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2020
Volume 33, Issue 48
Early voting numbers skyrocket
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The periodic lines snaking out of the front door of the Liberty Hill Municipal Court are a daily reminder that early voting numbers are setting Williamson County records for the Nov. 3 General Election. Through the first eight of 18 days of early voting, Williamson County has tallied 136,817 ballots, nearly 1,000 more early votes than were cast in 2016 total. Liberty Hill, which has historically only had a couple of days of early voting, has seen 6,681 vote in town. While the Liberty Hill totals could include out of town voters, and a variety of voters who live within the city limits and outside, the more than 6,000 votes cast in town have already eclipsed any local voter turnout totals aside from the 2018 LHISD bond election, which totaled 7,665. The 2019 City election garnered 120 votes and the LHISD Board election totaled 383 votes. Early voting ends Oct. 30 with polls open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sundays when they are open 1-6 p.m. There are 19 early voting locations across the county, including the Liberty Hill Municipal Court building at 2801 RR 1869. All early voting, as well as election day polling locations can be found on the Williamson County Elections Department website at wilco.org. The County has more than 376,931 registered voters heading into this election, more than 10 percent more than for the 2018 contest, and the turnout to date represents 36.43 percent of all registered voters. In 2018, there were 336,148 registered voters in the county for the November election with a 62.25 percent turnout. In the last presidential election, in 2016, there were 306,811 registered voters and a 67.1 percent turnout. The ballot includes federal races including the contest for the presidency, all the way down to local races for Liberty Hill Mayor and Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees. Also on the ballot for Liberty Hill city voters is a measure to decide whether City Council terms should be extended to three years or remain at two years. For voters in the city limits, there are 24 races or measures to be decided. ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
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LHISD weathering COVID issues Technology proving to be biggest challenge in pandemic
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Since the education landscape changed dramatically last March, fending off the COVID-19 virus has only been one of the many challenges facing Liberty Hill ISD as it has adjusted. Technology issues have been one of the biggest hurdles, and trustees spent $64,250 Monday to overcome one of those. There were 120 iPad Minis in use across the elementary grades in the district that were no longer effectively running the Seesaw education application used at the elementary level due to their age. The Board voted to replace them. “With COVID we’ve made some adjustments to our instructional strategies and the tools we’re using in the classroom,” said Chief Technology Officer Jay Olivier. “One of the major tools we’re using is a program called Seesaw. We started using it a couple of years ago. When we went into our quarantine period and subsequently over the summer, the feedback we got from teachers was Seesaw was a program they definitely wanted to use in the lower grades.” Changes in education mean learning apps are being updated and improved more frequently, which is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to keeping up to date with technology. “The world we live in now is full of remote learning changes and across the country these apps are being updated at a breakneck pace, with Seesaw being updated about every other week over the last several months,” Olivier said. “The unfortunate side effect is that whereas before it was fully compatible with older devices now it is less so.” In total, the funds will replace
the 120 older iPad Minis, as well as 28 for special programs and 50 additional units to cover anticipated enrollment growth. The devices cost $325 each. The original intent was to replace these specific devices at the end of the current school year, but the functionality problems have moved that timeline up. Superintendent Steve Snell echoed Olivier’s comments about the technology challenges that have been amplified throughout the pandemic. “This has been an outstanding effort by everyone, from transportation to food service to instruction to leadership,” he said. “The one thing we’re struggling with is technology logistics.” He added that it is not only device issues that need attention, which has led to additional staffing on the tech side. “We’re finding out something new every day, that something either works well or doesn’t work well and we still have
MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO
School Trustee Clay Cole was honored at his final board meeting Monday following 13 years of service. Cole chose not to seek another term, and his seat will be filled in the Nov. 3 General Election. limited staff to correct those problems,” Snell said. “We added two tech support positions that should really help troubleshoot issues in real time for both remote and in
person learners.” Calendar update Due to the heavy workload on teachers as they work to
See LHISD, Page A5
The new middle school project, on 32 acres situated directly east of the intersection of Santa Rita Boulevard and Ronald Reagan, has gone vertical and is on schedule for completion in time to open for the 2021-2022 school year. (Courtesy Photo)
Guice retires after 22 years with local Post Office
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Over the past 22 years, when walking into the Liberty Hill post office, Mary Guice was always waiting to help with mailing needs. After more than two decades of service, Guice is retiring and preparing to embark on a new adventure. A mother, wife, and dedicated worker are some of the words used to describe Guice. Another is veteran. Before serving the Liberty Hill community, Guise served her country in the U.S. Army. Set on a path of academic focus in her early adulthood, Guise felt the need to experience more in her life. “I was in college when I joined the military. I was on a math scholarship, and I just decided I wanted to do something different. So, I just joined the military. When I was in the military, I completed my education and earned my degree in business,” she said. “I loved it. I had a good time in the military. I traveled all around, and
I’ve been all over Europe. I loved it. In Spain, everything was so colorful, and when I was there, the dollar was strong, and things were cheap at the time.” When the time came to move on from the military, Guise decided to take the postal worker exam. “I was in communications in my last 10 years, and I worked brigade level. I worked directly with the colonel and the general,” Guice said. “I decided to take the test to be a postal worker on a whim. I took the test in an auditorium in Austin, and I ended up getting picked.” Moving to Killeen in 1993, the Louisiana native felt at home in Texas, embracing the familiar culture. “It’s not that much different being here in Texas. We like to barbecue every weekend; people like to party all the time,” said Guice. “In Louisiana, they ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO have a lot of different events Mary Guice is retiring from her position with the Liberty Hill Postal Office after 22 years on the job. The Army veteran See GUISE, Page A4 plans to enjoy her retirement traveling with her husband.
