Tulare Chamber of Commerce April 2013

7/28/2019 Tulare Chamber of Commerce April 2013

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U.S.POSTAGE

PAID

PERMITNO.232

TULARE,CA

2013 Officers

Art ClarkImmediate Past Chair

Kohler & Clark ScrewProducts, Inc

Crystal CotaVice Chair of FinanceM. Green & Co.

Marie PintoVice Chair of Membership

Tulare Adult School

Patrick IsherwoodVice Chair of

Governmental Affairs

2013 Board

Sherri BakkeTulare Regional Medical Center

Kerissa

Postma-ChapmanInternational Agri-Center

Crystal CotaM. Green & Co.

Melissa FreitasValley Business Bank

Shea GowinGowin Green

Dennis MederosLegal Counsel

Horswill, Mederos, & Soares

Linda NoguesBacome Insurance

Manuel Ortiz, Jr.Manuel Ortiz Ag Real Estate

Keith ReynoldsTAE Inc.

Ronald SmithSterling & SmithFuneral Homes

Lonnie TiesieraWill Tiesiera

Ford-Mercury, Inc.

Mike WatsonGolden State Paint & Body

Professional Staff

Nina AkinPresident / CEO

Sherry CarsonOffice Manager

Linda HowarthInformation Coordinator

the updateis the official monthly

publication of theTulare Chamber of Commerce

220 E. Tulare Ave.P.O. Box 1435

Tulare, CA 93275-1435

686-1547

email: [email protected]

web: www.tularechamber.orgFor advertising information call:Jennifer Guinn (559) 735-3235

the update is published in partnership withthe Tulare Advance-Register

www.TulareChamber.org thethe Update

UpdateApril 2013Like us on Facebook and FoLLow us on TwiTTer aT TuLareTweeTs

Published date: Mar. 30, 2013

Save the Date:

Get ReadyFor Cars On

K

Coming April6, 2013

Applications are atwww.tularechamber.org

Cruise night April 5that A & W on J street

Lets WORK together Tulare!Lets say youve been out of work fora while and all of a sudden a job oppor-tunity comes up. Great! Or, is it? Thehousehold has adjusted to the drop intake-home that occurred when you wenton unemployment. Both kids movedback in because they lost their jobs.Theyve picked up some part-time workthat at least covers cell phones and gas.Your spouse is working temporarily forsomeone who prefers to avoid such minordetails as: social security, income tax, dis-abilityor even a checking account forthat matter. During the time youve been

on unemployment there really hasntbeen any indication that the governmentis actually going to stop sending moneyso, maybe you dont really want to go towork after all. You might just get laidoff again and then you would have to gothrough that hassle with the unemploy-ment office all over

Laugh if you want to, but this is reallyhappening here in our community. Overthe last few months, Ive spo-ken with the owners of anagricultural equipment deal-ership, a harvesting serviceand an electrical contractingfirm; theyre all saying the

same thing. They have offeredunemployed people jobsand their offers have beendeclined.

I know there are vastnumbers of people lookingdesperately for work. I alsoknow that every situation isdifferent. There may havebeen some element of thecompensation offered or thenature of the work requiredthat was unacceptable to theapplicants. However, it is therepresentation of the busi-

ness owners I spoke with thatthey pay competitively andthat nothing extraordinarywas requested of these appli-cants. When asked why theywere choosing to decline thejob, applicants reportedly saidthings like I can make almostas much on unemploymentor I can do better picking upcash jobs on the side.

In looking for possiblesolutions I contacted thePublic Affairs Office of theEmployment DevelopmentDepartment to find out if they

had encountered similar situ-ations. While the representa-tives I spoke with were bothvery helpful and respondedpromptly they were not ableto address this issue. PattiRoberts, EDD CommunicationsManager indicated that theirrole was purely operationaland that her agency did notmake policy decisions. Shedid recommend however thatboth employers and job seek-ers may request assistance atlocal EDD offices. Since mostof the eligibility and disburse-

ment efforts are now handledon-line, the local agency offic-es are better able to accommo-

date unique situations.

