Light Up Lakewood 2016 - Nice Party

[Jim O'Bryan]

Massive turnouts, good crowd of people, having fun, enjoying life in Lakewood.

Have a couple people covering so this will be the place to come back to, to see photos, videos and stories.

Thank you to everyone at LakewoodAlive, Downtown Business Association, City of Lakewood for a great non-political event, when this city needs it most.

Here are some firework photos until we get the libraries and videos up.











More coming.

[Amy Martin]

Let me share with you my interesting experience with Light up Lakewood last night . . we went with neighbors who just bought a bigger house and are looking for furniture, decorative items. We walked from our street to the event. Along the way, we approached Plantation Home and thought it would be a good stop for someone looking to furnish a larger house. As we approached the door (a little after 6:00 p.m.), David Stein came out and picked up the sign that was in front of the store. So I asked, "Are you closing?" and he snipped back, "yes" and shut the door in our faces . . .my neighbor said that she is always reluctant to go to either of his stores because she feels that the owners are snobby and bitchy. Of course, I don't frequent either store because of Stein's affiliation with "Build Lakewood". I guess with his couple hundred thousand dollar landscaping job that he's been promised by the Mayor, that he can afford to shut the door of his business in someone's face.

We plan on telling as many of our friends and neighbors as possible as to what having a business door slammed into your face feels like on such a festive and busy night . . .

[Michael Deneen]

"Plantation Home -- for when you dream of a REALLY white Christmas"

[Jim O'Bryan]

Galleries are coming in. One of the things I love about this project is seeing how different people look at, report and even photograph the same things. One of the true beauties of this project is the underlying attitude, "It is not what we see, or report, but what you see and think of it." Observations.

We have worked with many good photographers, Brian Foox, an up-and-coming Lakewood videographer and photographer. He brings with him an edgy, youthful, starkness in his photos that I find refreshing.















You can see all of 70 Brian's images in his Lakewood Observer photo blog at:
http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... ht-up-2016


Here is my more mundane snapshot photo journalism...
You can see all 90 of my photos at: http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... ewood-2016


Lakewoodites, truly love LakewoodAlive's street parties! Thank you to all the volunteers!


Olympian Makorobondo Salukombo, Grand Marshal for the Light Up Lakewood Parade.


Lakewood High School's Marching Band, the true stars of the 2016 Footbal Season! Just kidding


Dance Lakewood, another great Lakewood success story. Grown here by Lakewood dynamo, Donna Rakerd, who has worked to turn it over to Lakewood's next generation of business and community leaders, Stephanie Reed Howard. How does the story get better?


Lakewood High School juniors Abe Dalisky and Sarah Bene. In a cool ride provide by Plantation Home, who also awarded them each $500 scholarship checks. It is the 5th year David Stein, has done this. David Stein, among other things is the owner of Plantation Homes and Cotton. Two of Lakewood's finest shops. If you get a chance check out both stores, but also Plantation Homes windows, then walk down to Hixson's. You will feel Christmas.


Abe Dalisky and Sarah Bene.

And Then The FIREWORKS!














Thank you to LakewoodAlive, and all of its volunteers and sponsors. Thank you to Downtown Lakewood Business Alliance. Thank you to all of the shop owners, and people that came down and made the holiday party fun.


And thank you to Lakewood Police, Lakewood Fire, Lakewood City Services for all you do throughout the year.

You can see all 90 of my photos at: http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... ewood-2016
Lakewood Observer Photo Blogs, a continuous history of 14 years in Lakewood, by some of the best photographers we have.
Isn't it time you joined with us? It's FREE!

This holiday season, please remember, we are all Lkewoodites.

Look out for those less fortunate, support non-profits, give til it hurts.

Peace/love

[jackie f taylor]

Great, thank you.