June 2023 Liberty Hill Independent Monthly

Owners Chad & Amanda Moore

CONTENTS

FEATURES

6 | BUTLER FARMS

West side of Liberty Hill poised for growth with 366-acre development

8 | CITY OF LIBERTY HILL ROUNDUP

The latest news from City government

9 | BOAT WITH ME

Local entrepreneurs create popular boat-share app

15 | FROM PERFECT TO NO. 1

Meet LHHS Class of 2023 valedictorian Dhanush Kondapalli

15 | SALUTATORIAN VALUES BALANCE IN ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES

Abbie Billingsley is choosing Texas A&M

17 | CELEBRATION IN PANTHERLAND

Introducing the graduates of Liberty Hill High School’s Class of 2023

27 | LHISD SETS NEW ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES

Changes will impact about 600 elementary students

39 | ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Meet Emily Lively, a fifth grade teacher at Liberty Hill Elementary School

39 | SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Peers choose Amy Rosser of Santa Rita Middle School

DEPARTMENTS

36 | BIZ BRIEFS

See the businesses planned or opening soon in Liberty Hill

16 | WORSHIP GUIDE

Find a church home for your family

40 | SPORTS

The latest in Panther baseball, softball and tennis

44 | LOCAL EVENTS

Local entertainment on tap for June

ABOUT OUR COVER

The community celebrates the achievements of Liberty Hill High School graduates this month as 460 Panthers earned diplomas May 26. On our cover are Ella Pogue, Isabella Jaimez (Prowler), Dhanush Kondapalli (valedictorian), Abigail Billingsley (salutatorian), and Nischay Porwar.

LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT MONTHLY

A Publication of Texas Independent News Corp.

PUBLISHER Shelly Wilkison ADVERTISING SALES | Stacy Coale

GRAPHIC DESIGN | Katie McLaughlin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | Rachel Madison, Scott Akanewich

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 news@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 Texas Independent News Corp./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 News@LHIndependent. com | Liberty Hill Independent, PO Box 1235, Liberty Hill, TX 78642

PHOTO BY KYLIE CORTEZ, LHISD

Liberty Hill’s west side population poised for major growth with Butler Farms development

BY RACHEL MADISON STAFF WRITER

On the far west side of Liberty Hill, is a neighborhood that has been slowly growing from the ground up for the last few years.

Up until a few months ago, when the neighborhood’s ornate arched entrance was completed, it wasn’t very noticeable from State Highway 29, but now, it’s obvious that something big is coming.

The 366-acre neighborhood, named Butler Farms after the Butler family who ranched on the land for decades before selling it, is being developed by Hutto-based MA Partners, which also developed the Morningstar subdivision on the far east side of Liberty Hill.

“Our vision for Butler Farms is a master-planned community, similar to Morningstar,” said Wyatt Henderson of MA Partners. “It will be at just over 2,000 homes when it’s all said and done.”

The Butler Farms subdivision has been several years in the making, with the acreage initially being annexed into Liberty Hill city limits in mid-2018 along with the development agreement. So far, 227 homes have been built or are under construction in the neighborhood, according to the City of Liberty Hill’s planning department.

Water & Wastewater

As of April, City Planner Jerry Millard said 436 lots have been approved in Butler Farms; however, only up to 279 houses can be built due to water and wastewater limitations.

“Because of current water and wastewater availability, they can only go up to 279 homes,” Millard said. “The City is working on a wastewater line on County Road 214 as well as the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant from 2 million gallons per day to 4 million gallons per day. After those projects are done, we’ll be able to release the current homes in there from a pump and haul agreement.”

Water for Butler Farms will be provided by the City of Liberty Hill, but things are a bit more complicated, Millard said.

“Across the board, the City is still dealing with water issues and finding ways to get the water here,” he said. “Also, when we get to the west side of Liberty Hill, we have a lot more issues getting water because we have

to go deeper, and if we get too deep, the water gets saltier and brackish. However, we are working on several capital improvement projects that will take care of a lot of concerns on the west side.”

Millard pointed to the recently approved South San Gabriel lift station as well as an interceptor line coming from RR 1869 as two projects that will make a big difference in the water and wastewater capabilities on the west side of Liberty Hill.

“I’m not sure when we’re going to break ground on that lift station, but once we do, it’ll take about 18 months to complete,” he said.

Henderson added that in order to alleviate some of the City of Liberty Hill’s burden when it comes to water, MA Partners will be drilling several wells as Butler Farms is developed. Water from those wells will be used as much as possible throughout the

development, he said.

“We will drill our own wells and we will irrigate out of the wells for all the public landscaping and parks,” he said. “That’ll reduce the demand on the City of Liberty Hill’s water.”

Homes

The two builders currently constructing homes in Butler Farms are Meritage Homes and Saratoga Homes.

“Both Meritage and Saratoga have their first phases underway, which are around 200 lots each,” Henderson said. “For right now they are the two builders we have, but we do plan to add additional builders in the next phases.”

Meritage Homes will be priced from the mid-$300,000s and will range in size from 1,240 to 2,204 square feet. The floor plans will offer three to four bedrooms, two to

two-and-a-half bathrooms, two-car garages and covered patios.

Saratoga Homes will be priced from the high $300,000s and will range in size from 1,660 to 2,940 square feet. The floor plans will offer three to five bedrooms, two to four bathrooms and two-car garages.

Amenities

Butler Farms will have a large amenity center for residents to use that will also include a parking lot and pool, Henderson said. The pool will have tanning shelves, a shaded swimming area, as well as a large lawn with an outdoor fire pit.

A stocked, catch-and-release fishing pond with a pier as well as acres of greenbelts, nature trails and parks will round out the subdivision’s offerings.

“We’ll also have pocket parks with playgrounds for kids of all ages around

Currently, Meritage Homes and Saratoga Homes are the two builders in the Butler Farms subdivision. More than 200 homes have been completed or are under construction in the neighborhood. PHOTO BY RACHEL MADISON

Butler Farms will have a wide variety of amenities for its residents, including an amenity center, pool, playgrounds and trails. (Courtesy Graphic)

the neighborhood,” Henderson said. “Some playgrounds will be geared toward younger kids and others will be geared toward older kids.”

School

MA Partners will be donating a school site for Liberty Hill Independent School District’s eighth elementary school.

“We are donating an elementary school site to the Liberty Hill Independent School District,” Henderson said. “We are working on that right now and will probably have the site donated to them by the end of 2023.”

Elementary #6, Bar W Elementary, will open in the fall and Elementary #7, which will be located in Santa Rita Ranch, will be under construction soon with an opening date of Fall 2024. Elementary #8 will follow those schools. The 2023 bond that recently passed includes funds for the design, site development and construction of Elementary #8.

According to the LHISD, the eventual growth on the west side of the City, thanks to subdivisions like Butler Farms, could bring in as many as three elementary schools and a middle school.

Future Development

While Butler Farms is currently a total of 366 acres, Henderson said in future phases of the development, MA Partners plans to add another 250 to 300 acres to the subdivision.

Millard added that the hold up right now on future phases is market related. Phases that are currently being worked on have been split into A and B sections because of the slowing. However, once the market picks back up, Millard anticipates that MA Partners will be seeking to annex more land into the city limits and begin developing more phases of the subdivision.

Henderson said there isn’t a set completion date for Butler Farms, as construction ebbs and flows with the market.

“There was a bit of a slow down last year and that slowed us down a bit, but now it appears the market is picking back up,” he said. “We always plan to deliver the lots in line with what the current market conditions are.”

Ultimately, Butler Farms is bringing major growth to Liberty Hill’s west side, and it’s most likely just the beginning.

“The west side of Liberty Hill is going to be completely different in the near future,” Millard said. “Butler Farms will be the majority of the development out there, but it just shows the City’s growth potential to the west.”

