February 2015 - Lemoore Chamber of Commerce

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE LEMOORE DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Lemoore LifeStyle
300 E. STREET LEMOORE, CA 93245
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
It is the mission of Lemoore Chamber of Commerce to be the leader in our community for building sustainable economic growth, advocating for a pro-business
climate and enhancing Lemoore’s working relationships with Lemoore Naval Air Station, City, Education, Tourism Business and Agricultural interests.
February 2015
300 E Street, Lemoore, CA 93245 • (559) 924-6401 • www.lemoorechamberofcommerce.com
Fatte Albert’s Pizza
Rebounds after Rebuild
As some of you
may remember, last
June Fatte Alberts
Pizza Company’s
Take-n-Bake in
Lemoore, suffered
a run in, literally!
Their storefront
on East HanfordArmona
Road
was crashed into
by a vehicle. And
although owners
Wendy Raygoza
and Steve Gonzales
have a very successful restaurant
in Hanford, they
decided not give up
on our community.
They closed for
renovations, purchased new pizza
ovens and opened
Owners Wendy Raygoza & Steve Gonzales of Fatte
back up only 5
Alberts Pizza Company
months later as a
full service restaurant with extended services. So, not only can you still purchase
take-n-bake pizzas, but with the addition of their new ovens you can
also sit down eat there, receive faster than ever delivery and enjoy an
adult frosty beverage from their selection of beers on tap. It’s a cozy
12 table top pizzeria with additional seating at a small bar. We thank
Fatte Albert’s for keeping their business in Lemoore and look forward
to their continued involvement in our community. Call Fatte Alberts
today: 559-997-9403 or drop by their newly renovated restaurant at
150 E. Hanford-Armona Rd.
City Manager Laws to retire
It is the end of an era. Following 18 years of service
to the city of Lemoore, City Manager and former
police chief Jeff Laws announced that he will retire
on March 6, 2015.
To the surprise of the entire community, Laws
submitted his resignation to the Lemoore City
Council on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 after the
Council adjourned. Mayor Lois Wynne announced
Laws’ retirement via a press release on Thursday
afternoon.
The council held a closed-session discussion on
Jan. 20 to discuss finding a replacement for the
city’s top manager. The process will entail appointing an interim city manager and opening recruitment for the position. Laws said he has offered to
remain available to city staff by phone to assist with
the transition after he departs.
Prior to being hired as city manager in late 2013,
Laws had spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement.
He started his career as a reserve police officer in his
home town of Porterville before taking a full-time
job with the Lindsay Police Department. Laws was
hired as a commander with the Lemoore Police
Department in 1997 and became chief in 2009.
Then in March 2013, Laws was first appointed as
acting city manager amid changing policy direction on the City Council. Over the next several
months, Laws performed dual duties at city hall
and the police department while the council worked
to recruit a permanent city manager. In November
2013, Laws was appointed with a 3 year permanent
status to the position.
Laws told the Chamber that he decided to retire
before the end of his 3 year contract so he can spend
time travelling and seeing the country with his wife.
After a long battle with illness, his wife is now able
to travel, and Laws has decided to seize this moment
to make lifelong memories. We all know time is a
Kiwanis Valentines Dinner
Chamber Luncheon
Saturday, February 14th
Wednesday, January 11th at Noon
WHCC Lemoore, Chancellor’s Suite
Tachi Palace Willow & Sequoia Banquet Rooms
$35 person/ $100 table sponsor
Call: 924-8811 for tickets
See page 3 for luncheon info
Photo by Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel
Jeff Laws, Lemoore City Manager
precious thing not to be wasted, and we wish Laws
and his wife all the best as they embark on their
journeys.
6th Annual
Father-Daughter Dance
Sat. Feb. 7, 6:30-9pm
Lemoore Civic Auditorium
PAGE 2 – February 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
A Message from Jenny Mac
A
s we begin to move forward after the City
Council’s positive reception on January
20th on the prospect of continuing funding support for the Chamber, our spirits are high
and hopeful. I’d like to personally thank John
Miller from Ramblin’ Rose Florist, Jeff Garcia
from Family Eye Care, Michael Patterson from
Tachi Palace and Holly Blair from West Hills
College for standing up and speaking so favorably of their support for the Chamber. I’d also like
to thank Paul Encinias, James McCann, Johnny
Perez, Rick & LeeAnne Rossiter, Don & Betty
Warkentin, Victor Rosa, Marlana Brown, Ana
Orozco, William Munoz, Juan Hernandez, Diana
Perez and Brenda Martin for also coming to the
meeting in support of us.
