Kaye Receives Royal Welcome

Actor-comedian Danny Kaye was named honorary king of his native Brooklyn by Borough President Howard Golden during an outdoor ceremony at Grand Army Plaza during a “Welcome Back to Brooklyn” street festival that drew thousands of people. King Kaye’s first pronouncement brought joy to the throng. “As king, I proclaim all of next week a holiday,” Kaye said as he sat on a white throne decorated with gold trim and red velvet cushions. “All city workers, office workers and school kids take next week off and have a good time.” A crowd of about 1,000 people cheered wildly. “I’ve been many places and seen many things, but I do not remember ever coming back to a place where I felt the emotion, warmth and friendship that I feel today,” Kaye said. “Brooklyn will be a part of myself forever and I will never forget it as long as I live.” Kaye succeeded actor Ben Vereen as honorary king of Brooklyn.

--Actor Hugh O’Brian urged high school students to “cool it” when it comes to cranking up the volume on rock ‘n’ roll music, or they may have to wear a hearing aid, like he does. O’Brian, making a surprise visit to the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation-Nebraska Leadership Seminar in Omaha, said his hearing was damaged when he starred in “Wyatt Earp,” the 1950s television Western. O’Brian told 320 sophomores that he ignored warnings that the blank ammunition fired during filming could damage his hearing. “The reason I’m telling you this is because you’re doing the same thing,” he said. “You’re all tuned up listening to rock and heavy metal. You’ve got to cool it. If you like what you’re hearing--the beautiful sounds in this world--then turn it down,” he said.

--Thirty-one men and women in caps and gowns showed up for the annual commencement exercises, but none of them received diplomas. That’s because none of the school’s 96 students were seniors, so rather than end the school year on a downbeat, school Supt. Frank Sarno invited past high school graduates of Skykomish, Wash., (population 497) to relive graduation day. The re-graduates of the hamlet, about 100 miles east of Seattle, got into the spirit of things. Said Kathy Hibbs, 29, Class of 1975: “I was married and seven months pregnant the first time around. This time I get to have some fun.” Bill Barringer, the town marshal, smiling at the goings-on, said he showed up to keep things from getting out of hand. “I heard there’s a kegger (beer party) going on afterward, but that’s still under investigation,” he said. There won’t be any need for fill-in graduates in the immediate future. “Next year will be a really big class; there will be 12 or 14,” Sarno said.