This site map shows what Butler Farms will look like when the first 366 acres are built out. The neighborhood will have just over 2,000 homes when the first phase is completed. MA Partners plans to add another 250 to 300 acres to the subdivision after the first phase is complete. (Courtesy Graphic)

NEWS ROUNDUP

The latest news from the City of Liberty Hill

BY RACHEL MADISON STAFF WRITER

Council makes spending decision on ARPA funds

The City Council has decided to spend its $684,195.94 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on beautifying the streetscapes in downtown Liberty Hill.

ARPA was signed into law in 2021 to provide additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, including local governments.

The project will specifically cover the area from RR 1869 and Main Street to Grange Street and Main Street, which is approximately two blocks. It will include bumping out the sidewalks on Main Street, and adding old fashioned streetlights, planters, benches and other amenities.

The streetscape project most likely won’t begin for another eight to 12 months, said City Administrator Paul Brandenburg, because the roundabout project as well as the traffic signal installation at RR 1869 and Main Street need to be completed first.

Construction bid for downtown roundabout awarded

Austin-based Smith Contracting Co. was awarded the bid in May to construct the long-discussed roundabout at Main Street and County Road 279 in downtown Liberty Hill.

City staff send out requests for qualifications on the project in early 2023. Smith Contracting Co. came in with the lowest bid at $1.59 million.

Now that the bid has been awarded, construction can begin soon. A specific date hasn’t been set, but once construction begins, the project will take about eight to nine months to complete. The road will not be shut down during construction.

City of Liberty Hill has $30 million debt capacity

The City of Liberty Hill could issue up to $30 million in debt over the next two years, according to the City’s third-party financial advisor.

Dan Wegmiller, of Specialized Public Finance Inc., said while the City has the capacity to issue up to $30 million in debt based on the current tax rate—which is $0.4545 per $100 property valuation—the capacity doesn’t drive the need.

“The need drives what you issue,” he said.

“It’s just good to know what your limitation is before looking at projects you want to do, and where to put them year over year to complete them. As project needs come up, you can look at the best ways to fund them. Sometimes it’s cash pay as you go, and other times, it’s to issue debt.”

Wegmiller added that the idea is also not to push financing just to “fill in and hold the tax rate in anticipation of something.” He, along with City Finance Director Sidney Smith, are instead working together to build a strategic plan that will be routinely updated throughout the next couple of years to help Council determine major projects for which it may want to issue debt.

Council approves installation of traffic signal at CR 260

The intersection of County Road 260 and State Highway 29 will soon have a four-way traffic signal.

Robert Baughn, head of construction for Chalk Hill Ventures, a Dallas-based real estate developer, said his company will soon be breaking ground on Chalk Hill Ranch, a mixed-use property with 665 units, retail pad sites and commercial office space on CR 260, which is the road just east of Margarita’s Restaurant and supplies the back entrance to Santa Rita Ranch.

Chalk Hill Ranch, which will be developed just behind Margarita’s, will use CR 260 as one of its primary entrances and exits from the property. Because of this, the developer proposed to forego a traffic impact analysis, citing that the intersection will indeed be busy enough for a traffic signal.

Chalk Hill Ventures will pay the City of Liberty Hill $175,000 for a traffic mitigation fee, which will cover approximately 50 percent of the estimated costs to install the traffic signal.

“They are paying their fair share by putting 50 percent of the money up front,” Brandenburg said. “Then the role of the City will be coordinating with TXDOT on when it will be installed and operational.”

Code enforcement department initiates abatement protocol

The City of Liberty Hill’s code enforcement department has enacted an abatement initiative to prompt city residents to adhere to all code provisions.

Building Official Elias Carrasco said during COVID, the City relaxed its en-

forcement of certain code requirements. Because of this, several properties are out of compliance and becoming health and safety concerns, he added.

“We are recommending a return to normal code enforcement protocols,” Carrasco told the City Council in April. “The highest priorities are violations for high weeds and grass, and other debris causing a nuisance. We haven’t been as aggressive as we should have been in the last while.”

Carrasco added that after a general public warning, violators will be given written notice. If action is not taken, the code enforcement department will then give abatement nuisances and invoice the property owners for that cost. Those who do not pay their invoices could also be criminally cited and required to appear in Liberty Hill Municipal Court.

City submits requests for WilCo road bond election

The City Council has determined the top three projects it will request in Williamson County’s upcoming proposed road and park bond election.

The three projects that were top priority for Liberty Hill include the completion of the State Highway 29 bypass on both the east and west sides, the continuation of Long Run Road in the Stonewall Ranch subdivision through to U.S. Highway 183, and the continuation of the City’s downtown shared use path, which currently begins at the Water Tower Parking Lot, down County Road 279 to River Ranch County Park.

The Commissioners Court plans to hold the election in November, and during the next several months, will be evaluating input from local communities and the public for projects to include in that bond election. City staff estimates the final decision on the requested projects will come from the County by July.

City discusses possibility of YMCA for Liberty Hill

City of Liberty Hill officials are exploring the possibility of building a YMCA recreation center.

During a City Council workshop in April, Jeff Andresen, president and CEO of the YMCA of Central Texas, shared details on the benefits of a community having a YMCA, as well as options that cities like Liberty Hill have when it comes to bringing in a community recreation center managed by the YMCA.

Andresen said if the City decides to pursue building a YMCA, there are several options available. For example, the YMCA can work with the City on a bond process, and if a bond passes, then the recreation center can be built. Or, the City can raise funds from sources like local fundraising and municipal commitment, to raise funds for programming to begin while the YMCA and City advocate for the community to build a recreation center.

Brandenburg said he, along with other city staff, would further the conversation with the YMCA about future possibilities and will revisit the idea in the near future.

Council member Chris Pezold takes leave of absence

The City Council granted a leave of absence to Council member Chris Pezold from mid-April to June 14.

The City Council has decided to spend its $684,195.94 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on beautifying the streetscapes in downtown Liberty Hill using elements similar to the photo above. (Courtesy Photo)

Local residents create ride-sharing app for boating

BY RACHEL MADISON STAFF WRITER

Let’s face it, most people don’t own a boat. They can be expensive, require a lot of maintenance, and take up a lot of space. However, two Liberty Hill residents have found a way for people to get on the water without owning a boat, all through a free online app.

Kyle Greenfield and Ryan Ostrom are the brains behind Boat With Me, an app they created for boating enthusiasts, including those who want to ride and those who want to provide the rides.

Greenfield and Ostrom have been friends since childhood, and now as adults with careers and families, they are closer than ever, thanks to both living in the same city and creating Boat With Me together. Ostrom is the software development guru, while Greenfield is the boating pro. They started working on their app in 2017, and finally launched it to the public last summer.

“We go boating a lot,” Greenfield said of he and his family. “It donned on me one day that every single time we were out there, whether we were on the water or on the boat ramp, bystanders would be there asking if they could give us some money to just go ride their wakeboard for five minutes or take a quick ride around the lake. I started thinking, ‘There’s got to be a way to meet the demand for the average person, because boat ownership is one of those things that’s a luxury. I’d like to say that it’s not, but it is.”

That’s how the idea of Boat With Me was born. Greenfield said they wanted to make the lifestyle available to everyone and anyone. Ostrom’s background in software was the perfect match to Greenfield’s boating know-how, and together the two started building the app.

“We were certain someone else had already done something like this, but we found that nobody had done it,” Greenfield added. “Uber had tried a taxi service for boats back in 2015, but it failed miserably. After seeing that, we decided if Uber wasn’t able to pull it off, maybe we couldn’t either. We paused and thought about it, but after about two months I called Ryan and told him I felt in my heart we needed to do it. He told me he was just about to call me and tell me the same thing, so we said, ‘Let’s go’ and the next day we started coding.”

It took the pair some time to develop the

inaugural version of the app. After a lot of beta testing, reworking and surviving the pandemic that hit the world in 2020, they finally launched the app in late 2021 on both Android and Apple platforms.

