To View an electronic version of this publication, visit our website at www.azusachamber.org

240 W. FOOTHILL BLVD. AZUSA, CALFORNIA 91702

Phone: 626-334-1507

Fax: 626-334-5217

www.azusachamber.org

1) Credibility 6) Community Involvement

2) Networking Opportunities 7) Publicity

3) Government Advocacy 8) Business Referrals

4) Benefits and Discounts 9) Volunteer Opportunities

5) Learning Opportunities 10) Ribbon Cuttings

For more information about membership, please contact the Chamber

Office at (626) 334-1507 or visit our website at

www.azusachamber.org.

New Member Meet n’ Greet

Breakfast Update

Our New Member Breakfasts have been moved to

quarterly! Our first breakfast of the 2011 year will

be March 17, 2011 at 7:30am. The location is still

being determined.

Also, the cost of the breakfast has been reduced to

$12 for members and $15 for non-members.

So join us in the new year as we welcome our new

members and network with existing ones at our

new member breakfast March 17, 2011!

For the most up to date information about events,

please visit our website at www.azusachamber.org

or contact the Chamber Office at (626) 334-1507

TT HEHE AA ZUSANZUSAN “to serve as a catalyst in transformation of business and economic climate,

resulting in a healthier, more prosperous Azusa.”

Veolia Employees Rally for 4th Annual Food & Toy Drive

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/

MARCH 2011

As in past years, Chamber Members as

well as members of the Azusa

Community, gathered together at the

4th Annual Food and Toy Drive to

support our local food banks in

supplying them with food and toys for

the Holiday Season. All attendees were

asked to bring food and/or toys to

donate in exchange for a free breakfast.

They were also hosted to a variety of

raffle prizes, and even a visit from

Santa Claus himself.

Veolia Environmental has supported the

Azusa Chamber of Commerce and the

Azusa Coordinating Council for the last

four years in our efforts to supply the

Azusa Community with food and toys

in our Annual Food and Toy Drive.

This year Veolia decided to enhance

their annual donations, making it an

internal competition, which encouraged

team work and team building. ―We

divided the 100 employees at our Azusa

Facility into six teams. A team leader

was chosen and each team decided on a

name.‖ said Kimberly Gregory. Some

name examples included, Food

Fighters; Feed the Need; Food

Warriors; and Food Survivors. Each

team leader was given 100 raffle tickets

to sell. An employee could purchase

one raffle ticket for $5.00 or bring in

five dollars worth of nonperishable food,

in exchange for tickets. Each raffle ticket

that was turned in was shown on a

contest board as a star. The team that

collected the most stars, had their picture

taken and will appear in Veolia’s

corporate newspaper.

On Monday, December 6th, 2010

General Manager, Mark Olson, pulled

two raffle tickets, and awarded 2nd place

winner Jennifer Oronoz, a receptionist,

$50.00. First place winner, who wanted

to remain anonymous received $100 but

donated it back to the Azusa Chamber to

purchase more food. As a group Veolia

employees raised $2,050. Checks were

presented to Ginny Dadaian, Azusa

Coordinating Council President at the

Food and Toy Drive. The money was

distributed evenly amongst the three

participating food banks.

The Azusa Chamber of Commerce and

the Azusa Coordinating Council would

like to thank Veolia Environmental and

their employees for your efforts to assist

us in our Annual Food and Toy Drive.

Congratulations Veolia Environmental

on a job well done!

Calendar of Events

Have an event, promotion or

article you would like to share

with the Azusa Chamber

Community?

Contact us to have your news

inserted in our next newsletter or

e-mail blast for a small fee.

Contact Richard Lechuga for

more information

(626)334-1507

January 2011 4 City Council Meeting 7:30 pm City Hall

6 SGV CAER 11:30am Veolia

12 Econ. Dev./Leg. Action Committee 10:00 am Chamber Office

13 Strategic Planning Committee 9:00 am Chamber Office

Executive Board Meeting 10:00 am Chamber Office

17 Chamber Office Closed Martin Luther King Day

18 City Council Meeting 7:30 pm City Hall

24 Ambassador Meeting 12:00 pm Chamber Office

25 Measure A Special Election

26 Board of Directors Meeting 12:00pm Azusa Light & Water

February 2011 2 Coordinating Council Meeting 7:30 am Homework House Teen Ctr

3 SGV CAER 11:30 am Veolia

7 City Council Meeting 7:30 pm City Hall

9 Econ. Dev./Leg. Action Committee 10:00 am Chamber Office

10 Strategic Planning Commiittee 9:00 am Chamber Office

Executive Board 10:00 am Chamber Office

17 State of the City Address 7:30 am CA-Army National Guard

21 Chamber Office Closed Presidents Holiday

22 City Council Meeting 7:30 pm City Hall

23 Board of Directors Meeting 12:00 pm Azusa Light & Water

Candidates Forum 6:30 pm City Hall Auditorium

24 Job Shadow Day

28 Ambassadors Meeting 12:00 pm Chamber Office

Visit our website at www.azusachamber.org for more information on

upcoming events

Mission To serve as a catalyst in the

transformation of business and

economic climate, resulting in a

healthier, more prosperous Azusa.‖

The Azusa Chamber of Commerce

extends a variety of resources aimed

at assisting in the development of

business within the City of Azusa,

through various mediums like

networking events, educational

forums, promotional/marketing

opportunities, and informative

committees. We are continuously

seeking new members in order to

provide the City of Azusa with a

variety of resources. Anyone

interested in becoming a Chamber

Member can contact the Chamber

Office.

