April 2016 - Lemoore Chamber of Commerce

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE LEMOORE DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
It is the mission of the 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
Naval Air Station Lemoore, City, Education, Tourism, Business and Agricultural Interests.
April 2016
300 E Street, Lemoore, CA 93245
(559) 924-6401
www.lemoorechamberofcommerce.com
T
he Lemoore Chamber of Commerce is busy preparing
for the 16th Annual Central Valley Pizza Festival this
April 15-17th in Lemoore City Park! Thanks in part to our
wonderful sponsors: Bueno Beverage Company, Recurrent
Energy, DelMonte, Olam Spices & Vegetable Ingredients,
Leprino Foods, the California Milk Advisory Board, EECU,
Adventist Health, Best Western Inn & Suites, Lemoore Van &
Storage, and the City of Lemoore, we are able to bring you
all kinds of fun events, entertainment, kids rides, bands,
food and refreshments!
Starting on Friday evening at 5pm, drop by and stroll
through our over 60 food, retail, and ride vendors, then rest
your heels in our beer and wine garden and listen to the
fantastic band ‘August’ play from 7-10pm.
Pizza Fest really gets going on Saturday morning at 10am,
when we have a Patty’s Dance Studio performances! Then at
noon, our favorite event, the EECU Credit Union Giant Pizza
Decorating Competition kicks off as 16 teams frantically
decorate their 4.5 foot slices in just 30 minutes. The three
top scorers win cold hard cash, so be sure to sign up before
all the spots are taken!
Following the decorating competition, our award winning
Real Dough Performer, Louis Cuyno, returns to delight the
crowd with his dough tossing, as well as a hands on demonstration for the youngins! The afternoon rounds out with
more dance performances, and musician Drew Quindt from
3-5pm.
At 6pm on Saturday, Dollar Dog arrives to help judge the
FAST Dollar Dog Challenge! 10 teams of 2 lucky kids each,
get the chance to compete in a relay race with pizza ingredients. Dollar Dog makes the final decision as to which kids
pizza receives the final prize!
That evening, the band ‘Prestige’ will keep us entertained
with their catchy dance music from 7-10pm.
Sunday starts off at noon with a bang! Right off the bat, a car
show, KOOL 104.5 radio live remote broadcast, our Real
Dough Performer, and Lemoore Parks & Rec. Department
entertainers fill the park with excitement! Don’t eat too
much, because at 1:30pm teams assemble for ‘Fatte’s Challenge’, the 15 minute 28 inch pizza eating competition. This
one is not for the faint of heart, but if you love to eat pizza,
sign up today! A trophy and cash prizes could be yours!
The band ‘The Fabulous Enchantments’ rounds out the afternoon playing from 2-5pm, when the Pizza Festival comes
to a close.
If you are interested in participating in any of the pizza related events, or have any additional questions about the
16th Annual Central Valley Pizza Festival, contact the chamber today!
Chamber Luncheon
Wednesday, April 13th
Noon-1pm@Tachi Palace Banquet Rooms
16th Annual Pizza Festival
April 15th-17th
Lemoore City Park on Bush St.
Spring Into Health:
A Women’s Wellness Expo
April 30th, 10am-2pm@ Train Depot
Lemoore Chamber Newsletter
PAGE 2— Apr. 2016
A
s some of you may know, I’ve lived in
Lemoore for roughly three years now.
In those three years, I’ve met wonderful
people, made lifelong memories, and gotten
to know the unique significance of Lemoore
in the Central Valley. I quickly learned the
profound impact that our award winning
schools, large ag & ag manufacturing economy, community minded local government,
public services and programs, service clubs,
Naval Air Station Lemoore, and friendly
business people have on the surrounding
area. I learned that this community really
cares about sustaining their sense of small
town atmosphere, extraordinary public
safety, and respect for it’s military neighbors. I learned about Lemoore’s history and
what the local leader’s have projected for
the future.
After three years, I’ve learned what all native Lemooreans have known their entire
life: Lemoore is a wonderful place to work,
live and play. Lemoore has it’s own sense of
pride, not to be compared to others. Lemoore stands on it’s own as a one of kind
community.
We’ve heard it said many times, “There’s
More in Lemoore.” Yet, what is that ‘More’?,
and what stops us from being THE BEST
place to work, live and play? I often ask myself, am I being a good steward of our community and it’s image? The topic of Lemoore’s identity has been circulating for a
long time, but have we come to a conclusion
yet?