“The app really started as a purely social app for people who were interested in boating,” Greenfield said. “From there, we took feedback from people on the beta version and went back to the drawing board. We loved the concept of networking, but we wanted to make sure the app was also worth it for boat owners.”

With that in mind, they added categories that boat owners can select, based on what type of boat they have, that changes the price to different tiers, depending on the difference between a small fishing boat to a luxury sailboat. Greenfield said the average cost per rider is $20 per hour, which puts more money in the pockets of the boat owners who are sharing their boats.

“We have also been able to share this concept with boat dealers, because they might have a couple that comes in and they’re really staring at the $75,000 boat, but they can’t afford it so they settle for the $8,000 boat. But the dealers can tell them about us, and say, ‘Here’s how can afford that boat— let other people pay for it.’”

On the flip side, Greenfield said riders will also spend less money because they are only paying for their own seat on the boat, not the entire boat as a whole.

“Renting a boat is pricey, and usually they’re very beat up, and then if the weather gets bad, you can’t just change things on the fly,” Greenfield said.

Though the app is available to download nationwide, Greenfield and Ostrom have been strategically launching the business in specific areas. They started with Texas, including the Austin, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, and next moved into Arizona.

“We specifically chose Lake Havasu because the lake is iconic,” Greenfield said. “People travel to that lake from all areas of the country, and the city is driven by the lake.”

Earlier this year, they also launched the business in Florida.

“We started with Texas, and will continue to expand as we go,” Greenfield added. “People come to places like Austin for vacation and business a lot, so we’re hoping they’ll see us and take it back to their home states

N O W O P E N

so we can continue to expand.”

Once a rider or boat owner downloads and signs up for the app, they will be prompted to enter the type of experience they want. Riders can drop a pin of the location where they would like to get into the water, and the app will send out a ride request to any boat owner on the app that is within 25 nautical miles of the location that fits the criteria they are looking for, like if kids are allowed on their boat or if the boat owner is okay with alcohol being on board. Similar to Uber and Lyft, riders will pay for the rideshare service through the app.

“This is ultimately a social networking platform for water enthusiasts,” Greenfield said. “Everyone deserves to experience the boat life on their terms.”

(Above) Liberty Hill residents Kyle Greenfield and Ryan Ostrom are the brains behind the Boat With Me app, a ride-sharing app for boat enthusiasts. (Below) The app can be downloaded on both Apple and Android platforms. (Courtesy Photos)

Sunday, 117 Stallion Way 512-810-9465

616 Speed Horse Jeannie Cisneros 512-844-8888 jeanniec78749@yahoo.com Real Estate Personal Services

109 Cutter Bill 503-388-1929 | kcbwilliamson@gmail.com Keller Williams Realty - RR WC

From ‘Perfect’ to No. 1

Valedictorian, future brain surgeon, aced ACT as a junior

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH STAFF WRITER

One of the most stressful moments of any high school senior’s final year of secondary education – one that has aspirations of landing at his or her dream university – is the ACT.

After all, the vaunted college entrance exam and the score one earns can go a long way to booking passage to a big-name school, regardless of a high grade point average.

Dhanush Kondapalli had no such concerns, though.

As a junior, he had already achieved a perfect score of 36 on the pressurized gauntlet of English, mathematics, reading and science and as a result didn’t have to put himself through the process again after having planned to use his first attempt as merely a practice run.

With that out of the way early, Kondapalli was free to concentrate solely on his grades over the course of his senior year and achieved the rank of valedictorian of Liberty Hill’s Class of 2023.

According to Kondapalli, he never set out to reach the top of the academic mountain – he simply wanted to get as close to the summit as possible.

“At the beginning, it wasn’t really something I had in mind – I was just going to do the best I could,” said Kondapalli. “For me, it wasn’t the standing that mattered, whether I was second, third or fourth.”

Perhaps it was that calm, cool, collected approach that allowed him to reach the peak or maybe it was the serene influence of one of his favorite pursuits – that of chasing a little, white ball around a tract of wilderness.

“Without golf, I think what I’ve accomplished would’ve been impossible,” he said. “It’s always been important for me to have a social life and golf has always been an escape for me to get my mind off everything else to help my mental health, which is very important.”

Kondapalli will attend the University of Texas in the fall, which will be only the beginning of the long, arduous road of becoming a doctor.

But, not just any garden-variety physician.

Kondapalli aims to be a neurosurgeon with the hopes of helping conquer man’s final frontier of the human anatomy, he said.

“There’s still a lot we don’t know about the brain,” said Kondapalli. “I feel like we

can help a lot of people the more we learn.”

New kid

Kondapalli and his family moved to Liberty Hill his sophomore year from Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio. He said he wasn’t too thrilled initially with his new surroundings – which coincided with the global pandemic.

“I wasn’t too happy at the time,” he said. “I knew if I moved here, I would be online for an entire year because my parents wanted to be safe. But, now I realize coming here was a great decision.”

Still, when he finally stepped on Liberty Hill’s campus for the first time to attend classes in person a year later as a junior, it was like starting at a new school all over again, he said.

“I really didn’t know any people and knew I was going to have to make friends,” said Kondapalli. “But, thanks to my parents (mother Radhika and father Kayvee) for keeping me on track for the whole year I was at home.”

Life as a Longhorn

Despite the fact many of his peers had

long since decided which college to attend, Kondapalli took his time from a list that included Rice and St. Louis University before settling on Texas. He said it was never his goal to go to a more well-known medical school such as Stanford or Johns Hopkins.

“Prestige doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “UT is close to home and I have a lot of friends going there.”

Kondapalli played on the Panthers’ golf team for the past two years and said the game will continue to play a large role as he matriculates forward and beyond.

“Golf is always going to be a huge part of my life,” he said. “The workload is going to be more than ever in college, but maybe I’ll even try to play com-

Salutatorian values balance in achieving objectives

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH STAFF WRITER

When Abbie Billingsley steps onto the campus of Texas A&M University in the fall, she will suddenly have a bit more free time to do as she pleases.

Billingsley has spent the past four years as part of Liberty Hill’s girls’ basketball program, but life as an Aggie will no longer consist of anything more than perhaps intramural hoops for the Class of 2023’s salutatorian.

However, she credits the game for helping her achieve her status.

“I’m so glad I played basketball all four years of high school,” said Billingsley, who was an integral part of Lady Panthers teams that advanced to the Class 5A state playoffs regional finals the past two seasons.

“It provided me with learning leadership and teamwork and lasting friendships.”

Billingsley attributes balance as being the critical factor in accomplishing her goals.

“Time management is a big thing for me,” she said. “So, whenever I have time, I study and that allows me to find the time to be able to enjoy the things that are important to me.”

According to Billingsley, though, the idea of taking it easy just a bit

petitively and walk on to the team.”

Like any college freshman, the adjustments outside the classroom will loom just

Liberty Hill Class of 2023 valedictorian Dhanush Kondapalli will attend the University of Texas in pursuit of a career as a neurosurgeon. (Courtesy Photo)

Salutatorian Abbie Billingsley will attend Texas A&M University, where she and her faith will fit in well in the Christian community in College Station.

