save the date - microsoft...cied age 8 4 save the date 106th annual dinner june 28, 2012 old...

STATE SUPREME COURT RULING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

RECYCLING MANDATED FOR BUSINESSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CHAMBER ELECTS NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERS . . . 1

SAVE THE DATE: CHAMBER’S ANNUAL DINNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE MEMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

MIXER: SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

IVYPO LEADERSHIP AWARDS DINNER ANNOUNCEMENT . . . . . 3

MIXER: IMPERIAL VALLEY FAMILY CARE MEDICAL GROUP . . . . 4

MEMBERSHIP NEWS & EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

RIBBON CUTTING: APPLEBEE’S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

RIBBON CUTTING: ARID CONCEPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

STAR AWARD: APPLEBEE’S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

HOMEBASING THE NAVY’S jSF F-35 AIRCRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

CRCE SURVEY RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

STAR AWARD: SIzzLER RESTAURANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

HDRA IMPERIAL 250 OFF-ROAD RACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

BUSINESS DIRECTORY ADVERTISER THANk YOU . . . . . . . . . . . 9

RIBBON CUTTING: WAL-MART SUPERCENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

RIBBON CUTTING: IMPERIAL VALLEY ROTARY CLUB . . . . . . . . 10

STAR AWARD: LUCkY SUPERMARkET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CONGRATULATIONS IMAGINE AWARD WINNERS! . . . . . . . . . . 10

MIXER: NEW MEMBER/PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE CO-OP . . . . . . . . 11

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES ON MOTHER’S DAY . . . . . . . . . 12

NEW MEMbERs ELECTEDTO CHAMbER’s bOARD

OF DIRECTORs

continued on page 84

Save the Date

106th Annual DinnerJune 28, 2012

Old Eucalyptus Schoolhouse

6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Keynote SpeakerState Senator Bob Huff

$65 per person

SPONSORSHIPS

ARE AVAILABLE!

Call the Chamber formore information.

Nine members of the El Centro Chamber ofCommerce were elected to serve a two-year termon the Chamber’s board of directors beginningJuly 1. Another member was appointed to theboard.‘‘The nominating committee’s approach was a

little different this year than in previous years,’’said Committee Chairman Aaron Popejoy. ‘‘Ourfirst priority was to fill gaps in the board’s repre-sentation of industries within our community.From there, we identified members who areleaders in those respective fields and would addmore perspective and diversification to analready solid group of directors. We’'re pleasedwith the slate and look forward to seeing themin action,’’ he added.In April, four new directors and five returning

directors were elected to serve on the board.Coming onto the Board are Susan Castro, Imag-ine Schools; Doug Dahm, The Dahm Team; SidSwarthout, Allstar Seed Company and DrewWilliams, Childers & Associates.

Effective July 1, 2012, businesses are going to berequired to recycle, and jurisdictions will need toimplement a program that includes education, out-reach and monitoring. The regulations also allow forphased-in implementation.CalRecycle estimates that about 470,000 business-

es and multi-family residences will have to take spe-cific actions to comply with the proposed regula-tions. Of this total, about 250,000 are businesses andan additional 220,000 are multi-family dwellings.The affected businesses represent approximately 20percent of California’s 1.3 million businesses and areresponsible for about 75 percent of the commercialwaste generated in California. Using the CaliforniaDepartment of Finance criteria for small businessz(fewer than 100 employees), about 90 percent of theaffected businesses would be considered “small”businesses. The regulated multi-family dwellingsaccount for about 60 percent of the waste generatedby multi-family housing. n

Please contact your current refuse haulerfor additional details.

The California Supreme Court finally released itslong awaited decision in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v.Superior Court.The most critical part of the decision is that

employers do not have to ensure employees taketheir meal breaks. The state Supreme Court also pro-vided some additional flexibility to employersregarding timing issues.The unanimous ruling is largely a win for Califor-

nia employers, but is not without potential pitfalls.Employers with vague policies may expose them-selves to increased liability, and the case makes clearthat meal and rest break cases are still subject to classaction lawsuits.

RECYCLING MANDATE

COURT’s FINAL RULING NOTWITHOUT ‘‘GREY AREAs’’


This morning I woke up with the IPhone within

arm’s length and you guessed it, I reached for

it. Reached for it to check those emails, the

news, and see what I’ve been missing for six hours!

Really? I’ve been up since 4:30 this morning, and I

have written and responded to thirty emails, but I

don’t actually talk to anyone on the phone until 9:30

a.m. My Dad always said ‘‘The early bird gets the

worm,” but this is ridiculous! It really has me thinking

as it has before, about how reliant we have become

on the plethora of technology we use and question

what the consequences have been to “doing busi-

ness.”Does anyone ever just pick up the phone any-

more? Make a personal visit to someone? And it’snot just me, it’s everyone. Even my Mom, theQueen of Etiquette, one day said to me “WellCherisse, I sent you an email on that,” as if email isthis perfect, flawless method of communication.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are some peo-ple who text me, or email me and I think to myself,“My, this is a beautiful thing;” however, it seems likea lot of business people have forgotten the impor-tance of human contact and a hand shake!

