By IVY WEISS Contributor Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber The first Patricia Soteras Scholarship Fund awards took place with the AOPCV chamber giving scholarships to students from Agoura, Westlake, Malibu and Thousand Oaks High Schools. The fund was named after past Executive Director Pat Soteras who helped build the Chamber from 300 members to over 1,500 today. L.A. County Tax Assessor, Rick Auerbach will speak Feb. 6 at the Calabasas Country Club on how to reduce property tax assessments. The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. To reserve a space, call the Chamber at (818) 889-3150. Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber Celebrating AVHC’s 10th anniversary, current President Sylvia Duarte will be installed again in 2008 as the first person ever to serve back-to-back terms. The Board unanimously agreed to have Duarte return for a second term based on the amount of work she did on behalf of the organization in 2007. Ten years ago, the Chamber fielded some initial opposition to its formation from a few segments of the community. Some people were afraid the new Chamber might create divisions, yet a need was established by demonstrating there were numerous aspiring and on-going Spanish-speaking business owners in the Antelope Valley who were not participating in the community or who needed help with their endeavors in order to succeed and to grow. As opposition to the new Chamber diminished, the founders demonstrated the benefits of providing the targeted business owners with a chance to be part of something that could help them participate in community events and become part of the mainstream, as well as the opportunity to learn to hone their English skills by interacting with others. Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber CPWHC, in cooperation with the Chatsworth/Porter Ranch and Reseda chambers, will host a “Speed Networking Mixer” to take place Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at the Garden Chapel, 7769 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet up to 20 individuals who belong to different Chambers of Commerce in one-on-one, 5-minute time periods. The event is sponsored by Love & Wealth Marketing LCC and The Garden Chapel. To RSVP, call (818) 884-4222. There is no charge to members of any of the participating chambers. Non-members pay $5.00. On Jan. 17, Councilman Dennis P. Zine will be addressing CPWHC on issues concerning the San Fernando Valley during the monthly networking breakfast. The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Hometown Buffet, 6705 Fallbrook Ave., West Hills. The cost is $12 for Canoga Park/West Hills Chamber members, $17 for non-members. Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling the Chamber office, (818) 884-4222. On February 1, 2008 the CPWHC will have its 2008 Installation Gala celebrating the communities of Canoga Park and West Hills. Featured entertainment will be “The Chantilly Sisters,” and Master of Ceremonies is Councilman Dennis P. Zine. The installation begins at 6:30 p.m. with a no-host cocktail hour and silent auction. Sponsors include Westfield, Pratt + Whitney Rocketdyne, and the Hilton Woodland Hills, the event host at 6360 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills. Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber The CPRC and Time Warner Cable will present the eighth annual State of the Community Breakfast on Friday, February 1, at 7:15 am at The Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills. This signature event, the largest of its kind in the San Fernando Valley, was established in 2000 and brings together elected officials and policy makers with their constituents for a dynamic question-and-answer exchange about what is happening at all levels of government and community. An installation ceremony for the 2008 chamber board of directors will also take place. Featured speakers are Congressman Brad Sherman, Senator George Runner, Assembly members Lloyd Levine and Audra Strickland, County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, Councilman Greig Smith, LAPD Deputy Chief (Valley Bureau) Michel Moore, Los Angeles Unified School District board member Tamar Galatzan, and Metro Transit Authority-San Fernando Valley general manager Richard Hunt. The event begins at 7:15 a.m. and is open to the public. For reservations and sponsorship opportunities, phone the Chamber office at (818) 341-2428. Ticket prices, which include breakfast, are $35 with a reservation and $40 at the door. Encino Chamber The Encino Chamber of Commerce and Mercedes Benz of Encino present “A Magical Evening,” the annual chamber installation and business person of the year award dinner on Saturday, Jan. 12. The evening’s entertainment begins with former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley and her husband, TV personality Gary Collins and will feature a performance by renowned magician Stan Gerson. The Chamber is celebrating the past presidency of Michael Turner of Bearsworth Communications and the elevation to president of Mark Levinson of the Law Offices of