President’s Message, June 2019

On Thursday, May 23, 2019, Membership Chair Marie Carayanis and I had the pleasure of attending the De Anza High School Senior Awards Night.  We were there representing the Chamber’s Scholarship Committee and were happy to be able to award three scholarships to graduating seniors who plan to attend one of the local Community Colleges as one of their next steps on life’s journey.

The Scholarship Committee also includes Chair Susan McCloskey and Bob Davis, the Chamber’s treasurer.  We reinstated the scholarship program at the end of 2017 and began raising funds with the intent of awarding a $500 scholarship this spring.  We were so impressed with the applications that we received from the students and recognized we had raised enough funds that we decided on awarding three scholarships this year.  Congratulations to the 2019 Scholarship winners Jalaal Dirbas, John Dizon and Luis Elequin.

Plans are starting to be put together for another fund raiser for the Scholarship Fund this fall, and we need your input.  Send an email to info@elsobrantechamber.com with your ideas on what would be fun [and profitable] to do to get more money into the scholarship fund so we can help even more students next year.  If you would like to help with the committee in selecting award winners, or help plan fundraisers and other social events, let us know that too.  One of the other events the Chamber is working to put together is a Restaurant Week where local eateries will entice visitors with special menus, maybe a fixed price for the week, and other “perks”.   Watch for more about that event on the website elsobrantechamber.com

Looking forward to seeing you out and about in the community.

Scott

US Financial Mortgage Lending

Driving down Appian Way, you can’t miss the building with the big American flag on it.  Owner Nicole Donn has had the parking lot resurfaced and has put in a little flower garden.  An El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce Board member, and a member of the Marketing Education Committee of the Contra Costa Association of Realtors, Nicole says it’s the least she can do to help beautify the community.

This is also where Nicole does business as branch manager for US Financial Mortgage Lending. She’s very enthusiastic about her business.  She loves helping people with their finances.  From the age of 10 when she walked into the bank with her mother she knew she wanted to become a bank teller.  She liked the idea of talking with people and counting money. And so after graduating from high school Nicole became a bank teller.

Nicole used her evenings to continue her education and was soon promoted to Note Department Teller.  Getting her real estate license was next.  And with that she got into lending.  Nicole tried the real estate business but found her true liking was in finance.

What benefits the customer is always what Nicole looks at and not what benefits herself.  She likes to find solutions to people’s problems when other lending agencies are unable to help.  Perhaps a client may not “on paper” meet the requirements for a loan. Bu Nicole puts her creative “out of the box” thinking to work and finds a solution.  This is where Nicole’s experience proves most advantageous to her customers. PLUS she can help you in English or Spanish!

The El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce proudly votes US Financial Mortgage Lending Business of the Month for the month of June 2019.

Kumar Food Mart

Located in between the El Sobrante Post Office and Mike’s Appliances, at 521 Appian Way, you will find Kumar Food Mart.  This convenience store, as owner Pawan Kumar likes to point out, provides relief for the driver dealing with the traffic congestion that often develops in the triangle area of Appian Way.

 

At one time this property was United Gas & Food but Pawan isn’t interested in selling gasoline.  Though he does sell propane, Pawan is totally focused on providing a quick stop for cold drinks, munchies, lottery tickets, beer and wine.  He also carries things you may not expect to find.  I was able to find cranberry sauce on a Thanksgiving day that I couldn’t find anywhere else.

Growing up in India, Pawan specialized in electronics repair but really wanted more opportunity, so he moved to Italy to work and live with a cousin for 10 years.  Later a brother-in-law encouraged Pawan to come to El Sobrante, where he came to work at J&A Market for Renjit Babu.  When the opportunity arose to set up his own store at his current location, he jumped on it.

When he opened his doors for business a few years ago Pawan he turned a shell of a building into what it is today.  And he is continually looking to improve things.  Whether he’s resurfacing the floors or making changes to the building facade, he’s always working on something.

Pawan lives in El Sobrante with his wife Prem Lata, son Rohit, daughter Mitu, and his mother Radha Rani who has recently moved here from India.  Congratulations to Pawan Kumar for being the Business of the Month for May, 2019.

President’s Message, May 2019

I have been rather busy these last couple months! Have you?  Seems like the moment the rain stopped (and while we need the water in the state we really didn’t need it all at once, right?), I have been busy at work, busy with the chamber and busy in my personal life.  In fact, so busy I not only missed writing you all last month, I nearly missed the deadline for this month too!  Thanks to our editor Martha Booz, I managed to sneak in just under the deadline – whew!

