Parade Organizer Is Never Sitting on the Sidelines

Jennifer Lampman is a 20-year-old with very little spare time, but she’s going to try to cram in some college.

It’s not that Lampman isn’t interested in earning a degree. She plans to enroll at Antelope Valley College in the fall. It’s just that she already has a full-time job, plus she’s the organizer of Lake Elizabeth’s annual ‘49er Day parade, serves in the Army Reserves and recently became the youngest person ever elected to the Lakes Town Council.

The five-member council, which makes policy recommendations to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, is the official governing voice of Lake Elizabeth and Lake Hughes. The adjoining mountain communities--with a combined population of about 3,000--are located above Lancaster, 3,250 feet up in the Angeles National Forest.

“Lately, I’m lucky if I have time to sleep,” said Lampman, whose free time over the past few weeks has been dedicated almost exclusively to the parade, which was held Saturday.

“It’s been a lot of work, but I have a lot of fun doing it.”

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Lampman signed up for a six-year stint with the reserves after graduating from high school in 1996 and staying with family friends for a time in Baldwin Park. She was quickly promoted from private and serves one weekend a month as an administrative specialist with the 349th General Hospital in Los Angeles.

A year ago, Lampman moved back to Lake Elizabeth to live with her mother and stepfather, Andrea and David Gutierrez, 18-year-old sister Rayanna and 12-year-old brother James Gutierrez.

Lampman’s mother said she was pleased, but not terribly surprised, when Jennifer told her she was going to run for council. “She’s always had political ambitions, ever since she was about 12,” Andrea Gutierrez said.

“She’s always got lots of ideas and lots of things she wants to implement.”

Lampman said she became officially hooked on politics while living in Baldwin Park when she “served as the little guy,” volunteering on local campaigns for school board, water board and city council.

“When I moved back up here, I started asking for volunteering work, and people noticed that I was involved,” said Lampman, who began turning up occasionally at the “Geezer’s Coffee Club.” The Geezers, mainly men in their 50s and 60s, meet informally several mornings a week at the Lake Elizabeth Golf Club to discuss local issues.

“The first time she came in we were all kind of impressed with her. She’s smart and she has a lot of energy,” said Chet Wilcox, who in May was elected to a third two-year term on the council. “We were putting together a slate, and we asked if she wanted to run.”

Although Lampman said she initially had doubts, she decided to jump at the opportunity. Fewer than 100 residents turned out for the May election, but when the ballots were counted, Lampman was among the top five.

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“I wasn’t sure because of my age how people would accept that. It’s kind of unheard of up here,” Lampman said. “But [the other council members] have made me feel really comfortable. They’ve looked at me for what I had to say and what I had to contribute to the meetings.”

“She’s very outgoing and eager to learn,” said Jess Gonzalez, a teacher and a lieutenant colonel in Lampman’s Army Reserve unit. “What I really liked is that she didn’t worry about ‘what happens if I lose.’ She said, ‘If I don’t win this time, I’ll just run again.’ ”

In the few moments she has for herself, Lampman likes to jog and write poetry. Like a true politician, however, she always has one eye on the next campaign. Currently, she’s considering a possible bid for the local school board and perhaps down the road, the state Assembly or even Congress.

“Right now,” she said, “I’m just concentrating on the council. This is all new to me.”

Her objectives as a councilwoman are to boost local pride through social and recreational events and to convince young people that they can have a voice in local affairs.

“I think what most people want is someone who will listen to them and give them some response,” Lampman said. “Someone to let them know their issue is important and that they are part of the community.”

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“A lot of people say they want to be involved, but they don’t get involved,” said Wayne Wilson, Lampman’s boss at Canyon Meadows, the Christian conference center where she works in hospitality. “Jennifer’s really serving as a role model for the younger people.”

As for her new title, Lampman said it makes her proud when people address her as councilwoman.

“It feels good that they can see me that way,” she said. “But it’s also fine if they just call me Jennifer.”