Schuchman & Marshall. Business Person of the Year, Dale Surowitz of Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center, will also be honored. The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Honorary Mayor of Encino, comedian Ronnie Schell of television and radio fame. For more information and reservations, contact the chamber office, (818) 789-4711. In March, the chamber will “Leap into the Future” at the 14th Annual Teacher of the Year Awards Luncheon. Money raised through sponsorships and individual ticket sales will be given as cash awards to the nominated and winning teachers so they can purchase items for their classrooms. Each teacher will also be awarded proclamations and/or resolutions from various politicians, LAUSD board members and representatives. The Encino Chamber has given over $30,000 to school teachers throughout the history of this event. For information on how to be a sponsor or to purchase tickets, contact the Encino Chamber of Commerce office, (818) 789-4711. Granada Hills Chamber GHCC is hosting their 80th installation of directors and officers with an awards ceremony honoring Steve Baker, retiring 2007 board president, and Irv Selman, 2008 president-elect. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, at The Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills. There will be a live auction with Councilman Greig Smith as the auctioneer. For more information, contact Mark Serino, executive director of GHCC, (818) 368-3235 or Bonnie Marie Bursk, at (818) 368-8646. Regional Black Chamber The 3rd Annual RBC Small Business Awards Dinner and Dance on Nov. 9 honored the 2007 Small Business of the Year, IAAAACAME Inc., and five San Fernando Valley residents and businesspeople were saluted for their outstanding service to their communities. The Outstanding Volunteer honorees were Becky James, Leon Garrett, Joe Montague, Linda Wiggins and Kacey Thorps. Mistress of Ceremonies Minnie Foxx introduced Public Utilities Commissioner Tim Simon for the keynote address. President and CEO M.C. Townsend was thanked for the Chamber’s successes that result from her leadership. Sponsors of the event were Southwest Airlines, Wells Fargo Bank, Sempra Energy, Altria and City National Bank. Simon’s keynote speech echoed issues that are vital to many of the small businesses present that evening including procurements and contracts, access to capital, and in continuing the Chamber’s theme education, entertainment and earnings. On Jan. 29, the RBC of Commerce will be hosting its business mixer in the valley. This is one of the largest events of its kind. Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber The GSFVC has employer poster sets available for businesses to stay in compliance with state and federal notice posting requirements. Several new laws on the books required changes to the posters this year and businesses with out-of-date employer posters can be subject to fines for not having current posters displayed. Poster sets are available in English and Spanish. Each set is $25.00 including tax. Shipping and handling is an additional fee based on the number ordered. To order, call (818) 989-0300 or visit www.sanfernandovalleychamber.com. An electronic waste, or e-waste collection event will be hosted by the chamber on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days in the parking lot of 19350 Nordhoff St., Northridge. The event is a free service to city residents and businesses who want to properly dispose of their unwanted electronic products. E-waste includes electronic products or devices, such as computer monitors, televisions, PC systems, printers, home entertainment systems, copiers, and fax machines that have reached their useful end, whether in working condition or not. For more information on the event, or qualified e-waste products, contact Nancy Hoffman Vanyek at the Chamber, (818) 989-0300 or [email protected]. Winnetka Chamber It took two trucks manned by Marines to collect all of the Toys for Tots collected by the Winnetka Chamber and others over a two-week period. This year, the toy collection started at the WCC holiday party where 150 cans of food for the needy were also collected. The toys came from Winnetka Chamber members, friends, retired Marines, the Southland Regional Association of Realtors, and clients and vendors associated with the real estate company of Pauline Tallent, WCC’s president. Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber The WHTCC will have its 2008 installation on Friday, Jan. 26 at the Hilton Woodland Hills. The event, dubbed the “Night of Champions,” will honor outgoing Chairman of the Board Gordon Luster and welcome the 2008 Chairperson Deborah Sable. Also being honored are Paul Lawler, the Joseph Staller Award recipient, and the Tarzan Century Award winner, Sean McCarthy. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and sports entertainment. The dinner follows at 7:30 and there will be more entertainment, dancing and a live auction. Reservations are required. Contact the Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber of Commerce, (818) 347-4737.

