The Observation Deck

http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/issue_pdfs/Observer_Vol_10_Issue_02.pdf

All

It is funny, each issue for the past 5 or so years, I write a little note to go along with the sending of the paper to the "inner circle" that gets the Lakewood Observer sent to them. Many of you are the leaders in this city, and/or in reaching out and helping Lakewood and Lakewoodites to enjoy Lakewood more, or to make it function. I rarely give any thought before I sit down, the day after printing, and let it fly. Today is no different from all of the other letters.

This year in 2014 let's all commit to living in the Lakewood we have created. Shop and eat in Lakewood, walk Lakewood, bike Lakewood, run Lakewood in a 5K, parade in Lakewood in one of the many parades, go DowntowN during the Summer Meltdown or during Light Up. Attend a Council meeting, apply for a committee, reach out and and volunteer through one of the many great non-profits in Lakewood. And, by all means, sign onto the Deck, or into the Member Center for the paper, and send in that article or response you have been thinking of sharing with your friends and neighbors. It's fun, it's easy and it costs nothing but the time you are willing to give it.

While we celebrate LakewoodAlive's 10th Anniversary, let's also remember the group that got together 11 years ago but started a print paper ten years ago. The people who sat around a table to decide what the Lakewood Observer could and should be. Leaders in their fields, that ranged from Council and the Mayor of Lakewood, to the School Board, the Library, and many of the non-profits that are here serving this community. The simple thought was: how can we start a project to amplify the great things in Lakewood, while helping the schools, the non-profits and the city get their message out in a sustainable way, that could dedicate itself to recording a rolling history and narrative of the city of Lakewood?

Well, I am finally willing to say that I think we are getting close to that goal. While we look forward to having more people get involved in the discussion to show the area that Lakewood is the city that is not afraid of civic discourse, I am happy knowing that we have already built a great history for Lakewood, working hand-in- hand with Lakewood Public and Private Schools, the Lakewood Public Library and most of the non-profits in town. At the Lakewood Observer we have worked endlessly for the promotion of the events of others in this city. We have sat down and held the schools and library accountable, and they have stood up and taken the time to clarify, explain and fix many of the misconceptions that come from civic discourse, and have never left the table of discussion, knowing in their hearts that we all love the city and the schools, but sometimes we need more than a soundbite. The Lakewood Public Library has always been easy to include in this project. Kenneth Warren was dedicated to the openness and honesty that comes with running one of the best libraries in the country. The LPL and its staff continue to exemplify openness and a dedication to the discussion that all subjects need, and so many people enjoy.

It has been a fabulous ten years in print. Let's hope as we move into the next decade of the Lakewood Observer, that all of those currently afraid of discussion come into the "Mosh-Pit of Word Jazz" and start trusting themselves and others in one of the very things that make this country and this community so strong. Open, honest discussion. Public entities actually trusting and working with residents to make the city better for all. Those who have waded into the water have always found respect and appreciation from others on the Deck for the time they took to do so. Maybe those we trusted enough to elect, will trust us enough to talk to all of us, through a uniquely Lakewood project that has grown and grown and grown into other communities.

This issue also announces a fun program we are working on with Human Tribe, Inc. called "Liveable Lakewood," a group dedicated to getting people to enjoy life in Lakewood. The first sign of this partnership is a series of postcards that will be given away to Lakewood businesses and non-profits to distribute. These high quality postcards help to build and define the Lakewood brand as it now is, in the hope of bringing like-minded people to the city of Lakewood for visits, to live, or maybe to try and open up their dream business. Because at the end of the day, we must do more to let others know just how grand life is, in Lakewood, Ohio.

Peace/Love

Damn I love this city.


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