240 W. Foothill Blvd

Azusa, CA 91702

Phone (626) 334-1507 Fax (626) 334-5217

Chamber Office Staff Chief Executive Officer Office Manager

Steve Castro Richard Lechuga

steve@azusachamber.org Richard@azusachamber.org

2

March 2011 3 SGV CAER 11:30 am Veolia

7 City Council Meeting 7:30 pm City Hall

8 City Election

9 Econ. Dev./Leg. Action Committee 10:00 am Chamber Office

10 Strategic Planning Commiittee 9:00 am Chamber Office

Executive Board 10:00 am Chamber Office

17 Meet n’ Greet Breakfast 7:30 am Location: TBA

21 City Council Meeting 7:30 pm City Hall

23 Board of Directors Meeting 12:00pm Azusa Light & Water

28 Ambassador Meeting 12:00pm Chamber Office

2010-2011 Board of Directors

Executive Board

Chairwoman: Mary McKenrick Athen’s Service

1st Vice Chair: Dan Bacani NAI Capital

2nd Vice Chair: Ginny Dadaian Azusa Pacific University

Treasurer: Jayne Foote Veolia

City Rep: Paul Reid Azusa Light & Water

Past Chairman: Anthony Glassman California Amforge

Board Members

Mercedes Castro Proforma Quality Printing

Ruben Cesena RCS Heating & Air Conditioning

Bob Cruz So. Cal Gas Company

Mark Dickerson *Alternate*

Lana Hiti Canyon City Barbeque

Cheryl Kohorst Cardinal Laboratories

Rachel Leyba Allstate Insurance

Rona Lunde Jan’s Towing

Cynthia Cervantes-McGuire Azusa Unified School District

Kathy Miller *Alternate*

Diane Pennington Northrop Grumman

Atisthan Roach Vulcan Materials Company

Angela Driscoll *Alternate*

Tom Sanchez Real Estate Hound

City Hall

213 E. Foothill Blvd.

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5200

www.ci.azusa.ca.us

City Council

Mayor: Joseph Rocha

Mayor Pro-Tem: Robert Gonzales

Councilmember: Keith Hanks

Councilmember: Angel Carillo

Councilmember: Uriel Macias

Administration

City Manager: Francis Delach

Asst. City Manager: James Makshanoff

Recreation & Family Services

320 N. Orange Place

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5287

Senior Center

740 N. Dalton Avenue

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5204

City Library

729 N. Dalton Avenue

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5232

City Transit

850 W. 10th Street

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5206

Police Department

725 N. Alameda

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-3200

Fire Department

605 N. Angelino Avenue

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 334-0011

Chamber Committees/Councils

Ambassadors Strategic Planning

Legislative Action Economic Development

Financial Planning Azusa Coordinating Council

For more information about the above committees, please contact

the Azusa Chamber of Commerce at (626) 334-1507

23

22

The Azusa Chamber of

Commerce extends a

variety of promotional

opportunit ies to our

Chamber Members! From

print to the web, the

Chamber can help you

promote your next event,

fundraiser, program or

simply YOUR business

through our various

media outlets. For those

interested in promoting your

business with the Chamber,

please contact Richard

Lechuga at 626.334.1507

Ext. 101 or email at

richard@azusachamber.org

A Message From Our Chairwoman A Message From Our Chairwoman A Message From Our Chairwoman

3

encourage you to set the goal of

attending the chamber’s numerous

opportunity’s to network. With

advertising dollars shrinking

networking events are a good way

to continue to reach out to

potential clients. In April 2011 our

1st Annual Business Expo will

provide a platform to market your

business directly to hundreds of

attendees.

I hope you take advantage of the

services the chamber offers. We at

t h e ch a mber va lu e yo ur

membership and strive to provide

the business community with

programs and services that allow

your business to thrive. They say

―success is never an accident‖ it is

the result of high intention, sincere

effort, intelligent direction, and

skillful execution. Have a great

2011!

Happy New Year! It’s hard to

believe but a new year is beginning.

The Azusa Chamber of Commerce

has great plans for 2011. Upcoming

events such as the State of the City

Address, Business Expo, and

Candidates Forum, add value to your

membership. Keeping the business

community informed is an

important function of the chamber.

The chamber of commerce serves as

advocates for business at every level

of government. Your active

Legislative Affairs Committee has

continued its efforts to support

business needs. The City and

chamber are dedicated to working

toward a vibrant and healthy

business community. These efforts

will ensure the vitality of our

organization and provide numerous

benefits to the residents and

businesses. Our Strategic Planning

Committee is planning for the future

by reviewing current programs, evaluating

the value of the programs to our members

and setting a long range business strategy.

These efforts will continue to enhance the

services we provide to our members. We

encourage you to contact the chamber with

any ideas that would help us to better serve

the business community.

With a new year comes changes and the

chamber is looking forward to the new year

and the endless opportunity it brings. The

Azusa business community is growing as

well as our membership. This is a great

time to set new goals for your business. I

Welcome Our New MembersWelcome Our New MembersWelcome Our New Members

Richard Heath and Associates, Inc.

1202 John Reed Ct.

City of Industry, CA 91745

Robert James, Operations Manager

(626) 435-0217

(Developers, Environmental Services)

www.rhainc.com

Central San Gabriel Valley Worksource Center 11635 E. Valley Blvd.

El Monte, CA 91732

Annalynn Apolinario, Program Assistant

(626) 258-0365

(Non-profit, Career Center)

Chairwoman

Mary McKenrick

Master Home Inc.

840 E. Foothill Blvd. Ste. 173

Azusa, CA 91702

John DeDoncker

(626) 536-2178

(Real Estate, Tax Services)

www.masterhomeinc.com

4

Member News

On Thursday, November 18, 2010, the

Chamber hosted the bi-monthly New

Member Meet n’ Greet Breakfast. The

breakfast was held at La Tolteca

Mexican Restaurant.