(Courtesy Photo) CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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

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 A liated)

15725 W State Hwy 29, #7

Liberty Hill (512) 778-9310

www.missionlibertyhill.com

PASTOR

Rev. Mike Cofer

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

CONGRATULATIONS

TO LIBERTY HILL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, INCLUDING OUR GRADUATING

MCDONALD'S CREW MEMBERS

Jayden Fullmore

Damian Luna

Jassmine Perez

Sebastian Vasquez

Samantha Vazquez

Presenting The Pride of Pantherland THE LHHS CLASS OF 2023

SKYLER ACOSTA AVERY ACQUARD BLAKE ADAIR CADEN ADAMS MADDISON ADKINS OLGA ALBARRAN REESE ALBRECHT JOSHUA ALLAIRE

JARED ALLEN KATARINA ALLISON CALEB ANDERS REAGAN ANDREWS LOGAN ANGUIANO

WILLIAM ASKEW HOLT AVERY COLE BAILEY

MACKENZIE BAMSCH MEGAN BARAJAS SOREN BARE JONATHAN BARFIELD SHALYNN BARKER ANGELO BARRIOS ELLA BARTO JASON BARTZ

MAGGIE BEAN BRITTANY BEARD ANDREW BEDRE MADELYN BELL RYAN BENSON ABIGAIL BILLINGSLEY TRENTON BLAY HELENA BLOCK

ELLA BODNAR ABIGAIL BOLANOS BONILLA

AVERY BOURGEOIS CATHERINE BOYD GARRETT BRAND COLLIN BRANDT SOPHIE BRANDT WALKER BRAY

KAMILA BRENES RUIZ MACI BRILLANTE KAITLYN BROOKS CORDELIA BROWN ELIJAH BROWN ELLA M. BROWN ELLA R. BROWN KENDALL BROWN

ISABELLA BUHRO KELSEY BULLOCK HANNAH BURK KEELYN BURNELL ADEN BURRELL KENNEDY BYE SOPHIE BYRD TRAVIS CADWALADER

CALLUM CAIRD ELIZABETH CALABRESI KYLER CALDWELL MIKAYLA CANIZALES ISBELLA CAREY ADDISYN CARTER ALEXANDER CARVALHO KYLE CASTILLO

ESTELLA CAVAZOS TANNER CEARLEY RAINEY CHAVEZ BRANDEN CHONG IAN CLARKSON ASHLEY CLIFTON MADISON COCHRAN MOLLY COCHRAN

BRANDON COLICHER JR. CADEN CONNELLA KASSIDY CONTRERAS PERLA CONTRERAS TARYN COOK KEVIN CORONADO HERNANDEZ

WILLIAM COURSEY MEMPHIS CRAIG

BRANDON CREEK JR. MEGAN CRUMLETT JONATHAN CRUZ ANDREW CUCINOTTA KADEN CURRYWOOD MICHAEL DANIELS ISABELLA DAUGHERTY ETHAN DAVIDSON

GRACE DAVIS EDGAR DE MATEO TREJO BRADEN DIAZ MICHAEL DODSON ZARA DOEHLER ELIZABETH DOMINGUEZ PETER DUNN DRAKE DURFLINGER

JACKSON DUVALL LOGAN DYER CAYDEN EASTEP MADELYN EDWARDS MASON ENGLISH BRANDON ESCOBAR HANNAH EUBANKS NAOMI EUBANKS

NATHAN EUBANKS LANDON EVANS MICHAEL EVANS STEFANIE FAJARDO LUJANO

MADISON FARMER PATRICK FAY JULIA FETTERLY TIMOTHY FIELD III

MASON FITCH LAUREN FLETCHER EDDIE FLORES III JULIUS FLORES CONER FLOYD MICHAEL FORADORY GWYNETH FOWLER KAYLIE FOWLER

ALLIE FRIEMEL JAYDEN FULLMORE ROBERT FUNK PORTIA GALLARDO ARCHER GAMES

ALONDRA GARCIA ARIZBETH GARCIA JOHANA GARCIA

KEIRA GARCIA ZOE GARCIA MATTHEW GATES WILL GATLIN STACY GIL GRANT GILBERT DENVER GILMORE HARLEY GILMORE

LESLIE GOMEZ CAIDANCE GONZALES ALYSAH GONZALEZ CECILIA GONZALEZ SARAH GOULD NOAH GRAF MARK GRANCHUKOFF JAMISON GRANDOLPH

DYLAN GRAZIOPLENE HAYDEN GRIFFIN JADEN GUTHRIE WILLIAMS BALTAZAR GUTIERREZ III HEATHER HAINES KAI HALL PAYTON HANSON DANE HARDCASTLE

KARMM Dental Group is now open in Liberty Hill and accepting new patients! Come join us for free snacks, drinks and fun at our meet, greet and ribbon cutting ceremony on June 8th from 3-7pm!

Your smile comes first! Let us care for you and your family in our brand new, state-of-the-art dental office. We have over 45 years of combined experience, and we look forward to meeting you. Please call us and ask about our new patient specials.

Salutatorian

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

must be guarded against and fought off.

“A had a lot on my plate and I’m human, so sometimes I just wanted to take a break,” said Billingsley. “But, at times like that, I just had to buckle down and do what I had to do.”

In addition to her studies and sports, Billingsley has also found time to compete in UIL journalism and has advanced to the state competition, winning the editorial writing event in her junior year. However, despite her way with words, she is not committing to a career in the field just yet.

“I love journalism and I love to write,” she said. “So, it will probably be something in the English realm.”

Billingsley said she chose Texas A&M over the University of Texas due to some advice she got from a family member that is no longer with her.

“I had a cousin that passed away this year who told me I should go to A&M because of the Christian community there,” she said. “My faith helps me remember I can’t do everything on my own strength and always remembering God allows me to take a step back from my achievements because my relationship with God is what’s important in the long run.”

Curiously enough, Billingsley said the fact she was able to ascend to the No. 2 rank in her class isn’t necessarily due to superior intelligence, but rather hard work and determination to succeed.

“I wouldn’t say I’m smarter than every-

one, but I’ve worked hard,” she said. “You can talk to any of my friends and they’ll tell you I can be dim-witted.”

In what way, exactly?

“Common sense things,” said Billingsley. “I tend to overthink as far as everyday tasks like ‘If I do this, I’ll be smart and save time,’ but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

Chasing No. 1

Being highly ranked among her peers is certainly nothing new for Billingsley, as she has been up with the elite learners dating back to even before high school, she said.

“Back in junior high, I was number one in my class eighth-grade year,” said Billingsley. “Ever since then, I knew it was something I could do and thought it would be really cool if I could carry it over to high school.”

But envisioning a possibility and making it a reality are two entirely different propositions – especially when the entire process is a four-year academic journey.

“For me, having the perseverance to see it all the way through has been an asset for me,” she said. “Also, I have a very obsessive personality.”

All that being said, though, Billingsley knows she must maintain proper perspective so as to not be completely engulfed in the grind of performing so well all the time.

“If I continually thought about just grades, a lot of times I would just have to step back because there are other things in life beside ranks,” she said.

Such as the success she and her hoops

sisters had this past season – an indelible experience Billingsley will always hold close to her heart.

“It was just amazing and I’m so proud of what our team did this year,” she said. “Also, it’s such a young team with only three seniors, so the next couple of years are going to be great.”

Aside from the sport itself, Billingsley will always cherish the time spent with her Lady Panthers teammates.

“I do love the game,” she said. “But, what I love more are the relationships, so I’ll still keep in touch with them and I’ll be back to help with camp this summer.”

Billingsley is a Liberty Hill lifer, having been born and raised in Pantherville and said one of the most enjoyable aspects was to stand in the shoes of those she looked up to as a youngster.

“I remember going to the football games as a kid and it was so much fun seeing all the athletes,” she said. “Then one day, all of a sudden I was one of them. I truly love Liberty Hill and it will always be my home.”

Billingsley said she owes a huge debt of gratitude to parents Andrea and James,

Valedictorian

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

as large as those within, he said.

“College will be a lot more self-paced because the professors don’t keep as close a tabs on you and my parents won’t be there to nudge me along, but I know they’ll check in on me frequently,” said Kondapalli. “I don’t think I’ll have more pressure – college is just a fresh start and I’ll have a support system in place.”

Thankful to have been a Panther

After the rough start to his time as a member of the Purple-and-Gold, Kondapalli now looks back with cherished memories of those who came to be his extended educational family and will use those feelings as fuel in the future.

“I just want to express how thankful I am to everybody in Liberty Hill for welcoming me like they did,” he said. “All of my peers didn’t have to put the effort in to make me feel welcome, but they did and

sister Lila and boyfriend Gabe Pavlovski for all the support they’ve provided her with and regardless of aspirations, one should never stray from those closest.

