May 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.
300 E Street, Lemoore, CA 93245 • (559) 924-6401 • www.lemoorechamberofcommerce.com
May 2015
CalChamber Releases 2015 Preliminary Job Killer List
APRIL 10, 2015 CALCHAMBERJOB
KILLER, LEDE STORY
The California Chamber of
Commerce released a preliminary list of “job killer” bills to call
attention to the negative impact
that 16 proposed measures would
have on California’s job climate
and economic recovery if they
were to become law. The list is
preliminary at this point because
CalChamber expects to add more
bills to the list in the coming
weeks as legislation is amended.
CalChamber will periodically
release “job killer” watch updates
as legislation changes. Readers
are encouraged to track the current status of the “job killer”
bills onwww.cajobkillers.com or
by following @CAJobKillers on
Twitter.
“Although we will be opposing
a number of bills throughout this
year, the ‘job killer’ list represents
the worst of the worst,” said Allan
Zaremberg, CalChamber president and CEO. “These proposals
will unnecessarily increase costs
on California employers that will
likely lead to a loss of jobs.”
The preliminary list of 2015
“job killer” bills follows:
Increased Labor Costs
• AB 357 (Chiu; D-San
Francisco) Predictable Scheduling
Mandate/Protected Leave of
Absence — Imposes an unfair,
one-size fits all, two-week
notice scheduling mandate on
certain employers that perform
retail sales activity, and penalizes these employers with “additional pay” for making changes to
the schedule with less than two
weeks notice, and additionally
imposes an unlimited, protected
leave of absence from work as well
as a broad new protected class
of employees who are receiving
public assistance or have an identified family member receiving
such assistance.
• SB 3 (Leno; D-San Francisco/
Leyva; D-Chino) Automatic
Minimum Wage Increase—
Unfairly increases employers
costs while ignoring the economic
factors or other costs of employers by increasing the minimum
wage by $3.00 over the next two
and a half years with automatic
increases tied to inflation.
• SB 406 (Jackson; D-Santa
Barbara) Significant Expansion of
California Family Rights Act —
Creates less conformity with federal law by dramatically reducing the employee threshold from
50 to less than 5 employees and
expanding the family members
for whom leave may be taken,
which will provide a Californiaonly, separate 12-week protected
Mother Daughter
Tea & Fashion Show
Saturday, May 9th, 2-4pm
Lemoore Civic Auditorium
leave of absence on both small
and large employers to administer, thereby increasing costs and
risk of litigation.
Increased Fuel Costs
• SB 350 (de León; D-Los
Angeles) Costly and Burdensome
Regulations
—
Potentially
increases costs and burdens on
all Californians by mandating an
arbitrary and unrealistic reduction of petroleum use by 50%,
increasing the current Renewable
Portfolio Standard to 50% and
increasing energy efficiency in
buildings by 50%—all by 2030
without regard to the impact on
individuals, jobs and the economy.
Tax Increases
• ACA 4 (Frazier; D-Oakley)
Lowers Vote Requirement for Tax
Chamber Luncheon
Wednesday, May 13th, Noon-1pm
Tachi Palace Willow &
Sequoia Banquet Rooms
See page 3
Increases — Adds complexity and
uncertainty to the current tax
structure and pressure to increase
taxes on commercial, industrial
and residential property owners
by giving local governments new
Increases — Adds complexity and authority to enact special taxes,
uncertainty to the current tax including parcel taxes, by lowerstructure and pressure to increase ing the vote threshold from twothirds to 55%.
taxes on commercial, industrial
and residential property owners
Increased Burdensome
by giving local governments new
Environmental Regulation
authority to enact special taxes,
• AB 356 (Williams; D-Santa
including parcel taxes, by lowering the vote threshold from two- Barbara) Limits In-State Energy
Development — Jeopardizes
thirds to 55%.
