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Protesters at the Universi- ty of California, Santa Cruz surrounded the car while its uninjured driver was inside. Earlier, demonstrators blocked campus gates. University provost David Kliger said there were reports of protesters carrying clubs and knives, but Santa Cruz police Capt. Steve Clark could not confirm those reports. No arrests had been made. An advisory posted on the school Web site urged people to avoid the campus because of safety concerns. At the University of Cali- fornia, Berkeley, a small group of protesters formed a human chain blocking a main gate to the campus. Later in the day, hundreds gathered for a peaceful rally. ''We're one of the largest economies in the world, and we can't fund the basics,'' high school teacher. ''We're throwing away a generation of students by defunding education.'' Organizers said hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and parents were expected to participate in the nationwide demonstrations. Some university officials said they supported the protests as long as they remained peaceful. ''My heart and my sup- port are with everybody and anybody who wants to stand up for public education,'' University of California President Mark Yudof said in a statement. ''Public edu- cation drives a society's abil- ity to progress and to pros- per.'' The steep economic downturn has forced states to slash funding to K-12 schools, community col- leges and universities to cope with plummeting tax revenue. Experts said schools and colleges could face more vented widespread layoffs and classroom cuts. In Wisconsin, more than 25,000 students have been put on a waiting list after the state's premier financial aid program ran out of money because of increased demand. At the University of Illi- nois, about 200 professors, instructors and graduate fac- ulty marched through cam- pus carrying signs that read ''Defend Public Education'' and ''Furlough Legislators'' — a reference to recent fur- loughs and 4 percent pay cuts imposed on thousands of university employees. The state is $487 million behind on payments to the University of Illinois, while state government has a bud- get deficit of $13 billion. At the University of Texas at Austin, about 100 students and staff rallied on campus to protest a 5.4 per- cent hike in tuition and fees approved by regents a day earlier. Protesters com- plained the quality of educa- tion was taking a backseat to the university's bottom line. Officials said the tuition hikes, which include another 3.89 percent jump for the fall of 2011, are necessary to avoid cuts in the face of declining endowment pay- outs and an anticipated cut in state aid. In Alabama, Broderick Thomas, a 23-year-old Auburn senior, attended an annual higher education rally in Montgomery and said he feels ''it's the moral duty of the state to give back what they promised.'' However, the chairman of the state Senate education budget committee, Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, curbed the enthusiasm, say- ing it would be hard to find additional funds for higher education this year. ''I wish we could give all the money higher education needs,'' Sanders said, as some in the crowd groaned. ''We're having to cut up to $460 million out of the bud- get the governor recom- mended.'' Students, teachers, par- ents and school employees from across California gath- ered in Sacramento for a midday rally at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to restore funding to public schools. Linda Wall, a state Department of Mental Health employee, said she had two children attending Sacramento State Universi- ty. Hikes in student fees and mandatory furloughs for state workers have strained her budget. ''Their tuition has taken a big chunk of my paycheck and my paycheck is shrink- ing, so it's a double wham- my,'' Wall said. Friday, March 5, 2010 – Daily News – 9A Dr. Andrew Pomazal D.O.D.C. Physician & Surgeon General Medicine • High Blood Pressure • Diabetes • Joint & Muscle Pain • Lung Problems Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Service Family owned to provide you the best service & pricing in the area. It's what you can expect from family. Death Notice Benjamin Terrence Kluga Benjamin Terrence Kluga died Wednesday, March 3, 2010, at his res- idence in Los Molinos. He was 86. Services at the North- ern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo are pend- ing. Red Bluff Simple Cremations & Burial Ser- vice is handling the arrangements. Published Friday, March 5, 2010, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. agencies to appoint a rep- resentative to the commit- tee if the agency would like to participate. They are the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Com- merce, Tehama