The breakfast was sponsored by the

Cen t r a l San Gabr i e l Val ley

Worksource Center, a non-profit

career center aimed at assisting those

individuals in the pursuit and

development of careers. Rapid

R e s p o n s e B u s i n e s s S e r v i c e

Representative Matt Guerrero,

spoke about the various programs offered

as well as resources to accommodate San

Gabriel Valley job seekers. The Central

San Gabriel Valley Worksource Center

office is located at 11635 E. Valley

Blvd., El Monte, CA 91732. (626) 258-

0365. For more information about the

CSGV Worksource Services, visit their

website, www.worksourcecalifornia.com

The Chamber also was fortunate to

welcome guest speaker Alex Ribble, an

associate of (AMC) Advanced

Microcomputing Concepts to the

breakfast to speak about the rising

trends of social networking.

We also welcomed new members

Opthalmic Surgeons, Malvin D.

Anders, M.D. & Ruben N. Sanchez,

M.D

Thank you once again to Tim Arrietta

of La Tolteca for hosting our

breakfast, our breakfast sponsor

Cen t r a l San Gabr i e l Val ley

Worksource Center and presenter Alex

Ribble of AMC.

‘Twas The Season To Be Giving! Berger Bros., Inc, is a company

specializing in quality exterior and

interior framing, lathing, plaster,

E.I.F.S., fireproofing and insulation,

spread the gift of giving this Holiday

Season! Employees of the company

rallied together to collectively support

the local children here in Azusa.

On Friday, December 17, 2010,

Berger Bros employees along with

President Paul Berger (seen to the

right), presented Joe Perez of the St.

Frances of Rome Food Bank with over

20 gifts!

Berger Bros., Inc. was founded in

1959, by Peter and Paul Berger in

Pasadena, California. Starting with a

small crew and very little equipment,

the brothers quickly gained a

reputation for excellent performance

in terms of quality and customer

satisfaction.

As a long time Chamber Member,

Berger Bros Inc., has made their

presence known, not only housing

offices in Azusa but also in the San

Francisco Bay Area as well.

With an experienced crew of field

personnel, working together with a

dedicated office support group, Berger

Bros., Inc. is capable of performing a

wide variety of jobs.

Some of their major projects include

Paseo Colorado in Pasadena, The Getty

Center in Los Angeles and the San

Francisco Civic Auditorium.

Approaching its 50th anniversary,

Berger Bros., Inc. is among the top

lath, plaster and drywall contractors in

California. Thank you Berger Bros

Inc., for your continued membership

and support to the Azusa Community!

21

234 E. Foothill Avenue Azusa, CA 91702 (626) 334-8405

10 Tips for Socially Conscious Marketing By SBDC Los Angeles Regional Network

Despite a tough economy, consumers are still willing to pay more for products and services that help a cause—whether that’s green organizations, ―pink ribbon‖ products for breast cancer research or coffee grown on fair-trade farms. How can your company benefit from socially conscious consumers? Try these 10 tips.

1. Think local. For many small businesses, social responsibility starts with your community. Local customers are more likely to buy from you if they see you ―giving back.‖ Look for ways to get involved that are close to home.

2. Choose your cause. The issue should be related to your busi-ness and something that you, your staff and your custom-ers care about. For example, if you own a sporting goods store, you could support organizations that promote chil-dren’s fitness, fight obesity or encourage families to get ac-tive.

3. Do your homework. Before selecting organizations to sup-port, investigate each group’s background to be sure it’s le-gitimate. Find out what percentage of funds goes to pro-grams and services compared to overhead.

4. Decide what type of support you can give. There are many ways to make a difference that don’t require a big cash out-lay. Consider contributing a percentage of sales, sponsoring an event, donating products or volunteering your time.

5. Understand tax liability. Are you contributing money, goods or a percentage of your profits to a cause? Be sure you’re following the appropriate rules for tax deductions and tax liability so there are no unpleasant surprises.

6. Motivate. To promote excitement among your employees, kick off your involvement by spending a morning volun-teering together. Give employees who volunteer recognition or rewards such as an afternoon off. Sponsor a ―friends and family‖ day where employees get their loved ones to volun-teer.

7. Spread the word. Promote your involvement in your chosen cause through all of your business’s marketing materi-als, including product packaging, hang tags, store signage, newsletters and print or online advertising.

8. Go virtual. Get customers engaged in your cause by promot-ing it on your website, your business’s Facebook page, your Twitter page and anywhere else your company has an online presence. Social media is a great way to build community around your cause.

9. Publicize your involvement. Reporters and bloggers love to write about socially responsible businesses. Reach out to them to publicize your social marketing efforts. This not only helps your business, but also helps promote the causes you’re supporting.

10. Network. You never know whom you’ll meet through your involvement in a cause. Get to know others who are working with the organizations you support, and you might just find your business’s next big client, partnership or vendor rela-tionship.

20

Women Owned Small Business Contracting Program By: SBA.GOV

The U.S. Small Business Administration will begin implementation

of its women-owned small business (WOSB) contracting program.

The agency expects the program to be available for WOSBs in early

2011.The rule is part of the Obama Administration’s overall

commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses to

compete for federal contracts, in particular those owned by women,

socially and economically disadvantaged persons and veterans. This

rule identifies 83 industries in which WOSBs are under-represented or

substantially under-represented in the

federal contract marketplace. In addition

to opening up more opportunities for

WOSBs, the rule is also another tool to

help achieve the statutory goal that 5

percent of federal contracting dollars go

to women-owned small businesses.

―Women-owned businesses are one of the

fastest growing sectors of our nation’s

economy, and even during the economic

downturn of the last few years, have been

one of the key job creation engines in

communities across the country,‖ SBA

Administrator Karen Mills said.

―Federal contracts provide critical

opportunities for owners of small firms to

take their business to the next level and

create good-paying jobs,‖ Mills added.