“The advice I would give is to not let academics take away from relationships or you’ll be miserable,” she said. “I’m very proud of where I’ve been and where I’m going and they’ve helped me get here.”

I’m super grateful because I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

As for others that might aspire to follow in his academic footsteps in the future, Kondapalli has sage advice to offer.

“I would tell them to take it easy and relax – do the best you can at everything you do,” he said. “Don’t try to micro-manage everything because that doesn’t work. Put your best work in and good things will happen.”

Of course, there is much gratitude for helping him on his journey to get to this point.

“I want to thank everyone,” said Kondapalli. “My parents, teachers and every person who was confident in me – everything happens for a reason and it’s definitely a blessing to have been here in Liberty Hill.”

Abbie Billingsley (#12) credits basketball with providing balance in a busy life of academics, along with learning leadership, teamwork and creating lasting relationships. PHOTO BY ALEX RUBIO

Valedictorian Dhanush Kondapalli has always found solace from the pressures of his studies on the golf course in playing for Liberty Hill his junior and senior years. (Courtesy Photo)

LHISD Trustees approve new attendance boundaries

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH STAFF WRITER

Approximately 600 elementary students will have new educational homes in the fall after the Liberty Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved new attendance boundaries for the 2023-24 school year in April.

Superintendent Steve Snell was satisfied with the manner in which the map was adjusted.

“I thought it was a very good process overall,” he said. “One of the things I’m most proud of in Liberty Hill is how we value feedback from the community.”

Initially, a survey was sent out to parents across the district after a set of proposed boundaries was unveiled at the Board’s March meeting, one that received 420 replies.

The opening of Bar W Elementary in August was the catalyst for the changes, with an initial projected enrollment of 655 students, which is below the 800-student capacity.

However, despite the presence of the new school, Santa Rita Elementary will still have an estimated 928 students at the start of school, with that number expected to increase to 1,017 by next spring.

But, it won’t be much longer before relief will arrive with the addition of the district’s seventh elementary school, which will be located adjacent to Santa Rita Middle School and will open in August 2024.

In all, the district projects an elementary enrollment of 4,886 students by spring of 2024, which will be just over the capacity of 4,800.

According to Snell, as the area continues to grow with more and more homes constantly being built, it’s the district’s objective to monitor the progress of each development in order to gauge where the next schools will be needed and when.

“Everything depends on how quickly each neighborhood grows,” said Snell. “Right now, the Saddleback neighborhood north of Santa Rita is growing quickly, so the new school there will help relieve the pressure on Santa Rita Elementary.”

Not everything goes according to projections, though, he said.

“For example, we thought Bar W was going to grow much quicker than it has,” said Snell. “Which is why we stay in constant dialogue with the developers. However, what they do is subject to market conditions and they can pivot a lot quicker than we can.”

Along those ever-shifting lines, the Board also approved the purchase of a 13.27-acre parcel located in the Lariat subdivision that will be used for an elementary school at a cost of $1.15 million.

Snell said as more homes are built in

both the Butler Farms and Lariat neighborhoods, more adjustments will be needed.

“What that will do is cause the western side of the district to shift east,” he said. “By then, we’ll have added elementary schools number eight and nine.”

Despite the forecast for growth over the past year, the actual number exceeded expectations, said Snell.

“We grew so fast last year – a 23.5 percent increase,” he said. “Our goal – as challenging as it may be – is to keep kids out of

portables.”

Snell added the constantly shifting sands of Liberty Hill’s educational landscape creates a massive challenge – but one the district is intent on handling.

“When it comes to attendance boundaries, there is no perfect way to do this and we do the best we can,” he said. “We never want to have to move kids two years in a row.”

At its April meeting, the Liberty Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees approved new attendance boundaries for the district’s elementary schools for the 202324 school year that will affect approximately 600 students. (Courtesy Graphic)

About 600 elementary students will be impacted by the changes

ANDREW HARDYMCLEOD ETHAN HARNESS JACKSON HARRISON ALICEONA HAWKINS ANTHONY HAY DAKOTA HEADRICK ASHLEIGH HEIDERSCHEDIT CAYDEN HENDERSON

GABRIELA HERNANDEZ MADDISON HERNANDEZ JEFFREY HICKS TYLER HIGA CHRISTOPHER HIGGINBOTHAM

ASHER HILBURN ANNA HILDERBRAND NICHOLAS HINKEL

OLIVIA HODGES MATTHEW HOMAN ALYSSA HOOVER REAGAN HOYT

BROOKLYN HUCKABY CHRISTIAN HUNTER PARIS HUNTER BRYCE HURLEY

BRETT HURST GARRETT INNES AUDREY ITZ JESSLYN JACKSON RYAN JACOBS ZACHARY JACOBS LAUREL JAGODZINKSKI AMY JAIMES-GARCIA

ISABELLA JAIMEZ JACOB JERNIGAN ANGELICA JIMENEZ GARRETT JOHNSON CADE JONES SUMMER JORDAN BROOKLYN JOWERS BRILEY JUDD

LILLIAN JUNGMANN ANDRE JUST-HASCALL MATTHEW KANE JULIA KENDALL PAIGE KETCHEM KYLIE KIRK COLE KLEIN DHANUSH KONDAPALLI

TEGAN KONESHECK MURRAY KURYLOWICZ ROMAN LAGO MACY LAND AVERY LEAKE CAM LECHOW MIKAYLA LEDEZMA CLAIRE LEE

GINGER LEFTWICH RYAN LEVEE ELLA LEWIS WYATT LIES MALIA LOCKE BLAKE LONG TYSON LOPEZ GENESIS LOPEZ-TORRES

BRANDON LOZANO ITZEL LOZOYZ CHLOE LUDWICK BAILEY LUNDY PAUL MADERIA TY MALDONADO ADREN MANRIQUEZ SALMA MARQUEZ MARTINEZ

ANDREW MARSHALL KYNDAL MARTIN JASMINE MARTINEZ DAVID MASIAKOWSKI CHASE MAXWELL JUSTIN MAY BRYCE MAYER RYLIE MAYO

TRAVIS MCANALLY BRENDAN MCADAMS TUCKER MCCANN BRADLEY MCCARN RYAN MCCARN KASIDY MCCUE CASSIDY MCDONALD THOMAS MCINTIRE

DARREN MCKEON SEAN MCKEON DILLON MCKINNEY CONNOR MCLEOD NOLAN MERCHANT HALLE MERRIMAN SKYLER MEUSE ETHAN MIERS

ANTON MIKESKA JR. AIDAN MILLER AVA MILLER GAVIN MILLER HAYLEE MINTON PRESCOTT MIXSON GANNON MIXSON PRESTON MIXSON

MALIA MONTERO PEYTON MONTES DAYTON MONTGOMERY GABRIEL MONTUY AUSTIN MOORE CLARISSA MORENO GABRIELLA MORRIS LANDREE NEELY

KAILEIGH NEFFENDORF KADE NEUENSCHWANDER QUYNH N. NGUYEN QUYNH T. NGUYEN LEVI NIXON GRACE NOBLES JOHANNA NOWAK ADRIAN NUNEZ

CAMILLE O’BRIEN TYLER O’BRIEN COLTON O’DELL RYKAN OLIVARES OSCAR ONTIVEROS AVA ORTEGA PAUL ORTIZ JR. NATALIE OVERGONER

GABRIEL PAVLOVSKY JULIANA PEREZ AVERY PERRY JADYN PETERSON

ELIZABETH PETRU EMMA PETRU MEGAN PFEILER VICTORIA PHEGLEY

OLIVIA PLEMON MCKENZIE PLOTT ELLA POGUE DANTE PONCE NISCHAY PORWAR MORGAN POULAIN ASHLEY PRICE GRACE PRINGLE

SHANE PRYOR JOSEPH RAMON SAILA RASHEED ESTELLA RATHERT ANNJOLENA RAY NOAH REAVIS LAUREN REID MICAH REINART

SAVANNAH REINHARDT SHELBY REINHARDT ANGELINA REITER SOPHIA REVERE DEVEAN REY ZANE REYNOLDS CARSON RILEY SAMUEL RILEY

BIZ BRIEFS:

What’s New?