An increase in the minimum wage isn’t the only change in law that business owners must be aware of. There is other new legislation taking effect in 2008, although fewer than in years past. The new laws include: – Allowing pharmacists in the mercantile industry to adopt alternative work week schedules. – Reduction of the hourly rate for computer employees in order to maintain their overtime exemption requirements. – Adding the National Guard to the list of qualifying members in the Public Employees Retirement System. – Extending from two years to five years the time an employee may receive aggregate disability payments as a result of a workers’ compensation injury. – Requiring employers to notify employees they may be eligible for the federal earned income tax credit within one week of the date of providing a W-2 or 1099. In addition, starting in July all drivers must use a headset when using a cell phone in a moving vehicle. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed other legislation considered to be unfriendly to business. Those bills included fines for employers violating certain laws related to union lockouts; penalties for misclassifying employees as independent contractors; requiring employers to spend 7.5 percent of the payroll on health care; extending meal and rest period requirements to pool lifeguards and stage assistants; mandating employers to provide bereavement leave; and changing the laws regarding the time period for which an employer must maintain employee records.

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Burbank Photos: Warner Bros. Entertainment has opened its extensive photo archives for the public to purchase fine art prints. Fans can find images from classic film and television scenes, along with photos of their favorite performers and exclusive behind-the-scenes stills. Historic and current images of the Warner Bros. Studios lot are also available at www.WBPhotoCollection.com. “Until now, Warner Bros. Studios’ vast collection of photographic images from its library of film and television properties has been available only internally,” said Greg Dyro, director of the Warner Bros. Photo Lab. “We are thrilled to make this collection of treasured Studio images available to consumers for the first time.” At its launch, the collection offers photos from “Gone With the Wind,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “King Kong,” and “Friends.” New images from the archive will be added to the collection on a regular basis. Calabasas Flashlights: Wicked Smart Marketing has been named as the online media buyer of record for SureFire LLC, a manufacturer of compact, high-end illumination tools and tactical equipment. Wicked Smart created interactive microsites focusing on a limited number of flashlights to boost sales for SureFire. The firm targeted early adopters of high-tech gear and had the microsites appear on gadget-oriented Web pages. The campaign will continue throughout 2008. “We suggested targeting early adopters, because they are a new and promising market for SureFire,” said Wicked Smart CEO Jonathan Josell. “Early adopters invest greater time online researching new products, and they are willing to spend more money on the latest, must-have, high tech gear.” Video: The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences added Mike Morhaime to its Hall of Fame for his contributions to advancing the video gaming industry. Morhaime is president, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, a developer and publisher of video games, including the popular “World of Warcraft.” Morhaime and Blizzard Entertainment are recognized for creating a massively popular multiplayer online game that expanded the traditionally hardcore demographic of the genre to also include the broader casual-gaming audience. Woodland Hills Peanuts: Two local Postal Annex+ franchises are offering businesses and individuals a $2 voucher toward a future UPS or FedEx shipment when “packing peanuts” those polystyrene nuggets used to keep package contents from damage are brought in for recycling. The offer is good at the Woodland Hills location at 21781 Ventura Blvd., and the Simi Valley site at 690-A Los Angeles Ave. If neither of those are convenient, another way to get rid of the static-ridden nuisance is to call The Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214 or visit their Web site at http://www.loosefillpackaging.com. After providing your zip code, they will identify locations nearby that participate in the Plastic Loose Fill Council recycling program. CONEJO VALLEY Camarillo Battery: ZPower President and CEO Ross Dueber will take part in a panel discussion on new technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. ZPower designs and manufactures silver-zinc, rechargeable battery technology for portable electronics. The ZPower zinc battery was named as one of the Top 10 technologies at the show. ZPower batteries offer more power and improved performance than traditional lithium-ion batteries. “We’ve made these enhancements while focusing on consumer safety and manufacturing a product that is environmentally responsible,” Dueber said. The company will begin high volume production of its batteries in mid-2008. Waste: Agromin has been ranked as the second largest wood and green waste recycler in California, according to the October issue of “Waste News,” an environmental management industry publication. Out of all the companies on the list, Agromin was the only entity that recycles just wood, green waste and food products. Bill Camarillo, Agromin’s CFO, said in a prepared statement that in California, “organic material makes up about 40 percent of our waste stream.” The company converts waste product into mulch and soil products that is sold to farmers, landscapers and consumers. Westlake Village Award: Inphi Corp. was named as the Most Respected Private Fabless Company by the Fabless Semiconductor Association. Inphi was recognized for its achievements in products, its vision and the company’s considerable future opportunities in the semiconductor industry. “Once again, Inphi has been honored by our peers for our commitment to innovation and technical excellence in delivering high-performance product for our customers,” Inphi CEO Young Sohn said. “This award is a tribute to the exceptionally talented professionals at Inphi, their uncompromising commitment to deliver for our customers, and the strength of our relationships with our customers, partners, and investors.” SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Santa Clarita Members: Advertising Professionals of North Los Angeles County added 14 new members in 2007. The professional group is the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation. “We’ve made a concerted effort this year to expand networking opportunities and provide other benefits to our members and this increase reflects our success in those areas,” said chapter President Sandia Ennis. The new members are Linda Burrows, of L Burrows Graphic Design & Production; Oscar Bassinson, of Intermedia Advertising; Alan DiFatta, of Dangling Carrot Creative; Kim Kapellusch, of Stylin’ Images; Bill Knapp, of Knapp Photo; Larry Long, of LL2 Design; Jim Palam, of Jim Palam and Partners; Diane Porter, of Heavengrfx.com; Gerhard Runken, of Automation Printing Co.; Greg Schultz, of Right Click Graphic Design; Murray Siegel, of m/associates; Tom Smith, of Tom Smith Productions; Jeff Solomon, of All American Marketing Group; and illustrator Melissa Stuber. ANTELOPE VALLEY Palmdale Closed: The City of Palmdale’s administrative offices will be closed every other Friday beginning Jan. 4. This includes City Hall, development services, the maintenance facility, public services, parks and recreation and personnel. The change was made as an accommodation to the full-time employees in the administrative offices who are on a schedule to work nine days over a 10-day pay period. All employees will now have the same time off. Working one consistent schedule assists members of the public and vendors who wish to plan and schedule business meetings with administrative staff; and makes it more efficient to schedule inter- and intra-departmental meetings. Essential city services such as police and fire are not affected by the change.

