Lakewood
News
Community 30,000 delivered to Lakewood and portions of Long Beach
Official publication of the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce
Volume 29 Number 7
www.lakewoodnews.org / www.lakewoodchamber.com
July 2013
Celebrate July 4 safely! Don’t use ‘Shop Lakewood’ moves its deals to Facebook illegal fireworks! Summer evenings, hot dogs and July 4 celebrations are Lakewood staples. The evening of July 4 is also a time of stepped-up law enforcement presence to protect residents from the dangers of illegal fireworks. Illegal fireworks are unsafe and hazardous to users, crowds that gather and nearby residents. This July 4, the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station will put additional deputies in patrol cars with emergency lights flashing and a mandate that illegal fireworks and their users get “zero tolerance.” Residents are encouraged to do their part to keep Lakewood safe. Property owners should remember that they can be held responsible if illegal fireworks are used on their property or if illegal fireworks are in the possession of others on their property. Lakewood has some of the strictest fireworks regulations in California, limiting the use of legal, Safe and Sane fireworks
to one day only – the 4th of July – and only between 10am and 11pm. Legal fireworks can be possessed in Lakewood only between July 1 and July 4. All fireworks are illegal to use or possess on all other days. The only legal fireworks in Lakewood are those sold at a community organization stand. (State and federal laws prohibit individuals from importing fireworks or selling them door-to-
door.) If you know where illegal fireworks are being sold or used in your neighborhood (or anywhere in Lakewood), call the tip hotline at 562-866-9771 extension SAFE (7233) to make a confidential report to the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station. If you observe criminal activity on July 4, including the sale or use of illegal fireworks, call the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at 562-623-3500.
WHEN USING “Safe and Sane” FIREWORK S, REMEMBER: • Always read directions and use common sense • Use outdoors only, away from buildings, vehicles, dry grass, and other flammable objects • Don’t give to young children under any circumstances • Never attempt to re-light or fix malfunctioning fireworks • Have a bucket of water handy for dousing misfired and spent fireworks
• • • •
Never alter or take apart Have an adult present at all times Keep others at a safe distance Light one at a time, then move away quickly • Never point or throw at another person
The “Shop Lakewood” message that shopping locally helps the Lakewood community has “gone social.” The two-year program that grew to over 170 participating businesses is now highlighting its discount deals on its own Facebook page. “The goal of Shop Lakewood is to connect Lakewood residents with local businesses,” said Lakewood Senior Management Analyst Paolo Beltran. “Our merchants can share with the community, and residents can easily share with one another on home computers, tablets and smartphones. Go to www. shoplakewood.org, and you’ll be automatically directed to the new Shop Lakewood Facebook page. There, residents can “like” shopping in Lakewood to find deals, comments and shopping tips from other residents. When visitors “like” the page, they will be able to view special offers, coupons, and discounts that are local. The page is updated multiple times per day, and there are several coupons on the site,
as well as other promotions from local businesses…and the number grows all the time. The city and the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce’s combined efforts to promote “shopping local” is working. “According to the most recent survey in Lakewood, 80% of respondents have heard of the Shop Lakewood…Stay Lakewood Loyal program, and 60% of respondents said that the message persuaded them to shop in Lakewood when they otherwise would have gone elsewhere,” Beltran added. “We want the community to know that there’s great value (Cont’d. on Pg. 9)
Men’s Wearhouse opens on Candlewood Street
Lakewood aquatics and park wading pools help keep it cool
Everyone loves Lakewood pools!
Both Mayfair and McCormick pools are open and Lakewood aquatics programs Lakewood Community News #24 Lakewood Center Mall Lakewood, CA 90712 (562) 531-9733
have shifted into high gear. As the hottest days for summer are upon us, recreational swimming is ongoing seven days a week PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Santa Fe Spgs, CA PERMIT NO. 29
through Monday, September 2. Open recreational swims include 90-minute sessions each day from 1pm to 2:30pm and 2:45pm to 4:15pm. The cost for residents for each 90-minute swim session is $1 for ages 17 and under, and $1.50 for 18 and over. Only cash can be accepted, and a Lakewood swim card is required. (To get a card, bring proof of Lakewood residency to the pool your first time, or bring your old card to renew it.) Participants at Mayfair Pool are enjoying the benefits of an $855,000 renovation project just completed that included new diving boards, fiberglass pool liner, concrete deck, lifeguard towers/ chairs, patio with furniture, plumbing and underwater lighting. Lakewood’s free park wading pools are also open to help battle the summer heat with some splashy fun. Daily schedules alternate at various parks. They are open from 11am to 4pm for youngsters ages 3-7 until September 2. Get information about swim sessions, lessons and other aquatic programs at www.lakewoodcity.org/aquatics or by calling 562-866-9771, extension 2408. Find classes and sign up online at www. lakewoodcity.org/eCatalog.
Pictured from right: Lakewood Mayor, Steve Croft; store manager, Louis Carpentier; Council Members, Diane DuBois and Ron Piazza. Men’s Wearhouse has returned to Lakewood, and store manager Louis Carpentier is excited to be back in the city. He grew up in Long Beach and says he is very familiar with the community after managing the company’s previous location on Lakewood Boulevard in the mid-1990s. He has a passion for Lakewood’s 1950s homes and history and hopes to move into the area now that the store has re-opened. Carpentier expects to become active in the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce. Specializing in the sale of men’s suits and clothing, the store also offers on-site tailoring and while-you-wait suit pressing
for free--including for clothing not purchased at the store. They also do tuxedo rentals, with an emphasis on fast service. The store is expected to employ a staff of 15 and covers nearly 7,000 square feet of the former Hollywood Video location at 4447 Candlewood Street. The new location is in the midst of Lakewood’s “Restaurant Row” among the “Candlewood Shops” on the mall’s north side. They are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm, Saturday from 9:30am to 9pm and Sunday from 11am to 6pm. Their phone number is 562-4084657 and they are online at www. menswearhouse.com.