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Sports, academic programs axed at SSU Sonoma State University will eliminate all sports programs, as well as positions for 46 faculty, four administrators and 12 staff as part of a sweeping series of cuts intended to address an estimated $23.9 million budget deficit. The austerity moves were announced in a Jan. 22 message to the campus community from SSU’s Interim President Emily F. Cutrer, who described the news as “sobering.” Additionally, the school is eliminating multiple degree programs, including: Administrative Services Credential in ELSE; Art History BA; Art Studio BFA; Dance BA; Earth and Environmental Sciences BA; Economics BA; Education Leadership MA; English MA; French BA; Geology BS; German Minor; Global Studies BA; History MA; Interdisciplinary Studies BA; Interdisciplinary Studies MA; Philosophy BA; Physical Science BA; Physics BA; Physics BS; Public Administration MPA; Spanish MA; Theatre Arts BA; Women and Gender Studies BA. Departments identified for closure include art history, economics, geology, philosophy, theater/dance and women and gender studies. “I know this is unsettling and difficult news for our campus community,” she continued. “I am keenly aware of its human impact, and how individuals, families, relationships and communities are affected by such news. I understand that no amount of explanation or necessity makes any of us feel better.” Still, she said she believes the cuts are necessary to ensure the long-term fiscal stability of the school.— NBb staff
Windsor casino moves forward The Shiloh Resort and Casino is coming to Windsor. That was the decision Jan. 13 by the U.S. Department of the Interior, which issued a “record of decision” greenlighting the casino and paving the way for development of the 68-acre site, on an unincorporated parcel at Shiloh Road and Old Redwood Highway, into a 400-room hotel and 530,000-square-foot gambling floor. The project is put forward by the Koi Nation, a small band of Pomo people whose ancestral village was near Clear Lake. Proposed in 2021, the Shiloh project has galvanized opponents—from neighboring residents who fear increased traffic, crime and visual blight to business competitors such as Graton Resort & Casino near Rohnert Park and River Rock near Geyserville. Management of the proposed casino will be contracted to the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma; gaming will include more than 100 tables and 2,750 machines.— NBb staff
Mitote Food Park announces closure Mitote Food Park, the collection of Latinx food trucks operating since 2022 in a lot on Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa, announced its closure at the end of January. The food park had been located on county property at the site of a defunct shopping center in Roseland—but the parcel is planned for development into the Tierra de Rosas housing complex and initial stages of construction began last summer. Early in January, Mitote operators announced “with a heavy heart” they’d been notified by the county to cease operations by the end of the month. “Stay tuned as we are hoping to be able to move most of our operations to another location soon,” Mitote officials posted on social media, citing “an expedited construction schedule” for the sudden move. Michele Whitman, who oversees development for the county, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat she was surprised by the food park’s announcement. She said the lease termination the county issued doesn’t require Mitote to vacate the property until June 9. Mitote Food Park, at 665 Sebastopol Road as of press time, includes offerings from Gio Y Los Magos, La Victoria, Pezcow, Yucamami, La Churroteka, El Cora, Lucha Sabina and Super Taco. Regional Mexican cuisines represented include fare from Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacan, Yucatan and Mexico City.— JW
12 NorthBaybiz
February 2025
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