For instance, let’s consider some of our Central Valley neighbors:
Corcoran: Farming Capital of California
Lindsay: The Friendly City
Mendota: Cantaloupe Center of the World
Avenal: Oasis in the Sun
Visalia: The Gateway to the Sequoias
Clovis: #1 City to Raise a Family
Fresno: The Best Little City in the U.S.
McFarland: Tradition, Unity, Excellence
Coalinga: The Sunny Side of the Valley
Exeter: Citrus Capital of the World
Oakhurst: The Gateway to Yosemite
What all of these slogans represent, is their
city’s identity, what they’re “known for.”
I am often asked by people at conferences
and people from out of the area, “Where is
Lemoore? How would I know it?”
I usually talk about our location in the Central Valley, the Naval Air Station, the #1
Ranked NorCal Community College, the largest mozzeralla manufacturer in the world,
and our annual Pizza Festival. What I have
yet to be able to give them is our identity.
For those of you who own or run a businesses, you understand that your identity is everything. You know that if you get the reputation for excellent customer service, you’ll
continue to be a vibrant business and keep
your doors open. Conversely, if you become
known for your poor customer service, your
days are numbered! Also, classifying your
identity can help you recognize your target
markets and streamline your advertising.
Everything relies on your business’s identity.
The same philosophy applies to our City. As
the City continues their strategic initiatives
to, “maintain a sense of community and
small town feel while still developing into a
mid-sized, full service city,” the Chamber
would like to assist the City by helping to
distinguish Lemoore’s identity. By doing so,
we not only solidify our unique contributions to the Central Valley, but we also assist
economic development in Lemoore by developing a proud, recognizable brand.
SO, what does this mean to you? WE NEED
YOUR HELP! I want you to think about what
Lemoore means to you, how you describe
our community to others, what you’d like to
be, “known for.” Then send us your ideas!
Feel free to email, call, or even post your
thoughts on our FB page. Be part of the discussion!
he Lemoore Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors strongly oppose the potential $15
an hour minimum wage hike being currently considered by California State lawmakers. The Chamber believes the choice to raise minimum wages
should be handled regionally, not at the State level.
California’s incredibly diverse cost of living and
wage comparisons demand this type of legislation
be handled by the individual cities which the increase would impact. In urban areas such as Los
Angeles and San Francisco, the cost of living is
more than 55% more than here in Kings County.
To even make a comparison is difficult, because
the disparity is so great.
Not to mention, the incredible burden this increase would have on local small businesses. $10
to $15 an hour constitutes a 50% raise. Most employers would be forced to hire fewer employees,
cut worker’s hours, cut operation hours and/or
days, make large layoffs, push ag manufacturing
companies to further explore automation, raise
prices, or some shut down their operation all together. Local economic development will stall as it
will become extremely difficult to attract new
businesses. Also, at a time when agricultural unemployment has befallen a large portion of our
population due to drought, this legislation would
have a devastating effect.
On a wider scale, when minimum wage increases,
the compression factor makes all other wages increase. Larger companies will start looking to other states and even other countries to do business.
Currently the US dollar is strong, so we are already
facing stiff competition from China and the EU. An
increase in salaries is going to push that even further out. With US companies trying to compete
against China, this is a business killer.
“My business has already felt the effects of the
$10/hour increase earlier this year,” says General
Manager of Best Western Inn & Suites Lemoore,
Frances Perkins. “Operating costs have increased
and I had no choice but to raise rates by 15-18% something I have not done since 2008. Larger cities with similar quality hotels can get away with
charging room rates upwards of $150+ per night
and they are in a better position to pass on the
costs to the customer. There are limits to how
much we can raise the price locally.”
The Lemoore Chamber not only feels this increase
would be a gross error on behalf of our State legisA friend sent me this photograph of a Florida lators, but also pleads local business leaders to
city’s street banner, which reminded us both join together in opposition of this issue.
of Lemoore. What are your thoughts?
Continued on page 4
LEMOORE CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Board
Chairwoman
Frances Perkins: Best Western Inn & Suites
Chairman-Elect
William A. Parry: Hammerschmidt Broughton
Vice Chairman
Johnny Perez: Best Buy Market/IGA
CFO
David Endo: Hanford Elementary School Dist.
