July 2023 Liberty Hill Independent Monthly

We appreciate your confidence and support. Thank you for voting us BEST LANDSCAPING SUPPLIES for the 5th year!

We are proud to serve the Liberty Hill community!

STAY COOL WITH CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE!

We can add A/C and insulation to any building and our Radiant Barrier roof protection is standard on all sheds

• Built on site or delivered pre-built!

• We can color match your house!

• Stone and stucco options available.

WE DO COMPLETE PROJECTS SMALL & LARGE!

Outbuildings of all kinds, concrete slabs, decks, sheds that meet HOA standards and more!

Owners Chad & Amanda Moore

Great grub, brews, wine, indoor arcade, lawn games, live music and more!

FOOD HALL • FRIENDS • FUN

1651 Main Street (Loop 332) between SH 29 & RR 1869 | MainStreetSocial.com

JOIN US FOR OUR 2nd ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

August 12 • Noon-9:30pm

Noon-3pm | Live music with Troy Stone

6-9pm | Live music with Band in Black featuring original Johnny Cash band members

All day | Bounce houses, face painting arts & crafts

Promo giveaways from Dos XX starting at 6pm while supplies last!

UPCOMING LIVE MUSIC

- July 14THE LAST OF THE PETTY CASH

- July 15HOME AT LAST

- July 21COLIN BOUTWELL

- July 22THE DECADES

FOOD & DRINK

MOONIE’S BURGER HOUSE

COSMIC PIZZA

FREEDOM’S SECRET INGREDIENT

COOP TO COAST

UDDER LOVE ICE CREAM

Your destination for food and fun in Liberty Hill!

Mon-Thurs 4pm-9pm

Friday 4pm-10pm Sat 11am-10pm

Sun 11am-9pm

*

Food Stalls close one hour before the Main Hall

Live music Fridays & Saturdays 6-9:30pm

Karaoke Thursdays 6-9pm

SCAN FOR FULL LIST OF EVENTS

- July 28BACKSEAT CHAOS

- July 29LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE

- August 4 -

ANTHONY CAULKINS

- August 5ACQUIRED TASTE

Full bar with wine, beer & cocktails

CONTENTS

FEATURES

7 | BEST BAR

Learn more about the fun drinks served up at Thirsty Penguin

8 | BEST MEXICAN FOOD

Elena’s has been serving customers for over 20 years

12 | BEST SALON

The Powder Room Blow Dry Bar offers myriad of beauty services

14 | BEST MARGARITA

Find out what makes Mainstreet Marketplace’s margarita so tasty

16 | THE WINNERS LIST

Check out this year’s winners in the Best Of Liberty Hill balloting

26 | BEST PRINCIPAL Monica Miller of Liberty Hill Middle School is proud to be a Panther

29 | BEST BAKERY Liberty Hill Bakery makes delicious, allergen-free treats

30 | BEST COACH

Meet Nate Nelson, co-owner and jiu-jitsu instructor at John’s Gym

31 | BEST BOSS

Dr. Thad Gillespie of Liberty Hill Dental takes pride in his staff

32 | BEST EYE DOCTOR

Dr. Erica O’Brien recently opened Vista Family Eye Care

36 | BEST CANDLE MAKER

Get to know the maker behind Clayton Candle LLC

40 | BEST ALL-AROUND CHURCH RockPointe Church offers a welcoming atmosphere for all

42 | BEST RECREATIONAL YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATION

Get to know more about the Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club

DEPARTMENTS

6 | BIZ BRIEFS

See the businesses planned or opening soon in Liberty Hill

41 | WILLIE’S 4TH OF JULY

Did Willie’s picnic trigger cows to give sour milk?

43 | WORSHIP GUIDE

Find a church home for your family

44 | LOCAL EVENTS

Local entertainment on tap for July

14

ABOUT OUR COVER

The Independent is celebrating the Best of the Best in Liberty Hill, from restaurants and businesses to the people who make Liberty Hill unique.

GRAPHIC BY BONNIE JAMES

This month, Liberty Hill is celebrating the Best of the Best in our community with the newspaper’s annual Best of Liberty Hill edition. More than 75,000 votes were cast in this year’s online poll--more than any previous year. This is the fifth year for the annual contest.

Recognizing the best in our community is important to us. Having a vote of confidence from those who live, work and play in Liberty Hill is immeasurable to our winners. Please join us in congratulating our 170+ winners when you see them around town.

-Rachel Madison and Scott Akanewich, publishers

LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT MONTHLY

A Publication of Liberty Hill Independent News & Media OWNERS/PUBLISHERS | Scott Akanewich, Rachel Madison ADVERTISING SALES | Stacy Coale

GRAPHIC DESIGN | Bonnie James, Katie McLaughlin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | Rachel Madison, Scott Akanewich, James Wear www.LHIndependent.com

The information in this publication was compiled with great care to assure the accuracy of editorial content and advertising copy. Liberty Hill Independent Monthly and its parent company assume no liability for the accuracy of the information reported to us herein, and the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. For advertising rates and information, or to obtain additional copies, call (512) 778-5577 or send email to rachel@LHIndependent.com. This publication is truly a collaborative effort of experienced journalists, a professional design team, advertising specialists and many others passionate about sharing the story of Liberty Hill, Texas. Copyright©2023 Liberty Hill Independent News & Media/Liberty Hill Independent. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Contact Us: (512) 778-5577 | rachel@LHIndependent.com | Liberty Hill Independent, PO Box 204, Liberty Hill, TX 78642

| Liberty Hill

BIZ BRIEFS:

What’s New?

Latest business openings and what’s coming soon to Liberty Hill

rainwater collection systems for homes, barns, businesses and more. They do everything from the initial visit to the final installation of the system, offering their customers a way to have a clean, reliable water source for their property.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Chili’s SE Corner of Ronald Reagan Blvd. & State Hwy. 29

Chili’s restaurant is the latest eating establishment announced for the Liberty Hill area. The restaurant, which is slated to go on the “southeast corner of Ronald Reagan and State Highway 29,” is estimated to go under construction in September 2023 and be completed by September 2024. The restaurant will be 5,100 square feet.

The Daily Blend 13740 State Hwy. 29

The Daily Blend will be opening in the former location of Liberty Hill Donuts. Owned by the Melchor family, who also own Texas Taco Kitchen, the new restaurant will offer smoothies and other healthy dishes.

OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS

• Tropical Smoothie Cafe

19388 Ronald Reagan Blvd.

• Mr. Gatti’s Pizza 13740 State Hwy. 29

RETAIL

Liberty Hill Veterinary Wellness Pet Boutique

13575 State Hwy. 29

A new pet boutique is open inside Liberty Hill Veterinary Wellness. Customers can shop for a wide variety of products

for their pets, including toys, treats, beds, leashes and more.

Felted Crown Hat Bar

2921 RR 1869

Felted Crown Hat Bar, a custom hat bar for men, women and children will be opening up inside Radiant Salon after the building’s addition is complete. The estimated date of completion is August 2023.

OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS

• Bertram Liquor Store

222 State Hwy. 29, Bertram

SERVICES

Sport Clips

19388 Ronald W. Reagan Blvd. National brand Sport Clips, which specializes in men’s haircuts, is opening a location at Bar W Marketplace near H-E-B. The project is expected to be complete by September.

• Lash Out Loud VIP 14001 State Hwy. 29 (inside Powder Room Blow Dry Bar)

ON THE MOVE

River Ranch Inn

1030 CR 279

Grady and Amber Daniel, owners of River Ranch Inn, recently broke ground on a swimming pool for the grounds at River Ranch Inn. Future guests will be able to swim in the pool during their stay at the inn.

TWO22 DIY Creative Studio

12780 State Hwy. 29

TWO22 DIY Creative Studio is opening inside the former location of Flock Fitness. The creative studio will offer locals a wide variety of DIY classes, like stovetop covers, porch signs and more.

The Tabby Tamer

Mobile, Liberty Hill

Liberty Hill resident Christy Kraft recently opened a cat sitting service in the Liberty Hill area called The Tabby Tamer. Kraft is a certified cat behavorial specialist and former veterinary technician.

Perky Beans Coffee & Café

2080 US Hwy. 183, Leander

Perky Beans Coffee & Café recently extended its hours in the coffee shop and café to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Additionally, a bar is being installed inside the café, which will allow Perky Beans to offer an expanded beer and wine menu. Batched cocktails and spiked coffee drinks will also be added to the menu.

SheriShop Thrift Store

1201 Main Street, Liberty Hill

SheriShop Thrift Store closed its doors in Liberty Hill in May. Another location of SheriShop is still open in Lampasas.

The Blue Door Gift Store & Boutique

14365 State Hwy. 29

The Blue Door Gift Store & Boutique recently announced a new service it will be offering: free bra fitting for customers.

recently announced it has extended its hours Wednesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Along with the extended hours, the restaurant is also serving a new dinner menu.

The Indigo Salon

1013 Main Street

The Indigo Salon, owned by Jaime Amezquita, recently celebrated its sixth year anniversary in Liberty Hill.

Freedom Rainwater

Mobile, Liberty Hill

Freedom Rainwater Collection Systems sells and installs

OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS

• Ronald Reagan Storage

503 Ivory Cove

• Ewing Irrigation

91 Private Road 905

• Spencer-Pierce Architecture + Interiors, Inc.

15050 State Hwy. 29

• True Test

1735 US Hwy. 183

• Valero Convenience Store

6830 State Hwy. 29

Munch Munch Waffles & More

9073 State Hwy. 29

Munch Munch Waffles & More

Classic Bank

12251 State Hwy. 29

John D. Minor was recently appointed as CEO and chairman of the board for Classic Bank. Previously, Minor served as the president and chief lending officer for Classic Bank. Minor is a third-generation banker with over 30 years of banking experience in Central Texas and holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Baylor University.

Christy Kraft

John Minor

More than just a bar

Thirsty Penguin offers family atmosphere with a personal touch

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH OWNER/PUBLISHER

Drive-thru beer barns have long been a staple of the Texas landscape, safe havens from the triple-digit summer temperatures along with providing an oasis of refreshment the year round.

However, Thirsty Penguin is far more than just a roadside stop to pick up a few beverages.

According to owner Brent Cloyd, he wanted to create an atmosphere where a community could congregate over a few cold ones by cultivating the small-town feeling longtime Liberty Hill residents have come to know and love.

“We made it so a family can come out here and the kids can play while the parents can enjoy a drink and some food,” said Cloyd. “There’s something for everyone to do–we’re not a traditional bar–that’s not what we were going for.”

As a result of its uniqueness and the instant popularity the establishment has gained since its opening in February 2022, Thirsty Penguin–located at 14751 W. State Hwy. 29–was voted Best Bar in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting.

Origin Story

When it came time to choose a name for his new place, Cloyd said he wanted a moniker that would reflect the frigid refreshment that would be available for his customers.

“It gets really hot here in Texas–100 degrees in the summer,” he said. “So, we wanted something that would have a cold theme and what better than a penguin?”

Once that decision was made, Cloyd commissioned a San Antonio artist to cover the entire front side of the building with a colorful scene featuring his new mascot holding a frosty drink

in front of a snow-covered palm tree with a snowy mountain range in the background.

Before all the aesthetics could come to fruition, though, Cloyd had to completely remodel the building following his purchase of the property–although the initial plan was far from what the finished product ended up being.

“I gutted and redid the entire place,” he said. “At first, I was going to make it into a rental.”

But, once a temporary waiver that allowed businesses to sell alcohol-to-go during the pandemic was signed into permanent law in 2021, Cloyd changed course.

“I’ve always liked the old beer barns,” he said. “So, we decided to go ahead with it.”

Featured Fare

Despite the fact Thirsty Penguin features a wide variety of beverages, including beer, liquor and wine, its primary attraction are the 12 frozen daiquiri machines that line the right wall as one rolls through in their vehicle.

Flavors such as blue raspberry, Texas peach, pina colada, orange rush and liquid marijuana are only the tip of the iceberg among the constantly-rotating varieties available to parched patrons–the end products of a painstaking process Cloyd cooks up in his own kitchen like a mad scientist devising creative concoctions in a laboratory.

“Sometimes, I’ll have 30 or 40 bottles on the counter at a time, experimenting with all different kinds of things, until a recipe is just right.” he said.

So, how exactly does he know when he’s hit the correct confectionary combination?

“I have some neighbors who like to drink,” said Cloyd. “There’s one lady in particular who’s very discerning, so when I get her approval, I know we’re good.”

