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FRIDAY APRIL 15, 2011 Breaking news at: Deadly Game ‘Game of Thrones’ Select TV www.redbluffdailynews.com See Inside RED BLUFF A Farewell to Kings? SPORTS 1B cloudy Weather forecast 10A Mostly 68/50 By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Superintendent Dan Curry will not be returning to the Red Bluff Union High School Dis- trict next school year. The school board accepted Curry’s resignation at its regu- lar meeting Wednesday. Curry is leaving on amicable terms, and the board respects his decision, board member Barbara McIver said. Curry was not available for DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Red Bluff High superintendent resigns comment Thursday. Curry has declined to give an exact reason for his resignation but said a number of personal and professional factors are involved in his choice to resign, according to Red Bluff High’s student newspaper, The Bluffer. He plans to continue working in school administration. Despite being urged to move forward in picking a new super- intendent, the board has decid- ed to not immediately fill the position, McIver said. The ‘There’s no feeling of a crisis on campus right now. We feel we can carry on and we have time to do this well’ School Board member Barbara McIver board is being very deliberate in analyzing the needs of the dis- trict at this time and has chosen to act carefully rather than quickly. “There’s no feeling of a cri- sis on campus right now,” McIver said. “We feel we can carry on and we have time to do this well.” Several recommendations were given on how to fill the position, including a suggestion to combine the roles of the prin- cipal and superintendent. A call to Principal Patrick Gleason was not returned by Thursday evening. During Wednesday’s meet- ing, Associate Principal John Burch expressed an interest in filling the role, McIver said. Burch did not return a call seeking comments on the board See RBUHS, page 9A Clean Man hurt when car sweep leaps airport fence By JULIE ZEEB Sheriff hauls off homeless encampment from East Slough Photo courtesy of Sheriff’s Department Tehama County Sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Bachmeyer organized a work crew to clean up homeless encampments in the slough area off the Sacramento River. Sheriff Dave Hencratt ordered the clean- up after receiving complaints about the mess.The property, on city of Red Bluff land, is a popular site for transient camps, especially during summer months. Durango RV Park funded part of the landfill fees associated with the operation, Hencratt said. More than two tons of garbage and debris were hauled out of the area Tuesday. Educators warn of dire budget consequences SACRAMENTO (AP) — Education officials warned lawmakers Thurs- day that a shorter school year, larger class sizes and teacher layoffs are ahead if the Legislature resorts to an all-cuts budget to finish closing a deficit that once stood at nearly $27 billion. The comments came during a Democratic-led legislative hearing about the impact on K-12 edu- cation if Republicans keep blocking Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to close the remaining $15.4 bil- lion budget gap by extending tax increases that are about to expire. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said 10 percent of the state’s roughly 1,000 school districts are in financial trouble. Cut- ting as much as 15 percent more from their budgets is “unthinkable,” he said. Many school adminis- trators based their budgets on the assumption that the state would cut $2 billion from education funding. An all-cuts budget would require additional slash- ing of as much as $5 bil- lion, Torlakson said. Meanwhile, 20,000 pink slips have gone out to teachers in the state. Republican Sen. Bob Huff of Diamond Bar, who serves as vice chair of the Senate budget com- mittee, suggested that teachers should stop receiving pay increases and accept a 5 percent pay cut as a way to protect students from budget cuts. “Why do we punish the kids,” Huff said. Steven Ladd, superin- tendent of Elk Grove Uni- fied School District south of Sacramento, told law- makers his teachers have already accepted $20 mil- lion in concessions for the year. Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Michael Hanson stressed that his district has few options after spending was reduced by $1,000 per student in the past three years. He noted that the administration has cut health benefits for employees, and the dis- trict has used up one-time federal stimulus money. Brown, meanwhile, took his tax extension 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See BUDGET, page 9A DN Staff Writer A 20-year-old Red Bluff man was injured Thursday in an early morning crash that launched him into the air after he ran off the road while speeding through an intersection west of Red Bluff. Benjamin Simpson was taken to St. Elizabeth Com- munity Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, said See FENCE, page 9A Supe’s back plan to keep pot from forests By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Tehama County Super- visors sent a letter recent- ly urging the U.S. Forest Service to implement per- mit requirements and checkpoints that would hinder potential illegal marijuana grows in National Forest lands. Supervisor Bob Williams encouraged approval at the April 5 board meeting to send the letter to the Mendocino National Forest supervi- sor in Willows. Williams described a November meeting in Ukiah, which he, Supervi- sor Ron Warner and then Supervisor-elect Dennis Garton attended. The meeting addressed how to decrease the amount of illegal growing in the forests, Williams said. Pipes and irrigation are a primary factor. They can’t grow with- out irrigation and they can’t irrigate without pipes, Williams said. The amount of pipes taken in See POT, page 9A Long-time champion of rodeo honored By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer Red Bluff rancher Bob Kerstiens, Sr., was hon- ored with the President’s Award in front of hun- dreds Saturday at a dinner held by the Round-Up Association. “I was very surprised,” Kerstiens said. “Past Pres- ident Frank Moore pre- sented me with the buck- le. I just choked up and couldn’t say anything.” Kerstiens is a long- time shareholder of the Red Bluff Round-Up Association who has served as a race horse judge for more than 30 years, said President Dave Ramelli. “It’s a very prestigious award and it’s not given out every year,” Ramelli said. “its given on a need- to type basis to someone who has promoted and helped the Round-Up over the years.” Kerstiens has done a good job supporting the association as a race horse judge and was helpful during his years on the Tehama District Fair- board, Ramelli said. Ker- stiens served as president on the fairboard at least six times and his son, Bob Kerstiens, Jr., is now pres- ident. “Bob is a long-time supporter and share-hold- er,” Ramelli said. “He was also one of the people that was very instrumental in getting the Round-Up serving in the Army dur- ing World War II. “We’ve got really good directors leading the asso- ciation,” Kerstiens said. “Especially President Dave Ramelli, Past Presi- dent Frank Moore and directors Harry and Mike Dudley.” Kerstiens said he would especially like to thank Ramelli, Moore and the Dudleys for the award, saying they are the “prime movers of the Red Bluff rodeo”. “I’ve been a strong supporter of the Red Bluff Round-Up even back to when I was chief ranger for the California Depart- ment of Forestry,” Ker- stiens said. “I’ve had the opportunity, especially as president of the fairboard, to work very close with them. They’re a fine group of people.” The association is made up of all volunteers, which is what he admires about them, Kerstiens said. “They’re not there for Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Long-time Red Bluff Round-Up supporter Bob Kerstiens, Sr., was honored by the Round-Up Association Saturday with the President’s Award. Kerstiens is pictured here with his award — a belt buckle — on his Trinity Avenue ranch in Red Bluff. Museum built on the fair- ground.” Kerstiens said he has been coming to the Round-Up every year since he attended Red Bluff High School, except for four years he spent the money, but to carry on a fine tradition,” Kerstiens said. “I think we’re on the final frontier and as rangelands are broken up you won’t see many more events like this. I hope the community comes out to enjoy it.” ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews .com.