In a summer that feels more like spring, the nation’s birthday fell on a surprisingly warm and clear day that heralded a spectacle on the streets and in the parks of Lakewood. In the morning, Lakewoodites lined the streets from Kenneth to Belle on Lake Avenue to watch the annual 4th of July Parade. There were over 80 different entries in the approximately hour and a half long parade.

“It was longer this year,” said Heidi Paul, a Lakewood resident who worked for Music Boosters. “I loved the parade, I always love the parade...”

Band2gether, a free, outdoor summer youth concert series will present its inaugural show on Friday, July 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the municipal parking lot next to Sinagra Park in the heart of downtown Lakewood. Youth rock bands, Little Known Fact and Back for More, will be featured at the Band2gether concert series debut...

2008 marks the 21st year that the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce has recognized a member of the community for their outstanding business leadership and civic involvement. Over those 21 years, a veritable Who’s Who of Lakewood business men and women have been honored for their contribution to the community. The Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that the 2008 recipient of Lakewood’s Business Person of the Year is Mr. Jim O'Bryan...

It's that time of year again! Two of Lakewood's favorite institutions are getting together to raise funds for our city's homeless pets. This is a great opportunity to have fun, help a good cause, and clean your pooch!..

The Lakewood Historical Society is proud to announce that the Lakewood History Project, their collaborative educational program with the Discovery Class of Grant Elementary School, received an Award of Merit from the AASLH Leadership in History Award. The AASLH Leadership in History Award is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history...

I have always been a news junkie. And now I am also a citizen journalist. Imagine my curiosity when I learned (from a newspaper article) that there was a new museum in Washington D.C. devoted to those two passions appropriately called the Newseum.

 

I travel to our capital several times a year and each time I try to focus on one museum or historical site. Most of the museums in D.C. are under the Smithsonian umbrella and admission is free. They range from the arts and history, to junk and technology. Many of the government departments have their own museums. History buffs would probably find the National Archives the most relevant of these museums.

 

I generally enter a museum with no preconceptions and let the curator’s intentions and plan chart the path for my visit...

Lakewood is one of the most walker-friendly communities in the Cleveland area. Detroit Avenue is lined with shops, restaurants, bars and coffee shops- not to mention downtown also houses the award winning Lakewood Public Library, the post office and anything else a pedestrian could need within a radius of a few blocks. It is virtually a pedestrian’s playground; the perfect solution for the environmentally conscious and the sticker-shocked, gas guzzling general public...

Check out the update at www.walkroll.com

Join us for a different kind of summer fun at the Lakewood Public Library on Sunday, July 13 at 2:00 p.m. in the Main Library auditorium. Becky Boyd will offer an hour of outstanding vocals, singing everything from folk and country to blues and jazz. Guitarist Mike Dixon will accompany her...

On Sunday, July 20 at 2:00 p.m., actress Christy Igo will transform herself into Mae West for Lakewood Public Library’s “Sunday with the Friends” series. She will entertain us with stories and jokes during her 40 minute program which will be followed by a short Q & A session. This program is geared to adults although Christy uses no crude jokes or language. Mae West was the master of innuendo and Christy’s interpretation is a testament to this...

See schedule here...

Lakewood has received national recognition by This Old House Magazine, one of a select group of cities in the country to receive their endorsement. Lakewood appears as one of the Best Places To Buy An Old House in all the following categories: In The Midwest; For Families With Kids; For First-Time Buyers; For Art Lovers; and For Queen Annes...

The Lakewood Historical Society is putting the “fun” back in fundraiser with its Instant Wine Cellar. Society Trustee Heather Rudge brought the idea for this unique raffle to the Society’s Board, where it was enthusiastically received...

The challenge is before all of us: move east, move west, move south, or simply stay here in Lakewood. Speaking from personal experience, it sure seems like staying put is the best decision. The next step is to analyze the great things about this town and the other things that need a little push. So, here goes..

Enjoy a fabulous summer afternoon in Lakewood Park by watching vintage base ball! Vintage Base Ball is base ball (yes, it was two words originally) played by the rules and customs of an earlier period. Ballists don period uniforms and recreate the game ‘as it was meant to be played.’ The Lakewood Historical Society is excited to host a vintage base ball double-header between the Akron Blackstockings and the Forest City Base Ball Club on Sunday July 13, 2008 at 1 p.m. at the Oldest Stone House field in Lakewood Park...

