Fame Game

It was certainly a jock hop at the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion when 200 sports fans turned out to induct the second class into the Santa Barbara High School Hall of Fame, founded by David Bolton, president of the Dons athletics boost group, Ye Ole Gang, started in 1974.

“For decades, the school has produced so many outstanding individuals and so many outstanding achievements, even representing our nation in the Olympics,” says David. “Few high schools have enjoyed an equal athletics success. It is only fitting to have an officials Dons athletics hall of fame.”

The current roster includes 81 previous inductees with nine new members inducted last week – racketeers Eldon Ford and Lola Trenwith Georgi, baseball ace Bill Oakley Sr., football player Rodger Schmandt, coach Manuel “Lito” Garcia, basketballers Victor Bartolome and Jamaal Wilkes, soccer player Rudy Ybarra, and, for special achievement, photographer Dick Martin.

Among the athletic supporters celebrating the occasion were school principal John Becchio, athletics director Joe Chenoweth, Joby Nunez, Billy Brace, Peter Jordano, Sally Becker, Meredith Brace, Marth Grace, Mike Knapp, Bill Oliphant, Mo Masson, and Rachel Roesch.

China Syndrome

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry and former Montecito Union School student, supermodel Gigi Hadid, who were scheduled to participate in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in Shanghai this week, have been banned from China.

Visas for both beauties have been denied by Chinese officials, according to reports.

Former Dos Pueblos High student Katy was initially informed she’d be able to gain access, but the decision was apparently reversed after government officials caught wind of a controversial incident from 2015 when she donned a glittering gown decorated with sunflowers during a performance in Taipei, capital of Taiwan.

Her outfit wound up causing widespread outrage because the sunflower had been adopted the year before by anti-Chinese protesters.

Katy also waved a Taiwanese flag during her concert in a show of support for the country that has been butting heads with China for years overs its independence.

As for Gigi, along with other models, it is thought they’re banned due to various social media posts they made, which were apparently deemed offensive, particularly a February video in which she held up a biscuit shaped like Buddha and imitated the religious icon by squinting her eyes, which led to it being deleted after a storm of criticism.