It’s not come back to perfection or to utopia, but it’s on some very solid footing compared to what it’s been for many, many years. So that is a strong runway to enter a campaign, and that’s why I think things look pretty good.”
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hlr media EDITORIAL
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Jennifer Schlueter
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California ranks 48th best on business taxes Annual release of the State Business Tax Climate Index California has the 48th best tax climate in the U.S. according to the latest edition of the State Business Tax Climate Index, released last Tuesday by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. The Golden State’s rank remains unchanged from its 48th place ranking last October. The Index, now in its 11th edition, measures how well structured each state’s code is by analyzing over 100 tax variables in five different categories: corporate, individual income, sales, property, and unemployment insurance taxes. States are punished for overly complex, burdensome, and economically harmful tax codes but are rewarded for transparent and neutral tax codes that do not distort business decisions. A state’s ranking can rise or fall significantly not only because of its own actions, but also because of changes or reforms made in other states. The breakdown of California’s ranking this year is as follows (1st is best, 50th is worst): •California’s overall State Business Tax Climate ranking: 48th •Corporate tax structure: 34th •Individual income tax structure: 50th •Sales tax structure: 42nd •Property tax structure: 14th •Unemployment insurance tax structure: 14th “The federal government is gridlocked, but state policymakers on both sides of the aisle are enacting truly fundamental reforms,” said Tax Foundation Economist and Manager of State Projects Scott Drenkard. “States are doing their part and it’s time that Washington steps up.” The report’s key findings include: •The 10 most competi-
tive states are: Wyoming (#1), South Dakota (#2), Nevada (#3), Alaska (#4), Florida (#5), Montana (#6), New Hampshire (#7), Indiana (#8), Utah (#9) and Texas (#10). •The 10 least competitive states are: New Jersey (#50), New York (#49), California (#48), Minnesota (#47), Vermont (#46), Rhode Island (#45), Ohio (#44), Wisconsin (#43), Connecticut (#42), and Iowa (#41). •The most notable ranking changes occurred in North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Wisconsin, Maine,
and Kansas (see state specific press releases for more details). The goal of the State Business Tax Climate Index is to start a conversation between taxpayers and policymakers about how their states fare against the rest of the country. This report helps answer the questions: How well is your tax code structured? How competitive is your state compared to the rest of the county? Are businesses in your state spending too much time complying with onerous tax provisions? Are you double taxing things you shouldn’t?
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Do you know someone who truly makes a difference? Someone who is truly exceptional? An Unsung Hero, if you will? Do you know of someone in your community, town or city who has a remarkable story? If so, we want to hear about them. Someone who has made a significant difference in your life or the lives of others in the community? We’re looking for stories about everyday people doing wonderful things in this world, not for themselves but for the benefit of mankind. There are a million stories out there and we want to have your nominations so we may shine a Beacon on that indi-
vidual with a feature story in our family of newspapers and companion websites. A couple of years ago we focused on a teenager who started a business collecting fruit from peoples’ trees and donated to fresh food banks. He did it not for cash but because he cared enough to want to ensure that people were eating fresh fruit every day and didn’t want any food wasted . It is truly inspiring to see a high school student devote his weekends to such a project. In the coming months and years we’ll be featuring people
in your city but first we need to know a little about them. In your suggestions, please include the name of the person, age (approx.) and city in which they live and of course a phone number. Tell us why you feel they deserve a special spotlight shined on their life? How long have you known this individual? Any special circumstances we should know about? Suggestions might include: someone who cares for injured/ feral animals; a family who fosters children; a doctor who
still makes house calls….we’re open to your suggestions. Nominations will be reviewed monthly by our Editorial Board. Please no phone calls, all submissions MUST be in sent via email . Decisions on whom we’ll profile remain entirely at the discretion of the Editorial Board. We appreciate any and all nominations. As the old adage goes” There are a million stories in the Naked City. This is one of them…” Please submit your suggestions to: jschlueter@hlrmedia.com
The progress of the five goals of the Cypress School District Continued from page 1
District Board of Trustees, teachers, and staff are proud of this recognition and continue to work hard to provide the quality education our students deserve. To this end, I would like to provide some information regarding progress the District has made in its five goal areas: 1. Literacy -Implementing college and career readiness state standards with a focus on rigorous instruction in the classroom -Continuing teacher professional development to enhance
strategies, such as Thinking Maps, Text-Dependent Questions, and 21st Century Skills (The 4 Cs: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity), to support academic achievement for all students -Expanding intervention programs to support at-risk students, such as Read Well, We Can!, and Language! 2. Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) -Currently piloting new math programs for future adoption
-Establishing project-based learning opportunities by grade level to promote innovation and critical thinking skills 3. Technology -Tripled network capacity over last year at all school sites to support instructional technology -Expanding focus on student cyber safety utilizing researchbased classroom tools -Implemented Aeries student information system for monitoring and analyzing student data 4. Communication/Stakeholder Engagement -Published parent guides to assist in understanding new state standards and standards-based grading -Continuing to encourage stakeholder input through a variety of avenues, including Local Control and Accountability Plan Committee, District-Level English Learner Advisory Committee, and Community Advisory Committee for Special Education 5. Budget & Facilities -Maximizing the District’s educational program while maintaining a balanced budget -Reopened the newly modernized Arnold School campus-
our fifth school to be modernized in five years -Updating the District’s Master Facilities Plan to ensure all schools stay well maintained More detailed information regarding the District’s goals can be found at http://www.cypsd. k12.ca.us/Goals. While we have made tremendous progress toward our goals, is there more we can do for our students? Yes! Recently, the District mailed an informational newsletter to all Cypress residents regarding Measures Q and R on the upcoming November ballot. It provided detailed information about the measures and the rezoning required by law in the City of Cypress (Measure D). Development of the Mackay and District Office properties would provide a long-term financial legacy to support the improvement, achievement, and success our students need for the 21st century. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, teachers, and staff, I thank you for your continued support. Together we can build a better tomorrow. Beverly M. Hempstead, Superintendent”