P
A
R
A
M
O
U
N
T
PULSE BEAT
Paramount Chamber of Commerce (paramountchamber.com) • Serving the community since 1947 • March 2021
State of the City 2021 presentations emphasize Paramount’s resilience during many challenges caused by the pandemic
A
recurring theme mentioned by all our speakers at the annual State of City event, hosted by the Paramount Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 10, was the admirable resilience and adapability shown by the Paramount community during the ongoing pandemic. Only a year ago, we welcomed the largest crowd ever for our annual State of the City luncheon. In stark contrast, this year’s event was held virtually via Zoom and Facebook Live since public gatherings are still prohibited. Mayor Peggy Lemons commented: “This is our first virtual State of the City meeting—and hopefully our last.” Nonetheless, we had good community participation online, and feedback was very positive concerning the speakers’ uplifting messages and important information they provided. (The entire event is available on Facebook.) World Energy Paramount, which produces sustainable aviation fuel and other renewable fuels at its Paramount facility (see the ad on page 3), was once again the presenting sponsor for the event. In an encouraging video presentation, Gene Gebolys, founder and chief executive, said: “We’re really embedded in the Paramount community, and the community is embedded in our operation.” He looked forward to expansion of the Paramount facility. Paramount Chamber of Commerce President Alicia Valadez (of Northgate Gonzalez Markets) served as moderator for the event. She recounted how the Chamber board and staff responded to the coronavirus crisis “without skipping a beat,” using virtual events and webinars to keep serving Chamber members. The Chamber also trained local businesses and clubs to operate in a virtual environment and helped more than 50 companies (to date) apply for emergency loans. Our group of Chamber ambassadors found innovative ways to help the community, reaching out to both businesses and individuals in need. Alicia noted that although some businesses did not survive the severe economic downturn, it was noteworthy that a number of new businesses started up in the past year, complete with Chamber virtual ribboncutting ceremonies. The Chamber is now focusing on ways to facilitate economic recovery in Paramount, she said. Mayor Peggy Lemons praised the hope and perseverance of the Paramount community, then added: “While we will share some positives today, we in no way want to trivialize the suffering that the people of Paramount have endured.” She thanked city employees, who have “operated under the most difficult of circumstances” to maintain city services, programs and facilities. “And they’ve done it with grace and ingenuity,” she said. After presenting an overview of the city’s pandemic response and other accomplishments in the past year (for details, please see “From the Mayor’s Desk” on page 3 of the February 2021 Pulse Beat), she reported that the city ended the year “financially strong” with a balanced budget and a surplus. “I sincerely believe that our city has pulled together during this difficult time,” she said. “The generosity and optimism of our city could be seen each time we asked for help or we offered help.” She
Paramount Chamber of Commerce presents Presented by the Paramount Chamber of Commerce
State of the City 2021 Presentations by: Event sponsor: SPEAKERS for the EVENT
Alicia Valadez, President of the Paramount Chamber of Commerce
Peggy Lemons, Mayor of the City of Paramount
ended by saying: “Stay safe, stay healthy—because We Are Paramount!” City Manager John Moreno echoed the mayor’s praise for the community and city staff and added his own appreciation for “a stable, balanced City Council, for which the whole community should be proud.” He then shared a video highlighting specific data and photos concerning the city’s achievements related not only to the pandemic, but also public safety, infrastructure, water services and programs aimed at improving the quality of life for residents. He noted the signs of recovery that are bringing hope to the business community and pledged the city’s ongoing support for rebuilding efforts. Dr. Ruth Perez, Superintendent of Paramount Unified School District for the past five years, said that the current state of our schools “is like none other in the history of Paramount USD—but we continue to thrive because of the support that we continuously receive from you” in the “strong partnership” among the city, the Chamber of Commerce and schools. She said that although teachers, students and administrators “have been stretched in ways that we never thought possible,” the
PULSE BEAT Paramount Chamber of Commerce 15357 Paramount Boulevard Paramount, California 90723 Telephone: 562-634-3980 paramountchamber.com
A L S O
John Moreno, City Manager of the City of Paramount
Dr. Ruth Perez, Superintendent, Paramount Unified School District
speed with which schools pivoted to “a distance-learning modality” was truly praiseworthy. A major factor in the transition was that when schools shut down last spring, fully 80% of Paramount students were already equipped with laptop devices and ready for online learning. By the fall of 2020, 100% of students were so equipped, and the district had added over 1,000 wi-fi hot spots for student use. Dr. Perez expressed pride in the district’s highly successful free breakfast and lunch programs, as well as family food grants exceeding $300,000 and specialized “emotional and support programs.” She then gave an overview of thorough health and safety protocols that will be in place when students physically return to classrooms. After thanking the Board of Education for their support, she announced that she would be leaving Paramount USD to take up a new position in Riverside. We are grateful to our supporting sponsors for the State of the City event: Enagic, Farmers Insurance–Sam Kotob Agency, WaveFront Technology, Marukan Vinegar USA, Penta Pacific Properties, WCA, GM Properties, Transcom Telecommunications and Dr. Max Martinez (DDS, FAGD, FACD)—all Paramount Chamber of Commerce members.
I N
T H I S
I S S U E
From the Mayor’s Desk.....................................................................................................................................................................................3 Latest food-distribution event in Paramount.........................................................................................................................................4 Public Safety: Banners and feather flags...................................................................................................................................................4 In Memoriam: Deputy Thomas Albanese.................................................................................................................................................4 Frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination................................................................................................................5 Chamber Member-to-Member Discounts................................................................................................................................................6 Business Card Directory...................................................................................................................................................................................7 Chamber membership renewals..................................................................................................................................................................8 Business Corner: Five social media trenmds for 2021........................................................................................................................9 Local restaurants serving you during the pandemic..........................................................................................................................10 CityScape: Report illegal dumping!..........................................................................................................................................................11