My next call was to Ken Hernandez,CEO and President of HR Mobile Services,Inc. of Visalia. He indicated that hehad made observations similar to thosereported by the three business own-ers. Between what theyre making onunemployment and what their spouseor significant other bring home they canmake it work, their lifestyle has adjustedto the reduced income level. People arereluctant to explore new career oppor-tunities and prefer to get by on govern-ment assistance until they get the perfectoffer. To date, Ken hasnt been able tocome up with a cure for this malady. Hasthis extended recession resulted in a cul-tural shift away from the lauded Americanwork ethic?

Unemployment insurance is intendedto be a financial safety net to sup-port displaced workers while they seekother employment or pursue an alterna-tive career path. If I should lose my job

tomorrow, my family and Iare going to be very thank-ful for that safety net. Inthe situations describedhowever, what startedas temporary assistanceappears to have becomeanything but temporary.I know we need jobsin Tulare; we also needpeople to step forward and accept thosejobs that are available. Unfortunately, Ididnt find any answers, so Im asking ourChamber of Commerce newsletter readers

to put their thinking caps on. Lets seeif, together, we can find ways to get ourcommunity back to work. Lets encour-age people to keep looking for work andto think about alternative careers. Letscooperate with our industry competitors(I know most of you get along just fine)to share talent and keep one more personoff unemployment. Lets WORK togetherTulare!

Philip SmithVice President,

CitizensBusiness Bank

Presidents MessageThe Tulare Voice is BACK!!!!!!

WWW.TULAREVOICE.COMI couldnt be more excited to see that

the Tulare Voice is back. I have been inconstant communication with Philip Smithas to when this was going to happen!What a coup for Tulare to finally have ourown Voice again. I know there are ahandful of investors and I thank you allfor making this happen. Julie Fernandez,one of the most validated reporters I

know is back and everyone applaudsthat catch! For years when I worked atthe International Agri-Center we waitedfor the Tulare Voice to come out to seewhat was going on in our community! Wecould never figure out who the mole wasbut there was one and I am sure he orshe will be popping their little head upagain to share the inside information inour new Tulare Voice.

I look forward to having our local

news finally available for us to read. I amexcited about everyone getting involvedand helping the reporters by sendinginformation to them via the website.There is a place on the www.tularevoice.com website where you can submit infor-mation and with verification remain anon-ymous. This will then be at the discretionof the editors as to whether or not it willmake the on-line news. Tell them yournews; give them enough to talk about tohave a section to cover the news in everyarea of our community. It can only getbetter!

But lets get serious now, Tulareyou have to support this effort. Afterthe excitement wears off we need tokeep supporting the Tulare Voice and itspeople. Its the only venue we have thatwill provide us with the activities that aregoing on in our community. Advertisingwill be a key element in the survival of

our voice. No one worksfor free and I doubt thatthis will be a labor oflove 6 months down theroad. Keep your eyes outfor fun advertising oppor-tunities. I think rightnow this would be theideal place to put yourbusiness message; wherebetter and when better toshow support?

Right now they are setting up a clas-sified division; something like a localCraigs list you can utilize to sell youritems without costing an arm and leg!Get on board Tulare, everyone go to thewebsite www.tularevoice.com and Likethem, sign up, add to your favorites, dowhatever it takes to tell the investors theymade the right choice and a wise deci-sion!! Thank you Tulare!!!!!

Nina AkinPresident/CEO

Philip Smith

Chairman of the BoardCitizens Business Bank

Simone Frazier

Chair ElectLand O Lakes


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page 2 April 2013 tulare chamber the updateMarch 30, 2013 Tulare Advance-RegisterPROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A sweeping state proposal to regulatechemicals in California consumer prod-

ucts should includea peer-reviewedeconomic analysis,according to theCalifornia Chamber ofCommerce.

The regulation alsoshould include a moredefined set of obliga-

tions for those businesses that eventuallyare regulated by the state Departmentof Toxic Substances Control (DTSC),and eliminate the requirement that theyrespond to public comments on docu-ments those businesses provide to theagency, the CalChamber said.

DTSC has argued that it will be in abetter position to calculate the economicimpacts and elaborate on what it wantsfrom regulated businesses once imple-mentation is underway.

Draft Too Vague

The CalChamber, in a letter comment-ing on the draft green chemistry regu-lations the DTSC released January 29,pointed out that a state law adopted in2011 requires that an economic impactanalysis be done before adoption of thefinal regulation, not afterwards as thedepartment has proposed to do.

DTSC has, draft after draft, refused tonarrow the list of chemicals it may chooseto regulate or to define how it will selectchemicals from that list and identifyproduct categories for regulation, the

CalChamber said in its comment letter.