Grand Opening Celebration
Projects on time, on budget for LHISD
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor While Liberty Hill ISD is wrapping up the final odds and ends on the new Santa Rita Elementary campus – which welcomed students in late August – construction steam is picking up on the new middle school and the high school additions currently construction. Construction manager Casey Sledge said close out for the final cost of the newly opened elementary campus has not been tallied, but the project will be under budget. The Santa Rita project, which had a guaranteed maximum construction price of $27.2 million not counting soft costs – which included items like design and furniture – began with a contingency fund of $625,750 that is now sitting at $69,186 with only a few items remaining to be checked off the list. Sledge said only a few minor items remain, some of which are being postponed until the holiday break to not disrupt campus activities. With the first of four projects wrapping up in the $98.6 million bond package approved by voters in November 2018, Sledge said there are a number of positives beyond getting the building open and showing a savings. “The best thing we’re going to learn out of Santa Rita Elementary is how to do the next elementary,” he said. “This will become a model, and hopefully every time we build a school we get more and more dialed in.” The familiarity among team members – both in the district and among those connected to the construction – will also help on the other three projects. “We’ve gotten a chance to know all the team players really well and a number of subcontractors that are coincidentally on other projects,” Sledge said. “Already having established relationships is very helpful.” The district has spent 53 percent of the bond funds to date, at $52,319,164. Construction on the new middle school, on 32 acres situated directly east of the intersection of Santa Rita Boulevard and Ronald Reagan, has gone vertical with portions of the project soon to be dried in. “As of last week all of the tiltwall panels are now vertical, not just poured,” Sledge said. “They’re going so quickly everything is vertical now and they’re really getting after it with very little weather delay. The classroom wing is nearly dried in and the roof is now installed.” The contingency fund on this project, which began at $1.076 million, has grown with its first change order to $1.093 due to a credit. “So far we’ve had one small internal change order and that is to credit about $15,000 and that is a net result of us changing the roof material,” Sledge
See PROJECTS, Page A5
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Page A2
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department
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Week of Oct. 12-18, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 371 incidents resulting in five cases, five citations, 18 warnings and no arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On Oct. 12 at approximately 10:46 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance. - On Oct. 12 at approximately 11:10 AM, officers responded to CR 259 for loose livestock. - On Oct. 12 at approximately 8:40 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Liberty Hill Fire/ EMS. - On Oct. 12 at approximately 11:10 PM, officers responded
to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On Oct. 13 at approximately 2:21 AM, officers responded to Munroe Street for a trespassing complaint. - On Oct. 13 at approximately 4:46 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 13 at approximately 9:08 PM, officers responded to the 6000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 13 at approximately 9:55 PM, officers responded to CR 279 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 14 at approximately 5:05 PM, officers responded to
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the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Oct. 14 at approximately 10:12PM, officers responded to Constitution Drive for suspicious activity. - On Oct. 14 at approximately 10:37PM, officers responded to Red Buckeye Loop to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 15 at approximately 6:54AM, officers responded to Flexus Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 15 at approximately 4:12 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 15 at approximately 4:25 PM, officers responded to Bronco Blvd, for a disturbance and accident. - On Oct. 15 at approximately 5:01 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 and Jonathan Drive for an accident. - On Oct. 15 at approximately 7:06 PM, officers respond to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 16 at approximately 2:25 AM, officers responded to Kingfisher Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office - On Oct. 16 at approximately 10:43AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of Loop 332 for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 16 at approximately 7:51 PM, officers responded to the 5000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 17 at approximately 12:12 PM, officers responded to Freedom Park Ave for a citizen assist. - On Oct. 17 at approximately 8:49 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of US 183 for a suspicious incident.
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Thursday, October 22, 2020
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
OPINION
Page A3
BUSINESS
City boundaries created diaspora, disenfranchisement
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property, like roads and utilities, and then construction on buildings and the crystalline lagoon is planned for 2022. Crystal Lagoons is a U.S. company that has developed and patented technology that allows crystalline lagoons of unlimited sizes to be built and maintained at low costs. It enables low water consumption and is expected to consume less than 50 percent of the water required to maintain a city park of equivalent size, according to the City. Derevianko said Leander Springs’ lagoon will be 8 feet deep at its deepest point and will be surrounded by white sand beaches. It will allow for visitors to swim, paddleboard, kayak and more. Well water located on the property will be used to fill the lagoon, and the Crystal Lagoons technology will make the lagoon 50 times more efficient, he added. The next step for the project will take place when the City’s planning and zoning commission meets Oct. 22 to consider zoning for the development. Leander City Council will then make a final determination on the zoning request on Nov. 19 and Dec. 3. “For the foreseeable future, customers want to be outside,” Hill said. “This fits exactly what we believe consumers are looking for.”