Forgive me if this is such a simple message totalk about in my President’s message, and I mostcertainly do not want to insult those of you who arethe experts (you know who you are). However, overthe past year, when I have talked to people, I have

noticed that over and over again, they have for-gotten how important it is to call someone, to go tolunch. Oftentimes I have had someone tell meabout an issue they’ve had with another personand I find myself ending the conversation with,“Well did you call them?”

Fortunately, I have the answer for you; the Cham-ber is here to help. That is why we have some fan-tastic mixers; some of the best in the Valley. Ourmixers are always the third Thursday of the monthand always at the same time, 5:00-7:00. There issomething there to quench your thirst, appetizers,and always some raffle fun. We have done every-thing to make it a fun way for you to do business. Atevery mixer we have a great turnout with a varietyof people. That one hand shake, that one new per-son you meet could surprisingly open new doors toamazing things and amazing business for you.

So challenge yourself, put away that antibacterialgel, put out your hand and shake someone else’sfor some business. If you haven’t been to a mixer,or any chamber events, I would like to invite you toattend at least one. I guarantee you will meetsomeone or learn something new that will benefityour business! One hour at a mixer is an investmentin your business.

Speaking of networking, there were a lot of peo-ple out at the Mall networking and handshaking forthe High Desert Racing Association Imperial 250race contingency. I would like to take this opportu-nity to thank everyone in the County who helpedfacilitate, promote and support the race. TheChamber has received a lot of positive feedbackon the race and the professionalism of its organiz-ers. Thank you to the Chamber’s off- road commit-tee, Trish and chamber staff for everything they didto support the race. Any time we have visitors com-ing to the Valley it means more business for all ofus, so we look forward to the H-D-R-A returning inOctober.

www.elcentrochamber.com

2011-2012 President’s Circle members:

Cherisse AlfordPresident

Randy TaylorPresident-Elect

Jaime HonoldVice President

Aaron PopejoyPast President

Les SmithDirector at Large

David TylerDirector at Large

2011-2012 DIRECTORSEusebio Arballo, Kathleen Ball, Bobby Brock,

Natalie Castillo Erickson, Bob Hahn, Bob Ham, Glenn Montgomery,Jean M. Oswalt, Kathleen Pipkin, Alicia Swaim, Jeff Sturdevant,

Jose Vizcarra, Harold Walk, Shelly Wilkinson

Gary Glud Chief Financial Officer

2011-2012 Executive Committee

Trish McNeeceDirector of Programs

Joann FloresAdministrative Assistant

Member Account Executive

STAFF

CHAMBER MISSION STATEMENT‘’The mission of the El Centro Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau is

to be an advocate for business, provide economic leadership and fostercommunity pride to ensure growth, prosperity and quality of life in

El Centro and the surrounding region.’’

MIx IT UP FOR sUCCEss


Vicki ZamoraOffice Manager


Employers will need to examine their meal and restpolicies and strengthen their timekeeping practices.The Brinker decision leaves some meal and rest

break questions unresolved. Below is our initial analy-sis. CalChamber will continue to keep you updatedwith further guidance in coming weeks.

Meal PeriodsEmployees of Brinker International, Inc. (Brinker),

the parent company of Chili’s restaurants and otherrestaurant chains, filed this lawsuit eight years ago.The heart of the lawsuit is that Brinker failed to pro-vide its employees with their legally mandated breaks.The case was certified as a class action and involvednearly 60,000 employees.

No Obligation to Police Meal breaksThe state Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brinker

on the critical issue in this case — the employer’s obli-gation to provide a meal break. The court concludedthat “an employer must relieve the employee of allduty for the designated period, but need not ensurethat the employee does no work.”When an employee works for five hours, the

employer has a choice: “it must (1) afford an off dutymeal period; (2) consent to a mutually agreed uponwaiver if one hour or less will end the shift; or (3)obtain written agreement to an on duty meal period ifcircumstances permit.”

“Provide” a Meal breakWhat does ‘‘provide” a meal period mean? Accord-

ing to the court, the employer satisfies its legal obliga-tion to provide an off duty meal period to its employ-ees if it:•Relieves its employees of all duty•Relinquishes control over their activities•Permits them a reasonable opportunity to take anuninterrupted 30-minute break•Does not impede or discourage them from doing soThe duty to provide a meal break is an affirmative

duty on the part of the employer that must meet theabove requirements; it is more than simply makingthe meal break available. How these requirements aresatisfied may “vary from industry to industry.” Yet,the court emphasized that, once the employer has sat-isfied the above test, “the employer is not obligated topolice meal breaks and ensure no work thereafter isperformed.” The employer is to relinquish controlover the employee’s time, including whether theemployee chooses to work during the meal period.Importantly, if an employee continues to work after

the employer satisfied its obligation of providing aduty-free meal period, the employer is not liable forpremium pay. This is good news for employers. Thecourt held that, at most, the employer will be liable forstraight pay and then "only when it 'knew or reason-ably should have known'" that the worker was work-ing through the meal period. (Overtime pay is alsopossible if the work caused the employer to incur anovertime obligation.)

Post-Brinker, the employer's responsibility to havespecific meal and rest break policies and to documentthat the meal break was provided is even more impor-tant.