If DTSC cannot now determine therange of economic impacts the draft regu-lation might have, the CalChamber said,it is an indication that the draft proposalis too vague to be implemented, as thebusiness community has argued from thebeginning.

The 2011 law was supported by theCalChamber as a regulatory reform thatrequires an economic analysis of allmajor regulations at the beginning of theregulatory process, thus providing moretransparency and better data on which tobase selection of the most cost-effectiveregulatory alternative (SB 617-Calderon;D-Montebello; Chapter 496).

Department Reasoning Faulty

In response to concerns voiced by leg-islators in October 2012, DTSC DirectorDeborah Raphael said the departmentwould conduct a thorough economicanalysis when it selected the priorityproducts to be subject to regulation.

Raphael said that the DTSC-proposedregulations establish a process onlyand do not impose any duties on anybusiness in California, so therefore theeconomic impact of the regulations can-not be known until implementation hasbegun.

The CalChamber pointed out thatother regulations, such as the California

Environmental Quality Act, set forth aprocess without imposing an automaticduty on a business.

The CalChamber wholeheartedly

disagrees with the implied view of theDTSC that if the economic impact can-

not be assessed with certainty, or if theregulation merely proposes a process, aregulatory agency can skip this step alto-gether or at least wait until implementa-tion is already underway before conduct-ing its analysis.

The CalChamber asked the DTSC toconduct a meaningful, peer-reviewedeconomic impact analysis of the pro-posed regulations before submitting themto the Office of Administrative Law (OAL).

OAL reviews regulations to be surethey are clear, necessary, legally valid,and available to the public, as requiredby the states administrative procedurelaw, before sending the rules on to the

Secretary of State to be published in theCalifornia Code of Regulations.

Compliance Tools First

In addition, the CalChamber argued inits comments that the DTSC should fulfillits statutory obligation and provide manu-facturers, distributors and retailers withadequate compliance tools up front.

Without such tools, the first groupof regulated entities effectively becomeguinea pigs who will be subject towhims of the department while it figuresout what it wants through trial and error,the CalChamber commented.

Therefore, those first regulated busi-

nesses will be subject to higher costs,more burdensome information requestsand greater uncertainty than those regu-lated in the future.

If DTSC believes that compliancetools cannot be provided up front, the

CalChamber said, the department shouldbuild a review and revision period intothe regulations, and commit to taking thetime to create those tools and add neces-sary details to the regulations once thefirst round of compliance concludes.

Lastly, final regulations should includepenalty relief so the first group of regulat-ed entities can collaborate with the DTSCto fill out the details of the program with-out fear of possible financial penalties orformal declarations of being out of com-pliance, the CalChamber said.

Eliminate Onerous Burden

The CalChamber also called for elimi-nating the requirement for businessesto respond to public comments on draftreports the businesses must submit to theDTSC as part of the regulatory process.The requirement would impose a unique,substantial and inappropriate burden onbusinesses, the CalChamber said.

It should be the responsibility of theDTSC to use its scientific expertise andunderstanding of industry concerns inweighing the business reports againstpublic comments and other feedbackwhen determining the necessary andappropriate regulatory response, theCalChamber said.

To see the letter dated 2/28/13 thatCalChamber sent to DTSC go to www.cal-chamber.com and in the search box type:Letter to Department of Toxic SubstancesControl.

Less than six months after Proposition30 raised taxes by $7 billion, theLegislature is proposing higher taxes

on business property,including a reassess-ment even when prop-

erty doesnt changehands.

The proposal, AB188 (Ammiano; D-San Francisco), hasbeen identified by the California Chamberof Commerce as a job killer. AB 188unfairly targets commercial property byredefining change of ownership so suchproperty is reassessed more frequently,which ultimately will lead to higherproperty taxes that will be passed onto tenants, consumers, and potentiallyemployees.

AB 188 completely alters the definitionof change of ownership for commercial

property for the purpose of increasingproperty taxes.

Proposition 13

Currently, under Proposition 13, com-mercial property is reassessed only whenthere is an actual change of ownershipin the entity that owns the property. Thatis, another entity or person has acquiredat least 50% of the ownership interest ofthe entity that owns that property andtherefore has a controlling interest in theproperty. This is the most common-senseinterpretation of Proposition 13s require-ments.