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boardwalk and related amenities. The public access lagoon—the first in the nation planned to be open to the general public— will serve as the centerpiece for more than one million square feet of commercial development including a full-service hotel and conference center, according to the City of Leander. In addition, up to 1,600 apartments are proposed for the project, but will be built in phases along with the commercial development. For example, Leander Springs must have 35,000 square feet of commercial development and the crystalline lagoon completed by Dec. 31, 2023. No more than 400 multi-family residential units may be developed during the first phase. “From the City’s perspective it’s a no-lose proposition,” Hill said. “It’s all performance based. We have phases for commercial and residential. The lagoon will be the first thing built, and then residential and commercial will come after that… It will be zero [cost to the taxpayer].” Andrey Derevianko, CFO for Leander Springs, said the plan is to break ground as early as June 2021. The project will be completed in six phases, which will take 12 to 15 years to complete, he added. Developers will first build the infrastructure needed to support the
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By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer LEANDER -- Leander Mayor Troy Hill announced last week the City’s partnership to develop Leander Springs, a 78-acre mixed use project with retail, restaurants, entertainment, hospitality, office, and residential apartments. “This is the type of project that doesn’t come along very often,” Hill said. “We don’t feel like there’s anything comparable in central Texas. We truly believe at some point in the future when this is up and the Northline development is finished, this will be the place in central Texas where people want to live. It’s an extremely exciting time.” The proposed $1 billion project will be located at the southwest corner of FM 2243 and US 183A. Leander Springs is a public-private partnership between the City of Leander, the developers of Leander Springs, and Leander Springs LLC, which is under the Austin-based iLand Development Group umbrella. As part of an economic development agreement with Leander Springs LLC, the City approved up to $22 million in performance-based tax incentives for the project, which promises to construct a 4-acre crystalline lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons technology and surrounded by 10 acres of
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Wilt Cutter is the only man in the Free World whose name is his profession. Wilt’s typewriter hates injustice. He is a man who finds beauty in the people and naturally occurring poetry of the Shin Oak Ridge of Texas.
A rendering of the proposed Leander Springs development, which will be located at the southwest corder of FM 2243 and US 183A. (Courtesy Graphic)
F.M .2
just down the road. My new acquaintance seemed really nice. She has two boys that like soccer. She also indicated that she loved the community and all its quaint people. I nodded. When we got inside to vote she was at her voting booth and she whispered to me. “I don’t see the mayor’s race on here.” I nodded. She raised her hand and she asked for help form the election judges. They explained that she didn’t actually live in Liberty Hill. Ohhh, but she did. Her boys went to school here. She had a Liberty Hill mailing address. She’s not alone. Lots of old timers consider themselves to be citizens of Liberty Hill because prior to 1999, they were. That’s right, Liberty Hill was in the mind of the citizen back before the incorporation election set those limited lines. Those folks who gave so much to Liberty Hill have also been locked out. They are in the No Man’s Land outside the gates. And look what happened anyway? Folks have poured in here from everywhere just as they always have. City government is run by folks that were in a different state when the City was formed. So, none of the hillbilly conniving actually worked. Locking in a townsite to make sure one or two people held onto authority has resulted in a political deformity that cannot be denied.
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People from say Ohio, and say Michigan and even California and Arizona would soon be running things. So, the entire idea wasn’t to become a city in order to help the citizens or create a greater opportunity for growth. The idea of forming a city was to keep people out. And protect a certain circle who wanted to run things. A city was sketched out with the absolute motive to dilute outsider participation and create a fiefdom for one or two doing the sketching. The few citizens voted yes and it was done. The same few people celebrated. Through the years, a garden planted out of fear and xenophobia has reaped a bitter harvest at times. And the unintended consequences have been many. A land-locked lack of growth potential has proven to be among the dumbest ideas of all. Sealing off potential political rivals was a stupid idea because the tax base of ready-made citizens who could have benefited from city services have been blocked. Liberty Hill’s boundaries should have meandered along the Shin Oak Ridge for many miles. It could have mirrored school district lines somewhat. There’s no reason that all the thousands of homes that circle the city could not have been a part of the plan. But, no! That would have made too much sense. As I waited in line to vote last week a nice lady with a Cali t-shirt asked me how long I had lived here. We communicated through our masks and I shared my story of being born at home out on the San Gabriel because the doctor was late but my grandmother, the midwife, was
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By WILT CUTTER Columnist Those of us of a certain age remember growing up when part of the world was known as the Iron Curtain. That was the Soviet Union. It’s Russia now, same thing. Same black bread, same vodka, same totalitarian oligarch in charge. Nothing was more symbolically representative of that era than the Berlin Wall. On one side there was freedom and prosperity and on the other side…not so much. When the boundaries of Liberty Hill were drawn up they were not sketched out in a manner that correctly reflected the reach and breath of the town, historically speaking. Liberty Hill was sort of an expansive area that stretched without the limitations of hard and fast boundaries. It was kind of spread out, kind of vague. It was more reflective of a community that had developed over time, since the 1840s. Liberty Hill was fine without incorporating itself until someone looked up one day and believed Georgetown or Leander were going to annex the whole area. They saw Cedar Park and Leander getting all gussied up and then the political subdivision fever hit. Liberty Hill had to get itself organized and become a real city. Kind of like Pinocchio always dreamed of being a real boy. The theory was that if Liberty Hill didn’t get a move on they would be swallowed up by Yankees who’d moved down here taken things over.