San Fernando Valley business people are upbeat about how well they will do in the new year. A majority of business people surveyed by the Business Journal and accounting firm Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. said they expect to hire employees, release new products or services and increase revenues. More than three-quarters of the respondents called the San Fernando Valley a good place to do business. The responses counter the forecasts of an economic downturn and possible recession in 2008. There was a note of cautiousness about ongoing problems in the lending and financial industries and the ongoing writers strike affecting the entertainment industry. “What the survey shows us is that the bad news is more vocal than the good news,” said George Nadel Rivin, a partner at Miller Kaplan. “Therefore we found it refreshing there are folks out there who are optimistic.” The survey was available to Miller Kaplan clients and Business Journal readers for a four-week period ending Dec. 17. The questions could be answered on a paper survey included in the Business Journal or online through the paper’s and Miller Kaplan’s homepage. The accounting firm sought a minimum number of 200 respondents with the total ending up at 248. The respondents came from a variety of industries and nearly all zip codes from the Valley were represented, making for a diverse pool. Rivin and colleague Andrew Rosen developed the questions with Business Journal Publisher Pegi Matsuda and Editor Jason Schaff. The four created a questionnaire that zeroed in on areas that would be on the minds of business people and that could be completed in one sitting, Rivin said. When it comes to hiring in the new year, 51 percent of respondents said they plan to add staff. Of those potential new hires, the most were in skilled labor, followed by unskilled labor, and mid-level management. Of those responding they would make layoffs, most planned to cut unskilled labor. A majority taking the survey anticipate higher revenues in 2008 compared with last year. Eighty-two respondents expect revenues to rise up to 10 percent, while 90 respondents expect revenues to increase 10 percent or more. That same optimism was reflected by respondents when asked about operating margins in 2008. One hundred three respondents said their operating margins would increase up to 10 percent and 49 said it would increase 10 percent or more when compared with 2007. Out of the 19 questions asked, that response surprised him the most, Rivin said. That so many business people expect increases in their operating margins indicates they are producing more efficiently, Rivin said. “I would have expected more 50/50 on ability to increase operating margins,” he added. The responses were just about even when dealing with making capital improvements 43 percent of respondents said they were not, with 42 percent saying they were. The latter number was seen as a good sign by Bruce Ackerman, president of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley. “Capital improvements tend to be large dollar expenditures and if businesses are spending that money that speaks loudly to solid growth,” Ackerman said. “In a growth plan that is the last thing they get around to.” The responses on hiring in 2008 track with the numbers from the annual forecast from the Alliance and the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University, Northridge, Ackerman said. The overall survey results also agreed with the Alliance forecast of steady moderate growth in the Valley. “You look at results of the Valley and it shows solid modest growth pattern,” Ackerman said. “Compare that with the whole state and we are ahead of the package. That’s great; that speaks to the diversification and the type of industries.” Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they were planning on introducing new products and services this year. About 30 percent answered in the negative, with 11 percent undecided. The 58 percent figure did not come as a surprise to Valley Industry & Commerce Association President Brendan Huffman. “The Valley is so cutting edge in developing products and services that sophisticated consumers want,” Huffman said. “The world looks to this region for trend setters. There are so many manufacturers, so much high tech, so many opinion leaders living in the area, it goes without saying most of the world’s trends start in Southern California.” The survey asked respondents to select one of six responses to define which factors most negatively affected business operations in the Valley. The cost of insurance was number one, chosen by 36 percent of respondents, with gas prices following at 33.8 percent, and state and local taxes a close third at 33.3 percent.