Timing of the Meal break and No RollingFive Hour Rule

The timing for meal periods was set forth by thecourt in Brinker:•The first meal break must be provided “no laterthan the end of the employee’s fifth hour of work.” •There is some debate as to whether this means thatthe break needs to be provided no later than 4:59 min-utes into the employee’s shift or at the exact 5:00mark. The most prudent approach is to err on the sideof caution and provide the meal break no later than 4hours and 59 minutes into the employee’s shift,instead of at the very last minute or second, in orderto give the employee the ability to clock out in time.•The second meal break must be provided “no laterthan the end of an employee’s 10th hour of work.”Under Brinker, “late lunches” after the end of the

employee’s fifth hour are still not permitted. The mealperiod must be given no later than the end of theemployee’s fifth hour of work, as described above.Thankfully, the court rejected the plaintiff’s argu-

ment that meal periods had to be provided on a“rolling” five-hour basis, meaning that an employeewould receive a second meal break if more than fivehours occurred after the time he/she took the first

4Brinker decision, continued

President Cherisse Alford presents SDG&E’sEusebio Arballo with the Hospitality awardduring the Good Morning El Centro Mixer.More than 50 people turned out to hear theCounty’s Andy Horne (below) speak on renew-able energy in Imperial County.

SAN DIEGOGAS & ELECTRIC

MIXER


YOUNG PROFEssIONALs HOsTINGsECOND LEADERsHIP AWARDs DINNER

The Imperial Valley Young Professionals Organization isholding its second annual Leadership Awards dinner, Thursday,May 31, 2012. The event will be at the Barcelona Event Center,330 Wake Ave., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The committee is seeking nominations for emerging leaders,

under the age of 40, who are Chamber members and who exempli-fy the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishments,both in their chosen field and their community involvement. A diverse group of business leaders will review the nomination

forms and choose two recipients. Last year’s honorees were attor-ney Ryan Childers and Green’s Jewelry manager Julie Hamilton.Completed nomination forms are due at the Chamber by Friday,

May 18. Follow the link below or go to www.ivypo.com to down-load the forms.http://elcentrochamber.com/CMs/Media/2012-IVYPO-Leadership-

Awards-Nomination-Form.pdf

Individual tickets are $50 or $350 for a table of eight. To reserveyour seat, contact Joann at (760)352-3681. n


President Cherisse Alford presents the Hospitality Award toJamie Johnson from Imperial Valley Family Care MedicalGroup’s March mixer at the MD Walk-in Clinic.

IMPERIAL VALLEYFAMILY CARE

MEDICAL GROUP

MIXER

The first week of May the Imperial County FilmCommission is going to be busy hosting somewonderful events in the Valley. I would like tocommend Charla Teeters for the tremendousamount of work she has done with the FilmCommission. If you haven’t had a chance tosee some of work they are doing, go to theirwebsite at www.filmimperialcounty.com. It’sanother wonderful thing going on in our Valleyand, despite the economy, Charla has stillbeen busy, so we are all thankful for that!

I look forward to seeing you at the next mixerand the annual dinner on Thursday, June 28!Cheers to good business!

4President’s column, continued

meal break. Instead the court held that the secondmeal break must only be provided if an employeeworks more than 10 hours in a day.Though the court reiterated the employer’s obliga-

tion to provide these meal breaks and offered someclarity over the timing of them, several rules stillremain the same:• Employees who work no more than five hours inone shift are not entitled to a meal break.• Employees who work more than five hours, butno more than six hours, get a meal period unlessthey consent to a mutually agreed upon waiver.• On-duty meal periods: are permitted only whenthe nature of the work prevents an employee frombeing relieved of all duty; must be agreed to in writ-ing by you and the employee; must be paid; and canbe revoked at any time in writing by the employee.(This is in contrast to the off-duty meal period ques-tion that Brinker was resolving.) This is a difficultexception to meet and applies in very limited circum-stances.Employers are cautioned to know the Wage Order

that governs their business. As the court points out,different meal period provisions apply to differentindustries or occupations, such as Wage Order 12 forthe film industry.

Off-the-Clock WorkThe court refused to allow the employees to pur-

sue a class action claim against Brinker for off-the-clock work. The employees claimed they wererequired to perform work while clocked out duringtheir meal period.The court noted that Brinker had a specific policy

prohibiting off-the-clock work and requiring anemployee to notify a manager immediately if timerecords were not accurately recorded. In helpful lan-guage for employers, the unanimous court held thatwhen employees are clocked out, this creates the pre-sumption that they are doing no work. The courtheld that anecdotal evidence of individual instancesis not sufficient to allow class certification.

Rest PeriodsThe court also gave employers welcome guidance

as to their exact rest period obligations.

