P a r a m o u n t
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January 2018
Serving the Community Since 1990
www.paramountchamber.com
A Look Back at 2017
The redesigned Downtown Paramount project was completed early in the year. As we enter 2018, it’s nice to pause and glance back on the year just completed. Here are some of the things that happened in Paramount in 2017.
The Rejuvenation of Downtown
The City began the year with the culmination of an ambitious project that redesigned Downtown Paramount aesthetically. The dramatic rebuilding of the main business district – running between Jackson St. and Alondra Blvd. – created a fresh identity, a “Boulevard of Gardens” using drought-tolerant plants and other new landscaping designs, wider sidewalks, and modern, stylish signage and light pole banners that unifies the Civic Center with the downtown thematically. The work helped pump new commercial life into the downtown as national and regional businesses such as IHOP, WSS Shoes, Jamba Juice, Yogurtland, and AutoZone located there. Speaking of dining options …
Restaurants Galore
The Clearwater Crossing restaurant development at Paramount Blvd. and Alondra Blvd, the northern end of downtown opened with
The Habit, Waba Grill, and Chipotle bringing their delectables to Paramount. Later in the year, as mentioned above, the iconic IHOP started serving their pancakes in Town Center East. As the year ended, La Diosa de los Moles was close to opening, operated by “foodie” scene favorite Rocio Camacho on Rosecrans across from the Paramount High School football stadium. Also, before the end of 2017, contracts were signed to bring The Pizza Press, along with Cajunthemed sit-down restaurant The Stinkin’ Crawfish, to Clearwater Crossing where they will join The Habit, Waba Grill, and Chipotle.
Happy Birthday, Paramount!
Last year marked the 60th anniversary of Paramount’s incorporation as a city, and various celebrations were held throughout 2017. To kick off the celebration, a historical display was unveiled at the January 24 City Council meeting along with a birthday cake. The vintage-photo-oriented display remained in Progress Park Plaza through February. On March 11, there was a free, exuberant Community Sock Hop at the Paramount Park Gym with live 1950s rock and roll. Then in June the City produced the 60th Anniversary
Paramount Chamber of Commerce
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15357 Paramount Boulevard, Paramount, CA 90723
Heritage Festival at Paramount Park. This large-scale festival featured a variety of musical performances, a huge Kids Fun Zone, a Teen Challenge Zone, a Heritage Village with farm and dairy animals from Paramount’s past, and a reprise of the historical display. Food, game, and drink booths were sponsored by a number of local service clubs.
Futsal Courts Open at Paramount Park
In June, the City held a “kick off” for its newest recreational resource for the community, two futsal courts at Paramount Park. Futsal is similar to soccer but played on a smaller space than a regular soccer field. The courts have been available for youth and adult leagues, day camp, and open use during various hours, and have become one of the most popular features of the park.
Promoting Good Health in Paramount
September saw the start of a new, year-long initiative called “Healthy Paramount” that features special events, health screenings, and programs designed to encourage healthy behaviors among residents. It began with a “fitness fair” kick off that introduced the Healthy
Paramount Passport which includes health tips, goal-setting ideas, and a list of local participating doctors and clinics who provide free health screenings through the year. Besides AppleCare, the program is sponsored by the City of Paramount, the Paramount Chamber of Commerce, the Los Cerritos YMCA, Lakewood Regional Medical Center, Lifegate Church, HealthCare Career College, NRG Fitness, Northgate Markets, Paramount Youth Soccer Organization, and MUSA (PEP Moms). Another fitness resource developed by the City last year (besides the aforementioned futsal courts) was done in another collaboration with the Paramount Unified School District. The Jackson School Walking Track, located on Jackson St. west of Garfield, was created for residents in the neighborhoods around the school. Also, as part of National Public Health Week 2017, the City brought in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which hosted free Community Health Fair at the Paramount Park Community Center. Attendees learned about ways to prevent disease and live longer and healthier lives. The fair had
free health screenings, information about community resources, and fun family events.
Paramount Pitched In!
It was another robust year for volunteer work in town during the quarterly Pitch-In Paramount events where folks painted over graffiti, cleaned up parks and other public spaces, and performed exterior home repairs for residents in need. There were 376 volunteers, many of whom came from local churches and high school clubs like the Junior ROTC.
Air Quality and the SCAQMD
The City actively partnered with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and other regulatory agencies over the last year to aggressively address issues related to hexavalent chromium levels in the industrial part of town. For the City, these discoveries were shocking, upsetting … and motivating. The past year has seen everyone coming to grips with a new landscape in the face of an unprecedented situation, revealing how environmental management works and who holds what kind of regulatory power. Here are some of the major
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What’s inside Ask The Expert..........................11 Business Card Directory.............12 Business Corner.........................11
Cityscape..................................15 Help Wanted.............................7 Mayors Corner.......................... 3 Members Only...........................10
On Patrol...................................... 4 PEP................................................6 Service Clubs..................................13