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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.
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Take some time to be thankful this season By Mayor Steve Croft
We’re entering the holiday season now, where lots of time and money get spent on meals, gifts and travel to be with our family and friends. Those reunions and exchanges can be very warm and meaningful. They can also make for a hectic few months. Hopefully, we can also carve out some quiet time where we can stop and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for and on all
that we want to work on to make our lives and our world better in the future. Living in Lakewood is one thing we all share in common and for which we can be very thankful. We are fortunate to live in a city that has beautiful parks; attractive, tree-lined streets; good law enforcement and fire and emergency services; and a wellrun local government. We also live in a town that is full of residents who care about their neighbors and their community. I was reminded of that just recently at the annual Award of Valor Luncheon, where we honored many Lakewood Sheriff’s and Fire personnel for meritorious acts this past year, as well as many civilians who volunteered for public safety or took extra steps to protect their fellow resi-
dents. I’m also reminded of the strong, caring nature of Lakewood residents during the Project Shepherd assistance effort which is gearing up right now. Hundreds of residents are donating food, money or their time to help their fellow Lakewood neighbors in economic need. I know from seeing the grateful faces and smiles of recipient families over the years just how nice it feels to realize that your neighbors care about you during tough times. To learn how you can get involved in Project Shepherd, call 562-925-7512. I’m also thankful for all the great volunteer work that takes place year-round in Lakewood. It happens through churches, youth groups and many organizations. For ideas on how you can volunteer on a Lakewood project or cause, go to www.lakewoodcity.org/volunteer or call 562-8669771, extension 2408. Part of enjoying the holiday season in Lakewood is spending some time in the company of your fellow residents. A great way to do that is at the city’s annual Tree Lighting event. It will happen Friday, Dec. 7 in front of City Hall. Starting at 4:30 p.m., you’ll find Santa, games for kids and food trucks. Then at 6:30 p.m., we will light the 24-foot-tall tree and snow will fall from the skies. Dickens carolers will entertain with seasonal music throughout the evening until the festivities wrap up at 8 p.m. There are two sleighs and lots of locations around the event for you to take family holiday photos. If you miss the event on Dec. 7, the tree will remain at City Hall until Dec. 31, lighting up at 5 p.m. every night to seasonal music. When it comes time to get holiday gifts to share with the special people in your life, please consider shopping at Lakewood Center or at any of the shopping areas
December 2018
City Spotlight
Winter vacation programs—Dec. 26 to Jan. 4 Holiday activities at Lakewood parks will be featured throughout the two weeks of school vacation from Wednesday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Jan. 4. Special activity flyers are available at Lakewood City Hall and Lakewood parks. Santa will make an early appearance on Saturday, Dec. 22 at each of the parks, followed by a candy cane hunt. Park activities during the vacation period will include winter holiday craft projects, indoor and outdoor games, and fun with food. For more information, call 562-866-9771, extension 2408. Register for Spring classes Resident mail-in registration and online registration start when catalogs go out in the mail in December. General registration for the public, including phone-in and walk-in registration, begins Monday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 a.m. at City Hall. Most classes and activities begin the week of Monday, Feb. 4. Online registration is fast, easy and convenient at www.lakewoodcity. org/ecatalog. Call city hall at 562-866-9771, extension 2408 for additional information. Lakewood Hall of Fame seeks nominations The Lakewood Youth Sports Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for the 38th annual sports awards program. The 2018 Athlete of the Year, Performers of the Year and Special Achievement awards will be selected based on data supplied in nominations. Nominations are due to the Recreation and Community Services Department at City Hall by Dec. 3. Athletes must live or attend school in Lakewood to be eligible. The awards banquet will take place on Feb. 25, 2019. Call 562-866-9771, extension 2408 for details. ♦
To register, use the activity number provided in the event description and call 562-866-9771, extension 2408, or online at
www.lakewoodcity.org/ecatalog.