• SB 684 (Hancock; D-Berkeley) high-paying middle class jobs
Increased Tax Rate — Threatens in resource extraction fields by
to significantly increase the cor- severely restricting wastewaporate tax rate on publicly held ter injection sites and requiring
corporations and financial insti- unnecessary monitoring of those
tutions up to 15% according to the sites.
•
AB
1490
(Rendon;
wages paid to employees in the
D-Lakewood)
Limits
In-State
United States, and threatens to
increase that rate by 50% thereaf- Energy Development — Drives
ter, if the corporation or institu- up fuel prices and energy prices
tion reduces its workforce in the by imposing a de facto moratoUnited States and simultaneously rium on well stimulation activities by halting the activity after
increases its contractors.
an earthquake of a magnitude 2.0
• SCA 5 (Hancock; D-Berkeley)
Lowers Vote Requirement for Tax
See Job Killers; Page 6
Ping Pong Clinic
& Tournament
Saturday, May 30th, Noon
Lemoore Rec. Center
May Ribbon Cuttings
The Grove Apartments, May 5th
Stella & Dot, May 13th
Deli Delicious, May 16th
See page 3
PAGE 2 – May 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
A Message from Jenny Mac Students of the Month
“Progress is messy,” someone once told me, especially
when it comes to freeway construction! But here at the
Lemoore Chamber, our progress has been rejuvenating and
well worth our time. I’d like to briefly tell you about a few new
and exciting ventures that are underway.
The first is our newly inducted Chamber Ambassadors. We
started the group back up in late 2014, and have now added
3 new members to the team. They are: Kevin Crawford &
Holly Nickell (C & H Productions), and Lisa Babb (Scentsy
Star Director). These three have been quite involved in chamber events over the years, and we are excited to see their
enthusiasm brought to the team. They join current ambassadors: Leeanne Rossiter, Ambassador Chair (Rossiter Realty
Group), Jason Usher (Valley Business Bank), Lynda Lahodny
(Décor a Lemoore), Bill Munoz (Field Rep. for the Office of
Assemblymember Rudy Salas), Tanya Topete (South Valley Real
Estate), Paul Encinias (Gopher Grabbers, LLC), James McCann
(McCann & Sons), and Bill Wynne (South Valley Real Estate).
As most of you already know, our 2015 Chamber Directory
was recently published by The Sentinel. If you haven’t
received one yet, let our office know and we will be sure to get
one to you. It is also published on our website: www.lemoorechamberofcommerce.com
And speaking of website, the Lemoore Chamber’s website has recently undergone a facelift, which now has a very
helpful feature: a google calendar! Now, the staff can update
the calendar at any time, and you can check the calendar for
not only chamber related business, but also for community
events and meetings. Our goal is to be the one stop shop for
what’s happening in Lemoore on any given day, at any given
time. You can help us by sending us information about service
club meetings, school games, banquets, festivals, and special
events. Take a moment to check out the new site!
The Chamber has also rejoined back up with Collette Travel to
offer all inclusive trips twice a year, one in the spring and one in
the fall. We will start in March of 2016, with a trip titled “Heritage
of America”, where travelers will visit the historic east coast, stopping in New York City, Philadelphia, Amish Country, Gettysburg,
Shenandoah Valley, Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, Mount
Vernon, Washington, DC, and the Smithsonian Institution. On
August 18th, 2015 at 6pm in the Train Depot, Collette will present an informative slideshow/video presentation about this trip
and answer any questions. Then in September of 2016, it’s off
to…ITALY! On the "Reflections of Italy" tour, you’ll see extraordinary places such as: Rome, the Coliseum, Assisi, Perugia,
Siena, Florence, a Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island and
Milan. Enjoy exciting places and let the Lemoore Chamber and
Collette take the hassle out of travel!
Last but certainly not least is our new program called
the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). The Young
Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting year long class that transforms middle and high school
students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Throughout the
class, students develop business ideas, write business plans,
conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors, and actually launch and run their own real, legal, fully
formed companies and social movements. Founded in 2004 at
the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman
Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy today serves
thousands of students in communities across America.
