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Dubbed Los Angeles' "electronic Stonehenge," the pylons were unveiled six years ago in time for the Democratic National Convention. They offered viewers an effervescent glow that could be seen by airline passengers from 3,000 feet. But by 2004, the complicated lighting system began to malfunction. Some pylons blacked out while others were splotchy. To fix them, electricians had to hang upside-down in harnesses.
Nearby businesses and hotels began complaining that the defective lights were an embarrassment, especially when tourists asked what was wrong.
Photo by Jay Berkowitz, LAWA