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

FOOD & BEVERAGE

permit in Liberty Hill to build an 11,000-square-foot facility that will o er preschool, after-school care and summer camps to area children. O2B! Kids was founded in Florida in 1998 and has opened nearly 50 schools in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

RETAIL

Liberty Hill Bakery

Mobile, Liberty Hill

Liberty Hill Bakery is a small business specializing in allergy-friendly treats, which sells custom orders as well as commercial wholesale orders. The bakery currently sells its o erings at Mojo's Co ee, including vegan and gluten free vanilla bean scones, chocolate chip chia cookies and zucchini bread.

Taqueria Mi Ranchito

14751 SH 29, Liberty Hill

Mexican food truck Taqueria Mi

Ranchito has found a permanent home at Thirsty Penguin. The food truck serves a variety of Mexican dishes, including street tacos and quesadillas.

Tomlinson's Feed

19380 W. Ronald Reagan, Liberty Hill

Pet owners in the Liberty Hill area will soon have a new place to shop for their fur babies as Tomlinson's Feed recently announced it will open a new store at Bar W Marketplace, near H-E-B. The 2,800-square-foot retail store is expected to be complete by late July and will be the 17th location of Tomlinson's in the greater Austin area.

Good Vibes Inflatables

Mobile, Liberty Hill

Liberty Hill resident Skyler Lee recently opened a bounce house rental company called Good Vibes Inflatables. Locals can rent bounce houses for parties, events and more.

would be closing the fitness studio permanently.

Gateway Services

3760 FM 970, Florence Gateway Services, a pet crematorium in Florence, will soon undergo renovations that include a remodel of the existing building as well as a new addition.

Golf Cart King

111 CR 214, Liberty Hill

A site permit for phase two construction of Golf Cart King was recently approved by the Liberty Hill City Council. The second phase of the project will be constructed to the west of the original building.

Ginger Roots Boutique

104 Brown Bridge Road, Liberty Hill

Main Street Marketplace

704 Main Street, Liberty Hill

Main Street Marketplace celebrated its one-year anniversary in late April.

Whitney Petroski, owner of Ginger Roots Boutique, recently announced she will be expanding her brand with a new location in Hico. The name of the Hico store will be Honky Tonk Red's and is anticipated to open this summer.

Stockyard Co ee

6779 SH 29, Georgetown

Stockyard Co ee is a new co ee truck that just opened on the border of Liberty Hill and Georgetown, in the parking lot of Ryan Connor's State Farm o ce and Renken Dentistry. In addition to co ee, the truck also serves freeze-dried candies dubbed "Stockyard sweets".

OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS

• Forrest Co ee House 104 Forrest Street, Liberty Hill

• The Freckled Fox Mobile, Liberty Hill

SLAP Tactical

Mobile, Liberty Hill

SLAP Tactical is a Liberty Hillbased business that specializes in firearms and accessories. It was started in early 2023 by former police o cer and Liberty Hill resident Shawn Lapuszynski and his son, Jake.

OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS

• Vapo Smokemart

1633 US Hwy 183, Liberty Hill SERVICES

O2B! Kids

12238 SH 29, Liberty Hill

O2B! Kids has applied for a site

Tulip House Learning Center

508 Spoleto Drive, Liberty Hill

Tulip House Learning Center is a new drop-in daycare organization that o ers hourly babysitting, drop-in care and overnight babysitting. Each week of care operates under a di erent theme for children who attend, and meals are included.

OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS

• C.C. Carlton Industries

10265 SH 29, Liberty Hill

• Diesel Nation

4774 US Hwy 183, Liberty Hill

ON THE MOVE

Flock Fitness

12780 SH 29, Liberty Hill

Flock Fitness owner Maranda Basey announced in May that she

The Dog Ranch at Liberty Hill

13150 SH 29, Liberty Hill Dogs visiting The Dog Ranch at Liberty Hill have all new turf to run on after a renovation project updated the daycare area of the facility in May.

The Clubhouse

1575 CR 279, Liberty Hill

The Clubhouse recently moved to a larger location on CR 279 where it will be able to expand its baseball and softball services to include more training, as well as training for other sports such as wrestling.

Main Street Marketplace

Hico

Tomlinson's Feed

Liberty Hill Bakery

Golden State to Lone Star was good move for Secondary Teacher of Year

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH STAFF WRITER

After two decades in education, Amy Rosser decided she and her family needed to seek a new professional and personal home, having grown weary of life in her native Southern California.

For the past two years, she has taught seventh-grade Reading and Language Arts at Santa Rita Middle School and it didn’t take long to make a lasting impression in her new environment.

Following the right path

Elementary Teacher of the Year took winding road to education

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH STAFF WRITER

Emily Lively grew up in a working-class family, so when it came time to choose a profession to pursue, she aspired to a bit more.

“My dad was a police officer and my mom was a teacher,” said Lively. “We were pretty much paycheck-to-paycheck and I felt like I needed more money, so I got a business degree.”

For the next decade after graduating from Abilene Christian University with said degree, Lively worked in the corporate sector, but her heart was never in it – so eventually she followed her mother’s footsteps into education and hasn’t looked back.

Lively was named the Liberty Hill Independent School District’s Elementary Teacher of the Year for her work as a fifthgrade educator at Liberty Hill Elementary School, where she has taught for the past nine years after three at Bill Burden Elementary.

In addition to being named Liberty Hill Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, the overall elementary honor also landed Lively the Kristy Kercheville Excellence in Teaching Award – a $1,000 teaching grant named in honor of the late Liberty Hill ISD director of communications on behalf of the Liberty Hill ISD Education Foundation. Be like Mom

Lively’s mother, Mary Lou Lively, also

taught in the district and was the primary inspiration for her finally following along that same path, she said.

“Obviously, my mother was my mentor and role model,” said Lively, who worked for an audit company in the insurance industry previous to education. “Actually, I should’ve gotten into teaching a long time ago.”

However, the fact she took a 10-year detour has made her current career that much more rewarding, she said.

“I’m a person of faith,” said Lively. “So, part of the journey to get me here has definitely played a role in the joy I now have because before I was unfulfilled.”

Along those same lines, Lively has remained single all these years – something she also attributes to a greater plan for her life.

“My path God has laid out for me doesn’t involve a husband or kids,” she said. “So, I put everything I have into my job, which allows me to serve my colleagues better because I can try to take on more than the average teacher and do things they can’t necessarily. This way, I can give more to the kids and my teammates.”

All that being said, Lively highlighted how the happiness she gets from her work many times offsets the drawbacks of the teaching profession.

“If I didn’t love what I do, I would be miserable,” she said. “Teaching is a lot of hard work, so that helps me through some of the

Rosser was named Liberty Hill Independent School District’s Secondary Teacher of the Year – recognition she doesn’t take lightly.

“I’m absolutely humbled and honored,” said Rosser. “Because we’re blessed to have so many gifted and excellent teachers here. One of the most humbling aspects is this award is voted on by your peers.”

For Rosser, having the ability to stand at the front of a classroom is also something not to be taken for granted, she said.

“Every day, people trust us with their most prized possessions – their children,” said Rosser. “Teaching is a privilege.”

Along with the award, Rosser also received the Kristy Kercheville Excellence in Teaching Award – a $1,000 teaching grant named in honor of the late LHISD director of communications on behalf of the Liberty Hill Education Foundation – which she already has earmarked, she said.

“I’m going to use it to build a classroom library,” said Rosser. “It’s something every English classroom needs and should have.”

Bridging the gap

Due to the fact middle school is the conduit for students between elementary and high school, educating at that level can prove difficult at times as young people begin to figure out who they are as human beings – although that makes the payoff that much more gratifying, she said.

“Middle school can present some of the greatest challenges we face as teachers,” said Rosser. “But, also the greatest rewards.”