In 2011, the United States Chamber of Commerce and
Campaign for Free Enterprise became a national sponsor
and partner of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy to help
promote the spirit of enterprise among today’s youth and
tomorrow’s future leaders. Through coordination with its
network of local chambers of commerce, the U.S. Chamber
has helped communities across the country adopt the YEA!
program. Together, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are celebrating the power
and promise of young people in business and encouraging
the next greatest generation to make a job, not just take a job.
The Lemoore Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the
Young Entrepreneurs Academy to the community of Lemoore
and its bright, engaged young students! There are also opportunities for our business community to help with the program.
Student applications are available on the Chamber website or
by calling the Chamber office and businesses or community
members who would like to get involved please give us a call!
We look forward to encouraging our youth through this program to: “Start as a student and finish as a CEO!”©
Lemoore Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Chairperson
Victor Rosa - Lemoore Middle College High School
Chairman-Elect
Frances Perkins - Best Western Inn & Suites Lemoore
Vice Chairman
William A. Parry - Hammerschmidt Broughton
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 of Lemoore
Amy Ward - Lincoln Military Housing
Pictures left to right: Jennifer Solis (FAST Credit Union), Mayra
Barojas (Central School March Student of the Month), John
Toste (Lemoore High School March Student of the Month),
Janet Rosas (Lemoore High School February Student of the
Month).
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
May 2015 – PAGE 3
May 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
3
Wednesday
4
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday
5
6
The Grove Apts. Ribbon
Cutting Ceremony
10:30am
City Council Meeting
7:30 p.m.
BINGO
6:00 p.m.- Senior Center
Friday
MOTHER’S DAY
11
12
Ambassador Mtg
Noon @ Sushi Table
17
18
25
MEMORIAL DAY
OBSERVED
Chamber Office Closed
31
19
City Council Meeting
7:30 p.m.
24
Mooney Museum
Open Noon - 3:00 p.m.
14
26
Chamber Board Mtg
7am
20
21
27
BINGO
6:00 p.m.- Senior Center
9
LHS Hall of Fame
Dinner
6-9pm
Lemoore Barn Dance
7pm
15
22
16
Armed Forces Day
Deli Delicious Ribbon
Cutting Ceremony
11am
23
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
8:00-10:00am
Veteran’s Memorial Bldg
BINGO
6:00 p.m.- Senior Center
National Senior Health
& Fitness Day
8
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Stella & Dot Ribbon
Cutting Ceremony
@ Luncheon
BINGO
6:00 p.m.- Senior Center
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Community Swap Meet
Lemoore City Park
7:00am-1pm
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg.
Diversity Business
Seminar
3:30-5pm @ Train Depot
Chamber Luncheon
Noon-1pm Tachi Palace
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Mooney Museum
Open Noon - 3:00 p.m.
13
2
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Bldg
7
HAPPY HEARTS DAY
10
Saturday
1
28
29
Vets/Seniors Breakfast
8-10am Vets Memorial Bldg
Community Breakfast
8am- Tachi Palace
30
PAGE 4 – May 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
Cuttings Ceremony for Liberty Tax Service
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Artistic Designs
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Roza’s Jewelers
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Gary’s Antiques
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Euphoria Boutique
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Beto’s Roasted Corn
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Thirty One Gifts
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Abe’s Churros
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Miche Bags
Lemoore LifeStyle
May 2015 – PAGE 5
Many Thanks …
To all who contributed to the success of the
15th Annual Central Valley Pizza Festival
Sponsors
Leprino Foods
California Milk Advisory Board
Del Monte
Sequoia Beverage Company
FAST Federal Credit Union
Fatte Albert’s Pizza Company
Boston House of Pizza
Best Buy Markets
West Hills College Lemoore
KJUG-Momentum Broadcasting
The Sentinel
Committee
Wendy Raygoza
Steve Gonzales
Terry Fellows
David Endo
Victor Rosa
Rick Rossiter
Ryan Hudgins
Volunteers & More!