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, October 22, 2020
CLASSIFIED ADS LHISD in line for CARES Act funds
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EMPLOYMENT
EDUCATIONAL AIDE OPENING Ki Charter Liberty Hill. Competitive pay and benefits. Contact Adrienne Durham at (512) 528-2164 and apply at www. schoolspring.com. (10/22p) HELP WANTED Full Time-Part Time 1. Stone technicians/laborers - will provide training and you’ll get in shape. 2. Sales Assistant-to assist in sales efforts to include mailing, shipping, arranging delivery, following orders, email and spreadsheets, inventory. Room for advancement, plenty of work, prefer someone who lives fairly close to Bertram. Spanish speaking muy bueno. Do not visit without an appointment. Call 512-339-2299 or email AUSTIN@ALKUSARISTONE.COM Job Location: 4121 E. Hwy 29, Bertram, TX. (10/29p)
SERVICES SELL YOUR UNIQUE home made or grown items locally! The Market At Indian Mound Ranch is currently accepting Vendors for the 2020 Season. Saturday’s 9-1 weather permitting. $20 space fee. 12805 SH 29 W. Send email to imr1873@ gmail.com for details.
PUBLIC NOTICES MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you. (10/29)
LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Liberty Hill has been asked to review and approve the following application(s), to wit: A request for a Zone Map Amendment from the High Density Residential (SF3) zoning classification to the Multi-family Residential (MF2) zoning classification on the following property: 15.67 acres out of the J.M. Glasscock Survey, ABS 254, Williamson County, Texas; specifically 3607 Ranch-to-Market Road (RM) 1869, generally located along the south side of RM 1869, between Taylor Smith and Barton Drives, and iden-
tified as Assessor’s Parcels Number R-392551 (14.67 ac.) and R-022214 (1.00 ac.). In accordance with Section 211.006, Texas Local Government Code, a public hearing on this application will be conducted by the Planning and Zoning Commission (Commission) at the Liberty Hill Learning and Event Center, 14875 West State Road 29, Liberty Hill, Texas on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at 6:30 PM. Upon receiving a recommendation from the Commission, the City Council will conduct its own public hearing and take final action on this matter on Monday, November 9, 2020 at 6:30 PM at the Municipal Court Building, Council Chambers, 2801 RM 1869 in Liberty Hill, Texas. For more information, you may either visit the Development Services Department at 100 Forrest Street, call (512) 778-5449, or send an email to planning@libertyhilltx.gov. By order of the Development Services Director on October 16, 2020. (10/22) ORDER OF PUBLICATION Commonwealth of Virginia VA. CODE 8.01-316 Case No. JJ008994-01-00 Bristol Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court - Juvenile Division Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Degooyer, Anevay Sakari. Bristol VA DSS /v. Degooyer, Julien. The object of this suit is to: Locate Julien Degooyer, father for the purposes of foster care proceedings. It is ordered that Degooyer, Julien appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before 10/15/2020 at 9:30 a.m. Date: 09/03/2020 Clerk: L. Pritchard, dep. (10/29p)
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Williamson County is entering phase four of its Wilco Forward Program. The program was established to distribute the $93 million the county received from the federal government through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. Phase one focused on aiding small businesses, phase two on emergency services, and phase three focused on utility aid. Phase four focuses on reimbursing funds to school districts for COVID expenses. The county also sits on a reserve of $17 million. “We’ve been very conscious about our plan from the beginning. We received about $93 million through the CARES Act, and we’ve had that reserve that’s a little less than 20 percent of the money from the beginning,” said Williamson County Treasurer Scott He-
GUISE
selmeyer. “We did the small business program first, and then we did assistance for our cities and our emergency service districts. We have done rent utility assistance that’s ongoing right now, and now we’re doing the school program.” Districts apply with the county to receive reimbursement. Applications have been sent to district schools, charter schools, and private schools. “So, it’s going to be a grant program, and the ISDs, charter schools, and private schools are eligible. I’ve been working with all the school districts to put a plan together,” said Heselmeyer. “In a basic framework, we are reimbursing COVID-related expenses up to $100 per student. The schools are going to provide us with their enrollment numbers. We’ve come up with a system for that.” Liberty Hill ISD Superin-
Continued from Page A1
like Mardi Gras and different balls you can attend. Our food is different. We do a lot of spicy food, but the culture is not that different. The people here are friendly, like in Louisiana.” Despite feeling at home in her new surroundings, separation from the military lifestyle she grew to know made adjusting in her career difficult. “It’s a completely different lifestyle, working in the military and being on the outside,” said Guice. “Adjusting was very hard. The hardest part was the regulations. In the military, you have strict regulations, and you follow them
to a T. At the post office, you sometimes bend things to help the customer.” Eventually, the veteran settled in and grew to love her career, enough to drive 40 minutes to work every day. “The people keep me coming here. I like the people. I like working with the people here because everyone does their job,” said Guice. “We don’t take sick leave unless it’s necessary. Everybody does their job, and everyone knows what they have to do. And the people that come into the post office are friendly. Not all, but most of them.” For Guice, her job is vital to
tendent Steve Snell said the district is likely to receive as much as $549,000 based on enrollment, but the exact number of students based on County stipulations and official enrollment has not been determined. “We have to fill out the forms and request it,” Snell said. “It is to cover some of the costs from the pandemic and the strings attached is it is going to be based on our enrollment based on the October snapshot and the student has to live within the boundaries of Williamson County.” The funds will not cover all COVID-related expenses in LHISD, as the district has projected it has spent about $149 per student so far on those things specifically, but Snell said the funds are a huge boost and something he is very grateful to the county for. “Counties, cities and even our federal government are
