west valley news

Kick Off the Holiday Season atthe Child Development Institute’sFirst Annual Community HolidayCelebration

On Tuesday, December 6th, the San FernandoValley community was invited to kick off theholiday season at Child Development Institute’sFirst Annual Community Holiday Celebration.

Businesses and organizations from the localcommunity including members of the CanogaPark/West Hills Chamber of Commerce, theRotary Club of Woodland Hills, and the SFVJaycees attended this festive, fun-filled eveningto celebrate the season of giving and help pavethe way for our children’s future. At the party,there was tastings from area restaurants andcafes, holiday entertainment, a raffle of greatprizes, and much more!

The CDI Early Learning Center is acommunity-based, developmentally-focusedplay and learning space that is free and opento all families and young children. The Centersupports early learning opportunities throughliteracy, art, science, music and nature programsand events in a non-stigmatizing, culturally-congruent environment. It is run and supportedby volunteers and community groups. It islocated at the corner with Owensmouth andWyandotte, in downtown Canoga Park.

To learn more about the event go to ChildDevelopment Institute’s website www.cdikids.orgor contact Angela Leff at 818-888-4559 [email protected].

CDI Early Learning Center7260 Owensmouth AveCanoga Park, CA 91303

About Child Development Institute:

Child Development Institute's (CDI) mission is to help allchildren reach their full potential by supporting the relation-ships and environments that shape early development. Formore than fifteen years, CDI has served as a vital resourcefor children and their families through early identificationof issues and challenges and providing effective interventionfor children with developmental differences and needs.To learn more, go to www.cdikids.org.

Live entertainment, fun, food, and thegenerosity of local business leaders,help raise funds for the Topanga Station

A few months before the official grand openingof the 21st Police Station on January 3, 2009, agroup of local community and business leadersgot together to form the Topanga Boosters.

This volunteer support organization held aFounders’ Circle Reception on Nov. 20, 2008,that successfully raised over $40,000 to helppurchase equipment and materials not generallysupplied by the City of Los Angeles.

That event set the bar pretty high, not only interms of the amount of funds raised, but thelevel of quality of everything associated with it.Thanks to the stewardship of Francois Khoury,general manager of the Hilton Woodland Hills,that tradition has continued unaltered. The recentThird Annual Celebrating Topanga event held onNov. 18, 2011, at the Hilton was no exception.

CONNECTING BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 2004. CELEBRATING 8 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE WEST VALLEY COMMUNITY. Volume 7 Number 11 2011

www.westvalleynews-sfv.com

Celebrating Topanga Rocks with Mrs. Robinson

Serving:CalabasasCanoga ParkChatsworthResedaTarzanaWest HillsWinnetkaWoodland Hills

FREE

The ultimate entertainment experience of the band “Mrs. Robinson” performed musical hits spanning the 60’sto current day mainstream. Some die-hard hipsters stayed until the end, cheering and screaming in unison,reminiscing about their youthful days. Of course the twin sisters of Mrs. Robinson appreciated the response.

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Día Festival Shines in Canoga Park

Ed Crowe / West Valley News

The Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival is a cultural tradition that began in the pre-Hispanic culturesof Mexico and Central America and grew from the belief that the souls of the dead return each year to visit withthe relatives, just as they did when they were living. The tradition continues to this day. Every November 1 (AllSaint Day) and November 2 (All Souls Day) Día de los Muertos Festivals are held throughout Mexico.

Over 12 years ago, Main Street Canoga Park, adopted this tradition as a celebration of the cultural diversityin the community and a way to attract visitors—from the neighboring communities—to the business district ofOld Town Center Canoga Park. The event has grown in popularity every year, attracting well over 20,000 visitors.


INSIDE

Soteras Mortgage 2Commercial / Residential

Fight to Combat Grafiti Continues 3

Maximizing Your Leadership 5

Braces for $99/mo. Corbin Dental 9

SHOP. DINE. PLAY. RESEDA 11

$ave BIG with Business Servicesand Classified 15

New ER at West Hills Hospital 16

Looking east on Sherman Way during the Día de los Muertos Street Festival in Old Town Center Canoga Park, onNovember 6, 2011. The Aztec Dancers prayed to stop the rain, and it worked. The sun shined and people came.

See Celebrating Topanga on Page 8

Equipment funded by the Topanga Boosters insidethe Mobile Operations Unit at the Topanga Station.

NOW ONLINE 24/7

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


DON'TMEASURE

YOURSELFBY

WHAT

YOUHAVE

ACCOMPLISHED,

BUTBY

WHAT

YOUSHOULD

HAVEACCOM

PLISHEDWITH

YOURABILITY.

JohnWooden

2011

From the Publisher’s DeskNothing like the last month of the year to think about what’s really

important. Our families come first. As we get ready to celebrate theholidays, let’s enjoy those special moments that bring a smile to ourface because they are precious.

We all face challenges of all types throughout our lives but how wechoose to deal with them, make a difference. Let’s try to be positiveand look at the good side of things.

The entire world is under stress because of decisions people inpositions of leadership have made. If you add natural disasters,political conflict, wars, spending beyond financial means, badinvestments, poor nutritional habits, and anything else that could

have negative consequences, the prospects for normality look pretty bleak. However, we can takecharge of our lives and change things for the better. It all begins with ourselves and the choicesand decisions we make moving forward.

I happen to think that everythingwill be better after the presidentialelections. If a greater number ofpeople get out and vote, choosingthose individuals who offer intelligentsolutions rather than partisangarbage,

Many great projects are anticipatedin the West Valley, early next year,including the ground breaking forconstruction of the new Costco atThe Village. There will be more jobsand more business to improve thelocal economy.

Business owners have to regaintheir confidence in the future andprepare for a turnaround. Hire morepeople and invest in new projects.

Meanwhile, enjoy those specialmoments of a child smile, theembrace of a loved one, the companyof good friends, the warmth of a

sunny day, the color of a beautiful flower, the taste of a homemade meal. HAPPY HOLIDAYS frommy family to yours. The cheering smile of my grandson Lucas is a precious moment to me.

PAGE 2 West Valley News Volume 7 Number 11 2011

Crowe Marketing Design PublisherEd Crowe Managing Editor/Creative DirectorJonathan Goldhill Contributing WriterAl Martinez Contributing WriterLance Miller Contributing Writer

The West Valley News is published monthly asan information and educational resource for smallbusinesses and community-based organizations.

WEST VALLEY NEWSCrowe Marketing Design8378 Sale AvenueWest Hills, CA 91304Tel: (818) 883-3374Fax: (818) 883-9678advertising@westvalleynews-sfv.comwww.westvalleynews-sfv.com

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The West Valley News is distributed by regular mailto active subscribers, via email to an electronicmailing list, and to the general public throughmore than 65 strategic, high-traffic businesslocations throughout the West Valley.

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FREE Business CounselingSBA SCORE Program

Call the Chamber Office to schedule an appointment withDon Doner/Senior SCORE Counselor

818.884.42225 Tips on Advertising Basics• Be consistent in your ad message and style including business cards, letterhead, envelopes, invoices,signs and banners.

• Newspapers, radio and TV stations are helpful in producing the advertising that you will be running with them.• While word-of-mouth advertising has been around a long time, it usually falls short of being able to attractthe number of customers needed to be successful in business.

• Promote benefits rather than features. A benefit is the emotional satisfaction your product or service provides,or a tangible performance characteristic.

• Know your competitors. Knowing everything about your competitors is just as important as knowing everythingabout your own business.

Counselors to America’s Small Business

West Valley News Volume 7 Number 11 2011 PAGE 3

LETTERS

Write, Email, Fax, Call

Write Managing Editor, West Valley News8378 Sale Avenue, West Hills, CA 91304

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Include name, address, and daytime telephone.Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

COOKING CLASSES

Main Street Canoga Park

Farmers’ MarketMAKE IT A HABIT

Every Saturday 9AM-1PMOwensmouth north of Sherman Way

Driving in the rain — this may save your life

GOOD VISION IN A DOWNPOUR

How to achieve good vision while driving duringa heavy downpour.

We are not sure why it is so effective; just try thismethod when it rains heavily. This method wastold by a Police friend who had experienced andconfirmed it. It is useful..... even driving at night.

Most of the motorists would turn on HIGH orFASTEST SPEED of the wipers during heavydownpour, yet the visibility in front of the wind-shield is still bad.

In the event you face such a situation, just try yourSUN GLASSES (any model will do), and miracle!All of a sudden, your visibility in front of our wind-shield is perfectly clear, as if there is no rain.

Make sure you always have a pair of SUN GLASS-ES in your car, as you are not only helping yourselfto drive safely with good vision, but also mightsave your friend’s life by giving him this idea.

Try it yourself and share it with your friends!Amazing, you still see the drops on the windshield,but not the sheet of rain falling.

You can see where the rain bounces off the road.It works to eliminate the “blindness” from passingsemi's spraying you too.

Or the "kickup" if you are following a semi orcar in the rain. They ought to teach that little tipin driver's training. It really does work.

This warning is a good one! I wonder how manypeople know about this~

A 36 year old woman had an accident severalweeks ago and totaled her car. A resident ofKilgore, Texas, she was traveling betweenGladewater & Kilgore. It was raining, though notexcessively, when her car suddenly began tohydroplane and literally flew through the air.She was not seriously injured but very stunnedat the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolmanwhat had happened he told her something thatevery driver should know – NEVER DRIVE IN THERAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON Shethought she was being cautious by setting thecruise control and maintaining a safe consistentspeed in the rain. But the highway patrolman toldher that if the cruise control is on when your carbegins to hydroplane and your tires lose contactwith the pavement, your car will accelerate to ahigher rate of speed making you take off like anairplane. She told the patrolman that was exactlywhat had occurred.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed,on the driver's seat sun visor — NEVER USETHECRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WETOR ICY, along with the airbag warning.

We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control anddrive a safe speed, but we don't tell them to usethe cruise control only when the pavement is dry.

The only person the accident victim found, whoknew this (besides the patrolman), was a man whohad a similar accident, totaled his car and sus-tained severe injuries.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota SiennaLimited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruisecontrol when the windshield wipers are on. If yousend this to 15 people and only one of themdoesn’t know about this, then it was all worth it.You might have saved a life.

On Monday, November 21st, Councilman Dennis P. Zine was joined by representatives from theOffice of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the Bureau of Engineering, the Department of Recreation &Parks, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Transportation, as well as thePresident of the Westhills Baseball League, neighbors, and community members to celebrate thegroundbreaking of the long-awaited construction of a parking lot and street signal/crosswalk acrossfrom the West Hills Sports Center and Bischoff Fields. The project will benefit the community ofWest Hills, specifically for those children and families and members of the community visiting theWest Hills Sports Center and its surrounding facilities.

The development of the parking lot is a Proposition K/Proposition 40 funded project. The scope ofwork is to develop a parking lot for the park and a street signal/pedestrian crosswalk on Valley CircleBlvd. in West Hills. The parking lot will have 62 stalls, a gravel surface, concrete wheel stops,perimeter fencing, bio-swale with planting, and solar light fixtures for security. On the City Right ofWay there will be a Smart crosswalk, a driveway, pedestrian ramps, a traffic signal, and signage. Theestimated total project cost is $604,288. The project has been in the works for several years andCouncilman Zine is elated that it will improve pedestrian safety for those visiting the West Hills BallFields and Sports Center, and that nearby facilities will also benefit from the increased parking. Theanticipated completion date for this project is March of 2012 in time for Opening Day.