Lemoore Middle College High School – Interact Club
Fil-Am Dancers
Paty’s Dance Studio
Parks & Rec Dance, Boxing & Cheer
Kent Family Circus
Kevin Crawford,Phil Howard & Holly Nickell: C & H Productions
Classic Car Club
Leeanne Rossiter
Michael & Deanna Patterson
Tom McGee
Debbie Gullord
William Munoz
Marlana Brown
Shelby Robbins
Lexi Lewis
Kandice & Dennis Quindt
Jordan Yoakum
Madeline Jung
Kari Deburger
Danny Shannon
Joshua Johnson
Rusty Derouin & Waylan
Rick & Leeanne Rossiter
Johnny Perez
Bruce German
Betty Warkentin
Jeff Babb
Louis Cuyno
Lincoln Military Housing
City of Lemoore
Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department
Public Works
Parks & Recreation
Police Department
Volunteers in Policing Explorers
The Bands
Drew & the Crew
Kevin Willard and the Cadillac Cowboys
Mussel Slough
Prestige
Califas
PAGE 6 – May 2015
Lemoore American Legion Post 100
2nd Annual Golf Tournament at Lemoore Golf Course
Friday, June 12, 2015
12 Noon Shotgun Start
4 person Scramble (first 80 players to register will get accepted)
$75 Entry Fee/Per Player
Fee Includes: Greens Fee & Cart, BBQ Dinner, Golf Towel, One Mulligan
Prizes for: Longest Drive & Closest to the Pin!
Registration Deadline: Friday, May 29th
Tee Sponsors available for $50 each
Send Player Names, Addresses, Phone Numbers and Handicap/Average Score
Submit entry to:
Lemoore American Legion Golf Tournament
801 Eton Ave.
Lemoore, CA 93245
For more information: Tom Hernandez 559-381-2453
New Heat Illness Regulations to Take Effect May 1
APRIL 10, 2015GAIL CECCHETTINI, WHALEYCOMPLIANCE
Changes to California’s heat illness prevention regulations will take effect on May
1, in time for this year’s growing season and warmer summer weather, now that the
Office of Administrative Law has approved them and granted the Occupational
Safety and Health Standards Board’s request for an accelerated effective date.
Regulation Changes
The changes include several significant provisions:
• Access to shade must be provided when temperatures reach 80 degrees, instead
of the current standard of 85 degrees;
• A change to what is considered “potable water” that must be made available to
employees;
• Monitoring of employees taking a “preventative cool-down rest;” and
• Changes to high heat procedures.
Free Downloadable Chart
Cal/OSHA has created a chart to address the changes and provide guidance on
how to implement the new regulations. The chart can be downloaded free of charge
from HRCalifornia, www.calchamber.com, and from Cal/OSHA’s heat illness
information page, www.dir.ca.gov.
Cal/OSHA also updated its Heat Illness Prevention Enforcement Q&A,www.dir.
ca.gov, and plans to revise educational materials on its website shortly.
Job Killers
with their ability to negotiate with health
plans by imposing unnecessary and burdensome new reporting requirements on
Continued from page 1
health plans and insurers in the large group
market, and giving the Department of
or higher.
• SB 32 (Pavley; D-Agoura Hills) Halts Managed Health Care and the Department
Economic Growth — Increases costs for of Insurance authority to modify or deny
California businesses, makes them less all rate changes in the large group market.
competitive and discourages economic
Economic Development Barriers
growth by adopting further greenhouse
gas emission reductions for 2030 and 2050
• AB 359 (Gonzalez; D-San Diego)
without regard to the impact on individu- Costly Employee Retention Mandate —
als, jobs and the economy.