throughout our city. Lakewood merchants are great supporters of our community, and if we want them to continue to thrive in Lakewood, then we should give them a shot at our business. They will appreciate it, and you may find that you appreciate the per-
sonal touch that buying in-person can provide. On behalf of my City Council colleagues, I want to wish everyone in Lakewood the very best as we enter this “thankful” holiday season. Happy holidays everyone! ♦
"Santa's HQ"
9 p.m. • Dec. 24 (Monday): 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. "Santa Paws" Pet Photos on Mondays through Dec. 17 Pets get their chance to sit on Santa's lap, too! On Monday evenings through Dec. 17, stop by between 5 to 8 p.m. with your cat or dog (in a pet carrier or on a leash) for a holiday portrait. Visit www.shopLakewoodCenter. com/Events for more information or call 562-633-0290. ♦
(Cont'd. from Pg. 1)
There’s even a chance for photos of your pets with Santa! See below for details. Santa's hours through Dec. 15: • Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. • Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. • Sundays through Dec. 2: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Sunday, Dec. 9: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Santa's hours from Dec. 16-24: • Dec. 16-23 (Sun-Sat): 9 a.m. to
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December 2018
Lakewood heroes are honored based in Lakewood for combating a dangerous residential fire with two victims trapped inside. Four deputies and a lieutenant were also lauded for their swift and decisive teamwork in safely disarming an unstable individual who had doused himself with gasoline while trying to ignite a lighter. The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Lakewood Sheriff ’s Sergeant Sean O’Donoghue for his 30year career with the Sheriff ’s Department, as well as Fire Captains Brian Jones and Ritchie Salisbury of Fire Station 122 and 45, respectively, who both are near 30-year service marks. The city also recognized several Lakewood residents for their volunteer service in public safety, either as part of programs like Neighborhood Watch or the Lakewood Sheriff ’s Station Volunteers, or for their decision to get involved to help their fellow residents in need. Lakewood CityTV has produced a video of the luncheon where you can see all the stories of Lakewood’s sworn and civilian heroes. Go to www.lakewoodcity.org/AOVvideo. You can view the program and read more about the honorees at www.lakewoodcity.org/AOVprogram. ♦
Mayor Steve Croft and Sheriff’s Chief Kelley Fraser congratulate Award of Valor honoree Deputy Charles Nowotny.
The City of Lakewood held its annual Award of Valor luncheon on Nov. 7 to thank the men and women of the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department and Fire Department and the community volunteers who protect and serve Lakewood. Deputy Sheriff Charles Nowotny received the Dave Powell Community Policing Award, named in honor of the late Deputy Dave Powell, who was killed in the line of duty in 2002. Deputy Sheriff Nowotny was recognized for his 16 years of dedication to traffic enforcement in Lakewood, resulting in safer streets for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians with a focus on keeping Lakewood children safe going to and from school. Among the incidents shared, the city honored L.A. County firefighters
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December 2018
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December 2018
What's the best way to respond to panhandlers?
Sadly, we are all aware of the increase of homelessness in Southern California and the nation as a whole. The City of Lakewood is engaged with the County of Los Angeles and non-profit social service providers to deal with this vexing problem through comprehensive regional solutions. Seemingly connected to the uptick in homelessness is the greater visibility of panhandling on streets and in grocery store parking lots throughout Southern California. Panhandlers can appeal to a person’s natural sympathy to help with a donation. But the City of Lakewood urges you to consider how you might direct your response to more systemic
and comprehensive solutions. Being generous is a good thing, but your generosity will go a longer way if it is directed to resources and organizations that can have a better impact on a person’s life. Unfortunately, many experts and homeless advocates warn that giving money to panhandlers often just feeds drug or alcohol addictions or enables a panhandler to continue living in an unhealthy and unsafe state instead of seeking real help for their situation. Sadly, law enforcement and the media report that it’s also the case that some people pose as panhandlers to scam the public, even raising money for fake funerals, bogus charities or gasoline to get home.