Past Chairman
Victor Rosa: Lemoore Union Highschool Dist.
T
Directors
John Miller: Ramblin’ Rose Florist
Michele Costa-Ruble: DaCosta Farms
Dustin Fuller: TulareLake Drainage Dist.
Deanna Patterson: Tachi Palace
Jeff Babb: Agusa, Inc.
Jody Ruble: West Hills College Lemoore
Amy Ward: Lincoln Military Housing
Ex Officio Director
Marlana Brown: NAS Lemoore
CHAMBER STAFF
Jenny MacMurdo
Chief Executive Officer
ceo@lemoorechamber.org
Brenda Martin
Events Coordinator/Office Manager
events@lemoorechamber.org
Brittany Reece
Membership Coordinator/YEA! Program Manager
staff@lemoorechamber.org
Lemoore Chamber Newsletter
a few things have changed since
Q uite
Lemoore Stadium Cinemas opened its
doors in 2003. Most of those changes are
surrounded around the ever changing field
of technology. While we as the movie goer,
may not have realized the transformation
happening right above our heads, three
years ago, like most cinemas, Lemoore Stadium Cinemas changed from 35mm film
movies to digital. “The major benefit has
been the cut back on labor. Used to, an employee would have to go piece together
each part of the movie and stay to make
sure it is feeding and projecting correctly
throughout the whole movie. Now we can
just schedule a movie to start and it will
play automatically. Although, we still send
employees in to check for great sound, and
picture quality, but now they can focus
more on the customer’s experience,” said
Miguel Nunez, general manager. Miguel has
been working for Lemoore Stadium Cinemas since 2008. He enjoys the work because he feels like the company has the
same philosophy that he has, “Always be
the best at your craft, no matter what that
is. Where it’s flipping burgers, picking
grapes, or answering phones always be the
best you can be at what you are doing.” The
focus of Lemoore Stadium Cinemas is creating an excellent cinematic experience for
each customer and that starts at the ticket
counter and flows inside to the concession
stand, all the way to where each customer
sits down to enjoy their movie. While cleanliness, and great concessions has always
PAGE 3— Apr. 2016
been a constant, the change in times called
for a few updates. These updates include,
new menu boards, 4 TV screens above the
counter displaying the menu, and the biggest change has been the addition of the
new Point of Sale system at the concession
stand. “We have always had a point of sale
system for ticket sells, but had to do the
math in our heads for the concessions. With
have the ability to
buy tickets right
from your phone.
All of the changes
that have happened over the last 3 years
have all been for the customer. “We are setting ourselves up to provide the best possible customer service, concentrate more on
the customer, and give back to the community,” claims Nunez. Lemoore Stadium Cinemas is no stranger to giving back to the
community. They have held canned food
drives for the King’s Lions club, private
movie showings for Lemoore Relay for Life
survivors, allowed local girl scout troops to
sell their cookies in their lobby, and they
have participated in our Salute to Ag and
Awards banquets each year. As we can see
Lemoore Stadium Cinemas can keep up
with the ever changing times while maintaining their original mission of providing
the best experience for the customer. We
will continue to see changes and growth in
the coming months and years as they plan
on: adding a rewards program, offering
more advanced showings of movies, expanding their menu selection, and creating
a more fun, social atmosphere in the lobby.
“The [movie] industry is old but the minds
are young. This combination of wisdom and
innovation helps show Lemoore Stadium
the new point of sale system we can focus
Cinemas is not just another cooperate theamore on the customer and their experience
ter,” stated Miguel. We hope to see you at
at our theater instead of making sure we get
the movies!
the math right,” stated Nunez. Another
Coming in April: The Jungle Book, The Boss,
change, or addition would be the launch of
The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Mother’s Day,
the Lemoore Cinemas app! On the app you
Barbershop: The Next Cut, Ratchet & Clank,
can get up-to-date movie times, and you
and Criminal.
more modern, has more amenities and the
rooms are larger so families feel more comfortable during their stay.
Special Announcements
from our members
Kings County
Farm day, sponsored by Kings
County Farm
Bureau, Kings
County Office
of Education
and Kings Fair, was a huge hit again this year!
Roughly 2,400 third graders from schools
across Kings County gained an increased
awareness of where their food and fiber comes
from.