Cloyd said he takes great pride in coming up with unique recipes for his daiquiries, which are all made from scratch–including seasonal varieties such as peppermint, pumpkin spice and leprechaun thin mint.

“We like to have some things that are different,” he said. “Not just the same old flavors.”

Of course, the experimentation continues with the seemingly endless combinations from mixing different flavors–such as the

“Bevo”–a nod to the University of Texas mascot–which is a blend of orange rush and pina colada and the “Texan,” which is a red, white and blue tribute to the Lone Star State’s colors, made of strawberry, pina colada and blue raspberry.

Outdoor Adventure

In addition to an outdoor, covered seating area that accommodates approximately 40 patrons, the one-acre site Thirsty Penguin sits on features a stage that hosts bands of various genres on Friday and Saturday nights, oversized “Connect Four” and beer pong games, along with cornhole lanes.

The biggest attraction of all is the one on which his younger guests enjoys themselves on, said Cloyd.

“By far, the playscape is the most popular thing we have,” he said. “We have so many kids, they’re standing in line waiting to use the swings, so we’re going to add more.”

Something else already in the works is an outdoor bar which is being converted from a vintage grain silo that will service the large crowds that frequent the outdoor venue.

“We found it on a 200-year-old ranch up in the Dallas area and had it trucked here,” said Cloyd. “Remodels are my passion.”

Also featured out back is Taqueria Mi Ranchito, a food truck that cooks up a wide variety of authentic Mexican food at affordable prices and only adds to the overall experience.

Happy Customers

Cloyd said one of the most rewarding aspects of the entire venture are the smiles he sees on faces when people arrive.

“The best part of what we do here is the people,” he said. “People are happy because they’re here to get drinks, so they’re excited.”

Turns out that excitement isn’t limited to only customers of the two-legged variety, either.

“People are always coming through with their dogs in their cars,” said Cloyd. “So, we started giving out free “pup cups,” which is whipped cream mixed with Milk-Bones. One lady gave her dog one and the next day when they were just passing by, once the dog saw our building, he jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran in to get another. She was going about 40 milesper-hour, but he wasn’t hurt.”

Now, that’s hitting a sweet spot with consumers, if there ever was one, along with the free ice Cloyd offers to people with no purchase necessary–which all goes back to his original business philosophy, he said.

“Look, we’re not corporate,” said Cloyd. “The community really seems to like us and we’ll always be investing in Liberty Hill.”

Featured at Thirsty Penguin are 12 different frozen daiquiri flavors on a rotating basis in addition to a wide variety of alcoholic beverages.

PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

An outdoor seating area with a music stage has been added to Thirsty Penguin to create a family-friendly atmosphere.

PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

THIRSTY PENGUIN

Best Bar

Runner Up - Best Liquor Store

Thirsty Penguin, owned by Brent Cloyd, was voted Best Bar in The Independent’s annual Best Of Liberty Hill balloting. PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Serving up authentic food for over two decades

Elena’s Mexican Restaurant has stood the test of time

BY RACHEL MADISON OWNER/PUBLISHER

For more than 20 years, Elena’s Mexican Restaurant has been serving the Liberty Hill community authentic Mexican food, and this year, the restaurant earned the title of “Best Mexican Food” in The Independent’s “Best of Liberty Hill” balloting.

Family-owned by mother Elena Soto (whom the restaurant is named after) and daughter Grecia Soto, Elena’s was originally opened in 2000 in Cedar Park, where Elena Soto served customers for about two years before moving to Liberty Hill in 2002.

“Someone ended up buying out the building we were in, so my mom was basically out of a job and stayed that way for about six months,” Grecia Soto said. “One day my parents were driving in the Liberty Hill area and saw the building our restaurant is in now was for lease. They looked into it and talked to the landlord and moved the restaurant to Liberty Hill.”

Grecia Soto remembers when her mom first started the restaurant in Liberty Hill –she was about 10 years old –and has a lot of fond memories growing up in the kitchen.

“I grew up working here,” Grecia Soto said. “I remember being in high school and working after school and even some of my friends would tag along and come work. I thought it was the coolest thing. It was a fun thing for me. Even now, I don’t see it as work. I know it is work, but it’s also fun. I love this environment.”

It was easy for Grecia Soto to be a part of the family business, as her family comes from a long line of entrepreneurs, she said.

“My grandma owned grocery stores in Michoacan, Mexico,” said Grecia Soto. “My mom along with her six sisters all helped out because it was a family business.”

When Elena Soto was 19, she moved to the United States, along with a few of her sisters. She started working in the restaurant industry right away.

“Later on, she wanted to start her own

Cedar Park and one in Lago Vista. Both of those are now closed, but my mom’s restaurant is still going strong.”

The building Elena’s is housed in is up for sale, Grecia Soto said, but the plan is for the business to purchase the building, which they’ve been leasing for the last 20-plus years.

“We want to stay here,” Grecia Soto said. “This is our home. We’ve had this restaurant for 21 years now. We are one of the oldest restaurants in Liberty Hill. We opened a long time ago when nothing was here but a little gas station. Throughout the years we’ve gotten all these other businesses, but we’ve always been here.”

The food at Elena’s is a Michoacan style, where Elena Soto comes from.

“Her recipes all come from things they’d make back home, with a twist of her own,” Grecia Soto said. “One of the most popular dishes from Michoacan would be chicken mole, which is very popular over there. Sometimes people here don’t know what it is, but it’s a very authentic sauce. We use a lot of spices, and it has a sweet and spicy flavor.”

Another popular Michoacan dish Elena’s serves is huarache.

“It’s a homemade, soft corn tortilla that’s flat and topped with beans, meat, lettuce,

tomatoes, fresh cheese and avocado,” Grecia Soto said. “When people try it, they love it because it’s so good. The dish is named after a Mexican sandal that is very popular in Michoacan. People there wear them every day, like people wearing Crocs here.”

Elena’s doesn’t stop at just lunch and dinner. The restaurant also serves Mexican breakfasts, which Grecia Soto said have been popular around town since the restaurant’s beginning.

“One of the main breakfast dishes in Mexico is chilaquiles, and ours are really good,” she said. “It’s a crispy corn tortilla mixed with sauce, sour cream and avocado. Plus, we add chicken to ours. It’s always served with a fried

egg.”

Other popular breakfasts include the pancake platter and the migas, served “daddy style,” which includes scrambled eggs, tortilla chips, pico de gallo, beef fajita and chile con queso.

Grecia Soto said some of the best parts about the menu at Elena’s are the items made from scratch, like the chile relleno, the red and green salsas, and the avocado sauce.

“Avocado is a big deal in Michoacan – it’s one of the main states where it’s grown in Mexico – so we use a lot of avocados on our plates,” Grecia Soto added.

After they purchase the building, the Sotos have plans to make additions to the restaurant so they can serve more customers, including an outdoor patio. Grecia Soto said she and her mom plan on staying in the restaurant business for as long as they can because they love it.

“We both love it,” she said. “There’s been times when my mom says she’s ready to retire, but it doesn’t happen because she loves it so much. We are a part of this community, and we are blessed to still be here after all these years. We had hard times in 2020 and managed to stay afloat. Now we just want to continue serving this community. Some of our customers we’ve had for over 20 years, and it’s really good to have that kind of support. To serve them is an honor.”

Elena’s is open for breakfast and lunch Sunday through Friday as well as dinner Wednesday through Friday. The restaurant is closed on Saturdays. For more information, visit elenasbarandgrill.com.

Grecia Soto and Elena Soto are the owners of Elena’s Mexican Restaurant. Elena Soto first opened the restaurant in Liberty Hill in 2002 and has been serving customers authentic Michoacan-style Mexican food for over 20 years.

PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

Chilaquiles and migas, served “daddy style,” are two of the most popular breakfast dishes on the menu at Elena’s Mexican Restaurant. PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON business,” Grecia Soto said. “Two of her sisters also opened restaurants around here –one in

ELENA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Best Mexican Food

The art of hair and makeup

Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon wins numerous “Best Of” awards

BY RACHEL MADISON OWNER/PUBLISHER

Lindsay Millican has loved doing hair since she was just a child. In fact, she used to invite friends over to her house for sleepovers with the solitary goal of styling their hair and doing their makeup, and then taking photos of her work. Fast forwarding to adulthood, not much has changed.

For the last 10 years, Millican has been doing hair professionally, first in California, where she is from, and then in Texas.

For the last year, she’s been doing hair in Liberty Hill at the salon she owns with business partner, Caitlin Abegglen, called Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon. Millican won Best Hair Colorist and Best Hair Stylist in The Independent’s “Best Of Liberty Hill” balloting.

“I like doing fun and trendy hair,” she said. “I love doing blending and balayage. I like things that are a challenge.”

Though the Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon is just celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, the salon also earned a slew of accolades in The Independent’s “Best Of Liberty Hill” balloting, including Best Hair Salon, Best Blowout, Best Bridal Salon and Best Makeup Salon.

Millican credits these winnings to the diverse group of employees she has working at her salon, adding that many of them just fell into her lap, but have made all the difference in the quality of service the salon offers.

“We have certain people who specialize in specific things, like blowouts, or blonding, or curly hair, or makeup,” she said. “When we first opened, I looked mainly for people who did hair styles, updos and makeup because that was more of our focus when we opened. I knew finding people who could do color wouldn’t be hard since that’s my forte and I know what to look for.”

Millican added that because the salon offers so many services, her employees get the chance to work in a lot of different areas, keeping their jobs interesting from day to day.

“I have people who will do color one or two days a week, and then work at the blow dry bar a couple of days a week,” she said. “Our stylists like working at different stations for a change of pace.”

In addition to everything hair, the salon also offers full makeup services, as well as long wear lashes, which are an artificial lash that lasts five to seven days after application.

“We have both a salon stash of makeup and a wedding kit of makeup that we travel with when we do weddings,” Millican said. “We offer Morphe, Nars and Airbrush cosmetics. The different brands are good because we can do makeup on all skin types and really customize everything for each customer.”

Millican said she and her employees travel frequently to do hair and makeup for weddings, and that branch of the business is growing rapidly. She is actively hiring to accommodate the upcoming wedding season, which is typically during the fall months in Central Texas, but she also has to occasionally use freelance makeup artists to help get the work done.

“We have a lot of wedding venues in the Liberty Hill area, and we are the preferred

vendor at Shooting Star Ranch in Liberty Hill,” she said. “Just in the last three days I’ve had 12 inquiries for hair and makeup for weddings, and these are for 10 to 15 people to get their hair and makeup done.”

Millican said initially when Powder Room opened, she and Abegglen weren’t planning on offering such a wide range of services, but she’s glad they’ve continued adding services over the last year.

“We are just different,” she said. “Now we even do men’s cuts and kid’s cuts. We are still the only blow dry bar in Williamson County. We have people come from as far as Killeen and Waco to get blowouts done.”

The Powder Room offers blowouts, deep conditioning treatments, dry styles, updos, braids, hair extensions, smoothing treatments, high glam and soft glow makeup applications, long-wear lashes, hair color and haircuts, and hair and makeup services for weddings and other special events.

“We are just different. Now we even do men’s cuts and kid’s cuts. We are still the only blow dry bar in Williamson County. We have people come from as far as Killeen and Waco to get blowouts done.”

Lindsay Millican

Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon

Co-owner

The Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon offers a wide range of services to customers, including blowouts, updos, makeup and long-wear lashes. PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

THE POWDER ROOM BLOW DRY BAR AND SALON

Bridal Salon Lindsey Millican - Best Hair Stylist & Best Hair Colorist

Lindsay Millican was voted Best Hair Stylist and Best Hair Colorist in this year’s Best of Liberty Hill balloting. Millican, along with her business partner, Caitlin Abegglen, are the duo behind the successful Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon. PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

Sipping and shopping

Mainstreet Marketplace margaritas voted best in town

BY RACHEL MADISON OWNER/PUBLISHER

If you’re looking for the best margaritas in Liberty Hill, then just take a shopping trip to Mainstreet Marketplace – the self-serve margarita machines are always on and always serving.

Mainstreet Marketplace owners Stacie and Jeff Kenyon were excited when they learned their frozen beverage was voted “Best Margarita” by readers of The Independent in the “Best Of Liberty Hill” balloting, because having a margarita machine was always a dream of Jeff ’s, said Stacie Kenyon,

“Jeff has always wanted a margarita machine in our house and I always thought, ‘Where would we put that?’” she said. “Instead, we got some for the store. We feel like

it’s something that gives us a distinction. Plus, it fits with the whole man cave vibe we have as well.”