(L-R) Councilman Zine, President of the Westhills Baseball League Mark Sikand, City Engineer Neil Drucker,Office of County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky Deputy Maria Chong-Castillo

Photography by JuanCarlos Chan/Los Angeles Dept of Recreation and Parks

West Hills Sports Center/Bischoff Fields Parking Lotand Pedestrian Signal Groundbreaking

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE WEST VALLEY LAUNCHESKEEN TEENS DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAMSponsored by State Farm Insurance and Mercedes-Benz Driving AcademyThe Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley will launch its first-ever “Keen Teens Driver Safety

Program” sponsored by State Farm Insurance and Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. The goal is toreduce teen accidents and help Los Angeles youth develop strong leadership skills. A kick-off eventis scheduled for Friday, November 18, 2011, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., at Canoga Park High School.

The program, taught by California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Los Angeles Police Department(LAPD) officers, is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving in real-timescenarios. Using a golf cart to demonstrate how young drivers can be easily distracted by cellphones, passengers and on-road obstacles, it will also emphasize the known dangers of drivingwhile under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

“California is second in the nation in the number of teen fatalities related to car crashes, which isattributed, in large part, to distracted driving. Most of these crashes occur within the first six monthsafter the teen becomes a licensed driver,” said Gary Thomas, Chairman of the Boys & Girls Club ofthe West Valley. “The Keen Teens Driver Safety Program aims to teach kids how to take their drivingsafety seriously, giving them knowledge and tools that will help protect them. Better instructioncoupled with understanding the seriousness of this issue is the first step toward reducing teenaccidents and helping youth develop strong leadership skills,” Thomas concluded.

The Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, State Farm Insurance, and Mercedes-Benz DrivingAcademy are part of the growing coalition of related partnerships geared toward creating a nextgeneration of prepared, focused and safety-driven students receiving their licenses.

IMPACT Teen Driver’s Martha Tessmer, the parent of a teen killed by a drunk driver, will share herpersonal story with the students. Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis P. Zine, representatives ofthe CHP, LAPD, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, State Farm Insurance, Los Angeles Unified SchoolDistrict and IMPACT Teen Drivers will be present to help kick off the program.

“The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will offer a new approach to teen driver education whichwill represent a major step towards impacting teen safety on the roads,” Carolyn Duchene, directorof Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy said. “We are proud to partner with advocacy and awarenessgroups in a collective effort to ensure that all teens have the best skills for strategic and safedecision-making behind the wheel,” she continued. “Raising standards and direction of educationas well as incentives from insurance providers are a part of the solution, but changing attitudes ofteens towards driving and safety is a key factor.” The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is set toopen in Los Angeles by the end of the year.

Canoga Park High School is located at 6850 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Canoga Park, CA, 91303.

Contact: Diane Jones, Director of Development at 818-610-1054 for more information. The Boys &Girls Club of the West Valley, established in 1992 serves more than 3,100 underprivileged youtheach year at seven locations through the West San Fernando Valley.

December 17Holiday Celebration with ZUMBA Dance Class!

Free Cooking Class from SEE-LA’sGood Cooking/Buena Cocina Program!

BE THERE!

Fight to CombatGraffiti ContinuesThe scar of graffiti continues to spread across

the City of Los Angeles. These vile acts ofvandalism costs individuals and governmentsmillions of dollars every year in destroyedproperty, lost business, and decreased propertyvalues. The resulting visual blight robs peopleand their communities of dignity, hope, andpride. In an effort to reduce access to spray paintthat may be stolen at stores by these vandals,the City approved legislation in 1990 to requirethat all retail commercial establishments mustkeep spray paint can displays locked or other-wise inaccessible to the public.

The City has enacted many other ordinancesrelated to graffiti eradication including civil finesof up to $1000 and a $1000 reward programthat is paid to people who provide informationthat leads to the arrest and conviction of agraffiti vandal.

This week the City Council approved a Motionintroduced by Councilman Zine to take anotherstep to continue the fight against graffiti. Theyrequested the City Attorney to draft an Ordinancewhich will require all merchants to post a signon or near their spray paint display to includethe information regarding potential fines andimprisonment for graffiti vandalism and thereward given to individuals who provideinformation leading to the arrest and convictionof graffiti criminals.

This will serve as an effort to warn potentialvandals and to notify and encourage the publicto further participate in the fight against graffiti.

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SHOP LOCAL. CONTRACT LOCAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.CHECK OUT BUSINESS BY REFERRAL AT WWW.WESTVALLEYNEWS-SFV.COM

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United Chambers of CommerceA Coalition of 32 Business Organizations, including 22 Chambersof Commerce representing over 21,000 businesses.

5121 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 208Sherman Oaks, CA 91403T 818-981-4491 F 818-981-4256

Build your business while building your community.Join a Chamber of Commerce today.

How does your business benefit by being a memberof your local chamber?

• Opportunities to market your business.• Great networking opportunities and events.• Get involved with local legislative issues.• Meet local business and political activists.• Be involved in a variety of community events.

For a complete list of member chambers,visit www.unitedchambers.org

Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber(818) 889-3150 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Calabasas Chamber(818) 222-5680 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber(818) 884-4222 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber(818) 341-2428 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Encino Chamber(818) 789-4711 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Granada Hills Chamber(818) 368-3235 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber(818) 989-0300 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Regional Black Chamber818.464.3484 | Fax [email protected]

Reseda ChamberContact Nancy at (818) 989-0300 for [email protected]

SFV Filipino-American Chamber(818) 780-9197 | (818) [email protected]

Sherman Oaks Chamber(818) 906-1951 | Fax (818) [email protected]

Winnetka Chamber(818) 340-2282 | Fax (818 [email protected]

Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber(818) 347-4737 | Fax (818) [email protected]

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Fun and Games at WHTCC Family Fair

It took a great community, a creative and hard working organizing committee, and a small army ofvolunteers, to put on the Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber's 12th Annual Old-Fashioned Family Fair.On Saturday, November 5th, even Mother Nature cooperated with a beautiful sunny day.

Councilman Dennis Zine joined Congressman Brad Sherman, Board Member and Event ChairPaul Lawler and Chamber CEO Diana Williams (pictured above) at the Family Fair where avariety of food trucks were stationed and good old-fashioned children’s games were held. MarkSterling, Business owner of World’s Greatest Promotional Stuff in Tarzana and the event’s MC,provided lively entertainment for all the attendees and guests. Congratulations WHTCC for anothersuccessful event!

The event was held on the grassy area next to Crate & Barrel, courtesy of Westfield, from 11am to4pm. There was fun for the entire family! Rock Climbing Wall, Jolly Jumper, Face Painting by Partiesby Stacey, Live Animal Shows including Harley the Dog who rides a Harley, Pygmy Goats, ThreeLegged Races and Hula Hoop Contests, Apple Pie, Watermelon Eating Contests and Ice Cream.Craft Vendors, Sponsor Booths, Zumba, Tug of War, and much more. General admission was freebut activities were $1 to $3 each. In the spirit of an old fashioned family fair, the watermelon contestwas very competitive. All the children were declared winners by Mark Sterling, but he disqualifiedall the adult contestants for unruly behavior. Councilman Zine demonstrated how to take control ofthe microphone and the MC at a public event with a Z-choke hold.

818 .713 . 1234

Child Development Institute’sFirst Annual

Community Holiday CelebrationTuesday, December 6, 2011,

6pm to 8pmCDI Early Learning Center7260 Owensmouth AveCanoga Park, CA 91303

(See services offered on Page 15)


SUPPORTING THE BRAVE OFFICERS THAT PROTECT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

www.topangaboosters.org

PLEASE JOIN US AS A MEMBER

The Topanga Boosters is a volunteer support organization made up of business and community leaders. Its primarymission is to increase the effectiveness and morale of the officers and staff of the Topanga Police Station by raisingmoney for community services, materials, and equipment not generally supplied by the City of Los Angeles.

TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE

There are many ways how you as a stakeholder in the community can be part of the Topanga Boosters.

LAPD Good Neighbor Any Amount

LAPD Residential Supporter $60.00 per year

LAPD Business Supporter $120.00 per year

The Topanga BOOSTERS is a 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Organization. Tax ID# 36-4622976

For more information about becoming a member of the Topanga Boosters as a resident or business owner, contactEd Crowe, Vice President of Community Relations at (818) 231-4454 or at [email protected].

The Growth CoachBecoming a Strategic Business OwnerBy Jonathan Goldhill and Daniel M. Murphy

It’s All About FocusIt’s been said that managers do things right and leaders do the right things. The former is about efficiency the

latter is about effectiveness. It is easy to be busy but hard to work on the right things. Leaders must focus ondoing the right things—those things that matter most to the success of the company. In short, effective leadersmust drive the focus of the organization. Leaders must channel the time, talent, energy, and resources of theorganization on tackling key priorities and goals. Owners must ask constantly, “What’s Important Now (WIN)?”

In today’s fast-paced, technology connected world, it’s easy for people to lose track of what is most importantto the enterprise. They get so caught up in the day-to-day minutia and distractions (email, voicemail, cellphones, PDAs, etc.) that they must be redirected, re-focused, re-oriented continually. Owners need to rein intheir employees’ focus. Do not let your employees waste energy, time, talent, and resources on trivial matters;keep them focused on the company’s vision and its mission-critical priorities.

To help you manage the attention and concentration of your team, consider focusing them onsix primary areas:

1. Satisfying your customers/clients

2. Getting results, not excuses

3. Improving continuously (innovation)

4. Maintaining profits

5. Keeping a long-term perspective

6. Having fun

1. Focus on satisfying your customers

Your company’s primary focus should be squarely on exceeding the expectations of your customers/clients.Begin to establish a culture whereby your team falls in love with your customers and their needs/wants andnot your own company’s products or services. You are in business to attract, delight and retain customers in aprofitable manner – period. The real value of your business is tied directly to the future, predictable cash flowfrom your highly satisfied and loyal customers. Without customers, you do not have a business.

Again, your focus should be on your customers and solving their needs and wants. It should not be aboutyour company or your services and products. Teach your employees to value your customers, serve them well,and sniff out any customer problems or complaints. Keep your customers delighted and coming back for more!As leader, have the courage to create an environment in which the customer is your enterprise’s primary focus.

As CEO, set the tone by visiting regularly the top 20% of your customers and keeping them satisfied. Find outwhat is on their minds. Aside from creating clarity of direction for your business, there is no better use of yourtime and talents.

2. Focus on getting results

Next, focus your team on achieving results for your company. Establish the climate whereby activity is notconfused with accomplishment. Where thinking and planning are admired. Where actual results are valued morethan busyness. Where effectiveness (doing the right things) is rewarded more than efficiency (doing thingsright). Insist on intelligent, meaningful action and detest procrastination (paralysis-by-analysis)and excuses. As a leader, one of the most important jobs you have is to establish a goal-oriented environmentwith a solid expectation of performance. Insist on results; do not tolerate excuses.

The chapter on business planning and implementation will cover how to set and achievebusiness goals.

3. Focus on continual improvement

After satisfying customers and insisting on results, the next focus area should be on continuous improvement.If your company is not improving, it is declining. If you aren’t getting better, yourcompetitors are getting stronger. Therefore, establish a climate where continuous improvement and innovationthrive. Do not let your employees fear failure or making mistakes. Just eliminate repeated mistakes. Failure isnot fatal, but failing to change might be.

As CEO, you must drive out fear from your organization. If your company is not failing occasionally, either yourgoals are too low or your rate of innovation is too slow. Have your employees adopt the attitude that failure isnot painful or shameful. Failure is merely valuable feedback on what not to do next time. Failure is fertilizer forfuture success. Failure is an incredible gift if properly viewed and used. If we are moving closer to our goals, weare winning. The quicker we fail and modify our approach, the quicker we get to our desired outcome.