Elite Performance Center
received the “Listeners
Choice Best of the Best
Award,” in the Best Fitness Center category
from KFUN 92.5.
Lemoore Lions Club, Lemoore Recreation
Department, and South Valley Church put
on an egg-cellent Easter Egg Hunt for the
children of Lemoore.
The children of Stratford were also able to
participate in an Easter egg hunt thanks to
Kings Lions Club.
The Family
Birth Center
at Adventist
Medical
Center in
Hanford is up and running. The facility is
Foster’s Freeze in Lemoor e won the “Silver
Star Award” for their excellence in food safety. This is their 21st year winning the award!
Congratulations Foster’s Freeze, keep up the
good work!
Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant was pr esented with a “Lifetime Achievement Award”
for their strong commitment to agriculture for
over 100 years.
Lemoore Chamber Newsletter
PAGE 4— Apr. 2016
By Juliett Williams & Andrew Dalton, Associated Press
S
ACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California
legislators and labor unions have
reached a tentative agreement that will take
the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15
an hour, a state senator said, a move that
would make for the largest statewide minimum in the nation by far.
"This is not a done deal," Sen. Mark Leno, DSan Francisco, told The Associated Press on
Saturday. "Everyone's been operating in
good faith and we hope to get it through the
Legislature."
Leno said if an agreement is finalized, it
would go before the Legislature as part of
his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year.
If the Legislature approves a minimumwage package, it would avoid taking the issue to the ballot. One union-backed initiative has already qualified for the ballot, and
a second, competing measure is also trying
to qualify.
"This is an issue I've been working on for
many years," Leno said. "The governor and
stakeholders have all been negotiating earnestly and in good faith for some time."
Leno did not confirm specifics of the agreement, but most proposals have the wage increasing about a dollar per year until it
reaches $15 per hour.
The Los Angeles Times, which first reported
the deal, said the wage would rise to $10.50
in 2017, to $11 an hour in 2018, and one
dollar per year to take it to $15 by 2022.
Businesses with fewer than 25 employees
would have an extra year to comply.
Chamber Board Minimum Wage Continued
We implore you to call and send letters to
your representatives, explaining how this
action would impact the life of your business. We ask that you talk to your local
elected officials, other business owners, and
your friends and neighbors to raise awareness. Most importantly, take action as soon
as possible.
In 2015, when Tacoma-Pierce, Washington
was facing a similar $15 minimum wage
hike, the community banded together to enact a compromise with their city, and won.
It can be done.
Our Central Valley voice needs to be heard
now more than ever. In this election year,
let’s let our voice be heard.
Contact Information for State Legislators:
Senator Andy Vidak
Web: http://vidak.cssrc.us/
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
Room 3082
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651.4014
Fax: (916) 651.4914
Hanford Office:
113 Court Street, Suite 205
At $10 an hour, California already has one of
the highest minimum wages in the nation
along with Massachusetts. Only Washington, D.C., at $10.50 per hour is higher. The
hike to $15 would make it the highest
statewide wage in the nation by far, though
raises are in the works in other states that
might change by the time the plateau is
reached in 2022.
Some states have passed higher minimums
for government employees and statecontracted workers, and some cities including Seattle have already passed $15 an hour
increases.
And Oregon officials approved a law earlier
this month that will increase that state's
minimum wage to nearly $15 in urban areas
over the next six years.
California union leaders, however, said they
would not immediately dispense with
planned ballot measures.
Sean Wherley, a spokesman for SEIU-United
Healthcare Workers West, confirmed that
the SEIU parent union was involved in the
negotiations. He said SEIU-UHWW's leadership will decide whether to push ahead with
its initiative that has already qualified for
the ballot.
"Ours is on the ballot. We want to be certain
of what all this is," Wherley said. "If some
agreement is signed into law, then our executive board would decide what to do. They
would only make that decision after any
agreement is signed into law."
The union proposal that has already qualified for the ballot calls for reaching the $15
mark by 2021. The second proposed measure would reach $15 by 2020. Businesses
and Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown have said
such a steep wage increase would be incredibly costly.