How Many Rest breaks Must be ProvidedUnder the pertinent Wage Order, ‘‘authorized rest

period time shall be based on the total hours workeddaily at the rate of ten (10) minutes net rest time perfour (4) hours or major fraction thereof.’’ The courtheld that a ‘‘major fraction’’ of a four-hour work peri-od is any amount of time over two hours.The Wage Order also provides that employees

working shifts of less than three and one-half hoursneed not be given a rest break. According to thecourt, the combined effect of these rules is:• Employees are “entitled to 10 minutes of rest forshifts from three and one-half to six hours in length,20 minutes for shifts of more than six hours up to 10hours, 30 minutes for shifts for more than 10 hoursup to 14 hours, and so on.”Though the court totaled up the minutes that need

to be provided during the course of a shift, the exactrequirement is to provide a ten minute rest break foreach four hour work period or major fraction thereof.

Timing of the Rest break

The state Supreme Court also provided guidanceas to the timing of the rest period. The court ruledthat employers are “subject to a duty to make a goodfaith effort to authorize and permit rest breaks in themiddle of each work period.”But, the court sided with Brinker and held that

there is no absolute obligation to permit a rest periodbefore a meal period. The court stated that “in thecontext of an eight hour shift, [a]s a general matter,’one rest break should fall on either side of the mealbreak … . Shorter or longer shifts and other factorsthat render such scheduling impracticable may alterthis general rule.”For example, it is not unlawful, per se, to have a

meal break at the two hour mark and a rest break atthe four hour mark. Employers are given some lati-tude as they may “deviate from that preferred coursewhere practical considerations render it infeasible.”However, the court did not explicitly define what

“practical considerations” may be legally sufficient tojustify an employer’s departure from the generalrule. Thus, employers should still be cautious aboutdeparting from the general rule to provide restbreaks in the middle of each work period and shouldconsult with counsel if practical considerationsunique to their industry seem to warrant a departurefrom the general rule.

best PracticesThis decision does not resolve all issues. Meal and

rest breaks will continue to be the topic of much dis-cussion here in California.The first step for any employer is to draft specific

meal and rest break policies for your operation.Though Brinker provides employers some flexibility,it is important that your meal and rest break policiesclearly specify your chosen legally compliantapproach. Vague policies that are subject to interpre-tation by the employee increase your risk of liability.Include a discussion of the timing of those breaks

and consider whether formally scheduling breaksworks for your organization. Periodically remindemployees of your policy.The following are some additional general guide-

lines:• Comply with the timing requirements for mealand rest breaks issued by the court.• Meet your obligation to provide an uninterrupted30 minute meal break where the employee is relievedof all duty. Record that you have done so.• Require employees to accurately record time in,meals, and time out.• Regularly audit your timecard records to deter-mine whether employees are accurately reportingtime and/or if there is a pattern of employees work-ing through meal breaks.• Educate managers about their obligations relatingto meal and rest periods and discipline managerswho do not follow policy.• Inform employees that they should notify man-agement if they have been denied the opportunity totake a meal or rest break.Consult with legal counsel regarding the approach

that is best for your industry. n

4Brinker decision, continued

Get information from the

El Centro Chamber ofCommerce

& Visitors bureau

as it is

happening by

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MMEMBEREMBER NNEWEWSS&&EEVENTSVENTSMMEMBEREMBER NNEWEWSS&&EEVENTSVENTSIrene Velazquez, Certified Public Accountant

has a new address. she is now located at 506 W.Aten Road, Imperial, CA 92251 and can bereached at (626) 348-7296.

Vasqo Technologies has moved. They are nowlocated at 1351 N. Imperial Ave., ste. 1, El Centro, CA 92243 and can be reached at (760) 352-0708.

May 8: World Red Cross Day Reception — Annual Fundraiser, Pioneers Museum at theCattlemen’s Wing. For more information contactthe American Red Cross at (760) 352-4541.May 9: El Centro Chamber Ribbon Cutting —Costco Wholesale’s 20th Anniversary Celebration,2030 N. Imperial Ave at 9 a.m. For more information contact the El CentroChamber at (760) 352-3681.May 10: Brawley & El Centro Chamber of Commerce Regional Governmental Affairs Committee Host: Imperial County Board of Supervisors District 4 Candidates’ Debate, Stockmen’s Club of Imperial Valley, 275 Marjorie Ave, Brawley starting at 7 p.m.May 11: Farm Credit Services Southwest is holding an Open House from 4-7 p.m. at its newbranch office, 485 Business Park Way, Imperial.There will be cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres andlive music.May 17: EnergySource is having a dinner to celebrate the completion of the new HudsonRanch geothermal facility. The dinner is at at 6 p.m. at the Casa de Manana building at theImperial Valley Expo.May 18: Imperial Valley Young ProfessionalsLeadership Development Series “Conflict Management” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The cost is only $5 for YPO Members and $7 for non-members. For more information or to register contact the El Centro Chamber at (760) 352-3681.May 18: At 10 a.m., EnergySource will have adedication ceremony of its new Hudson Ranchgeothermal facility.May 22: The Regional Government Affairs committee is holding an IID Candidates’ Forumfrom 6:30-8 p.m. at the Bill Condit IID Auditorium,1285 Broadway, El Centro. Members and guestsare encouraged to attend.May 23: Girls Night Out with ECRMC — Free Women’s Health Week Event, Fairfield Inn& Suites, 503 E. Danenberg Dr., El Centro from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Take the next steps to a healthieryou; hear from community health experts aboutcritical risk factors regarding women’s healthsymptoms you should not ignore & treatmentoptions available to you. For more information orto RSVP contact ECRMC at (760) 482-5190.May 31: Imperial Valley Young ProfessionalsOrganization 2nd Annual Leadership Awards Dinner — from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost isonly $50 per person or $350 for a table for 8. The committee is currently seeking nominationsfor ‘‘Emerging Leaders’’to be awarded at the dinner. For nomination information contact the El Centro Chamber at (760) 352-3681. Sponsorship opportunities are available. June 16: Imperial Valley Young ProfessionalsLeadership Development Series “Leadership Can-didates” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is only $5 for YPO Members and $7 for non-members.For more information or to register contact the El Centro Chamber at (760) 352-3681.

