The Observation Deck

I have just received the latest Town Planner calendar from the Lakewood Chamber Commerce.

I was very disappointed that the photographs were all of the City of Cleveland and not of the City of Lakewood.

If anyone would like a Calendar that shows historic pictures of the City of Lakewood, please call the Lakewood Historical Society at 221-7343. They are $6 and have terrific vintage photographs from our archives.

They are also available at the Oldest Stone House gift shop, Geigers, Rozi's and Border's (Westlake).

We only have a few left so hurry while they last!

Rhonda Loje

Rhonda loje wrote:I have just received the latest Town Planner calendar from the Lakewood Chamber Commerce.

I was very disappointed that the photographs were all of the City of Cleveland and not of the City of Lakewood.

Probably thought they were Lakewood.


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perhaps the sunflower was a subtle endorsement of Rep. Kucinich's next Presidential bid? Maybe he can move his Lakewood office into the old Giant Eagle.

Doug

The Chamber puts those together? Isn't Town Planner a company in Cleveland? And aren't they free?

my brother just told me to email the photographer and to tell him "your photos suck"


my favorite one was of the two seagulls that were cropped out of the photo, leaving the droppings in the center of the photo. I never thought about using seagull droppings as an attention grabber.

It has all the pictures of the Chamber members in the back ...so I would thing they had alot to do with it! And many of the advertisers in the calendar are businesses in Lakewood..not Cleveland!

they were better off putting in students' work from our elementary, middle, high and private schools. If it's for lakewood, it should be from lakewood.

Ivor,
You have hit the nail on the head!!!
Rhonda

Shawn Juris wrote:The Chamber puts those together? Isn't Town Planner a company in Cleveland? And aren't they free?

The Chamber hires the company and provide some content.

I'm cranky from puppy related sleep deprivation, but I find this decision difficult to understand. I hope there's more to it than the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce forgetting what Lakewood looks like.

Could this be the result of changes at the Town Planner? Is there some contractural obligation that would force the Lakewood Chamber to stick with them in spite of their unwillingness to use images of Lakewood?

Did they (either Town Planner or the Chamber) think Lakewood residents wouldn't notice or mind?

I would have liked to see a calendar capturing some of the changes here. I keep telling my siblings to drive the length of Detroit in Lakewood because they are surprised to hear about all the changes.

I actually don't mind that they're pictures of Cleveland. I'd love to expand my borders and take pictures of downtown (if I had a camera) but just the quality of the picture bothers me.

If I was an artist, and my name and website was in the bottom right corner, I'd make sure that my work doesn't look like that. There are a few really nice images in there, though.

I could predict the picture that was going to be on there before I even flipped the page.

Not knowing the details I would guess it’s a one size fits all regional generic art group purchase at a reasonable price point into which the particulars of a given Chamber of Commerce and local ads can be captured by a sales and production workforce spread over multiple places.

While it goes without saying for someone involved with the LO that such a product will clash with the Lakewood-centric aesthetic, practice and value set espoused here, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce may simply be attempting to provide a service in conjunction with other Chambers in the region at a minimal price to members and sponsors.

Can a similar Lakewood-centric product better produced at a better and cheaper price and obtain better results?

I don't know.

If I am incorrect in my reading of the situation, I hope Kathy Berkshire will supply a correct one.

Kenneth Warren

I believe Kenneth has the right idea. In years past the "Lakewood" calendar has featured University Circle, etc. In fact, I recall seeing the same calendar on the east side, too.

How about an LO calendar for 2008? Our crack team of photographers could easily pull together 12 awesome photos!

so could one student for every grade. It'd be cooler for them, since getting published in something is a huge deal and all!

I made a calendar last year for my dad... and he loves it! so much in fact, that he doesn't use it.

Maybe they are trying to attract more businesses from outside of Lakewood to join the Chamber. A large % of the membership is already outside of Lakewood. Even our mayor had the state of the city address or whatever some time ago in ROCKY RIVER. I can only imagine what the Bush bashers would say if Bush had the State of the Union in Monterrey, Mexico.

Doug