Every person needs to make their own judgment about whether to help in such cases, but many experts encourage people sincerely wanting to help to instead donate to reputable non-profit organizations that can ensure that donations are used effectively to help people in need. Lakewood residents might consider donating to Project Shepherd, a longtime charitable effort run by the Rotary Club of Lakewood in conjunction with the City of Lakewood, which provides assistance to Lakewood residents in economic need. You can donate at www.lakewoodcity. org/ProjectShepherd. Residents can help homeless persons in need in our region by donating to a well-known and
well-respected organization-People Assisting The Homeless (or PATH)--which provides a full range of assistance to homeless
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people in Los Angeles County. You can donate to PATH at www. epath.org. ♦
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Take the quiz: protect yourself against online dating scams and sexual assault
Here’s the quiz: You’re arranging a first date with someone you’ve met online. You’ve exchanged lots of emails and feel comfortable online with the person. For a first meeting, the person wants you to meet at their parked car behind the store
where they work in the evening after the store closes. The person says you two will go to a nice dinner together from there. What’s your response? Answer: Red flags should be going up here. That sounds like an obscure location where no one else may see you. That could spell trouble. Don’t do it! Remember: there’s a chance that someone who seems very nice online could be a predator in reality. With the rise in online dating, there have also been incidents of sexual assault occurring when a victim meets someone for the first time or very early in a relationship in an obscure or private location. One such assault occurred this past year in Lakewood. With that in mind, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Lakewood urge residents
December 2018 who use online dating services to remember to follow common sense tips. Some of these tips are also important for protecting yourself from online dating scams that can be used to trick you out of your money. Safety tips for online dating: • Meet up safely in a public place--and let a friend know where and when you’ll be meeting your date • Trust your intuition • Set expectations • Be your own detective • If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t true • Protect your online identity and keep personal information private • For more details, see a video from an online safety seminar given by the Sheriff’s Department at www. lakewoodcity.org/LoveHurts. Many people have successfully used online dating websites to find romance in their lives, but you need to be careful and safe too. ♦
Green December 2018
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Christmas tree recycling and special holiday trash
Trees should be placed next to the curb near trash carts.
Starting Wednesday, Dec. 26 Lakewood residents can recycle their Christmas trees and get extra holiday trash hauled away with assistance from the city’s waste hauler, EDCO Waste and Recycling Services. Christmas tree disposal. For two weeks after Christmas (from Dec. 26 through Jan. 8), EDCO will pick up discarded Christmas trees on your trash collection day. Flocked trees are OK, but ornaments, tinsel, and metal or plastic stands must be removed. Wooden tree stands can be left on the tree. The tree must not be in a bag.
Holiday cheer at Civic Center through December If you miss the Dec. 7th Annual Tree Lighting outside The Centre, you can still enjoy the holiday scene at the Lakewood Civic Center through Dec. 31. Every night from Dec. 8 to Dec. 31, the 24-foot-tall tree will light up with accompanying holiday music between 5 and 10 p.m. in the plaza between City Hall and The Centre along Clark Avenue. The plaza will also include a large sleigh that is perfect for taking a holiday photo. ♦
Lakewood Women's Club The Lakewood Women's Club's next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, December 18 at Sycamore Center, 5000 Clark Ave. Lakewood. Meeting will be at 11:00 pm, Lunch at 12:00 pm, and Program at 1:00 pm . The Program for this month will be “Quilts for Valor”. For lunch reservations, please call Arlene Roos at 562-863-4933. The Lakewood Women's Club concentrates on civic projects to help improve the lives of those in the area and welcomes other women to join us. For more information on the Lakewood Women's Club, as well as their evening meetings held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm., call Sandra Reprogle Richardson at 562-866-8410. We wish everyone a wonderful and happy holiday season!
Trees over six feet tall must be cut in half. Place your tree near your carts on your parkway or next to the curb. Extra holiday trash. For the week immediately following Christmas, from Dec. 26-31,
EDCO will run an extra truck each trash day to help residents with added holiday-related trash. Residents should continue to use their existing carts as much as possible, but you can also leave up to 10 standardsize trash bags about two feet from your cart for pick-up. Holiday and appliance boxes may be left there as well. There is no charge for this extra service and no need to call EDCO in advance. Bulky item pickup service returns Jan. 9. There is no bulky item pickup service from Dec. 24 to Jan. 8. The service starts again on Wednesday, Jan. 9. To use it, call EDCO at 562-5313054 by 3:30 p.m. at least one day before your normal trash day. ♦
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December 2018
Changes to holiday trash pickup Last chance to thank a servicemember and city services
Lakewood City Hall will be closed the week of Dec. 24-28 and on Tuesday, Jan. 1. Here are the service details for the two holiday weeks of Dec 24. and Dec. 31: • Trash pick-up for the two holiday weeks of Dec. 24 and Dec. 31
will not change for Monday trash customers. But for all other customers, your trash pick-up will be delayed by one day. That means that Tuesday pickups will happen on Wednesday, Wednesday pickups happen on Thursday, etc. And Friday pickups will happen on Saturday. • Street sweeping in residentia l areas will not occur during the holiday weeks of Dec. 24-28 and Dec. 31-Jan. 4. And there will be no street-sweeping related parking enforcement during those weeks.
