Dental care is a vital part of maintaining good health.  Many people put off seeing a dentist until it’s too late.  Temple City is fortunate enough to have a great new dentist, Dr. Tai K. Mao.

Dr. Mao is a 2002 graduate of USC (This is great for all of your USC fans!)  He recently bought his current practice from Dr. Vysotsky, who decided to retire. While attending USC, he even received the Floyd E. Hogeboom Memorial Award for outstanding achievement in Pediatric Dental.

Pediatric Dental as well as General Dentistry is offered but he also offers over-all full service including:  Cosmetic crowns, filings, dental implants, deep cleaning, gum reshaping, teeth whitening, veneers and valplasts.

Prior to purchasing his new dental office located at 9925 Las Tunas, Dr. Mao was an associate at a dental office on the Westside of Los Angeles.  Being a San Gabriel Valley resident, he likes the idea of a shorter commute to his new office each day.

Dr. Tai Mao was born in Vietnam.  He came from a very large family of twelve, of which Dr. Mao is the only dentist following his father’s footsteps, who himself was a dentist in Viet Nam.  At the age of nine Dr. Mao escaped from Vietnam and was sent to a refugee camp in Hong Kong along with his sister and grandmother awaiting a sponsor to hopefully come to the United States.  His prayers were answered after seven months when his older siblings, already living in the states, were able to sponsor him. Dr. Mao and his siblings along with his parents, who came to the states a year later, immediately settled in the San Gabriel Valley where they still reside today.

Please call Dr. Mao at (626) 286-3033 for an appointment or a consultation.  Dr. Mao and his chair-side assistant Ani, are anxiously waiting to meet you.  Most insurance coverage’s are accepted but you may discuss your dental plan with his office manager, Esther.

Sincere Health Care Services, Inc. is a home health care service with certified home health care aides offering their services in a variety of categories. All caretakers are fingerprinted and a thorough background check is done before hiring.

Their aides are committed to providing supportive home care services to needed families.  They specialize in offering personal care to those who require assistance due to prolonged illness, disability, advanced age, or recent illness or recent discharge from the hospital.

Through the quality care support offered by Sincere Care’s competent staff, their clients can sustain a comfortable lifestyle within the familiar surroundings of their own home and in the midst of their family and friends.

Sincere Care’s mission is to serve their clients with love, kindness and respect.

If you have a loved one who may require at home health care service, please contact Sincere Care Services, at (626) 398-2098 and a friendly representative will be happy to discuss with you your particular service needed.

Pearl Hu, owner and founder of Sincere Care Services, Inc. has been a Temple City resident for over ten years. Pearl has graciously offered to host the March 20 Mixer, that will once again take place at the Chamber.

26 years ago a group of recovering alcoholics got together and formed an Alano (no alcohol) club where persons who desired to maintain a clean and sober way of living could have meetings and hang out.

Our group was originally located on Rosemead Blvd., but very soon we moved to our current location at 5934 Temple City Blvd.  We have been there ever since, thanks in large part to our landlords, Herbert and Joanne Mahaffey, who have been one of our strongest supporters, and to whom we are eternally grateful.  In 2002, we incorporated as the Cheers Alano Club, a nonprofit public benefit corporation. In 2003 the IRS granted us 501(c) (3) (Charity) status.

In the beginning we had only a small room that was a portion of an upholstery shop.  About 15 years ago we were able to expand into the back portion of the building and create a meeting room.

Each week we have from 24 to 26 twelve step meetings for alcoholics and addicts.  These meetings of A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous), N.A. (Narcotics Anonymous), and C.A. (Cocaine Anonymous) are open to everyone who wishes to attend.  We also get many referrals from the courts (court cards).  We have “old-timers” with as much as 44 years of clean and sober to those who may have only a few hours.  We have a very strong support system for anyone whose desire is to quit drinking and/or using.

The Alano Club is open every day from 11:00 a.m. until after the last meeting.  Cheers is a membership club and provides a place to hang out, play pool, play pinball, play video games, or just socialize without the presence of alcohol and drugs.  Anyone can become a member.

Everyone who runs, manages, and/or works at the club are volunteers.  We have no paid employees.  Cheers is registered with the courts in the area and some of our volunteers are fulfilling community service hours. We support ourselves through the membership dues, donations, and special events.  Over the year we sponsor a variety of events for our members to have fun and to raise money.

