Former Honorary Mayor Gavin MacLeod Dies | Pacific Palisades
Former Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades Gavin MacLeod died on Saturday, May 29, at the age of 90, his nephew first reported to Variety.
MacLeod, known for his roles of Murray on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and Captain Stubing on “The Love Boat,” served as honorary mayor beginning in 2006. As mayor, MacLeod served an “unprecedented third two-year term” while living in the Highlands.
MacLeod was praised for his work in the community as honorary mayor, and received colorful commendations issued by then State Senator Fran Pavley, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and LA City Councilman Bill Rosendahl during the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce installment dinner in June 2011.
Sam Laganà, who emceed the installation dinner, wrote on Twitter following MacLeod’s passing that he was “one of the most fun and wonderful honorary mayors of Pacific Palisades” that he ever “had the joy to work with.”
“He was forever the Captain, but to me … a dear man who led the ship of the Palisades with Arnie Wishnick (RIP) with happiness for all,” the tweet concluded.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Local Actors Participate in ‘Annie Jr’ | Pacific Palisades
Local young actors in grades four through eight, led by Theatre Palisades Youth Program director and Paul Revere Spring Musical Director Lara Ganz, are participating in “Annie Jr”—which included a “live, in-person hybrid” performance and two upcoming livestreams of the show featuring different iterations of the cast.
Ganz explained that in front of a small audience, actors performed musical numbers and some scenes live on an outdoor stage. Edited movie versions of the children played other scenes as well as artistic projections of the show on a big screen, alternating back and forth between the live show and movie version.
Theatre Palisades Youth actors are involved, though the show originated at Paul Revere Charter Middle School in November. Because most of the rehearsals took place online, students from all over Los Angeles were able to join the production, including from Marquez Charter Elementary School, Paul Revere, Hale Middle School, St. Monica’s and Westland.
Ganz dedicated the show to Molly Steinsapir, who passed away earlier this year. Her brother, Nate, starred in the show.
Those interested in tuning in to either of the livestreams on June 6 can visit illumevate.ticketspice.com/annie-jr-livestream. A portion of the proceeds will go to Molly’s Fund.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Col. Richard Littlestone Honored at PPCC Meeting | Pacific Palisades
Colonel Richard “Dick” Littlestone, a longtime Palisadian and community activist who died May 15, was honored by Chair David Card during a recent Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting.
“He started beating on the doors of the VA to establish a columbarium at our Brentwood VA cemetery,” Card shared, touching on the fact that local soldiers would have to go as far as Riverside to be buried. “After 22 years of pestering everyone from the head of the Veterans’ Administration in Washington, D.C., all the way down to our local councilman and our local Congressman Ted Lieu and everyone in between, he was a very determined soldier and he got the columbarium dedicated only a few years ago.”
Littlestone, who hailed from Evanston, Illinois, was drafted into the Army in 1943 during World War II and was chosen from the ranks to attend the U.S. Military Academy in New York, according to an obituary published in the Los Angeles Times. He began his officer career in 1947 as an Artillery Officer.
Littlestone received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and other commendation medals from the Army.
“I knew him as a Rotarian, I’ve known him as a member of our local American Legion Post, and we will miss him greatly,” Card concluded.
—SARAH SHMERLING
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