The man cave vibe Stacie Kenyon is referring to is one of the shops inside Mainstreet Marketplace called Gasoline Alley, where the margarita machines are located. Gasoline Alley, run by Jeff Kenyon, is a store dedicated solely to men. It won “Best Men’s Store” in the “Best of Liberty Hill” balloting this year.

What makes Mainstreet Marketplace’s margaritas so good?

Stacie Kenyon said it’s the proprietary mix they serve, which they’ve named Gasoline Alley Famous Margarita Mix.

“All you do is add tequila to it, because the mix already has everything in it you need, which makes it super easy,” she said.

“The mix isn’t necessarily healthy, but it is good. It’s not too syrupy or too sweet.”

The Kenyons sell the mix by the half-gallon to the public for $24.99, which can be

used to make five gallons of frozen margaritas or margaritas on the rocks.

“We got the mix from a friend who is in the frozen drink business,” Stacie Kenyon said. “He sells it to us and we’re the only ones who carry it. You can’t buy it anywhere else, which is pre y cool.”

While the Kenyons only sell the original margarita flavor for now, Stacie Kenyon said in the future they may try out some new flavors. Regardless, the frozen drinks will always be available to shoppers for free

whenever they come in, she added.   Mainstreet Marketplace also won “Best Boutique” in the “Best Of Liberty Hill” balloting this year, which Stacie Kenyon said is thanks to the wide variety of vendors that sell there.

“We are constantly changing and ge ing new vendors,” she said. “Nothing ever stays the same, but all our vendors are always an incredible fit. They all have different styles, so there’s something for everyone. I think people like how unique we are – and the margaritas, of course.”

Mainstreet Marketplace owner Stacie Kenyon hangs out in one of the Marketplace’s shops, called Gasoline Alley, with a margarita. Kenyon said the margaritas at Mainstreet are popular because they aren’t too syrupy or sweet.

PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

MAIN STREET MARKETPLACE

Best Margarita, Best Boutique Best Men’s Store Runner up - Best Gift Shop

BEST ACCOUNTING

1st - Williamson Tax & Bookkeeping

2nd - The Well Account

BEST ACTIVITY VENUE

1st - Liberty Axe Throwing

2nd - Main Street Social

BEST AIR CONDITIONING

COMPANY

1st - Liberty Air

2nd - Schneider Mechanical

BEST ALL-AROUND CHURCH

1st - RockPointe Church

2nd - The Grove

2023 BEST OF LIBERTY HILL RESULTS

BEST ASIAN FOOD

1st - Happy Wok

2nd - An Thihn

BEST ATTORNEY

1st - Jamie Etzkorn

2nd - Shanna Valentine

BEST AUTO MECHANIC

1st - Aaron Schnelle - Capital Automotive & Transmission

2nd - JD Davis - Davis Tire and Automotive

BEST BARBERSHOP

1st - Community Barber Shop

2nd - The Hair Stop

BEST BEER

1st - Whiskey Barrel Pub

2nd - Agape BBQ

BEST BICYCLE SHOP

1st - Freedom Bikes

2nd - Winkley’s

BEST BLOWOUT

1st - Powder Room Blow Dry Bar

2nd - StudioB

BEST BOSS

1st - Dr. Thad Gillespie - Liberty Hill

Dental

2nd - Dr. Scot O’Donnell - Liberty Hill

Orthodontics

BEST BOUTIQUE

1st - Mainstreet Marketplace

2nd - Simply Home

BEST BREWERY

BEST ALL-AROUND RESTAURANT

1st - Agape BBQ

2nd - Whiskey Barrel Pub

BEST ARBOR CARE

1st - Certified Arbor Care

2nd - AABear Tree Care

BEST ARBORIST

1st - Lee Evans - Certified Arbor Care

2nd - AABear Tree Care

BEST AREA HOSPITAL

1st - Cedar Park Regional Medical Center

2nd - St. David’s Round Rock

BEST AUTO PARTS STORE

1st - Auto Zone 2nd - O’Reilly Auto Parts

BEST AUTO REPAIR

1st - Capital Automotive & Transmission 2nd - Davis Tire and Automotive

BEST BAKERY

1st - Liberty Hill Bakery 2nd - The Treat Box

BEST BANK

1st - Classic Bank

2nd - Security State Bank & Trust

BEST BAR

1st - Thirsty Penguin 2nd - Whiskey Barrel Pub

BEST BARBECUE

1st - Agape BBQ 2nd - Smokey Mo’s

BEST BARBER

1st - Anthony Kendig - Community Barbershop

2nd - Tim Fleming - The Hair Stop

1st - Whitestone Brewery

2nd - Hell or Highwater

BEST BRIDAL SALON

1st - Powder Room Blow Dry Bar

2nd - StudioB

BEST BURGER

1st - Major’s 2nd - Dahlia’s

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

RockPointe Church

Whiskey Barrel Pub

Liberty Axe Throwing

BEST CANDLE COMPANY

1st - Clayton Candle LLC

2nd - Blinded By The Light

BEST CHARITABLE/ NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

1st - Operation Liberty Hill

2nd - L4 Cares

BEST CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

1st - Dahlia’s

2nd - Liberty Hill Tavern

BEST CHILD CARE

1st - Happy Trails Learning Center

2nd - Little People Learning Place

BEST CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY

1st - Country Fire Volleyball

2nd - Urban Defense Academy

BEST CHILDREN’S

HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

1st - Liberty Hill Pediatrics

2nd - Care First Clinic

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

1st - Dr. Jeffry Popham

2nd - Dr. Jon Anderson

BEST CHURCH FOR WORSHIP

1st - RockPointe Church

2nd - The Grove

BEST CHURCH FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS

1st - RockPointe Church

2nd - The Grove

BEST CITY EMPLOYEE

1st - Katie Amsler

2nd - Jerry Millard

BEST COACH

1st - Nate Nelson - John’s Gym

2nd - Kim Palomo - Liberty Hill Youth League

BEST COFFEE

1st - Mojo Coffee

2nd - Perky Beans

BEST COMMUNITY FACEBOOK PAGE

1st - Liberty Hill Independent

2nd- Howdy Liberty Hill

BEST COMMUNITY INSTAGRAM

1st - Liberty Hill Independent

2nd - Howdy Liberty Hill

BEST COMMUNITY NEWS & INFORMATION

1st - Liberty Hill Independent

2nd - Liberty Hill Digest

BEST COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER

1st - Maureen Ivins - Operation Liberty Hill

2nd - Kendra Cofer - L4 Cares

BEST COMPUTER REPAIR

1st - Liberty Hill Computer

2nd - Longhorn Computers

Fire Oak Distillery

BEST DENTAL PRACTICE

1st - Liberty Hill Dental

2nd - West Family Dentistry

BEST DENTIST

1st - Dr. Angela West - West Family Dentistry

2nd - Dr. Thad Gillespie - Liberty Hill Dental

BEST DESSERT

1st - Dairy Queen

2nd - The Treat Box

BEST DISTILLERY

1st - Fire Oak Distillery

2nd - Schitz Creek Distillery

BEST DOG DAYCARE

1st - The Dog Ranch at Liberty Hill

2nd - Dancing Dog Bed & Biscuit

BEST DOG GROOMING

1st - Happy Dog Grooming

2nd - High Tails Pet Grooming

BEST COSMETIC INJECTOR

1st - Bethany Meyer - Signature Aesthetics

2nd - Beleza Surgery

BEST CUSTOM TEES & APPAREL

1st - Two Brand It

2nd - StudioB

BEST DAY SPA

1st - Royal Bliss Day Spa

2nd - Pure Remedy

BEST DENTAL HYGIENIST

1st - Marisa Wilson - West Family

Dentistry

2nd - Mary Jo Patschke - Liberty Hill Dental

BEST DOG TRAINER

1st - Lydia Bagley - The Dog Ranch at Liberty Hill

2nd - Tiffany Boundas - Trained by Tiffany

BEST DOG TRAINING

1st - The Dog Ranch at Liberty Hill

2nd - United K9 Academy

BEST DONUTS

1st - Grand Donuts

2nd - Donut Palace

BEST ELECTRICAL SERVICES

1st - Freedom Electrical Solutions

2nd - J & Co. Electrical Services

BEST ESTHETICIAN

1st - Averi Mazur - Signature Aesthetics

2nd - Brylee Burich - Royal Bliss Day Spa

BEST EYE DOCTOR

1st - Dr. Erica O’Brien - Vista Family Eye Care

2nd - Dr. James Hannigan - Liberty Hill Eye Associates

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Country Fire Volleyball

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

The Dog Ranch at Liberty Hill

Liberty Hill Dental

2023 BEST OF LIBERTY HILL RESULTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

1st - Agape BBQ

2nd - Dahlia’s

BEST FAST FOOD RESTAURANT

1st - Dairy Queen

2nd - Freedom’s Secret Ingredient

BEST FENCE COMPANY

1st - Fenced N Fencing

BEST FIREFIGHTER

1st - Wya Parker

2nd - Gary Denson

BEST FITNESS CENTER

1st - Rebel Fitness

2nd - John’s Gym

BEST FURNITURE STORE

1st - Blinded by the Light

2nd - Furniture Market

BEST GIFT SHOP

1st - Blue Door Gi Store & Boutique

2nd - Mainstreet Marketplace

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN

1st - Liberty Hill Independent

2nd - Digitex

BEST HAIR COLORIST

1st - Lindsay Millican - Powder Room

Blow Dry Bar

2nd - Jaime Amezquita - The Indigo

Salon

BEST HAIR SALON

1st - Powder Room Blow Dry Bar

2nd - The Indigo Salon

BEST HOME IMPROVEMENT BUSINESS

1st - Freedom Rainwater

2nd - Texas Gu er Guys

BEST HOME REMODELING & REPAIR

1st - McKinnis Roofing

2nd - Stone Canyon Homes

BEST HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE

1st - Maids & More Cleaning Service

2nd - Bizzy Bees Cleaning Company

BEST INSURANCE AGENT

1st - Christa McCoy- McCoy’s Farmers Agency

2nd - Ryan Torres - State Farm

BEST INSURANCE COMPANY

1st - McCoy’s Farmers Agency

2nd - Texas Classic Insurance

BEST IV LOUNGE

1st - Signature Aesthetics

2nd - Austin MD

BEST FLOWER SHOP

1st - Fletcher’s Florals

2nd - All Stems From Sophia

BEST FOOD PANTRY & RESOURCE CENTER

1st - Operation Liberty Hill

BEST FOOD TRUCK

1st - The Food Dood

2nd - KO Barbecue

FRIENDLIEST EMPLOYEE

1st - Ginger Floyd, RE/MAX Town & Country

2nd - Alex Sanchez, John’s Gym

BEST FRIES

1st - Major’s

2nd - McDonald’s

BEST HAIR STYLIST

1st - Lindsay Millican - Powder Room Blow Dry Bar

2nd - Brandi New - StudioB

BEST HANDMADE ACCESSORIES

1st - Bows by Lizz

2nd - Parker’s Place Designs

BEST HARDWARE STORE

1st - Winkley’s General Store

2nd - McCoy’s Building Supply

BEST HOME BUILDER

1st - Prince Custom Homes

2nd - Hollywood Custom Homes

BEST HOME DECOR

1st - Blue Door Gi Store & Boutique

2nd - Blinded by the Light

BEST JEWELRY STORE

1st - Blue Door Gi Store & Boutique

2nd - Blinded by the Light

BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION

1st - On Demand Sprinklers

2nd - Primos Landscaping

BEST LANDSCAPE LIGHTING DESIGN & INSTALLATION

1st - On Demand Sprinklers

2nd - Southern Landscape Solutions

BEST LANDSCAPING SUPPLY

1st - Whi lesey Landscape Supplies

BEST LAWN IRRIGATION/SPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTRACTOR

