For the past 14 years, the Commerce Industrial Council's CAER Group (Community Action and Emergency Response) has sponsored "Chemistry is Cool" at each of the three Commerce Elementary Schools. This popular program is designed to teach fourth graders some of the basic principles of Chemistry in a fun and interactive setting.

Each student participates in six different experiments, all performed in a "laboratory environment" wearing a lab coat and goggles. The job of the volunteers is to make the student feel like a real scientist.

The experiments are designed to help the students discover that chemistry is required to make many products that are used daily. Some of the experiments include: making toothpaste and super slime, learning about the different types of solutions, solving a mystery using chromatography, and testing their sense of taste and smell.

The program was developed by COSI, Columbus Ohio's Center of Science & Industry with the support of The American Chemistry Council, the Ohio Chemical Council and its members: Monsanto Foundation, PPG Industries, Ashland Chemical Company and Aristech Foundation

Ashland Chemical Company, AMVAC Chemical Company, Exide Technologies, Rio Hondo Rotary Club and Commerce residents are among the many volunteers who help bring this program to the students every year.

Non-profit organizations ByDesign Financial Solutions and the California Credit Union League (CCUL) recently entered into an agreement to work together to promote financial literacy to CCUL member credit unions throughout the states of California and Nevada.

"As financial education is key in both of our missions, ByDesign has worked with CCUL for many years, and we are thrilled to have entered into a more formal partnership to market our Personal Finance Management program," said Peter Lake, president and CEO of ByDesign Financial Solutions. "The course was developed by ByDesign educators in 2003, and has proved to be an affordable, yet comprehensive and engaging educational program. Now we have the potential to deliver the curriculum to millions of credit union members who can benefit from improved money management skills."

The Personal Finance Management program, available in both English and Spanish, consists of a book and corresponding five-hour workshop covering budgeting, credit, debt, credit reports and saving and investing.

The Montebello-Commerce YMCA preschool program has been awarded special funding through the California Department of Education to provide half- day preschool programs for children age three to five years old. The program is FREE to qualifying families. Qualifications are based on income and family size.

Preparing a child for kindergarten and locating a safe and affordable preschool is one of the most important and difficult decisions facing today's parents. The Montebello-Commerce YMCA Preschool and Child Development Center is a licensed center for children between the ages of two and five years old and offers a well-rounded program in a safe, nurturing environment that encourages the development of children to their fullest potential. The highly qualified staff encourages hands-on activities that provide a foundation for a child's future learning and growth, promotes independence, confidence, and builds self- esteem.

Other benefits of the Montebello-Commerce YMCA preschoo include physical fitness classes, and annual dental and hearing tests included at no additional cost. Children are exposed to pre-reading activities, language development, math, science, computers and music and movement at an age-appropriate level and are served a breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day.

For decades, the Commerce Plaza Hotel on the corner of Washington and Telegraph was the premier hotel in Commerce. Opening in the early 60's as the Commerce Hyatt, the Industrial Council and the City of Commerce held many functions there. This popular meeting place was known for it's live entertainment and great restaurant. But now, the end of an era is near. The hotel is being razed to make room for a new Hyundai Dealership. This is one of the many redevelopement projects that is scheduled for Telegraph Road. Look to see many other projects begin along this corridor.

Los Angeles county communities do not allow businesses to participate in contracted e-waste disposal programs. Through SAFESHRED, the City of Commerce and the Commerce Industrial Council is changing that - with an environmental twist.

With security and recycling in mind, SAFESHRED, a secured shredding and e-waste recycling company, along with the city of Commerce and the Commerce Industrial Council, has combined to offer the businesses and residents of Commerce and its surrounding communities a drop off center for all computer and related e-waste products. On Friday and Saturday, June 16th and 17th from 9 am to 12 noon, businesses and residents can bring up to ten (10) computers to the Safeshred Facility, 5928 So. Malt Avenue, Commerce, CA 90040 and have them recycled for free. To make this easy for everyone, just drive through, drop-off and then exit. No hassle, no problem. Cell phones will be accepted as well.

SAFESHRED’s cutting-edge technology is well ahead of current environmental regulations. Instead of land-filling most of the components, or selling them to companies and governments overseas, which can endanger personal and corporate security as hard-drive wiping software cannot thoroughly remove all information, SAFESHRED technology annihilates the e-waste, breaking them down and separating them into their various elements. Once done, the raw materials are then sent to smelters and used to create new products. Identity theft is stopped, and the environment is protected.

If your company would like SAFESHRED to take more than ten computers, call David Jones at 800-98-SHRED to schedule a special pick up.

The Commerce Industrial Council, in partnership with the Montebello Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "Networking Breakfast" to be held at 8:00 A.M. on the fourth Friday of each month at the Quiet Cannon Montebello, located high on the beautiful and lush Montebello Country Club.

Vigorous networking is the focus of this monthly event. Come and expand your client base and promote your business!

With more than 30 years of service to Los Angeles’ most resource-deprived children, Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California (RIFSoCal) has witnessed thousands of life-changing moments and received innumerable testimonials from grateful participants. Working to ignite the spark of literacy in more than 41,000 children in the 2005 – 2006 academic year by building personal libraries and encouraging a love of books, RIFSoCal has a new, innovative way to benefit local children.

By joining forces with AMAZON.com, RIFSoCal will receive a 4% donation for every book purchased from AMAZON.com. Here's how it works: Log onto the RIFSoCal website, click on the AMAZON link at the bottom of RIFSoCal's Home Page, and shop for your books this way. For every book purchased in this manner, a 4% donation will be made to RIFSoCal. In order for RIFSoCal to receive this donation you MUST enter AMAZON.com through the RIFSoCal website.

Remember, you can support RIFSoCal's mission of motivating children to read and inspiring them to become lifelong readers! More than any other skill, the ability to read allows a child to succeed in school and in life. RIFSoCal makes a difference in children's lives every day through enriching activities that spark children's interest in reading, and by putting books in the hands, homes, and hearts of the children who need them most. $2 buys one wonderful book for a child who may not have any reading material at home.

Contestants have lined up to win the title of "Biggest Loser in Commerce". With a combined weight of 6,890 pounds, the group hopes to become "big losers". The contestants paid $50 to join the contest and the one who has the biggest percentage of weight loss takes home the jackpot of $1,600.00. Some of the contestants recorded losses of 25-30 pounds in the first month. Look for more details in the months ahead!