Inappropriately alters the employment
relationship and increases frivolous litigaIncreased Health Care Costs
tion by allowing a private right of action
• SB 546 (Leno; D-San Francisco) Health and by requiring any successor grocery
Care Rate Regulation — Threatens employ- employer to retain employees of the former
ers with higher premiums and interferes grocery employer for 90 days and contin-
Lemoore LifeStyle
Workplace workouts can snag
on stressful corporate culture
NEW YORK
BY DORENE INTERNICOLA
(Reuters) - As evidence mounts that fit
employees are productive workers, companies have slotted into the corporate routine an array of workplace workout initiatives, from in-house gyms to lunchtime
yoga.
But fitness experts say even the bestintentioned get-fit efforts can founder
before the demands of a corporate culture
that is stressful, sedentary and increasingly round-the-clock.
“This demand for 24/7 access, this
idea that I can always access you and you
should intensely, immediately respond, is
a stressor, and we know from studies that
chronic stress will shorten your life and
ultimately kill you,” said Dr. Mary Ellen
Rose, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant for workplace health promotion.
Rose believes that even the wearable fitness bands and watches meant to keep
exercisers on track can be counter-productive.
“When you’re happy and healthy, you’re
more productive,” she said. “But for people
who are high anxiety, monitoring every
little thing becomes a stressor.”
Obesity costs employers about $73 billion annually in absenteeism and medical
expenses, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control.
Patrick Hitchins, co-founder of
FitRankings, an Austin, Texas-based fitness tech company that ranks the fitness
levels of individuals and companies, notes
that most fit people in a company are usually the executives.
“For employees to perform at their best
they need to be fit, yet workplaces have
become anti-fit and increasingly sedentary,” he said.
Hitchins believes companies have a long
way to go before they see their employees as athletes rather than as cogs in a
machine.
“(We need) to raise that awareness on
the corporate level that its (fitness) is
cheaper than a trip to the hospital,” he said.
Installing showers at the office and welcoming yoga pants at midday meetings
are among the methods that Alexia Brue,
co-founder with Melisse Gelula of the
wellness media company Well+Good, said
corporations can use in the workplace.
“One of the challenges is (creating the)
acceptance that you can work out at lunch
and come back to the desk sweaty,” said
New York-based Brue. “Culturally there
needs to be a shift, so workers can roll into
office from their workout.”
On the hopeful side, Brue cites the rise of
"sweatworking," or entertaining clients in
boutique fitness studios rather than bars,
as a good sign.
“We also need to get out the message
that it’s as important to unplug and to, say,
meditate as it is to be always and immediately responsive, “ she said.
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Ted
Botha)
increasing the challenge to attract business to California because of high housing
prices, by extending the homeowner’s bill
of rights to others, thereby opening the
door to more private rights of action.
• AB 465 (Hernández; D-West Covina)
Increased Litigation — Significantly
drives up litigation costs for all California
employers as well as increases pressure
on the already-overburdened judicial system by precluding mandatory employment
arbitration agreements, which is likely
pre-empted by the Federal Arbitration Act.
• SB 203 (Monning; D-Carmel) Lawsuit
Increased Unnecessary Litigation Costs
Exposure — Exposes beverage manufac• AB 244 (Eggman; D-Stockton) Private turers and food retailers to lawsuits, fines
Right of Action Exposure — Jeopardizes and penalties based on state-only labeling
access to credit for home mortgages, requirements for sugar-sweetened drinks.
ue to offer continued employment unless
the employees’ performance during the
90-day period was unsatisfactory.
• SB 576 (Leno; D-San Francisco)
Stifles Mobile Application Technology
Development — Stifles innovation and
growth in the mobile application economy
and creates unnecessary and costly litigation by mandating unnecessary, redundant and impractical requirements that
will leave many current and future mobile
applications unusable, with no benefit to
the consumer.
Lemoore LifeStyle
May 2015 – PAGE 7
Veterans Corner: Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet - Job and Resource Fair on April 23
M
ark Your Calendars! The Kings County Veterans
Employment Committee is once again hosting
a Job and Resource Fair for veterans, military, National
Guard, reservists, and their dependents and survivors.