Next year, Rosser will move to Liberty Hill High School, where she will teach English I and be able to combine her profession with personal interests, as son Bryson will be a junior.

“Bryson is in the band and I want to be able to participate and help more with that and other activities,” she said. “Being at the high school will allow me to do that – it’s going to be a change and a challenge professionally, but I’m very excited to be joining the high school campus and looking forward to the culture.”

By doing so, Rosser will have the opportunity to further witness the development of some of her former students.

“I wanted to teach English I so I could help freshmen with the transition to high school,” said Rosser. “I’ll see some familiar faces because I’ll have some of the kids I had last year in seventh grade and moving up can be difficult because in high school, things like planning, organization, advocating for themselves and responsibility increases for students.”

Pushing the right buttons

Rosser drew a parallel between academics and athletics – a theme she takes advantage of in getting her message across in the classroom, she said.

“Reading and writing is like a sport in

Liberty Hill Elementary School fifth grade teacher Emily Lively was named Elementary Teacher of the Year for the district.

PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Amy Rosser of Santa Rita Middle School was named Liberty Hill Independent School District’s Secondary Teacher of the Year.

PHOTO BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Stringer excels for Panthers

Spring tennis takes on a more individualistic approach in the form of traditional tournament play, as players compete in singles and doubles as separate entities as opposed to the fall team tennis concept.

The Panthers player who had the most success this spring was junior India Young, who was Liberty Hill’s girls’ singles No. 1 and advanced to the Class 5A state tournament.

Young followed an older sibling through the Panthers’ program, with sister Ellis graduating off last season’s squad.

Head coach Sherry Rhoden said the absence of her sister this year helped her concentrate more.

“India was able to blossom by having to rely more on herself without Ellis around,” she said. “I think that made her better on the court.”

LHHS wins championship in new coach’s first season

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH SPORTS EDITOR

When Brandon Creek arrived to take over the Liberty Hill baseball program this year after having served as the head coach at Class 6A Stony Point for the past six seasons, it didn’t take long for the Panthers’ new dugout boss to get to know his players.

Creek had already seen many of them play at various youth and select levels over the years as he coached son Brandon up through the ranks.

“It was a huge advantage,” said Creek. “My son was a senior this year and I got to see a lot of our players grow up.”

From there, it was simply a matter of figuring out how to put the puzzle together, he said.

“Once practice started, we just needed to get them as many reps as possible,” said Creek. “Seeing live pitching and learning what guys can do in certain situations –that was the biggest thing going into the preseason.”

Fast-forward to season’s end and the Panthers finished with an overall record of 24-9 and a 10-4 result in the district standings, which earned them a share of the league championship – Creek’s first of his coaching career.

Unfortunately, the campaign ended with an opening-round defeat to Champion when the Panthers dropped the first two contests in a best-of-three Class 5A state

playoff series.

However, there were still plenty of positives to glean from a season that was challenging at times – primarily due to injuries that saw critical cogs out of the lineup.

Not the least of which was the senior middle-infield combo of shortstop Brandon Creek and second baseman Ty Maldonado, who both missed a majority of the season, including the entire district schedule.

As a result, Creek was left to plug young players into the Panthers lineup such as sophomores Pearson Lowery and Andrew Basey, among others over the course of the season.

Despite the absences, though, a core of experienced players still remained, most notably in the form of seniors Carson Riley, Logan Dyer, Kade Neuenschwander and Chase Maxwell, along with junior Blaze Milam, who was already in his third season on the varsity squad.

Looking ahead, the Panthers will lose 10 seniors to graduation, which means the ranks will need replenishing in 2024.

“I feel like offensively we had a pretty good year – we hit over .300 as a team – it was just about getting hits at the right times,” Creek said.

“This is a good place to be – good parents and a good community,” he said. “Coming here, I didn’t know a whole lot about Liberty Hill, but I did know it’s a place that’s committed to doing what’s best for kids.”

Young decided to focus strictly on United States Tennis Association (USTA) play outside of school in the fall, then returned to her high school teammates for the spring season.

“I play very offensively and aggressively and attack everything,” said Young. “When I

was younger, it was the opposite. My coaches would tell me to hit the ball harder, but now I can with accuracy. Also, I think my competitiveness has a lot to do with it.”

Upon advancing to the state tournament in San Antonio, though, Young was defeated in the first round by Ella Wertz of Wakeland, 6-1, 6-3 – a loss she chalked up to perhaps letting the enormity of the situation get to her, but a mistake she won’t make again, she said.

“My goal is to win state next year,” she said. “All I need to do is keep practicing and do a better job of handling my emotions on the court.”

Lady Panthers set home run record, win district

The Lady Panthers hit 56 home runs in turning pitches into souvenirs on the way to a district championship this season with an overall record of 29-7 to go with a league mark of 13-1.

Senior Kylie Kirk was the Lady Panthers’ lead bomber with 17 homers and 65 runs batted in, while sophomore Addison Shifflett added 10, junior Rylee Slimp eight and senior Emma Petru six long balls, respectively.

Liberty Hill defeated a pair of San Antonio schools – Veterans Memorial and

Edison – in the opening two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping a pair of best-of-three series by a combined score of 65-10.

Unfortunately, the season ended with a 3-2 loss to Canyon in a game in which Liberty Hill led, 2-0, entering the bottom of the seventh only to lose on a walk-off by the Cougars – a defeat that included a controversial call that made the loss even more unbearable, said Coach Kristin Brewer. Despite the loss, the season was a success considering the team had missed out on the postseason for the past three years.

Senior Kade Neuenschwander led Liberty Hill with eight wins on the mound and was second with a .354 batting average on the season.

PHOTO BY ALEX RUBIO

Liberty Hill won its first-ever Class 5A district championship this season with an overall record of 29-7, including a 13-1 league mark and advanced to the regional quarterfinals of the state playoffs. PHOTO BY JB SLIMP

Junior India Young advanced to the Class 5A state tournament in girls’ singles during the spring tennis season. (Courtesy Photo)

Lively

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

tough times. But, I get out of it just as much as I put in. There’s the old saying, ‘If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.’”

Choosing the right level

Originally, Lively planned to teach on the secondary side, but a brief sojourn into that realm was all she needed to convince her otherwise, she said.

“I taught as a sub in middle school for a week and came home crying every day,” said Lively. “I guess maybe I don’t have a whole lot of sarcasm, so my personality jibes a lot be er with elementary kids.”

According to Lively, she was blindsided by the award voted on by her peers.

“I didn’t think I would ever win something like this and certainly not this early,” said Lively. “But, I would think every teacher would like to. With all the amazing educators we have in this district, it’s very humbling.”

When it came time to switch careers, Lively eschewed the most common path of simply ge ing the necessary training for a

credential to go along with her bachelor’s and decided she needed more knowledge to be the best she could be once stepping foot into a classroom for the first time.

So, Lively earned a master’s degree in education at Regis University in her home state of Colorado before taking the leap of faith into the profession – despite the fact she believed she already had the intangible abilities, she said.

“Even though I felt like I was going to be a natural as a teacher,” said Lively. “I wanted to make sure I had the proper education.”

As a result, Lively never relents in her constant quest for more wisdom about her passion.

“Even in my spare time, I’m always reading books about school and education,” she said. “I’m very fascinated by how the brain works and gaining more understanding because that can help you go from being frustrated with a student to being able to figure out the ‘why’ behind what’s happening, which allows you to build be er relationships with kids.”

Validation

Still though, teaching can put up some stubborn roadblocks when trying to unlock a young mind’s potential to learn.

“At times like that, I rely on prayer,” said Lively. “Also, we have li le things we can do as teachers when we need a minute because the last thing you want is to lose it on a kid. But, I work at a really great school where we have things in place to help each other out in those moments.”

