Spin Doctors Promise to Right World So That the Sun Won’t Rise in the West

The Leisure World globe, at a standstill for decades, started spinning on its axis again last week--but in the wrong direction.

A commuter on Interstate 5 spotted the problem and called to report that the 30-foot-tall illuminated metal frame was turning as if the sun rose in the west and set in the east.

The sphere was the brainchild of Leisure World developer Ross Cortese, intended as a symbol of his dream to create an international chain of retirement communities.

Fixing it won’t be difficult, said the Lake Forest electrician who helped get the world turning again. “It’s just a matter of pushing a couple of switches,” said Jim O’Connell of Lake Forest Electric. The globe should be turning in the right direction sometime today, he said.

Leisure World management deemed repairs too costly when it stopped turning in 1972. And a community effort to fix it has had its glitches. It was to have started spinning in October, O’Connell said, but the motor was too small. That problem was solved, and the globe was restarted this month with a celebration to commemorate the occasion. But shortly afterward, a safety inspector found an exposed gear chain, and the globe was shut down.

No matter which way the world turns, O’Connell said, public reaction has been positive:

“Most people say it looks beautiful at night. It seems to be a focal point for the community.”