Although a vote has not been made officially,
I’d reason that the council has taken our proposal
into serious consideration. We are hopeful that
they will make this investment in the Chamber
to show commitment not only to us, but to their
own mission of building and sustaining a business
friendly community.
Which brings me to a notion that I’ve been pondering this month, and that most of us face at this
time of the year: Perseverance. The quality that
allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult. The steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state,
etc. especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or
discouragement.
For some, perseverance is doing their absolute
best to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. For
others, it’s finding the strength to make it through
the dulldums after the holidays. The prospect of
a New Year typically fills us with excitement…
until we’ve made it through a month and are
staring down the barrel of 11 more… And yet, we
persevere. Somehow, we either distract ourselves
enough to get through, or find strength in the
struggle.
So here’s an inch of inspiration, should you
choose to accept it. If every human being on the
planet were to lie down and consciously decide
not to get up…ever, well then humans and all that
they accomplish would cease to exist. Humans are
amazing creatures capable of unlimited reserves of
perseverance. Even if you aren’t 100% happy with
where you’ve gotten thus far in your life, you’ve
still done a considerable amount to get there.
Maybe your sales in January aren’t what you had
hoped for, or Mother Nature hasn’t shown us her
particularly loving side, or you haven’t reached
that ‘pie in the sky’ goal yet. But, here’s what is so
great about living in the Central Valley, the people
here are made of incredibly hearty stock. We don’t
throw our hands up and give up. We persevere.
When something is extremely difficult, we appreciate it so much more when we conquer it. Food
for thought.
Lemoore Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Chairperson
Victor Rosa - Lemoore Middle College High School
Chairman-Elect
William A. Parry - Hammerschmidt Broughton
Vice Chairman
Frances Perkins - Best Western Inn & Suites Lemoore
Past Chairman
Michele Costa - DaCosta Farms
CFO
Jeff Babb - Agusa, Inc.
Directors
John Miller - Ramblin' Rose Florist
John Roush - Lemoore Stadium Cinemas
Dustin Fuller - Civic Minded Individual
Deanna Patterson - Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
Johnny Perez - Best Buy Market
Jody Ruble - West Hills College
David Endo - Lemoore Union High School District
Ex- Officio Directors
Marlana Brown - NAS Lemoore
Judy Holwell - City Planner
2015 Chamber Board
of Directors Sworn In
On January 23rd a new group of Directors were
sworn in at the 57th Annual Installation & Awards
Banquet. Among the new Directors are Deanna
Patterson from Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino,
Johnny Perez from Best Buy Market Lemoore,
David Endo from Lemoore Union High School
District, Jody Ruble from West Hills College
Lemoore. New Ex-Officio Directors are Marlana
Brown from NAS Lemoore and Judy Holwell from
the City of Lemoore. Victor Rosa has now moved
up to Chairman, Frances Perkins as Chairman
Elect, William Parry as Vice Chairman and Jeff
Babb as CFO. The Chamber is excited to have such
a great collection of Lemoore movers and shakers
representing the community on the Board.
Chamber
Staff
Jenny MacMurdo
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
Diana Perez
Membership Coordinator
[email protected]
Brenda Martin
Events Coordinator
[email protected]
Phone: (559) 924-6401
Fax: (559) 924-4520
Website
lemoorechamberofcommerce.com
Lemoore LifeStyle
February 2015 – PAGE 3
February 2015
Save The Dates
Kings Symphony Orchestra
Young Artist/Spring Concert
March 1, 2015 7pm / 559-583-9511
Community Swap Meet
Sunday
Monday
1
Tuesday
Wednesday
2
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 7th 6-9pm
Lemoore Civic Auditorium
Tickets: $15 Adults/ $7.50 Children under 12/ FREE Children under 4
Call: Bob Casas 273-6613 for information & tickets
8
Shamrock Shuffle
5k Run/3k walk
March 14th (Registration Deadline Feb. 27)
7:00am Check-in/ 8:00am Start
$15 3k/ $20 5k, +$5 late reg. fee
Lions Park / Call: 924-6767 for information & to register
American Legion Post 100
Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
Saturday, March 17th
Veterans Memorial Hall
Tickets: $10
Call: 707-4840 for information & tickets
15th Annual Central Valley Pizza Festival
Fri-Sun, April 17-19th
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
nd
2 Sunday Seminar
2-3pm
15
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
22
Mooney Museum
Open Noon- 3:00pm
4
Friday
5
BINGO
6:00 p.m., Senior Center
Beginning March 7th
Every first Saturday of the month March-October
Register at Lemoore Parks & Rec / 924-6767
Lemoore Lions Club Mongolian BBQ
Thursday
3
9
Ambassador Mtg
1pm, Freight Room
10
Kings EAC 2015 Labor
Law Update Seminar
7:45-10 am
11
12
Saturday
6
7
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Father Daughter Dance
6:30-9pm
Lemoore Civic Aud.