Insist that your employees continually improve what they do and how they do it. Focus them on thinking abouthow to improve their roles, responsibilities, and contribution to the cause. Have them also improve your sys-tems and processes. Remind them, “Good enough never is.” Refer back to the theory of optimization for power-ful questions to ask yourself and your team.

Encourage employees to try new things. Experiment, experiment, experiment! Insist that “we can always dobetter – let’s find the way!” Take small steps to test ideas and learn more in the process.If something works better, keep it. If it doesn’t, lose it. Know when to cut your losses. Admit mistakes and let goof failed ideas fast. Fail fast, fail cheap. Keep your ego in check.

Once a week, facilitate a one-hour business improvement workshop. Release the brainpower of your organiza-tion. For every good idea surfaced, assign a champion, due date, and key action steps to take. Good ideas notfully implemented are worthless. Reward employees for successfully implementing ideas that increase revenues,cut costs, improve operations or morale, or improve customer satisfaction.

Also, encourage healthy debate amongst your team. Allow everyone, in a constructive manner, to challengeideas, policies and strategies. Even allow for productive and constructive conflict. When ideas are put to the test,they improve.

4. Focus on profits

Next, focus on growing your revenues and most importantly, your profits. Focus on both top line and bottomline growth. Focusing only on revenue growth is ego-driven and not too smart. Cash flow and profits are yourlifeblood. Keep your gross margins strong.

Also, while cost containment is important to the health of your company, do not over-emphasize slashingcosts. Stay on the offensive, not the defensive. Revenue growth is nearly endless, cost cutting is limited – youcan only cut so much before you do real damage. Some costs are really strategic investments in the future ofyour business (new equipment, advertising, training and development, etc.) .

Jonathan Goldhill, The Growth Coach, coaches leaders of private companies to grow their business. To learn more abouthis unique group and individual coaching programs visit www.TheGrowthCoachLA.com. Jonathan can be reached at(818) 716-8826 or [email protected]. Daniel M. Murphy is CEO & Founder of The Growth Coach FranchiseSystem, www.TheGrowthCoach.com.

See Strategic Business Owners on Page 7

Editor’s note: Beginning with Volume 7 Number 1 of the West Valley News, we started publishing monthlyinstallments of the content of a book by Daniel M. Murphy, CEO & Founder of The Growth Coach. The book istitled “Becoming a Strategic Business Owner. A Proven Process to Enhance Your Strategic Mindset.”

__________

CHAPTER 5. MAXIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP (CONT.)

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Local Business Owners Attend Celebrating Topanga

Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce CEO Diana Williams (center), is accompanied by Canoga Auto Bodyowner Craig Dillmann (left) and his guest, and Allen Plumbing’s Russell Allen and his guest, during the annualCelebrating Topanga fundraiser at the Hilton Woodland Hills.

Canoga Park Time CapsuleOn Friday, November 18th, Councilman Zine joined members

of the Canoga Park community to celebrate the time capsuleceremony held at the Canoga Park Community Center. The eventwas sponsored by the Canoga Park Neighborhood Council andthe Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber of Commerce. The TimeCapsule captures the heart of what Canoga Park is all about. TheNeighborhood Council outreached to schools and communitygroups who contributed to the capsule so those in 2112will know what Canoga Park was like in 2012. The Councilmandeposited an album in the capsule which contained mementosof his time in office including: photos of the grand openings ofthe Topanga Police Station, Fire Station 84, the Dennis P. ZineCommunity Center, and Mecca Park, as well as pictures from the Annual Councilman Dennis P. ZineFireworks Extravaganzas and numerous POSSE Projects. For more information on other centennialevents taking place in Canoga Park, please visit www.canogapark100.com.

Business owners and residents of the communities of Canoga Park, Winnetka, West Hills andWoodland Hills, can support the Topanga LAPD Officers who protect and serve their communitiesby becoming a member of the Topanga Boosters.

The Celebrating Topanga fundraising event on November 18, 2011, was well attended. Every guestwas very impressed by the outstanding job Topanga Boosters’ president and organizing committeechair Francois Khoury did, in coordinating the entire event. To learn more about the TopangaBoosters, visit www.topangaboosters.org.

West Valley News Volume 7 Number 11 2011

The Day After ThanksgivingIt is early in the morning on the day after Thanksgiving and the house is in moderate

disarray from a family gathering of 14 happy souls.

There are still dishes in the sink and the dining room remains almost as they hadleft it with chairs pushed back from the table, orange and lavender petals from a bouquetscattered on the linen table cloth, glasses with traces of wine here and there.

All of this will be taken care of as the day progresses. The dishes will be washed and putaway and the dining room restored to its orderly condition. The household will settle intoits normal routine.

But this isn’t on my mind as I stand with a cup of coffee looking over the rooms wherefamily had gathered only hours ago. I can still hear the echoes of conversation, trails oflaughter, shards of stories traded back and forth across the table.

Our extended family is a gregarious mix of retired teachers, a retired milkman, a financier,a gifted young artist, an entrepreneur, an aspiring musician, students, a baby, a park workerand the wives who keep it all together.

As I stand near the table recreating the sounds and images of yesterday I see my wife,the vibrant Cinelli, basting the turkey, mixing the dressing, finishing the glorious pumpkinpies and organizing the additions that others have brought to the dinner.

She smiles as she works, happy to have this day, happy to have this family, happy to haveall of us winning the struggle to survive during a difficult time in America, thinking of adaughter who didn’t live for this day, pushing ahead through pain and memory for the joyof others.

She is a remarkable woman who paints and writes poetry as gracefully as she serves up agourmet dinner, as willingly as she keeps our household running, as artfully as she jugglesour finances, as patiently as she keeps her grouchy, unstable husband plunging forward.

Conversations of the day before remain in the room, this pleasant room, and while theyvary in content, there remains a compelling toast to those who Occupy Wall Street fromOakland to New York, mounting a velvet revolution against greed, corruption and theruthless quest for power that has tarnished the very soul of America.

I realize as I stand with a cup of coffee in hand considering the glory of family on a dayof thanksgiving that we are a cross-section of Americana and our voices are rising to rightthe wrongs and to bring equality back to a nation off balance.

This is what I have to say today as morning rises over the mountainsand the valleys of L.A. We are a happy people, grateful for what wehave but challenging the status quo. Like the character from the 1976movie “Network,” we’re madder than hell and we’re not going to take itanymore.

It’s the bottom line on this day after Thanksgiving.

Al Martinez is a Pulitzer Prize winning essayist, author of a dozen books,an Emmy-nominated creator of prime time television shows, a travelwriter, humorist and general hell-raiser. Try him. He’s addictive.almartinez.org/wordpress

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KNOWLEDGE BASE

What’s a Triple Net LeaseA triple net lease is only one of many commercial

leasing options. In a gross lease, the lessee paysrent while the landlord takes care of everything else.Most people who rent their homes are familiar withthe terms of a gross lease, as this type of lease iscommonly used for residential properties. In a doublenet lease, the landlord assumes some of the costsof property upkeep. In a double net lease, landlordscommonly cover parking, heating and coolingsystems, and the structural integrity of the building.

The triple net lease is sometimes called a truenet lease, because the landlord usually has no respon-sibilities related to building upkeep. For this reason,many commercial landlords favor triple net leasingoptions. The building can generate a high level ofincome while the tenant keeps it in good condition,generally making improvements as well. The tenanthas many of the advantages of ownership, includingcontrol over the property, without the substantialcapital investment that a new acquisition represents.

A triple net lease can be risky for a landlord. Sometenants may not be able to pay fees, or may allowthe building to fall into disrepair. In extreme cases, atenant may deliberately damage a building to collectinsurance money. For this reason, some triple netleases include a reserve fund. The tenant makesregular payments into the reserve fund, which canbe used to cover essential repairs in the eventof emergency.

A triple net lease is individualized to the tenantand lessor. The terms of the contract may containrestrictions and stipulations to protect both parties.In some instances, for example, the terms of the leasemay include a cap on total property taxes to be paidby the tenant. If the property taxes rise above a certainamount, the landlord will be responsible for coveringthe remainder. Protections may also be built in tocope with rising insurance rates or unexpectedmaintenance costs.

When considering lease options as a landlord ortenant, the full terms of the lease should always beread before committing. In the case of a triple netlease, make sure that all the terms are clear andagreed upon by both parties. Consulting a lawyerwho specializes in real estate is an excellent idea.

New Horizons Names Holly RaseyVP Development & MarketingNew Horizons, the San Fernando Valley’s leading

non-profit agency providing services for adults withdevelopmental disabilities, announced today thatHolly Rasey has been promoted to Vice President,Development & Marketing, according to CEOCynthia Kawa.

“I am thrilled to be working with our great BoardMembers and volunteers to advance fundraising andcommunity outreach initiatives for New Horizons!”says Rasey. “Serving people with special needs hasbeen one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.”

Founded in 1954 by eight parents whose childrenhad mental retardation, the agency has evolved toprovide services and support each year to nearly800 developmentally disabled adults and social/recreational services to nearly 3,000 individualsfrom throughout the San Fernando and Santa ClaritaValleys.

Rasey has been in the fundraising professionfor more than 25 years, and has been part of NewHorizons’ development department for eight years.She earned her B.S. from CSUN, is President-electof the Greater San Fernando Valley of the Associationof Fundraising Professionals and is the Chairpersonof the Board of Directors of the San Fernando ValleyYouth Chorus.

Adult Education Classes, SFV Get your GED orHS diploma. Upgrade your job skills. Learn a newtrade. Computer tech., parenting, culinary, ServSafeCert. classes, ESL, evening & Sat. classes.For information or to enroll, call: Hughes Edu. &Career Ctr. at 818-587-4335, El Camino Real Comm.Adult School at 818-610-5600, Canoga Park HighSchool Campus at 818-673-1391, Reseda AdultSchool at 818-758-3700, or visit our website at:http://elcamino-lausd.ca.schoolloop.com

Canoga Park Bowl andthe San Fernando Valley

Symphony Orchestra

CONCERTS AT THE BOWLWednesday Evenings at 8:00pm

IN THE ROYAL ROOM

ADMISSION FREE/ 1 DRINK MINIMUM

20122 Vanowen Street, Winnetka, CAPersons under 21 years of age not admitted.

Coping with the HolidaysWe know that, particularly at this time of year seniors and family caregivers can feel stressed and depressed formany reasons, including isolation and loneliness, money worries, family discord and memories of holidayspast.

View some of the information the City of LA Department of Aging shared with seniors and family caregivers atour "Coping with the Holidays" presentations. It may help someone you know to beat the holiday blues thisyear. It includes suggestions for inexpensive holiday celebrations, talking to children when money is short,finding ways to combat loneliness and ideas for local volunteerism (view flyer).

If the Department of Aging can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to let them know.

Contact: Helen Davis, M.A., City of Los Angeles Department of Aging3580 Wilshire Blvd., #300, Los Angeles, CA 90010Tel: 213-252-4084From Easy Update: Events in Reseda this Week 11/23/2011

Economist to presentforecast Dec. 15CERF 4th quarter report to cover US, CaliforniaThe California Lutheran University Center for

Economic Research and Forecasting will present its2011 Fourth Quarter California and United StatesEconomic Forecast on Thursday, Dec. 15, at theSportsmen’s Lodge Events Center in Studio City.

The event is scheduled from 7:30 to 9 a.m. andincludes a continental breakfast. CERF ExecutiveDirector Bill Watkins will present the forecast andanswer questions.