June 26: Imperial Valley College Business Con-ference 2012 from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the2700 building on the IVC main campus.Thetheme is “Unleash Your Business Potential”. Keynotespeaker will be Yuma Chamber of CommerceDirector, Ken Rosevear, who will present his powerful “Strategies Mandatory at RecessionaryTimes (SMART)’’ training. The conference is free ofcharge. To register, go to www.ivsbdc.org or call Sylvia Marroquin at (760) 312-9800 or Roy Dorantes at (760) 355-6510.June 28: El Centro Chamber’s 106th AnnualDinner Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 28 at the Old Eucalyptus Schoolhousein El Centro. The event begins at 6 p.m.Join us as we celebrate the successes under the leadership of President Cherisse Alford, and welcome our incoming president, Randy Taylor. California State Senator Bob Huff will be the keynote speaker. The cost is $65 per person or $520 for a table of 8.Sponsorship opportunities are available.June 30: Family Treehouse Draw Down DinnerFundraiser — El Centro Moose Lodge, 2310 Myrtle Road, Imperial. The cost is only $100and includes two tri-tip dinners with all the trimmings. No host cocktails are at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Last ticket drawn is worth$2,500. For more information contact Rosie Nava-Bermudez at (760) 355-0175. All proceeds go to benefit the many childrens’programs the Family Treehouse offers. n

Visit the Chamber's Calendar at www.elcentrochamber.com for up-to-date

information on upcoming events

APPLEBEE’S NEIGHBORHOOD BAR & GRILL ARID CONCEPTS DESERT NURSERY

Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill celebrated the re-granding opening of its newly-remodeledrestaurant April 17. Pictured cutting the ribbon are (back row l-r) ambassadors Elvira Gonzalezand Susana Favela. (front row l-r) are ambassador Shirley Chronister, Applebee’s CEO MyronThompson, COO Abe Sakak, President Cherisse Alford and ambassador Carla Kuhns.

Renee Coyne (c), owner of Arid Concepts Desert Nursery, is flanked by friends, employees andChamber representatives at the grand opening/ribbon cutting held April 21. From (l-r) areambassadors Susana Favela and Mike Castro, June Bone, Renee Coyne, Peter Stanton, PresidentCherisse Alford, William Hammit and ambassador Shirley Chronister. The nursery is located at1598 Silsbee Rd.


ATTORNEYs &RELATED sERVICEs

Garcia, Edgard, Law Office ofEdgard Garcia527 s. 4th streetEl Centro, CA 92243(760) 353-9110www.elcentro-lawyer.com

AUTOMOTIVE — sALEs,sERVICEs & REPAIRs

Tom’s Auto bodyTomas Ibarra635 Ross Ave.El Centro, CA 92243(760) 352-3288

bLOOD bANks & CENTREsLife streamPiper Close384 W. Orange show Rd.san bernardino, CA 92408(909) 386-6870www.lstream.org

bUILDING — GENERAL CONTRACTORs

Erickson-Hall ConstructionErika Aponte216 E. 3rd st.Imperial, CA 92251(760) 355-1564www.ericksonhall.com

T s I Tenant space Inc.Darren Hardesty13047 Golden WayPoway, CA 92064(858) 679-8500www.tenantspaceinc.com

FARMs – COMMERCIALbenson, stephen W.stephen W. benson30 E. shank Rd.brawley, CA 92227(760) 344-4591

FINANCIAL INsTITUTIONs& RELATED sERVICEs

The Pollakov Financial GroupEnrique Enriquez115 N. Imperial Ave., ste. DImperial, CA 92251(760) 355-7723www.financialguide.com/Enrique-Enriquez

The Pollakov Financial GroupVictor Calderon115 N. Imperial Ave., ste. DImperial, CA 92251(760) 355-7722www.financialguide.com/Victor-Calderon

The Pollakov Financial GroupJoseph R. Ramirez115 N. Imperial Ave., ste. DImperial, CA 92251(760) 355-7724www.financialguide.com/joseph-ramirez

The Pollakov Financial GroupGloria silva115 N. Imperial Ave., ste. DImperial, CA 92251(760) 355-7720www.financialguide.com/gloria-silva

JANITORIAL sERVICE & sUPPLIEsWaxie sanitary supplyJames P. Mount198 E. Ross RoadEl Centro, CA 92243(760) 315-2033www.waxie.com

MOTELs & HOTELsMotel 6 El CentroArmando Quintero395 smoketree DriveEl Centro, CA, 92243

Rodeway Inn & suitesbob Patel455 Wake Ave.El Centro, CA 92243(760) 352-6620www.rodewayelcentro.com

OFFICE EQUIPMENT/sUPPLIEs& sERVICEs

Office Depot

Aristotle McDaniel

685 E. Carnegie Dr., ste. 260

san bernardino, CA 92408

(951) 346-6020

www.business.officedepot.com

PHYsICIANs

California Cosmetic

Laser Institute

Estela soto

1452 La brucherie Rd., ste. b

El Centro ,CA 92243

(760) 482-5511

www.elcentrobotox.com

kapoor, Vishwa M., MD, Inc.

