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HSU President Rollin Richmond sent out this "Campus Budget Update" earlier today pinning the blame on "elected officials,"  questioning the wisdom of a cut in enrollment and basically begging for cooperation:

Colleagues and Students,

As we near the end of the fall semester, I want to update you about the campus budget situation.

Budget cuts on campus are going to continue, and they will become even more difficult in the next fiscal year. We are struggling along with every other public college and university in California. Education budgets were slashed this year as a result of the national financial crisis and, I would argue, a continuing failure by our elected officials to invest in our state's future.

I know you are all feeling the impact of budget reductions. All divisions have been affected and everyone feels the pain. Over the course of this semester, I have visited with people across campus and have heard about how they are being affected and about the harm that is being done. In nearly every case, concerns are centered on a loss of service or personal contact with students. They tell me of classes that are no longer available, of services they have a hard time accessing, of difficulties paying the increased fees. At other times, I have heard of the very personal challenges of dealing with a loss of income due to furloughs.

We are being forced to cut about $12.2 million, with over $10 million of this amount to be reduced from our base budget. The cut made to this year's budget would have been deeper if it had not been for furloughs, which reduced our expenditures by approximately $6.2 million. However, because we cannot plan on furloughs continuing, we will have to find ways to cut that amount from our base budget starting in AY 2010-2011. We also received $700,000 from the Chancellor's office to be used for classes in the spring and an additional $628,000 for reimbursement of overpaid CalPERS contributions. Along with the large student fee increases, these funds have helped mitigate our budget reductions. Following our overall approach of being as conservative as possible with our budget, the CalPERS funds will be held for the next academic year, both to build up a reserve and to preserve some funding to reduce the pain next fall. A similar approach last year has benefited us this year.

In order to deal with the magnitude of this base budget reduction, each of the divisions has been given a budget reduction amount and is currently engaged in planning for those reductions. Our focus in making budget reductions has been and will continue to be on minimizing the impact on our students, and ensuring that when California emerges from this recession HSU is better structured and positioned to flourish.

Our strategy for cutting the base budget for the coming fiscal year is based on the following assumptions. Employee furloughs will be discontinued at the end of the current fiscal year. Campuses are expected to achieve but not exceed their reduced enrollment targets. And finally, the Board of Trustees will request that the State provide the CSU funding totaling $766M which includes a buyout of a 10 percent student fee increase. This amount would restore the Governor's Compact as well as fund several other requests for necessary expenditures that support the long-term viability of the CSU.

We cannot count on one-time measures to sustain us into the future. Our plan for reductions will be founded on evaluating all operations and structures in the University. We will look hard at what we do and how we do it. We will consider what services, programs, and processes would be affected by the cuts. We will examine what the consequences would be of the proposed changes and how other campus units/customers would be affected while being mindful of the number of positions that would be affected.

We have already suspended or eliminated 25 campus committees with the hope that it would allow us more time to prioritize our time and resources. We are taking a number of steps to reduce next year's enrollment by 6 percent, which will reduce our revenue. This seems counterintuitive as a strategy for saving money; however, because state funding essentially subsidizes two-thirds of the cost of educating each student, enrollment reductions save much more than they cost us in lost fees.

These are very difficult times. Everyone involved in public higher education is affected. The challenge of dealing with these budget reductions has created some tensions and strong disagreements on campus. However, it is imperative that we work together, discuss openly these tough decisions and do our best for our students.

I remain very proud of the work we do and I continue to be inspired by our students. Humboldt is a place where we're able to make an important difference. As California works to recover, this campus, like all the campuses of the California State University system, will be a vital contributor to the state's future workforce.

Sincerely yours,

Rollin C. Richmond
President

 

NPR Does Arcata Pot Scene: You had your "Pot City: USA" -- now the dulcet-toned National Public Radio is set to do its piece on medical Mary J.

The story is set to air on the afternoon news magazine Small Things Considered tonight after 5 p.m.; here's some text to go along with it. NPR airs locally on public radio station KHSU, 90.5 FM.

marijuana.

Terrence McNally, de facto leader of Say Goodbye to the Arcata Eye (Boycott advertisers) -- SGttAE(Ba) for short -- has been ousted by the militant Jason Robo in a coup de Facebook . This is the worst thing to happen on Facebook since I forgot to water my Farmville crops.

We will not let this stand!

Pot School: From the NYTimes, a story about Med Grow Cannabis College in Southfield, Mich. where they teach the fine art of growing medical

Previously from Lara & Brian Cox - Arcata Theatre Lounge

Bounty Killer show cancelled:

In support of the community who have expressed great concerns over the message and lyrics of this performer, we will be canceling the Bounty Killer Nov. 28th show.
We have in the past shown our support for the gay community and anti violence with events such as the Benefit for Marriage Equality, the Multi-cultural Queer Film Fest and Veterans for Peace: Speak Out Film Fest and hope both the gay and straight community will consider this and show their support for future events.
In closing, we would like to mention that for future shows we will make more effort to research potential artists who may represent violence against others.

After being cancelled the show moved to Eureka:

Lion's Den Entertainment presents Bounty Killer in an exclusive North Coast appearance on Saturday November 28 at The Red Fox Tavern in Eureka.

Then following further intervention by Queer Humboldt, that show was cancelled too.