It creates a bright line to determinewhen property ownership has changed,and is consistent with the underlying pur-pose of Proposition 13, which intendedto provide property owners certainty andstability about the amount of propertytaxes dueon sale and thereafter.

Change of Ownership

AB 188 drastically alters the defini-tion of change of ownership underProposition 13 by dictating that a changeof ownership occurs whenever 100% ofthe ownership interests in the legal entity

that owns the commercial property aresold within a three-year period, regardlessof whether any person or entity actuallyobtains control through direct or indirectownership of at least 50% of the votingstock or ownership interest in the entityowning the property.

This new definition that merely focus-es on ownership rather than control willsubject commercial property, especiallyproperty held by publicly traded corpora-tions, to continuing reassessment that willat some point result in higher propertytaxesthe obvious intent of this legisla-tion.

However, given that a reassessmentcould be triggered under this definitionon a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis,the revenue gain anticipated by AB 188is vastly overstated, as the market valueof commercial property does not change

within such a short time frame. AB 188will provide a tool for harassing commer-cial property owners with constant reas-sessments, and an overwhelming work-load for county assessors.

Detrimental Impacts

Ultimately, increasing property taxesfor commercial property will have det-rimental impacts on the general public,including small businesses, apartmentresidents, employees and consumers.

Any higher taxes imposed on compa-nies that own commercial property likely

See Job Killers/4

Consumer Product Draft Regulations Need EconomicImpact Analysis - Today

Legislature Targets Business for Higher Property Taxes

The Tulare Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize these members who have gone above and

beyond membership investment in 2013. Their support is instrumental in the growth of the Chamber.

Presidents CircleJ.D. Heiskell & Company

Lagomarsino Group

Res-Com Pest Control

Saputo Cheese USA, Inc

Southern California Gas Company

Tulare Advance Register

Tulare Outlet Center

Tulare Regional Medical Center

Directors CircleInternational Agri Center

Land O Lakes

Valley Business Bank

Ambassadors CircleAcclaim Auto & Truck Accessories

Bank of the Sierra

Citizens Business Bank

College of the Sequoias

Horswill, Mederos & Soares

Ruan Transportation Corporation

Sturgeon & Beck, Inc.

Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino

TF Tire & Service

Will Tiesiera Ford-Mercury, Inc.

Circles ofExcellenceA program of the Tulare Chamber of Commerce

The Tulare Chamber invi tes al lcitizens to their Government AffairsCommittee meeting the 2nd Monday ofeach month, 12:00PM at Apple Annies.The Apr il 8th speaker wil l be TomBarcellos.

He was just presented with the 2013Farmer of the Year by Tulare Kiwanis.The awards luncheon was held Tuesday,March 19.

Tom is the owner of Barce llos

Farms and T-Bar Dairy in Tipton and apartner in White Gold Dairy and LGTHarvesting. Tom runs a la rge dairy oper-ation and a custom farming businessand employs two of his son-in-laws inthe family operations.

Tom is an innovator and a pro-gressive farmer and dairyman whohas donated countless hours of time,resources, and funds to support agricul-ture and many worthwhile causes.

Government AffairsCommittee Meeting


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tulare chamber the update April 2013 page 3Tulare Advance-Register March 30, 2013MEMBER NEWS

ember NewsPremier Real Estate recently

announced their 2012 top agents andaward recipients at their annual awardsbanquet held at the Tachi Hotel andCasino.

The Overall Top Agent award was pre-

sented to Cara Dierkes-Ray of Tulare. TopAgent awards were presented to GloriaGomar of Tulare and Mark Lanier ofFresno. Top HUD Agent was presented toNick Trujillo of Fresno. The Bruce DierkesMemorial Award, recognizing an associ-ate that continues to Think Purple, waspresented to Marcos Padilla of Tulare. TheShining Star Award was given to Josh Coxof Tulare.

These agents are outstanding salesprofessionals and continue to contributeto the success of Premier Real Estate.said Blain Dierkes, Broker/Owner. Allof our agents that are here with us havemade Premier Real Estate what it is today,a company with dedicated professionals

ready and willing to serve our clients.I am thankful to have such a devotedgroup representing Premier Real Estate.

For more information on the realestate services of Premier Real Estate,please call 684-1400 or visit their websiteat www.premierrealestate.net.