Hanford, CA 93230
Phone: (559) 585.7161
Assemblyman Rudy Salas
Web: http://asmdc.org/members/a32/
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0032
Phone: (916) 319-2032
Fax: (916) 319-2132
Hanford Office:
113 Court Street, Suite 201
Hanford, CA 93230
Phone: (559) 585-7170
Fax: (559) 585-7175
Contact Information for City Council:
Mayor Lois Wynne
lwynne@lemoore.com
Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Chedester
jchedester@lemoore.com
Councilman Billy Seigel
bseigel@lemoore.com
Councilman Eddie Neal
eneal@lemoore.com
Councilman ray Madrigal
rmadrigal@lemoore.com
Lemoore Chamber Newsletter
PAGE 5— Apr. 2016
VETERANS
CORNER
Honor a Hero,
Hire a Vet Job &
Resource Fair
on April 21
It’s Almost Here!
The
Kings County
Joe Wright
Veterans ServicesVeterans 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 21, 2016
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 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
including experience, maturity, leadership, and loyalty making them ideal candidates for job openings. Employers and
resource providers can contact Luis
Sandoval at (559) 585-3553 or by email
at luis.sandoval@edd.ca.gov for more
information. The fair is free and open
to all.
The Kings County Veterans Service Office can complete the DMV Veteran Status Verification Form for the new California Veteran Designation on your driver’s license. We can also issue Veteran
I.D. cards to honorably discharged veterans. Contact Scott Holwell 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/vets.
Scott Holwell, retired Navy Master Chief
Petty Officer, is the Deputy Veterans Service Officer for Kings County. Send your
questions to the Veterans Service Office,
1400 W. Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230;
call
(559)852-2669;
or
e-mail
scott.holwell@co.kings.ca.us.
The Chamber would like to congratulate Joe Wright on his upcoming
retirement in May, and thank him for
his years of service in our military
as well as his years of dedication to
our Central Valley veterans. Your
absence here will be felt. Have a
wonderful time in Oregon, but make
sure you come back to see us once
in awhile!
We would also like to congratulate
Scott Holwell on his new appointment!
Tentative Agenda Items for April
Lemoore City Council
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Water Sales Agreement w/Self Help
Zoning Text Amendment ref TUP
Firing Range Short Term Agreement
Commissions & Board Policies
DMAC Term Appointments
Quarterly Financial Review
SEMS/NIMS & ICS
Risk Management Authority Presentation
Property Acquisition
Emergency Operations Plan Adoption
Delinquent Utility Billing Penalties
Wathen Castanos Subdivision Agreement
BMX Tract Bid
1st Reading– Purchasing Ordinance
Lemoore Chamber Newsletter
PAGE 6— Apr. 2016
1
Vets/Seniors
Breakfast
7:30-9am Vets Mem Bldg
3
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
10
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
17
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
4
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
24
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
YEA! Class
4-7pm, LMCHS
City Council 7:30pm
11
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
12
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
YEA! Class
4-7pm, LMCHS
18
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
PIZZA FESTIVAL
Noon-5pm
Mooney Museum
Open Noon – 3:00 p.m.
5
19
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
YEA! Class
4-7pm, LMCHS
City Council 7:30pm
25
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
26
CBOD Mtg 7am
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo 11:30am-1pm
YEA! Class
4-7pm, LMCHS
6
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
BINGO
6:00 p.m.
Senior Center
13
CHAMBER LUNCHEON
Noon-1pm
Tachi Palace
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
BINGO
6:00 p.m.
Senior Center
20
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
BINGO
6 p.m. /Senior Center
27
Senior Center Lunch
11:30am-Noon
BINGO
6 p.m. /Senior Center
7
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
8
9
15
16
Vets/Seniors
Breakfast
7:30-9am
Vets Memorial Bldg
14
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
2
Community Swap
Meet
7am City Park
Vets/Seniors
Breakfast
PIZZA FESTIVAL
10am-10pm
7:30-9am VetsMem Bldg
PIZZA FESTIVAL
5pm-10pm
21
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
Honor a Hero, Hire a
Vet Job Fair
West Hills Arena
28
Senior Center Lunch
w/ Bingo
11:30am-1pm
22
Vets/Seniors
Breakfast
7:30-9am VetMemBldg
God’s Bread Box
Packing
2pm @ Christ Church
29
Vets/Seniors
Breakfast
7:30-9am VetMemBldg
Community Breakfast
Tachi Bingo Hall
8:30-10am
23
God’s Bread Box
Distribution
9am-11am @
Christ Church
30
Spring Into Health
A Women’s Wellness
Expo
10am-2pm
Train Depot