―Despite their growth and the fact that

women lead some of the strongest and

m o s t i n n o v a t i v e c o m p a n i e s ,

women-owned firms continue to be under

-represented in the federal contracting

marketplace. This rule will be a platform

for changing that by providing greater

opportunities for women-owned small businesses to compete for and

win federal contracts.‖

With the publication today of the final rule, SBA, in conjunction with

the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, will begin a 120-day

implementation of the WOSB contracting program, including building

the technology and program infrastructure to support the certification

process and ongoing oversight. With implementation expected to take

several months, the agency expects that federal agencies’ contracting

officers will be able to start making contracts available to WOSBs

under the program in early 2011.

The creation of a rule to increase federal contracting opportunities for

WOSBs was authorized by Congress in 2000. Since that time, SBA

took a number of steps to study and analyze the market, including

looking at participation by women-owned small businesses across all

industries. Various draft rules were made available for public

comment in prior years, but shortly after taking office the Obama

Administration drafted a new, comprehensive rule, based on the

analysis of the prior studies and on all the questions and comments

previously received. The proposed rule was published for public

comment on March 2, 2010 for 60 days. SBA received over 1,000

comments during that time.

Some of the components of the Women-Owned Small Business rule

include:

To be eligible, a firm must be 51 percent owned and controlled

by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more

women. The women must be U.S. citizens. The firm must be

―small‖ in its primary industry in accordance with SBA’s size

standards for that industry. In order for a WOSB to be deemed

―economically disadvantaged,‖ its owners must demonstrate

economic disadvantage in accordance with the requirements set

forth in the final rule.

Based upon the analysis in a study commissioned by the

SBA from the Kauffman-RAND Foundation, the final rule

identifies 83 industries (identified by ―NAICS‖ codes) in which

women-owned small businesses are

under-represented or substantially

under-represented in federal procurements.

The SBA has identified eligible

industries based upon the combination of

both the ―share of contracting dollars‖

analysis, as well as the ―share of number of

contracts awarded‖ analysis used in the

RAND study. This differs from an earlier

proposed version of the rule which

identified only four industries in which

women-owned small businesses were under

-represented. This earlier version proposed

to identify eligible industries based solely

on the ―share of contracting dollars‖

analysis used in the RAND study.

In accordance with the statute, the

final rule authorizes a set-aside of federal

contracts for WOSBs where the anticipated

contract price does not exceed $5 million in

the case of manufacturing contracts and $3

million in the case of other contracts.

Contracts with values in excess of these

limits are not subject to set-aside under this

program.

The final rule removes the requirement, set forth in a prior

proposed version, that each federal agency certify that it had

engaged in discrimination against women-owned small

businesses in order for the program to apply to contracting by

that agency.

The proposed rule allows women-owned small businesses

to self-certify as ―WOSBs‖ or to be certified by third-party

certifiers, including government entities and private certification

groups.

The final rule requires WOSBs which self-certify to submit a

robust certification verification, to complete the certifications at

the federal Online Representation and Certification Application

(―ORCA‖) Web site, and also to submit a core set of

eligibility-related documents to an online ―document repository‖

to be maintained by the SBA. Each agency’s contracting

officers will have full access to this repository.

The SBA intends to engage in a significant number of program

examinations to confirm eligibility of individual WOSBs.

In the event of a contract protest or program review, the SBA

has the authority to request substantial additional documentation

from the WOSB to establish eligibility.

SBA intends to pursue vigorously punitive action against

ineligible firms which seek to take advantage of this program

and in so doing to deny its benefits to the intended legitimate

WOSBs.

2

5

G r a n d O p e n i n g s a n d R i b b o n C u t t i n g s

the owner of the building who operated his

business at the same site for almost 10

years.

Son said he ―believes there is always a

need for dishes made with the freshest

ingredients in a lively and upbeat

environment.‖

Son and Kim were presented with

certificates of recognition from the City of

Azusa as well as the Chamber of

Commerce. Kanpai Sushi is located at 722

Interested in becoming a member of our Exclusive Clubs? Contact the Chamber Office at (626) 334-1507

Kanpai Japanese Restaurant opened

up it’s doors officially on Thursday,

December 9, 2010 with a ribbon

cutting ceremony!

Members of the community,

chamber members, elected officials

and city employees were all in

attendance to help welcome our

newest members to the Azusa

Business Community.

Owners Stephen Son and Paul Kim

brought their business to Azusa after

negotiating with Paul Naccachian,

N. Azusa Avenue, Azusa. Hours are

Monday-Friday, Lunch: 11:30am-

2:30pm and Dinner 5:00pm-9:30pm.

Saturday: 5:00pm-9:30pm, Sunday:

Closed.

Son and Kim invite everyone to

come to the restaurant and

experience the energy and excellent

food!

The Chamber welcomes Kanpai

Sushi to the business community

and wishes you the best of luck in

your business endeavors! Kanpai!

6

IRS Announces 2011 Standard Mileage Rates By: Cal Chamber

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced the 2011

optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible

costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical

or moving purposes.

Beginning on January 1, 2011, the standard mileage rates for the

use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

51 cents per mile for business miles driven;

19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and

14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable

organizations.

The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an

automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs as determined by the same study.

A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the

Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) or after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle. In

addition, the business standard mileage rate cannot be used for any vehicle used for hire or for more than four vehicles used

simultaneously.

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard

mileage rates.

For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

Customized, confidential, and convenient on-site services for

businesses in transition.

Facing Layoffs?

The Los Angeles area Rapid Response team is here. We provide customized, confidential, and convenient on-site

services for businesses in transition.

Reassure with Rapid Response

We can assist you in reducing the trauma among workers facing layoffs and the stress among your remaining

workers maintaining their morale, increasing productivity, and accelerating workplace stability.