From this week's Hum:

If you were a rough and tough dancehall singer from Kingston born with the wimpy moniker, Rodney Basil Price, you'd probably think about changing your name. Thus we have Bounty Killer, a badass dude with a rep. For what? Well, he's known as a killer deejay (as in rapper) and for his collab with No Doubt in 2001. He's also known for his arrest record: a domestic violence beef in 2006, two arrests at JA's Reggae Sumfest, one over a fight and in 2008 for slackness: excess profanity on stage. He's also been the victim (if that's the right word) of the anti-gay-bashing blacklist. Outrage!, the British org, tried (and failed) to convince Scotland Yard to arrest him for inciting violence and harassment against the gay community through his lyrics. No arrest, but two of his shows over there were cancelled...

For a comprehensive, thoughtful history of anti-gay elements in Jamaican music check out the Murder inna Dancehall portion of the Soul Rebels website.

 

Fortuna.

5:36 p.m.: The fishing vessel Scomas radios the Coast Guard at the Humboldt Bay station to say it's sinking off Punta Gorda. The Coast Guard launches a rescue boat and a helicopter.

6:20 p.m.: The helicopter arrives to find that the fishing vessel Midori is towing the waterlogged Scomas out of shallow water.

2:04 a.m.: After much pumping (requiring delivery of more pumps by heli) with help from the good crew of the Midori and the C.G rescuers, and a long tow through the dark night, the Scomas is safely moored at Woodley Island.

Read the exciting blow-by-blow report after the jump:

DATE: November 25, 2009 14:09:48 PST
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Document Number: 2702
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Coast Guard responds to a sinking fishing vessel
United States Coast Guard     Eleventh Coast Guard DistrictEleventh Coast Guard District logo
NEWS RELEASE     


Coast Guard responds to a sinking vessel

 

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. - U.S. Coast Guard Group Humboldt Bay received a report that a fishing vessel was sinking rapidly off of Punta Gorda, Calif. Tuesday evening.

The Coast Guard received a radio call from the fishing vessel Scomas at 5:36 p.m., saying that they were taking on water and sinking.

The Coast Guard launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Humboldt Bay and an MH-65C helicopter from Air Station Humboldt Bay.  The helicopter arrived on scene at 6:20 p.m., to find that the Scomas was being towed from shallow water by a Good Samaritan vessel, the fishing vessel Midori.  The two fishermen aboard the Scomas were unable to maintain radio communications with the Coast Guard.  However, the Midori was able to relay the position of the two vessels and keep the Coast Guard informed of the situation.

"The crew of the Midori is the real hero of last night," said Lt.j.g. Todd Vorenkamp, the co-pilot on the helicopter, "They took the Scomas under tow and got them into deeper water, possibly saving the lives of two men.  As a sailboat owner, it is great to know that there are boats like the Midori out there watching out for others."

The helicopter lowered its Rescue Swimmer, Petty Officer 1st Class James Force, to the deck of the Scomas and, once Force was safely on board, the helicopter lowered a portable dewatering pump to the Scomas where he assisted the crew in unpacking the pump and beginning the dewatering.

Force radioed the helicopter and told them that another pump may be needed.  The 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Humboldt Bay was less than 20 minutes away and was carrying two pumps.  The aircraft returned to Arcata Airport to refuel and load an additional dewatering pump.

At 7:20 p.m., the motor lifeboat arrived on scene and relieved the fishing vessel Midori of the tow.

The helicopter returned to the scene at 8:20 p.m., with the intention of retrieving the rescue swimmer.  Force said that although the flooding was stabilized, he did not feel comfortable leaving the crew of two to continue to stem the flooding while the vessel was being towed by the motor lifeboat.

The aircraft returned to Arcata Airport while the motor lifeboat continued towing the Scomas to Humboldt Bay.  The Scomas was successfully moored at Woodley Island Marina at 2:04 a.m. and the crew of the 47-foot motor lifeboat returned to Station Humboldt Bay.

###

After being shot last night, Hoopa resident Nolan Eugene Colegrove, 27, managed to seek help at an Orleans home where medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital, according to a Sheriff's Department press release. Colegrove is in stable condition.

At 10:15 last night, Humboldt County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a call from a residence on Red Cap Road, where they found Colegrove lying shot in front of the house, the release states. The deputies learned that Colegrove and a companion were walking on Red Cap Road when a black, full-size Chevrolet pickup truck approached and suddenly stopped, then fired multiple shots, striking Colegrove.

The release states rather enigmatically that, "Investigators are not releasing how many times Colegrove was struck or where on his body he was wounded."

Anyone with information is asked to call Sheriff's Detective Troy Garey at 268-3643.

UPDATE: As Robo-noted below, the Facebook movement is up to 43 members and counting!

As one marijuana grow-hard drags Arcata Eye Editor Kevin Hoover into court , another has taken to the 'Net in an effort to shut down the "propaganda rag," which any self-respecting member of "our local culture" will tell you is merely a mouthpiece for the slanted ravings of a government snitch. (Hoover, a serial trespasser, single-handedly brought in cable news giant A&E to uncover our secret, underground economy.)

A Mr. Jason Robo, who previously had his freedoms threatened by the illegitimate slave masters (and some fellow students) at HSU, is now inviting righteous citizens to "Join the Resistance" against the "canna-nazi" [?] periodical. His plan is to distribute informational fliers and institute a boycott of businesses that advertise in the Eye , thereby purging this scourge from our midst and clearing the way for amateur electricians across the city to make their livings in peace.

So far, Robo has enlisted four soldiers in his war, counting himself. There's Robo, this guy,

who goes by the name Tommy Smiley, and two others: Eye photographer/contributor/Advertising Manager Terrence McNally and Hoover himself. Power to the people, y'all.

Adopt a redwood seedling?: State of the forest industry piece in the Press Demo centers on Redwood Forest Foundation's efforts to find homes for orphaned baby redwoods growing in greenhouses near