Cheers also host potluck dinners on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.  These potluck dinners are open to the general public and anyone who wouldn’t otherwise have a place to go. At Christmas we collect donations from our members and businesses in the community for a family we “adopt”.  One year we adopted a family of seven whose father and youngest girl (Sarah) were disabled.  We will never forget the smiles on those faces when a big, red fire engine pulled up in front of their house with sirens blaring.  All Sarah could say was, “All I wished for is a doll!”  Her wish was granted.

Temple City Dance Center/Shin Dance Academy located at 9621 Las Tunas, opened in November 2001, by husband and wife team Shin Yue Wang and Oscar Bustamante, (also Temple City residents). 

Originally the school specialized in Chinese classical ballet as well as Chinese folk dancing. Artistic director Shin Yue Wang directs a group a talented young performers reaching American audiences with Chinese culture influenced dance. The dance company has performed at many venues, including The Kodak Theater, and has won numerous awards.  

Shin Dance Academy is introducing Temple City Dance Center to reach out to the community by introducing additional types of dance classes such as Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Dance Exercise, Pilates, Yoga and more.  Classes are offered to children, teens and adults.  For further information on prices and schedules, phone (626) 286-1200 or check at their website at www.ShinDance.com.

Everyone has tapes and reels they cherish, but there they lay on the shelves collecting dust, slowly deteriorating.  The image quality of analog tapes and reels won’t last forever.  New Line Video Services can transfer those old tapes and reels to DVDs.  Digital quality DVD can last up to 100 years.

You may have taken a lot of digital photos of different occasions.  Looking at the still photos is fun, but why not make it more fun by turning them into a stunning digital slideshow with music added?

New Line Video Services have many services that you can benefit by such as:  Back-up your home movies, old VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, etc.  They can turn all of your old tapes of trips, special events, parties, etc. into DVD.

New Line Video Services is located at 9445 Las Tunas.  Phone owners William Wu and Nina Guo at (626) 614-8488 or email then at newlinesales@gtcinternet.com to set up a consultation.  They even offer free pick-up and delivery. 

Celestte’s Restaurant located at 5818 Temple City Blvd. is now open for business.  They have great food with a European flare.

Owner Oscar Sierra is the chef and has had many years of experience in the food industry.  As a young boy growing up in Guatemala he had a dream of coming to America and having his own business. He pursued his dream and made it to American about twenty years ago.  In the early years he had many different jobs but was always interested in the restaurant field. Oscar began working at restaurants and then in catering.  When he got into the catering business he worked with two individuals whom he feels he owes a lot to, as they seemed to show him the ropes of the catering business.  Their names are Chef Julio Vasques, and Chef Kathy DeKarr.  After working together with his mentors for than ten years, he and wife Nancy decided to open their own restaurant. So they opened a restaurant in Arcadia a few years back and named it Celestte’s, after their youngest daughter.  Most recently they moved their location to Temple City.

Fresh baked bread and desserts are offered daily.  They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Celestte’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Thursday through Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and re-open for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and are closed Mondays. Celestte’s can be reached by phone at (626) 614-8520.

Rita Padilla, an agent for Dickson Podley is the newest business to join the Chamber this month.  Says Rita, “I joined the Chamber because of the monthly newspaper.  It is a good tool for our company to advertise as well as reading the great articles.

Dickson Podley is located at 242 W. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia.  Rita introduced our Chamber to her office, as she has been a Temple City resident for twenty-two years.

Rita has been in the Real Estate field for the past seven years and specializes in residential and income property.  Rita also holds the title SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist).  This means she has been trained to work with senior citizens and can advise them on setting up their estates and trusts.

Rita has an extensive background in public service.  She is an active member of the Arcadia Association of Realtors, and the California and National Association of Realtors. Rita is also a volunteer with the City of Temple City and has been for the past five years.  For two years she has been a tutor in the Mentor Program through the City working with Temple City students.

In you are interested in selling your home, buying a new home or investing in income property, Rita can be reached at (626) 408-1430.

Dr. Taon feels your smile is sunshine to everyone.  It is important to keep on a schedule with your dentist to ensure that you keep that beautiful smile as well as maintaining your teeth and gums healthy. 

Many services such as dental implants, gum reshaping, orthodontics, teeth whitening and over-all full service dental care are available.  For those who are a bit nervous, Dr. Taon believes in Relaxation Dentistry, a procedure where you are not quite all the way out, but just enough to make you very relaxed, thus making your visit more comfortable.

Dr. Taon graduated from college in 1981 in the Philippines and began working as an assistant for the next five years. Moving to the United States in 1984, Dr. Taon finished her dental assisting and testing and became licensed in 1990.

For the past six years Dr. Taon has shared her office space at 5800 Rosemead Blvd., with her husband Blas Taon who is in the insurance business.  PPO and other major insurances are accepted.

