August
• A spate of motorcycle accidents on the PCH where motorcycles have been riding between lanes in heavy traffic has created a pushback by many motorists. However, despite the fact that many law enforcement and auto drivers consider lane splitting, which is what it is called, to be dangerous, it was not illegal in the state of California. On Jan. 1 of this year, the practice of lane splitting was put on the books by AB-51, officially recognizing its legality. However, being legal and being smart are not always the same thing, which is one of the reason that motorcycle riders like to take off their mufflers so people will hear them coming.
• Two former female basketball players at Pepperdine University filed a lawsuit against the university alleging discrimination based on their sexual identity, which they claim led to harassment and ultimately loss of their scholarships. But a federal jury didn’t agree in this closely-watched case and found for the university.
• Three Malibu celebrities passed away this month. Tommy Hawkins, a longtime Malibu resident, a former All-American basketball player at Notre Dame and later the captain of the Lakers, and a generally all around Renaissance man—athlete, poet, writer, jazz expert, raconteur, master of ceremonies and former LA Dodger VP—passed away at 80. Glen Campbell, formerly a longtime Malibu resident, singer, songwriter and guitarist died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Campbell heroically continued to play and tour, almost to the end, at 81. David Torrence, 31, a Malibu Olympian, a record-setting runner, also passed in August. Torrence ran at Loyola High School and University of California at Berkeley, then the American-born athlete joined the Peruvian Olympic team, Peru being his mother Bianca Torrence’s country of birth.Â
