Downstroke

This doesn’t rock: Bummer. Student leaders at Chico State University are trying to salvage a big concert planned for Oct. 25. The Associated Students were waiting for confirmation from the Nokia Tour (with alt rock acts Hoobastank, Ozomatli and All-American Rejects) when a miscommunication was revealed: They’d tentatively scheduled the event for the University Stadium, where the soccer team has a big game slated for that Saturday. Our athletic director was willing to switch dates, but the opposing team’s was not so flexible. “I’m trying to get on the phone with the president of San Francisco State,” said frazzled A.S. President Michael Dailey. “Right now it’s not looking good.”

Plan B is to find another set of bands to play, perhaps on Oct. 4 or 18. But the A.S. wants popular artists that will draw at least 5,000 students.

The $20,000 to underwrite the concert so tickets will be cheaper was a gift from the city of Chico. “It was kind of a ‘thank you’ for Halloween and a commitment to the new students,” Dailey said.

Kaiser rolls: Professor Kathy Kaiser has always been one of our favorite members of Chico State’s Academic Senate. She has been vocal and involved during her 30 years here, and now she’ll be vocal and involved as a governor’s appointee to the California State University Board of Trustees.

“We’re really proud of her,” said her colleague on the local Senate, Professor Paul Persons. “She’s an experienced and excellent appointment for the faculty of the CSU. … Her background is sociology [and] she looks at the importance of our statewide policies and how they affect our ability to teach.”

Having served four times as a statewide senator, Kaiser has been known to call the CSU to the carpet when warranted, such as when Chico State fell to the bottom of the list in the search for a new president. We don’t want “leftovers,” she said at the time. She also took issue when Chancellor Charles Reed ordered Chico State to offer state-supported summer school at the last minute.

Kaiser should make for more interesting trustees meetings.

Is that a good thing?: Speaking of our for-now governor, his office sent out a press release this week with an unintentionally amusing headline: “Governor Davis to sign legislation that adds intolerance and hate to teacher training.” As if relationships with unions weren’t bad enough.

Royal selly: Speaking of press releases, we’re not sure if Royal Courtain (pictured) signed off on the KRCR/KIWB missive that announces his new role with the headline, “Local sports legend tackles sales.” We’d like to think of him as being a little more modest than that.

Courtain is the sportscaster who got the heave-ho from KHSL-TV after 22 years of earning crappy wages there. He landed a part-time gig with KRCR out of Redding, but now he’s sold his Royal Team Sports business and signed on to sell advertising for the station.

He’ll still report on sports for Channel 7, though, and we hope he’s able to avoid any conflicts of interest with advertisers. “As a former business owner, I have some insight into what some of the smaller companies are dealing with,” he stated in the press release. “I will now be able to help them better navigate the advertising world.