CERF provides local, state and national forecastsfor government, business and nonprofit leaders usinginnovative economic models. Watkins has been pro-viding accurate, unflinching forecasts for more than10 years and has been widely published in academicjournals, traditional media and new media. He andother members of the CERF team are quoted regularlyby news organizations including the Wall StreetJournal, CNN, NBC, Fox Business Network, Forbesand Bloomberg News. Watkins, who has a doctoratein economics, previously served as an economistwith the Board of Governors of the Federal ReserveSystem in Washington, D.C.

The United Chambers of Commerce of theSan Fernando Valley is sponsoring the event.

The Sportsmen’s Lodge Events Center islocated at 12833 Ventura Blvd.

Registration, which includes a copy of the full fore-cast on CD, is required by Dec. 12.

The cost is $20. To register, mail payments to:

United Chambers of Commerce5121 Van Nuys Blvd. Suite 28Sherman Oaks, CA 91604.

For information, contact Marian E. Jocz at818.981.4491 or [email protected].

Our West Valley neighbor,actor Ed Lee Corbin, recentlyappeared in the popular TV showRevenge. Say hello to him atFields Market in West Hills.


SHOP. DINE. PLAY

CANOGA PARKShopCANOGA PARK – $25 / 25thThe community of Reseda had a great idea to help their local economy and support local merchants. The $25/25th. Othercommunities should follow the lead. Every 25th of the month, join your neighbors in supporting local business, with“Spend $25 every 25th in Canoga Park.” By spending your money in Canoga Park, statistics indicate that approximately$.45 of each dollar spent remains in Canoga Park via businesses improvement and tax revenue returning to our localcommunity. The more of our spending we shift to inside Canoga Park, the more tax revenue returns for street repairs,park improvements, and infrastructure improvements! SHOP LOCAL. SHOP CANOGA PARK.

Strategic Business OwnersContinued from Page 5

Give yourself a blessing. Hire the best CPA you can afford and one that not only understands numbers well,but the issues we are discussing in this book. An entrepreneurial-oriented CPA that understands the needs of agrowing business and owner is invaluable – worth the premium!

5. Focus on the long-term

After profits, focus everyone on the fact that you are in business for the long haul. Do not be short-term orient-ed. Business is a marathon, not a sprint. Do what is right, always. Maintain the highest integrity and ethics. Yourreputation is everything. Business is about sustaining lifelong relationships with customers, employees,investors, suppliers, advisers, etc. Repeat business is absolutely critical to the very life force of your company.Do not take shortcuts.

To help with this concept, consider the Lifetime Value of your customers. On average, how much profit does atypical customer provide you over the average service life (number of years) of such acustomer? For example, if a typical company buys from you several times a year, yielding you a total annualprofit of $1,000, and you generally retain such a customer for 5 years, the Lifetime Value fora typical customer is $5,000. Stated another way, every time you attract a new customer and serve them well,odds are that customer will be worth $5,000 to your business over time.

Once you know this number, you and your employees should think twice about upsetting a customer or losing acustomer. This Lifetime Value also validates that you should spend money (acquisition cost) to attract new cus-tomers. As long as you break-even on acquiring a customer and know with certainty that there is considerableback-end or repeat business, it makes sense to spend money on marketing and selling. Invest a little to make alot! That’s leverage.

6. Focus on having fun

And lastly, focus on making business fun. Celebrate worthwhile progress toward your goals. Celebrate yourcompany’s successes often and reward your employees for superior performance. Come up with excuses topraise your team and recognize success. Share the joy. Make coming to work a meaningful and fulfilling event.In fact, appoint a CFO (Chief Fun Officer). Empower thisperson to come up with clever ideas, based on employee feedback, which will put some excitement and fun intothe work environment.

Never forget, often as important as a paycheck, good employees want to learn and grow, bechallenged and rewarded, and fulfill their cravings to be social beings. Make your culture anenjoyable place to work.

Don’t Micro-Manage

Real leadership is rare; micro-management is all too common. Stop trying to play every darn instrument your-self and start conducting the orchestra. If you don’t conduct, who will?

Time for a fast refresher. As a strategic business owner, your primary aim should be to develop a self-manag-ing and systemsoriented business that still runs consistently, predictably, smoothly, and profitably while you arenot there. You should shape and own the business system and employ competent and caring employees tooperate the system. You should document the work of your business so that you can effectively train others toexecute the work. You must make yourself replaceable in the technical trenches of your business. To repeat,define and document the specific work to be done and then train and delegate. Don’t suffocate the talents andgrowth of your employees.

Don’t be a super-worker, be a supervisor! Stop the “I’ll do it myself” and “No one does it as well as I do” atti-tudes. Learn to delegate. Engage your coach to help you with this critical skill.

If someone else can do something 80-90% as well as you, give it up! Do not spend a dollar’s worth of time ona dime task. Know your areas of brilliance and delegate most everything else. Do those things that only you cando as CEO and delegate the rest. You need to free up time to do CEO activities that make the vision a reality.However, be sure to delegate, not abdicate or dump. Stay in touch with the person and their progress.

To help with delegation, you must have the work to be done well defined. You cannot delegate non-specifics.Next, you must adopt the attitude that your time is valuable and learn to discriminate between various activities.Before doing a task, ask, “Does this task lead directly to increased profits, significantly reduced costs, improvedcustomer satisfaction, or to me building a better business?” If it doesn’t, dismiss the task or delegate it. Or ask,“Is this task worth $200 per hour?” If not, find someone else internally or externally to do this task at a cheaperrate. You must realize that your CEO thoughts and actions (building systems, leading, planning, holding peopleaccountable, coaching other leaders, etc.) are worth at least $200 per hour. If not, you will never learn to beeffective at delegation.

By all means, get out of the way of your managers and workers. Don’t meddle. Instead of doing their jobs, helpthem to clarify their roles, responsibilities, goals, and tasks and then simply hold them accountable for gettingthings done. Be sure to monitor your employees’ performance, don’t try to control them. Coach more and playless in the game.

Once they demonstrate competency and character, give your employees the authority to make things happen.Let them do their jobs. Let them tackle stuff on their own and come to you only when they need further guidance.Instead of micro-managing the process, manage by results. If you set up your systems correctly and train prop-erly, you will be able to manage by numbers and on an exception-only basis.

I imagine and hope that you are paying your employees and managers good money to do their jobs. If so, getout of their way and let them perform. If you aren’t paying adequate wages, beware! If you pay peanuts, thenexpect to attract monkeys.

Leadership is less about doing, more about thinking, planning, and overseeing what others do. You are to cre-ate jobs, not work a job.

Be Bold, Be Decisive

Followers want their leaders to be bold, focused and decisive. As such, make things happen! Do not getcaught in the “ready, aim, aim, aim” loop. After sufficient thinking and analysis, have the guts to “fire”, to makethings happen. Here are some suggestions:

• Generally, inaction is more costly than action. Implementing a good idea today is usually a better strategythan waiting several months for a possible great idea.

• Most times, value movement over meditation, action over analysis.

• Even with limited information, continue to make decisions. Don’t delay.

• Know where you are going and why.

• Listen to and trust your inner voice and instincts.

• Go for growth over status quo. Don’t settle for the ordinary.

• Go for breakthroughs, not incremental changes.

• Write your own rules.

• Have a zeal for focusing on important goals and having abias for action.

• Have a good plan but have great execution.

Keeper of Reality

As a leader, you are the keeper of reality and the seer of truth. One of your primary tasks is to help define reali-ty, to remove the blinders, to expose blind spots, to reveal delusions.

Be neither a gushing optimist nor a panicked pessimist. Be a realist with undying faith in the potential andpromise of your company. Know your company and your team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats. See your ever-changing situation for what it really is and not what it was or what you or others wish it tobe. Do not allow delusions or blind spots to take your company down.

Burn off the fog that is clouding an objective view. Armed with the facts and a strong dose of reality, you canalways make necessary adjustments. Deal in fact, not fiction.

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The Follow Your Heart® Restaurant is one of southern California’s oldest, andbest loved, natural food, vegetarian eateries. Located in Canoga Park since 1970,the atmosphere is both comfortable and casual. Some have described it as a tripback into the, 1970s, but we prefer to think of “The Heart” simply as a place wherepeople can be themselves. It’s one of those places that begins to feel like homeafter a while, and many of our customers can be seen dining on a daily basis.

To learn more, visit www.followyourheart.com

Nico’s Family RestaurantDiscover the homemade difference at Nico’sPatio Dining / Pet FriendlyWe’re placing our focus on general health and wellness usingPURE OLIVE OIL & RICE BRAN OIL ONLY7166 Shoup Ave / Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307

To learn more, visit www.nicos-restaurant.com

Spectrum Canoga Park is a neighborhood club well known for its friendlystaff and longtime members. Amenities include:

Healthy Café / Pilates Reformer Studio / Indoor Pool / Pristine FacilitiesSquash Court / Whirlpools, Saunas and Steam Rooms22235 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA 91303

To learn more, visit www.spectrumclubs.com/canogapark

Weiler’s Delicatessen & RestaurantIn the Valley Since 1969American, Breakfast, Soup & SaladSpecializing in party Trays for all Occasions22323 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA

To learn more, visit www.weilerswarnerdeli.com

See Page 9 for Contact Information

Muddhouse Coffee was reestablished in 2004, with the desire and the drive toserve our community great coffee, fresh pastries and other homey goods. We wanteach customer to enjoy their day that much more, because of their Muddhouseexperience. Just take a break and use our free wireless service or meet a friendover a cup of coffee and a freshly baked scone. Make our place, your place...it's great to hear "Meet me at Muddhouse!!!" 22742 Roscoe Blvd, West Hills

To learn more, visit www.muddhousecoffee.com

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When Jay and Ruth Richter founded West ValleyCycle Sales—the oldest continuous BMW MotorcycleDealer in the US—Saticoy Street in Winnetka was atwo lane country road in the rural San Fernando Valley.Back in 1950, the Richters started out selling Mustangsand NSUs and in 1956 Jay took on BMW Motorcycles.

Two generations of the Richter family have ownedand operated West Valley for 60 years and counting.Daughter Laurie now handles bike sales, parts,accessories, and clothes. Husband Don Watson spinsthe wrenches in the back.

Ruth has always been involved in the communityas a tireless volunteer, always in positions of leadershipworking with local community leaders, elected officials,and the top brass at the West Valley Police Station, tomake Winnetka a better place to live and work. She wasthe president of the Winnetka Chamber of Commercefor at least three terms.

On November 21st, thanks to the innitiative of the“Princess of Winnetka” Marilyn Robinson, a surprise89th birthday party was organized at the WinnetkaConvention Center. When the list of guests include

Congressman Howard Berman, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Councilman Dennis Zine, Assistant Chief MichelMoore, retired Commander Val Paniccia, West Valley Boosters President Rickey Gelb, Winnetka Chamber ofCommerce Board members, community and business leaders, family and friends, you know Ruth Richter’scontributions to the prosperity of the Winnetka community have been very significant. Happy B-Day Ruth!



Jon Geiger is an Athletic Conditioning Specialist with over 20 years of experienceguiding athletes, performers and many others to achievements in performance,rehabilitation and the growth of will and self-belief while manifesting change.He is the founder of Geiger’s No Limits Training and The Academy at Geiger’s No Limits(A Training Academy devoted to Sport-Specific Conditioning for the Young Athlete).

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LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore recently toured ONEgeneration with CEO Judy Hamilton-Cantu. Chief Micheland his wife Cindy will be honored as the Sweetheart Couple at the Annual ONEgeneration Gala on February 25at the Warner Center Marriott.

Chief Moore and wife Cindy to be honored at ONEgeneration Gala

LBA’s Holds Largest Multi-Cultural Mixer at CastawaysEvent brings together business people of different nationalities andcultures to explore business opportunities worldwide.