Lively recently received a message that further buoyed her resolve, she said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

you need practice and repetition in order to get be er,” said Rosser. “Half of what I do is to be a cheerleader in ge ing students to believe in themselves and be willing to take risks and not be afraid to make mistakes as part of the process. Once you develop that rapport and they know you care about them, it’s much easier to learn.”

As a result, the sky is the limit, which is when the satisfaction is greatest for both parties.

“You get those light-bulb moments when they’re proud of their work,” she said. “As teachers, we lead them to those moments,

“I love it when parents reach out,” said Lively. “One of them told me their kid, who is currently an eighth-grader I had four years ago, had to name their favorite teacher and it was me. I hadn’t been in touch with that student since he was in the fourth grade, so to know I made enough of an impact on a young life is an affirmation and why I do what I do.”

but the students are the ones who clear the obstacles.”

Different landscape

According to Rosser, although the basic fundamentals of teaching remain the same now as when she began her career, the myriad technological advancements have altered how teachers accomplish their mission.

“When I started teaching, students didn’t have their own Chromebooks,” said Rosser. “In addition, there were no cell phones and social media, so now from an engagement standpoint, teachers need to think more outside the box to reach their students. What worked in that regard 20 years ago isn’t always the right way to do things now.”

Rosser said modern-day home life also plays an influential role that carries over to the classroom.

“Parenting is different now and so is life,” she said. “These days, we have a lot of two-parent working families.”

However, the place Rosser now calls her personal and professional home is one that is properly equipped to handle the challenges.

“What I love most about Liberty Hill is as a community – despite the fact we’re growing – it’s still like a small village in many ways,” she said. “We all stick together –teachers, administration, the school board and parents – with a common goal. I feel like everyone is looking out for what’s best for our students and if I ever need anything, I can go to anyone.”

AMANDA ROBERTS EMMI RODRIGUEZ JOEL RODRIGUEZ TORIBIO RODRIGUEZ VERONICA RODRIGUEZ CHLOE ROE ANTONIO ROMERO JULIAN ROMERO

SETH ROMNEY JONATHAN ROOK LAYNE ROSSON JACK ROTH NATALIE ROTH LANE RYBARSKI GAVIN SALINAS CYNTHIA SANCHEZ

LARAMIE SANDERS FRANCISCO SANDOVAL BANDA MATTHEW SCHMUDE CARLTON SCHRANK AIDEN SCHREIER KAITLYN SEGURA DELPHEEN SEPEDI PRECIOSA SERVIN

ROWAN SHAW LARA SHEPHERD BARON SHERRILL JR. ROMAN SHILLINGTON-QUILLIAN

KATLYN SHULL SHAYLEE SJOLANDER JACOB SLEVIN ELLISON SMITH

EMMA SMITH HANNAH SMITH JAIDEN SMITH ZACHARY SMITH GATTON SNELTZER BURK SAMUEL SOUSA QUINTIN SPEIR ACACIA SPRADLING

ERICA SPRADLING ISAAC SPRADLING WYATT SPRINKLE KIMBERLY STANFORD EMMA STEELE THOMAS STEFANICH EDEN STILES HUDSON STILLWELL

SERENITY STORY JORDAN STRATTON BARON STRICKLAND MACY STRINGER COURTNEY STROBEL JOSHUA SUNDAY BROOK SWARTZ MISHAAL TALHA

MALORY TATE MACY TEDDER JADA TEMPLE EWAN TERRY NOAH TESTONE ELIZABETH THOMPSON REED TOLBERT CECILIA TORRES

JESENIA TORRES JASMINE ULLOA CECILIA VALDOVINOS ANDREW VAN ANTWERP SEBASTIAN VASQUEZ REESE VICKERS ISAAC VILLANUEVA ROY WALTERS JR.

HOLLI WARD JOSHUA WARE ETHAN WARREN GREGORY WATKINS BRYSON WEBB KELSEA WEIBLE LOGAN WHEATLEY ALEXIS WHITMORE

AIDEN

WHITTLESEY-ADAMS

LOCAL EVENTS

June

June 4

MUSIC AT THE MULE

Thirsty Mule Winery & Vineyard

101 CR 257, Liberty Hill

1 p.m. thirstymule.com

ASHTON WILLIAMS

June 8

WATER TOWER KICKSTART

Water Tower Parking Lot

822 Main Street, Liberty Hill

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. experiencelhtx.com

June 9

COSMIC CONVOY

Main Street Social

1651 Main Street, Liberty Hill

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

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH BETH LEE AND THE BREAKUPS

Agape BBQ

3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

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

LIZZIE STREET Liberty Hill

Beer Market

13851 SH 29, Liberty Hill

7 - 9 p.m. libertyhillbeermarketmenu.com

June 10

THE MARKET LHTX Cross Tracks Church

101 Church Street, Liberty Hill

9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

POP-UP CARNIVAL

Lions Foundation Park

355 Main Street, Liberty Hill

5 - 7 p.m.

PHOTOS PROVIDED COURTESY OF LIBERTY HILL ISD

Some graduates may not appear as photos were not available or media permission for publication was not provided by parents at the start of the school year.

Congratulations to the Class of 2023!

DAVE GRODZKI

Whitestone Brewery

15390 SH 29, Liberty Hill

6 - 8 p.m. whitestonebrewery.com

HIGH STRUNG BAND Main Street Social 1651 Main Street, Liberty Hill

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

MUSIC UNDER THE OAKS WITH NAMELESS ROAD

Agape BBQ

3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 p.m. agapebbq.com

K8 & THE CRUSHERS

Liberty Tavern

3000 RR

1869, Liberty Hill

8 - 10 p.m. libertytavern.co

June 17

FOOD TRUCK RALLY

Whitestone Brewery

15390 SH 29, Liberty Hill

12 Noon whitestonebrewery.com

COLIN BOUTWELL

Fire Oak Distillery

4600 CR 207, Liberty Hill

1 - 6 p.m. fireoakdistillery.com

MIDNIGHT RUBIES

Main Street Social

1651 Main Street, Liberty Hill

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

MUSIC UNDER THE OAKS WITH BLAZIN KANE

Agape BBQ

3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 p.m. agapebbq.com

JESSE DANIEL

Globe Theatre

132 W. Vaughan Street, Bertram

8 p.m. globetheatretx.com

June 18

FATHER’S DAY CAR SHOW RockPointe Church

170 CR 214, Liberty Hill

9 a.m. - 12 Noon rockpointechurch. com

TEXAS BACH FESTIVAL

HighPointe Estate

5555 CR 258, Liberty Hill

3 p.m. texasbachfestival.org

June 23

JASON BIRDWELL

Main Street Social

1651 Main Street, Liberty Hill

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

June 24

DAVE BECKER BAND

Fire Oak Distillery

4600 CR 207, Liberty Hill

1 - 6 p.m. fireoakdistillery.com

JOHN PRATHER Main Street Social

1651 Main Street, Liberty Hill

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

DELUXE

Dahlia Cafe

2450 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. dahliacafe.com

June 30

X FACTORY Main Street Social 1651 Main Street, Liberty Hill

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

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH JOEL TUCKER BAND Agape BBQ 3610 RR 1869, Liberty Hill

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

July 1

‘MEAT’ THE RANCHERS

Veterans Liberty Ranch

1209 CR 204, Liberty Hill

3 - 8 p.m. veteranslibertyranch.com

July 3

LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECTACULAR

Liberty Hill Middle School

13125 SH 29, Liberty Hill 6 - 10 p.m. experiencelhtx.com

The City of Liberty Hill’s signature festival includes fireworks, live music, food and a ractions for all ages. Come celebrate Independence Day with your neighbors.

NATHAN WINDSOR EVELYN WOJCIK

KAITLYN WOOD KILEY WOOD

TENIA WRIGHT AARON YBARRA

DANIEL ZAMORA-LOPEZ

K8 & The Crushers

Lizzie Street

Jessie Daniel

Liberty Hill Independence Day Spectacular

Shane T. White Clyde Davis Connie Fuller Ginger Floyd Debby Norman