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Promenade gets an A-plus Many Santa Barbara residents enjoy the new flavor of State Street
SB boy receives welcomed surprise Local 2-year-old to finally receive kidney transplant delayed by COVID-19 By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
People enjoy a meal on State Street as rollerbladers cruise by Friday afternoon.
By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Rollerbladers, skateboarders and bicyclists whiz past on the open road, jamming to music from a speaker. Dogs of all shapes and sizes tug on their leashes with excitement. Residents sip on drinks under strings of lights as the sun sets. Restaurant employees delight at the ability to serve eager customers once again. Ever since the city sealed off traffic, many Santa Barbara residents have flocked to the new State Street promenade. Suffering a heavy blow from the COVID-19 lockdown, many popular restaurants, bars and shops could finally open their doors back up again, with a few adjustments that actually made many customers happier. To maintain social distancing, businesses on State Street moved tables and chairs outside, creating a lively promenade bustling with activity. Although this change was an effort to lessen COVID-19 risk, some residents and service employees say they want it to stay this way. While the majority of visitors wear masks, some don’t. Chris Conte and Rose LeDonne enjoyed some ice cream as they sauntered down State Street,
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RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
2-year-old Hudson Nash, a Santa Barbara boy who has severe and irreversible kidney damage, had to have his kidney transplant delayed because of COVID-19 restrictions, but is now scheduled to have the operation on July 7. He is pictured here in the arms of his mother Jamie Nash.
the first of which he is scheduled to receive next month. Donated kidneys function for an average of 15 to 20 years. Ms. Nash told the News-Press that the transplant getting delayed in April was a very emotional turn of events and was surprised that such a serious operation was considered elective. “It was surprising and very overwhelming,” she said. Through the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, Hudson’s family is raising money for the operation and the other expensive medical treatments he will have to undergo throughout his life. COTA helps families set fundraising goals for their children who need organ transplants after taking into Please see KIDNEY on A3
Groups of rollerbladers coast down State Street, taking advantage of the blocked off traffic.
admiring the buzz. “I think it should always stay closed. This is great,” Mr. Conte said. “You don’t have to worry about cars, and you can walk up and down. It’s wide open.” Ms. LeDonne concurred. “I love it,” she said. “I think it encourages you to stroll up and down. It’s more relaxed and you feel safer.” Deborah Bahre, the assistant manager of Joe’s Cafe at 536 State St., said she thinks the homeless population has gone down by “probably 75%.” “Customers love it,” she said.
The road blocks allow people to stroll down the center of State Street and maintain a good distance from one another.
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The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily put a moratorium on elective surgeries, a category that surprisingly included a critical kidney transplant for a baby boy from Santa Barbara. Hudson Nash, who turns 2 years old in August, was originally scheduled to receive a new kidney on April 21, but the designation of transplants as “elective” surgeries meant the procedure had to be delayed. This left his parents Jamie and Andrew Nash worried, as their son undergoing dialysis became an increasing possibility. However, as lifted restrictions now allow for elective surgeries to go forward, Hudson is scheduled to have his procedure on July 7. In an interview with the News-Press, Ms. Nash said the transplant going forth is “very much a relief” for her and her family. Ms. and Mr. Nash knew that Hudson would have kidney issues before he was born. While Ms. Nash was pregnant with Hudson, he was prenatally diagnosed with kidney damage due to a lockage to his urethra. His parents were hopeful that the damage wouldn’t be too bad and that he would be able to live a normal life with one kidney, but when Hudson was born on Aug. 7, 2018, it was so severe that he only had between 10 to 15% use of both kidneys. The damage is irreversible. Keeping Hudson alive with chronic kidney disease requires him taking eight medicines three times per day, getting daily shots, monthly blood draws, and many doctor visits. It will also require Hudson getting a few kidney transplants throughout his life,
“This allows us to make up for the time we’ve been closed. We have to hire additional staff, which creates more jobs. It’s really nice.” Joe’s Cafe was one of many that expanded their seating area to the street. According to Ms. Bahre, having outdoor seating is “huge” for business. “I think they should keep (State Street) closed so that in the long run, all these businesses can survive,” said Alfredo Arroyo, a bartender at Joe’s. “I think it’s good for everyone. It’s good for the community; it’s good for the whole city.” The booming business resulting in long lines and squeezing in between tables could potentially increase close proximity interactions, thereby increasing the COVID-19 risk. The county reported 67 COVID-19 cases Friday. However, those wandering on the street don’t seem overly concerned. “I think at the beginning, there was a lot of trying to figure things out and follow the rules and regulations, but this has been a big saving grace for a lot of the businesses on State Street,” said Justin Fitzgerald, the manager of The Cruisery, a brewery at 501 State St. “I would say we’re basically as busy as before, if not busier because of the street closing.” He said he believes the 500 block should “definitely” stay
as a promenade, adding that he doesn’t see the benefit of people driving up and down anyway since “there’s no window shopping and no one’s doing the whole cruising that they used to do.” “At least 80% of the people that I talk to that walk by, whether they eat here or not, are like, ‘This should stay. This needs to be the new norm,’” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “I think the general consensus feels that way.” email: gmccormick@newspress.com
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
The February 2020 California Bar Exam pass rate was 17% for firsttime takers at the Santa Barbara College of Law.
Local law school addresses February bar exam scores SB and Ventura Colleges of Law posts 22% first-time pass rate By PAUL GONZALEZ NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Residents roll through State Street using all kinds of transportation methods: skateboarding, biking and rollerblading. Once travellers hit the 500 block, they are required to dismount so they don’t run into tables or diners.
Ten graduates from the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law passed the historically difficult February 2020 California Bar Exam to become licensed attorneys. The February bar exam was one of the toughest in state history. Only 26.8% of 4,205 applicants passed, the second-lowest pass rate since the February 1982 exam, according to law industry news website Above The Law. The Colleges of Law have campuses at 20 E. Victoria St. in Santa Barbara and 4475 Market St. in Ventura. According to statistics provided by school president Dr. Matthew Nehmer, eight of the ten
graduates who passed from the two campuses were first-time bar takers. Dr. Nehmer said the February bar pass rate was 17% for firsttime takers at the Santa Barbara campus and 31% for first-timers at the Ventura campus. “The school’s collective first-time pass rate of 22% outpaced the California Accredited Law Schools average of 17%. The (American Bar Association) schools posted a 42% first-time average, also a decline from 2019,” Dr. Nehmer said in a report on the school’s bar exam results. The school’s overall pass rate, including first-time and repeat takers across the two campuses, was 17%. Please see bar on A10
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Comics................. A8 Local............... A 2-10 Obituaries........... A10
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Soduku................. A7 Weather.............. A10
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