The Latin Business Association (LBA), in partnership with American Honda Motor Company, Inc.,held its premier LBA’s Largest Multi-Cultural Chambers Networking Event, on Thursday, Nov. 17th,at the Castaway Restaurant in Burbank, California.

This event was much more than a mere mixer. The LBA, united with partner organizations inSouthern California, Greater L.A. Area Chambers of Commerce, and other Southern CaliforniaBusiness Chambers—some representing business interests worldwide—got together with onepurpose in mind, to do business together!

The Latin Business Association is one of the most influential business associations in the UnitedStates. The LBA represents the business interests of over 700,000 Latino-owned businesses inCalifornia and is the premier and largest Latin business organization in the nation.

Since its inception in 1976, their mission has been to “Build Economic Wealth and Opportunity” forLatino and minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. In doing so, the LBA has become thevoice of Latino business, receiving significant national and international recognition.

To learn more about LBA, visit www.lbausa.com, or contact Ruben Guerra at (213) 628-8510.

(L-R) The Remax Angels Team of Fernanda Otalora, Monica Vacas, and Bianca Torrence,stand with Ruben Guerra, Chairman and CEO of the Latin Business Association

Frank Barbarino receives Hero of the Year Award

Jim Brammer

Civic Leader Ruth Richter Turns 89

(L-R) Operations-Valley Bureau Commander Jorge Villegas, Councilman Dennis Zine, honoree’s mom Antonia Barbarino,Topanga Boosters Hero of the Year Frank Barbarino, and Topanga Area Commanding Officer Captain Tom Brascia.

Celebrating TopangaContinued from Page1

Almost single-handedly, organizing committeechair Francois Khoury coordinated the eventassisted by volunteers and his capable Hiltonstaff. Two large areas on the second floor weretastefully arranged to provide the right mood

and ambiance for this classy annual fundraiser.The event was well attended and guests enjoyedgreat food, good wine, and live entertainment bythe band Mrs. Robinson. Sponsors and in-kinddonors were presented with certificates ofrecognition before the evening’s live auctionconducted by the ebullient Councilman Zine.Everyone had a good time. Great event Boosters.


Anecdotes, Interviews,Bits & Pieces aboutWest Valley History.

The story of the Bergquists and Green Thumb in Canoga Park, is like that of a number of early families inthe Valley, who came out West with a vision to create a better life for themselves, and to take advantage of newbusiness opportunities opening up after World War II. Green Thumb was established in 1946.

The entrepreneurial spirit of the Bergquist family can be traced back to the 1870’s, when many early settlers,Swedish emigrants predominantly, came to Bryant Township (later named Shickley), Nebraska. Among them theBergquist grandparents. The small farming community of Shickley with a population of 429 in 1910, graduallysaw changes brought about by the railroad tracks that crossed the original town. Businesses sprang up and muchof the south blocks from the tracks had become residential. The Bergquists went from farming into running aretail general store and possibly other businesses. The history of the town of Shickley names Charles Bergquistamong the first to establish a garage with the advent of automobiles. When we look back at the history of ourcountry and consider what was going on during those years, the early 1900’s—WWI, the Great Depression,a severe long drought, WWII—families had to be very resourceful to survive and make ends meet.

There are some similarities between the towns of Shickley and Canoga Park in the early years. Both were mostlyagricultural land and were small developing communities with railroad tracks running through town. However,Canoga Park was booming and was the land of opportunity during those years. The Los Angeles Aqueductbrought new life to dry agricultural land in the San Fernando Valley. Real estate developers were building newtracks of homes as new industries developed and demand for housing grew. With a rapid population growth,opportunities for business abounded. This is what attracted Harold Dale Bergquist, founder of Green Thumb,to California and the San Fernando Valley.

Dale Bergquist was born June 2, 1918 in Shickley, Nebraska. He was the oldest of three sons. As a boy hebegan growing poppies—a passion that inspired him to start his own nursery business as a teenager. Afterhis service in the U.S. Army, during WWII—receiving the Bronze Star for his bravery and meritorious service—he came to California to work. He met Earl Newton at a local company where both worked and asked if he knew ofan existing nursery business he could buy. There wasa small banana squash nursery in Canoga Park thatoperated out of a 40 ft x 50 ft small building. Daleconvinced Earl to go into business with him and theybought the nursery for $500. They established GreenThumb Nursery in 1946. Dale called his brothers Maxand Bob in Nebraska and suggested they should moveto California “where things are happening.” They did.The Bergquist brothers Max and Bob eventually becameowners of a related business known today as GreenArrow in Van Nuys.

Nancy Newton Lee wrote on Dale Bergquist’s obituarypage in 2010 “My father, Earl Newton, and Dale were partners in the Green Thumb, which began in 1946. Theyhad complete trust in each other. It was not because they always agreed, but rather, they respected each other’sopinions. It was a wonderful melding of two very great men with forward thinking minds. Dale was a driven anddetermined man."

The Bergquist family bought Earl Newton’s share ofthe business in 1980. He passed passed away in 1981.Dale Bergquist peacefully passed away January 5,2010, in West Hills, he was 91. Dale was a highlyrespected and caring civic leader in the community.

Green Thumb continues to be a family-ownedbusiness under the leadership of CEO, Bud Bergquist.Sister Nancy Bergquist, manages the wholesale nurserygrowing grounds, and currently serves as the presidentof the Canoga Park Improvement Association. SiblingsSteve Bergquist and Suzye Turori, are also part of theGreen Thumb family.

What started as a small banana squash nurseryin Canoga Park, in 1946, today Green ThumbInternational has expanded into an operation offive-locations, offering a large inventory of nursery,hardware, electrical, paint, and patio products.

The entrepreneurial spirit, legacy and vision of theoriginal founders, have been carried on by the currentgeneration of Bergquists, with smart growth strategies,and the support of a team of great employees.

We wish the Bergquist and Green Thumb familycontinued success, and thank them for everything theydo to make Canoga Park a prosperous community.

The Bergquists and Green Thumb in Canoga Park

Green Thumb CEO Bud Bergquist and sister Nancy hold theframed portrait of their father Dale and uncles Max and Bob.

(L-R) Earl Newton and Dale Bergquist purchased a small nursery business that became Green Thumb in 1946.

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FIFTH ANNUAL COOPER READING CHALLENGE KICKS OFFCHILDREN OF THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE WEST VALLEY TO BENEFITThe Fifth Annual Cooper Reading Challenge, which was created to help instill the love of reading

in children of the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, is underway. Last year, more than 200 Boys& Girls Club children earned the privilege to select one or more books at a local bookstore, allfunded through community donations.

Between now and December 1, children of the Club will read age-appropriate books and write areview in order to qualify for a trip to Barnes & Noble bookstore in Woodland Hills. At the bookstore,each child will have $25 to spend on one or more books for themselves or family members.

The Reading Challenge began five years ago in celebration of Cooper Communications’ 25thanniversary. The event, in which Cooper Communications provided $25 for each of 25 youngstersin its first year, has grown exponentially; this year’s goal is to underwrite the costs of books for 225children.

“This program isn’t about fundraising, it’s about teaching children to love and value books andreading,” said Martin Cooper, President of Cooper Communications, Inc.

“In order to make it a meaningful experience for both the children and the sponsors, I ask that thesponsors attend at least one book-shopping excursion to help the children select the books.”

To make the excursion even more memorable, Barnes & Noble will give the children a 20 percentdiscount on their book purchases and even treat them to snacks and goodies while they shop.

The nonprofit Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley was founded in 1992 as a response to the localneed for safe, healthy, productive activities for youth during non-school hours. Currently, 81 percentof the West Valley Club’s members come from families below the poverty line.

There are more than 3,100 members of the Club, and approximately 125 youngsters visit the MainClubhouse in Canoga Park each day, in addition to more than 500 children provided after-schoolactivities at Blythe, Reseda, and Topeka Drive Elementary Schools; Tierra del Sol; Canoga Park HighSchool; and now Hale Charter Academy.

The Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley is located at 7245 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park.Telephone: 818-610-1054. Website: www.wvbgc.org.

Local Support, Local RevenuesBy Dave Ribble, Standout Marketing Strategies

This Holiday Season and beyond, consider spending the same, or perhaps even a little bitmore than you otherwise might and consider spending it at places you might not ordinarilyfrequent. The payoff could be huge for your local community. Let me explain.

Cinda Baxter’s idea, Founder of The 3-50 Project, (www.The350Project.net) is worth noting:

Pick 3 independent retail stores in your community that you would like to see not go out ofbusiness and agree to spend $50 a month in each of them. Not at a franchise. Not at a big boxstore. According to Cinda’s research, if half the employed population of the country were to dothis, it would help to save independent retailers from going out of business and, in the process,it would raise over $47 Billion in local revenue, local taxes and a list of associated local bene-fits to the community that would extend into the street, over time. This movement is nowreaching out all over the country.

We’re all watching every penny, for sure. But when you consider the plight of the local,independent retailer, you may find yourself understanding a little better what they are upagainst, too. Small, independent businesses have more overhead; the products they place intheir stores are purchased at less volume and therefore their actual bottom line profits are likelynot as high, either. I’m in favor of free enterprise and competition as much as the next person,and yes, those local retailers in your community knew what they were doing when they openedtheir place of business. They knew they would have to compete with other, local retailers andthey knew they would also have to deal with all the other challenges of owning a retail place ofbusiness. But, in many cases, this was also during a time before all of us decided that wewould shop so much online and before lowest price became the frontrunner over uniquenessand quality of the products, too.

Our local retailers need the business. They, too, need to eat and to put their kids throughcollege, pay for their doctor visits and all the rest. Shopping locally, then, makes it possible forthem to sell through inventory and continue to look for other unique items you and I might like.

This also can contribute greatly to overall wellbeing of our state. The Mayor of Los Angelesrecently proposed ‘borrowing’ future funds for the next 27 years to pay for fixing just 25%of the roads in LA County by 2014. The urgency for local revenue streams to help pay foreverything is clearly a huge challenge for government. How much additional revenue to yourown community could be generated if we all incorporated what the 3-50 Project is trying toaccomplish? According to the 3-50 Project, for every $100 spent in locally independent stores,$68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend thatsame $100 at a national chain, only $43 returns and, if you purchase on line, zero dollarscomes back to the local economy, which is why California has been pressing Amazon andothers to collect sales tax.

Local support will produce local revenues, help our communities stay in business and helppay for things, all at the same time. It’s a good idea and it is how this country started out.

©2011 Dave Ribble | Standout Marketing Strategies | 818.535.1627 | www.daveribble.com

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Share the Knowledge

Learn to share existing knowledge within your company and seek fresh ideas and strategies from without.Knowledge is power, but only if it is applied. The cumulative knowledge in your organization is immense.However, most businesses do not openly share knowledge, best practices, or mistakes.

If you do not create the right environment, people hoard knowledge and hide mistakes in order to possesspower or avoid embarrassment. You must encourage an environment where all knowledge, good and bad, is tobe shared. Very often, some of your most innovative ideas will come from people you least expect. Be committedto finding the best way, not in having your own way. Tap into everyone’s brainpower.

As CEO, continually ask your employees:

• “If you were CEO for a day, what would you improve and why?”

• “Give me three ways for us to substantially grow our profits.”

• “Give me three ways for us to dramatically improve our operations/customer fulfillment.”

• “Give me three ways to dramatically improve our customer satisfaction rates.”

• “Give me three ways for us to dramatically improve our office environment or team spirit.”