1st - On Demand Sprinklers

2nd - Primos Landscaping

BEST LAWN CARE SERVICE

1st - Aden Stevens Lawn Care Services

2nd - XXL Landscaping

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Operation Liberty Hill

Freedom Rainwater Agape BBQ

BEST LUMBER YARD

1st - McCoy’s Building Supply

2nd - Higginbotham Brothers

BEST MAKEUP SALON

1st - Powder Room Blow Dry Bar

2nd - StudioB

BEST MARGARITA

1st - Mainstreet Marketplace

2nd - Jardin Corona

BEST MARTIAL ARTS

1st - Urban Defense Academy

2nd - John’s Gym

BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST

1st - Brylee Burich - Royal Bliss Day Spa

2nd - Amber Jackson - Pure Remedy

BEST MED SPA

1st - Royal Bliss Day Spa

2nd - Signature Aesthetics

BEST MEDICAL DOCTOR

1st - Dr. Walter Chesshir - Liberty Hill Physician Associates

2nd - Dr. Krupaben Patel - Austin Regional Clinic, Liberty Hill

BEST MEDICAL PRACTICE

1st - Care First Clinic

2nd - Liberty Hill Pediatrics

BEST MEDICARE INSURANCE AGENT

1st - Emily Hanson - Hanson Insurance Agency

2nd - Tia Prue - Hanson Insurance Agency

BEST MEDICARE INSURANCE COMPANY

1st - Hanson Insurance Agency

2nd - Be er Coverage with Bolton

BEST MEN’S STORE

1st - Mainstreet Marketplace

2nd - Liberty Hill Outfi ers

BEST MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

1st - Liberty Hill Child and Family Counseling

2nd - Dove Salerno, LMFT

BEST MEXICAN FOOD

1st - Elena’s Mexican Restaurant

2nd - Jardin Corona

BEST MORTGAGE COMPANY

1st - Guild Mortgage, The Cheryl New Team

2nd - LendFriend

BEST NAIL SALON

1st - Absolute Nails

2nd - Season Nails

BEST NAIL TECHNICIAN

1st - Ket Vora - Absolute Nails

2nd - Fiona - Noir Nail Bar

BEST NETWORKING GROUP

1st - Georgetown, Round Rock & Austin

Women’s Networking Social (GRRAWNS)

2nd - Networking Local

BEST NURSE

1st - Kaela Thurman, Care First Clinic

2nd - Elissa Spradlin

BEST NURSE PRACTICIONER

1st - Kaela Thurman - Care First Clinic

2nd - Tiffani Sco - Liberty Hill Pediatrics

BEST OIL CHANGE

1st - Davis Tire and Automotive

2nd - Kwik Kar

BEST ORTHODONTICS

1st - Liberty Hill Orthodontics

2nd - Ortho 360

BEST OUTDOOR BUILDER

1st - Hill Country Outdoor Builders

2nd - Hollywood Custom Homes

BEST OUTDOOR/ HUNTING SUPPLIES

1st - Winkley’s

2nd - Higginbotham Brothers

2023 BEST OF LIBERTY HILL RESULTS

BEST PARTYWARE/SUPPLIES

1st - Fletcher’s Florals

2nd - Dollar General

BEST PASTOR

1st - Sco Heider - The Grove

2nd - Shayne O’Brien - RockPointe Church

BEST PERSONAL STYLIST

1st - Dawn Bozarth - Cabi

2nd - Whitney Petroski - Ginger Roots Boutique

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER

1st - Holly Johnson - Warrior Wellness

2nd- Jeanne e Glosson - Roman Vitus

BEST PEST CONTROL

1st - Research Pest Control

2nd - Ashley’s Pest Control

BEST PHARMACY

1st - Liberty Hill Pharmacy

2nd - H-E-B Pharmacy

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

1st - Kendra Lynn Cofer Photography

2nd - Heather Beckham Photography

BEST PHYSICAL THERAPIST

1st - Katy Felder - Liberty Hill Physical Therapy

2nd - Justin Tanton - Texas Physical Therapy

BEST PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINIC

1st - Texas Physical Therapy

2nd - PT Solutions

BEST PIZZA

1st - Fratelli Pizza

2nd - Double Dave’s Pizzaworks

BEST PLACE FOR A DATE NIGHT

1st - Agape BBQ

2nd - Hell or Highwater

BEST PLACE FOR GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

1st - Hell or Highwater

2nd - Liberty Tavern

BEST PLUMBING COMPANY

1st - Vaquero Plumbing

2nd - On-Call Plumbing

BEST POLICE OFFICER

1st - David Joiner - Liberty Hill Police Department

2nd - Brandon Akin

BEST PORTABLE BUILDINGS

1st - Moore Liberty Buildings

2nd - Lowe’s

BEST POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE

1st - Bob Brady

2nd - Susan Ki rell

BEST PRESCHOOL

1st - Hilltop Children’s Center

2nd - Divine Savior Academy

BEST PRINCIPAL

1st - Monica Miller - Liberty Hill Middle School

2nd - Heather Collison - Liberty Hill Elementary School

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Urban Defense Academy

Fratelli Pizza

BEST PRINTING

1st - DigiTex Printing

2nd - 360 Printing Solutions

BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL

1st - Fellowship Academy

2nd - Divine Savior Academy

BEST PROFESSIONAL HOME INSPECTION

1st - Overall Inspection Services

2nd - Inspect It Austin

BEST PROPANE PROVIDER

1st - P&R Propane

2nd - Action Propane

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

1st - Jessica Murdock - Magnolia Realty

2nd - Phil Monday - Monday Realty Group powered by Keller Williams Lone Star

BEST REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

1st - A. Gandy & Co.

2nd - RE/MAX Town & Country

BEST RESTAURANT SERVER

1st - Barbie Molina - Jardin Corona

2nd - Grecia Soto - Elena’s Mexican Restaurant

BEST ROOFING COMPANY

1st - McKinnis Roofing

2nd - Freetail Roofing

BEST SALAD

1st - Dahlia’s

2nd - Major’s

BEST SALSA

1st - Jardin Corona

2nd - Elena’s Mexican Restaurant

BEST SANDWICH

1st - Dahlia’s

2nd - Subway

BEST SCHOOL BUS DRIVER

1st - Stacy Cox

2nd - Gayle Payne

BEST SCHOOL CAFETERIA EMPLOYEE

1st - Tara Reyes

2nd - Coco Serrato

BEST SEAFOOD

1st - Coop to Coast

2nd - Hell or Highwater

BEST STORAGE FACILITY

1st - Best Li le Storehouse in Texas

2nd - Storage King

BEST STORE FOR PANTHER GEAR

1st - Blue Door Gi Store & Boutique

2nd - Two Brand It

BEST SUMMER CAMP

1st - Hilltop Children’s Center

2nd - Camp Fellowship

BEST SWEET TREATS

1st - The Treat Box

2nd - Jessicakes

BEST SWIM SCHOOL

1st - Water Baby Infant Aquatics

2nd - Joy Swim School

BEST SWIMMING POOL COMPANY

1st - Laguna Clara Custom Pools

2nd - Paradise Pools & Spas

BEST TACO

1st - Texas Taco Kitchen

2nd - Jardin Corona

BEST TEACHER

1st - Katie Kindle - Santa Rita Middle School

2nd - Michaila Spradlin - Liberty Hill High School

BEST THRIFT STORE

1st - Operation Liberty Hill

2nd - Country Girl Consignment

BEST TIRE DEALER

1st - Discount Tire

2nd - Davis Tire and Automotive

BEST TITLE COMPANY

1st - Independence Title 2nd - Austin Title

BEST TOWING COMPANY

1st - Liberty Hill Towing & Recovery 2nd - SAS Towing

BEST TRAVEL AGENT

1st - Joree Shields - World Showcase Vacations

2nd - Vicky Hassell - No Agent Fees Travel

BEST WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

1st - American Water Kinetico

2nd - Culligan

BEST WEDDING/ SPECIAL EVENT VENUE

1st - Diamond Barrel

Wedding & Event Venue

2nd - Lone Star Oaks

BEST WESTERN WEAR STORE

1st - Ginger Roots Boutique

2nd - Tractor Supply

BEST WINDOW CLEANING

1st - Prue Window Care

2nd - King’s Window Cleaning

BEST YOUTH GYMNASTICS

1st - Gold Medal Gymnastics

2nd - Courage Cheer & Dance United

BEST YOUTH RECREATIONAL SPORTS ORGANIZATION

1st - Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club

2nd - Liberty Hill Youth League

BEST SMALL ENGINE REPAIR

1st - Quick Start Small Engine Repair

2nd - Davis Tire and Automotive

BEST SPRAY TAN

1st - Royal Bliss Day Spa

2nd - Liberty Hill Beauty Bar

BEST URGENT CARE

1st - Care First Clinic 2nd - Access Health Urgent Care

BEST VETERINARY CLINIC

1st - Liberty Hill Animal Hospital

2nd - Comanche Trail Veterinary Center

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Fellowship Academy

Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club

Liberty Hill Animal Hospital

‘What it means to be a Panther’

Liberty Hill Middle School principal aims to carry on Purple-and-Gold culture

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH OWNER/PUBLISHER

Monica Miller recalls her first drive through Liberty Hill as if it was yesterday.

“I remember the day I drove down Highway 29 and saw the old water tower, the high school and then finally old Panther Stadium,” said Miller, of her initial visit in 2009. “It was like anyone who is interviewing for a job – just going around and seeing the place. Liberty Hill had that small-town feel and it’s a feeling I still remember whenever I’m driving back from Georgetown and I get to the top of the hill and can see all the way down.”

Miller was instantly smi en with the town that would soon become her new home – a place she’s remained for the past 15 years – first as a teacher and coach before moving into administration and serving as associate principal of Liberty Hill High School for three years before taking the principal post at Liberty Hill Middle School, where she’s been for the past two years.

For her undying devotion to the Purple-andGold, Miller was voted “Best Principal” in The Independent’s annual “Best of Liberty Hill” balloting – a selection she certainly doesn’t take lightly, she said.

“I’m honored the Lord has chosen me to lead here and serve this community,” said Miller. “Especially working on this campus alongside such exceptional people, students and staff.”

However, despite her prowess and popularity as an administrator, Miller held off on making the transition from the classroom to the front

“I had my admin credentials for four years, but wasn’t ready to give up teaching and coaching because it’s what I loved – having an impact on young ladies,” she said, of the 19 years she spent in classrooms and on fields and courts. “Even now, I still consider myself a teacher –only I’m a teacher of teachers.”

According to Miller, it was an epiphany she had that finally swayed her to switch over.

“I realized the Lord didn’t bless me with three wonderful children so I could miss out on their lives,” said Miller, who currently has seventh, ninth and 11th-graders. “I would find myself coaching other people’s kids and be wondering how my own were doing.”

Miller taught English and coached volleyball, basketball, cross country, track and tennis before moving into an administrative role and still carries the same enthusiasm as a principal she once displayed in her days on the sidelines

– which plays right into her overall philosophy as a leader.

“If I get excited about things, then my staff gets excited,” she said. “Once the staff is excited, the kids get excited.”

Miller said she even goes a bit overboard sometimes, but that’s just who she is.

“I’m a li le crazy,” she said. “When we sent the volleyball team to state, I was running back and forth in front of the kids leading the cheers. If part of my job description is to to act the fool sometimes, so be it.”

In order to keep morale high among students and staff, Miller is constantly on the lookout for new, creative ways to do exactly that, she said.

“Our mo o is ‘Be The Exception,’” said Miller. “Whether that’s athletics, test scores, behavior or whatever. So, every month, we give out purple beads to our students of the month and students can nominate teachers of the week.”

Coaching mentality

Part of Miller’s platform as an educational leader are the many lessons she learned over the years from fellow coaches she worked with a er arriving in Liberty Hill and how they relate to maintaining the excellence Panthers of all kinds are known for, she said.

“I got to coach with Coach (retired Liberty Hill head football coach and athletic director Jerry) Vance and Coach (former volleyball and

current track coach Gretchen) Peterson,” said Miller. “So, I know what it takes to be a champion and a Liberty Hill Panther.”

As Liberty Hill continues to grow and with a second high school on the horizon in the near future, Miller takes the responsibility of preserving Panthers culture very seriously.

“Of course, there are challenges as we keep ge ing bigger,” she said. “How do we maintain what it means to be a Panther to those who don’t know? What is the feeling of a Friday night in Liberty Hill? It’s a li le thing, but it’s really not. I’m really fortunate I have some kids whose parents grew up here and remember the history we have.”

Aside from her athletic background, Miller is glad Liberty Hill has evolved in an all-encompassing manner, she said.

“The biggest difference between now and when I got here was back then it was a very athletics-focused town and community,” said Miller. “But, now it’s a blessing to see all the other things we have like choir and band, for example, that allow even more kids to be involved with being a Panther.”

Changing landscape

For the entire 2022-23 school year, the campus of Liberty Hill Middle School has been in the midst of extensive remodeling and expansion, which has added to her list of concerns, said Miller.