trying to help out small businesses, and trying to help out other organizations, but Williamson County is one of the very few counties in Texas that has released funds to schools,” he said. “The fact that it will touch every single school kid in Williamson County, that’s huge. This is the County stepping up and taking care of kids. It is going to help us tremendously on our budget.” County Judge Bill Gravell said providing reimbursement to schools is critical. “Our schools have worked incredibly hard through this pandemic to keep our students safe while also keeping them engaged in learning,” said Gravell. “We have asked schools and teachers to do something that has not been done before on this scale. We must support them in this effort through our CARES Act
the community she serves. “People depend on their mail all the time. They get their checks and important everyday information,” she said. “So, the post office is an essential job, and it needs to be done by people who are trustworthy.” One significant thing Guice will miss is working during the holiday season -- her favorite time of the year. “I’ve always done the same thing. I’ve always been a clerk,” said Guice. “My favorite time of the year is Christmas because everyone comes in, and they’re happy and mailing out gifts. They’re happy and nice because you can
help make the holiday easier for them.” Guise’s life so far is segmented into three phases, pre-military, active military, and postal worker. Guice is now stepping into the next phase of her life – retirement. “My husband and I want to travel. I want to go to Puerto Rico and then visit some of my old Army buddies,” said Guice. “Everybody always tells me the water is so clear in Puerto Rico. I want to go into some of the underground caverns, too. I want to see my buddies, talk, and reminisce.”
See CARES, Page A6
Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities
ORDER OF PUBLICATION Commonwealth of Virginia VA. CODE 8.01-316 Case No. JJ008818-07-00 Bristol Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court - Juvenile Division Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Degooyer, Raven Nevaeh Kyler. Bristol VA DSS /v. Degooyer, Julien. The object of this suit is to: Terminate residual parental rights of the said Julien Degooyer, father, including but not limited to the right of visitation, right to determine religious affiliation, responsibility for support and consent to adoption. As well as the approval of permanent entrustment signed by the mother, Windy Kern. It is ordered that Degooyer, Julien appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before 01/20/2021 at 1:30 p.m. Date: 09/29/2020 Clerk: L. Pritchard, dep. (10/29p)
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Thursday, October 22, 2020
LHISD
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Continued from Page A1
keep up with remote and in-person learners, as well as the transition of many students from remote to in-person, the Board approved a suggested calendar change Monday, making Nov. 9 an in-service day. “I think we are doing an excellent job in many, many areas,� Snell said. “Our teachers are exhausted, that’s an understatement – both physically and mentally. But they’re doing a tremendous job. The two days we had for professional development and parent conferences made a very big impact just on letting teachers recharge their batteries a little and get balance.� With that Monday being the beginning of the new grading period, Snell said the day will help teachers prepare for new students coming back as well as reset for the new period. “We have another grading period where parents will have the choice to come back, which is a good thing, but the decision to give them a day to make sure everything is ready and prepared and reduce that
PROJECTS
stress will go a long way for our staff,� he said. At the beginning of the school year in August, Snell said there were 66 percent of students who returned to campus, and that number now stands at 75 percent. “We’re prepared for everyone who chooses to come back and we’re prepared for everyone who wants to stay remote at this time,� Snell said. “There might come a time where there’s so few remote students we might have to consolidate those efforts a little bit, but we’re prepared for whatever happens.� Drug testing The district’s drug testing program had been delayed at the beginning of the school year, but Snell said it is being reimplemented this month, and will include on campus as well as remote-learning students. “We delayed drug testing this semester with COVID, but we have two rounds scheduled, one later this month and one in November,� Snell said. State testing
As of now, LHISD expects to place state testing back on the schedule for later this school year. “The state right now is of the opinion that STAAR and EOC will continue,� said Assistant Superintendent - Curriculum, Instruction, and Accountability Dr. Toni Hicks. “Our teachers right now are doing everything they possibly can to make sure they are meeting the needs of our kids. Not only are they teaching for this school year, but they are having to pull in the COVID slide from the spring. It is in our opinion unreasonable to think this is one of your typical years.� The only way to avoid state testing is by action from the Governor or the Legislature. “I think as long as we’re in school we will have to take the state assessment,� Snell said. “No one is scared of the test and we’re a high-performing district. My concern would be how are those results going to be used. If they’re used strictly on a diagnostic level to help plan for kids and instruction then it’s not necessarily a bad
Continued from Page A1
said. The campus is set to have a student capacity of 900 and has a budget of $50.5 million. The ďŹ nal price for the land was $2,138,063.25. It is planned to open in 2021. The two-building campus will be about 150,000 square feet, compared to the 105,000 square feet in the new Santa Rita Elementary. The east side of the main building of the new middle school is where two gyms, coaching and locker room facilities will be located. The location will allow access to the gyms after hours while easily closing off the remainder of the campus. It also allows controlled access to locker room and coaching ofďŹ ces. The remainder of the main building is for administrative ofďŹ ces, kitchen and lunch room, as well as theater, band, art and career and technology classrooms.