Premier Real Estate Award Winners pictured fromleft to right: Ca ra Dierkes-Ray, Marcos Padilla, GloriaGomar, Mark Lanier and Nick Trujillo.

[

Stan Simpson, chairman emeritus ofBuckman-Mitchell, Inc., in Visalia, was

recently presented theIndependent InsuranceAgents and Brokers ofCalifornias highest honorin recognition of out-standing service.

Simpson was pre-sented with the RamsdenSullivan Award at the

associations annual conference inSacramento.

We are very pleased to see Stans his-tory of commitment recognized with ourindustrys top award, noted Cliff Dunbar,CEO of Buckman-Mitchell, Inc. He hasserved the independent insurance indus-try and our community well for manyyears.

Simpson began working in the indus-try in 1964, working for his grandfather,C.T. Buckman, the founder of Buckman-Mitchell. His volunteer service withthe insurance industry spans 40 years,including service as president of theIndependent Insurance Agents of Kings/Tulare, as a member of the statewideboards Education Committee and later asits secretary-treasurer. He served as presi-

dent of Insurance Brokers and Agents ofthe West in 2005.

Locally, Simpson served as presidentof the Visalia Rotary Club, as presidentof the Visalia Economic DevelopmentCorporation, as chairman of the TulareCounty Office of Education Foundation,and as president of the College of theSequoias Athletic Foundation.

He was named Man of the Year bythe Visalia Chamber of Commerce in1995. He has served on the board of Gov.Schwarzeneggers California Partnershipfor the San Joaquin Valley and the FresnoState University Board of Governors.Simpson is also active in the local

Presbyterian Church.[

Last week the Brandman UniversityEducation Advisory Board engaged ina robust discussion with our Dean, Dr.Zeppos. I know that you expressed inter-est in receiving information after themeeting, so I am delighted to share theseannouncements and notes with you.

Program Initiatives -

MA in Education (emphasisareas: Curriculum and Instruction,Instructional Technology, EarlyChildhood Leadership, Teaching andLearning, and Educational Leadership) we are offering a $120 per credit

scholarship opportunity for newstudents enrolling between now and

October 2013.

Information and Application OpenHouse Friday, April 5 from 3:30pmto 5:00pm, Visalia Campus

EdD in Organizational Leadership application deadline for the Fall 2013cohort is April 1 scholarship opportu-nities are in place.

Application and Financial AidWorkshop Thursday, March 14 at5:30pm, Visalia Campus

Anyone interested in attending theseevents can rsvp via email: [email protected]

Common Core

Beginning in Fall 2013, Brandman willembed the common core into the cur-riculum for our credential students so thatthey will enter the teaching professionprepared.

Partnering with you

An important element of the conversa-tion last week focused on getting feed-back from the local leaders at the table

as to how the university can assist them,and I extend that to you. From that con-versation came some ideas about howour doctoral students can partner withorganizations/school districts in problemsolving as they take on real and currentissues for their Transformational ChangeProjects this year or dissertation topicsin the following years. As well, we haveresources related to teaching technologythat may be a great fit for you; Brandmanhas experts within the university thathave already worked on special projectsfor school districts in other parts of thestate, so there is plenty of opportunity tocapitalize on we have accomplished andapply it locally as needed.

The most important idea that I wish toimpart with you is thatwe are here to beyour partner. We are always looking forways in which to collaborate with othereducators and leaders in our community.If you have an idea, please feel most wel-comed to share it with us. Often I f indthat from ideas and great conversationscome great new ventures!

Brandman University649 S. County Center Dr.

Visalia, CA 93277T 559.625.4436 F 559.625.0254

A Member of the Chapman University System

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LifeWALK - Hundreds to raise fundsfor Life - Tulare-Kings Right to Life ishosting their 18thAnnual LifeWALK &Bazaar on Saturday,April 6th at Plaza Park,in Visalia. Registrationbegins at 8:30am for the

9am 2-mile Walk. There will be music,bounce house, face painting, TrickyTray Raffle, vendors and more! Fun forthe whole family! Anyone who raises$150.00 or more will receive a FREELifeWALK T-Shirt. The Grand Prize is a7-day Mexican Riviera Cruise for Two.Everyone welcome no matter how small!Proceeds from the Walk will be used

to support TKRLs various educationalprograms about fetal development, absti-nence, and post-abortion healing. To reg-ister, raise funds, or for more information,call (559) 732-5000 or online at www.TKRL.org .