Liberty Hill Middle School’s Monica Miller was voted Best Principal in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting. PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

MONICA MILLER

Best Principal

The Board of Directors of Classic Bank

as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board

The Board of Directors of Classic Bank N.A. announce the appointment of John D. Minor as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.

Previously, Minor served as the President and Chief Lending Officer for Classic Bank. Minor is a third-generation banker with over 30 years of banking experience in Central Texas and holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Baylor University.

The Board of Directors also announce the promotion of Lisa Kerschner as Chief Lending Officer, as well as the naming of Regional Presidents over Classic Bank’s seven locations. Gary PietschGiddings and Thorndale, Justin Tucker - Rosebud, Cameron, and Rockdale, and Mark Lehnick - Bastrop and Liberty Hill.

CEO Minor has a clear vision to continue Classic on its path to building relationships, supporting the communities we serve, and to move the bank forward into the future while keeping our focus on the faith that has guided Classic along its journey.

Liberty Hill Bakery offers allergen-free menu full of flavor

Proof positive healthy treats can still be delicious, enjoyable

BY RACHEL MADISON OWNER/PUBLISHER

What do cakes, cookies and scones all have in common?

Usually, it’s a lot of sugar, gluten, dairy and other allergens, but not when it comes to the baked goods at Liberty Hill Bakery, which earned “Best Bakery” in The Independent’s “Best Of Liberty Hill” balloting this year.

Maiah Miller, the owner and brains behind the recipes at Liberty Hill Bakery, has dealt with numerous food allergies most of her life and because of that, wanted to start baking things she could eat that actually tasted good.

“I started baking gluten free and vegan and avoiding all the common allergens,” she said. “There are a lot of negative stereotypes about the taste and texture of gluten free items –that they don’t taste like the real thing – but a lot of people tell me I bake the best treats they’ve ever had.”

Miller said the secret to her baked goods is she uses natural and organic ingredients whenever she can and her sweets offer a low sugar content, oftentimes being sweetened with apple sauce instead of sugar.

“It also helps people are veering away from the overly sweet and overly frosted desserts,” she said. “Parents are also more aware of what their kids are eating. All the food dyes that are in foods can be problematic, which is why I use fruit and vegetable dyes instead to color my cakes.”

Miller said it’s fun to hear her customers’ surprise when they find out they’re eating an allergen-free dessert.

“I’ve been working on these recipes since I was 20 years old and even though I think they taste great, it’s nice to hear that my recipes taste good when someone who is used to eating gluten and dairy and sugar tries them,” she said.

Miller and her family moved to Liberty Hill in summer 2022 after her husband left active duty in the military. She has twin 7-year-old daughters and an infant son.

“We had moved all over the country because my husband was in the military, so we knew we wanted to be in a place with a lot of kids that was safe and had good schools. That’s why we chose Liberty Hill,” said Miller, who is originally from Oregon. “We were looking for a forever home and place to put down our roots.”

A few months after moving to Liberty Hill, Miller started selling baked goods in her neighborhood, Santa Rita Ranch, as well as at a few local markets.

“I got my name out pretty quickly because when people knew someone with a food allergy, they started to think about Liberty Hill Bakery,” she said. “When I did things like cupcakes for a kid’s birthday party and one of the kids had a gluten allergy and another had a dairy allergy, I was still able to make cupcakes for all the kids. That got people interested.”

After a few months, Miller expanded her services by baking her treats in a commercial kitchen at Sanctuary Holistic Kitchen in Georgetown. She now sells her baked goods there, as well as at Mojo Coffee in Liberty Hill and Waterloo Coffee Company at the South Fork Food Truck Park.

Miller’s most popular item is her chocolate chip chia cookie, which is gluten, dairy, soy, egg and nut free.

“It has a lot of chia seeds in it, which can be used to replace eggs in recipes because they help to bind like eggs do,” she said. “People love the cookies because they’re really filling and rich.”

Miller also makes custom allergen-free cakes and cupcakes.

“I’ve always made my own kids’ cakes and cupcakes for their birthdays, so that was a given when I started this bakery,” she said. “I do all the decorating and design as well.”

Miller added that she’s trying to decide if she enjoys doing wholesale orders or custom orders more, but it’s hard to decide between the two.

“I really like making custom cakes,” she said. “I’ve even done small wedding cakes. I don’t make giant wedding cakes because I have more of a minimalistic aesthetic, but I have a lot of fun with my designs. Recently, I made cupcake bouquets that looked like flowers and a lot of people loved that. Decorating cakes is a fun way to use my creativity, so a lot of times I’ll make a design up and then if other people like it, I’ll add it to my menu.”

Miller’s personal favorite recipe is her zucchini bread.

“It’s based on a recipe my mom had growing up, which is just full of oil and sugar and eggs, so I made

it my own,” she said. “I wanted to create something healthier, and it took me a long time to get it right, but I use ingredients like nutmeg and sesame seeds, plus it has a really good maple flavor. It’s really good overall and a nice, fluffy bread. You wouldn’t know it’s gluten free if you tried it. That’s a popular one to eat with coffee.”

One of Miller’s newest creations is her vanilla bean scone.

“I just added those and they’ve been doing really well at Mojo and Waterloo,” she said.

She also recently added cake push pops to her menu, which are similar to the frozen treat of the same name, but instead are layered with cake, frosting and sprinkles.

“Those make great wedding favors or treats for kids’ parties,” she said.

Miller has opened different baking businesses before in several places the family was stationed, but always ended up having to close up shop and move on when they were given a new assignment.

“Now that we live somewhere permanently, I can put my time and effort into the business and go all in,” she said. “It started as a homebased business and then I transitioned and started coming into a commercial kitchen so I could expand. Eventually, I would love to have a storefront in Liberty Hill where people can hang out and have coffee and treats.”

Miller added that she’s not in a rush to open a storefront—her youngest child is not even a year old yet—but she thinks it’s a much-needed amenity in Liberty Hill.

“People who are allergic or have stomach issues can’t just eat whatever they want and they can’t eat inflammatory,” she said. “It’s good for them to have options.”

Miller said she knows her baked goods are different from the mainstream offerings.

“I get that many people would automatically assume everything will taste gross because they’re gluten free and vegan, but I promise nothing is,” she said. “So far I’ve had a lot of acceptance from the Liberty Hill community and I’m excited to keep coming up with new items to share with them.”

For more information or to place an order, visit libertyhillbakery.com or follow Liberty Hill Bakery on Instagram and Facebook.

Liberty Hill

Bakery owner Maiah Miller makes a variety of allergen-free baked goods, including her most popular item, chocolate chip chia cookies, which are gluten, dairy, soy, egg and nut free.

PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

LIBERTY HILL BAKERY Best Bakery

Making martial arts fun

Best Coach incorporates enjoyment into training regimen

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH OWNER/PUBLISHER

When a student steps onto the mat at John’s Gym to train in the martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Nate Nelson wants to ensure one thing over all else.

“Jiu-jitsu is supposed to be fun,” said Nelson, an instructor and co-owner of the gym, located on Jonathan Drive just off State Highway 29 in Liberty Hill. “Nobody wants to get yelled at or anything.”

For his emphasis on enjoyment, Nelson was named Best Coach in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting.

Ironically, when Nelson first attempted to take up the sport, his initial experience wasn’t very enjoyable.

“I was in a situation that wasn’t beginner-friendly,” he said. “It’s not very fun when you’re constantly getting smashed on the mat by more advanced people.”

So, Nelson gravitated to muay thai – or “Thai boxing,” as its known –a combat sport that incorporates striking with punches and kicks along with various grappling techniques.

However, before too long, he decided to give jiu-jitsu another shot in part due to a difficult patch in his personal life, he said.

“I was going through a rough time and I needed

something different,” said Nelson, a Utah native who also lived in Colorado before moving to Austin in 2014. “Jiu-jitsu really helped me get balance in my life and also improved my fitness level.”

Moving to Texas

Nelson and then-girlfriend-now-wife Z decided to leave the rugged winter weather of the Rocky Mountain region behind for Central Texas for a myriad of reasons, he said.

“I got tired of the cold,” said Nelson, who works in the technology industry and was attracted by the Austin job market in the field. “But, my ex-wife and her husband were also moving to Texas, both families wanted to move together and it made sense, so I could see my kids as much as I wanted.”

When it came time to find a gym, Nelson had a plan.

“I had a list of gyms to try and John’s Gym was the first one we went to because it was right next to the storage place where we had our stuff,” he said. “After that, we didn’t need to go to any more.”

One turned out to be the magic number for Nelson, as he immediately fell in love with not only the gym, but the sport that had been initially so cruel at the first time of asking.

“I just liked the friendly atmosphere there,” said Nelson. “At a lot of the gyms, it’s very strict

asfar as bowing the right way and having all kinds of weird, unwritten rules that turn people off, but it wasn’t like that at John’s. Learning a martial art shouldn’t feel like a job.”

In fact, once Nelson became adept enough at his newfound passion, he decided the natural progression was to become a coach at the gym where he still trains with owner John Ramseier before getting the proverbial offer he couldn’t refuse a few years later.

“They were looking to expand into Liberty Hill and at first I wasn’t interested,” said Nelson. “But then I had the opportunity to go in with (business partner and co-owner) Alex (Sanchez) and I felt much more comfortable.”

In the three years since, the Liberty Hill location has continued to boom with its assortment of adult and children’s classes, which plays right along with Nelson’s philosophy, he said.

“When I was coaching at the Austin gym, I ran the beginners’ program and started helping with the kids’ class,” said Nelson. “I love coaching and it’s something I take a lot of pride in.”

Nelson first realized he was cut out for his current role when he decided to coach his daughter in softball, he said.

“We signed her up to play and at first, she didn’t want to,” said Nelson, who played multiple sports in high school with baseball as his primary focus. “I made her a deal I would volunteer to coach if she tried it. We ended up doing it for six years and coaching her was one of the best experiences of my life. It was during that time I realized how much I loved coaching.”

‘Still a student’

Despite the fact Nelson holds a black belt, he recognizes the fact martial arts is an endeavor in which one never stops learning.

“The biggest difference between what we do and other sports is in martial arts, the coaches are still students themselves and we train right alongside the athletes we teach,” he said. “We’re always gaining new knowledge, then have the ability to pass it along to our students and make

them better.”

According to Nelson, the most gratifying aspect of coaching jiu-jitsu isn’t unlike many teachers, be they athletic or academic.

“The light-bulb moments when you see somebody try something you’ve taught them and it works,” said Nelson. “I really enjoy seeing people improve.”

However, in order to maximize each of his students’ individual learning curves, Nelson also recognizes the various styles of how people comprehend instructions.

“I’ve always been interested in how people learn and how the brain works and adapts,” he said. “I can cater my teaching style to that particular person and be able to keep them motivated.”

Coach to your audience

Nelson said coaching jiu-jitsu effectively requires an ability to always remember exactly who you’re teaching at a given time.

“With adults, you need to treat them like adults and with respect–we understand people have other life responsibilities–so if you can only make it to one class a week, that’s fine and we’ll give someone back what they put into the sport,” he said. “We also let students ask questions during class as opposed to some gyms where that’s frowned upon.”

As for the youngsters, there’s one critical element that’s added into the equation.

“Discipline,” said Nelson. “You need to pay attention and focus.”

Regardless of the age of the student, though, Nelson highlighted one attribute all need to truly grasp and learn the techniques he teaches.

“Jiu-jitsu isn’t easy and you have to learn how to struggle,” he said. “Especially in the beginning when you might be getting smashed every day and it can be not very fun depending on how you look at it. But, if you can fight your way through, handle the pressure and come out on the other side, that’s a life lesson.”

John’s Gym co-owner and instructor Nate Nelson was named Best Coach in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting for his jiu-jitsu instruction. PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Co-owners Nate Nelson and Alex Sanchez demonstrate proper technique during a jiu-jitsu class at John’s Gym in Liberty Hill. PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

NATE NELSON Best Coach

Picking the right people

‘Best Boss’ stresses quality recruitment as critical to success

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH OWNER/PUBLISHER

When Dr. Thad Gillespie needs to add to the staff of his practice at Liberty Hill Dental, he has a tried-and-true method for making sure he hires the right candidate.

“We do group interviews,” said Gillespie. “But, it’s not just me–we have the entire staff there.”

As a result of this unique hiring process, Gillespie can ensure he always gets the proper personnel–those he and his other employees will be able to mesh with and harmoniously

co-exist in the workplace.

