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T A letter to some recipients of a recent edition of
Econews hints that cutbacks or changes in operations may
be near, but a memo Monday said that may be understating
the organization's peril. The NEC's board held an
emergency meeting today to discuss possible changes,
said Georgiana Wood, who has led the center since
November. ”Ultimately it's going to be the community that gets
to decide whether the NEC goes on or not,” Wood said.
Board President Pete Nichols, however, said that
closing the NEC is only a worst-case scenario, and not
one currently on the minds of board members. ”That is, of course, the last option on the table,”
Nichols said. Nichols said the different possibilities for cutting
expenses would be determined at a board meeting
Wednesday, after which more information would be
forthcoming. The group has suffered a number of
setbacks in recent years, including a fire that destroyed
its headquarters in 2001; an unexpectedly expensive cleanup
that thwarted plans to build a new state-of-the-art building
in Arcata; the death of its longtime Executive Director Tim
McKay; and the purchase of its current north town Arcata
digs at the top of the housing market. The NEC was started in 1971 and has been
instrumental in many environmental issues since then. It now
has 1,500 members -- who own nearly 95 percent of the NEC --
and sends out 8,000 copies of its monthly magazine, Econews. ”I hope that the board can raise some
money to give the community more time to think about the
NEC's future,” Stewart said. Last fall, the center eliminated its
executive director position, then held by Greg King, who
has now moved on to another environmental group.
The center now faces a $90,000 deficit
by the end of the year, Wood said. The NEC employs two
full-time and a part-time worker, and two work-study
positions. If it stays open, the center could rent its
1465 G St. building instead of trying to sell it, Wood
said, since it's not worth as much now as when it was
purchased. Staff would probably work from home more
often, she said. Nichols said a more likely scenario
would involve maintaining the publication of Econews at
the very least, then expanding the center when the
economy improves and more money can be raised.
Assemblyman Wes Chesbro -- the
center's first executive director -- said he's
encouraging supporters to step up and keep the important
Humboldt County institution open. ”I intend to do my part and make a
contribution this week,” Chesbro said. “I hope the
community can find a way to help the NEC remain strong
for another four decades.”Northcoast
Environmental Center on the skids
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