Opened Practices Users from San Marcos

mike jahina


Weiss to propose new Village BID

Westwood merchants and property owners are upset at Councilman Jack Weiss’ possible preparation of another Business Improvement District, less than four months after the Village’s original BID was ended amid controversy.
The agenda for Friday’s L.A. City Council meeting includes an item proposed by Weiss that would allocate $25,000 in city money to the BID consulting services of Keyser Marston Associates to help develop plans for a new BID.
Weiss, whose fifth district includes Westwood, had a meeting with community members on Jan. 9 and failed to give any indication then of his plans to create a new BID.
The last BID was cited by the Los Angeles district attorney’s office for violating the Ralph M. Brown Act, a state law prohibiting secret legislation by public bodies. The perceived secrecy surrounding current plans, while in no way illegal, has many up in arms.
“I’m pretty positive that he knew about this motion long before our meeting,” said Philip Gabriel, owner of Scrubs Unlimited.
Weiss’ projection of a new BID will be a property-based organization, like the previous one – where property owners, not business managers or merchants wield decision-making power, even though merchants sometimes end up bearing the financial burden.
Weiss acknowledged the failure of the property-based BID during the last meeting, saying he wanted the next one to be merchant-based.
“This whole thing is underhanded and wrong,” said Jay Handal, president of the West L.A. Chamber of Commerce.
“It is a real lapse in credibility,” said Jeff Abell, owner of Sarah Leonard’s Fine Jewelers.
Though Weiss hasn’t officially appointed anyone to run the new BID, Doug Brown has been one of the prime movers behind the new BID, according to Handal and others. Brown was the treasurer of the old BID for two years, during which $750,000 of its capital improvement fund went unaccounted for.
As treasurer, Brown had the fiduciary duty to ensure the BID was being audited annually, but the BID was never audited during his time.
There are currently two separate auditors trying to account for the large sum of missing money. A meeting has been set for Jan. 30 for a resolution to this matter.
Several phone calls to Weiss went unanswered. According to his press aide Lisa Hansen, Friday’s agenda item is “the first step in a lengthy process in assisting the Westwood businesses to create their own BID.”

601 University Drive

I am a long time video/media producer, an educator and currently a resource for faculty at Texas State University-San Marcos, Texas. The implementation of Sakai (TRACS) at Texas State is one of several projects with which I am involved. I have completed work on my PhD degree and will graduate in December 2011 with a PhD in Adult and Community Education. My dissertation research focused on how online instructors create a sense of social presence with students in virtual worlds like Second Life.

In my other life, I produce educational videos and short-form video documentaries. I am passionate about organic gardening and have an organic gardening web site at www.gardentoad.com.

HPB 171
Department of Communication Disorders
Texas State University - San Marcos
601 University Drive

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. I teach graduate courses in adult neurogenic speech disorders, introductory research methods, voice disorders, and fluency disorders.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. I teach graduate courses in adult neurogenic speech disorders, introductory research methods, voice disorders, and fluency disorders. In addition, I am also the coordinator of the fluency cognate and offer a summer intensive stuttering therapy program for adolescents and adults who stutter. The fluency cognate and the summer intensive stuttering therapy program allows me to mentor students in best clinical practices, and the application of evidence-based practice in the real world. My primary research interest is in evaluating treatment outcomes for adolescents and adults who stutter, which is supported by the fluency cognate and the summer clinic.

601 University Drive, ED 3029

Dr. Kathryn Lee is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Texas State University-San Marcos and teaches online graduate courses in the secondary education program.

Dr. Kathryn Lee is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Texas State University-San Marcos. She has been in education and the mental health field in Texas for over 25 years. Her experience as a secondary school teacher, a clinical therapist, and a school counselor for both elementary and secondary students underpins her basic philosophy that we must be responsive to individual student needs in the classroom. Her current emphasis as a teacher educator is preparing preservice and practicing teachers to be empathic and responsive to all students' needs, including those who have been routinely marginalized because of their ethnicity, language, gender, socioeconomic status, religious belief, disability, and/or sexual orientation. Dr. Lee's primary research interest lies in investigating instructional strategies best suited to meet the educational needs of an increasingly diverse student population, including adult online learners. Her research has the added benefit of informing and improving her own teaching practice while representing what she believes is a valuable contribution to the field.