13
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Chamber Luncheon
Noon-1pm
Tachi Palace
Barn Dance
Senior Center @ 7pm
BINGO
6:00 p.m., Senior Center
16
17
President’s Day
Chamber Office Closed
18
19
BINGO
6:00 p.m., Senior Center
23
24
CBOD Mtg
7am
City Council Meeting
7:30 p.m.
25
BINGO
6:00 p.m., Senior Center
14
Kiwanis Valentine’s
Dinner
WHC Lemoore
20
21
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
26
27
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Community Breakfast
8:30-10am, Tachi Palace
28
PAGE 4 – February 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
Pictured Left to Right: Lemoore High School Student of the
Month, Jose Benavides and Central School Student of the
Month, Kristian Gaytan.
George Miller presents the first seminar: Leadership & Communication in a 5 part Business Seminar Series being offered this
year at the Chamber.
Above: Grand Opening
Ceremony for Valley
Animal Haven on Saturday, January 17th.
Left: Pam Brasil cuts
the Ribbon at Valley
Animal Haven.
Lemoore LifeStyle
February 2015 – PAGE 5
57th Annual Membership Meeting
& Awards Banquet Thank You’s
Special Thanks to:
Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
The Honorable Judge Thomas DeSantos
Father Hector Lopez, St. Peter’s Catholic Church
Kevin Crawford, C & H Productions
Casey Cantrell, Videographer
Event Sponsor
Valley Business Bank
Table Sponsors
ServiceMaster by Benevento
Best Buy Markets
Education Employees Credit Union
Best Western Inn & Suites Lemoore
Lemoore Rotary
Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
M. Green & Company
Kings Lions Club
Family Eye Care
FAST Federal Credit Union
West Hills College Lemoore
Lemoore Christian Aid
Kings County Farm Bureau
The Hanford Sentinel
Ramblin’ Rose
Gibson’s Catering
Blue Door Massage & Spa
Elite Performance
B & D Quality Cleaners
Valley Business Bank
Sushi Table
SaveMart
NavyFlowers.com
Jeb’s Blueberry Hill
Lemoore Parks & Recreation
Goodwill Industries of South Central California
Lemoore Stadium Cinemas
Navy Federal Credit Union
PAGE 6 – February 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
Change to Credit Card Readers Coming this October
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JAN. 7, 2015
Small business owners need
to be aware of a change coming
to the credit card industry this
year. “Credit card issuers will
start making cards with computer chips that are supposed
to make it tougher for hackers to steal credit card numbers and other information.
The chip-based cards can be
dipped into a terminal, instead
of being swiped. In October,
merchants that don't update
their credit card terminals to
accept chip-based cards will be
expected to pay the cost of any
fraud that occurs on one of the
cards. Square is already taking
pre-orders for a reader that can
accept cards with chips. The
new reader, which will cost $29,
can also swipe cards, and the
free swipe-only device will continue to be available. Square's
competitors haven't announced
plans yet, but many expect
to offer a reader than accepts
chip-based cards in the future.”
Businesses need to do the
math to see if using a mobile
credit card reader is cheaper than a traditional one, says
Todd Ablowitz, president of
payments consulting company
Double Diamond Group. Bigger
businesses that accept a lot of
credit card payments may find
traditional credit card terminals cheaper in the long run.
They charge monthly fees, but
they generally take a smaller
percentage of each transaction,
sometimes below 2 percent,
says Ablowitz.
Mobile readers make sense for
online businesses that rarely sell
goods in person. However, not
all card issuers will be offering
chip-based cards right away,
Ablowitz says, so small businesses will have to decide if they
want to make the switch based
on how many chip-based cards
their customers start to use.
Small business owners looking
to ditch traditional credit card
readers have more options than
ever. Online retailers Amazon
and Etsy are just two of the latest
companies to offer mobile credit
card readers to small companies, joining the likes of Square,
PayPal and Intuit. Mobile credit
card readers are small devices
that stick into a smartphone or
tablet and allow credit cards to
be swiped and accepted from
anywhere. Small business owners say mobile readers can be
cheaper than traditional in-store
credit card readers, which often
charge higher fees.
This Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015
photo shows mobile credit card
readers that connect into a
smartphone, or tablet, and let
business owners accept credit
card payments, in New York.
In the top row, from left, are
readers from Chase Bank, Spark
Pay, and PayPal. Bottom row,
from left, are readers from Pay
Anywhere, Square, and Etsy.
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
(Mark Lennihan )
Dr. Greg Werner, a chiropractor in New York, ditched his traditional credit card reader for
Square four years ago to save
money. Werner has two offices, one in Manhattan and the
other in Eastchester, New York.
His prior credit card reader
company charged his business about $50 a month for
each machine. Werner now has
a Square at each office that he
plugs into his iPhone or iPod
Touch. The device itself is free,
but it takes 2.75 percent of every
swipe. Werner's old credit card
reader charged about 1.7 per-
cent for each swipe for most
credit cards, plus an additional
15 cents. Swiping an American
Express card cost about a percent more. He estimates that
he's saved several thousand dollars since making the switch.
The device has also been a hit
with Werner's patients, who
like that Square emails them
receipts. "My patients love it,"
he says.
Since starting in 2009, Square
had become one of the largest
mobile credit card reading companies on the market. Square
no longer discloses how many
businesses use its device, but
in 2012 the company put that
number at more than 2 million
businesses. And for the first
time earlier this month, it pro-
cessed more than $100 million
in sales in a single day.
Ruthie Youngman, the
owner of jewelry company
LoveYourBling, mostly sells
her handmade baubles on
LoveYourBling.com and online
marketplace Etsy.com. But
she occasionally heads to craft
fairs and other events, which is
when she brings Square's device
with her. Without the ability to
accept credit cards, she would
miss out on potential sales.
"People just don't carry cash
anymore," Youngman says.
Let the Chamber know
your thoughts about this new
change. We are interesting in
your feedback and are looking
for a way to assist our members
in the transition.
Lemoore LifeStyle
February 2015 – PAGE 7
Veterans Corner
T
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
he
Department
of
Veterans Affairs (VA)
offers a spectrum of
geriatric and extended care services to veterans enrolled in its
health care system. More than 90
percent of VA’s medical centers
provide home- and communitybased outpatient long-term care
programs. This patient-focused
approach supports the wishes
of most patients to live at home
in their own communities for as
long as possible. In addition, veterans can receive inpatient longterm care through programs of VA
or state veterans’ homes.
Veterans can receive home-
based primary care, contract
home health care, adult day
health care, homemaker and
home health aide services, home
respite care, home hospice care
and community residential care.
VA's nursing home programs
include VA-operated nursing
home care units, contract community nursing homes and state
homes. The community nursing
home program has the advantage
of being offered in many local
communities where veterans can
receive care near their homes and
families. VA contracts for the care
of veterans in community nursing homes approved by VA. The
New Members
Valley Animal Haven
Pam Brasil, Executive Director
Physical Address: 990 East D Street
Mailing Address: PO Box 321
Lemoore, CA 93245
559-997-3601
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.valleyanimalhaven.org
The CrisCom Company
Carole Sarian
Physical Address:
1099 A Otis Ave. Corcoran, CA 93212
Mailing Address:
9550 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-998-3850
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.thecriscomcompany.com
state home program is based
on a joint costsharing agreement between
VA, the veteran
and the state.
To be eligible for nursJoe
ing home care,
Wright
the
veteran
must have a
service-connected disability rating of at least 70 percent, or be
rated 60 percent service-connected and be unemployable or
have an official rating of "permanently and totally disabled."
Nonservice-connected veterans
and those officially referred to as
"zero percent, noncompensable,
service-connected" veterans who
require nursing home care for any
nonservice-connected disability
and who meet income and asset
criteria may also be eligible. If
space and resources are available,
other veterans on a case-by-case
basis may also be eligible.
The Kings County Veterans
Service Office issues Veteran I.D.
cards to honorably discharged veterans. Contact Joe Wright if you
would like to receive periodic veteran’s information by email. There
are many state and federal benefits
and programs available to veterans
and their dependents. To find out
if you are eligible for any of these
benefits, visit or call our office.
We can and will assist you in completing all required application
forms. You can get information on
the Web from the Kings County
Veterans Service Office webpage
at www.countyofkings.com.
Joe Wright, retired Navy
Master Chief Petty Officer, is the
Veterans Service Officer for Kings
County. Send your questions to the
Veterans Service Office, 1400 W.
Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230;
call 852-2669; or e-mail joe.
[email protected].
Billingsley Tire, Inc.
Kiwanis Club of Lemoore
Blair Air & Ground Services, Inc.
Lakeview Apartments
Boston House of Pizza Lemoore, LLC
Lemoore Auto Supply
Carl Nelson Insurance Agency
Lemoore Dental, Mark Davis DDS
Central Union Elementary School District
Lemoore Food Locker
Clarice Son Farm
Lemoore Hardware
College Park Apartment Homes
Lemoore Canal & Irrigation Co.
Columbia College
Lemoore Presbyterian Church
Comfort Inn
Daley Enterprises
Dutra & Silviera Properties
Education Employees Credit Union
Esajian Farming Co.
Evangelho Seed & Farm Store
FAST Credit Union
First Command Financial Planning
Gary V. Burrows Inc.
Lemoore Recycling
Lemoore Union Elementary School District
Lemoore Van& Storage
Leprino Foods
M. Green & Company, LLP
Manuel Luis
Newton Farms
Pereira Farms
Phipps Dale Funeral Chapel
Renewing Members
Griswold, Las Salle, Cobb, Dowd & Gin, LLP
AAA Quality Services, Inc.
Hanford Mall
Riley E. Jones
Addington Partnership, The
J.E.R. Dan, Inc.
Dr. Reimer Dental Group, Inc.
Advanced Pest Control
Kings Community Action Organization
R.S. Martinez Hay Sales, Inc.
Adventist Health
Kings County Board of Realtors
Royal Car Care
Agusa, Inc.
Kings Co. Board of Supervisors, Joe Neves
Sequoia Beverage Company
American Legion Post 100
Kings County Trophy & Engraving
Super Mercado Leon
Bacome Insurance Agency
Kings Rehab Center, Inc.
Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
Best Buy Market- IGA
Kings United Way
West Hills C
Gibson Gates & Fencing
Ramblin’ Rose Florist
PAGE 8 – February 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
CHAMBER
MEMBER
IN THE
Lisa Munde Photography
T
here’s something quite adorable happening in downtown Lemoore
these days, and it’s partly due to Lisa Munde Photography opening
its doors for newborn and family portraits. Lisa Munde Photography
has been in business in downtown Lemoore since August of 2013, and since
then, she and her beautiful big white dog have been charming local tots into
great big smiles for the camera!
In addition to being chamber members, Lisa and her husband Jared have
ties to Lemoore through their naval service. Although they aren’t Lemoore
natives (Lisa is from San Diego and Jared is from Los Angeles), Lemoore
holds a special
place in their hearts
and they love living here. They met
in Lemoore about
339 West D Street
five years ago. Lisa
Lemoore, CA 93245
served in the Navy
at NAS Lemoore
559-817-4800
from 2008-2010.
lisamundephotography.com
Jared arrived at
NAS Lemoore in
2008 and has been
stationed here ever since. After another tour of duty in San Diego
and completing graduate school at Stanford University, Lisa returned to
Lemoore where Jared is currently stationed as an instructor pilot at VFA122. Together, they opened Lisa Munde Photography in August 2013.
“By far the best part about my job is the people I get to meet and interact
with every day. Every day I am blessed to be able to meet a new family and
capture memories through the lens. It’s an amazing honor to then see my
work whether it’s on their Christmas card or hung in their home or even as
their profile picture on facebook! I love to be able to provide a service that
allows people to capture and cherish memories,” says Munde.
“One of my favorite parts about having a downtown Lemoore business is
the opportunities I have had to give back to the community— whether it’s
being able to donate my time to take photos with Santa at a Toys for Tots
event on base or donating sessions to organizations like Kings United Way
for silent auction, it’s an honor to be able to give back in some small way.”
Lisa Munde Photography is unique as Lisa is one of the only newborn and
family photographers in the county with a studio. The studio is set-up to
be a place where families can relax and be comfortable—complete with a
children’s play area. Lisa has hundreds of photo props and works with each
client to custom design a set for their photo shoot. The studio provides a
safe environment for newborns and a comfortable environment for families to relax during their session.
LMP offers a wide variety of family and lifestyle photography. Lisa regularly photographs everything from newborns, senior portraits, engagements, maternity, first birthday “cake smash” sessions, head shots, and
her favorite occasion: just because! Check out her website at lisamundephotography.com for more details about the upcoming Valentines Day
mini-sessions.
Lisa Munde Photography