Vishwa M. kapoor

1745 s. Imperial Ave., ste.A

El Centro, CA 92243

(760) 592-4961

PUbLIsHERs

Village Profile

Mark Waligorski

33 N. Geneva st.

Elgin, IL 60120

888-355-7756

www.villageprfile.com

RECREATION — CHILDREN

Family Treehouse, The

Rosie bermudez

200 N. Imperial Ave.

Imperial, CA 92251

(760) 355-0175

REsTAURANTs, CATERING

La Fonda bar & Grill

Antonio Camacho

220 Wake Ave., ste. A

El Centro, CA 92243

(760) 592-4709

sCHOOLs

University of California Desert

Research & Extension Center

Debra L. Driskill

1004 E. Holton Rd.

El Centro, CA 92243

(760) 356-3061

www.desertrec.ucdavis.edu

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Applebee’s server, Jackie Carr (c), receives the STAR award for providing excellent customerservice, from Theresa Robertson (r), a representative from the Chamber’s membership

committee as manager Alex Castro (l) looks on.

APPLEBEE’S NEIGHBORHOODBAR & GRILL

STAR AWARD

The Naval Air Facility El Centro is the best loca-tion for homebasing of the Navy’s seven F-35Cactive-duty squadrons and one training squadron.Homebasing the squadrons at NAF El Centrowould mean jobs and economic growth for theImperial Valley.

bottom Line

The Imperial Valley’s vast unobstructed desertterrain, unique climate, limited non-military airtraffic, and dedicated gunnery and bombing rangesmake NAF El Centro an ideal environment for aeri-al combat maneuvering, air-to-air gunnery, bomb-ing practice and electronic warfare training.In addition to providing the Navy with efficien-

cies unequaled elsewhere on the West Coast, NAFEl Centro is a major economic engine for the Impe-rial Valley, which would grow dramatically withthe new squadrons.

Current benefits to the Imperial Valley

•Produced $105 million: In economic benefit forImperial County in FY 2010, which includes: •Nearly 1,400 jobs: In addition to 597 military andcivilian personnel at the base, NAF El Centro pro-vides 801 additional jobs related to operations, pay-roll and other projects. •More than $77 million: in industrial output: $54.2million in operations, $11.6 million in payroll and$11.3 million in visitor spending by transient per-sonnel. •Nearly $9 million: Spent by transient personnel onfood and beverages; hotels, general merchandiseand rental cars in the Imperial Valley.

•Tax Revenue: Of $4.8 million in federal taxes; and$4 million in state and local taxes.

Homebasing F-35C squadrons

•Add military and civilian jobs: The JSF F-35Csquadrons would require an additional 2,500 mili-tary personnel to be assigned to NAF-EC and createan additional 2,000 civil jobs on the base. •Create the need for additional military housing,which would stimulate the construction industryand create new jobs. •Provide an economic stimulus for local businessto provide the variety of services needed by anenlarged military operation.

Efficiencies and benefits to the Navy

•Physical location: NAF El Centro is 60 miles fromMarine Corps Air Station Yuma and 110 miles fromMarine Corps Air Station Miramar where the JSFaircraft will be homebased. •Proximity: Less than one minute flight time to “airto ground” ranges, less than 10 minutes to livebombing ranges, less than 30 minutes to supersonicranges (Barry Goldwater, AZ); plus favorable cli-matic conditions and unobstructed terrain that pro-vide ample low-level flying opportunities. Lessthan 45 minutes to the fleet and off-shore trainingranges.•Middle East Resemblance: No other region in theUnited States more closely resembles the MiddleEast than the Imperial Valley, which is perfect fortroops preparing for combat. •Terrain: NAF El Centro, located in rural ImperialValley, is surrounded by agricultural fields withminimal encroachment and potential for expansion.•Political climate: To preserve the mission of the

base, the cities of El Centro and Imperial and theCounty of Imperial are working together with theNavy to create a Joint Land Use Policy that protectsthe base from encroachment and will identify com-patible land uses.•Night flight training: The lack of light encroach-ment around the installation enhances the qualityof night training and easily enables the Departmentof the Navy to diversify the facility’s mission.

