Hollywood sign at center of secession fight

With Hollywood as well as the San Fernando Valley making headway toward becoming independent cities, Los Angeles faces the loss of prestige and clout that would come with fracturing into three pieces, not only two.

A breakaway by Hollywood, though, could lead to something even more galling: the loss of the Hollywood sign.

The 79-year-old sign looks out across the city from the slopes of Mount Lee in Griffith Park. About 50 feet high and 450 feet long, it's an odd but world-renowned structure that symbolizes the excitement and the excesses of the Los Angeles area.

Lately, though, it has become simply one more bone of contention between Hollywood ...