[

Dont miss the opportunity to partici-pate! The International Agri-Center ishosting the 21st annual California AntiqueFarm Equipment Show. Fun for thewhole family! April 19 21, 2013. Swapmeet, shopping at Antiques & Boutiques,kids area, tractor pulls, antique tractordisplays.

Still accepting vendors for the SwapMeet and Antiques & Boutiques. Pleasecontact us at (559) 688-1030 for a contractto reserve your space today and join usfor this exciting event!

For additional information on attend-ing the show, visit www.antiquefarm-show.org

Check us out on Facebook andshare with your friends and associates

California Antique Farm Equipment Show-Facebook

For questions or additional informationyou can contact us at (559) 688-1030!

[

Always in Your Corner..

Is a beautiful evening under thestars, and a fabulous dinner to benefitthe Tulare Athletic Club, Manuel TorrezFamily Resource Center and Tulare Read.The dinner will be in the backyard gar-dens of Jimi and Tammy Valov located at505 Chevy Chase Drive in Tulare. Thedinner is Saturday, April 27th starting witha hosted Social Hour beginning at 6:00PM, dinner will be provided by Fugazzis

and will be served at 7:00 PM. Tickets are$75, please contact Cathy Mederos (559)901-0192 or Richard Torrez (559) 905-8933 to purchase tickets.

[

Evolutions Fitness and WellnessCenter, a division ofTulare RegionalMedical Centerannounces PhysicallyActive Community Exercise, PACE.

Beginning April 16, 2013, at 6:30 a.m.,Michele Stewart, Exercise Physiologistand Evolutions Fitness and Wellness

Center Fitness Manager, will prepare youfor walking the Tulare Outlet Center. Thecommunity walking club is free and opento the public until 7:30 a.m. Interestedwalkers meet at the Tulare Outlet CenterClock Tower for registration and anopportunity to earn incentive prizes.

For more information about plannedPACE activities contact Michele,559.685.3804.

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The Sequoia Genealogical Societywill meet on Thursday, April 4th at7:00pm at the Seventh Day AdventistChurch, 494 N. Blackstone, Tulare.Kathy Burrow will discuss the OldNorthwest Territory of the 18th centuryand the part it played in the History ofthe United States. A discussion of theStates carved out of that territory is givenand the types of records you can expectto find in these states. This area becamethe states of Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota,Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois in theearly 1800s.

The public is invited to attend. Formore information please call: JeanetteMitchell, Publicity Chairman (559) 688-2264

[

Join us for an informational presenta-

tion hosted by the Society for HumanResource management (SHRM) of Tulare-Kings.

A Discussion ofEmployment Law Issues

Our speaker will be Aimee Kircher,SPHR and Attorney-At-Law. Please joinus onTuesday, April 16th 2013. 11:30a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Visalia HolidayInn located at 9000 W. Airport Dr.Visalia, CA 93277

Lunch is included; cost is $15 forSHRM members, $25 non-members. RSVPby Tuesday, April 9th 2013 at [email protected] or Teresa Inglehart at 559-

651-2925

The City of Tulareis looking for citizens to be

on the following Boards andCommissions: Board of PublicUtilities, Community Relations

Commission, Library Board,Commission on Aging, Tree

Committee, and the Housing& Building Appeals Board.

Applications can be picked upat the City Hall, 411 E. Kern.

Do you nd

MARKETINGin the

DIGITAL AGEoverwhelming?

We can help.Call 559-735-3240 today.

SOCIAL MEDIA

PAY-PER-CLICK

SYNDICATION

MOBILE APPS

EMAIL

SEARCH ENGINE

OPTIMIZATION

REPUTATION

MONITORING

WEB

DEVELOPMENT

Stan Simpson

Members RenewChamber Investment

Thank you to the following businesses andindividuals who renewed their membership

during the month of February.

Dennis K. Buhler, DDS

Educational Employees Credit Union

EMD Networking

Fairfield Inn Tulare

High Sierra Lumber & Supply Inc.

Lewis Insurance

Merle Stone Chevrolet

Orosco Development

Tulare Polaris

Village Profile

Helping One Woman, Sharon Allison

Welcome AboardNew Members

Congratulations and thank you to thefollowing new members that investedin the Chamber during the month of

February.