Being a working mom, Dr. Taon has a very important schedule at home as well, as she has four children.  He eldest son is in the Army and is currently stationed in Germany.  Second son attends UC Riverside perusing a medical career. The two younger children, a boy age twelve attends middle school and her daughter age seven attends elementary school.

I can inform you first handed that I had a teeth-cleaning visit with Dr. Taon and it was quite pleasant, and I plan on future visits.

For further information or an appointment, phone (626) 285-5093

Golden Carpets, located at 9219-9221 E. Las Tunas, Temple City have recently remodeled their storefront and owners couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Owners Vance and Julie Ho have been in the carpet business since 1991.  Before moving their business to Temple City, they were previously located in Los Angeles.  Since they were Temple City residents, it made sense to move their business closer to home.

Visit Golden Carpets showroom and you can find carpeting, ceramic tile, wood flooring, vinyl and laminates, and they also specialize in custom window covering.  Julie is an interior designer and can help a customer with choosing just the perfect look for their home or business.   Both residential and commercial work is offered.

Vance and Julie Ho have raised two children in Temple City; son Vincent is now 20 years old and attends USC while daughter Jenny Ho is a junior attending Temple City High School.  When Vance isn’t busy at the store he has found time to join San Gabriel Kiwanis Club.

Golden Carpets hours are Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  They can be reached at (626) 286-0318.

If you are constantly reacting to technology problems in your office, if you wish you had time to plan ahead for your company’s future technology needs, then consider Remote Techs. Please Welcome Remote Techs (626) 398-4004, www.remotetechs.net, mailing address 3579 E. Foothill Blvd #471 Pasadena, Ca 91107.

The Owners are Mike Mavilia and Anthony Giambastiani. Remote Techs was started because of the high demand that businesses rely on their computers. They understand that businesses cannot wait for a tech to make his way to them.... it must be IMMEDIATE!

If you hired a full-time IT professional, wouldn’t you want them to do more than just fix problems? Instead of sitting around waiting for something to go wrong, you’d want them to help your company see the future of technology, plan for IT projects, and implement the plan. That’s exactly what Remote Techs Microsoft certified IT managers are excited about doing - taking away all your technology worries! Remote Techs puts software on your computer that gives them access to immediately log on to you computer for technical support without driving to you in  a couple days .Remote Techs primary focus is to service small and medium size business with the same level PC Support that they would get if they had an entire IT department to themselves. They focus on being a proactive computer support company and not reactive. Therefore, problems are detected in advance. They prefer not to wait for problems to arise. Remote Techs have developed a unique support system that is user friendly and very informative.

Services included are Computer Repair, Hardware Upgrades, Software Upgrades, Consulting, PC maintenance, Web and Internet, Domain Registration, Sever Co-Location, Remote data back-ups.

TCNA stands for Temple City Neighborhood Alliance.  This is an organization formed of Temple City residents and neighbors.  This group has united for the purpose of informing all residents of Temple City of what is going on it their city.  They want to make sure that they are being informed of on-going developments that directly affect us all.

Their Mission Statement is to inform the residents of Temple City and urge them to get involved in any plans for development that affects the residents and neighborhoods of our city and to express our concerns to our City Council, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and developers as well.

If you would like further information, you may log onto their website at www.tcna.info., or call (626) 614-0053.

MAC-System Institute of Education was founded twenty-five years ago by Mac Hindin and Keiko Kikekawa.  The non-profit after-school program offers mathematics and English training to enrich a child’s educational experience through individualized curricula and instruction.  Today, there are over thirty MAC-System centers throughout Southern California, providing instruction in everything from basic reading and language skills to advanced Calculus. The MAC-System instructor-training program ensures consistently high quality instruction founded upon the principle of fully realizing each student’s learning potential. MAC-System instructors first evaluate each student to identify learning strengths and weaknesses and then provide daily homework to encourage independent study.  Students attend the learning center once a week for one to two hours to either accelerate beyond grade level or to catch up to grade level.

Nancy Wong, a MAC-System instructor since 1998, became the proud owner and chief instructor of the Temple City Learning Center in 2004. She enjoys teaching math and English to students from pre-school to 12th grade and is dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each student.

The Temple City Learning Center is located at 5921 Oak Avenue, just north of Las Tunas Blvd.  Its hours of operation are Monday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m., and Friday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Call the MAC-System Temple City Learning Center today at (626) 285-7768 to learn more about our programs.

