If you want to see the difference in the way Alamo Car Wash and Detail Center can make your car look and run, visit them at 784 N. Nogales Street in Walnut. For more information, including business hours, call them at (626) 965-7922.

BY SEAN C. MOORE

Walnut – You’re a busy person with a lot to do. You need a car wash, an oil change, a haircut and you have to pick up a birthday card for a friend—and you haven’t even had lunch yet. You could run all over town trying to get all of this done, or you could get it all done at one stop: Alamo Car Wash and Detail Center.

Dan Gerstner and his wife, Sylvia, opened Alamo 18 years ago, and they have run the business with a simple philosophy ever since.“Our philosophy is to always have satisfied customers. We want them to be satisfied with what we do here, and 99.9 percent of the time, they are,” Gerstner said.

Situated in a four-acre complex at the corner of Nogales and Francesca Drive in Walnut, Alamo features a hand car wash, a Mobil gas station and an Xpress Lube oil change center, as well as a number of shops, which the Gerstners rent mostly to automotive-related businesses, but also include restaurants, beauty salons, a dentist’s office, a locksmith and a bookkeeping service. “We even have a shoeshine guy. It’s really a one-stop shop,” Gerstner said.

The car wash offers full-service hand car washes and detailing, which include waxing, buffing and interior cleaning, as well as an express wash for people on the go. “We have a new service we started a year ago—the Express Exterior Wash. It only takes five minutes and the customer stays in the car as it goes through the tunnel where it gets hand washed. It’s for people who are in a hurry,” he explained.
Asked why people should visit Alamo instead of other area car washes, Gerstner said, “I don’t know what other car washes do, but I know what we do. We’re very picky about service and the little details. And usually, when the car comes out, it’s cleaner than it’s ever been.”

Package washes are popular, Gerstner said, especially the Silver Package Wash. It includes an air freshener, sealer wax, polish wax, rainbow wax, clear coat sealant and Armor-All on the car’s tires.
Inside the brightly-decorated car wash, you can watch your car as it goes through the tunnel; get a massage in a leather massage chair, listen to the sound of tropical birds chirping, pick up a gift or card in the gift shop.

“If people need something at the last minute, like greeting cards, we have a wide selection they can choose from while they’re waiting for their car. We also carry just about any kind of auto accessories you might need,” Gerstner said.
Alamo’s oil change service is also extremely popular.
“Our quick lube service is very complete. We do the complete maintenance service for the car—transmission, power steering, brake fluid, the cooling system and fuel emissions service—we do the whole maintenance package for your car, and that’s why our quick lube service is so popular,” Gerstner said. Plus, oil change customers receive a free car wash.

Gerstner admits that Alamo is not the cheapest place to have your car washed or serviced, but maintains that the services they offer make them competitive with just about anybody else.
“We offer a higher level of service than many other places, and that’s why we’ve been so successful. People love their car—their car is like their baby, and it’s unbelievable how some of them treat their cars. We see customers who come in twice a week, and their cars look clean, but they still want them washed here,” he explained.

If you want to see the difference in the way Alamo Car Wash and Detail Center can make your car look and run, visit them at 784 N. Nogales Street in Walnut. For more information, including business hours, call them at (626) 965-7922.

By Sarah Armijo

Diamond Bar – With the holidays coming quickly, we all will be busy with holiday parties, family gatherings, and holiday shopping. But The Whole Enchilada in Diamond Bar has made this season easier by catering to our holiday needs with festive food, gift cards, and a place to host your holiday parties.

With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, you can ease the stress of making dinner by ordering delicious tamales from The Whole Enchilada. This traditional holiday dish are sold by the dozen and are available in pork, beef, chicken, green chile and cheese. But tamales don’t stop at Thanksgiving, because they are now available all year round!

Holiday parties can be planned easily at a home or a business with The Whole Enchilada’s catering service available. From platters and entrée meals to taco bars, The Whole Enchilada provides a variety of options to serve their fresh authentic Mexican recipes their resident chef brought from their homeland.

“All our food is made fresh daily,” says Lil Palmer of The Whole Enchilada. The restaurant has been in business for over 30 years, offering a variety of delicious Mexican food ranging from tacos and burritos to carne asada and fajitas.

The Whole Enchilada’s food is only one reason to celebrate the upcoming holidays at their restaurant. They also pride on their excellent customer service due to their family friendly servers being attentive, courteous, and knowledgeable and able to answer any question you might have about their wonderful food. This is why you should host your holiday party at The Whole Enchilada by calling in advance to book a portion of the restaurant.