Liberty Tax Service1003 E. Prosperity Ave., Tulare

559 684-1040

Tulare United Methodist Church228 W. Kern Ave., Tulare

559 686-8523

Tule Branch Farms14174 Ave. 232, Tulare

559 288-7443

Langston Companies2500 S. K St., Tulare

559 688-3839


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page 4 March 2013 tulare chamber the updateFebruary 23, 2013 Tulare Advance-RegisterNETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday, Mar. 286pm - 9pm Microsoft Excel

Class. 220 E. Tulare Ave, TulareChamber of Commerce-TradeRoom

Sunday, March 31EASTER

Monday, April 1APRIL FOOLS DAY

Wednesday, April 33pm - 4pm Board Meeting. Tu-lare Chamber Board Room

Friday, April 55pm - 9pm A&W Cruise Night

Saturday, April 610am - 3pm Cars on K CarShow. Corner of K Street and

Tulare Ave. in Tulare

6pm - 11:30pm COMIX FORKIDS

Monday, April 8Governmental Affairs Meeting.

Apple Annies, 1165 N. Black-stone Ave., Tulare

7pm - 8pm Planning commissionmeeting. Tulare Public Library,491 North M St., Tulare

Tuesday, April 9Ambassadors Lunch Meeting.220 E. Tulare Ave. in the TRADE

ROOM

12pm - 1pm Tulare Safety Coun-cil meeting. Apple Annies Restau-rant, 1165 N. Blackstone

5:30pm - 6:30pm Police CitizensComplaint Review Board meet-ing. Tulare City Hall, 411 E. Kern

Ave

6:30pm - 7:30pm Parks andRecreation Commission meeting.Claude Meitzenheimer Commu-nity Center, 830 S. Blackstone.

Monday, April 15TAX DAY

Wednesday, April 174pm - 5pm Tulare Chamber ofCommerce Board of Directorsmeeting. 220 E. Tulare Ave., Tu-lare Chamber office

Thursday, April 186pm - 7pm Community GameNight Bingo. Twin Oaks AssistedLiving Center, 999 North M St.

Monday, April 227pm - 8pm Planning commissionmeeting. Tulare Public Library,491 North M St., Tulare

Tuesday, April 236pm - 9pm Microsoft Power

Point. 220 E. Tulare Ave, TulareChamber of Commerce-TradeRoom

Wednesday, April 249am - 1pm Veterans OpportunityDay. Veterans Memorial Building

9am - 1pm Veterans OpportunityDay 2013. 1771 E. Tulare Ave.,

Tulare

Sunday, May 5CINCO DE MAYO

Monday, May 67pm - 8pm Planning commissionmeeting. Tulare Public Library,491 North M St., Tulare

AprilCalendarAprilCalendar

Tulare Boys & Girls Club host the March Mixer

Technology spotlight: Five great gadgets and accessories

Thank you to Tulare Boys & Girls Clubfor hosting our March mixer! Lynn Dodds-

Director of Development, Galen Quenzer-COO and Ty Davis-Director hosted a

wonderful mixer along with the children.

With the help of the children guided tourswere provided to all. Everyone walked

away with the knowledge of the impor-tance of having the Boys and Girls Club

in our community. The Boys & Girls Club

is located at 948 N. H St. You can supportthe organization by attending Comix 4

Kidz to be held April 6th. For informationcall Debra at 592-4074 or visit www.bgcse-

quoias.org

AT&T Mobile Hotspot Elevate

Relying on public wifi can lead to frustrat-ing bandwidth problems, expensive day-usefees and scary security issues. Carry yourown hotspot with you everywhere you go forabout $50 a month, and save more than thatin access fees and three times that in frustra-tion.

Drawbacks: 5GB data limit and you haveto sign a 2-year agreement.

Alternatives: Try the Wi-Fi Finder app to,well, find wifi.

LifeProof iPhone Case

Lets face it, our iPhones are rarely morethan 10 feet from our side. Thats why its

worth paying big bucks to protect it. The $99LifeProof case is waterproof, shatterproof, andweatherproof.

Drawbacks: Its tough to put the cover on,and once its on, youre not supposed to takeit off. Plus the tight case makes it challengingto connect the audio and power cords.