Vista Cove Senior Living, LLC of Los Angeles, California announced that it is assuming the management of the 133-bed assisted living facility, formerly known as The Bridge at San Gabriel, located at 901 West Santa Anita Street, San Gabriel, California, which will be renamed Vista Cove at San Gabriel, as of today.

Floyd Rhoades, Chief Executive Officer of Vista Cove Senior Living, LLC stated, “We are excited to assume the management of this outstanding community and plan to further improve the quality of care, services and living comforts offered.  Our expertise in providing services to seniors will translate into excellent housing and needed services for senior adults who live in San Gabriel, Alhambra, Temple City, San Marino, Pasadena and the surrounding areas. Moreover, we recognize the importance of the Asian Pacific community in the San Gabriel Valley and are committed to meeting the needs of its elderly population with culturally appropriate meals, entertainment and cultural programs.”

“We are committed to providing caring and highly trained staff to ensure excellent services and programming for our senior residents.    We plan to expand the number of residential units for senior adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with a dedicated and secure floor in the community while maintaining the remaining two floors for quality assisted living services for senior adults.  Our unique Life Enrichment Activities Program (LEAP™), which provides numerous engaging activities with three levels of individual, group and community interaction, is highly regarded by the Alzheimer’s Association as a dynamic and productive approach in memory care.”

“Additionally, we are very pleased to announce that Donna Arevalo has joined us as our new Executive Director at Vista Cove at San Gabriel.  Donna has been a passionate and tireless leader in providing assisted living services to senior adults for nearly 25 years.  She is a native of San Gabriel, California and is actively involved in her community.  We are proud to have her on our team and are certain that she will be instrumental in developing Vista Cove at San Gabriel into a premier assisted living and memory care facility in the San Gabriel Valley.”

“We invite the community to visit us at 901 West Santa Anita Street, San Gabriel, California or call us at (626) 289-8889 to schedule a tour with us,” added Donna Arevalo.

The City of San Gabriel, birthplace of the Los Angeles region, welcomes one of the most famous and distinguished hotel chains worldwide!  The four-star Hilton San Gabriel located at 225 West Valley Boulevard (near the intersections of Valley Boulevard and Del Mar Avenue) offers a variety of opportunities for meetings, conferences, social events and luxurious accommodations for guests.  The hotel has 222 guestrooms, which includes 27 suites, a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 900 guests, 16 meeting or VIP dining rooms, and a Garden Terrace with spectacular views of the San Gabriel Mountains providing a unique setting for special occasions.

The Hilton San Gabriel brings first class lodging with its beautiful and luxurious Mediterranean-style architecture featuring graceful arches, warm wood paneling and granite-tile floors.  Additional amenities include an international restaurant, Trinity, featuring a breakfast buffet, Mandarin and Western lunch and dinner menus and a bountiful Seafood Buffet every Saturday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Enjoy music or your favorite sporting event at Jason’s Lounge while having a drink with friends or business associates after a long day.  It’s time for tea at SIPS featuring delicious coffee’s or a relaxing cup of organic herbal teas complimented by a delectable pastry, finger sandwich or specialty dessert.

The San Gabriel Hilton has something for everyone!  We look forward to seeing you soon.   

Andrea Olivas, Temple City resident and graduate of Temple City High School, is one of the newest members to the Chamber.   She had been in the real estate industry for over 2 years and now works as both a Mortgage Specialist with First 2 Fund Home Loan Servicing and as a Realtor with Golden State Properties and Investments.  Andrea is someone you can trust because she is dedicated to educating the community about the ever changing real estate industry.  Buying, selling or refinancing your home are some of the most overwhelming processes for most people when it comes to real estate, but Andrea makes each process simple and painless.  She believes that the most important part of a smooth transaction begins with educating her clients on the basic steps they will be following to get to their ultimate goal.  By education her clients, Andrea makes them active partners with her in their transaction, giving them piece of mind instead not knowing where they stand during the whole process.

First 2 Fund Home Loan Servicing, located in Arcadia, prides themselves in finding the best possible loan programs to meet their clients’ goals.  In today’s mortgage industry, there are many companies that are just looking out for themselves instead of what is best for their clients who are trusting them to finance their biggest investment, their home.  First 2 Fund’s clients are informed of all the different options available to them, instead of being forced into the program that will make the loan officer the most money.  There is no run around or hidden fees to surprise their clients when they get to the end of the process either.  Their honest and hard working approach is making them the leader in the San Gabriel Valley and is why they are “The Fastest Way to Fund.”

Andrea Olivas has resided in Temple City for over 20 years. As a single mom with daughter Kayla, 5, she knows the importance of being an active part of the community.  To contact Andrea, call (626) 390-8306 or email her at aolivas@first2fund.com.