Gift cards are also available for easy shopping during this holiday season or for easy raffle prizes at your office party. You can buy your gift cards in person or you can buy them online at www.wholeenchilada.com at your convenience.

After purchasing your gift card, make sure to stay at The Whole Enchilada for lunch or dinner and use one of the coupons on page 12 of The Weekly News for special discounts. There’s no need to put a hole in your wallet with The Whole Enchilada’s ½ off coupon and “2 for 20” deal.

But The Whole Enchilada is much more than a place to eat. The staff is there to help you celebrate special moments, raise money for your team or organization, and provide a wonderful experience for your children.  They love working with the community to help with fundraisers, and special events for churches, sports, schools, clubs, and more.

Birthday parties are always fun at The Whole Enchilada as well. No matter how old you are, you will have a great time at The Whole Enchilada! On your birthday, the staff will sing to you, you will receive a special picture to take home, a free birthday hat, a free dessert, and best of all, five “Enchilada Bucks” to use the next time you come in.

“Kids Club” is where your child will receive four mailings per year that entitle them to a free meal when accompanied by an adult, as well as a birthday mailing for a free meal and birthday dessert.

The Whole Enchilada also offers a combo punch card. Just ask your server for one and when you buy any of their nine combination dinners, you will receive the 10th combination dinner free.

The Whole Enchilada is located at 1114 S. Diamond Bar Blvd, (at Grand Ave.) Diamond Bar, CA 91765. You can reach them at (909) 861-5340.

By Sarah Armijo Southern California – In this day and age, it’s important to know all aspects of your business. For Gil Rivera from sellyourcasa.com, he definitely knows every aspect of buying and selling a home. He is a reliable, experienced, and an affordable Realtor, Broker, and Certified Appraiser. Rivera sells houses, condos, and 2-4 unit investment properties in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. He also does real estate appraisals for banks, estates, trusts, divorces, attorneys, refinances, home purchases, and upon death of a homeowner for tax purposes. Rivera also has assistants that work with him who are fluent in Spanish and Chinese, which helps him to reach people of different dialects all over Southern California. Rivera is in his 20th year of business and has SOLD homes in 26 different cities in Southern California, so his coverage area is expansive. Rivera said, “I can do this because I appraise homes in so many different cities and have the knowledge and expertise associated with your marketplace. Give me an opportunity and you will surely be happy you did!” In Feb. 2013, Rivera listed a home in Monterey Park worth $470,000. Rivera received 53 offers in 7 days and SOLD it for $515,000! Rivera’s philosophy is to “treat my clients the way I want to be treated.” In fact, Rivera said that he became a Realtor because he did not like the way his Realtor treated him when he was buying his home. Rivera shows respect for his clients at all times. He listens to what they say, so that he can better serve them. Rivera also does not push his buyers into a sale. Rivera said, “I always tell buyers: ‘You will know right away when we walk into the house that’s meant for you.’ Whether it takes a week or months, my buyers will always be satisfied with their purchase and never pressured into it.” Rivera’s Sellers love the fact that he offers a discounted commission, but with full service! Rivera offers a 4% Total Commission for Sellers. This includes 2.5% to the Buyer’s Agent and 1.5% to Rivera’s office. Most Realtors negotiate a 6% commission because they have to split the fees with their brokerage. But, Rivera passes on the savings to the Seller. This will save Sellers thousands of dollars in commission fees. His team offers full service for that discounted rate including high quality flyers, professional photos, open houses (as allowable by Seller), and extended advertising coverage on the Internet and social media. Rivera’s current promotion is “We will SELL your house in 6 weeks at highest value! We only request a listing period of 6 weeks, while most other Realtors ask for 6 month listings.” Rivera says that “Buyers need to know that they do not need to pay their Realtor any fees for representing them on a purchase. The Buyer’s agent is paid by the Seller, not the Buyer. Rivera absolutely loves what he does. He loves selling homes to Buyers because he helps fulfill their dreams of home ownership. His favorite part of selling homes to Buyers is transferring the keys to excited Buyers. Rivera loves selling homes for Sellers because he enjoys the uniqueness that each property offers and selling the positive attributes of the home. Rivera says, “Many agents spend their time showing houses….I SELL them!” Check out Rivera’s website at http://www.SellYourCasa.com to see how many different cities Rivera has sold in and for additional information about Rivera’s company. You can also call the toll free number at 1-877-888-SOLD (7653) or cell phone numbers 909-967-4525 and 626-340-9950. Call today for a free market evaluation! Also, check out his ad on page 12 of the Weekly News. Call today for a free market evaluation.

