LETTER OF LAW SNAGS SIGN ABOVE WHIZIN'S.

Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer

Vance Moran watched as the brown-and-white Whizin's sign went up, as each of the 7-foot-tall letters was fastened securely into place and outfitted with red neon lettering.

A blue police light flashed atop the structure, a landmark off the area's main drag for more than 40 years.

``You could see it from the time you got anywhere near Agoura,'' Moran said.

The year was 1956 and the sign went up to advertise a restaurant and gas station to the 50 or so cars that braved the two-lane road each day.

``The roads at that time weren't that great,'' Moran said. ``It was a wonderful time. Our business was the only thing open between L.A. and almost Santa Barbara.''

On Wednesday, Moran again stood and watched workers attend to the sign, outlawed by an Agoura Hills sign ordinance, passed by a city that didn't even exist when Whizin's was built.

This time they used a saw to dismantle each letter. The flashy red and blue lighting had been removed long ago.

``They just took the last piece down,'' he said at 11 a.m. ``A lot of people watched it.''

Moran and his wife commemorated the ``very sad'' occasion with photographs and videotape of him standing next to and chatting with each letter. The sign, which predated the incorporation of Agoura Hills, had found itself running afoul of the new city's rules and regulations.

``The sign was technically an illegal sign under the city's ordinances and all,'' said City Manager Dave Adams. ``We're glad that it's down.''

Moran said he always wanted to play by the rules, so he promised the city that he would remove the sign a ``reasonable amount of time'' after the death of Art Whizin, his business partner. He gave the city no more assurance than his word, and that was good enough, Adams said.

``It was never a problem of us doubting that it would come down,'' he said. ``We knew eventually that it would happen. Vance has got a long history of working with the city.''

Whizin died two years ago, and on Wednesday Moran kept his word. Not everyone was happy to see the landmark disappear.

``I had some people call me when word got out I was going to take it down,'' he said.

The 42-year-old letters are headed for the dump, Moran said.

Now the 50-shop Whizin's Center features two lower-level signs at its entrance. Those signs comply with city ordinances.

``Obviously there's a lot of nostalgia to it,'' Adams said. ``We think it's a good trade-off.''

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Photo

PHOTO (Color in Conejo Edition only) Steve Budnik lowers a piece of the 42-year-old Whizin's sign, which was dismantled above the longtime Agoura Hills center Wednesday.

Evan Yee/Daily News