For this and how he treats his employees, Gillespie was voted Best Boss in The Independent’s annual Best Of Liberty Hill balloting.

Finding the right folk

According to Gillespie, the entire premise of creating a friendly work atmosphere employees enjoy being in relies entirely on this technique.

“The first thing is you have to hire the right people,” said Gillespie, who has practiced dentistry for 43 years and done so in LibertyHill at his current location since 2002. “After that, it

becomes a lot easier when everything is based on respect.”

Along those lines, having a keen understanding and consideration of what might be going on in the lives of employees outside the workplace is critical, he said.

“We all have various trials and tribulations we go through before and after work each day,” said Gillespie. “If you have the wrong people on the bus, so to speak, it’s not easy in those kinds of situations.”

Establishing stability

Once in the fold, Gillespie recognizes the need for a certain structure in the workplace–although not one that is based on sucking the life out of his employees–but, rather one that provides a certain sense of order without being overwhelming.

“We always try hard to work on drafting protocols for everything we do in the office,” said Gillespie. “You can’t micro-manage. But, if you have the right people on board, you can teach them how you want things done and then just let them do their job.”

career in fillings, crowns and bridges, he said.

“My dad was a pharmacist–he steered me away from that–and I saw the hours our family physician worked and thought that was crazy,” said Gillespie. “Then in the sixth grade, I had a local dentist help me with a science project and he seemed like a cool guy. It wasn’t long after that I decided to be a dentist.”

After matriculating through Midwestern State University in his hometown, Gillespie moved on to the University of Texas’ Dental Branch in Houston before serving as a dentist in the U.S. Air Force for four years, then finally opening his own practice in Austin in 1985.

Following a run in the capitol that ran over 15 years, Gillespie had an epiphany one day while attending a school function in Liberty Hill, where he and wife Kerstin already called home.

Dr. Thad Gillespie

Liberty Hill Dental

Of course, that entire premise goes back to the original hiring process.

“When we do these group interviews, not only is our entire staff in the room, but all the candidates are in there together at the same time, too,” he said. “It’s not just (Dr.) Chris (Felicetta) and I asking the questions, either. We let the staff ask questions and include open-ended questions. It’s interesting to see how the candidates interact with one another. Do they support each other or do they start throwing knives?”

At the end of the day when a decision must be made, despite the fact he and Felicetta have the last say, Gillespie will always take into consideration what the rest of the staff thinks and more times than not, will trust their instincts, he said.

“The entire rest of our staff are women and I don’t always rate the same way they do,” said Gillespie. “Chris and I make the final decision, but usually the group’s intuition is right on.”

Certainly, the proof is in the pudding, he said. “What we do must work,” said Gillespie. “Because we have a very low turnover rate.”

Choosing dentistry

Gillespie originally hails from Wichita Falls, Texas, where he was first inspired to pursue a

“We were at a kindergarten roundup for our kids and I suddenly realized all these children and their parents needed dental care and in those days, Liberty Hill didn’t have any dentists,” he said. “I decided I didn’t want to be driving to work in Austin and passing somebody else’s office right here.”

Musically-inclined

When Gillespie isn’t busy wielding a drill, he just might be strumming a guitar as a member of “The Boot Rock Boys,” a local band he’s been a part of for the past three years, playing gigs at various spots around town.

“Brent Parsons led the group and at first, we just did lessons,” he said. “But, I’ve been around guitars for a long time and eventually we started talking about playing some places. It’s a lot of fun, but I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon.”

Wise words

Gillespie partially attributes his likability among his employees to the fact his practice is on solid ground when it comes to the bottom line, which is advice he would give to young dentists looking to strike out on their own, although it still returns to his primary philosophy, he said.

“Managing money is so important because when you do that properly, you don’t feel pressured, which can affect how you treat people,” said Gillespie. “But, it all goes back to having the right people in the first place.”

Dr. Thad Gillespie of Liberty Hill Dental credits hiring good people to being voted Best Boss in The Independent’s annual Best Of Liberty Hill balloting. PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

“The first thing is you have to hire the right people. After that, it becomes a lot easier.”

THAD GILLESPIE

Best Boss

Liberty Hill eye doctor focuses on personalized vision care

O’Brien heads up recently opened Vista Family Eye Care

BY RACHEL MADISON OWNER/PUBLISHER

Dr. Erica O’Brien has 20 years of experience working in the eye care industry, but it’s not just experience that earned her the “Best Eye Doctor” title in The Independent’s Best Of Liberty Hill balloting.

“I fell in love with the community in Liberty Hill, and when I started researching, I saw there was a market with all the growth here,” O’Brien said. “I got brave and decided if all the cards fell in the right place, I’d open my own practice, and here I am. It’s been really rewarding so far.”

Her practice, Vista Family Eye Care, opened in Liberty Hill in May. Though she initially didn’t see herself as a business owner, O’Brien saw the potential in Liberty Hill with the growth and knew in her heart that it was where she needed to open a practice.

O’Brien added that she also wanted to create a legacy for her family and her children – she has a son and a daughter –and has been grateful for the supportive small business community Liberty Hill affords.

“I also wanted to create a se ing where we could provide personalized family eye care to patients of all ages,” she said. “I want to make every patient feel special and important, and like their concerns are heard. I’m a pre y detail-oriented person, so I feel like I can look beyond

just what they’re coming in for – and find other pieces of the puzzle that could optimize their vision.”

O’Brien has lived in Liberty Hill for nearly 10 years. Previous to opening her practice, she worked as a clinical director over three optometry clinics in Austin and San Antonio.

“The clinics were specialty practices that helped people work on vision-related learning issues, sport vision training, post-concussion rehab and low vision rehab,” O’Brien said. “While Vista doesn’t do those services, I have experience looking outside the box. Some people come in thinking their glasses are causing their blurry vision, but that’s not always the case.”

Her bachelor’s degree is in psychology from the University of Texas, and she went to the University of Houston for optometry.

O’Brien also served as adjunct faculty for the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. She hosted a residency program in her clinics and supervised the students as they worked on their optometry degrees.

In addition to her education, O’Brien has a long list of accolades, like a fellowship from The College of Optometrists in Vision Development. In optometry school, she was awarded clinical le ers of excellence and distinguished awards in Neuro-Ophthalmology and Medical Eye Service Clinics.

Vista Family Eye Care offers fullscope eye care, including eye exams for patients from six months and up, contact

lens exams and in-house frames and lenses.

“We also do something call myopia management, which is more commonly known as nearsightedness,” O’Brien said. “It affects a high percentage of people in the world, and it’s not just about having a need for glasses. If your nearsightedness progresses, you can have a higher rate of eye disease, but now we can do something about it. There are evidence-based methods to help slow the progression.”

O’Brien said she can also take care of urgent eye needs, like same-day eye

emergencies and infections, as well as treat medical eye issues, like glaucoma and dry eye.

She said one thing that sets her practice apart from many other clinics is that she uses a lot of new technology that makes ge ing an eye exam much easier on the patients.

“We don’t do the ‘air puff ’ here,” she said. “We have a different machine to measure eye pressure, which is much easier and can be done on kids.”

O’Brien also uses a digital retinal camera, which allows her to see a wide-field view of patients’ eyes.

“The camera allows us to see if there’s anything going on with the health of your eyes, and we can also take a photo of it to keep and monitor things over time. The eye tells us a lot about your overall health, like if you might have high blood pressure, diabetes or neurological issues.”

O’Brien added that her staff optician, Theresa Alexander-Edmunds, has 15 years of experience and is a great help with all the optical needs of her patients. For more information on O’Brien and Vista Family Eye Care, or to make an appointment, visit vistafamilyeyecaretx. com.

Dr. Erica O’Brien recently opened Vista Family Eye Care in Liberty Hill. She has 20 years of experience in eye care, as well as several accolades within the industry.

PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

DR. ERICA O'BRIEN

Best Eye Doctor

BEST OF LIBERTY HILL

A joy for the senses

Hand-crafted

candles from Liberty Hill maker include a variety of scents

BY RACHEL MADISON OWNER/PUBLISHER

Malia Clayton’s home always smells good. That’s because on a regular basis, she turns her kitchen into a full-blown candle making studio, where she creates a variety of different scented candles that have earned her the title of “Best Candle Maker” in The Independent’s Best of Liberty Hill balloting.

“I’ve always been obsessed with scents,” she said. “I was always buying Bath & Body Works stuff, but my husband cut me off so I couldn’t do it anymore. So I started making candles for myself as a hobby, and I grew to love it. Pre y soon friends and family started asking for them, so I started making more for other people, and eventually started my own business.”

Clayton initially started with her line of candles, then started to create wax melts and most recently, squeeze wax.

“I’ve never seen squeeze wax in any stores around Liberty Hill, but it’s really cool because it holds the scent for a really long time,” she said.

In addition to candles and waxes, Clayton also has a line of sugar scrubs, room sprays, carpet sprinkles and car freshies. The next product she plans on creating is loofahs filled with soap. She’s growing the loofahs in her backyard now and will infuse them with her homemade soaps once they’ve been picked and dried out.

“A lot of the things I make are because I have really sensitive skin, and I can’t use a

lot of the stuff that’s sold at retail stores,”

Clayton said.

Clayton started experimenting with candle making back in 2019 and slowly started a ending area farmer’s markets to sell her goods, but it wasn’t until 2022 that she officially incorporated her business.

Clayton’s original candle scent is sugar cookie, which she says is popular because it has a basic, sweet vanilla scent.

“That scent is one that I always used to buy, so I knew I wanted to create it first,” she said. “A er that, I kind of started going off what people were asking me for. If somebody wants a citrus scent, I’ll try to find something that fits that, or if they want a floral scent, I’ll try to find something for that.”

Clayton carries 10 different scents of candles at a time, and rotates the scents based on the time of year. In the fall, Clayton’s most popular scent is It’s Fall Y’all, while in the winter, most people gravitate toward Sweater Weather. Around the holidays, Christmas Tree is her top-selling scent.

“Right now, I have all my summery stuff available, like Endless Weekend, which is a floral perfume scent with hints of rose,” she said. “It’s a very popular summer scent.”

One of her most popular scents is lavender vanilla, which is a scent she mixes herself, and her personal favorite scent is Pink Sand, which has hints of floral, citrus and coconut cream.

Clayton is super picky about the scents

she keeps in her home and has even had to acquire a nose for lavender because it’s one of her top sellers.

“I used to hate the smell of lavender, but because people like it so much, I had to get used to it,” she said. “Now I have it in my house at all times and even keep it in my room.”

Though Clayton currently makes all her candles in her own kitchen, she and her husband are working on converting a shed in their backyard into a candle making studio, she said.

“Once I get my own space, I’ll be able to make so much more at a time,” she said. “Right now, I can make four of each scent of candle at a time, because that’s what I have room for.”

To make a batch of candles, Clayton melts down about 15 pounds of wax, transfers it into a pouring pitcher, lets it cool slightly, and then adds the fragrance. While she lets the wax cool down a bit more, she labels her candle jars, places a wick inside—using popsicle sticks to keep them centered and stable—and then pours the

wax into the jars. From there, the candles sit until the wax has hardened. A er that, Clayton cuts the wicks, smooths the tops, and packages the candles up to sell.

In the future, Clayton hopes to grow the bath and body products she offers and be able to open a storefront in Liberty Hill, but until then, her goal is to grow her brand by finding more area stores to carry her products.

“Most of my customer base is in Liberty Hill, so I think a storefront would be great here,” she said. “I have some customers that I see at every market I sell at, which is really cool. I love that I have repeat customers who are interested in what I do.”

Clayton is a regular vendor at The Market LHTX, held select Saturdays at Cross Tracks Church, and sells her products at the Powder Room Blow Dry Bar and Salon in Liberty Hill and the Texas Gi Outlet in Round Rock.

She also sells her products online at claytoncandlellc.com and can be found on Facebook and Instagram at Clayton Candle LLC.

Malia Clayton, the candle maker behind Clayton Candle LLC, started making candles for herself a few years ago, and eventually opened her own business after being asked by friends and family.

PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

CLAYTON CANDLE LLC

Best Candle Maker

A different kind of worship

RockPointe Church offers upbeat, inspiring Sunday service

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH OWNER/PUBLISHER

Upon entering the room where Sunday services take place at RockPointe Church, one may feel as if they’ve just arrived at a concert venue as opposed to a house of worship.

