monday, january 9, 2012 3
The california aggie
Youth regional treatment center on D-Q University land in the works Indian Health Service in process of acquiring proposed site By CLAIRE TAN Aggie Staff Writer
The Indian Health Service (IHS) plans to build a Youth Regional Treatment Center (YRTC) on 12 of 640 acres of D-Q University land. The D-Q University Board of Trustees has agreed to transfer the land back to the federal government, but it hasn’t been officially passed over yet. “The YRTC would be a center for chemical dependence treatment for Alaskan Natives and American Indians ages 12 to 17,” said California YRTC planner Steven Zerebecki. “The IHS operates 11 other facilities similar to this across the country.” According to the IHS, there is a congressional mandate for YRTCs. “IHS must construct, appropriately staff and operate a youth regional treatment center in each of the 12 IHS geographic service areas,” the IHS website stated. “Two must be built in California and seven IHS areas have YRTCs, but none in California.” Coined as the “California YRTC Project,” the IHS is currently planning to build two new YRTCs in California, with one in the north and one in the south. As of now, IHS operates five YRTCs and the Tribes operate six of them. “The facilities provide treatment for chemical dependence, combining mental health care, medical care and traditional healing techniques,” Zerebecki said. IHS is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funded through direct appropriation. Zerebecki said the facility would bring around 70 jobs to the area, with
Jasna Hodzic / Aggie
A rehabilitation facility could be opening at DQ-University, located 6.7 miles west of the State Route 113 freeway. the annual budget being $4.5 million and the development budget being about $20 million. The most recent community meeting in regard to the YRTC was on Dec. 19, 2011. “The purpose of the meeting was to continue dialogue with the community,” Zerebecki said. “About 50 individuals showed up and we did an informal Q&A with various experts from the IHS.” According to Zerebecki, the discussion in the most recent meeting focused on environmental issues because there have been in-
BIGGS Cont. from page 6 success both on and off the field,” Biggs said in his press release. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been associated with the university as both a player and a coach for nearly 40 years. “I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished over that period and I look forward to our first year in the Big Sky Conference, and then stepping away to help the program transition into new leadership.” Biggs will leave an enduring legacy at UC Davis, having quarterbacked the team for three years — earning an induction into the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame — be-
aggies Cont. from page 6 “It is just in time for conference and we are hoping it will help us out a lot.” Senior Hana Asano’s two assists brought her career total to 253 moving her to 10th on UC Davis’s all-time list. Fellow seniors Samantha Meggison and Kasey Riecks led the Aggies with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Saturday –– UC Irvine 60, UC Davis 54 In the final game of winter break,
stances of seasonal flooding. “There were some members concerned about building a facility in the proposed site,” he said. “A lot of questions about what our mitigation plans are for potential flooding.” Zerebecki said most of the feedback they’ve received from the community and those around Yolo County and D-Q University is in support of the project. IDRS, Inc., an Indian organization based in Sacramento, stated its support in its blog. “It is great to hear that the prop-
fore returning to the sidelines as an assistant coach in 1978. Biggs became the offensive coordinator in 1987 and was an associate head coach in 1992 and 1993 before being named head coach in 1993. As a player, Biggs was under center during the “miracle game,” when the Aggies scored 16 points in the final 20 seconds, earning an improbable 30-29 victory over Cal State Hayward. As a coach, the Davis lifer has always stressed doing things the right way. From his players, Biggs demands hard work both in the classroom and on the field. This year his players posted an Academic Progress Rate that topped the Great West Conference and also the Big
UC Davis was upended 60-54 by UC Irvine. The two teams battled to a 27-25 score at the end of the first half but the Anteaters would eventually pull away in the second frame and held on despite the Aggies’ efforts to claw back into the game. Riecks provided much of the firepower for the Aggies, netting 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but it was not enough to make up for the struggling UC Davis offense, which shot just 4/24 from threepoint range. The loss to Irvine concluded the Aggies’ winter break sched-
erty that housed D-Q University will soon be back in service,” the blog stated. “This time as a treatment center for Native youth. Let’s hope that educational classes will also return to the only Indian College in California.” According to Zerebecki, the facility will have a full mental health care treatment service as well as occupation therapy and occupation training. In addition, there will be a full-time school where the youth can attend classes and potentially work toward a GED, graduation or certification
Sky Conference, where the Aggies are headed. With reporters Biggs is forthcoming and friendly, responding as if he had not heard the same questions for 20 years running. “Coach Biggs’ longevity at UC Davis says a lot about his commitment and dedication to Aggie football,” said current junior captain Bobby Erskine. “His passion and the attitude that is ‘Aggie Pride’ is obvious and he lives it out.” On the field Biggs has enjoyed tremendous success. His career record of 140-78-1 puts him at second all time on the UC Davis wins list, trailing only College Football Hall of Famer Jim Sochor. He was the man in charge as Davis transitioned from Division II to Division I, and
ule, and despite the two conference losses, Gross is optimistic about how the team is playing. “This break was good for us because we scheduled games so that we could focus on ourselves — when you have too many games in a row, you have to prep for each individual team in practice,” she said. “This way we got to practice on things we were working on, like defense and rebounding.” “We continue to get closer as a group and grow as a team,” Gross said. “We’re getting better but we’re not where we need to be yet.” — Matthew Yuen
