September 4 2013

Page 1

VOLUME 103, ISSUE 6

www.UniversityStar.com

WEDNESDAY

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

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VIDEO | UniversityStar.com Classic Tattoo, a 10-year-old establishment in downtown San Marcos, features and employs awardwinning artists. To see interviews with some of the tattoo artists, go to UniversityStar.com.

CRIME

Police identify robbery suspect By Taylor Tompkins News Editor

Kathryn Parker | Staff photographer

A non-student has been identified as the suspect in a case of attempted robbery Sept. 1 on campus. The University Police Department is reviewing data in connection with the robbery, which occurred at Bobcat Village Apartments around 10:21 a.m. Sunday, according

CITY

Residents voice opinion on proposed citywide public smoking ban By James Carneiro

Assistant News Editor

Above: Gabriel Gise and his daughter Cassia Gise make signs protesting the roundabout at Wonder World Drive and Hunter Road.

Roundabout causes unrest among some San Marcos residents By Katharina Guttenberg News Reporter

R

esidents held brightly colored signs and spoke during the citizen’s comment portion of the San Marcos City Council meeting Tuesday to protest a roundabout near San Antonio Street and Hunter Road. Construction on the roundabout is expected to begin March 2014, according to the project proposal on the city’s website. The roundabout will expand FM 2439, also known as Hunter Road, and add a left turn lane in the center of the two-way road between Wonder World Drive and Bishop Street, according to the proposal. Dixon Street will be realigned with San Antonio Street, and the roundabout will be built where the streets will intersect

The San Marcos City Council held a public hearing for a proposed anti-smoking ordinance at a meeting Tuesday night. The ordinance’s intent is to reduce second-hand smoke in public and has been renamed the “Smoking in Public Places Act.” The ordinance will ban smoking in any public place or park, in enclosed areas owned by the city, enclosed workplaces, and will make it a violation if an owner of an establishment fails to keep customers from smoking. It will also require the placement of anti-smoking signage, removal of ashtrays from

Residents gathered at city hall Tuesday to talk to councilmembers about reassessing the future roundabout between Wonder World Drive and Hunter Road.

with Hunter Road. The roundabout is projected to be completed by September 2014, according to the project’s webpage.

“We are hoping to come to some kind of resolution. If we don’t have to sell, we don’t want to.” —Catalina Lara, resident According to residents who spoke during the meeting, the roundabout will require the removal of historic trees, create congestion, be dangerous for bicyclists and cost more than a traditional intersection. Bill Taylor, owner of Bill’s Trading Place Inc., said the council did not take residents’ opin-

to a University News Service email sent to students. A black male described as being 5-foot11-inches and dressed in black robbed a woman at the apartment complex, according to the same email. The case is still under investigation, and UPD officers request students call the department at 512-245-2805 with any information concerning the incident.

ions into consideration when adopting the plan in place of a traditional intersection. Taylor said his business will suffer from congestion caused by the roundabout. “I think the tail wagged the dog in this case,” Taylor said. The roundabout will require about $6 million in state funds and $4.2 million in Wonder World Drive improvement funds, according to the original presentation given to city councilmembers May 15, 2012. Gary Schatz, chair of the roundabout committee for the Institute of Transportation Engineers, gave a presentation on May 15 and said roundabouts are safer than traditional inter-

buildings, and will ensure those who report smoking violations will be protected from retaliation. Students in San Marcos Public schools will receive comprehensive tobacco education as well under the ordinance. The city council discussed the possibility of “grandfathering” some businesses, or letting important businesses with a history of allowing smoking to keep on doing so. John Thomaides, Place 3, said grandfathering would pit some establishments against others and “create an uneven playing field”. Mayor Daniel Guerrero said a bar owner on the Square said he was opposed to grandfather-

See SMOKING, Page 2

Star file photo

San Marcos city councilmembers held a public hearing on a proposed ordinance that would ban smoking in public places.