What have I been up to?  Well, as a Realtor®, I have had the pleasure of assisting some families with the sale of their properties.  The market slowed during the wet weather, but with low mortgage rates and low inventory, prices did not drop a lot. I also took over as the office manager in our Pinole office at Windermere Rowland Realty in January, and have been adjusting to my new role there.

My activities with the chamber have been focused on more behind the scenes activities rather than in the public eye recently, although I was able to attend the ribbon cutting last month for one of our newest members, Yogurt Now on Appian Way, and began talks with another business owner about doing a grand re-opening for their business soon.  We have re-established the scholarship committee for the chamber, and developed the application for De Anza graduates who wish to apply.  Those applications are due now, and will be reviewed by the committee in the coming days.

I also remind you all that the stroll committee is hard at work preparing this year’s September 15 event.  I have handed over the reins of the parade direction to new stroll leader Tom Lang, who has a great committee set up for this 26th annual event.  Get ready for that.

May is the unofficial start of the summer season in my mind; as the weather turns warmer and school lets out, many will take vacations with family, get outdoors, and visit our wonderful areas.  I hope to take a couple of trips this summer, and in coming newsletters I will share some of those experiences with you as I plan to visit the local chamber of commerce offices at some of the places I will visit over the next couple months.  If you travel out of the area, stop in to the local chamber office, tell them about us and bring back some information about them, drop it at our office or bring to a mixer.  We will begin a library of chamber information for future travelers to learn about their destinations, and let the folks you visit learn about us.

Happy travels.

Scott

Yogurt Now

Yogurt Now is the Business of the Month for the month of  April.  Located at 452 C, Appian Way, Yogurt Now is a fresh new addition to El Sobrante’s mix of businesses. It offers something we are in short supply of, a fun place where one can enjoy a healthy alternative to ice cream with a friendly, family atmosphere.

This is what Amita, her husband Bishnu and their daughter Samun accurately identified as something needed in the El Sobrante valley. Originally from Nepal, the Bhandaris came to the United States looking for opportunity.  They settled in El Cerrito, California, 14 years ago.  There, they opened a restaurant and had great success, developing a large following of customers, some of whom are willing to travel to El Sobrante for their yogurt dessert.

Four years ago, their family moved to El Sobrante because the residents here were friendly and they felt that El Cerrito was becoming too crowded. Yogurt Now offers many different flavors of yogurt, which you serve yourself and cover with various toppings. Other items on their menu include acai bowls, which are all vegan.  They also serve Indian smoothies, called lassi, and boba tea.

We welcome Yogurt Now to El Sobrante and congratulate them on the grand opening of their business.

In Memory of Barbara Pendergrass

Barbara Ann Pendergrass passed away peacefully after a valiant battle with lung cancer, on February 21, 2019.  She was 84 years old. She was the El Sobrante Chamber’s Citizen of the Year in 2013, and Grand Marshall of our 25th Silver Anniversary Stroll in 2018.

Personal History and Education: Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, August 18, 1934, Barb moved with her family to Walkertown, Indiana, and then to California in 1942. She graduated from Richmond Union High School, and married Roy Pendergrass. They lived in their home on Renfrew Road starting in 1964, when she and Roy built their house there. She was married 61 years to Roy when he predeceased her.  She is survived by her devoted son, Ron, daughter in law Marina, granddaughter Esperanza, great-grandson Aeden, her siblings and several nieces and nephews.

 

After graduating from Richmond Union High School, Barbara earned an AA degree from Diablo Valley College in electronics. She also earned achievement certificates in Beginning and Advanced Electronics. She attended a year of classes on criminal and civil procedures to become familiar with technical language for automated criminal systems (databases).

 

Work Experience: She initially worked in computers for the Handy Spot Organization and for Richmond Unified School District. Then she served as Director of Information Systems for Napa County for 14 years. She became a management consultant for long range planning for Butte County, and then worked for Contra Costa County as Deputy Director of Information Systems, until retirement.

 

Volunteer Service: Barbara volunteered for the West County Crisis Line when it started in the 70’s, and received training in suicide prevention. Then she became a volunteer rape crisis counselor. This involved going to the hospital for rape victims and seeing them through their court cases. She retired in 1993. After retiring she volunteered to serve her community in the following ways:

  • Executive Director for Friends of Garrity Creek, which works to develop the area as “Garrity Springs Regional Park” within the East Bay Regional Parks District, to save Garrity Creek and its riparian areas, and to keep traffic at reasonable levels. While Barbara was Director, the Friends of Garrity Creek received $9000 in grants.
  • She ran for election to the El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) in 2004. She became MAC Chair within 11 months of her election, and was Chair for 14 years.
  • She served on the El Sobrante Planning and Zoning Advisory Committee for the last several years, and was Treasurer of the Committee when she died.
  • Director on the Board of the Soroptimists Diablo Vista Club since 2010. She was awarded “Women of Distinction” Award in 2012.
  • Volunteer with the Friends of the El Sobrante Library for over 5 years, helping with monthly book sales.
  • Member of the El Sobrante Valley Community Alliance
  • Director of the Board of the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce.
  • She and her husband, Roy, were active in the local Elks Lodge. She was Elks Citizen of the Year in 2013.

