Letters: The ‘sheriff’ who ruled L.A.

Re “L.A. children’s television host in 1950s, ‘60s,” Obituary, Oct. 7

As a child of the 1950s, while my parents worried about the communist living next door, I shared my lunch with the late “Sheriff” John Rovick. Afternoons were divided between playing “Red Light, Green Light” with Engineer Bill; trying to make my own puppet to resemble Webster Webfoot, which sat on the lap of Jimmy Weldon; and the battle for my attention between “Skipper Frank” Herman on “Cartoon Carousel” and Tom Hatten with his “squiggles.”

Life for a child in 1950s Los Angeles was a whole lot easier.

Lloyd Fradkin

Newhall

How ironic. It was only last Thursday night, while washing the dinner dishes, that I was singing “Put Another Candle on My Birthday Cake.” And a few two days later, I read that Rovick had passed away.

For most people who lived through the turbulent 1960s, their memories are filled with assassinations, war and general mayhem. My memories are filled with Tom “Popeye” Hatten, Sally “Hobo Kelly” Baker, Miss Mary Ann from “Romper Room” and, especially, Sheriff John.

How I miss those years.

David H. Crocker

Placentia

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