At all costs, you must avoid mental constipation. Learning is leverage. As CEO, you need to meet with andlearn from other entrepreneurial CEOs. Join CEO Roundtables via your Chamber of Commerce, the YoungEntrepreneurs Organization (YEO), the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), or start your own CEO MastermindGroup. Find a mentor who has successfully mastered the company-building process and effective leadership.Again, use your coach to hold you accountable for learning, sharing and innovating.

Don’t become myopic. Look beyond your industry for ideas. Consider how other industries are marketing,selling, operating, and working. Read trade magazines from different industries. Carry a notebook or mini-recorder to capture fresh ideas. As you expand your mind, so expands your options, possibilities, ideas,strategies, and your business.

Gather outside directors that can bring diversity, expertise, objectivity and experiences to your business.Add people who can raise issues, challenge you, and make suggestions. Consider dismissing those that can’t.

And finally, hire top-notch advisors (CPA, banker, attorney, executive coach, specific consultants, etc.) andfire those that do not bring real value. Hire ones that specialize in working with fastgrowing, entrepreneurialcompanies. Make sure they understand the concept of working “on” not “in” a business and understand thecritical importance of leadership, business systems, planning, marketing, people management, and learningto let go. If so, they will more than pay for themselves.

Financial Stewardship

You must have a handle on the numbers. You should know constantly the financial health and trends of yourorganization. You must be able to look for ways to grow revenues and reduce costs. You must be able to under-stand an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement and what they are telling you. Do not try tomanage your business by gut instinct; the numbers never lie.

Learn about and monitor your company’s vital signs. Have your Accounting Manager or CPA put togethersimple “dashboard metrics” to help you steer your business. Such metrics are simple, key measures that let youknow the performance of your business at a glance. Depending on your company and industry, these metricscould be as follows: daily/weekly sales, weekly cash flow, backlog report, on-time shipments, returned items,gross profit margins, line of credit balance, production numbers, accounts over 60 days, etc.

Do yourself a tremendous favor. Hire a terrific Chief Financial Officer or Controller to manage your accountingand financial matters. Make sure this person knows how to gather, interpret, and explain financial data in simpleterms. Be sure that she is proactive in her advice to you and focused on the future, not merely past performance.Also, make sure you have a top-notch CPA, banker, insurance professional and financial planner as part of youradviser team. Sharp advisers that understand the issues a business owner faces are worth their weight in gold.Do not cut corners here. Hire the best and their value and benefit will far exceed their cost.

Suggested Action Items:

• Leadership means everything to the success of your business and personal life. True leaders create clarityof direction, priorities, and expectations. To grow your business, freedom and fulfillment, you must growyour leadership capacity.

• Rate your leadership effectiveness on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest). Also, try to pinpoint yourspecific leadership areas to improve. Share these evaluations with your coach and other key advisers. Havethem hold you accountable for growing as a leader.

• Buy biographies, tapes, or CDs on three great leaders you admire (CEOs, coaches, or political/religious/cause-oriented leaders) and model their philosophies, mindsets and strategies.

• Admit to yourself and your coach that you are 100% responsible for the results and condition of your busi-ness. No more excuses!

• Schedule a month in which to tackle vision creation for your business. For the first two weeks, act like aChief Listening Officer. Get input from all your internal and external stakeholders (employees, customers,CPA, banker, attorney, consultants, suppliers, vendors, investors, etc.). Have them share their thoughtsabout your company’s SWOTs (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats).

• After listening to what others have said, it’s time to listen to your gut and heart. Spend a few days in your“CEO Cave” digesting the input from others, industry trends, competitive positions, and your thoughts onyour company’s SWOTs. Launch your vision from a platform of reality. However, create a powerful vision(crusade) that engages the hearts, souls, minds, bodies and imaginations of your employees.

• Once you create your vision for the company, start “selling” the vision to all your internal and externalstakeholders. You are now the Chief Enthusiasm Officer or Chief Storytelling Officer. Share the vivid andexciting details of how the business will look in 1, 3 and 5 years.

• If you are not an effective storyteller, have your coach or another adviser work with you. While you don’tneed to be a dynamic or charismatic leader, you need to be able to sell your vision effectively (tell the busi-ness story). Take speaking lessons if necessary. Also, be aware that your actions and where you spend yourtime and resources send a stronger message than your words. Relative to your vision, have your words andactions in alignment.

• You must drive the focus in your company on What’s Important Now (WIN). Make sure your team is doingthe right things, not merely things right. With the help of your coach and key managers, be sure to focusyour team on six primary areas:

– Exceeding the expectations of your customers— You are in business to attract, serve, delightand retain customers in a profitable manner.

– Valuing results, not tolerating excuses— Establish a goal-oriented culture with solid expecta-tions of intelligent action and meaningful results.

– Continuous improvement – “Good enough never is” … drive out fear and allow your employees toexperiment like crazy on new ideas, concepts and approaches. Test new ideas and keep the ones that workbetter than existing approaches. Conduct one-hour business improvement workshops every week. Forevery good idea worth pursuing, assign a champion, due date and key steps. Monitor progress and insiston aggressive implementation and followthrough.

– Achieving profitable growth – Don’t focus just on revenues, focus on profits. Cut costs and growprofitable revenues. Engage the best CPA you can afford.

– Maintaining a long-term perspective – Do not take shortcuts and always do what is right. Repeatbusiness is the life force of your company. Know the Lifetime Value of your customers.

– Having fun – Celebrate often, praise often, have fun.

• Be bold and decisive. Practice making decisions (based on the known facts) quickly, and change your mind,if at all, slowly.

See Strategic Business Owners on Page 13





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FROM COUNCILMEMBER ENGLANDER'S E-NEWS

Working to Improve City Street Repair WorkWe introduced a motion on Wednesday, Nov. 16 calling for better

enforcement of the City's quality standards on road repair work doneby private contractors. Every year, the City issues over 10,000 permitsfor utility installation and repairs on the public right of way, and manyof them involve removing and repaving large sections of City streets.

Although the City must be notified before the work is done, and thework must be inspected to ensure it is up to traffic safety and qualitycontrol standards, that is often not the case. The road repairs are oftennot up to standards and that compromises the integrity and safetyof the streets.

Similar problems involving sewer construction have been mitigatedby raising bonding requirements and tightening oversight of contractors. The motion calls for theBureau of Contract Administration and the Bureau of Engineering to report to the Public WorksCommittee with recommendations on similar solutions to ensure that all street repairs are up tothe City's standards.

Honoring City Attorney Unit that Defends Police in Lawsuitsand Saves Millions in Taxpayer Dollars...We were proud to present commendations to the City Attorney's Civil Litigation Unit in City

Council, in recognition of 20 years of service to the City of Los Angeles. We were joined by CityAttorney Carmen Trutanich.The unit was formed in 1991 by then Chief of Police Daryl Gates and City Attorney James Hahn

in order to defend the men and women of the LAPD involved in civil litigation arising from policeincidents. On average, the Unit carries a case load of up to 200 civil cases at any given time andhas represented thousands of Police Officers in civil lawsuits.The Unit has a track record of winning 84% of all of their trial cases, and has saved the taxpayers

of Los Angeles millions of dollars every year. They are one of the leading litigation units in thenation and they set the standards that other American law enforcement agencies strive to meet.

MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON

Congressman Sherman Hosts Town Hall MeetingReseda, CA – On Sunday, November 6th, Congressman Brad Sherman

(D – Sherman Oaks) hosted a Town Hall at Reseda High School, fieldingquestions from some of the nearly 500 constituents who attended.

Congressman Sherman has held over 150 Town Hall meetings duringhis time in Congress in a variety of formats, including visiting virtuallyevery public and private high school and middle school in the San

Fernando Valley numerous times to hear from students and Valley residents about the issuesimportant to them and their families and to describe what he does in Congress. Sherman’s staffhas also hosted over 100 information booths at various community fairs, senior centers, veterans’organizations, cultural and religious festivals, and farmers markets to share information about hisconstituent services program. Sherman also set up a constituent service booth at the meeting tohelp dozens of constituents resolve problems they were having with federal agencies.

On Sunday, Congressman Sherman provided a brief update about his work in Congress beforeresponding to questions about major federal issues including, taxes, the national debt, education,Social Security and Medicare as well as other issues facing Congress. Sherman highlighted hiscontinued work to resolve the nation’s debt crisis, restore faith in the economy and help putAmericans back to work.

“Town Hall meetings are critical to the public policy process, providing an opportunity for me tohear about the most pressing concerns in our community and to elaborate on the work that mycolleagues and I are tackling in Congress. We had a good discussion about a wide variety of issuesthat are important to the daily lives of Valley residents,” said Sherman. “These meetings are some-thing I have always done, and will continue to do in the future. Many people hold strong opinionsabout the issues currently facing Congress. Hearing from Valley residents, helps me better servethem. I want to stay up to date with what Valley residents are saying, so I can continue to fight fortheir needs in Washington. I would like to thank everyone who came to participate.”

Sherman directed his constituents to his Sherman Oaks office, (818) 501-9200, for furtherassistance in solving problems with federal agencies, including the Social Security Administrationand the Department of Veterans Affairs. He encouraged constituents to visit his website(www.BradSherman.house.gov) for more helpful information.

FROM COUNCILMEMBER ZINE'S WEEKLY UPDATE

Creating Government TransparencyThe Audits and Governmental Efficiency Committee this week had a

hearing on the outrageous expenditure of $200,000 made by the LosAngeles Port while at a conference in Busan, Korea. The Councilmanfelt this was an example of government waste at its best and he wasprepared to ask the tough questions.

It was reported that six dancers and an assistant were flown in fromLos Angeles at a cost of $18,500 just for travel and hotel, $22,500 forthe performance, adding up to a total of $41,000. Almost $12,000 wasspent for 192 bottles of wine, an average of just over $61 a bottle. Therewere also party favors presented at a cost of more than $3,800. The total

of approximately $200,000 did not include airfare.

Geraldine Knatz, General Manger of the Harbor Department made a presentation to the committeemembers where she justified the expense as a direct investment to the local economy. She claimedthat showcasing Los Angeles in South Korea would allow for an increase in participation in the 2013IPHA World Ports Conference which will be hosted at LA Live. Councilman Zine has requested theDepartment to report back on the economic impact IAPH World Ports Conference will have on thelocal economy, including how much investment in dollars was a direct relation to the conference inSouth Korea as well as how many jobs, if any, will be created in the future.

One major issue which was prominent in this week’s hearing was the lack of internal analysis doneto ensure the most fair and reasonable price for some of these commodities. The Department feltthat it was justified because it had previous approval from their board in regard to this specificconference. Committee members agreed that any pre-approval should not preclude the departmentfrom conducting a price analysis to guarantee the best price for the taxpayer. Councilman Zinemoved to request the Board to look at their current policy on approving marketing/pr expendituresover $150K regardless of its allocation in their current budget, and tooutline a competitive bidding process for these types of expenses.

This motion now moves to full council where Councilman Zine is expected to gain full supportfrom his colleagues.


A WORD FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Adult Day Health Care Leaders Honor AssemblymemberBob Blumenfield As 2011 Legislator of the Year

(Sacramento, CA) – The California Association for Adult Day Services(CAADS) today announced it has named Assemblymember BobBlumenfield as its 2011 Legislator of the Year, recognizing his leadershipon issues important to seniors, disabled adults, and their families.

“As chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, AssemblymemberBlumenfield recognized how important it is to provide community-basedhealth services to medically fragile seniors and disabled adults. Heunderstands how vital it is to keep doors open at our adult day healthcare centers because we are a proven, cost effective, model that helpskeep 37,000 frail elders and disabled out of higher cost institutional care.We are proud to have Mr. Blumenfield on our side fighting for those who

often are overlooked,” said Lydia Missaelides, CAADS Executive Director, in giving the award toAssemblymember Blumenfield at the CAADS 34th Annual Conference in San Diego.

