Lakewood Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting is Saturday
We hope to see you this Saturday for our Holiday Parade of Lights & Christmas Tree Lighting.
We’re taking over Lakewood Towne Center for this community event. Line the parade route to cheer on local Lakewood businesses, school groups and community organizations. Parade participants will proceed from Park Lodge Elementary School onto Gravelly Lake Drive and turn left onto Main Street SW, stopping just past the roundabout at Lakewood City Hall.
Once Santa arrives on the West Pierce Fire & Rescue fire truck, he’ll help Mayor Jason Whalen and the Lakewood City Council countdown to the Christmas tree lighting. The tree is in the center of the roundabout in front of City Hall, 6000 Main Street SW.
Arrive early to hear carolers from Claudia Thomas and Hudtloff middle schools and head inside City Hall starting at 3:30 p.m. to make lantern bags to hold up during the parade. Get ready to Snap a Selfie with Santa at 5 p.m. inside Lakewood City Hall. There will be food trucks with food for purchase, entertainment, free face painting and more.
Fallen Officer Food & Blood Drive donations still accepted
Thank you to everyone who donated food items or made monetary contributions or gave blood during the in-person Lakewood Police Fallen Officer Food & Blood Drive.
The event marked the 15th year of hosting this food drive to benefit the Emergency Food Network and the eighth year of hosting a blood drive to benefit Bloodworks NW.
You can still drop off items at these locations until Monday, Dec. 9:
- Lakewood Police Department, 9401 Lakewood Dr. SW
- Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St. SW
- Blue Steele Coffee, 11401 Steele St. S.
- Classy Chassis Car Wash and Detail, 7432 Custer Road
- Lakewood Classic Coffee, 7609 Custer Road
- University Place Classic Coffee, 4828 Bridgeport Way W
The Lakewood Police Department and the city of Lakewood appreciate the continued support from our community to support our friends and neighbors in need this holiday season.
Register for Lakewood’s Jingle Bell 5k & Kids Dash
The City of Lakewood is excited to again partner with the Lakes Cross Country Booster Club to host a Jingle Bell 5K Walk/Run & 1K Kids Dash at Fort Steilacoom Park.
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 14 for a family-friendly event.
Wear your best holiday-themed costume, dress up your pet, and hit the trails for this holiday-themed fun run.
The 1-mile Kids Dash starts at 9:30 a.m. The 5k walk/run starts at 10 a.m. Chip timing will be provided by GC Racing.
- Pre-registration: $10 for 12 and under; $30 everyone else.
- Day-of registration: $15 for 12 and under; $35 everyone else.
Event details and registration are found online.
The proceeds from this affordable event support the Lakes Cross Country Booster Club, contributing to the enhancement of youth running events in the South Puget Sound area.
Council Corner: Dec. 2 recap
The City Council started its meeting with a swearing in ceremony welcoming new Lakewood Municipal Court Judge Tim Lewis. Lewis previously spent 20 years as a prosecutor in Pierce and Kitsap counties before entering the private sector where he joined a firm handling criminal and civil litigation. Lewis previously served as a Pro Tem judge in municipal courts in Kitsap, Pierce and Thurston counties, including Lakewood municipal Court.
The City Council acted on the following:
- Approved a grant agreement with the state Department of Transportation & US Department of Transportation to conduct a downtown transportation feasibility study.
- Authorized the execution of an interlocal agreement with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and expenditures for the American Lake Boat Launch Repairs.
- Authorized the execution of a contract with Camino to upgrade the permitting system and supporting development guide and application portal.
- Confirmed Mark Scheibmeir as the City of Lakewood Hearing Examiner.
- Reappointed Kyle Franklin and Michael Lacadie to serve on the Community Services Advisory Board through Dec. 15, 2028.
- Canceled the City Council Regular Meeting of Dec. 16, 2024 and the City Council Study Session of Dec. 23, 2024.
- Held a public hearing on the 2024 final budget adjustment.
- Adopted an ordinance that adopted amendments to the 2019 Shoreline Master Program.
- Adopted an ordinance that created Chapter 9.16 of the Lakewood Municipal Code entitled Endangerment with a Controlled Substance.
Watch the meeting.
What’s on Deck: The Lakewood City Council meets Monday, Dec. 9, 2024 for a special meeting at 7 p.m. followed by a study session in Council Chambers. Tentative agenda items include:
Special meeting:
- Authorizing the execution of a construction contract to Redside Construction, in the amount of $3,247,839.90, for the Wards Lake Phase 1 and 2 Improvement Project.
- Ordinance amending to the 2023-2024 Biennial Budget.
Study session:
- American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program and Fund Status Report
- South Sound Military and Community Partnership (SSMCP) Update
- Review of City Council Meeting Schedule
How to attend: Attend in person at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main Street SW; (or dial 253-215-8782 and enter meeting ID: 868 7263 2373), or watch live on the city’s YouTube channel.
