People and Events

Civil rights attorney Stephen Yagman, often described as “controversial,” is not famous for reticence to criticize. He was not exactly quiet during his well-publicized legal brawl with Chief U.S. District Judge Manuel Real.

Yagman is not talking, however, about the federal court suit he has filed against a couple of Santa Monica cops and city officials, alleging that his civil rights were violated when he was arrested while walking across Main Street on May 17.

The arrest came, the suit said, after he refused to show policeman Aurelio Torrez a driver’s license or other identification card bearing his photograph. Yagman said he told the officer he was not legally required to provide a picture. He said that he identified himself with a credit card and that two other pedestrians told Torrez who he was.

But Torrez insisted it was Santa Monica city policy, the suit said, and arrested Yagman with the help of another officer. The police allegedly “used excessive force on the plaintiff, who was suffering from a fractured thumb at the time.”

The city policy is “unconstitutional and illegal,” Yagman’s suit claimed. He is seeking $10 million.

Like Yagman himself, Santa Monica police were not chatty about the matter. Sgt. Barney Malekian would only confirm that Yagman was arrested “for providing false information during a routine traffic stop.”

Malekian said the lawyer was also booked in connection with “an outstanding traffic warrant from Santa Barbara County.”

Jan Scruggs, here from Maryland on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, also ran into some trouble in Santa Monica.

It’s not that trouble is a stranger to Scruggs. He survived a year of combat in Vietnam, which left some shrapnel in him. As founder and president of the association that built and maintains the memorial, he has been through some tough campaigning.

He was in Santa Monica to do some fund raising a couple of nights ago and stepped into a bar for a beer. Scruggs said a fight broke out and he tried to play peacemaker, grabbing one of the combatants while other patrons seized the opponent.

“That was just fine,” he said, “but the others turned loose their guy while I was still holding onto mine and--wham!--he kicks me in the face.”

With an ugly cheek bruise, he said, “Never again for Santa Monica. I didn’t know it was such a rough town.”

There was some excitement, too, in Pasadena, where Vivian (Rappin’ Granny) Smallwood was named “Little Old Lady From Pasadena” and will go to Honolulu for November’s national “Granny of the Year” finals, sponsored by a Japanese car company.

Rappin’ Granny is not from Pasadena, but Inglewood.

Nevertheless, she beat out nine other contestants at the Plaza Pasadena Shopping Mall on Tuesday. The judging followed a motorcade of classic cars along Colorado Boulevard, where the winner will ride in the Tournament of Roses Parade next New Year’s Day.

Contest officials could only say she is “over 50” and is a U.S. Postal Service employee. She got her start as a singer in Cleveland when she was 8 years old and has sung in or directed gospel choirs for a long time. She and her son do an anti-drug rap act for youth groups and schools.

Among the also-rans: a 74-year-old aerobics instructor from Visalia, a Simi Valley drag boat racer who recently crashed going 125 m.p.h. and an 88-year-old San Bernardino grandmother who goes dancing every afternoon.

It was remarkable enough, thought Cardriner Bowden, administrative dean of Narbonne High School in Harbor City, that one of the seniors graduating today went three years without missing a day of classes.

Then Bowden learned that Nancy Hayashibara, 18, had a perfect attendance record throughout elementary school and junior high school.

“She’s a cute little squirt, too,” said Bowden, who admitted that she doesn’t really know Hayashibara because teachers only send her their problem cases. “She’s had no problems, so I never got to meet her.”

Hayashibara is no mere bookworm. She was the cartoonist for the Narbonne school paper and plays piano and tennis. She is planning to study journalism and art at Cal State Long Beach.

Her explanation to a friend: “I only get sick in the summer.”

It was noted in The Times on Tuesday that Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner’s county-issued car was stolen a year ago outside Spago “as Reiner, his wife, two children and Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne were dining at the West Hollywood restaurant.”

Lest anyone think the D.A. was dining out with one too many ladies, let it be recorded that Mrs. Reiner and Judge Wayne are one and the same.