Redirect Toward Stability

Keeping your competitive edge and maintaining productivity is critical, the Rapid Response team can explain

relevant state and federal regulations and can work with you to prevent future layoffs or lessen their impacts.

Rapid Response also offers access to unemployment insurance for your employees.

Promote Your Commitment to Your Community

Layoffs and closings can be hard on a community. The Rapid Response team will help you demonstrate your

dedication to the growth and prosperity of your community by positioning your workers for successful futures.

To begin your WorkSource partnership, call:

(562) 946-2237 ext. 319

or contact the Azusa Chamber of Commerce at (626) 334-1507

19

The Azusa Chamber of Commerce and the Azusa Coordinating Council would like to thank

all of our sponsors, volunteers, raffle prize donors and attendees who participated in the 4th

Annual Food and Toy Drive on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. Your support and generosity

helped make this year bright for the many needy families here in Azusa!

Azusa City Hall

213 E. Foothill Blvd.

Azusa, CA 91702

(626) 812-5200

18

The Azusa Chamber of Commerce The Azusa Chamber of Commerce The Azusa Chamber of Commerce invites you to the invites you to the invites you to the

Council Candidates Forum Council Candidates Forum Council Candidates Forum

Wednesday, February 23, 2011Wednesday, February 23, 2011Wednesday, February 23, 2011 6:30 PM 6:30 PM 6:30 PM --- 8:30 PM8:30 PM8:30 PM

Civic Auditorium Civic Auditorium Civic Auditorium 213 E. Foothill Blvd.213 E. Foothill Blvd.213 E. Foothill Blvd.

Azusa, CA 91706Azusa, CA 91706Azusa, CA 91706

Come meet the candidates, learn about their political platforms and ask Come meet the candidates, learn about their political platforms and ask Come meet the candidates, learn about their political platforms and ask the questions you want answers to. the questions you want answers to. the questions you want answers to.

State of the City Address 2011State of the City Address 2011State of the City Address 2011 Thursday, February 17, 2011

7:30am

CA-Army National Guard

Azusa Readiness Center

1351 W. Sierra Madre Ave., Azusa

CONTACT THE CHAMBER FOR

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES! Tickets are available for purchase online at www.azusachamber.org or at the

Chamber Office

7

Serving the San Gabriel Valley Areas

Phone: (866) 588-SBDC (7232) Fax: (323) 369-1442 www.smallbizla.org

Upcoming Workshops

Business Boot Camp (for start-ups) *This is a reoccurring series, please check www.smallbizla.org for respective dates, times, location and cost. Federal State Basic Payroll Tax Seminar When: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 Time: 9am-3pm Cost: Free Location: Carson Community Center, 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745 Monster Marketing Mistakes (sponsored by Citi) When: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 Time: 10am-1pm Cost: Free Location: SBDC Offices 26455 Rockwell Cyn. Rd., Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Social Media (Sponsored by Citi) When: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Time: 9am-12pm Cost: Free Location: SBDC Office 26455 Rockwell Cyn. Rd., Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Employee or Independent Contractor Tax Seminar When: Thursday, February 24, 2011 Time: 9am-12pm Cost: Free Location: Carson Community Center, 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745 All workshops are conducted through the Small Business Development Centers, Los Angeles Regional Net-work. For more information about the organization or the above workshops, please contact the SBDC at (866) 588-7232 or visit www.smallbizla.org

8

The long awaited City Map project has

been completed! The Chamber now has

copies of the map available for Member

distribution. For those who are

Interested in obtaining copies, please

contact the Chamber office at

626-334-1507

Clearing the Way for the Metro Gold Line to Montclair

As final design and construction nears reality for Phase 2A (Pasadena to Azusa), Phase 2B (Glendora to

Montclair) begins the final step in the planning process - environmental review. The environmental

process, which will be completed in accordance with state and federal guidelines, will identify

environmental impacts of the proposed 12-mile extension of the line and how those impacts can be

mitigated. The process will take approximately 18 months to complete and will result in the

environmental clearance of Phase 2B, positioning the project for future construction funding opportunities.

Public meetings for Phase 2B are being planned to receive community input on the scope of the environmental analysis:

January 12, 2011 January 13, 2011 January 19, 2011 January 20, 2011

6 – 8 p.m. 6-8 p.m. 6-8 p.m. 6-8 p.m.

Ganesha Community Center Glendora Teen and Family Center Oakmont Elementary School Ekstrand Elementary

1575 N White Avenue 241 W. Dawson Street 120 W. Green Street 400 N. Walnut Avenue

Pomona, CA Glendora, CA Claremont, CA San Dimas, CA

Phase 2A Update: Phase 2A is moving forward as planned. Skanska (the winning bidder) is currently in the final design

phase for the I-210 rail bridge and anticipates starting construction in Spring 2011. Proposals for the design-build contract to

complete the alignment work (including the six stations, track, crossings, maintenance facility and more) are due in late

January 2011 and a contract award is expected in April. Construction will start sometime in 2012, and work is expected to

be completed in late 2014.

Please visit our new website (same name, new look) - www.foothillextension.org - for updates on the upcoming meetings,

and to sign up to receive project updates.

Azusa Chamber Member,

We are pleased to announce that preparation for the 2010-2011 Membership Directory is underway once again!

As with the 2010-2011 Directory, this issue will continue to be a full color, glossy publication guaranteed to make

a lasting impression. We are excited to be on the leading edge of such a powerful marketing tool.

The Azusa Chamber of Commerce will be the Publisher of the 2010-2011 Edition. All of the checks for advertis-

ing will be made out to the Azusa Chamber of Commerce.

The Directory has become an essential tool for the Azusa Chamber business community. Each Chamber Member

will receive two free listings: alphabetically by business, and classified by product or industry.

The Chamber routinely uses the Directory to promote our Chamber Members:

♦ Used in assisting Chamber Members & Staff to recommend businesses by phone,

mail or in person.

