News
Lakewood Community
Official publication of the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce | 30,000 Circulation - Delivered to every home in Lakewood www.lakewoodchamber.com
Volume 36 Number 12
There is snow in the forecast in December
December 2018
‘Tis the season for Project Shepherd
Children enjoy the falling snow at the 2017 tree lighting.
The City of Lakewood is reporting that long-range weather forecasts are calling for snow flurries the evening of Friday, Dec. 7 at the city’s 5th annual holiday tree lighting ceremony and community gathering outside The Centre at 5000 Clark Ave., next to City Hall. OK, the “snow” will be the Disneyland variety, but it will still delight children of all ages when it falls from the sky as Lakewood’s holiday tree is lit for the first time in 2018. • The fun begins at 4:30 p.m. when Santa starts seeing children and food trucks and free carnival games open. Like last year, the food trucks will be located in the parking lot behind City Hall where there’s more room to spread out and relax. • At 6:30 p.m., Santa comes to the stage to join the Lakewood City Council in lighting the 24-foot-tall
Lakewood tree and starting the snow machines. • From 7 to 8 p.m., Santa returns to seeing children, and the carnival games and food trucks continue. Other fun features of the event include: • Dickens carolers • Wonderful and free family holiday photo opportunities. Costumed characters will help with several holiday photo scenes, including one with Santa and two others with large sleighs. No reservations are required. Just come on down. Parking will be available behind The Centre and in the large, gravel parking lot at the corner of Del Amo Boulevard and Clark Avenue. The parking lots immediately in front of and behind City Hall will be closed for use during the event. There will be plenty of other
opportunities to enjoy good cheer around the Lakewood tree if you can’t make the tree lighting on Dec. 7. From Dec. 8 to Dec. 31, the tree will be on display in the plaza, providing an animated light show that changes colors to music continuously from 5 to 10 p.m. each night. Stop by and enjoy the splendor of the winter holidays! It’s a great place to take holiday family photos! If it’s raining the late afternoon of Dec. 7, the event will be cancelled, but the tree will still be lit for the first time at 6:30 p.m. that evening. If the rain stops by 1 p.m., the event will go on, although some activities may be limited. For more information, including weather-related updates on Dec. 7, visit www.lakewoodcity.org/ treelighting or call city staff at 562866-9771, extension 2140. ♦
Lakewood Center’s “Santa HQ” is high-tech fun
Holiday photos with Santa includes social media fun.
Lakewood Center’s “Santa HQ” turns the tradition of visiting Santa into a high-tech, family-fun activity. Santa HQ is open now through Dec. 24. To make an online reservation for a photo with Santa, visit www.lakewoodcity.org/SantaPhoto.
Created through a partnership between the HGTV Network and Lakewood Center, the special holiday addition to the mall turns getting a photo with Santa into a creative and innovative activity for children. New this year is the Magic Mir-
ror where children can virtually try on outfits from one of their favorite Elves or create your own Elf ID card, a fun identification keepsake from the Elf Academy. But don’t forget to explore Santa’s Observatory using “ELF-RAYw Vision” and the “Naughty O’ Nice Meter” where you can see where you land on Santa’s list this year! Visitors will wind their way to Santa’s workshop through interactive activity stations featuring tablets and apps that let the fun be shared with grandparents and friends via social media. Apps can be used to take the experience home. (Cont'd on Pg. 2)
Teen volunteers pack canned goods.
The Lakewood community’s commitment to caring is obvious every holiday season when the Youth Center at Del Valle Park transforms into the “Project Shepherd Warehouse.” Teddy Bear Tree toys are gathered and the makings for family holiday meals are assembled. A small army of volunteers and city staff makes lists and checks them twice to help an expected 300+ Lakewood families in economic need have a brighter holiday season. Everyone involved will be continuing Project Shepherd’s 45-year commitment of helping residents in need during the holiday season, along with a yearround mission of maintaining an emergency food pantry. New volunteers are welcome to join in the work starting Dec. 4. Volunteers will sort and organize
canned goods, pack and move boxes, assist patrons to their vehicles and other tasks as needed. If you are interested in volunteering please go to the websites below to sign up for a shift, or call the Burns Community Center at 562-925-7512. Both adults and teens are welcome to sign up for one or more shifts. Shifts are for one hour, but may end earlier or later, depending on workload. Morning shifts (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.): http://signup.com/go/ PS2018_MorningVolunteers. Evening shifts (3 to 7 p.m.): http://signup.com/go/PS2018_ EveningVolunteers. Donations are needed too. For more information on Project Shepherd and all the ways to help, go to www.lakewoodcity.org/projectshepherd. ♦
How to access City Hall for business on December 7 Lakewood’s annual Tree Lighting will be held Friday, Dec. 7 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. City Hall will operate “business as usual” that day (7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), however, parking will be impacted. The parking lot in front of City Hall (off of Clark Avenue) will be closed all day on Dec. 7 as city staff and contractors prepare for the event. The rear lot behind City Hall will be open until noon. Parking will be available behind The Centre all day long. Street parking on Civic Center Way will also remain open all day. Disabled parking will be available behind The Centre all day and behind City Hall until that lot closes at noon. If you have any questions, please call City Hall at 562866-9771, ext. 2140.