Taking flight
A rocky performance
Santa Barbara Audubon Society announces Zoom programming for rest of year - B1
Westmont men’s soccer loses to Rocky Mountain - B4
Our 166th Year
75¢
W E DN E SDAY, S E P T E M BE R 8 , 2 021
SB football legend Sam Cunningham dies at 71 By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Sam “Bam” Cunningham, the renowned football star of Santa Barbara High School who went on to have a legendary college and professional career, died Tuesday at the age of 71 in Inglewood. Mr. Cunningham was born in Santa Barbara in 1950. After graduating from Santa Barbara High School, Mr. Cunningham went on to be a 3-year letterman at USC and earned AllAmerican first-team honors in 1972. He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. While Mr. Cunningham was highly regarded for his ability on the field, he
is best known for leading an integrated Trojan team to victory against Alabama in Birmingham, acting as a catalyst for integrated college football in the South. On Tuesday, former Alabama and NFL player Mark McMillan paid tribute to Mr. Cunningham in a statement on Twitter, thanking him for “opening the door for players like myself to play in the south and Alabama.” “Every time I stepped onto Legion Field, it was a blessing knowing you changed college football in that same stadium,” he added. After college, Mr. Cunningham was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft, beginning a nine-year professional career. During his time with the Patriots, he became the franchise’s all-time
leading rusher and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team in 1978. The Santa Barbara native also earned honors locally, earning his spot in the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame in 1985. Over the years, he returned to Santa Barbara High to cheer on siblings and family members, who also made a name for themselves competing in football and track. In July, Santa Barbara High unveiled its newly renovated Peabody Stadium, naming the track “Cunningham Track” in honor of Sam and his brothers — Randall, Anthony and Bruce. During an interview with the NewsPress years ago, Mr. Cunningham spoke fondly of Santa Barbara and reflected on Please see CUNNINGHAM on A4
Sam “Bam” Cunningham, the legendary football star from Santa Barbara, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. He died Tuesday at the age of 71.
THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION
Westmont speeds toward accelerated nursing program
Labor Day brings booming business to local restaurants
Downtown building renovated for classes
By MADISON HIRNEISEN
By ANNELISE HANSHAW
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Tourists and locals alike relished the last of summer’s waning days this Labor Day Weekend by flocking to businesses and restaurants across Santa Barbara, driving up revenue for small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. The last 18 months have no doubt been difficult for local business owners in the region. Between pandemic-induced shutdowns, mandates and shifting precautions, many businesses felt the impact of the pandemic through revenue gaps and employee layoffs. The pandemic was particularly hard for the local restaurant industry, which faced long periods serving customers through takeout only during the height of the pandemic. But as precautions have slowly lifted in the region, restaurants are once again filled with in-person patrons in Santa Barbara, aiding the recovery of the battered industry. This economic recovery, which began for many restaurant owners early in the summer, was further propelled this Labor Day Weekend as some businesses saw a return to pre-pandemic revenues for the first time in months. Miguel Flores, the general manager of the Moby Dick restaurant on Stearn’s Wharf, said the Labor Day holiday was the busiest weekend the restaurant
The vitals look good for Westmont College’s upcoming Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which is expected to launch in January. The program, run in partnership with Cottage Health received unanimous approval, during its feasibility study and had a successful site visit in late August. Dr. Carol Velas, the program’s founding director, expects the California Board of Registered Nursing to give its full approval. This will be the second program she has helped build. The budding nurses will be trained at Westmont’s downtown location at 26 Anapamu Street. The college purchased the four-story building in December 2020 after $10 million contributed by donors. One such contributor is Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, founder of Ridley-Tree Cancer Center at Sansum Clinic with Cottage Health. Since then, the first and second floors have gotten a makeover, and top-of-the-line hospital beds line the freshly painted walls of the simulation labs. But a lot more prepwork has gone into the program than what is visible on Anapamu. Dr. Velas is working with project manager Steve Fellows, who served as Cottage Health’s executive vice president and chief operating officer for years. She wrote the curriculum with Westmont’s Christian perspective at heart. She is also looking for Christian faculty. Faith has been important to Dr. Velas’ career as a nurse and educator. She worked at an adventist hospital for many years and felt at ease praying with patients. Intake forms ask for religious beliefs, so she incorporates faith in care for those who identify preferences. “When we had sick babies in our nursery, there were probably 10 of us that would hold hands and pray over babies,” she told the News-Press. “And as we’re praying so hard over babies, the air changes, and you feel kind of energy passing between you. It’s really a phenomenal feeling that you get.”
ANNELISE HANSHAW / NEWS-PRESS
Dr. Carol Velas looks at simulation model “Mark” at Westmont’s new accelerated nursing facility, located at 26 Anapamu Street in downtown Santa Barbara.
Nursing is an emotionally tolling profession, so it feels nice to pray, she said. She thinks that engaging religious beliefs will help better prepare graduates for hard times ahead. “As healthcare providers, we have to be ready for (disaster), and we have to understand
FOLLOW US ON
how to get each other through,” she said. “Unfortunately, when COVID hit, I think nobody was prepared for what happened. There weren’t enough people out there to help.” She sees a need for nurses and is glad to be part of the solution. “We’ve all become acutely
66833 00050
3
aware of the critical need for nurses,” Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe said in a news release. “It’s not just a skilled practice, it’s a courageous one. We seek to graduate highly sought-after nurses who’ve benefited from the breadth of Please see NURSING on A4
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
Joe’s Cafe was busy this Labor Day Weekend, with locals and tourists alike flocking to State Street to toast the “unofficial” end of Summer.
LOTTERY
i n s i de Classified.............. b4 Life..................... b1-2 Obituaries............. a4
6
has seen this year thus far. The restaurant is a favorite among tourists, Mr. Flores said, many of whom flock to the Wharf to enjoy the restaurant’s variety of seafood dishes. When pandemic restrictions largely barred recreational travel, Mr. Flores said his restaurant faced hardships from the lack of tourists but was able to survive. The busyness of the holiday weekend gave him hope that things will continue to improve in the future. “We were super busy since Friday afternoon, and busy all day Saturday and Sunday,” Mr. Flores told the News-Press. “The customers that we had, a lot were from out of town I want to say. This was the busiest weekend for the whole year and we had the most sales. It was busier than the Fourth of July.” Restaurants on State Street experienced similar success over the weekend, with tourists and locals celebrating the “unofficial” end of summer with dinner and drinks out on the town. At the iconic Joe’s Cafe on State Street, locals from Santa Barbara and tourists from Los Angeles packed the restaurant’s indoor and outdoor dining spaces throughout the long weekend. According to Joey Sommerville, the general manager of the cafe, the restaurant saw big success over the holiday, reaching prepandemic levels with service and Please see RESTAURANTS on A4
Sudoku................. b3 Sports ................... B4 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 9-11-23-30-43 Mega: 5
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 8-8-3-5
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 15-17-25-32-53 Mega: 12
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 8-12-17-26-34
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 06-04-05 Time: 1:43.13
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 32-35-40-52-54 Meganumber: 1
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 5-9-4 / Midday 9-8-8