♦ A marketing tool to Developers and Retailers coming to Azusa.

♦ Assist in recruiting new businesses to Azusa.

♦ Available to all new and existing businesses, residents and visitors.

The Directory will be open to Members only for advertising opportunity. Hurry and take advantage of the won-

derful opportunity that advertising in the Directory offers. The Front Cover and Back Cover ads are available un-

til sold.

Complete the above information and FAX back to (626) 334-5217,

e-mail: info@azusachamber.org or call 626-334-1507.

Please contact the Chamber Office

for more information.

Azusa Chamber of Commerce

240 W. Foothill Blvd, Azusa, California 91702

YES! I want to purchase an advertisement in the 2011-2012 Business Directory!

Company Name:

Contact:

Address, City & Zip: _____________

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Ad Size: Ad Price: _________ Color: B/W:

Method of Payment: _______ __________ _________ ___________

Cash Check Credit card Bill Company

17

Azusa Business & Azusa Business & Azusa Business &

Community DirectoryCommunity DirectoryCommunity Directory 201120112011---2012 Advertising Rate Sheet2012 Advertising Rate Sheet2012 Advertising Rate Sheet

LOCATION: BLACK & WHITE: COLOR:

Outside, Front Cover N/A $5,000.00

7 ¾‖ x 10‖, No Bleeds

Outside, Back Cover N/A SOLD

7 ¾‖ x 10‖, No Bleeds Inside Front Cover N/A $2,800.00

7 ¾‖ x 10‖, No Bleeds

Inside Back Cover N/A $2,400.00

7 ¾‖ x 10‖, No Bleeds

Page One & Two $1,775.00 $2,000.00

7 ¾‖ x 10‖, No Bleeds Full Page $1,700.00 $1,995.00

7 ¾‖ x 10‖, No Bleeds

Half Page, Horizontal $850.00 $1,100.00

7 ¾‖ x 4 7/8‖

Quarter Page, Horizontal $550.00 $775.00

3 5/8‖ x 4 7/8‖

Eighth Page, Horizontal $450.00 $625.00

3 5/8‖ x 2 1/8‖

(Business card size)

Bold Listing $125.00 N/A Extra Listing $125.00 N/A

ARTWORK MUST BE PROVIDED BY ADVERTISER. Accepted file format in order of prefer-

ence: Quark 6.5 or Lower (MAC Platform), Photoshop, High Resolution PDF, Illustrator EPS (Fonts

converted to outlines) and TIF. Artwork must be submitted on a CD with a hard-copy print out at-

tached, or via Email if less than 10MB. Four-color and spot color ads will appear in the editorial sec-

tion; black & white will appear in the classified section of the 2011-2012 Magazine.

16 9

New lending and economic opportunities for small businesses and

banks in California are available through a program administered

through the State Treasurer’s Office.

The California Capital Access Program (CalCAP) recently

received $6 million from the state and expects to receive $84

million in federal funding from the Small Business Lending Act of

2010. Combined, these funds may leverage more than $2 billion in

small business loans in the State.

CalCAP is administered by the California Pollution Control

Financing Authority (CPCFA) in the State Treasurer’s Office. The

CalCAP loans are for any small business – from hair dressers and

caterers to manufacturers. The funds don’t have to be used for

pollution control projects, despite the name of the Authority. It’s a

good program for any business on the qualified Standard Industry

Classification Codes list.

CalCAP encourages financial institutions to make loans to small

businesses that fall just outside conventional underwriting

standards. The program provides a form of loan portfolio

insurance that can give lenders up to 100 percent coverage on

certain loan defaults. With each new loan, the borrower, lender

and CalCAP each contribute to a loan-loss reserve fund. The fund

grows over time and encourages lenders to make loans that do not

quite pass muster under their normal lending guidelines. The

maximum loan size is $1.5 million and will soon increase to $2.5

million.

―CalCAP provides loans to businesses that may not otherwise

qualify for a loan,‖ said State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, who chairs

CPCFA. ―In a tough economy, the additional risk coverage on

loans is a win-win for the businesses and financial institutions.‖

As one example of how CalCAP works, the program helps

California truckers comply with diesel emissions regulations

through a $48 million loan guarantee program operated in

partnership with the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The

ARB made the funds available through CalCAP to make it easier

for truck, fleet and off-road diesel equipment owners to get loans

needed to cover the expense of bringing their vehicles into

compliance with the new regulations.

Aside from administering the CalCAP program, CPCFA provides

tax-exempt bond financing for pollution control projects. The

financing helps California businesses acquire or build qualified

pollution control, waste disposal or waste recovery facilities, or

buy or install new pollution control equipment. The CPCFA also

runs the CalReUSE program, which offers low-interest, forgivable

loans and grants to help public and private partners redevelop

contaminated ―brownfields.‖

Small businesses and truck owners must meet lending criteria

established by the financial institution.

For more information, please visit calbizcentral.com

Business Loans Available Through

State Program By: CalChamber

Disability Access Law Reform– Where Are We Today? By: CalChamber

10

The California Chamber of Commerce is reminding businesses of the opportunities

they have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), diminish

their risk of being sued for denial of full and equal access to individuals with

disabilities, and/or potentially reduce the fees and damages incurred if litigation is

filed.

During the 2007-08 legislative session, the CalChamber and other business groups

worked closely with legislators and their staff, disability rights groups and the

consumer attorneys to achieve historic reform to California’s disability access

laws.

The reform legislation, SB 1608, (Corbett; D-San Leandro, Chapter 549).

Statutes of 2008), is designed to promote and increase compliance with laws

providing equal public access in places of business to individuals with

disabilities, while reducing unwarranted litigation that does not advance that

goal.