I am a graduate student at Texas State University studying adult education.

Department of Geography
Texas State University-San Marcos
601 University Dr.
San Marcos, 78666
TX

Dr. Niem Huynh is of Chinese descent, born in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), Viet Nam. Due to the political unrest, her family departed and was kindly accepted by Canada. She grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and enjoyed a multicultural atmosphere. In her undergraduate studies, she trained to become a high school geography and biology teacher, but graduate school changed her life course. Her research interests stem from inspirational teaching moments in the classroom. Currently, Dr. Huynh is excited to explore geography learning (e.g., what geospatial concepts should be taught when and how) and the process of problem solving with technology (GIS). A secondary research interest has roots from her Master's thesis, how cognitive processing might be illuminated by sequence of analysis of sketch map creation. For more information on her teaching and research activities, please visit: http://uweb.txstate.edu/~nh19/index.html

I am a former 2nd grade teacher and business owner (educational multimedia development firm in Austin, TX 1995-2001). I have been working as an instructional designer at TX State since 2002 helping faculty develop online courses.

601 University Ave.
Ed 2.2100

Mary Lorenz has worked in the field of education for more than 20 years. Mary served as a middle school Technology Education classroom teacher for 11 years in the Houston area; she then promoted herself to the Texas Education Agency where she served as the Statewide Director for Technology Education for 7 years. Mary spent 3 years at The University of Texas, K-16 Education Center where she focused on the development of online high school courses and the development and administration of K-12 Credit by Exam (CBE) tests and testing.

Mary Lorenz has worked in the field of education for more than 20 years. Mary served as a middle school Technology Education classroom teacher for 11 years in the Houston area; she then promoted herself to the Texas Education Agency where she served as the Statewide Director for Technology Education for 7 years. In 2000 Mary was a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar to Japan, where she studied the Japanese educational system. Following her passion for assisting teachers to become the best they can be she went on to work for the Texas State Board for Education Certification (SBEC) where she worked as a Program Specialist focusing on educator preparation program development, educator assessment and new teacher mentoring and induction. Mary spent 3 years at The University of Texas, K-16 Education Center where she focused on the development of online high school courses and the development and administration of K-12 Credit by Exam (CBE) tests and testing.
Ms. Lorenz graduated from Texas State University in 2006 with a Masters degree in Educational Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Technology Education at Texas State University-San Marcos in 1986. In the near future she will begin working on a Ph.D. in Adult, Professional, and Community Education. She is presently employed as the grant coordinator on the Texas Adult Education Credential Project for the Education Institute at Texas State University-San Marcos.

I have been an Assistant Professor for 1.5 years. My interests focus on geography and ecological applications of remote sensing and GIS. I teach introductory and advanced remote sensing courses and biogeography.

601 University Drive

I am a School Psychology associate professor with specialty training and practice in neuropsychology. I teach a course titled Biological Bases of Behavior to graduate students and in this course I have used technology to enhance learning of neuroanatomy.

I am a former special education teacher who received my Ph.D. in School Psychology with specialized training and postdoctoral work in neuropsychology. I am currently an associate professor of School Psychology and coordinator of our program at Texas State University--San Marcos. I maintain a small private practice working with brain-injured and neurologically impaired children and adolescents. My research includes autism, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, and training of practitioners. I am pursuing a diplomate in clinical neuropsychology and have been studying for the exams.

601 University Dr.
Department of Criminal Justice

I am an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Texas State University -- San Marcos

601 University Dr.
214 Centennial Hall
TX State University

I am an assistant professor of Spanish at Texas State University, having received my PhD from Emory University in 2006. In addition to Spanish classes ranging from second year language to grad courses, I have taught in the Honor's Program and with University Seminar.