Warner Bros. Entertainment got off the fence in the DVD format war and has sided with the Blu-Ray disc. The Burbank-based studio had been releasing DVDs in both the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Going only with Blu-ray is a response to consumer demands and a way to eliminate format confusion, company officials said. New titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until May 2008. Warner Bros. joins The Walt Disney Co., Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox and MGM in choosing the Blu-ray format. Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks SKG, owned by Paramount, release its films on HD DVD. The two-format landscape has led to confusion and indifference toward the high definition, which has prevented the players from reaching mass adoption, said Kevin Tsujihara, president of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. “Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience,” Tsujihara said.

Semiconductor manufacturer Semtech Corp. was added to the highest tier of the NASDAQ Stock Market. Listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market recognizes companies meeting the highest initial listing standards in the world based on financial and liquidity requirements. Shares of Camarillo-based Semtech began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on Jan. 2 “The selection is a true testament to the Company’s commitment to excellence in all areas and represents yet another milestone in our evolution as a premier semiconductor company,” said company President and CEO Mohan Maheswaran. The Global Select Market became effective in 2006 with standards generally exceeding those of all other markets.

Westlake Village-based Dole Food Company announced that Dole Fresh Flowers has received the Florverde Certification at its farm operations in Colombia. The Florverde Certification represents that flowers are grown in compliance with environmental, social, labor and occupational health and safety standards, according to Dole. In order to receive the Florverde certification, participating farms must comply with all compulsory standards and codes of conduct, including operational and social guidelines, Dole stated.

In 2007, Toyota Motor Corp became the No. 2 selling automaker in the U.S. sales, edging out Ford, the Associated Press reported. With sales up 3 percent for the year, Toyota sold 2.62 million cars and trucks in 2007. Meanwhile, Ford’s sales dropped by 12 percent to 2.572 million vehicles, the Associated Press reported. Although General Motors Corp. remained the country’s top-selling automaker, its sales went down by 6 percent to 3.82 million vehicles in 2007. As for Ford, corporate historian Bob Kreipke said it was the first time since 1931 that Ford wasn’t second behind GM in U.S. sales, according to the Associated Press.

Faith-based programming on the Hallmark Channel has been reduced to two hours once a week following a settlement between the channel’s owner and the National Interfaith Cable Coalition. The agreement between the coalition and Crown Media Holdings Inc. stems from outstanding claims relating to the coalition’s equity interest in Crown Media and a now-expired program production and broadcast deal. Starting this month, Hallmark Channel regains five hours of daily programming formerly occupied by the “New Morning” program, and cuts to two hours the Sunday morning block of faith and values programming provided by the coalition. In addition, the coalition gave up its right to compel Crown Media to purchase the 4 million shares of Crown Media stock owned by the coalition and its seat on the media company’s board of directors.

Striking writers from the Writers Guild of America picketed outside NBC Studios in Burbank as tapings resumed for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Leno’s late-night talk show has been dark since the start of the Nov. 5 walkout by television and film writers. The show is not using any writers for its return to the air, which features as a guest Republican presidential candidate Michael Huckabee. Leno has been a vocal supporter of the writers who went on strike after failing to negotiate a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The main sticking point between the two sides is how much to pay the writers when their work is distributed online and to mobile devices. In a letter to the membership WGA East President Michael Winship said the pickets outside NBC were not aimed at Leno but the network and its corporate owner. “Our purpose is to continue awareness of our strike and the media conglomerates against which we strike, and to encourage performers, politicians and others to honor our picket line and not appear as guests on these struck programs,” Winship wrote. Picketing outside the major studios in the Los Angeles area resumes Jan. 7.