Okay, I know, summer just started, but since I’m not suited for the really hot weather of July and August, I was more than happy to take a week off in late June for a little rest and relaxation. Admittedly, if we had the free time and a little more money in our savings account, we might have planned a little more than we did, but for now, I’d say we absolutely got our money’s worth...

To date, there has been no data or statistics provided to Lakewood residents that would support the need for a ban on “pit bulls” in our city. Councilman Powers has not provided any evidence that there is a problem of any specific breed of dog in our city...

With the economy the way it is, and gas prices over $4.00 per gallon, Lakewood is uniquely positioned to be the city of choice for anyone interested in improving his or her standard of living. Close to downtown Cleveland, blessed with two Rapid stations, on the bus line, on Lake Erie, a walking community with excellent schools -- need I go on?

A memorial mass was held at St. James Church on Saturday, June 21 for long-time Lakewood resident Elizabeth Carnegie. Ms. Carnegie, died on May 14 at age 84.

Ms. Carnegie graduated from the former Notre Dame Academy on Ansel Road in Cleveland and Ursuline College, and received a graduate degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C...

It's a common New Year's resolution: to help others in need. What's not so common is the people who do this every day through their jobs. Kathy McKinsey is one of these people. McKinsey is a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, or CVRT, at the Cleveland Sight Center, an agency that provides services for people that are blind or visually impaired and whose mission is “to empower people with vision loss to realize their full potential, and to shape the community's vision of that potential..."

As sun doesn't often make an appearance in the Cleveland area, many of us may be tempted to spend as much time in it as possible when it's here. However, it is increasingly important to take precautions when out of doors to prevent skin damage from UV rays, and hopefully, not harm the environment in the process. Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in the US, with more than one million cases each year, some of them fatal. Though UVB rays are the cause of both sun burn and skin cancer, UVA rays are believed to exacerbate UVBs effects. Thus, it is important to use sunscreens that are effective against both, termed "broad spectrum" coverage...

Dr. Richard Dutro's life is one that has been filled with the rich experiences of helping other people, particularly in Lakewood's educational community.

Dr. Dutro served the Lakewood Public Schools as an elementary teacher, a remedial reading specialist, and a principal of two elementary buildings at the same time! He was also Lakewood City School District's first Coordinator of Language Arts. Dr. Dutro completed his professional administrative career as Lakewood's Director of Elementary Education before retiring in 1991. Additionally, he has served as President of the Ohio Reading Teachers' Association and has worked at Baldwin Wallace College to help train future teachers...

Just like the weather, the Lakewood Arts scene is sizzling. Featuring another month of art, music, theater and dance, July brings some of City’s most anticipated events to the forefront. Here is just a sampling of what’s in store in the upcoming weeks...

Take a “creative break” this summer! You can learn how to make a simple, yet unique crystal bracelet that also helps local mission teams return to Haiti in the fall. Team members and jewelry artists Lynn Scheerhorn and Shelley Gross will lead a two-hour workshop—open to all—on Wednesday, July 16, from 7-9 pm at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Lakewood, 14560 Madison Avenue...

If, as their band name suggests, Smiley Baldazar was trying to be odd, then they certainly and undeniably succeeded in that endeavor on their album “Relax, It’s Out of Control”.That is not to say that bands that tout their oddness aren’t successful because in an age where originality in the music industry pays off, the weirder the better. However, there is such a thing as too strange for one’s own good. Smiley Baldazar might fit into this category. It is worth mentioning that many groups are lauded for their ability to transcend the genre barrier and create a sound that fans of different kinds of music would enjoy...

Benjamin Coutant came to Rockport from Pennsylvania in 1819. A marble finisher and pattern maker by trade, he was locally recognized for his mechanical skills. Mr. Coutant created a cover for his well (unheard of!) and built an original mechanism for raising, lowering, and filling the buckets...

Hi! This is Fido here and my pal Tabby! Wow, since the “folks” decided to sell our home, things sure have been crazy around here. They’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off…and lots of LOUD discussions. There’s furniture moving (my favorite snoozing chair is in the basement) and big boxes stacked high (full of stuff I used to play with.) Our food and water dishes are in a new places (that we can hardly reach….when we can FIND them!) Sheesh, I even saw her stuff my bed into a kitchen cupboard yesterday. (Fortunately, she pulled it back out when we got home...)

“What is crown molding?”