What Happens in Vegas: Famous Sign Vandalized

Image from source, Examiner

As a sign maker in Las Vegas, I can be proud that little bits of my creativity are all over town. But that swell of pride comes with a tinge of regret: almost all of that signage is temporary. They may stay in place for months, or even years. But re-theming, revamping--and hey, imploding--will happen eventually, and my work will be lost. Rarely, however, a sign will become so famous, that changing it or removing it would practically be a sacrilege.

That is definitely the case with the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. For older locals, the sign is often thought of as a nuisance. It causes traffic headaches (though not as much now that they've modified the area it sits on), and people of the same vintage as the sign think it's ugly. I don't feel that way, but I like the rat-packy design era. The guy in the story below probably didn't hate the sign as much as what it represents though.

Las Vegas is in the midst of darned near a depression. Sure, most of the country is too, but we are consistently at the top of that un-fabulous heap. Parts of town are more fabulous, like the recently opened City Center. Others show signs of real problems, not the least of which the derelict, unfinished remains of Echelon Place. Unemployment is at 13%, and that does not include the under-employed, like me, working on reduced schedules. So while I cannot agree with this man's actions, I do understand the impulse.

[Excerpt]

Iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas " sign vandalized by paint slinger

The famous sign that welcomes drivers to Vegas on the south end of the strip was vandalized today. Vegas police indicated that 69 -year old Joseph Pepitone sloshed red and black paint on one of the world's most famous signs today, leaving at least three quite visible paint streaks . The apparently miserable Mr Pepitone was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention center on a charge of injuring or damaging the property of another. The sign slosher apparently had no previous criminal record. . .

Read more at: Examiner