Unruly Visitors at Observatory Pose Problem

Drunken, loutish and unruly visitors have been a problem for weeks at the Griffith Observatory since the beginning of a laser light show programmed to the heavy metal rock sounds of Led Zeppelin, according to Dr. Edwin Krupp, the observatory’s director.

The unpleasantness nearly turned deadly Wednesday night, when an apparently disgruntled music fan grabbed the giant pendulum in the lobby of the planetarium and held on until it broke loose, sending a 240-pound brass weight at the end of a 40-foot wire crashing into a pit below.

“It was a very dangerous thing to do,” Krupp said Thursday. “Clearly, anyone who does this is rather stupid. He’s very lucky to be alive. . . . The wire could have cut him in two.”

Airman 1st Class Michael J. Olivas, 22, was later booked by Los Angeles police for investigation of vandalism.

Damage was estimated at about $2,000. Everything can be put right, except a damaged granite-like rock that was gouged when the pendulum weight fell, Krupp said, adding that he did not know how long it would take to get city funds for the repairs. In the meantime, he said, the planetarium’s lobby “looks tacky” at a time when public interest is high because of the anticipated visit of Halley’s Comet.

Breaking the 50-year-old pendulum--designed to demonstrate the rotation of the earth by its change in direction--was the most serious incident at the planetarium since the beginning of the Led Zeppelin program in August, Krupp said.

“We obviously have no problem at the observatory with people enjoying every aspect of this place,” Krupp said. “The Laserium show has been used as a source of a supplemental program . . . (but) as soon as you get a program that causes trouble, it’s not worth any money you’re getting for it.”

Sheldon Jensen, assistant general manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks, said the agency is trying to improve security for the show staged by Lazer Images Inc. The city receives a percentage of the admission fee.