Earlier this year, when Gov. Brown proposed elimination of adult day health care to cut costs for theprogram from the state budget, Assemblymember Blumenfield forged a compromise that resulted inAB 96, legislation that would have created the Keeping Adults Free from Institutions (KAFI) program.The bill was passed by the Legislature in June but vetoed by the Governor.

“We know Adult Day Health Care works,” said Blumenfield. "Eliminating it without a viablecommunity-based alternative risks a lose-lose scenario where we spend more on health care andprovide less of it. With thousands of patients and their families facing a nightmare of uncertaintyabout the future, we must keep working together to find a viable and fair solution.”

Blumenfield was presented with a painting created by an ADHC patient at ONEgeneration ADHC,a center located in Assemblymember Blumenfield’s district of Van Nuys. The art work was a fittingtribute to a man who has made the care of senior citizens and disabled adults one of his highestpriorities.

Blumenfield Praises Adult Day Health Care Settlement(SACRAMENTO, CA) Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley), Chair of the

Assembly Budget Committee, praised the settlement announced today between the Department ofHealth Care Services and seven plaintiffs representing a class of 35,000 Adult Day Health Care(ADHC) recipients facing the elimination of the program at the end of the month.

“Thousands of people were facing a nightmare scenario at the end of this month,” saidBlumenfield. “My heart goes out to them and the relief today’s news must bring. It could not comeat a better time for them. This settlement is also great news for our state budget. We were about tospend more to provide health care for less people.”

ADHC is a low-cost, licensed, community-based day care program providing health, therapeutic,and social services to those at risk of being placed in nursing home care. Today’s settlement callsfor the creation of a new program of community-based services to care for ADHC recipients at thegreatest risk of institutionalization. This will benefit the state budget because it costs roughly $1,050per month per person enrolled in ADHC, compared with $5,193 per month per person enrolled innursing home care.

“This settlement resembles the solution many of us backed as an alternative to elimination,” saidBlumenfield. “I’m pleased that the debate is settled and important community services will be pre-served for people in need.”

More information about today’s settlement available at http://www.disabilityrightsca.org.

Topanga Community Police Station Landscape ProjectFollowing the successful Topanga Boosters event on Friday night, Councilman Zine rolled up his

sleeves and joined volunteers, LAPD officers, and cadets as part of the Topanga Community PoliceStation Landscape Project on Saturday morning. Councilman Zine pulled weeds, ditched holes, andhelped plant beautiful flowers at the station. The project was a community led initiative to helprestore the landscaping of the Topanga Community Police Station which opened in January of 2009.The station was built with funds from Proposition Q, which voters approved in March of 2002, andincludes a roll call room, a gun cleaning/shoeshine room, a uniform maintenance room, a weightroom, and a community meeting room. But due to the current financial crisis, the City is unable topay for the landscape maintenance; hence, community groups, businesses, and volunteers havebeen working to maintain the station landscape. If you are interested in helping with this project,please contact the Topanga Community Police Station at (818) 756-4800.

PALS Holiday Toy Drive...Join us in helping ensure that at-risk kids in our community can have holiday gifts by donating to the Devonshire PALS(Police Activity League) Youth Center Toy Drive. Drop off unwrapped, new toys, books or gift cards in the donation box atthe Council District 12 Office, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Nov. 28 to Dec. 16 Mon. to Fri., 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Drop-off: CD 12 Office, 18917 Nordhoff St., Suite 18, Northridge

All donated toys will go to kids who participate in PALS programs. PALS offers valuable after-school programs, includingsports, education, and mentoring with LAPD Officers to give at-risk youth in our community positive alternatives tocrime, gangs and drugs. Please visit www.devonshire-pals.org.


Business Education/Workshops

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOPSPre-registration is required because space is limited.

For information or to RSVP, call (661) 362-5900 or email [email protected] to register.To register online visit www.cocsbdc.org.

HELPING ENTREPRENEURS SUCCESSFULLY START, BUILD AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS

LinkedIn 101

In this two-hour hands-on workshop in the computer lab, you’ll learn how to more effectively use LinkedIn togrow your business and increase your circle or connections. Come with a free LinkedIn profile account alreadycreated. You’ll receive tips on improving your profile and learn how to become an expert in your industry orarea of interest on LinkedIn. When you leave, you’ll have the necessary skills to add to your network, build newrelationships online, and enhance existing relationships with other like-minded business professionals. Limitedseating.

Date: Monday, December 5 Time: 9 am – 11 am

Cost: $30

Location: ITT Technical Institute, 12669 Encinitas Ave., Sylmar 91342 - 5 Fwy at Roxford

Essential Steps for Writing a Business Plan Part I

A business plan is a necessity for the success of your business! This workshop will cover all aspects of creatinga business plan, as well as emphasize the importance of goals and outline methods to achieve these goals.Critical topics such as business development, marketing plans, advertising strategies, financial analysis andbudgeting will be covered in Part I. Attendees may bring a laptop to work on their business plan during thetraining.

Wednesday, December 7 Time: 9 am – 12 pm

Cost: $35

Location: Build WorkSource Center, 9207 Eton Ave., Chatsworth 91311

Monster Marketing Mistakes

Monster Marketing Mistakes may be hurting your business and costing you money! Find out if you are makingthese mistakes in your business by bringing and discussing your marketing, advertising and selling materials(business cards, flyers, website, advertisements and more) to an expert for his comments and suggestions.Learn what to do and what not to do to grow your business. This highly interactive event is limited to only 25attendees.

Date: Thursday, December 8 Time: 10 am – 1 pm

Cost: $35

Location: Premier America Credit Union, 1st Floor Training Room, 19867 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311

QuickBooks Level I

This hands-on “at a computer” 3-hour workshop will teach you how to effectively use QuickBooks to profitablyrun your business. Learn simple yet powerful techniques to manage your finances including how to set up achart of accounts, pay bills, record a sale, invoice a customer, receive payments and the affect of daily transac-tions on your monthly and year-end Profit & Loss Statement. Presented in a computer lab with limited seating.For beginners and current users.

Date: Saturday, December 17 Time: 10 am – 1 pm

Cost: $65

Location: Premier America Credit Union, 3rd Floor Computer Lab, 19867 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311

NON-PREDATORY COMMUNITY LENDER OFFERINGBUSINESS LOANS AS LOW AS $1,000Research Found Predatory Lenders Target Hispanic CommunitiesVEDC (Valley Economic Development Center), is providing small business loans to business owners who lack

access to traditional financing by offering microloans to new and existing businesses beginning at $1,000 to$25,000. This new “ACCION USA Microloan” program will service the small business community throughoutLos Angeles County with a strong emphasis on underserved Hispanic communities.

VEDC has always been able to fund loans for business owners who have been turned down by banks byproviding true business loans. This microloan program is an alternative to credit cards with high interest rates,friends and family or other lending organizations such as Confianza that offer 18% interest loan products. Witha real business loan from VEDC, you will have a set monthly payment with an annual interest rate of 10.5%much less than the 23 – 49% Progeso Financiero charges California residents for a loan. VEDC understandsthe hard-working culture of the Hispanic community and wants to empower the small business owners to finda better interest rate and help make their dream a reality.

VEDC microloans are not FICO driven – your loan analyst will walk you through the application process, eachclient is looked at on an individual basis. VEDC knows that everyone has been hit hard by the down economythat is why each application is examined on a case by case basis. VEDC has been working with small businessowners for 35 years and we understand the challenges you face.

“We are so thankful to VEDC, not only for the funding but assigning a loan officer who is committed andtakes the time to evaluate our financial history and to give us the best financial option to sustain the business’sgrowth,” said Paloma Gold, Director of Dignidad y Esperanza Family Center. “She explained that this loanwould be the start of our credit history allowing us to possibly grow in the near future.”

VEDC also offers training to small business owners. If you are looking to start a business or expand yourtraining is available at little or no charge. VEDC is committed to offering small business owners the trainingyou need to give your business the best chance at success!

If you already have a business and are looking for capital to move ahead, VEDC has small business loansavailable up to $700,000.

If you are ready to start your own business or to take your business to the next level don’t wait. Visitwww.microloan.org and start the process today!

VICA TO INSTALL BOARD AND NEW CHAIR AT 62ND ANNUAL MEETINGLuncheon will celebrate a successful year for VICA and its membersSHERMAN OAKS — The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) will elect and install its 2012

board of directors and executive committee at the organization’s 62nd Annual Meeting. VICA will also installDavid Adelman (Greenberg & Bass LLP) as the new chairman of the board to serve a two-year term.

“I am looking forward to serving as VICA’s chair and continuing the strong tradition of advocacy on behalf ofbusinesses in the San Fernando Valley,” said VICA 1st Vice Chair David Adelman “VICA has a reputation fortaking the lead on many important business issues and I expect those efforts to grow as businesses are forcedto do more with less and less.”

VICA will present awards to some of the Valley’s notable business leaders. Kevin Tamaki (AT&T) will receivethe 19th Annual Harmon Ballin Community Service Award and Jan Sobel (Boys & Girls Club of West Valley)is the recipient of the 6th Annual President's Award. The 33rd Robert E. Gibson Corporate Award of Excellencewill be presented to Woodbury University.

“VICA’s members are committed to the success of the San Fernando Valley and their dedication helps makeour Valley a place we are all proud to call home or base a business,” VICA President Stuart Waldman said.“This year’s awardees are pillars of the community and it is our honor to celebrate them.”

The luncheon (presented by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and San Fernando Valley Business Journal) will beheld 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 15 at the Burbank Airport Marriott, 2500 North Hollywood Way, Burbank.In addition to the awards, a keynote speech will take place during the luncheon.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a new and unwrapped toy to the Annual Meeting for children ages 0-13.All toys collected will be donated to the Child Care Resource Center’s holiday toy drive.

Cost for the 62nd Annual Meeting is $150 for VICA members and $200 for non-members. Table sponsorshipsare available for $1,500. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.vica.com.


Editor’s Note: Chapter 6 will continue with It’s All About Focus on the next issue of the West Valley News.

• Learn to delegate. Learn to trust your people and systems. If a task isn’t your area of brilliance, delegate.If someone else can do the task 80% as well as you can, give it up—delegate. Or ask, “Is this task worth$200 per hour?” If not, find someone else internally or externally to do this task.

• Ask your coach to help you with delegation.

• Face reality. See your company without any delusions or blind spots. See the way things really are, not whatthey were or what you wish them to be. Always have a fix on your company’s SWOTs.

• Learn to share knowledge and seek fresh ideas:

- Tap into everyone’s brainpower. Ask internal and external contacts to pretend to be CEO of your companyfor a day and give ideas to improve profits, sales, operations, products/services, customer satisfaction,team spirit, etc.

- Join a CEO peer group to exchange ideas, challenges, solutions, and fresh approaches. Look beyondyour industry for ideas and solutions.

- If you haven’t done so, form a Board of outside advisers that will share their diversity, experiences,objectivity and ideas with you.

• Get a handle on your company’s financial numbers. Learn about basic accounting conceptsand financial reports. Have your CPA create “dashboard metrics”.

• Hire a proactive and top-notch Chief Financial Officer, Controller or Accounting Manager foryour business. Someone who can gather, interpret and explain financial results and trends.Hire the best CPA you can afford.

WHAT’S ON YOUR LIST?

818.883.3374 www.crowemarketingdesign.comHelping Small Valley Businesses Increase Sales and Prosper

ADVERTISING DESIGN / MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS / NEW MEDIA

LOW COST OR FREE WORKSHOPS BY VEDC

VEDC also offers a comprehensive business training series for those ready to go to the next level of businesssuccess. VEDC offers comprehensive business workshops designed to transfer critical management skills tosmall business owners. These workshops are open and available to anyone seeking additional information onhow to start, operate and successfully grow a business.