in some vocational area. “Our development timeline is about 18 to 24 months,” Zerebecki said. “There are a number of things that can change a development schedule that come up along the way; a number of milestones are needed to be achieved to move to the next step.” Currently, the milestone IHS plans to achieve is purchasing 12 acres of D-Q University land. Zerebecki said the Board of Trustees has agreed to revert the 12 acres back to the government specifically for the purpose of building the facility. “One of the reasons we’re looking at the 12 acres is it has a very rich history and it’s been in use for American Indian purpose for years now,” Zerebecki said. “We think it’s an appropriate community to build this facility.” If IHS is not able to acquire the land, there are other options on hand. As its policy and practice when building new facilities, it is required to evaluate at least four sites. These sites are then ranked, with D-Q University ranked as the top site in Northern California. According to Zerebecki, the facility’s proximity to UC Davis is also advantageous since the school has a psychiatric program and IHS plans to hire many health care providers, including mental health care providers, meaning there would be more jobs created in the community. “This is really a collaborative process with the community because that would mean the facility would be just that much more effective and successful,” Zerebecki said. “We are very optimistic about this site in Yolo County.” CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
his coaching resume also includes the most notorious win in UC Davis history: a 20-17 road win over Stanford in 2005, when the Aggies were still a Division II squad. In his final season as head coach, Biggs will be lead the Aggies into their first season as a member of the Big Sky Conference, the highest level of competition UC Davis has ever competed at. After that final game next year, Biggs will finally have a real offseason, free to relax. “Everyone at some point in their career reaches a moment,” Biggs said. “I’ve been so fortunate to have had a great career. Thirty-five years coaching, 20 as the head, that’s a lot.” CAELUM SHOVE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
KATEhi Cont. from page 6 UC Davis’ current athletics programs — a position that was brought into doubt by the results of the Dempsey Report. “I have no plans, intentions or desire to discontinue any teams at UC Davis,” stated Katehi, “not today and not in the foreseeable future.” Katehi also wrote extensively about the university’s need to maintain “academic excellence and integrity,” and stated that she was committed to maintaining the teachercoach model. Katehi concludes the letter by out-
lining the process that will take place over the next few months. She asks the committee to pause the recruiting process until she meets with the Academic Senate’s Special Committee on Athletics later this quarter. From there she requests that “the committee schedule and publicize a series of forums with each of the finalist candidates for the director position.” The forums are intended to allow the candidates to express their plans for the future of UC Davis athletics, as well as to engage in a question-and-answer segment. –– Trevor Cramer
California state budget cuts $200M from UC system By J.D. Morris
Daily Californian (University of California, Berkeley)
University of California faces a $200 million state funding cut this year if voters do not approve Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed tax increases in November, according to Brown’s January budget plan announced Thursday. Brown anticipates that California will face a $9.2 billion deficit through June 2013 in the state’s general fund. In order to help mitigate the deficit, he hopes to raise the sales tax and certain income taxes through putting a nearly $7 billion ballot initiative before voters. Should the November ballot initiative fail, the plan’s $200 million cut to the UC would follow a year in which the system saw its budget hammered by $750 million in state budget cuts. But if voters approve the initiative, the plan provides an ongoing $90 million General Fund increase to the UC for base operating costs — funding which the plan states could be used for retirement program contributions.
Patrick Lenz, the university’s vice president for budget and capital resources, lauded the operating cost increase in a statement Thursday. “We applaud the governor’s willingness to grant UC leadership maximum flexibility in navigating these fiscal times,” Lenz said in the statement. “The administration’s focus on protecting higher education from further budget reductions is a welcome relief, and the governor’s stated desire for a long-term state investment is encouraging.” Lenz said in the statement that the university will continue to use administrative efficiencies to cut down on costs and is currently seeking alternate sources of revenue to bolster its income. He added that the university intends to work with Brown and the state legislature on developing a long-term plan “that would give the university much-needed financial stability.” UC Student Association President Claudia Magana said in a statement that despite the funding increase, higher education in California remains “grossly underfunded” and the governor’s plan does not
go far enough to fund the state’s needs. “The state immediately needs more revenue to ensure that we do not balance the budget on students and the poor,” Magana said. “This budget only further reinforces the need for greater taxes on big businesses and the wealthiest Californians to help restore our future.” In the past, the university has relied on large tuition increases to offset the impact of cuts from the state. But UC spokesperson Steve Montiel said in an email that it is “too early to speculate” whether the university would see tuition increases should the cuts occur. Though Brown’s office had originally intended to release the budget Jan. 10, he held a press conference Thursday after the budget was erroneously published on the Department of Finance’s website, according to major media outlets. “I’m not saying (the budget plan) is perfect, I’m just saying this is the best that our finance department and myself could come up with,” Brown said at the press conference.
The plan also proposes that both the UC and California State University — which would also be cut $200 million under the plan if voters do not approve the ballot initiative to raise taxes — begin budgeting for capital improvement projects as part of their overall fiscal plans. State appropriations for such projects were formerly budgeted and adjusted for separately. Additionally, various budgetary setasides for specific UC programs and purposes such as AIDS research and the Summer School for Mathematics and Sciences are removed in Brown’s budget plan. The plan calls for $4.2 billion in baselevel state cuts, including reductions in welfare and child care services. If voters reject the tax increases, state K-12 schools and community colleges would be cut $4.8 billion. “I can tell you that the best thinking from the executive branch is this budget is a good road map to get us through a solid fiscal program we can live with,” Brown said. “If there’s a better way to do it, I’m totally open to it.”