(March 9, 2006) -- Saying it's "tired of excuses and unresponsiveness by the [Lakewood] City Council and Sheriff's Dept.," grassroots Lakewood residents are organizing via the internet and traditional fliers...and have invited a high-visibility public response to the March 5 explosion at a north Lakewood residence involving alleged illegal fireworks.
A flier from a newly organized "Lakewood Accountability Action Group" (LAAG) urges Lakewood residents to attend two upcoming events:
- March 13, 6:30 p.m.: The Sheriff's Lakewood station has scheduled a special "Neighborhood Watch" meeting at Mayfair Park (5720 Clark Ave.) that will include Lakewood station LASD Capt. David Fender. "We scheduled the special meeting mainly for neighbors and others living nearby the affected residence, but yes it is a public meeting," LASD Lt. Tracy Benjestorf told LBReport.com.
- March 14, 7:30 p.m.: The first Lakewood City Council meeting since the explosion occurred. (Lakewood City Hall is just north of the library on Clark Ave. between Del Amo and Candlewood). The meetings are cablecast live in Lakewood (not in LB) on Lakewood cable channel 31...and are streamed online (available worldwide) via the City of Lakewood website.
An organizer tells LBReport.com, "I contacted Lakewood City Hall and asked that the matter be agendized for Council discussion"...which would allow members of the public to be heard. [Even if City Hall doesn't agendize it, state law requires the Council to allow public comment on non-agendized matters...in which case members of the public would almost certainly seek to bring it up.]
Fliers add, "Bring written questions and note taking materials; hopefully we will record the meeting and make the audio available on the web."
The "Lakewood Accountability Action Group" flier also includes an email address -- LkwdAAG@verizon.net -- inviting community members to be added to a "growing list of residents concerned about fireworks and other similar issues that the city and the sheriffs are not taking care of. When anyone hears of some news on this issue we will pass it along to everyone on the list."
The 6:50 a.m. Sunday blast at the rented residence on Dunrobin St. at Ashworth St. sent debris flying and literally raised the roof of the house, in addition to shaking homes and breaking windows some distance away. LBReport.com readers reported hearing the explosion as far away as ELB's LBCC and western El Dorado Park neighborhoods.
Developing.
