Speakers Will Hold Their Voices for Now

A group that anticipated speaking today at the California State Universities Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach to ask for the restoration of four men’s sports programs dropped last month at Cal State Northridge has called off the plan--for now.

Duke Russell, who lined up the speakers, said the group will wait to see if a legislative bailout of the programs proposed by state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) goes through.

He said the group, which includes sports agent Dennis Gilbert, Pepperdine men’s volleyball Coach Marv Dunphy and Loyola Marymount baseball Coach Frank Cruz, was asked by the board to hold off addressing the trustees until September, when the state budget should be approved.

“We are not going to the meeting, but I’m going to hand-deliver a letter,” Russell said. “If the money doesn’t pan out . . . we’ll definitely be at the September meeting.”

Wright proposed an amendment to the state budget that earmarked $586,000 to restore the Northridge programs for one year. The amendment was approved July 2 but the budget is stalled in the Legislature by a disagreement over welfare reform.

Russell, 71, is a retired TV lighting technician who lives in Hollywood and helped reinstate baseball programs at L.A. City and Pasadena City the past few years. He organized the group of about 20 people who are crusading to restore baseball, volleyball, soccer and swimming at Northridge.

The programs were eliminated June 11 for financial reasons and to help meet gender-equity requirements, but soccer and swimming were reinstated for one year with private funding.

The group also planned to present the trustees with about 4,000 signatures from a petition drive headed by Michael Velasquez, a group member and a La Crescenta accountant. He said the group’s goal was 10,000 signatures but later realized that was unrealistic.

“Keep in mind, we are a small group of volunteers and we all work,” Velasquez said. “Disseminating this paperwork to people has been difficult. . . . A lot of people who initially showed interest have backed off because of the [Wright] funding.”

Russell and Velasquez said they hope Northridge receives the funds from the state budget and school administrators are able to save the programs permanently.

“This is the lifeblood to keep the programs for a year,” Russell said. “This gives [Northridge] President [Blenda J.] Wilson time to immediately hire a fund-raiser . . . and get the money that is needed to keep the programs going.”