• City Hall will be closed the week of Dec. 24-28 and on Jan. 1. If you need emergency city service, such as for a downed tree limb, water main leak or traffic signal outage, call City Hall at 562-866-9771 and follow the prompts to page an oncall city worker. • DASH Transit service will not be available on Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1. • For emergency Sheriff ’s, Fire or medical service, always call 9-1-1. For non-emergency Sheriff ’s matters, you can call the Lakewood Sheriff ’s Station 24 hours a day at 562-623-3500. • If you would like to obtain an RV/Trailer permit when City Hall is closed, you can contact the Lakewood Sheriff 's Safety Center at 562-623-3583. • For questions or requests regarding trash and disposal services, you may contact EDCO Disposal at 562-531-3054. ♦
Lakewood’s 2018 Thank a Servicemember campaign kicked off on Sept. 11th at the city’s Patriot Day Commemoration and comes to a close on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Holiday greetings and letters of thanks to U.S. troops deployed overseas are being collected now at city hall and other locations around town. Free Lakewood commemorative postcards are available to fill out, or people may drop off their own cards or letters (please, no envelopes) in the bright blue boxes at City Hall. Cards can also be dropped off at the other locations listed at www.
...STAY LAKEWOOD LOYAL
lakewoodcity.org/TASpartners. Scout groups, youth groups and schools are encouraged to organize card collections, too. Group collections must be delivered to city hall along with a special transmittal form. Organizers may visit www.lakewoodcity.org/ ThankAServicemember or call 562-866-9771, extension 2125 for details. “You can help,” said Lakewood Mayor Steve Croft. “Take the time to fill out a card and drop it in a collection box before Dec. 11. We may not know their faces or their names, but we should take every opportunity to thank our military personnel for all they do for us.” The city will send all submissions collected to U.S. servicemembers overseas through the military support group, Operation Gratitude. ♦
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Shop Lakewood and fulfill the wish of a child in need
Choose a “teddy bear” ornament and fulfill a child’s holiday wish.
The opportunity to make a difference returns to Lakewood Center the weekend of Dec. 1-2. While shopping for their own families, residents can fulfill the holiday wish of a child in need. The wishes of dozens of local kids will adorn a Teddy Bear Tree in the mall’s center court. Rotary Club of Lakewood volunteers, many of them Lakewood business and civic leaders, will help guests choose a paper bear from the tree. Rotarians will be on hand to accept the unwrapped gift items returned to the booth with their bear ornament. Gifts can also be dropped off at most City of Lakewood facilities during business hours prior to Tuesday, Dec. 4. Caring Lakewood shoppers filled the Christmas wishes of 713 local kids in need last year. They did it by choosing a little paper bear ornament off a “Teddy Bear Tree” and purchasing the affordable gift written on it. The Teddy Bear Tree program has helped countless youngsters since 1995. Gifts
go to individual children registered through Project Shepherd. Without help, the children will probably go without gifts this holiday season. Project Shepherd is operated by the Rotary Club of Lakewood and the City of Lakewood, and helped 340 families and 1,360 individuals last year through the organization’s holiday season efforts and yearround emergency food pantry. For more information about Project Shepherd, call 562-9257512, or visit www.lakewoodcity.org/ProjectShepherd. ♦
...STAY LAKEWOOD LOYAL
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Upgrade made to city website and service request app
Download the new free app for Apple or Android smartphones.