By Sarah Armijo San Gabriel Valley –Vision Arts believes that the most valuable and priceless art are the ones that are original, one-of-a-kind, and created from the heart. Mathew Sanchez, creator of Vision Arts, expresses his creativity through every art piece, even if it’s as simple as a portrait of relatives, friends, or a family pet. For five years, Sanchez has been painting his thoughts, feelings and emotions on canvas. He decided to start Vision Arts to share his love of painting with others. Mathew Sanchez recently won Pomona’s Visual Artist of the Year at RAW Artists’ RAWards last year. At the show, his artistic work was highlighted and he was awarded with the prestigious honor. There were six categories involved in the RAWards, including visual art, fashion, photography, make-up, hair and music. Each nominee had their work set up for an audience in-person vote and to be evaluated by a panel of qualified judges. The winners were picked for each category based off both the in-person vote and the judges’ evaluations. After winning in the Visual Arts category, Sanchez said, “I’m very thankful to have been voted Pomona’s Visual Artist of the Year. From this accomplishment, I’m inspired to continue my dream to becoming a well-known and respected artist throughout the world.” Vision Arts provides a variety of different art created by Sanchez himself. “Whether it’s a special request or simply just a piece of art my client is interested in buying, my art drifts to many different items and types of art,” says Sanchez. Sanchez specializes in custom clocks, hand-painted vinyl figures, abstract paintings, scenery paintings, graphic design, and black and white portraits. The portraits he paints aren’t just pictures of people, they are black and white painted portraits with a few highlighting colors that convey an artistic spin. Sanchez has also done spray-painted art, pen and pencil sketches, pop art, hand-painted skateboards and custom animation characters. Sanchez said he can paint on almost anything, if given the opportunity. Painting is not only Sanchez’s hobby, but it’s his passion. “I love seeing my art put a smile on a customer’s face. I take every painting or project to its fullest potential. So when my customers are happy, it’s a very rewarding feeling,” says Sanchez. What separates Sanchez from other artists is his diversity of art and his ability to take special requests. “Most artists don’t take requests, but I’m open to any project and am willing to work with my customers to achieve their satisfaction.” Something really interesting about Sanchez is that he has never taken one art class in his life. All of his artwork is self-taught through observations and experimentation. “God blessed me with this gift and all I want to do is to show the world my thoughts and feelings as I splatter them on a fresh white canvas.” To introduce his vision of art, Vision Arts is selling black and white clocks for $40 (originally $60). Pick your favorite celebrity, character, or picture and have a one-of-a-kind custom clock painted for only $40. Visit Sanchez’s website at http://www.matsanchez.com, his Instagram: @visionarts, or his ad on page 11 to see more samples of his work. For more information or for a custom work, you can email Sanchez at Matartistic7@yahoo.com.

By Sarah Armijo Eastvale – The 7-Eleven off Archibald Ave. and Schleisman Rd. has everything you need all at one stop. You can pick up your morning coffee, buy a sandwich that’s less than 400 calories for lunch, pick up an ITunes gift card for a friend’s birthday, rent a movie and get gas all at the same time! 7-Eleven offers a variety of foods, drinks and products. They also provide an audio-enabled ATM machine inside and a RedBox machine outside the store. 7-Eleven’s hot foods motto is Fast, Fresh, and Convenient. They offer a wide selection of hot foods from hot breakfast sandwiches and maple pancakes sausages to big bite hot dogs, crispy chicken tender sandwiches, boneless and regular wings, buffalo chicken rollers, and mouth-watering 14” pizzas. Fresh foods are also a popular item for 7-Eleven customers. You can get a variety of delicious sandwiches for under 400 calories! They also provide sub sandwiches, wraps, and fresh fruit. You also will never go thirsty at 7-Eleven. You can pick from a Super Big Gulp, an ice-cold Slurpee, fresh milk, a boosting energy drink, refreshing lemonade or even an iced coffee. If you prefer hot beverages, 7-Eleven offers coffee brewed 24 hours a day from 100% Arabica beans. Also offered are cappuccinos, lattes, cocoa, and hot tea. For dessert, grab something from 7-Eleven’s fresh bakery. From glazed donuts and fudge brownies to blueberry muffins and chocolate chunk cookies; your taste buds will be satisfied. 7-Eleven also sells a variety of gift cards, including Itunes cards, gaming cards and phone cards. Also available are electronics, healthy and beauty products, household products, and As Seen On TV products. Frozen foods, microwavable foods, ice cream, candy, chips and snacks can also be purchased. 7-Eleven’s newest promotion is their 7-Elevent Day Dance Party. On July 11th, you can get a free small slurpee from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then you can dance it out! Make sure to create your own slurpee dance and tag @slurpee and #slurpeedance when you upload it online. For more information, visit their website at http://www.7-eleven.com. 7-Eleven is located at 7014 Archibald Avenue, Eastvale CA 92880. You can reach them at (951) 280-3032.

