Lakewood, WA

After being incorporated into Washington as a city in 1996, Lakewood became the state's eighth-largest city. Over the years, the town has been called Prairie, Lakes District and Lakewood Center. Lakewood's population, which is spread out over 19 square miles, is estimated to be more than 58,000. The town ranks in the top 4 percent of the state when it comes to racial diversity.

America's Promise voted Lakewood and Pierce County among the 100 Best Places for Young People. This annual competition seeks to find communities that work toward addressing the various challenges of a particular area. Some of the challenges facing Lakewood include a transient population, due to the four nearby military bases, and the fact that 55 percent of Lakewood's students come from low-income homes. To help address some of these issues, Lakewood's Communities in Schools recruits volunteers to work in school and afterschool programs. In addition, Lakewood's Reclaiming Our Youth is an organization established to help deter crime.

EDUCATION

Clover Park School District, the fourth-largest district in the county, oversees all of the public schools in the city of Lakewood, which include 19 elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools and one alternative high school.

Due to the close proximity to Fort Lewis Army Base and McChord Air Force Base, there has been a large military impact on the educational environment of Lakewood. The city's two high schools offer Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and an estimated 28 percent of students in the Clover Park School District live on a military base.

When it comes to higher education in the area, Clover Park Technical College is committed to providing adults and youths with quality job training. Fifty career training programs are offered, as well as 60 certification programs. Some of the areas covered include accounting, culinary arts, horticulture, human services, nursing and welding technology. Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom is a two-year public college that offers associate's degrees in such areas as accounting, technology, alcohol and drug abuse counseling, fashion merchandising, general office services and paralegal training.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Popular industries in the city include education, health and social services, and manufacturing. Some of the noteworthy employers in these areas include:

• MultiCare Health System
• Greer Steel Inc.
• Armour Manufacturing and Construction
• Clover Park School District
• Franciscan Health Systems
• Providence Health and Systems
• Good Samaritan Hospital

Local economic factors are also affected by the area's strong military influence. The Fort Lewis Army Base provides more than 20,000 jobs in the county for its soldiers. Army military members, civilians and retirees earn a combined payroll of $1.2 billion. At the McChord Air Force Base, more than 7,900 service members and reserve and civilian employees are on the base's payroll of more than $336 million.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Lakewood is broken up into 13 diverse neighborhoods, including:

• City Center: Dwellings in this neighborhood consist primarily of single-family homes, with three or four bedrooms. Many of the residents in City Center work as professionals in executive and managerial positions.
• Parkland: Parkland consists of many single-family homes, with one to two bedrooms. Residents of this neighborhood are primarily employed in the fields of manufacturing and labor.
• Lakeview: In an effort to create and maintain a safe environment for residents, the Lakeview neighborhood has focused on avoiding and being prepared for natural and man-made disasters through its Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness teams. Residences here are primarily in apartment complexes and high-rise apartments. Residents are often employed as sales and service workers.
• Lake City: This neighborhood has the lowest crime rate of Lakewood's neighborhoods. The single-family homes here consist primarily of three- or four-bedrooms. Many residents in Lake City hold jobs as manufacturers and laborers.

BEST BETS

There are a number of recreational activities available for residents and visitors throughout the city of Lakewood and its surrounding areas:

• Apple picking: There are plenty of apple farms, apple festivals and apple orchards to enjoy in the area. Local apple orchards include Curran Apple Orchard and High Meadow Orchards.
• Fall foliage: In the fall, Lakewood provides a number of spectacular landscapes and views, courtesy of the local foliage. Traveling from the city of Lakewood to the Fort Lewis Army Base, observers are treated to many White Oak trees and their colorful leaves turning. In more wooded areas, sightseers may notice the changing colors of vine maple and Pacific dogwood trees.
• Farmers markets and organic produce: One of the area's most celebrated farmers markets is the Lakewood Farmers Market, which is held in the Lakewood Mall parking lot every Tuesday from May through September. Organic produce and meats are available from some of the area's farmers and produce vendors.
• Lakewood Playhouse: The 180-seat theater, founded in 1938, is considered one of the cultural centerpieces of the city.

LOCAL MEDIA

The primary news sources available to residents of Lakewood include:

• The News Tribune: This daily newspaper covers news events in Lakewood and the surrounding areas.
• KLAY 1180 AM: This news/talk station is owned by Clay Frank Huntington.
• KVTI 90.9 FM: Owned by Clover Park Technical College, this noncommercial station plays Top 40 hits .