On The Town:

After his victory over Sen. Barry Goldwater, 1965 saw Lyndon Johnson inaugurated to serve his second presidential term. That year also saw the first American combat troops arrive in Vietnam while anti-war protesters rallied on the nation’s streets and college campuses.

The Rev. Martin Luther King led a march of civil rights activists in Selma that year, while Warner Bros. captured the Best Picture Oscar for “My Fair Lady” and the country’s first arena rock concert was staged by The Beatles in New York’s Shea Stadium.

The year of 1965 also saw a young Kentuckian by the name of Mickey DePalo hired into the Burbank Parks Department as a seasonal locker room attendant.

Over the following decades, DePalo moved up through the ranks to hold positions at the McCambridge, Olive and Verdugo recreation centers.

He established, coordinated and supervised numerous sports and fitness programs for people of all ages, including the Got Wheels! transportation system, the Kids At Play mobile recreation unit and programs at Valley Park’s skating facility.

DePalo also played an active role in the Burbank Run For the Hungry and is perhaps best known for his service as chairman of the Burbank Veterans Commemorative Committee, which annually conducts Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies.

“Our entire community owes a debt of gratitude to Mickey for laying the foundation for so many programs that have become an integral part of our parks department,” Mayor Dave Golonski told a Thursday evening assemblage that gathered at the Burbank Elks Lodge to honor the retiring DePalo.

“The programs Mickey has established will live on as a tribute to his dedicated service.”

Golonski also paid tribute to DePalo’s commitment to Burbank veterans.

“What Mickey has done in his work with veterans has been tremendous. He has always been at the forefront of every effort pertaining to the men and women who have served our country,” he said.