After all, a drum kit sits on the stage with its skins waiting to be banged on in addition to the guitar riffs and keyboard arrangements that will soon fill the air with melodies as the congregation professes its faith, which is exactly the idea, said Liberty Hill campus pastor Darin Ramsey.

“It gets pretty loud in here,” he said. “I think our worship team does a great job getting people ready for Sunday.”

According to creative director Adam Stone, the upbeat environment is one the staff has striven to cultivate.

“We have a different flavor here at RockPointe,” said Stone, who plays in the band during worship services. “We don’t just sing all the pretty God songs, but also ones about the hardships people face in their lives, so we cover the full gamut of emotions.”

RockPointe Church took home a trio of honors in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting, including Best Allaround Church, Best Church for Worship and Best Church for Youth Programs.

Faith through music

Stone expanded on the church’s musical philosophy in explaining the goal is to play songs that don’t necessarily sound all that different from those people may hear at a nightspot on a weekend evening.

“For example, somebody might be over at Thirsty Penguin on a Friday or Saturday night and hear a band play,” he said. “Then they come here on Sunday morning and hear songs that are about some of the same types of things.”

In fact, Stone invoked a legendary gospel-turned-country singer to illustrate the kind of sound he wants RockPointe to be known for.

“Like in the movie ‘Walk The Line,’” he said. “When Johnny Cash is auditioning for the record producer and is told to sing the kind of song he would if it was his last as he was dying –something real–something people would remember. Johnny himself once said ‘If you don’t really believe what you’re singing, then sit down and let someone else.’ As singers, our job is to light ourselves on fire and let people watch us burn.”

Giving the good news

Ramsey said he believes many people feel as if they must reach a certain level of worthiness before they can attend services, but that’s simply not the case.

“I try to let people know we’re here to help heal their pain,” he said. “Authenticity is what we offer. We don’t pretend at people or put ourselves on a pedestal. We’re the same people seven days a week. You should never feel judged when you walk through those doors.”

Stone concurred.

“People have a lot of valid reasons for not going to church,” he said. “But, you don’t have to be a certain way to go. You don’t have to pretend everything is okay if it’s not.”

When RockPointe expanded from its original campus in Leander and opened the Liberty Hill location in 2017, Stone said he encountered a different kind of congregation than he had previously.

“At first, I found it very difficult,” he said. “Liberty Hill is a very religious town, but it was like people felt like they had to be in the right spot in their lives to feel like they belonged in church. As human beings, all we know is conditional love. But, like Jesus said, ‘Love others as I have loved you.’”

Stone said a critical aspect of worship is the fellowship with others who have gone through similar storms.

“People need to hear hopeful messages about how to find a way toward God,” he said. “I don’t think you can do that without emotion and passion. We have good news to tell people about those who have gone through tough times and come out on the other side.”

Hearing the message

Ramsey was a high-school teacher and coach for 24 years before he found himself drifting off course in his personal life to the point where he felt he needed some revelation, he said.

“I wasn’t the perfect husband and dad,” said Ramsey. “I was drinking a lot and I was present with my family, but not really there. I realized I needed to make some changes in

my life and once I started going to RockPointe in Leander, that was the first church I’d ever been to where I felt the message really speaking to me.”

Ever since, Ramsey has been a different man.

“At the time, my wife and I already had two kids, but since we got on the same page together, we’ve adopted three more through foster care,” he said. “It was like I heard God say to me one day ‘You need to get things straight.’ But it wasn’t until I was in the right frame of mind and was receptive to listening to Him I could get everything right in my life.”

Living by God’s example

Despite the festive service experience, Stone said he doesn’t want that to be the only thing RockPointe is known for.

“As an outward-focused church, we’re always trying to find new ways to help in the community,” he said. “It’s not just about the music or the message. We want to have a reputation for doing things that don’t just benefit the building.”

Ramsey invited anyone who still has doubts about attending services for any reason.

“Don’t ever give up on church,” he said. “Give us a shot.”

Rockpointe Church in Liberty Hill was voted Best All-around Church in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting. COURTESY PHOTO

Features such as an ice cream sundae bar are what make RockPointe Church a family-friendly house of worship. COURTESY PHOTO

ROCKPOINTE CHURCH

Best All-Around Church Best Church for Worship Best Church for Youth Programs Runner-Up - Best Pastor Shayne O'Brien

Principal

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

“We’ve tried the best we can to make sure it’s not distracting and it’s not who I am to be negative,” she said, of the construction that is scheduled to be finished in summer of 2024. “We’re starting to see glimpses now and it’s going to be amazing. But, right now, we’re a hot-mess express.”

Even among all the sawdust and noise, though, is a silver lining, said Miller.

“Students watch to see how we as adults adapt to all of the changes going on,” she said. “It’s one of those life lessons in being able to roll with the punches.”

Formative years

Educators are keen to point out middle school can be the most challenging level to work at – an observation Miller doesn’t deny – but one she also embraces.

“One of the coolest things is to see how kids grow just from the beginning to the end of sixth grade,” she said. “Sure, there’s middle-school drama and sometimes the hallways stink. But, by the end of eighth grade, you can see them becoming young adults as they grow in confidence.”

Miller said she’s even earned a moniker from those she monitors.

“The kids call me “Mama Miller,’” she said. “I look at it as a badge of honor and I’m proud to be their mom for that part of the day.”

Being the boss

Despite the fact Miller moved up a notch when taking her current job, she said there isn’t as much of a change in how she goes about her business.

“I don’t feel like there’s much difference between being an associate principal and a principal,” she said. “Sure, there are some days that aren’t very calm and I have an ever-growing to-do list,” said Miller. “If I have to work late at night, so be it. I feel I’m blessed to be here in Liberty Hill in this role and what greater job can you have than to make a difference in kids’ lives and be able to pour blessings on people? I feel like I’m walking in my gi edness.”

Did Willie’s picnic trigger cows to give sour milk?

BY JAMES WEAR COLUMNIST

You can bet your bo om dollar that sometime over the Fourth of July somebody in Liberty Hill will mention 1975, the year country music superstar Willie Nelson held his annual picnic on a field just west of the Liberty Hill city limits.

Many of those who were somehow connected to the picnic in a more personal way have passed on. The late Jim Brinson, who for years ran an automotive repair shop on State Highway 29, once told me he was responsible for all the electrical work that had to be done in order to pull the concert off. The late James Vaughan had his movie camera out and recorded many of the concert goers as they made their way through downtown Liberty Hill and on out RR 1869.

Many of those who performed during the concert have also passed on. Rusty Wier died several years ago a er losing his ba le with cancer. Johnny Bush passed on just a couple of years ago. And while Willie himself never returned to Liberty Hill, both Wier and Bush did. Rusty played out at Pete Garner’s Stock Tank General Store back in the late 1980s while Johnny was the featured performer during the first Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce’s festival back in 1990.

Of course, Bush’s second appearance was a story in itself. I had been appointed festival director that year and along the way decided we needed a star for the Saturday night dance.

I called up an old friend of mine in Waco who was in the business of booking entertainment. At the time, I wasn’t listening much to country music radio and so when Ron suggested we book a fellow by the name of Travis Tri my response was “I’ve never heard of him, who else ya got?”

He replied, “I’ll tell you who you guys oughta book…he’s gonna be big, and you can get him

right now for only $3,000…his name is Garth Brooks.”

“Never heard of him,” I replied, and if that li le story isn’t the greatest example of 20/20 hindsight that you’ll hear today, I’ll buy you a beer at Liberty Tavern. Anyway, a few weeks later during a festival seminar at Texas A&M I heard Johnny Bush perform and I was sold.

But I digress. Others who made Willie’s Liberty Hill picnic a memorable event included his drummer, Paul English. Paul passed on a couple of years ago, but many still recall his antics that included pulling out a pistol and firing away at the tarp stretched above the stage. It seems an a ernoon rain had filled the tarp and it was on the verge of pulling loose and dumping all the water that had been collected on the musicians below… Paul took care of that with a few rounds that relieved the pressure.

Of course, not everyone has fond memories of the picnic and even back in 1975, as the picnic approached, there were many who didn’t welcome Willie and Family with open arms. In the days that followed many were critical of the mess le behind by concert goers and laid the blame on organizers. Among those was a fellow named Ellis Posey, who was publisher and editor of The Libertarian, a tabloid newspaper that served Liberty Hill and Leander in the 1970s. In the August 4th issue of the paper, Posey, responding to a le er to the editor, noted, “And my personal opinion is what happened here the weekend of July 4th is anything but “progress.”

He continued, “As to anyone in the community being hurt by the picnic, I can document dozens of cases that were. In spite of statements to the contrary, there were break-ins, vandalism and multiple acts of indecent and obscene conduct in the open where they could not be ignored. A er numerous hours of investigation, most of what I know went on I either

can’t or won’t print.”

One le er to the editor that appeared in the July 21st issue of The Libertarian offered the following observation: “But, what did it do to our beautiful senior citizens who have always known peace and tranquility? People that milk their cows and tend their gardens. Especially those between the Post Office and Willie Nelson’s field of disaster.

“Their plants wilted, cows gave sour milk and they had to watch the San Gabriel rise without God’s will of rain and they didn’t sleep for two days.”

Another writer noted, “The idea that a child can learn about filth, drugs, sex, drunkenness and body functions by looking out the windows of his own home borders on madness.”

Posey himself wrote, “…a special thanks and tribute to those stalwart and patient gentlemen of various law enforcement agencies who performed superhuman tasks under almost impossible conditions. It’s amazing how you kept your cool and your sense of humor though it all.”

Over the years I’ve a empted to find whatever happened to Ellis Posey a er he le Liberty Hill, thinking that si ing down with him would make for a fascinating interview. My search continues.

Oldtimers gathered at Canady’s Quick Service Garage to watch as concert goers headed out to Willie’s Fourth of July Picnic back in 1975. COURTESY PHOTO

Gaining traction in the community

Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club continues to increase in numbers to

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH OWNER/PUBLISHER

Liberty Hill has long been known as a community that takes its sports very seriously.

However, these days a brand-new game is taking shape on local fields with the advent of the Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club.

Despite the fact the organization has only been in existence for less than a year, it has already made a lasting impression on the community as its numbers continue to grow and as a result of that immediate impact, has been voted Best Recreational Youth Sports Organization in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting.

According to Adam Bokmeyer, who doubles as program director and boys’ varsity head coach, the club’s explosive growth in such a short period of time has come as quite a shock.

“We started with the goal of just having a high-school varsity team,” said Bokmeyer. “But, we’re already up to 117 players.”

After being in the works for awhile, the club finally came to fruition on the field in October with a competitive season that runs from January into the spring, but once its inaugural campaign ended, it was back

work for a summer session.

Establishing a foundation

Bokmeyer is a Texas native who was formally introduced to lacrosse during his middle and high-school years, which were spent in Southern California, before going on to play at the NCAA Division I level at Army and realized in order to form a strong organization, a solid foundation must first be laid down, he said.

“We needed to build a culture first and provide an enjoyable experience,” said Bokmeyer. “We were going to have a lot of kids that would be playing this sport for the first time.”

To that end, Bokmeyer said he wanted to cultivate an atmosphere that was different from the typical club sports environment.

“First of all, we only take kids that are in Liberty Hill ISD because we want to continue building strong community bonds,” he said. “We didn’t want the usual travel-team set-up where kids are from different places – we want our players to be able to and want to help each other on and off the field.”

Fast and furious

Bokmeyer believes one of the most intriguing and attractive aspects of lacrosse

is the speed at which the game is played, in addition to its constant frenetic pace.

“Lacrosse is a fast, fun contact sport,” he said. “The transition going from defense to offense is quick. It’s called the fastest sport on two feet for a reason.”

Currently, the club has a mixture of experienced players and those who are still learning the game, which means patience must be a virtue for the coaching staff.

“We have a good blend of new kids and those who have already been playing,” said Bokmeyer. “It’s cool to see the growth of the players.”

As the skill level and lacrosse IQ collectively grows among the players, a more structured, disciplined style of play can be implemented.

“As the stick skills of our players get better, we see fewer turnovers and are able to get the ball down on offense a lot quicker,” he said. “Then you see a much more fluid game.”

Passing wisdom on

In order to accelerate the club’s growth, Bokmeyer has assembled an accomplished stable of coaches that are able to pass along the kind of valuable knowledge that can only be gained through years of experience.