The City of Lakewood makes it easy for residents to request city services or ask questions 24/7 via the city’s website and servicerequest app for smartphones. The
city has just upgraded the servicerequest system so that residents will now get automatically notified by email or the city app on their smartphone when their service request has been acted upon and work has been completed. With the upgrade, residents can also see the progress of work on their service request. If you already have the Lakewood Connect app on your iPhone and your phone settings allow it, the upgrade to the new app should take place automatically. Android users, iPhone users who need to reinstall, and those who would like to get the app for the first time should search for “Lakewood Connect” in the app store of their smartphone. The app is free. The new service-request features are also available to residents who make requests on the city’s website at www.lakewoodcity.org/service. When work is completed on your request, you will get an email. And you can check on the status of your re-
quest 24/7 on the website or app using the tracking number you get when you make your service request. If you prefer to make your service requests by phone, email or in person, don’t worry…the City of Lakewood loves getting requests those ways too. In fact, most requests for service from residents still come via phone calls to Lakewood’s customer service staff at City Hall at 562866-9771, extension 2140. You can call anytime. If City Hall is closed when you call, just leave a message and staff will act on your request the next business day. City Hall’s email address is Service1@lakewoodcity.org. Service requests can cover issues like: • Trims needed to city-owned trees in residential parkways • Street lights being out • Vehicles on the street not having been moved for a least 72 hours (required by the Lakewood Municipal Code) ♦
December 2018
Burns Community Center has grand re-opening
Mayor Croft cuts the ribbon on the newly remodeled Burns Center.
The Lakewood City Council joined local residents in celebrating the renovation of the Burns Community Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Nov. 12. After 40-plus years of operation, the original Burns Center needed significant repairs and renovations. The old elevator was breaking down, there were disabled access problems, and water damage was showing up in various parts of the building. “Now,” said Mayor Steve Croft, “there’s a new elevator, good disabled access, updated restrooms, and a remodeled community room that can be used by residents for parties and private functions. The newly renovated Burns Community Center should be an attractive, well-functioning asset in Lakewood for decades to come.” The Burns Community Center is home to Lakewood’s Meals on Wheels program and the Mothers at Work childcare center. Burns is located at 5510 Clark Ave., just south of Mayfair Park. For more information, call 562-925-7512. ♦
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Lakewood Run registration is open The Lakewood Run returns on Saturday, March 2, 2019 when Sheriff’s deputies, recreational runners, families and kids gather at the starting line in front of the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station to run the event’s 5K/10K course for time, or do the 1K “Fun Run” or a 5K walk. Lakewood’s tree-lined residential streets provide the backdrop. The flat, “runner friendly” course is “fast” for practiced runners and comfortable for fitness fans and family members. Check out the new Lakewood Run website and register online now or download the PDF sign-up form to sign up a group or pay by check at www. lakewoodrun.com/registration. All participants will be supporting Soroptimist International of Lakewood/ Long Beach and Lakewood Sheriff’s Station charity efforts while they pursue their personal best in the 5K/10K for time, or run or walk for fun in this family-friendly event. Early registration will be $35 until Jan. 31, $40 from Feb. 1 through March 1, and $45 the day of the race. The 1K Fun Run pre-registration rate is $20 and $25 on race day. On the day of the event, registration begins at 6:30 a.m. The 5K and 10K runs start at 8 a.m. The Fun Run begins at 9:30 a.m. Professional timing will be used. Medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in each category of the 5K and 10K running events. All finishers for the 5K/10K will receive finisher medals. For participants and spectators, the day includes a fitness expo and displays of public safety equipment and programs. There is also live entertainment and special giveaways from Lakewood-area businesses. To inquire about group rate entries or to get more event information, email info@lakewoodrun.com. ♦
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Put your brain to work
Congratulations to the winner of the November Sudoku puzzle, Lisa Arcuri! To be eligible, print your name, address and phone number on a letter size (8½ x 11) piece of paper, and then tape the puzzle onto the paper. Mail entries to: Lakewood Community News, P.O. Box 160, Lakewood, CA 90714. Or drop it by the Chamber office at 4111 South St. in Lakewood. The winners are drawn by random. One entry per household; the answers must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, December 18, 2018. The winner will be drawn on Thursday, December 20, 2018, and a call to the winner will be made the same day. If a message is left, the prize must be claimed by return phone call within 48 hours (two business days) or a new winner will be chosen. The name of the winner will be published in the January issue, along with a new Sudoku Puzzle. ♦
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Advertise in the award winning Lakewood Community News! Call or email us at (562) 531-9733 / advertise@lakewoodchamber.com.
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December 2018