All other classrooms will be located in the two-story second building on the west end of the property. The library is at the center of the academic building. The classroom building is designed to have sixth-grade students primarily separated from seventh and eighth graders in one side of the second oor. For the higher grades, humanities is located on the ďŹ rst oor with science classes on the second with lab space, all wrapped around the library space. While the campus is designed for 900 students, many of the core spaces – such as the library and cafeteria – are sized larger so additions can be made to the campus without having to expand those spaces. Also currently under construction is the new addition at the high school, with two of the three classroom wings currently at the high school being
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expanded, adding 21 classrooms and two fully-equipped science labs. Of the $750,421 in contingency funds available on the high school project, just over $82,000 has been spent on a pair of change orders. There were $49,464 in change orders associated with code changes. “This is a result of plans going out for bid as the code review is underway. As a result of the code re view there were items we needed to change or add,â€? Sledge said. The second change order – for $32,766 – stems from the discovery of an electric main discovered once plans were ďŹ nalized that forced an adjustment to the plan for a new dance studio. “There was an electric main that actually feeds the entire high school that was discovered and it was just in the way of the new dance studio
Page A5
thing, but if it’s used to punish schools based on everything else we’re dealing with I don’t see how that’s a good thing for anybody.â€? Snell hopes if testing does go forward as it looks like it will, that it is not the focus with everything districts are currently dealing with. “Its importance should be downplayed this year to say the least,â€? he said. “It’s just one of those things. We were out of school for six months, we’re playing catch up and we’re seeing the effectiveness of remote learning depending on factors beyond our control. It’s just problematic and until we get all of our students back in school so we can really get a good idea of where they’re performing academically, taking that state test, in our opinion, needs to be downplayed a little bit.â€? Keeping the virus at bay Liberty Hill ISD currently has two staff members conďŹ rmed to have COVID-19, and there are 18 students quarantined at home. Snell pointed out, though, that the quaran-
tined students are not at home due to exposure on campus, but through family members or other contact outside of school. “What we’re seeing is the vast majority of our quarantines are coming from families who have positive cases in their households unrelated to exposure at school,â€? Snell said. In total, the district has had 21 total cases – 19 of those recovered – since July 1, and while cumbersome, the contact tracing effort has made a big impact. “Our number one logistical concern has been the contact tracing and when it ďŹ rst started we were quarantining more students and staff than we wanted to, but you’ve got to put the protocols in place. You have to trust the plan and the process,â€? he said. “It has worked out very well.â€? Snell attributes the low numbers in the district to community buy-in to the safety protocols in place. “I need to thank the parents as well because they have
worked with us,� Snell said. “There’s lots of disagreement out there on whether masks are effective, but numbers don’t lie and right now we’re keeping for the most part everybody safe. We’ve had some really good, nine weeks worth, of low COVID numbers and even other sicknesses as well. The hand washing and mask wearing is helping even though there is a disagreement among people about wanting to wear the mask. It’s keeping our staff comfortable and it’s keeping our kids safe. “The key is all members of our team have to be consistent every day with the protocols,� Snell said. “As soon as you drop your guard, that’s where you’re at risk of exposure so as long as everybody’s honest, as long as everybody stays home when they don’t feel good and have a fever, and as long as everybody practices those pretty simple school-wide procedures I think we’ll continue to keep the train rolling and have a successful school year that doesn’t get interrupted.�
corner,� Sledge said. “The ultimate solution was either relocating that electric line – a three phase line – which was absolutely an option and that was going to be $53,000. That got us to thinking about looking for a different option and that resulted in us relocating the building. Essentially we took the dance studio building and just slid it down the wall. There was plenty of room to do so.� The guaranteed maximum price for the construction portion of the high school expansion project at $12,490,132. The original estimate or the high school renovations when the bond was proposed was $14.7 million which included both hard and soft costs. The culinary arts addition will be set up with six student stations that include a refrigerator, sink, oven, cooktop, microwave and cabinet storage. Shared dishwashers and
Construction is ongoing at Liberty Hill High School where two classroom wings are being added. (Courtesy Photo) a teacher demonstration table ucation (CTE) wing to accomwill be set up in the middle of modate expansion of existing the room. programs. The renovations There is a dance addition will create separate CNA and consisting of a dance studio, Pharmacy Tech labs. teacher’s ofďŹ ce, storage room, The existing computer labs locker rooms for dance and will be renovated to become cheer, as well as shared re- CTE classrooms. The robotics strooms. The dance studio will program will move over from have a wood oor with mirrors its current home in the Fine and dance bars on the wall. Arts wing to the CTE wing. The construction type and ďŹ nThe project is expected to ishes will match the existing be completed in time for the building. 2021-2022 school year -- the Renovations are planned in same time the new middle the Career and Technology Ed- school is scheduled to open.
