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Thank you to everyone who kept Lakewood  sidewalks clear through the recent stretch of frequent snow and intense cold. Doing so shows Lakewood’s community spirit and it is vital to those who rely on our sidewalks to get around each day, especially schoolchildren. I also want to thank our Public Works team for their typical thorough and efficient clearing of Lakewood’s roads each time the snow arrived.

Welcome and congratulations to Angelina Hamilton Steiner as she assumes her new post as Lakewood's newest at-large councilperson. With her appointment, Councilwoman Hamilton Steiner fills the vacated seat of the newly elected Ohio House Representative Tristan Rader. I look forward to working with our newest councilwoman to serve Lakewood. I also want to thank Representative Rader for his years of dedicated service on Lakewood City Council. I know we will continue to work together well in his new role to ensure that our state government in Columbus considers Lakewood when passing laws and setting budgetary priorities.

As we all know, February brings with it Valentine's Day, so when you're buying gifts for your loved ones, please remember to shop local! Lakewood has a wealth of charming and unique small businesses that offer wonderful options – everything from baked goods and candies to cards, stationery, clothing, and just about anything else you might want. Our city also boasts a wide variety of restaurants to enjoy a special night out. When our small businesses thrive, our community thrives.

February also marks Black History Month in the U.S. I encourage residents to check out some of the many resources and events available in Lakewood and throughout our region, including:

• Lakewood Public Library
• The City of Cleveland
• University Circle
• Cleveland Public Library
• Western Reserve Historical Society - Hale Farm and Village

Fri., February 7

Senior Services Super Bowl Tailgate

12:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Cove Community Center

Fri., February 14

Senior Services Valentine's Day Jazz Concert

10:00 AM

Cove Community Center

Mon., February 17

Presidents' Day

City Hall Closed



Mon., February 17

Cocoa and Cookies with Safety Forces

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Cove Community Center

Tue., February 18

City Council Meeting



7:30 PM

City Hall Auditorium

Click below to view the City of Lakewood's full events calendar.

City Council Welcomes Angelina Hamilton Steiner

On January 21, Angelina Hamilton Steiner was sworn in as the newest At-Large member of Lakewood City Council. She was selected by Council after an interview process to fill the vacated seat formerly held by Tristan Rader, who now serves as Ohio House District 13's representative.

Councilwoman Hamilton Steiner brings a diverse set of skills and experiences to Council, having served and led on a number of volunteer boards and commissions including the Charter Review Commission, the Community Health Needs Assessment Steering Committee, and the Anti-Racism Task Force. Ms. Hamilton Steiner was the co-founder of a grassroots organization, the Madison Court Community Coalition (MC3).

Ms. Hamilton Steiner is the first known person of color to serve on Lakewood City Council. Welcome and congratulations, Councilwoman!

Animal Shelter Construction Underway

The Lakewood Animal Shelter will soon occupy a brand new facility next to the Refuse and Recycling Center on Berea Road. This relocation will provide the Division of Animal Control a facility with more room to operate, and it opens up space near the Wastewater Treatment Plant for future improvements in alignment with the City's Integrated Wet Weather Improvement Plan (IWWIP). The building's completion is expected in the late summer of 2025.

New HAWK Signal To Be Installed on Madison Ave.

Preliminary work has begun on the installation of a new HAWK Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon to be located at the intersection of Madison Avenue at Arthur Avenue.

HAWK Pedestrian Beacons provide pedestrians with a safe road crossing point that requires vehicle traffic to stop. Lakewood currently has two other HAWK Beacons located On Madison Ave. near Madison Park and on Detroit Ave. near Manor Park Ave.

To learn more about these crossing signals, visit the Federal Highway Administration's page. Additionally, you can view our instructional video on how to use HAWK signals below.

Public Art: Proposals Sought for Traffic Signal Wraps

The City of Lakewood Planning Department is seeking proposals for the 2025 Spectacular Vernacular program. The focus of this year's public art initiative is vinyl wrapping of traffic signal boxes along Madison Avenue.

The City is seeking three to five individual artists or groups that will create vinyl wraps for roughly 40 traffic signal boxes.

Proposals are due by March 21, 2025. To read the full Request for Proposal, click the button below.

Building Commissioner Chris Parmelee Shares Knowledge with Trade Students

Earlier this year, Lakewood's Building Commissioner Chris Parmelee visited Lorain County JVS to talk with students considering a career in the trades. The discussion stressed the importance of building codes and discussed how tradespeople and local building departments collaborate to help each other.

"The industry as a whole is aging out, and we need the next generation of tradesmen and women in the field," said Parmelee. He stressed that the building departments aren't code cops, but rather are there to educate contractors and homeowners.

Are you looking to start a home renovation project? Reach out to the Lakewood Housing & Building Department at (216) 529-6270.

We also encourage you to explore the Heritage Home Program for advice and project funding opportunities on historic homes.

Resources for Residents Seeking Legal Help

When the City's Law Department receives calls for help with legal issues such as landlord disputes or questions, we are unable to offer legal advice. However, there are a number of free resources available to offer legal assistance.

Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

The Legal Aid Society represents both individuals and groups in transactions, negotiation, litigation, and administrative settings. Legal Aid provides assistance to households within 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, and an application process is required to ensure that clients meet the required criteria. For more information, visit https://lasclev.org/who-does-legal-aid-help.

Cleveland Legal Collaborative

The Cleveland Legal Collaborative is another source of legal assistance that targets the "Justice Gap" - those who earn too much to qualify for Legal Aid, but who cannot afford market-rate attorneys. This includes households in the 200%-400% range of the poverty level.

The CLC offers help ranging from quick phone calls, more detailed consultation, up to full legal representation. They work in a variety of fields including landlord/tenant issues, real estate, consumer, business disputes, immigration, probate and estate planning, and mediation.

Learn more about the CLC's offerings here.

Sustainability Spotlight: Cold Weather And Climate Change

Cleveland's all-time record low temperature was -20 degrees Fahrenheit on January 19, 1994. While it hasn’t been that cold lately, the north winds from the lake have made for a chilly winter this year. Does a cold winter mean climate change is slowing or not happening at all? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Climate and weather are different patterns based on the time over which they happen. Weather is what is happening right now based on atmospheric conditions. It can change rapidly and is shown over a short period of time from hours to weeks. For example, it is raining today, sunny and dry tomorrow, and will snow tomorrow.

Climate is a long-term pattern that occurs over at least a 30-year period. It shows long-term trends in atmospheric conditions such as warming, precipitation (or lack of), or wind patterns over a longer period of time. We can have a cold winter, and will continue to have cold winters, but their frequency will lessen as the global atmosphere continues to warm because of greenhouse gas emissions.

Warming Your Home without Warming the Planet

With this cold winter, it is important you practice smart heating to reduce energy use and costs. Here are some easy steps you can take to stay warm as efficiently as possible. Visit U.S. Department of Energy for more energy saving tips.

1. Wear warm clothes and layers so you can keep your home at a cooler temperature.
2. Open south-facing curtains to allow sunlight to help warm your home but close them at night to help prevent heat loss from windows. Thicker curtains will help keep your home warmer than thin ones.
3. Keep windows and doors closed and latched to prevent warm air from escaping.
4. Program your thermostat to change temperature throughout the day. When you are home keep it as low as possible and then drop the temperature when you sleep or leave the house. If you have a heat pump, make sure you have a thermostat specifically designed for it.
5. Find leaks and seal them. Icicles are a great way to find out where you have insulation issues in your roof as they accumulate where warm air is escaping from your house, mainly your attic. They can also indicate a poorly vented attic.

City of Lakewood | lakewoodoh.gov