This issue celebrate Arts and Artists in Lakewood, including a Lakewoodite who has become the king of Northern Ohio Arts, Michael Gill. Mike is a longtime friend, and an Observer.
We also look at the arts programs that despite the massive cuts continue to create Dazzle and Applause in music, art, theater, and even cooking!
And of course we cover the “wars” that have popped up in Lakewood as they do in many cities. A group of residents on Bunts, begging the community to help them stop what they see as an assault on their property. And another interesting school battle, which most believe is over dollars and class sizes, but is really about bad management and a school that a handful of people want sold to friends for development.
Every Mayor since day one worked overtime to make Lakewood the best place to raise a family, from birth to death. Lakewood had the best schools, the nicest parks, and good clean safe streets. But starting with the Cain administration, a handful of people decided that Lakewood needed to be a destination city. We needed malls, bars, restaurants in greater numbers than ever before. That the residents mattered less than the businesses, and as such they started to invade our residential streets. Slowly all of the amenities that made Lakewood the greatest bedroom community in the county were eroded away, closed, or offloaded. Health Department, Hospital, Schools in every neighborhood, low crime and safe streets. The FitzGerald and Summers administrations cashed in like no others, and sped up the process.
Last week I was talking with Judge Tess Neff and I asked, what are the percentage of court cases from people outside of Lakewood coming here. Her answer was she does not have exact numbers, but a majority of the people in her court seem to be from out of town.
I have to ask the question again, which was the biggest failure/loss in Lakewood long history... The failure of the 50-Year-Committee, that convinced Lakewoodites to spend nearly $50 million that was never needed, or Build Lakewood that worked overtime to convince us how great it would be to close the hospital, losing over $283 million in the process. Many of the same people we behind both. Who benefitted?
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana
And
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Enough of that. Lakewood is a resilient city. Those who love it live here for what it is, still— literally in spite of those who have tried to sell it off— the best place to live and raise a family in Northeast Ohio.
I encourage you to walk to one of the 100+ businesses, offices, government buildings, libraries, or apartment mail rooms, or
you can download the latest version in digital form here:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.lakewood ... sue_10.pdf