Downstroke

Dedicated—and a dedication
Thirty-four years ago, women were granted the freedom of choice. With the anniversary of Roe v. Wade on Monday (Jan. 22), Women’s Health Specialists —founded just two years after the legalization of abortion—held an open house to celebrate that freedom. Legislators are “trying to chip away at it bit by bit,” said Kimberly Robinson, clinic manager.

In addition to the open house on Tuesday (Jan. 23), the clinic—one of two that perform abortions in Chico—dedicated its conference room to one of its founders, Dido Hasper. It is now the Dido Hasper Activist Room and will be open to any activist group that needs a space to meet.

The Roe v. Wade anniversary may be over, but “we’re always fighting for women’s rights,” Robinson said, “it’s not just once a year.”

Faculty ready to strike?
Education professor Ann Schulte (pictured in the foreground) was among a group of about 30 Chico State University faculty members who manned an informational picket line on campus Monday (Jan. 22) to call attention to stalled contract negotiations. Noting that CSU system negotiators were at that moment meeting in Long Beach to consider whether to give presidents a 4 percent raise, after having given them a 19 percent hike just four months ago, the demonstrators said they were prepared to strike if administrators didn’t cease what a press release called “wasteful and abusive practices.”

The raises were in fact approved, giving President Paul Zingg and five other Chico State administrators that 4 percent bump, retroactive to July 1.

Pointing out that the governor’s budget would hike student fees another 10 percent (for a total increase of 76 percent since 2002), the teachers said they were irate over “misplaced budget priorities and executives’ princely perks.”

Go Aggies!
A third high school may sprout up in Chico this year—but not the one discussed during the 2006 school board campaign. George Washington Carver High would be a public charter school with a college-prep curriculum under the plan proponents submitted to the Chico Unified School District on Monday (Jan. 22).

Chico voters in 1998 approved a bond measure for a third high school, but CUSD has not decided how—or even if—it wants to build one.

The thrill of destruction
Three Chico youths went on a rampage last Thursday night (Jan. 18), causing an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 worth of damage when they vandalized the bathrooms and tennis courts at Community Park. Police have identified all three.

“Vandalism is a district-wide problem,” said Jake Preston, Chico Area Recreation District’s assistant superintendent of parks and facilities. “Typically we don’t catch them, and the repairs come out of our budget, but we will try to get restitution in this case.”