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
CARES
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Continued from Page A4
funds.” The county created a set budget for each city from its CARES funds. Even combined, Williamson County cities remained far under the set budget. “What this shows is also about the preparedness of our cities. We were unsure of what the costs were going to be when this started,” said Heselmeyer. “We budgeted $20 million for our cities, and as we sit today, combined the cities of Williamson County have had less than $1 million in reimbursement. There are two factors to that. First, we, as a county, took care of a lot of things in the early days of the pandemic. Two is that our cities were very responsible in
the way that they conducted their activities.” Heselmeyer says the smart management of the cities is what has allowed them to reimburse schools, but expects to dip further into the funds before the year ends. “There will be more need for city funding, but it’s not going to come anywhere close to $20 million. So, we were able to reallocate $12 million of that to the school districts instead of dipping into that $17 million that’s left in reserves,” he said. “That’s working out well for us. One of the challenges we do have now is that there’s an expiration date of December 30th on the CARES funds. I anticipate that getting extended, but as we sit right now, that
has not happened.” Heselmeyer credits the county’s unified efforts for its successful handling and distribution of CARES funds. “Our county commissioners court has done a good job of working together,” he said. “They work together really well, and we’ve had unanimous votes on how we do this. Frankly, I think we’ve done a lot better than a lot of other larger local governmental entities that got CARES funding.” Heselmeyer says the efforts of the county to get CARES funds out quickly and efficiently has helped taxpayers in the long run. “We set priorities and went to work on them. We were able to get our funds out the door when needed. I think that has helped many of our small businesses stay in business, they’re still struggling, but I think we’ve helped many of them stay afloat. It’s helped with the bottom line for our cities, which helps the taxpayers. Now I think we’re going to help with the bottom line of the school districts, which will also help the taxpayers.”
AN OPEN LETTER TO CITY OF LIBERTY HILL VOTERS
P I H S R E D E A E C L N E I R E N P O X I E S S A P COM
JUDGE 26TH DISTRICT
Round Rock Police Association
Dear City of Liberty Hill Voters: My name is Barbara Zwernemann and I served as your City Secretary for six years until I was terminated in May. It’s time to speak up for the public servants who love the people of this community and served the City well but were dismissed. I want you to know the truth about Mayor Rick Hall. When The Independent questioned Mayor Hall about city staff terminations, his volatile behavior and other actions, he deflected to “disgruntled employees” and wanted you to believe that the newspaper was “reporting lies” about him and City Hall. Mayor Hall, and the current City Council, would have you believe the Mayor didn’t stomp angrily into the City Secretary’s office on Sept. 13, 2018, shouting obscenities and cursing while armed and shaking his finger at her. But he did. He would like you to believe this hostile and violent behavior didn’t occur, and have you believe no one wanted to file criminal charges against him. But it did and someone did want to file charges. But as the City Secretary, I intervened to give the Mayor an opportunity to prove himself in a positive way and show that he was capable of good leadership. I was wrong to intervene. Mayor Hall would like you to think he didn’t take authority from the City Administrator so he could set him up for termination and that he didn’t say aloud in City Hall months earlier, “I WILL get rid of Boatright and Sally (McFeron) if it’s the last thing I do.” But he did. Mayor Hall wants you to think he had nothing to do with rewriting the EDC Executive Director’s job description so Lance Dean would “no longer be eligible for the position.” But he did. Mayor Hall would like you to think EDC didn’t intentionally leave the position vacant and make it an interim position, so if he isn’t re-elected he can take that position in order to remain at City Hall and draw a lucrative salary. But they did. When asked the question directly, Mayor Hall said that was correct, then two weeks later said “just kidding”.
Leander Law Enforcement Association
Austin Police Association
Mayor Hall wants you to believe he didn’t threaten former Police Chief Maverick Campbell with termination repeatedly for almost two years if Campbell didn’t do exactly as the Mayor said, then set him up for termination. But he did. Mayor Hall wants you to believe he didn’t set me up for termination by moving me downstairs during COVID with no staff at City Hall, leaving work documents both upstairs and downstairs – in unpacked banker’s boxes – in order to discredit me. But he did. He would also like you to believe he didn’t use the guise of “this hurts me more than you, but I have to train the COO and City Attorney.” But he did. Mayor Hall would have you believe he didn’t get drunk at the 2019 Christmas Party slurring his speech, shouting obscenities and falling down drunk (still armed) in the middle of Loop 332 barely being missed by an oncoming vehicle. But he did. All of it was visible by at least 12 staff members who will not speak up for fear of retaliation.