This year’s Fair will be held on April 23, 2015 at West
Hills College in Lemoore and will run from 9:00 am to
2:00 pm. The event is a rare opportunity to meet with
employers who are ready to hire, and public and private
agencies eager to help with training and other services. In
one easy location, veterans will learn about the variety of
options available to them, including career, training and
New Members
The Grove Apartments
Felicia Malyuk, Property Manager
341 N. 19 ½ Ave.
Lemoore, CA 93245
559-997-1340
www.thegrovelemoore.com
[email protected]
education opportunities.
Whether you are a veteran seeking
a new career or are looking for a first
job since returning from the military,
you are invited to attend. Bring copies of your resume. If you don’t have
one, there will be assistance available in
putting one together. Veterans possess
a wide variety of outstanding qualities
Joe
including experience, maturity, leadWright
ership, and loyalty making them ideal
candidates for job openings. Employers
and resource providers can contact
James Bradford at (559) 852-2151 or by email at james.
[email protected] for more information. The fair is
free and open to all.
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].
Millis & Nicky's Pineapples
559-924-3302
Stella & Dot Independent Stylist
Maike W. Kellner
207-232-9793
www.stelladot.com/maikewkellner
WHERE’S THE MONEY ?
Thirty-One Gifts
Lisa Airoso-Shier, independent Consultant
559-572-5339
www.mythirtyone.com/lisashier
Renewing Members
American Cancer Society-Relay for Life
Central Valley Wowballs
Cinnamon Square Mall
Décor a Lemoore
Foster’s Freeze, Lemoore
The Fresno State Small Business Development Center, Lemoore Chamber of
Commerce and Citibank bring you “Where's the Money: Workshop and Consultations"
in Lemoore.
In this free workshop, you will learn about various loan programs from small loans for
the home-based businesses to multi-million dollar real estate and manufacturing
transactions. If you are considering applying for a business loan, this workshop is a
must and will be presented by an experienced Loan Officers. The workshop will provide
you with the tools and information you will need for a successful loan application.
Additional information will be available on new business start up procedures, business
plans and marketing plans.
LOCATION: Lemoore Chamber of Commerce
300 “E” Street
Lemoore, CA 93245
Generations Adult Day Care
Kings Art Center
Master Storage
Miche Bags Independent Consultant-Nancy
DATE: Saturday, May 9, 2015
TIME: Workshop from 9 AM - 12 PM and then one-on-one sessions with consultants
from 1PM to 4PM
Schwabenland
MIQ Parent’s Association
Momentum Broadcasting-KJUG
Tanglewood Apartments
United Rentals
REGISTRATION: Phone: 559-625-3051 or [email protected]
Registration is required as seating is limited!
PAGE 8 – May 2015
Lemoore LifeStyle
CHAMBER
MEMBERS
O
ur Chamber Member in the Limelight
this month is a conglomerate of three
businesses, all housed under the same roof
and all owned by the Felleke family: B &
D Quality Cleaners; Rebekah’s Espresso;
and Joshua’s Roasting Company! As you
can see, they will be having a Customer
Appreciation Day on May 16th, which just
exemplifies the graciousness of this local
business owner and how much he gives
back to this community. For those of you
who don’t know Buzz, here’s a short bio of
how his businesses came to be.
Business founder, Bezabih “Buzz”
Felleke, one of eleven children, immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia
in 1970, eighteen years of age, with just
$600 in his pocket. He came to pursue an
education in agriculture so that he could
return to Ethiopia with greater knowledge and the ability to manage his family’s extensive land holdings. He attended
Cal Poly Pomona while supporting himself by working at the local McDonalds for
minimum wage ($1.35 per hour) and one
meal a day. He received a degree in Plant
Science. In 1975, the Marxist regime overthrew the Ethiopian government, and the
Felleke family lost everything. Realizing
that he had no land or assets remaining in
Ethiopia, Buzz returned to school and got
a master’s degree in Plant Nutrition from
Fresno State. In 1981, he became an agricultural inspector for Kings County, a job
he held until retirement in 2004. In 1984,
Buzz met Derebwork “Dee” Baissa, a fellow
Ethiopian immigrant, and they married in
1986.