“Our middle-school boys coach is Michael Cohen, who was head coach at Round Rock, McNeil and St. Andrews High Schools,” he said. “Trevor Witholt, our girls’ varsity head coach, played Division II in college and Amberly Hazembuller, our

middle-school girls’ coach, got the women’s program at BYU up and running. Having coaches like these who are great leaders is huge for our overall development.”

Making it affordable

Due to the nature of club sports that aren’t UIL-sanctioned, money can sometimes come into play as far as who can or can’t step on the field–something Bokmeyer said the club always keeps a vigilant eye on in implementing operating procedures that mitigate any potential hurdles.

“We’re a nonprofit and operate at a loss,” he said. “But, we know lacrosse can be a cost-prohibitive sport, so we only charge about 25 percent of what other clubs do. We depend a lot on fundraising because we want to provide the community with an affordable way to play. We want everyone to be able to play lacrosse and never want to have to turn anybody away for that reason.”

Eventually, the objective is to have a program with players in age from kindergarten through 12th grade, which will provide a steady stream of players working their respective ways up the ranks.

“Our main goal is to get as young as we can as quickly as we can,” said Bokmeyer.

“Already, we have about 40 high school boys, so we’ll be able to have a JV team next season, and we’re hoping to get more girls involved because there are a lot more women’s college programs than men’s, which makes it a really good opportunity.”

The Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club was voted Best Recreational Youth Sports Organization in The Independent’s annual Best of Liberty Hill balloting. PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Despite being in existence for less than a year, the Liberty Hill Lacrosse Club continues to grow in player participation in establishing itself on the local sports landscape. COURTESY PHOTO

LIBERTY HILL LACROSSE

Best Youth Recreational Sports Organization

WORSHIP GUIDE

Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities

ANDICE BAPTIST CHURCH

6570 FM 970, Florence (254) 793-2557 | www.andicebc.org

PASTORS

Derrick Norris, Senior Pastor Matt Koehler, Associate Pastor of Students & Families

SERVICES

Sunday Bible Study 9:45am

Sunday Worship 11am

Wednesday AWANA 6:30pm

OBITUARY

CROSS TRACKS CHURCH

101 Church St., Liberty Hill (512) 515-0070

www.crosstrackschurchumc.org

PASTOR Michele Lott SERVICES

Sunday School 9am

Sunday Worship 10am

Sun. Online Facebook.com/cross trackschurch/

HOLY ANNUNCIATION

ORTHODOX CHURCH

5205 CR 236, Liberty Hill (512) 782-9940

www.annunciationtx.com

PASTOR Bp. Irineos Placek SERVICES

Vespers Sat. 6:30pm

Divine Liturgy Sun. 10am

LIFE SPRINGS

CHRISTIAN CHURCH

15611 W State Hwy 29, Liberty Hill (512) 633-6074

www.lifespringschristianchurch.org

PASTOR

Dr. William Brannan SERVICES

Sunday Worship 10am

Online youtube.com/c/LifeSprings

MISSION LIBERTY HILL

LUTHERAN CHURCH

(LCMS Affiliated)

15725 W State Hwy 29, #7

Liberty Hill (512) 778-9310

www.missionlibertyhill.com

PASTOR

Rev. Mike Cofer

Nancy Carol Becker

Nancy Carol Becker, age 72 of Liberty Hill, TX passed away at home on Sunday May 21, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. Diagnosed with lung cancer in January of 2022, Nancy faced her illness head on without fear, without complaint, with grace, faith, courage, strength and with dignity until her very last day. She was born to Milton Dee and Della Florine Bender on August 28, 1950 in Mendoza, TX. Nancy grew up in Georgetown, TX and was a 1968 graduate of Georgetown High School. Except for a short time living in Kingsland, TX with her love of 17 years; Don, Nancy resided in Liberty Hill, TX for most of her life.

As an electronics technician, Nancy worked for various companies in her life. She enjoyed working with her hands to test, manufacture and repair electrical equipment with different types of mother boards creating various products.

Upon her retirement, around 2002, Nancy spent most of her time with her mother Della. She loved spending time with her going to garage sales finding things on a dime that

ANNIVERSARY

Happy 50th wedding anniversary to Rocky and Linda Davis Sowell. They were married June 26,1973, in Burnet, TX. They have two sons, Rocky Jr. and Cody, both of Liberty Hill, and five grandchildren.

could be repainted and fixed to make new. She enjoyed working in the yard with her mother, pulling weeds, pruning bushes and reviving her yard decor. Nancy loved her family. She was unselfish and caring. From 2011-2013, alongside of her sisters, Nancy was a caregiver for their mother. From the time she entered a nursing facility Nancy was always by her mother’s side. Always providing her with what she needed and requested. She was a wonderful sister! In 2020 she cared and provided for her brother Larry in many ways prior to his death and has been committed to helping and caring for her sister Marie’s needs for many years.

In the years of 2021-2023, Nancy had found joy playing different games of cards and fellowshipping with the men and women at the Stone Haven Senior Center in Georgetown at least a couple of days a week. She loved everyone that

she met there, and they loved her. Nancy was kind-hearted and a giver, she enjoyed planning and throwing parties for each of their birthdays. It was always her goal to make someone feel special. She loved buying gifts for each one of them on every holiday. She never had much money, but would spend every cent she had if it meant making others feel good. She always looked forward to Christmas! She loved everything about it! She loved to decorate and she loved to buy gifts for her kids and grandkids. She never wanted to leave anyone out and she always wanted to make it as special as she could.

From 2007 to her death, Nancy’s home was with her daughter Michelle and her family. Nancy loved spending time watching Westerns, playing games and doing puzzles. She loved fresh flowers, mostly roses and would have them in her room as often as she could. She loved her pups and would spoil them. She never had a meal she

SERVICES

Sunday Bible Study 9am

Sunday Church Worship 10am

Sunday Online 10am

missionlibertyhill.com/onlineworship/

ROCKPOINTE CHURCH

LIBERTY HILL

170 CR 214, Liberty Hill (512) 259-8872

www.rockpointechurch.com

PASTOR

Darin Ramsey, Campus Pastor SERVICES

Sunday Worship 9:30am

didn’t share. Nancy’s most favorite time was spent with her children and grandchildren. They were her pride and joy.

Nancy is survived by 3 children, Keith and wife Tracie Becker of Liberty Hill, Brian Becker and fiancé Shannon Ponton of Liberty Hill and Michelle and husband John Cearley of Liberty Hill; one sister, Marie Puente of Georgetown; and 5 grandsons, Justin, Andy, Jacob, Jordan and Tanner.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, Milton Dee Bender and Della Florine Barker; brothers, Wayne and Larry Bender; sister, Mary Ann Moore; 2 children and 1 grandchild.

We would like to thank each nurse at Altus Hospice who visited and cared for her at some point during her journey. A special thank you To Krystal Williams at Altus Hospice for her complete support, honesty and love during Nancy’s final months.

At this time, the family is considering an intimate celebration of life in the weeks to come. More information will be shared upon that decision.

HELP WANTED

Part-time position available for reliable, self-starting person. Requirements include knowledge of Word, Excel, ability to prepare church bulletin and electronic newsletters, and the ability to work independently. Hours are 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Friday, at $21 per hour. Send resume/ application to PO Box 126, Burnet, 78611.

July EVENTS CALENDAR

July 11

NAME THAT TUNE BINGO

Liberty Tavern

3000 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

7 p.m. Libertytavern.co

July 12

WHISKEY WEDNESDAY & TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

Whiskey Barrel Pub

1004 Main St., Liberty Hill

7 p.m. whiskeybarrelpub.com

July 13

KARAOKE NIGHT Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill

7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

BEAT WILLY TRIVIA

Whiskey Barrel Pub

1004 Main St., Liberty Hill

7 p.m. whiskeybarrelpub.com

July 14

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH SONNY WOLF BAND

Agape BBQ 3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 - 9 p.m. agapebbq.com

SUMMER SOUNDS

Dahlia Café 2450 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6: 30 – 8: 30 p.m. dahliacafe.com

THE LAST OF THE PETTY CASH Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill

7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

ANDREW STONE

Thirsty Penguin 14751 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

7 p.m. thirstypenguin.com

July 15

THE MARKET LHTX Cross Tracks Church 101 Church St., Liberty Hill

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. facebook.com/MarketLHTX

MARKET DAY

Liberty Hill Food Truck Park 112 CR 214, Liberty Hill

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

NAMELESS ROAD

Hometown Watering Hole

3317 Hwy. 29, Bertram

8:30 p.m., $10 cover hometownwateringhole.net

July 18

FUN & RECHARGE

Simply Home Boutique

15280 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. simplyhometx.com

July 19

TAPROOM TRIVIA

Liberty Hill Beer Market

13851 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

7 – 9 p.m. libertyhillbeermarketmenu.com

July 20

WATER TOWER KICKSTART

Water Tower Parking Lot

822 Main St., Liberty Hill

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. experiencelhtx.com

July 21

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH NAMELESS ROAD

Agape BBQ

3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 - 9 p.m. agapebbq.com

COLIN BOUTWELL

Main Street Social

1651 Main St., Liberty Hill

LET’S GO PARTY, BARBIE!

The Blue Door Gift Store & Boutique 14365 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

10 a.m.

thebluedoorgiftstore.com

UNDER THE SEA SUGAR COOKIE DECORATING CLASS

Baked By Joy Leigh 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

bakedbyjoyleigh.com/cookie-classes

MUSIC UNDER THE OAKS WITH HILLBILLY NATIONAL BANK Agape BBQ 3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 p.m. agapebbq.com

HOME AT LAST Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill

7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

JOSHUA SHOOK

Thirsty Penguin

14751 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

7 p.m. thirstypenguin.com

7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

CHRIS PENA

Thirsty Penguin

14751 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

7 p.m. thirstypenguin. com

SIXKILLER

Time Out Sports Bar

10280 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

7 p.m.

NAME THAT TUNE BINGO

Whitestone Brewery

15390 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

7 p.m. whitestonebrewery.com

BRAZILBILLY

Globe Theatre

132 W. Vaughan St., Bertram

8 p.m., $20-25 globetheatretx.com

July 22

FLANIGAN’S MUSIC SERIES FEATURING LARRY WILSON

Flanigan’s Texas Distillery & Winery

330 N. Lampasas St., Bertram

3 - 6 p.m. flaniganswineandspirits.com

July 28

CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT

Whitestone Brewery 15390 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill 6 p.m. whitestonebrewery.com

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH LAGO VIDA

Agape BBQ 3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill 6:30 - 9 p.m. agapebbq.com

JOSHY BOY

Liberty Tavern

3000 RR 1869, Liberty Hill 7 p.m. Libertytavern.co

MUSIC UNDER THE OAKS WITH FUN GUS AND THE SHROOMS

Agape BBQ

3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 p.m. agapebbq.com

THE DECADES Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill 7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

SHAUN DAVENPORT

Thirsty Penguin 14751 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill 7 p.m. thirstypenguin.com

SECOND HAND ROSE

Hometown Watering Hole 3317 Hwy. 29, Bertram 8:30 p.m., $10 cover hometownwateringhole.net

BACKSEAT CHAOS

Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill 7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

July 29

MUSIC UNDER THE OAKS WITH JASON KANE WHITE Agape BBQ 3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill 6:30 p.m. agapebbq.com

LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill 7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

COMEDY NIGHT

Whiskey Barrel Pub 1004 Main St., Liberty Hill 8 p.m. whiskeybarrelpub.com

WRONG WAY JACKSON

Hometown Watering Hole 3317 Hwy. 29, Bertram 8:30 p.m., $10 cover hometownwateringhole.net

August 2

HONKYTONK WEDNESDAY Globe Theatre 132 W. Vaughan St., Bertram 7 - 9 p.m. globetheatretx.com

August 4

July 23

SUNDAY FUNDAY KARAOKE

Thirsty Penguin

14751 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

5 – 7 p.m. thirstypenguin.com

July 25

LIBERTY HILL BUSINESS 2 BUSINESS

Whitestone Brewery 15390 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill 4 - 7 p.m. whitestonebrewery.com

ANTHONY CAULKINS

Main Street Social 1651 Main St., Liberty Hill 7 p.m. mainstreetsocial.com

August 5

JAKE WORTHINGTON Globe Theatre

132 W. Vaughan St., Bertram 8 p.m., $20 globetheatretx.com

Jake Worthington

Hillbilly National Bank Brazilbilly

Nameless Road

Dr. Dale Williams

Kondo

Shane T. White Clyde Davis

Connie Fuller Ginger Floyd Debby Norman