Police Chief’s Corner
Each week Lakewood Police Chief Patrick D. Smith shares a summary that includes a look at total calls for service the Lakewood Police Department responded to for the prior week. The intent of the summary is to show a snapshot of how the department works to keep the community safe. To see quarterly statistical analysis, visit the Lakewood Police Department crime statistics page on the city website.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday last week, this week’s summary includes two weeks’ worth of data.
Weekly Summary, Nov. 19-26, 2024
- Calls for Service: 935 (+3% from prior week)
- Arrests: 52 (+18% from prior week)
- Violent Crime: 20 (+54% from prior week)
- Property Crime: 51 (-9% from prior week)
- Traffic Stops: 117 (-11% from prior week)
- Collisions (reportable): 18 (-38% from prior week)
Weekly Summary, Nov. 26 – Dec. 3, 2024
- Calls for Service: 818(-13% from prior week)
- Arrests: 47 (-10% from prior week)
- Violent Crime: 16 (-20% from prior week)
- Property Crime: 51 (0% from prior week)
- Traffic Stops: 90 (-23% from prior week)
- Collisions (reportable): 17 (-6% from prior week)
Community events
Santa at the Station
Mark your calendar and join West Pierce Fire & Rescue as they welcome Santa to the station Tuesday, Dec. 10 in Lakewood and Thursday, Dec. 12 in University Place.
Visit Santa’s workshop, let him know what you’d like for Christmas and take a photo with him. Bring your own camera, a photographer will not be at the event. Please bring non-perishable items with you to donate to the food drive being held at the same time.
Don’t forget your letter to Santa. He will take all the letters back to the North Pole and personally answer as many as he can. Don’t forget to include a return address so he can write back!
Tuesday, Dec. 10
5:30 – 7 p.m.
West Pierce Fire & Rescue Station 21
5000 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood
Thursday, Dec. 12
5:30 – 7 p.m.
West Pierce Fire & Rescue Station 31
3631 Drexler Drive W, University Place
Lakewood Playhouse presents “It’s a Wonderful Life: A live radio play”
Head to the Lakewood Playhouse in Lakewood Towne Center to experience a classic holiday tale performed like a 1940’s style live radio play. This unique take on a familiar tale honors Lakewood Playhouse’s history of presenting radio plays while also exploring how “It’s a Wonderful Life” speaks to a modern world.
The show runs Dec. 13-29, 2024. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Pay What You Can Performance is Sunday, Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information call the Box Office at (253) 588-0042 or visit www.lakewoodplayhouse.org.
Call to Poets: Submit Your Poem for Lakewold Gardens’ Winter Garden Poetry
Lakewold Gardens is seeking original, unpublished poems for inclusion in the 2025 Winter Poetry in the Gardens event. Poems should be no longer than approximately 1,000 words or no more than five minutes in duration when read aloud, preferably with a theme related to gardens and/or the celebration of nature.
Participants must be Washington State residents and be available to record their poems and have headshot photos taken onsite at Lakewold Gardens the week of Feb. 10, 2025. Poets of all backgrounds and ages are invited to participate. Lakewold Gardens strives to promote contributions from communities that have been traditionally underrepresented. Poets who identify with or are part of these communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Selected participants will be celebrated at a special event on February 22, 2025 where they will be invited to read their poems aloud. Only one entry per poet will be accepted. Entries must be submitted before Jan. 17, 2025. Learn more.
Sign up for Lakewood Alert (Code Red)
The City of Lakewood uses Code Red, an alert service, to notify residents of important information happening in the city.
If there is an emergency that requires public notification, we will use Lakewood Alert as one way to communicate. We will also post information to our website and social media channels.
Subscribers can sign up to receive text and email alerts. People can also sign up for important non-emergency updates including information about road impacts from large events in the city or information about special events.
Find out more and sign up today.
Now Hiring!
There are a variety of positions available for hard workers looking to join the City of Lakewood team. Lakewood offers a competitive benefits package. We are part of the state retirement system (PERS). And the city is a beautiful place to work. Find a current list of open positions online.
Road project updates
Lakewood Station Access Project: Sound Transit is investing nearly $70 million in road improvements in and around the Lakewood Sounder Station to improve roads in the Lakeview and Springbrook neighborhoods. Residents may see crews in the area while they begin preliminary surveying for this project. The survey work will add one-foot squares of white paint on certain roads. Construction is not anticipated to begin until the fall of 2025.
84th and Pine: The contractor will be on site soon to finish minor items and install pedestrian lighting.
Farwest Drive SW: The contract is currently in suspension while waiting for new pedestrian luminaires to be delivered.
Rose Road Sanitary Sewer Project: Work is anticipated to start early 2025.
Steilacoom Boulevard Weller to 87th Ave: Active Construction, Inc. is expected to start construction in early 2025.
South Tacoma Way Overlay 96th to Steilacoom Blvd.: The contract was awarded to Miles Resources. Work is expected to start early spring 2025.
South Tacoma Way & 92nd signal replacement: Bids were opened Dec. 4 and an apparent low bidder identified. More information will be released following the contract award. This project is expected to begin in early 2025.