Buzz and Dee bought a dry cleaning business in Pioneer Square in 1996.
In 2004 they built a new building on
Hanford-Armona Road to house B & D
Quality Cleaners and Laundry, Rebekah’s
Espresso, and Joshua’s Book Corner. The
dry cleaning business features a state-ofthe-art Green Earth Cleaning process that
is environmentally friendly. Buzz particularly wanted to utilize the coffee house
and bookstore to pass along the values he
learned from his father to his own children, Joshua and Rebekah who were both
actively involved in the businesses until
going away to college. Over the years, Buzz
IN THE
has also provided internships for several School District Educational Foundation, you see the real benefits of life.”
Lemoore High School and Jamison High and the Kings Federal Credit Union. He is
The Chamber of Commerce honored
students to train them and instill a work an active member of the Lemoore Chamber
of Commerce, supporting and sponsoring Buzz’s business in 2011 as the Business of
ethic.
After losing his beloved wife to can- many events over the years. He has also the Year. We congratulate Buzz on his succer in 2009, Buzz fulfilled their plan to supported various Lemoore High School cesses and thank him for the tremendous
add a coffee roasting business with beans teams as well as the NJROTC. Buzz states, contributions he has made to our comimported from Ethiopia. He purchased a “It’s when you serve outside yourself that munity.
coffee roasting machine, and thus
was the birth of “Joshua’s Roasting
Company.” Today the business
offers four different blends. Besides
selling the ground and whole coffee beans in Rebekah’s Espresso,
Buzz is also now wholesaling his
FREE COFFEE
coffee beans to several retail grocers including Whole Foods, Best
Buy Markets, Costless Market and
Save Mart Supermarkets. Buzz
donates a portion of the earnings
FREE MUFFINS
from Joshua’s Roasting Company
to the communities in Ethiopia
where the coffee beans are produced. Buzz has also donated his
LIVE MUSIC
time and energy to the Mossy Foot
Project, a non-profit committed
to the eradication of podoconiosis (a fungal infection that affects
thousands of indigent villagers and
BOUNCE HOUSE
causes a disfiguring condition that
makes its victims “outcasts” within their society). The non-profit
funds research, treatment, educa“We’re here to
tion, training, and building homes
for those afflicted with the disease.
serve you!”
Buzz has helped build schools and
homes for widowed and abandoned
women with mossy foot, and has
CUSTOMER APRECIATION DAY!
begun to build health clinics in
B&D Quality Cleaners, Rebekah’s Espresso and Joshua’s
the region where the coffee beans
are produced. Buzz took Joshua
Roasting Co. would like to invite all of our existing and new
and Rebekah to Ethiopia in 2010 to
B&D QUALITY
customers out for a day of fun to show our appreciation to
CLEANERS &
donate bicycles to nurses caring for
you! We will be offering free cleaning on any single item (up
REBEKAH’S
people who suffer with podocoESPRESSO
niosis. Buzz wanted his children to
to $10.00 max). We will also be handing out certificates for a
111 E. Hanford-Armona
“touch poverty,” and see firsthand
free tire rotation or brake check, courtesy of Billingsley Tire in
Rd. Lemoore CA 93245
the importance of giving back.
Lemoore. For our first 50 customers we will be handing out
Locally, Buzz is a member of
[email protected]
several organizations and nonFree car wash passes! Don’t miss the opportunity to let us
profit Boards, including: Koinonia
[email protected]
show our thanks!
Christian Fellowship, the Lemoore
Rotary Club, the Kings County
YMCA, the Hanford Elementary
May 16, 2015