Created State Program for Certified Access Specialists

One of the key benefits provided by SB 1608 is the availability of Certified Access

Specialists (CASp) who are trained and certified as experts in the disability access

building requirements. Approximately 330 CASp inspectors statewide are

available to inspect building plans and/or existing buildings to determine if the

buildings are ADA compliant or if there are deficiencies that need to be resolved.

Contact information for all CASp inspectors is available at the website of the California Department of General Services, Division of the

State Architect, https://www.apps.dgs.ca.gov/casp/casp_certified_list.aspx. In addition, all local building inspection offices should have

at least one CASp inspector on staff.

A business owner can voluntarily ask a CASp inspector to:

1. Inspect building plans for new construction to ensure that any new building complies with disability access laws; or

Inspect an existing building to determine if there are any deficiencies. The cost of such an inspection is negotiable and varies among

different specialists. Once a CASp inspector has inspected the requested site, the business owner can obtain a certificate to display in the

window of the establishment that notifies the public the establishment has been inspected by a CASp. The presumed benefit of this

certificate is to inform the public that the owner/tenant has taken steps to make sure it complies with the law and therefore is not an easy

target for a disability access case.

Opportunities for Early Resolution of Lawsuits

Pursuant to SB 1608, an attorney who files a lawsuit alleging a construction-related accessibility claim also must file and serve a written

notice that provides an explanation of the building owner/ tenant’s legal rights, including the right to seek an attorney experienced with

ADA lawsuits. An attorney’s failure to provide this written notice at the time of filing is a violation that can be reported to the California

State Bar.

If litigation is filed and the business owner has had a CASp inspection completed, the business owner may request a 90-day automatic

stay of the lawsuit and an Early Evaluation Conference to determine the viability of the claims made. This stay and conference will

prevent either side from unnecessarily incurring litigation-related fees and costs. Notably, the business owner must provide evidence of

the CASp inspection report to the plaintiff as well as the court at least 15 days before the scheduled Evaluation Conference. Business

owners are encouraged to confer with legal counsel on this issue, as well as any litigation filed.

To further encourage early resolution of any disability access case, SB 1608 limits a plaintiff’s statutory damages under the Civil Code

to one violation per occasion upon which the plaintiff was denied full and equal access at a distinct facility, rather than allowing a

plaintiff to claim multiple violations on each occasion and therefore multiple requests for statutory damages. Courts also may consider

reasonable settlement offers made between the parties when evaluating the award of any request for attorney’s fees at the conclusion of

the case. This aspect of SB 1608 places pressure on the plaintiffs and their attorney to make realistic demands of the business owner

during litigation.

California Commission on Disability Access

Another important element of SB 1608 was the creation of the California Commission on Disability Access (CCDA). This commission

is designed to study and report on compliance issues business owners and disabled individuals have with state laws and regulations

concerning disability access; the effectiveness of the CASp program; and the need for additional training and education.

The CCDA also will study whether the reform provided by SB 1608 has achieved the desired goal of reducing frivolous and unnecessary

civil lawsuits, while encouraging disability access compliance.

Business Owners Should Take Advantage SB 1608

All business owners are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits offered by SB 1608 by obtaining a CASp certification. Although

SB 1608 provides no guarantee that a business owner who is CASp-certified will not get sued, it certainly will reduce the business

owner’s risk of frivolous litigation, as well as provide additional protections not otherwise available to the business owner if litigation is

filed.

Contact information for all CASp inspectors is available at: https://www.apps.dgs.ca.gov/casp/casp_certified_list.aspx

15

2010-2011 New Employment Laws By: CalBizCentral

Workers' Compensation for Roofing Contractors

AB 2305 extends the requirement that contractors with a C-39

roofing classification obtain and maintain workers' compensation

insurance, even if they have no employees. This requirement was

set to expire on January 1, 2011, and is now extended until

January 1, 2013. Additionally, after January 1, 2011, any active

license will be suspended if the C-39 roofing classification was

removed and the licensee is found to have employees and lack a

valid certificate of workers' compensation insurance. AB 2305

amends Business and Professions Code section 7125 and section

11665 of the Insurance Code.

Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave

California employers with 15 or more employees must now

provide the following paid leaves to employees who choose to

donate organs or bone marrow:

Organ donors - must be provided a 30-day (workdays) leave

of absence in any one-year period

Bone marrow donors - must be provided a leave of absence

up to five workdays in any one-year period

The statute says that such leave does not run concurrently with

the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, state law

cannot override federal law. Therefore, leave for the purpose of

donating bone marrow or an organ may run concurrently with

FMLA if the employer is a covered employer and the employee

is eligible for FMLA.

GINA Regulations Finalized

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

issued final regulations on November 9 that implement the

employment provisions (Title II) of the Genetic Information

Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). GINA prohibits use of

genetic information to make decisions about health insurance and

employment, and restricts the acquisition and disclosure of

genetic information. GINA applies to private employers with 15

or more employees and generally prohibits employers from

requesting an applicant's or employee's genetic information, even

if the employer never uses that information.

Providing Access for Persons with Disabilities

On July 23, 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder signed final

regulations revising the Justice Department's Americans with

Disabilities Act regulations, including the ADA Standards for

Accessible Design. The official text was published in the Federal

Register on September 15, 2010.

For a complete listing of new laws, visit www.calbizcentral.com

See Your Ad Here! For advertising rates and

opportunities, please contact

Richard Lechuga at

(626) 334-1507

124 E. Santa Fe Avenue Azusa, CA 91702 (626) 633-0067

Search: Azusa Chamber of Commerce

14

2011 Required Notices Kit Available By: Cal Chamber

The California Chamber of Commerce is warning employers that

their 2010 California and federal notices poster and certain

pamphlets are no longer current.

Updated required posters and pamphlets include:

the Cal/OSHA Safety and Health Notice;

the unemployment insurance pamphlets; and

the workers’ compensation notice (employers were required to

post the updated notice by October 8, 2010).