What you can do

•Community support: NAF El Centro has enjoyedunparalleled community support since its establish-ment in 1942 as a Marine Corps Air Station. The JSFCoalition is now accepting donations to make thiseffort a reality. Contributions to “Imperial ValleyUnited” can be mailed to 1095 S. 4th Street, El Cen-tro 92243.•Support the synergy: That homebasing the F35Cat NAF El Centro provides the Military and theImperial Valley. •Stay informed: By signing in on the Imperial-County-Wants-the-F-35C Facebook page andencourage your friends to do likewise. •Join the organizations and individuals: That haveendorsed the effort and let your elected representa-tives know you support NAF – El Centro andhomebasing the F-35C here. n

HOMEbAsING THE NAVY’s JsF F-35 AIRCRAFTNAVAL AIR FACILITY EL CENTRO: GOOD FOR THE NAVY; GOOD FOR THE IMPERIAL VALLEY

Endorsed by:Congressman Bob Filner • Congressman Duncan D. Hunter

Congressman Brian Bilbray • Imperial County Board of SupervisorsCity of Brawley • City of Calexico • City of Calipatria • City of El Centro

City of Imperial • Imperial Valley Joint Chambers of Commerce El Centro Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau • Imperial Chamber of Commerce

Imperial Valley Economic Development CorporationYuma Economic Development Commission

Navy League of the U.S., Imperial Valley Council

The California Foundation for Commerce andEducation released its 2012 survey of the state’sbusiness executives which reflected current attitudes about the state’s economy, business climate and budget.The assessment of California’s business climate

showed that the economy, burdensome regulationsand the state budget crisis continue to weighheavily on the minds of business owners. It isclear that policy makers and elected officials needto make the hard choices needed to create certain-ty for job creators so that California can turnthings around.

Attitudes on the EconomyAlthough there was slight improvement, overall,

the survey revealed widespread pessimism remainsabout the state’s economy:19% said the state was headed in the right direc-

tion, up from 15% last year;81% still believed that the state is on the wrong

track, down 4% from last year;With respect to the current economy:98% responded that it was fair or poor;2% said the economy was good;However, business leaders are slightly more opti-

mistic about an economic recovery compared to 2008:22% believe that the economy will be better in one

year, an increase of 12% from the 2008 survey;50% think it will remain the same, compared to

46% in 2008;28% say it will be worse, a decrease of 16% in 2008.When asked about the state of their own business-

es, respondents were also slightly more optimisticthan in the 2008 survey:41% of executives indicated that they believe their

situation will be better in one year, an increase of 12%from 2008;45% said they expect their situation to remain the

same, compared to 57% in 2008;14% believed things would get worse, the same as

in 2008.

biggest Disadvantages of Doingbusiness in California

The survey asked employers to assess the disad-vantages of doing business in California:By far, respondents said they believed too much

government regulation was a primary factor increating a disadvantage for California companies(50%). Others cited high state and local taxes(10%) and the state budget deficit (11%).

Top Issues Leaders should Address

Survey respondents believe the most importantissued to be addressed by state leaders are:Far and away, resolving the state budget deficit,

improving the economy and job creation were crit-ical to business leaders. A combined total of 90%of respondents believe these items should be pri-orities for state leaders;Changing labor regulations governing overtime,

wages, rest periods and benefits was also impor-tant with a combined 23% ranking this their firstor second priority.

Resolving the California budget Crisis

The survey also asked how the California stategovernment should deal with the budget deficit.Business leaders strongly supported tough budgetdecisions to address the state’s fiscal disaster onceand for all:Net support of 96% for a balanced budget with-

out gimmicks, no matter what the mix of spendingcuts and tax increases;Net support of 94% for reforming public pen-

sions to resemble private sector 401(K) plans;Net support of 94% for conforming state over-

time rules to federal rules;Net support of 93% for capping state spending

growth to inflation plus population;Net support of 91% for ensuring that one-time

revenues cannot support ongoing programs.The California Business Executives Attitudes

survey was conducted between February 20, 2012and March 19, 2012. A total of 699 California busi-ness executives participated in the survey. n

sURVEY sHOWs ECONOMY, REGULATIONs, bUDGETsTILL WEIGH HEAVILY ON bUsINEssEs sTATEWIDE

4Board members, continued

Returning to serve an additional two years areEusebio Arballo, San Diego Gas & Electric; BobHahn, Community Valley Bank; Kathleen Pipkin,El Centro Regional Medical Center; David Tyler,Tyler Insurance Agency and Harold Walk, SunCommunity Federal Credit Union.Continuing on the board are Cherisse Alford,

Alford Distributing; Kathy Ball, Ball AppraisalService; Gary Glud, Hutchinson & Bloodgood,LLP; Bob Ham, Imperial County; Jaime Honold,Burgers & Beer; Glenn Montgomery, Time WarnerCable; Jean Oswalt, CPA; Les Smith, Desert TrailsRV Park & Golf Course; Jeff Sturdevant, JCS Construction; Alicia Swaim, Imperial Valley Mall;Randy Taylor, Rabobank; Jose Vizcarra, LuckySupermarket and Shelly Wilkinson, Coldwell-Banker, The Wilkinson Team.In addition, Veronica Henderson, Law Office of

Veronica A. Henderson, was appointed by Presi-dent-elect Randy Taylor to a one-year term.Bobby Brock of the Imperial Valley Commu-

nity Foundation, Natalie Castillo-Erickson,Castillo Construction and Aaron Popejoy ofConveyor Group will be retiring from theboard on June 30, 2012. n


The Chamber recognized Jennie Pineda (r), a server at SizzlerRestaurant, with the STAR award for outstanding, customerservice. Pictured with Pineda is Theresa Robertson who nomi-nated the “star”.

