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 41 Number 11
November 2021
Lakewood crosses the finish line at another successful Summer Stampede Car Show to many of the Car Show participants including Best Interior, Best Paint Job, Best in Show, and a Mayor’s Choice award chosen by Lakewood Mayor Jeff Wood. The City of Lakewood commenced a stormwater capture project at Mayfair Park in May 2018, which affected the location and capacity of the Summer Stampede Car Show for the
past two events, but that didn’t stop residents and participants from attending the much-anticipated return of the event this year. The Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the participants, volunteers, Mayfair Park staff, vendors and especially the sponsors, who made this year’s Car Show possible! ♦
To view all of this year’s trophy winners, go to the Lakewood Chamber website at www.lakewoodchamber.com
This year’s Best in Show winner was a turquoise 1936 Ford F100 Truck owned by show participant Bob Barker.
Ready, set, go! As temperatures grew cooler and the summer drew to a close, Lakewood residents revved their engines at the 23rd Annual Summer Stampede Car Show, presented by the Greater Lakewood
Chamber of Commerce. The yearly event was postponed due to the pandemic last year but returned to Mayfair Park on September 26, boasting over 100 classic cars on display and drawing crowds of spectators
as the day went on. There was something for every member of the family to enjoy, with delicious food, live entertainment, contests and many restored and classic cars to view. Trophies were awarded
Lakewood’s 102-year-old military letter writer passes away
Lakewood’s “Thank a Servicemember” campaign, which sends postcards and letters of appreciation to our nation’s troops deployed overseas, will be sorely missing letters this year from one exceptional individual who made military correspondence a core part of her life. Original Lakewood resident Alleen Cooper passed away recently at the age of 102, but not without touching the lives of thousands of servicemembers over a span of decades. She started writing let-
ters during World War II to her brother-in-law shortly before he was killed during the Allied invasion of Normandy, and continued writing to his surviving troop mates throughout the war. After a break, Alleen picked up the pen again when her son served in Vietnam, and then started up a third time after 9/11 and kept going. In total, Alleen wrote over 8,000 letters to military servicemembers over the years, a testament to her desire to connect with—and thank—the many who defend our
freedoms. “In honor of Lakewood’s superstar writer, we’d like to encourage everyone to ‘write one for Alleen’ and make this one of our best letter-writing years ever in a tribute to her,” said Lakewood Mayor Jeff Wood. At several locations around the city, you can pick up and fill out a special Lakewood commemorative postcard…or drop off your own letter or card. Organizations, businesses and schools have been invited to collect cards, and some, like our two libraries and senior centers, allow you to drop off cards at their location. The annual campaign, in its eighth year, began in September and concludes Dec. 14. The city will send all submissions to servicemembers overseas through the military support group, Operation Gratitude. For more information and to find participating locations, visit ww.lakewoodcity.org/TAS or call City Hall at (562) 866-9771, extension 3123. ♦
By-district city council elections Beginning in 2022, Lakewood City Council Members will be elected based on districts, each representing a portion of the city, instead of having each council member elected by the entire city as is the current practice in Lakewood. The California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) strongly encourages cities to create district seats, and in recent years more than 250 California cities and school districts have transitioned from at-large to district elections. Lakewood officials have said that their decision to convert to by-district elections was prompted by a threat of litigation under the CVRA. The city has also said that it is committed to making sure that all residents have an opportunity to participate in the process of converting to by-district elections in a manner consistent with the CVRA. To define the new districts, the Lakewood City Council must undertake a district formation mapping process led by a demographer and legal team to ensure that the maps meet all legal and regulatory criteria. A series of public hearings have been held this year in Lakewood. On Nov. 9, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.,
a public hearing is scheduled for a City Council meeting where a city ordinance will be introduced together with an accompanying resolution selecting a final map and establishing district boundaries and an election sequence for each council district. The hearing and council meeting will be held in the Weingart Ballroom at The Centre, 5000 Clark Ave. The final adoption of the ordinance and resolution is scheduled for a public hearing at a City Council meeting on Nov. 16, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., also in the Weingart Ballroom. The schedule above is subject to change. For more information and confirmation on the schedule as the dates approach, visit the website below or call the Lakewood City Clerk’s Office at 562-866-9771, ext. 2200. The proposed maps and proposed election sequence for each council district along with other information are posted online at www.lakewoodcity.org/DistrictElections. Para información en español, llamar a la Secretaría Municipal de Lakewood a 562-866-9771 ext. 2200 o visite www.lakewoodcity.org/DistrictElectionsEspanol. ♦