City of Lakewood announcement.
Casual conversation sessions will be held bimonthly on Thursday evenings after work hours.
Lakewood, Wash. – Lakewood’s new mayor Jason Whalen has announced bimonthly “Community Coffeehouse” conversation sessions to invite conversation with residents. Each session will be themed and will begin with a presentation from the mayor or a guest speaker before opening the floor for residents with questions and remarks related to the theme.
The first session will discuss summer events and improvements to Lakewood parks. Residents are invited to share event feedback and ideas to further improve Lakewood’s brilliant parks.
The first session will occur on Thursday, Jan. 27 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Initial sessions will be virtual due to present pandemic conditions, but future events will be in person once feasible.
Coffeehouse meetings will be held every other month on the fourth Thursday of the month. The series will replace the former “Coffee with the Mayor” sessions on Tuesday mornings. The evening hour is thought to be more accessible for residents that work common weekday hours.
“I love to hear how it’s going for Lakewood residents, what issues matter most to you, and what your ideas are to solve them. These sessions will help keep you appraised on important topics, and help us keep in touch with your perspectives on these issues. All are welcome!”
Jason Whalen, Mayor of Lakewood
Good for Jason and the rest of Lakewood. A government by the people must willing to be a government that listens to the people. Let’s see if we can’t bring this kind of listening to the Clover Park School Board.
It is clear from analysis of the District’s discipline trends that the District does not hold all the cards for a solution in its hands: Lakewood city government and community organizations hold the rest of them. Strive as they might, the District can do little within the confines of classroom walls to “fix” the socio-economic blight outside those walls that stifles any hope of success. It takes “two hands to clap” and city government is that “other hand”. How often does the District and City sit down for a face to face? Open up communication between the Mayor and citizens: great! Open up communication between the District and City: perhaps even greater.