SIZZLERRESTAURANT

STAR AWARD


CHAMbER THANks sUPPORTERs OF bUsINEss DIRECTORY

Each year, the El Centro Chamber of Com-merce & Visitors Bureau has published an impor-tant business professional piece, the MembershipDirectory & Business Guide. This directory isdistributed to more than 5,000 visitors annuallyand is used as a reference took when someone isin need of a local chamber members business.The publication would not have been possiblewithout the generous support of these advertis-ers:

Time Warner Cable

Yk America Group

Cal Energy Operating Corp

I.V. Rifle & Pistol Association

Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District

Community Valley bank

skipco Grading & Paving, Inc.

Pioneer Van & storage Co.

City of El Centro

Hutchinson & bloodgood LLP

Rabobank, N.A.

barbara Worth Country Club

El Centro Regional Medical Center

Tyler Insurance Agency

Rogers & Rogers Toyota

Rogers & Rogers Nissan

Duflock & Associates

sunbeam Lake RV Resort

burgers & beer

Imperial Valley Gymnastics Club

Arid Concepts Wholesale Nursery

First Imperial Credit Union

sun Community Federal Credit Union

ball Appraisal service

Coldwell banker-The Wilkinson Team

James A Pollack MD

Desert Family Dentistry

Hart Insurance Center, Inc

Prince & Associates

Alford Distributing

Comfort Inn & suites

INAUGURAL HDRA IMPERIAL 250OFF-ROAD RACE DEEMED A sUCCEss

Hundreds, if not thousands, of peopleturned out at the Imperial Valley Mall April 6 tosee contingency, tech and the freestyle MX motor-cycle stunt riders perform prior to Saturday’sImperial 250 off-road race at Plaster City put on bythe High Desert Racing Association.The contingency and race provided the mall,

local hotels and restaurants an economic boon.Many hotels reported being sold out, foot trafficwas up throughout the mall and Jaime Honold,owner of Burgers & Beer said this, “It was by farour biggest day sales wise ever!”An estimated 10,000 race fans showed up at

Plaster City to watch the more than 100 vehiclestake the starting flag for the grueling, two-raceevent. In the end, it was Brawley’s Jimmy Nuckles

who took the checkered flag. Donations from thefans allowed H-D-R-A to give the Wounded War-rior Project a check for $47,000.During the race, video crews were recording the

event to be broadcast Thursday, May 17 at 5 p.m.on Fox Sports West. The race will be telecast local-ly on Time Warner Cable, Channel 54; Dish Net-work, Channel 417 and Direct TV, Channel 692.Race organizers were so pleased with the event

they plan to hold another race in mid to late Octo-ber. The Chamber would like to thank MargaretGoodro and the Bureau of Land Management, theCity of El Centro, Ralph Cordova and the ImperialCounty Board of Supervisors, the EnvironmentalHealth Department, the Imperial Valley Mall andUnited Desert Gateway for their help in makingthis race a reality. n

RIGHT: Imperial 250 Race Winner Jimmy Nuckles of Brawley.INSET: Contingency at the Imperial Valley Mall


2012 IMAGINE AWARDWINNERs ANNOUNCED

The Chamber extends its sincere Congratula-tions to the following recipients of the City of El Centro’s 2012 IMAGINE Awards:

Innovator.......................... Locke Air Conditioning

Motivator ................................. GsLyon/Landmark

Architect of Change ................. sizzler Restaurant

Genius ........................................... AbC Pediatrics

Industrious ................ Imperial Valley Paint Center

Noble.............................. River Ranch Fresh Food

Entrepreneurs ...................... R&k Air Conditioning

WAL-MART SUPERCENTER

IMPERIAL VALLEY ROTARY CLUBS

L-R) Ambassadors Shirley Chronister, Susana Favela, Chamber President-elect Randy Taylor, his granddaughter Autumn Taylorand Council member Cheryl Viegas-Walker join manager Angel Sanchez and ambassadors Carla Kuhns and Jorge Alcantar in cut-ting the ribbon for the newly-remodeled Wal Mart Supercenter.

The Imperial Valley Rotary Clubs helped to fund this new, large capacity truck for the Imperial Valley Food Bank. Cutting the rib-bon (l-r) are Calexico President, Elsa Garcia Soto; El Centro President Cyndy Lopez; Holtville President Matt Hester, the Presi-dent-elect for Imperial, Bob Brown and Brawley President-elect Hugh McPhink.

Chamber Board member, Les Smith (l) presents Lucky Super-market employee, Jose Heredia with the Chamber’s STAR award.Each month the STAR award is given to thank employees ofmember businesses for their exemplary customer service.

LUCKYSUPERMARKET

STAR AWARD


The Inaugural New Member/President’s Circle CO-OP mixer at Ryerson Hall was hailed a success with 11 new members participating for a total of 21 participants. A good crowd of members turnedout to network and enjoy the good food, drink and camaraderie. The Chamber would like to “thank” everyone involved.

NEW MEMBER/PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE CO-OP MIXER

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