See ROUNDABOUT, Page 2

FACULTY SENATE

Counseling services discuss Round Rock campus, new appointment system By Weldon McKenzie News Reporter

Counseling Center representatives unveiled a revamped consultation systemaimed at improving student wait times to the Faculty Senate Aug. 28, and are looking to offer formal counseling services at the Round Rock Campus in the future. The Counseling Center’s new appointment system consists of a concise three-level categorization

hierarchy intended to determine the severity of each student’s case, according the center’s website. Level one denotes emergency consultations and is intended for life-threatening situations such as thoughts of suicide or self-inflicted pain. Level two is an urgent consultation reserved for dealing with cases of traumatic nature, and level three, or initial consultations, is for non-immediate cases such as stress or anxiety. Gregory Snodgrass, recently

retired director of the Counseling Center, said many factors played a part in the decision to redesign the appointment system. He said there were concerns the scope of the initial consultations were too narrow, and counselors might accidentally overlook someone who needs help. “(The new system is) a formal triage system that will help better recognize more serious issues,” Snodgrass said. Additionally, the recent in-

ELECTIONS

Prewitt’s campaign to focus on city’s potential By Megan Carthel News Reporter

Lisa Prewitt, City Council Place 1 candidate, says she has a “good grasp” on what the San Marcos community wants, and hopes to harness San Marcos’ potential. “One thing that I’ve learned in the last 17 years, the last two years, the last several weeks is that we all pretty much have the same vision,” Prewitt said. Prewitt said she believes the tax base in San Marcos could be wider with “economic drivers” for graduating students, especially since many progressive students and residents are leaving for

larger cities., She said community officials need to utilize housing opportunities to attract more middle-class single-families, even though there may not be enough jobs available to retain new alumni in San Marcos. Prewitt said she wants to expand opportunities for middleclass residents and families. She said she is nervous about the largest sales taxes coming from the outlet mall, and wants to expand and diversify the tax base to make San Marcos more economically stable. “I understand fully that we are going to grow,” Prewitt said. “I just want to make sure we drive

the growth where all the different characteristics of our community are still flourishing well and still have identity.” Prewitt said she supports the city’s new master plan, which she helped develop. The recent master plan update was the first in nearly seven years, resulting in a type of crossroads for San Marcos, Prewitt said. “I think that if we don’t take care of the river and make sure all of the developments are done around the river and Purgatory Creek, we will have lost something huge here,” Prewitt said. “I think the river and the environment are very special to San

crease in student population has created a need for categorizing initial consultations, Snodgrass said. Before, initial consultations required students to tell their stories at the beginning of the process and again during an assigned counseling appointment. Snodgrass said the new tiered system will streamline the counseling process and help students more quickly. Snodgrass said a preliminary screening of the system con-

ducted over the summer proved its integrity through increased numbers of consultations and decreased delays. “(The new system) has already and will continue to increase access to allow a quicker response and give appropriate attention to those with more urgent needs,” Snodgrass said. Barbara Covington, faculty senator and associate professor

Marcos.” Environmental and economic stability can be done hand-inhand, Prewitt said.

Marcos grows, that it’s growing in the right direction.” Strahm said San Marcos has been headed in the wrong direction for about five years because city officials have not been adequately promoting San Marcos’ business industry, single-family housing or the retention of students after graduation. Prewitt said the city as a whole has changed significantly since her opponent Bill Taylor served on the city council in the early 2000s. “I think Lisa has been more involved with developing the master plan (than Bill Taylor),” Strahm said. “I think she has more comprehension of the inner workings of the here and now in our community. I think she also has a fresher take and fresher ideas.”

“One thing that I’ve learned in the last 17 years, the last two years, the last several weeks is that we all pretty much have the same vision.” —Lisa Prewitt, city council candidate “She definitely understands the challenges of a small town going through very rapid growth,” said Meaghen Strahm, Prewitt’s business partner. “She’s been pivotal in making sure that as San

See COUNSELING, Page 2

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