THE LOW-DOWN ON THE TOWN Impudent, uncensored account By C. Castle

The Case of the Missing "S"

Hey, what happened to the S on the side of the Miramar Sheraton?

Word has it that's what workers and managers alike were wondering last week when they noticed the Sheraton crest was gone. Of course, most figure the new owners are considering a name change... but this quick?

With the hotel buy-out fueling rumors of what will come next, those inside
the hotel took the disappearance of the S to be a sign of something afoot --
workers were ecstatic, managers were worried.

Workers thought the missing letter was a sign the hotel's current management -- which has been fighting for several years to break the union's stronghold -- was on its way out quicker than anyone imagined. For them, a sign of relief.

Meanwhile, Miramar managers, who are expected to stay on at least through
the ownership change, saw their days coming to a quick end. Word has it,
their hopes plummeted.

Turns out, ecstasy and worry were wasted emotions. The hotel's new owners had the sign removed once they found out that Santa Monica kicks in a new sign ordinance starting April, 2000.

At that point, the big S will be out of compliance.

Maybe that's the real sign in all of this: As the city continues to change, the S and all it stands for simply will not fit Santa Monica anymore.