Alternatives: If youre looking to keep yoursmartphone out of the water on vacation, you

can find a waterproof bag for less than $20.Recoil Automatic Cord & Cable Winder

The pricy Recoil Winder gadgets is thebest way to keep the cords for all your elec-tronic toys in order. They instantly wind yourcords and keep them tidy and easy to store.

Drawbacks: Ten bucks a piece is just nutswhen you have a bunch of cords. They canbe a bit ungainly when you have cords likeheadphones with microphones because thehardware wont fit in the winding chamber.

Leap Motion Controller

Imagine being able to flick your hand inthe air in front of your computer to scrolldown a page, or poke your index finger into

nothingness to open an app. The $80 LeapMotion Controller proves the future hasarrived with touchless gesture control of yourcomputer.

Drawbacks: Not available yet, but its com-ing in May.

Alternatives: The Gyration Air Mouse,which is just as expensive and much moreconfusing to use.

MacBook Air

Once you go Mac, youll never go back.Its faster; its cooler; its funner; its more reli-able; and its so darn easy to use.

Drawbacks:A Mac will cost you consid-erably more than a comparable PC, but its

worth the cost. In addition, you may find theoccasional Mac/PC compatibility issues thatmay be a hassle when youre working withothers.

Alternatives: Apple sells certified refur-bished computers for a slight discount.

The Tulare Chamber of Commerceis offering computer classes for youand your employees to help improveyour basic skills in MicroSoft OfficeProfessional and Social Networking Facebook, Twitter, blogs and Web sites.

Christopher Leach will be teaching theclasses. He is a computer teacher atWest Hills College and is highly quali-

fied to teach at many levels frombeginner to advanced. Please take thisopportunity to learn or advance yourskills in these areas. $20.00 per class.

Thursday, April 18

Create your own Facebook account.Learn the differencesin all their applications.

Thursday, May 23Adobe Illustrator basics

Thursday, June 20Microsoft Office Publisher - Createprofessional flyers and pamphlets

Thursday, July 25Create your own Twitter account andlearn how it works

Thursday, Aug. 22

Create your professional LinkedInaccount

Thursday, Sept. 19

Microsoft Office Excel

Classes are subject to change, by participationand requests. Call the Chamber for more informa-tion 686-1547.

Job Killers(continued from page 2)will be passed on to tenants, includingbusinesses and apartment renters, throughhigher rents. The increased costs couldresult in reduced employee benefits, work-force reductions, or even higher prices forconsumers.

The proposed definition of changeof ownership under AB 188 will trig-

ger reporting requirements for multiple

ownersof theseentities.Despite

the percentage of ownership acquired, anindividual or entity must report the changein ownership or face a penalty of up to20% of the assessed fair market value ofthe commercial property.

A penalty for failure to file a statementis imposed even if the county assessor

ultimately determines no change of own-

ership has occurred. This duplicative andonerous reporting requirement that AB188 seeks to impose creates a potentiallyunfair monetary trap for a minority ownerin a company who is unaware that a 100%change of ownership has even taken placewithin the previous three years.

The CalChamber will continue to addlegislation to the job killer list as bills areamended or new language is introduced.For more information on past job killers,

visit www.calchamber.com/jobkillers.

Paula Adair, Director of Curriculum, Tulare City School District andMark Thompson, Vice Principal at Mulcahy enjoying the mixer.

Terry Brazil and Melissa Kaminski, Tulare Chamber Ambassadors

Tulare Chamber Leadership Class 2013

The Tulare Leadership had their annual Trip to our State Capitol in Sacramento in March 5, 6, 2013. For wred carpet for our classand brought them to the senate floor. Her staff also arranged for them to meet with other elected officials and the CaliforniaChamber of Commerce brought in their lobbyist to share with them some of the issues that the Chambers address daily in defensefor business. They also went to the California Great Center. This is the one of the Highlights for the Leadership class to see first-

hand our elected officials in action. Pictured Left to right Manuel Ortiz Jr., Bryce Gowin, Jarod Boatman, Ruth Medlin, BrandonOrmonde, Donna Marie Sonnichsen, Debbie Thrasher, Assemblywoman Connie Conway, Luis Nevarez, Ashley Vanderpoel, JulieChristianson , Patty Rocha, Tammy Weyker, Art Clark, Charlene Dawson.

Computer classes offered at the Tulare Chamber of Commerce offices

Documents

Tulare Chamber of Commerce April 2013