Through the CalChamber Store, employers can order the 2011

Required Notices Kit—all 16 state and federal required employee

notices on one spacesaving poster, plus all five required employee

pamphlets, updated as necessary for 2011 in packs of 20.

Also available for purchase is the Poster Protect service, ensuring

customers will receive a new poster at no additional charge if there

are any mandatory changes in state or federal employment law

posting requirements during the calendar year.

CalChamber Preferred and Executive members receive an

additional 20 percent off the purchase price.

Please contact the Chamber Office if you are interested in

purchasing the above posters and pamphlets.

For more information, visit http://www.calchamberstore.com/kit.

Turner & Stevens

Live Oak Mortuary

200 E. Duarte Road

Monrovia, CA 91016

(626) 471-9931

www.liveaokmonrovia.com

946 South Grand Avenue

Glendora, CA 91740

(626) 963-0267

Username: @azusachamber

11

Programs for Businesses

Economic Development Rate

729 N. Azusa Avenue . Azusa, CA . 91702 Phone(626) 812-5125

Customers meeting the aforementioned Eligibility requirements

shall receive an incentive up to $10,000 or 50% (whichever is less)

of the cost, per customer account, with a maximum funding cap of

$30,000 per customer.

12

The City of Azusa has a long standing history of promoting

economic development and redevelopment in the community.

For many new and/or expanding businesses, the cost of

electricity is an important factor in their decision to invest in

Azusa.

Through these and other economic development and

redevelopment efforts, the City of Azusa promotes job growth

and economic stimulus within the community. Over the last few

years there has been a substantial growth of new and existing

businesses along with the revitalization of shopping centers and

the downtown.

Since utility costs directly affect the bottom line of businesses,

Azusa Light & Water believes that the availability of discounted

electric rates could make a significant difference in the decision

by a commercial/industrial entity to locate or expand locally. As

such, Azusa Light and Water has adopted a new rate tariff,

Schedule EDR, to establish Economic Development Rate

discounts.

A 10% discount is provided to commercial/industrial

customers occupying new buildings/facilities or existing

space that has been vacant for ninety (90) days or longer.

An additional 5% discount applies to those customers who

qualified above and are also locating in active City of Azusa

Redevelopment Project area.

An additional 5% discount is provided to new or expanded

industrial load of at least 100 KW with a minimum ―load

factor‖ of 50 percent.

Discounts are for a 36 month period, but will not extended

later than the December, 2015 billing month.

Fore more information about the above program, please contact

Paul Reid, Key Accounts Manager at (626) 812-5154

Small Business Utility Audit &

Direct Install Program

Azusa Light and Water has contracted with RHA, Inc. to conduct

a FREE utility survey at your business. They will be providing

water and electric conservation tips along with replacing all of your

old incandescent light bulbs with new more energy efficient

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL’s). As an extra energy saving

measure, they will also offer to perform a FREE Air Conditioner

tune-up to save you even more money. Azusa Light and Water

has also agreed to pick up the first $1,500 of your lighting

retrofit that converts your lighting to a more energy efficient

system.

Business Energy Partnership Program

Azusa Light & Water is a municipal utility

owned by the City of Azusa. Our customers are

the shareholders and as such, receive dividends

through lower rates along with more personalized

and responsive local service.

Just by being an Azusa light & Water customer

you will enjoy some of the lowest utility rates in

Southern California along with higher utility reli-

ability.

What more could a business owner want?

For more information about our rates or rebates,

visit out website: www.azusalw.com or call Paul

Reid at (626) 812-5154

To Good To Be True? Not In Azusa! By: Paul Reid, Azusa Light and Water

13

When Fadel Fares decided to move Dalia’s Pizza from the

corner of Cerritos and Foothill to the larger and better

location down the block, it was with some apprehension.

Fadel was basically starting from scratch with the new

location on the north-west corner of Foothill and Citrus,

right across from the Azusa Pacific University main

campus. The entire building needed to be gutted and

upgraded to current standards. This included new lighting

fixtures, air conditioning equipment, kitchen equipment

and even the irrigation and landscape needed to be

replaced. This is where Azusa Light and Water stepped in

to help, while at the same time making Fadel’s restaurant

more energy efficient.

Azusa Light and Water helped with the replacement of the

HVAC equipment with new Energy Star ® rated units.

Fadel also chose to replace all the old inefficient lighting

with new LED lighting where ever possible and the

remainder of the lighting was replaced with new high

efficiency florescent fixtures. In all, Azusa Light and Water

provided 50% of the cost, or about $20,000, over the two

year renovation process for the lighting and air

conditioning. But it didn’t stop there. Fadel decided he

wanted to install almost a dozen televisions throughout the

restaurant. Since he decided to upgrade the televisions to

high efficiency LED units Azusa Light and Water provided

a 25% rebate, or approximately another $3,000 for the

energy saving measure.

That’s not all! Fadel wasn’t happy with the landscaping in

front of his new restaurant, so he decided to go completely

drought tolerant. He installed artificial turf along with a

subterranean drip irrigation system for his low water use

vegetation. Once again Azusa Light and Water stepped

in and picked up half the cost for his drought tolerant

landscape project using the DRiP Rebate Program.

Fadel was just one of many business owners that have

found the advantages of choosing Azusa as the City to

locate their businesses. Being a small utility, Azusa Light

and Water can provide that personal touch and are highly

accessible as compared to utilities in the surrounding

cities.

Fadel is a huge winner! By reducing his utility costs, he is

directly contributing to his bottom line. This helps his

business stay competitive which is extremely important in

today’s economy.

Watch for more success stories in the future. There are a lot

of them!

For information on the many programs available to

businesses in Azusa, contact Azusa Light and Water at

(626) 812-5125.