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City Council members face the audience at the Rick Orlov memorial service today. Daily News photo: Hans Gutknecht. Below: Orlov's Rolodex by Dean Musgrove.
Mayor Eric Garcetti called the late reporter Rick Orlov the embodiment of what it means to be a mensch at a City Hall memorial on Monday. Orlov died last week of complications from the diabetes that had ravaged his body in recent years. He was 66. The City Council chambers was crowded with journalists, political consultants, City Hall employees and politicians for a light-hearted service emceed by Orlov's close friend, the semi-retired Daily News columnist Dennis McCarthy. "I knew he was going to pack this joint," McCarthy quipped to open the event. He told tales about drinking with Orlov at the American Legion post behind the old Daily News offices in Van Nuys, and about his friend always having his back — like the time McCarthy wrote a story that upset the Hells Angels and Orlov sent a copy messenger out to start up McCarthy's car for him — with the admonition to keep his legs outside the car.
Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke from the heart when he talked about trusting Orlov as a reporter and as an unofficial advisor on City Hall politics. He recalled Orlov's legendary after-deadline drinks fests in the City Hall pressroom on Fridays, and said he always admired how Orlov could bring an interview to a close in order to meet his deadlines. "Rick, you've met your last deadline," Garcetti said in closing. "We love you and we'll miss you."
The Friday drinks sessions, the must-read quality of Orlov's Monday Tipoff columns in the Daily News and his willingness to go off the record — and stay off the record — with electeds and staffers were common themes of the speakers. City Council President Herb Wesson said that Orlov was the only reporter to make him feel at home when he came to City Hall as a young aide to Councilman Nate Holden way back when. Former council member and city controller Wendy Greuel revealed that she first started schmoozing with Orlov back when she was a young deputy to Tom Bradley in the mayor's office. "Rick was a reporter you actually liked. No offense to the other ones here."
The audience included plenty of those other reporters, from the Daily News of course, and also the Times, LA Weekly, AP, KNX, Sacramento Bee and other outlets. I counted about half of the City Council in attendance. Rick got a nice salute from his friends and the many who respected him. During the event, Wesson announced that the City Hall press suite would be named for Orlov.
For videos of some of the speeches, check out the Daily News blog Come on Feel the Nuys.. The Daily News website also has a gallery of photos by staff photographers Hans Gutknecht and John McCoy and photo editor Dean Musgrove.