While having regular dental check-ups to maintain that great smile is important to your teeth, it also will ensure healthier gums.  Dr. Ken is known as the Gentle Dentist.  This is what his patients think of him….

Caesar and Rosemarie Aguins, (dental patient for eleven years) say, “I have total trust in Dr. Ken.  He is an awesome painless dentist!”  Nancy Chow (ortho and dental patient for five years) says, “ Dr. Cheung is very knowledgeable and takes time to educate his patients.  Invisalign is amazing and convenient.  I never wanted to go to wire.  You just pop the aligners in and out.”  Brian Schiller (seven year old dental patient for six months) says, “ I didn’t feel the shot al all.  I’m not afraid to go to the dentist.”

Dr. Ken Cheung, D.D.S., located at 5919 Oak Avenue, wants to make sure that he can help you maintain a schedule for healthier gums and a beautiful, bright smile.  Dr. Cheung specializes in the following: General dentistry, deep cleaning, various dentures including valplasts, veneers, cosmetic crowns, dental implants, one-hour teeth whitening (which included customized bleaching trays and Rembrandt bleaching gel).  He is also educated in Orthodontia and offers several different types of braces such as traditional and Invisalign.

Dr. Cheung was born in Hong Kong and came to the states with his family when he was seven years old.  He grew up in the Bay area and received his B.S.at the University of the Pacific (POP) and a Doctorate of Dentistry from UCLA in 1988.  He moved his practice from Monterey Park in 1999 to Temple City, as he enjoys the close-knit community of Temple City. 

If you are over due for a check up or looking for a new dentist Dr. Cheung and his friendly staff will be happy to schedule an appointment for you.  They can be reached at (626) 291-2219.

This summer until the end of September, the office is offering a special on teeth whitening, wedding party teeth whitening and orthodontia specials. Hours of operation are Monday and Tuesday 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays 10: a.m. noon until 8:00 p.m., Thursdays are closed and open again Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Super Pets Grand Opening

June 24 and 25 You may have noticed the new Super Pets that recently opened at 9403 Las Tunas.  What you probably don’t know is the long history behind the new store.  Super Pets got its’ humble beginnings in Pasadena in 1967 when Vince Markese, just eighteen years old, opened a 100 sq.ft. aquarium shop.  Working by his side was his high school sweetheart and soon to be bride, Pamela.  Over the years the business grew and branched out changing locations, until their retirement in 1995.

The eldest of their three children Mark Markese, having grown-up working in his parents stores always imagined himself having a store of his own someday.  This brings us to the new pet store in Temple City.  Now Mark with wife Briana and two children of their own, have fulfilled Mark’s dream of having his own store.

Super Pets is located at the site of the previous Country House Furniture store. The site has been completely renovated.  When you walk into the 11,000 square foot store, you instantly notice the massive size and at the same time you notice that it is completely filled with everything you can imagine for your pet and more.  Just to mention a portion of Super Pets inventory, they have a huge selection of dog and cat foods and supplies, a dog groomer, they sell birds, small animals, reptiles, fresh water fish, salt-water fish, and have a large reef fish section.  In the near future they plan on having a vaccination clinic.

With the size and selection customers have to come to expect, and the personal touches of a family business, shopping at Super Pets is a pleasure.  When asked what a customer can expect when shopping at their store, Mark and Briana said, “We want to do it all, great prices, unbeatable services and a wide variety of products to choose from.”

Super Pets is open seven days a week.  Their hours are Monday through Saturday from 9-9 and Sundays from 10-7.  They can also be reached at (626) 237-0715.

Master Derick Lee held his Grand Opening of Dlee’s Martial Arts on Sunday, February 19, with over 50 people in attendance.

As a small child in Vietnam Master Derick Lee  became interested in Kung Fu, and by the time he was age 15 his father allowed him to begin training in Martial Arts.

In 1983 Master Lee left Vietnam to reside in the United States, and broadened his knowledge at the American Vietnam-Chinese Friendship Association, and began to vary his knowledge by increasing his repertoire in Northern and Southern style of Chinese Kung Fu.  In addition he also explored the areas of Tae Kwon Do, Thai Boxing, Hapkido, Chin-Na and Wing-Chun.

Master Lee has been experienced in this business for over thirty years.  Dlee’s Martial Arts studio is located at 9592 Lower Azusa Rd., Temple City, where Traditional Shao-Lin Tiger Kung Fu is taught.

Morning and evening classes are available according to your individual level. For further information you can contact Master Derick Lee at (626) 350-8895.