Economic Development Corpora- tion, Tehama County Farm Bureau, County Board of Supervisors, City Parks and Recreation Commission, Shasta Community College Dis- trict, Sacramento River Discovery Center and Paskenta Band of Nomla- ki Indians. Anyone interested in applying to be the at large member, can call Deputy City Clerk Cheryl Smith at 527-2605, Ext. 3057. To be eligible, appli- cants must be Red Bluff residents and registered voters. The deadline is 5 p.m., March 26. The council will make the final appointment. The term is for one year with possible reappointment. — Staff report Continued from page 1A LAKE and event organizer Steve Piffero said the public needs to be aware of what is happening to education in California. A message needs to be sent to Legislature that it can't keep taking away from education. "If we don't get them to stop there will be more layoffs," Piffero said. "Everybody in education will get hit." Jackson Heights kindergarten teacher Debbie McCaughey said teachers are not asking for the money for themselves. The money is for the children. They are the one's that are important. "Our children need the money," she said. "They need this money to be educated. Without the education there is no basis and without the basis, what are they going to rise to." Red Bluff High science teacher Tania Litwiler created a poster that said, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." Every day, she points out to her students that more money is spent on maintaining the prison system than on education. If the money was invested in education, most prison cells would be empty. "We need to educate students so that they can avoid prison," Litwiler said. "Education gives you hope." Litwiler said at one point there were nearly 200 participants in the rally. Among the participants was Red Bluff High junior Tyler Phillips, who said he is concerned about los- ing teachers who work hard and deserve their jobs. The cuts go deep- er than affecting teachers. They hurt students, too. "They're the ones who teach us and get us ready for life," Phillips said. "If we don't have them we won't be prepared." The local rally was organized in conjunction will hundreds of other statewide rallies as part of the CTA's Stand Up for Schools campaign to bring awareness to the education budget cuts. In keeping with the public aware- ness part of the campaign, 400 flyers were passed out to parents at Red Bluff High Thursday morning prior to the afternoon rally, Piffero said. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527- 2153, Ext. 110 or by e-mail at tlor@redbluffdailynews.com. Continued from page 1A CUTS 1979 and was named PAC-10 Championship shot-putter in 1980 for putting the fourth farthest shot in the world. With his record-break- ing statistics, Stover was able to compete at the 1980 Olympic trials, but due to the U.S. boycott of the games he was unable to compete at the Olympic level. Stover said he then decided to try for a profes- sional football team, try- ing out for the 49ers. "I thought, 'what do I have to lose?'" Stover said. "When I'm 30 or 40 at least I can look back and say I tried. I'm going to do my best." Telling the students to do their best, Stover encouraged them to have fun while they were doing it. "I don't regret one thing I've done in my life today," Stover said. "We're all going to face tough choices. Make the best choice you can do and set small goals and big goals, but have fun." Schools present at Thursday's ceremony were from several vari- eties, said Tehama County Superintendent of Schools Larry Champion. "We have independent study, charter, elementary, high school and education outreach," Champion said. "They're all here. We wel- come any opportunity to recognize our high achiev- ing students." Champion said he was pleased to have the oppor- tunity to be the adminis- trative representative for Lincoln Street School. "I'm excited and hon- ored to get the award," said Garrison Koeberer, a sixth grade student at Met- teer. Garrison's parents, Kris and Carey Koeberer, said they were very honored and appreciated the recog- nition given to their son. "He's a hard worker and he cares a lot about the quality of work he pro- duces," said Carey Koe- berer. Garrison's principle, Susanna Ramirez-Raab, was filled with praise for her student. "He's just an outstand- ing, model student and a role model for other stu- dents," Ramirez-Raab said. "It's nice to have an opportunity like this to recognize students like Garrison." Curtis Twitchell, a stu- dent at Berrendos Middle School was chosen unani- mously by the school's staff, Principle Teresa Cot- tier said. "He's the quintessential scholar athlete," Cottier said. "He's a great all around kid, an excellent student and a kid of