Barbara demonstrated the true spirit of community service and volunteerism for her whole adult life.

President’s Message, March 2019

MARCH MADNESS – Who’s your team? Time once again for spring and all the promises that entails.  NCAA basketball Championship tournament games will get underway soon, PGA tours have started, high school and college sports begin the final push for the semester; the national sporting events truly embody the spirit , excitement and at times fervor of March Madness.

March Madness also occurs in business.  Retailers capitalize on the frenzy with March Madness sales; the real estate industry refers to the time period as well, as it is the busiest season of the home-buying-and-selling year.  Some offices allow pools to bet on sporting events in an effort to create a team atmosphere or at least a break from the routine.  Even the business of politics gets in on the energy as candidates for office start throwing their figurative hats in the ring for the pending election cycle.  Everywhere you look, people are cheering on their “team”, wearing the colors, attending the events, gathering together for a cause.

Our community is made up of several teams, all working collectively to make our patch on this Earth a little better.  The Green Team, one of El Sobrante’s “un-sung heroes” is one such team.  These volunteers go out and eagerly pick up the trash that finds its way onto our streets and parks.  Usually un-noticed, this team deserves championship recognition for the hours they put in every month just to make our town a little better.  We don’t have trophies or medals to give out to the team, so next time you see them as you are driving down San Pablo Dam Rd. or one of our other streets honk your horn as a way of saying “Thanks – we appreciate it”.

Speaking of San Pablo Dam Rd., the merchants conducting business in that area are another team, of sorts.  Small business owners make up a large section of property owners in the community.  The collective of retailers, restaurants, service-providers, and business professionals assemble together and actually create our downtown. Their team is the Chamber of Commerce, and each member has a vital role on the team.  Whether you participate at the member level, volunteer to assist with one or more of our many community events, serve on the Board of Directors, or simply patronize the local businesses, you’re part of Team El Sobrante.  Together, we are the Champions of the community.  Go Team.

Scott

Centers for Elders’ Independence – Guardian Adult Day Care Center

Years ago, Peter Behr, founder of the Guardian Adult Day Care Center, became aware of a family friend who had just suffered a stroke.  This friend was not expected to live a month.  Peter made a promise to the friend’s family to play music for him every day until, one way or another, he was out of the nursing home.  The friend lived another 4 1/2 years.

In keeping with his promise, playing guitar for his friend, every day, Peter witnessed how badly the people staying at the nursing home were treated.  It was this observation that has driven Peter and his wife, Marie, first to open and then to operate the Guardian Adult Day Health Center for over 25 years.  You may have seen Peter standing in front of the Center on busy San Pablo Dam Road, stopping traffic so that the buses that come to pick up or drop off people can safely pull out into traffic.

Just recently, after three years of operating as a joint venture with the Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI), Peter was asked and agreed to become a part of CEI.  CEI has been operating in the Bay Area for 37 years and was able to bring to the table many benefits previously unavailable to Guardian and its clients. And with its goal to allow elders to live at home and not in a nursing home, the Guardian Adult Day Health Center fit right into CEI’s philosophy. Guardian is now a part of the Center for Elders’ Independence.

Participation of its clients is what CEI is all about.  Users of the facility have played an active part in the centers’ remodeling process.  The new facility now provides a new lounge for social activities, fresh lunches in a new dining area, and a new rehabilitation gym.  They provide managed health care with nurses on staff, as well as physical and occupational therapists, and social workers are there too.  Their PACE plan has full medical, dental and podiatry available.

The Center is having a Grand Re-Opening on March 7th from 3 to 6 PM. The public is invited.

Please stop by for a tour of the center, meet the staff and enjoy refreshments as they make room to welcome more seniors from Contra Costa County.

For more information about everything the Centers for Elders’ Independence have to offer, call, toll free:  844-320-1150.