By Genesis Miranda Corona – What better way to get the help you need around your patio than from a great business with triple A rating and absolutely no issues? Jim McGeough, owner of South Coast Patio Inc., started working as a kid in a neighborhood business and started his own business in 1972. His philosophy is “to have satisfied customers so that we can have continued relationships with them.” McGeough is a general contractor who has been working for 35 years and has had experience in this field for 40 years. South Coast Patio has been working in the area for the past 20 years. McGeough said that his customers are not limited to certain products like with other competitors; South Coast Patio has factory-trained installers and has their products locally made in Corona. South Coast Patio. is a well-established company, and offers long-term service and warrants. McGeough said that his company will match any competitor’s price and although they do not have a retail store, their workers will go to customers’ houses to do the work. You can reach South Coast Patio at (951) 277-0956 or visit them at 420 N. McKinley in Suite 418 in Corona.

By Cynthia Ribas-Santos Walnut – The International School of Montessori in Walnut has provided excellent childcare service to the families and children of the Walnut community for over 16 years. The unique Montessori method caters specifically to each child. “Our philosophy is to have a curriculum based on the child,” says Director Pushpa De Silva. “We have individually created it to suit each child with a staff that is warm and dedicated to the children.” The program is equipped and staffed to give the best possible care to these children. The experienced teachers provide a service that has grown out of sincere love for the children and a desire to help them in the proper development and adjustment. “We are proud that most of our students attain skills comparable to children in the second grade when they graduate from our Montessori Kindergarten Program,” says Office Manager Ann Chau. Their aim is to provide a developmentally safe environment that allows the children to develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically towards their full potential. The International School of Montessori provides children the freedom to learn at their own pace in an atmosphere of respect and understanding of individual differences. “We have highly qualified experienced teachers, a disciplined program developed over the years, and we create a fun atmosphere that gives children the self-motivation to enjoy learning,” says Chau. They encourage children to experience the joy of learning and the intrinsic satisfaction through creative use of attractive self-correcting materials and activities. It is a combination of all these things that allows The International School of Montessori to offer the most advanced preschool curriculum in Walnut. “The loving environment and experienced teachers makes a difference,” says De Silva. “Anyone can have a huge, beautiful building, but the teachers make a difference. It’s not academic only, we focus on the child as a whole.”

By Sauni Rinehart Eastvale- Walking into Sunny Donuts in Eastvale is a full-sensory experience. The store’s owner, Sunny Chiem, is very proud of the bright and cheery atmosphere he has created. More importantly, he is proud of his donuts. Their scent draws customers in, and the colorful display of over 25 different donuts delights the eye. But, it’s the taste of his just-made donuts that brings customers back. Why donuts? Chiem came to the United States in 1979 from Vietnam. After living in Utah for a few years, he landed in Riverside County. In 1988, Chiem was laid off and needed to find work to support his family. He happened to stumble upon a donut shop in Mira Loma, and when the owner asked Chiem to take over, Chiem said yes—even though he knew nothing about the business. “I worked hard,” Chiem says, “and I learned to make good donuts.” By 1999, Chiem bought the shop, and soon added two additional stores. Then in 2007, he opened the Eastvale store. But why Sunny Donuts? Lan Luu, Assistant Manager, says, “We use the highest level ingredients; and the best ingredients make the best donuts.” And it’s not just donuts. Alongside the expected glazed donuts, bear claws, and apple fritters sit bagels, muffins, and decadent filled croissants. Chiem’s philosophy continues to include working hard, which is evident by his hands-on management of all four stores, and serving his customers the best possible product promptly and courteously. He also gives back to the community by donating to local schools and participating in fund-raising opportunities. “I feel very lucky,” Chiem concludes, “I really enjoy doing my work every day.” Sunny Donuts is located in the Albertsons Center at the corner of Archibald and Schleisman.