Classes are reasonably priced or FREE. Workshops are offered in our different locations throughout theSan Fernando Valley and Downtown Los Angeles area. Core business workshop topics include

• Access to capital

• Basic legal structures of a business

• Marketing on limited budget

• Business record keeping

• QuickBooks

• Managing Employees

• Managing for profit and results

• E-Commerce

VEDC also offers a comprehensive business training series for those ready to goto the next level of business success.

All VEDC workshops at:

VEDC (Valley Economic Development Center)5121 Van Nuys Blvd. 3rd Floor, Van Nuys, CA

Contact Lucero Montañez at 818-907-9922 or via email to [email protected]

For additional information about fees and locations, visit: www.vedc.org

West Valley News. We Deliver. Call 818.883.3374COMMUNITY ADVERTISING AT AFFORDABLE RATES.

CALABASAS / CANOGA PARK / CHATSWORTH / RESEDA TARZANA / WEST HILLS / WINNETKA / WOODLAND HILLS


Madrid Theatre

Clyde Porter West Valley Playhouse

www.ci.la.ca.us/cad/madridtheatre

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2011 SEASONPERFORMANCE SHOW CATEGORY DATES

Gaslight Mystery Feb. 4 – Mar. 6The Chantilly Sisters Show Musical Apr. 1 – May 1Arsenic and Old Lace Comedy May 27 – June 26The Pajama Game Musical Comedy July 29 – Aug 28Murder by Natural Causes Comedy/Drama Sept 23 – Oct 23Run For Your Wife Comedy Nov 18 – Dec 18

Visit our website for abstracts about each show. Show titles subject to change.

www.wvplayhouse.com

Box Office: (818) 884-1907

Community News / Calendar

WE INVITE YOU TO MAKE EFFECTIVECOMMUNICATION A REALITYIf you ever had to stand up in front of a groupand make a presentation about your business—YOU NEED TOASTMASTERS!

If you ever had to introduce an important person ina public meeting and panic at the thought becauseyou don’t know how—YOU NEED TOASTMASTERS!

If you are involved in your community and need tospeak out about what you are passionate about—YOU NEED TOASTMASTERS!

If you are in a position of leadership and want toimprove your communication skills—YOU NEEDTOASTMASTERS!

Welcome to “Spirit Speaks” Toastmasters

We invite you to attend one of our meetings.No reservation is required, just show up. You won'tbe pressured to speak or join, and there is no cost.Come prepared to enjoy yourself!

Meetings: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the monthTime: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

TV Motion Picture Fund CenterEducation RoomCalabasas Road at Mulholland Road(Right off the 101 Fwy at Valley Circle)Calabasas, CA 91302

For membership information contact:Ed Crowe VP Public Relations (818) 231-4454

Leslie S. Bashaar, elected president of the ToastmastersSpirit Speaks Club of Calabasas.

Run For Your Wife by Ray Cooney. Opens Nov. 18 playing through Dec. 18, 2011at the West Valley Playhouse in Canoga Park. This superb example of the British farcehad them rolling in the aisles in London and New York. A taxi driver gets away withhaving two wives in different areas of London because of his irregular working schedule.Complication is piled upon complication as the cabby tries to keep his double life fromexploding. “Virtually continuous laughter."-N.Y. Post

Runs Nov. 18 – Dec. 18, 2011 Thurs. Fri., Sat. 8:00 pm, Sun. 2:30 pm(No performance Nov. 24 and 25)

Ticket Prices are $25.00 Reg. $23.00 Seniors and Students.

Group Discounts are available.

Clyde Porter’s West Valley Playhouse 7242 Owensmouth Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91303

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DECEMBER 2011

www.valleycultural.org

California Writers Club —San Fernando Valley Branch

Motion Picture & Television Fund Home

Katzenberg Villa

23388 Mulholland Drive

Woodland Hills, CA 91364

Media Contact: Karen Gorback [email protected]

Writers Club Announces December Speaker

The San Fernando Valley Branch of the CaliforniaWriters Club welcomes author and professional blog-ger Bill Belew as the featured speaker at its monthlymeeting on Saturday, December 3, 2011at 1:00 pm at the Motion Picture & Television FundHome Katzenberg Villa in Woodland Hills.

A popular speaker at writers conferences, Belew willdiscuss why blogging is the social media of choicefor writers, the biggest obstacles to starting a blog,the key ingredients to attracting traffic to a blog andthe steps every writer must take to build a writingplatform.

Writers of all genres are invited to this informativepresentation. For more information about theCalifornia Writers Club and directions to theKatzenberg Villa, go to http://cwc-stv.org

Children's Christmas ProgramOur Redeemer Lutheran Schoolat 8520 Winnetka Ave. in Winnetka will presenttheir Christmas Pageant onWednesday,December 14th at 6:15pm. The children havebeen practicing for weeks and are eager to sharethe Christmas message with you. Bring yourfamily, friends and neighbors and come early toget a good seat!

Call 818/700-0390 with questions or visit ourwebsite at www.our-redeemer.org.

National Council of Jewish WomenSylvia Abrams (818)881-6399

Monday, December 19, 2011Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Avenue,Tarzana,CA

9:30 A.M. social and refreshments10:00 A.M.Program

SB810 & Single Payer Universal Health Care forCalifornia

Speaker: John Glass, Outreach Coordinator/HealthCare for All

There is no charge and all are welcome.

LOS ANGELES CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LACHS)

LACHS ANNUAL AWARDS DINNERDecember, 13, 2011 from 6-9 PM

Father Greg Boyle, S.J., Founder of HomeboyIndustries, will speak about his recent book, Tattooson the Heart

Doheny Memorial Library, USC University ParkCampus

The David C. Cameron Preservation Memorial Awardwill be given to Dace Taube, Regional HistoryCollection Librarian, USC Doheny Memorial Library

The J. Thomas Own History Memorial Award will begiven to Paddy Calistro and Scott McAuley, publish-ers of Angel City Press TheMiriam Matthews Ethnic History Award will be givento the Southern California Library

The Honorary Life Member Award will be given toDr. William Deverell

Special Awards will be given to Daniel T. Munoz, for-mer President of LACHS and to the J. Paul GettyMuseum

LACHS celebrates 230+ years of Los Angeles historyand its own 35th birthday

TICKETS: Call Todd Gaydowski @ 213-473-8449

The San Fernando Valley Chorale inconcert presents “The Joyful Sounds ofChristmas” under the direction of ConradImmel. From the solemn and serene strainsof Pergolesi’s “Glory to God In the Highest”to the whimsy of “All I Want for Christmas”the diversified program is certain to get youinto the spirit of the holiday season. You arecordially invited to attend at any of the followingvenues:

Saturday, December 3rd, 3:00 P.M.Chapel of the Cross Church10000 Sepulveda Blvd. (North of Lassen)Mission Hills, 91345

Sunday, December 4th, 5:00 P.M..Congregational Church of Chatsworth20440 Lassen Street (East of Mason)Chatsworth, 91311

Saturday, December 17th, 7:00 P.M.St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church15950 Chatsworth StreetGranada Hills, 91344

Refreshments will be served following theperformance. The suggested donation isAdults: $10.00, Children: $5.00. For furtherinformation please call (818) 884-8897.

VALLEY RAGTIME STOMP

We have a new fun group that meets out in CanogaPark once a month. It's called the Valley RagtimeStomp and we get together at Henri's, 21601Sherman Way, on the second Saturday of everymonth to play ragtime and other forms of "older"music. We have a great time and would like to beable to mention it in the WestValley News. Weusually draw 30 to 40 people, 8 or 10 of whom areperformers. Food and drinks are available and thereis no charge to attend.

For information visit www.valleyragtimestomp.comor contact Ron Ross at 818-766-2384 orvia Email at [email protected]

On Sunday, December 4th, celebrities, carolers,musicians, therapy dogs, and Santa Claus, with hisbig bag of flowers and new socks from LACAC onceagain strolled the halls, rooms, and dining areas atfive retirement homes to bring holiday entertainmentand happiness to the residents, staff, and caregivers,as well as joy and enlightenment to all participants.

The event, organized by choir director Vincent J.Leinen, is now celebrating 30 years of serviceto the community. Carl Verheyen, acclaimed guitaristfor Supertramp and the Carl Verheyen band, said,“I’ve been all over the world this year and cominghome to the Caroling festivities with Vincent and thegang is always the perfect year-end feel good event.I wouldn’t miss it.”

Celebrities included:

Alex Del Zoppo & Fred Herrera: Original membersof Sweetwater Band from Woodstock

Bill Dempsey Young: Soap opera star on“General Hospital,” ”Days of Our Lives”

Carl Verheyen: World acclaimed guitarist forSupertramp and “The Carl Verheyen Band”

Don Peake:Musicians Hall of Fame member, guitaristwith Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Jackson 5

Donna Cherry: Singer/comedienne; formerMiss California; opening act for Barry Manilow

Florence LaRue: Six-time Grammy winnerand original member of The 5th Dimension

Joanie Fagan: Played Faith (president of The OptimistsClub) on “The Drew Carey Show”

Kevin Jones: Keyboard player for Ozzy Osbourne

Patrick Waskielis: Drummer w/Hamilton, Joe Frank& Reynolds, w/Billboards #1 & #4 singles

Prescott Niles: Bassist with The Knack; performed #1hit “My Sharona” and “Missing Persons”

Mike Pinera: Guitarist Iron Butterfly, Alice Cooper,Blues Image (with the hit “Ride Captain Ride”

Miriam Hernandez: Member of the ABC7 EyewitnessNews team in Southern California

Patricia Zappa- Singer/author of My Brother was aMother: A Zappa Family Album

Rebekka Armstrong: Playboy Mag. Plymt. Ctrfld-Miss Sept.”86,” advocate for HIV/AIDS trmt.

Sheree “Cheryl” Green-Adams: Original MickeyMouse Club Mousketeer

Trey Carlisle: Actor portrays “Earl Jr.” on TV series“My Name is Earl”

Alan O'Day: Pop-singer/artist performed his #1 hit"Under Cover Angel, “plus a special rendition of"Please Be Home for Christmas" with many prominentmusicians, and “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer”with all the children participating in the festivities.

Tour Schedule 12/04/11:

4:00 p.m. West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center

7940 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Canoga Park

5:30 p.m. Topanga Park Retirement Center

7945 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Canoga Park

5:30 p.m. Topanga Terrace Subacute & SkilledNursing Facility22125 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park

6:30 p.m. Hallmark-West Hills Assisted Living

6833 Fallbrook Ave, Canoga Park

6:30 p.m. Fairwinds-West Hills

8138 Woodlake Ave. West Hills

This event was free and open to the public, with anestimated 200 participants. Immediately following thecaroling, carolers were invited to socialize and dineat Hometown Buffet, in West Hills.

For more information, contact Vincent J. Leinenat (818)-342-9336, and/or visit the website atwww.HolidayMusicMakingADifference.com .

SENIORS SEE STARS THIS HOLIDAYCelebrity Caroling & Musicians Bring Cheer to Senior Centers

at 30th Annual Los Angeles Holiday Caroling Festivities

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Crowe Marketing DesignEd CroweT (818) 883-3374 M (818) 231-4454ecrowe@crowemarketingdesign.comwww.crowemarketingdesign.com

West Valley NewsCommunity AdvertisingEd Crowe (818) 231-4454advertising@westvalleynews-sfv.comwww.westvalleynews-sfv.com

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