Spicy Bite Indian Street Food

Spicy Bite Indian Street Food
3550 San Pablo Dam Road, Suite B2
El Sobrante, CA 94803

Malwinder Mavi and his wife, Harkamaljit moved here from Toronto, Canada about five years ago to be closer to family.  I met them both at their Spicy Bite restaurant located in Plaza Sobrante on San Pablo Dam Road.  Spicy Bite is our Business of the Month for the month of February.  And although I did most of my talking with Malwinder, he made it very clear that he drives a truck for a living and that Spicy Bite was completely run by the “ladies.”  He motioned to his wife who was cooking some fresh Indian bread called Kulcha.

Malwinder misses the snow in Toronto but doesn’t miss shoveling his driveway every morning.  Harkamaljit, on the other hand, doesn’t miss the snow at all and loves the climate here. They both like living in El Sobrante but quickly discovered a lack of what they call “Indian street food” available in the area.  He described this type of food as south-Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisine.

About a year ago, Harkamaljit opened up Spicy Bite.  They were happy to find a vacancy at Plaza Sobrante, at 3550 San Pablo dam Road, Suite B2.  This spot is ideal because of its proximity to the Sikh Temple and the busy San Pablo Dam Road, says Malwinder.

Spicy Bite makes all of their dishes to order.  Everything is made fresh. They are open every day, except Mondays, from 11 AM until 9 PM.  You can drop by the restaurant or place an order with www.doordash.com and have your food delivered.

Congratulations to Spicy Bite, Indian Street Food, our Business of the Month for February.

 

President’s Message, February 2019

Scott Tuffnell has been named the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce 2018 Citizen of the Year.  Here is his acceptance address: I am humbled at being named Citizen of the Year.  Past Honorees have been people who were in charge of a special project, or those who had a lifetime of service to the community. Occasionally they were someone who participated for several years in one of our community service groups, and I suppose I fall into that last category.

What I know is that I did not earn this distinction on my efforts alone.  I was very happy to have my family join me at the Awards dinner last month.  The award belongs in part to them, as they have supported my activities within the chamber.  My wife Jenny, daughter Laura and her husband Spenser and my dad, Robert Tuffnell have all helped me have the time to spend on community projects.  Thank you, guys.

I also have been supported by my peers and colleagues at work, and I’m grateful to have Mike and Renee Rowland, and Diane Cockrell there as well.  They have all supported the Chamber of Commerce for many years, and as you heard earlier, they were an early inspiration to my community service to both the Chamber and the Boys and Girls Club.

I had the support of a great Board of Directors this past year. Together we completed a few projects and began work on others.  We finally revamped our website and newsletter, thanks especially to our Editor, Martha Booz, with the assistance of new board member, Lauren Hanley, and the input of the other members of the board.  I recently discovered the remarks I prepared in 2005 when I was first elected President, and I had proposed redoing our website back then.  Thank you all for your patience in getting that project completed!

We produced another great stroll this past year.  Many thanks to Stroll Boss Bob Davis who directed the Stroll Committee for the last how many years, Bob?  Bob is also our treasurer, so he has shouldered two heavy duty positions on the board for quite a while.  Thank you so much, Bob, for your leadership with the Stroll, arguably El Sobrante’s premiere event.

New Stroll Director Tom Lang has stepped up to take on the Stroll for the next 25 years, thank you, Tom.

We began the process of installing new Welcome to El Sobrante signs.  Originally an idea brought to the board by Maurice, the project developed into an Eagle Scout project.  Unfortunately, the scout had to move on because of the time it took to maneuver through bureaucracy of securing permission to locate and build more permanent pillars welcoming visitors and returning residents to our town.  We will pick this project up this year and my hope is to have them built and maybe even completed by our 26th Annual Stroll. Thank you, Maurice, I look forward to your input as we move forward with your proposal.

We continue to publish our Business Directory, and distribute it to residents, businesses and new members.  Thank you, Marie and Judy, for continuing this publication.  We also have an online version; check it out at elsobrantechamber.com

We accomplished these and other projects and events because of the incredible energy and enthusiasm of the members of the Chamber and leadership of the Board.  We are one of the few remaining “smaller” Chambers in the region.  Other Chambers have either dissolved or joined forces to accomplish what we do every day, serve our community.  We do it as volunteers, all of us giving our time, talent and energy to make El Sobrante a great place to live, work or run a business.  I cannot thank enough the members of the 2018 board for the time you have given to our community.

I am excited to welcome three new members to the board for 2019.   Karla, Lauren and Tom, we all welcome you, and thank you in advance for the time you are prepared to give this community in the coming year.

Thank you to every one of you who donates time, talent or treasure or supports a loved one who does; that makes El Sobrante the best kept secret in the Bay Area.

Scott Tuffnell