great character. He has a lot of leadership qualities with his peers in a positive way." Corning High School Principle Charlie Troughton spoke of his student, Gabriel Munoz, as a student the whole school looks up to. Gerber School Principal Rod Stone spoke of Estefania Acevedo as a student who "truly sets the tone for our school and is a true role model to her brothers." Stone and several of Acevedo's teachers said she is the perfect student and an even better person, who always has a smile on her face. Other students honored included Dylan Weir, Bidwell Elementary; Olga Paola Paz of Centennial High; Nanci-Cortez- Gamez, Jackson Heights Elementary; Sidney West- on, Kirkwood Elemen- tary; Karlee Garcia, Lassen View; Charity Emerson, Lincoln Street Independent School; Kaitlyn Seaman, Los Molinos Elementary; Carolyna Salazar, Los Molinos High School; Kaitlyn Huntley, May- wood School; Beatrice Levica, Olive View Ele- mentary; Sarah Pacheco, Plum Valley; MyLaura Berg, Rancho Tehama Elementary; Anna Sand- berg, Educational Out- reach Academy; Omar Mendoza Bizarro, Red Bluff High; Brianna Pen- ner, Reeds Creek; Mady Henderson, Richfield Ele- mentary; Robby Givens, Salisbury High; Holly Rumiano, Vina; Jane Kin- ner, Vista; Israel Romo, West Street; and Macken- zie Law, Woodson Ele- mentary. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews. com. Continued from page 1A TEAM Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Corning High School student Gavin Munoz, center, accepts his All Stars Award from keynote speaker Jeff Stover with his principal, Charlie Troughton, looking on. Munoz was one of 25 students in Tehama County honored at the annual Association of California School Administrators All-Star Luncheon held Thursday at the Red Bluff Elks Lodge. petition by studying, she said. She was surprised to win, as she admits she didn't do any studying. This is not her first time participating in the spelling bee. Kyla, now an eight-grader at Vista Middle School, participated in the spelling bee when she was in the sixth grade, but didn't make it this far that year. Sarah Bradley was the winner of the 4-5-6 grad divi- sion and runner up in the grand champion spell down. "This feels really good to know that I won," Bradley said. Bradley correctly spelled the word vulgar to win in her division. She was praised for her honesty when she pointed out a discrepancy over how division runner-up Carlos Godina spelled the word misshapen. When asked to spell the word in order to advance, Bradley told the spell master that she had overheard somebody say that Godina has left out an s. The judges agreed to throw out the word misshapen and begin the turn again. Bradley was highly praised for her honesty. Bradley's parents, Cindy and Chris Bradley, were speechless about their daughter's win. After a few moments to think it over, they said they were proud of her and knew she would do well in the competition. During breaks, Bradley would have her classmates at Mineral School ask her how to spell words so she could practice, her mother said. Both girls said they would spend their winnings on a well-deserved shopping trip. Barriga-Ashurst and Bradley will advance to a regional spelling bee in the spring. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e- mail at tlor@redbluffdailynews.com. Continued from page 1A VISTA Continued from page 1A ROWDY State passes gas tax changes to help $20B deficit SACRAMENTO (AP) — Legislators passed a compli- cated change to the gasoline tax Thursday to address part of the state's $20 billion budget deficit and said it's enough to get the state through its financial problems for now. The state Senate passed the Democratic package on a majority vote, largely along partisan lines. The Assembly also passed the bills, which now head to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. The legislation is modeled after Schwarzenegger's pro- posal to replace the sales tax on gasoline with a larger excise tax. The swap allows some accounting maneuvers that would funnel more money into the state's general fund, where the deficit exists. The tax exchange is estimated to generate $1.1 billion for the general fund while continuing to provide close to the current level of funding for public transit and repairs to highways and streets. Californians would see no difference in prices at the pump. The gas tax proposal passed Thursday was the center- piece of a $4 billion Democratic package to deal with Cal- ifornia's overall deficit projected through mid-2011. Essentially, the state is ending a 6 percent sales tax on gasoline and replacing it with a 17.3 cent per gallon excise tax on gas. The change allows the state to use the excise tax to pay off transit bond debt, which would free up more general fund money.