Williamson County Deputies Association
He would have you believe his best friend did not state aloud as he was leaving the bar (while watching the Mayor fall on Loop 332,) “I have to get the Mayor home.” But he did. Mayor Hall would have you believe he didn’t ask for more alcohol in his intoxicated state. But he did. He would have you believe the IT Director didn’t intercept two shot glasses being passed to the Mayor because the Director “knew the Mayor was already drunk”. But he did. Mayor Hall would like you to think he wasn’t confronted by former Chief Campbell as he left the Christmas Party to cross Loop 332 going to City Hall with Hall saying repeatedly, “I have an unopened bottle of bourbon in my office – I need it.” But he did.
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He would like you to believe he hasn’t been armed in City buildings and while driving a City vehicle for two years, as well as keep alcoholic beverages in his office – knowing all are prohibited by City policy. But he has. Mayor Hall would like you to believe he didn’t set up Sally McFeron for termination with accusations at her over Wetzel Park – after he had stated months prior, “I WILL get rid of Boatright and Sally if it’s the last thing I do.” But he did. He would like you to believe he didn’t throw an angry tantrum because a previous building inspector resigned on his own and took a job with the City of Burnet then he blamed Sally McFeron. But he did. Mayor Hall would like you to believe he didn’t set up Building Inspector Jonny Ubelhor with an accusation of mishandling the inspection at Wetzel Park so he could terminate Mr. Ubelhor. But he did. He would have you believe Mr. Ubelhor’s termination was warranted, leaving the Building Inspector position vacant so he could immediately re-hire the previous Building Inspector back from Burnet. But he did. Mayor Hall would like to be seen as having great leadership skills, acting in a professional manner, being fair and ethical. But, it is 2020 and the citizens of Liberty Hill CLEARLY see you! BARBARA ZWERNEMANN Pol. Ad Paid for by Barbara Zwernemann, Georgetown, TX 78628
SPORTS
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, October 22, 2020 Section B Page 1
Emotion without getting emotional
Keeping tempers under control critical to court success
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor During the Lady Panthers’ away volleyball match against district opponents Georgetown on Oct. 13, things on the court got a bit heated as the geographic rivals battled it out in what ended up being a 3-1 (2025, 25-19, 25-9, 25-22) Liberty Hill victory. According to junior setter Emma Becker, familiarity certainly caused contempt in this case. “When I was a freshman at Hutto, I played against them and I know a lot of them from club volleyball,” she said. “So, there’s some history there and I really don’t like them.” Becker was able to channel her anger and emotions in a positive way, in leading the Lady Panthers with 13 kills on the contest, to go along with 15 assists, two blocks, three aces and 16 digs on the day. Apparently, it doesn’t take very much to stoke Becker’s competitive fires. “Someone might look at me wrong or something,” said Becker. “Tonight, there was all kinds of trash talk at the net. But, that’s okay because when
I’m angry, I play a lot better.” Head coach Gretchen Peterson attributed the spirited contest to the raucous environment the Eagles provided for the visitors – albeit one which was expected, she said. “Georgetown has always been a strong Class 5A program with a lot of history,” said Peterson. “They always have a great crowd and we knew going in it was going to be tricky.” Only adding to the conundrum was the fact the home side got out to an early lead, which riled not only the crowd up even more, but the Georgetown players, as well, creating a double whammy of anxiety for Peterson’s squad. After the Lady Panthers had lost six of the first seven points of the match, Peterson called a timeout and had her team huddle around her on the sideline in order to deliver a distinct message to her players, she said. “We just needed to stay in control and play with emotion without getting emotional,” said Peterson. “At that point, we could’ve gone all over the place, but the girls did a good job of getting it right.”
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Liberty Hill’s volleyball squad successfully dealt with the adversity of a rugged road match during their 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-9, 25-22) victory over district rivals Georgetown. Peterson added the players might have been taken back a bit by the atmosphere despite being aware of what was in store in advance. “I think at first, we were like ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ with the crowd and everything,” she said. “We just needed to calm down and focus on ourselves and what we were doing.” Initially, the Lady Panthers were failing on a pair of fronts – one offensive and the other
Senior cross country runners proudly show off the new running trail the program has right on campus. Pictured in back row are Brett Yarbrough, Isaiah Delagarza, Jessie Anaya, Anne DeAmaral, Makenzy Webb and Noah Ybarra. In front, are Cade Johnson and Ayanna Donwerth. (Photo Courtesy Abby Glenn)
defensive – said Peterson. “We weren’t making the right adjustments on our block, so we were guessing a lot where the ball was going,” she said. “Also, we weren’t moving the ball around like we needed to be doing and mentally, we weren’t tuned in. We dug ourselves a hole early on and it was really hard.” Emma Parsons found herself in the midst of the chaos unfolding around her and said the fiery conditions made for bet-
ter, more intense competition. “Oh, yeah, there was a lot of trash talking going on – although it’s not directed at any one person – usually you just say things to your teammates the other team can hear,” said Parsons, who leads the Lady Panthers with 236 assists on the current campaign. “But, it’s really fun to play a match like that because we get challenged a lot more. Also, the more often we’re down and come back, we prove to our-
selves we can do it.” Parsons, who plays primarily on the back line, rotated up front in the third set and collected a pair of kills in the process – something she’s usually not called upon to do in her setter’s role, but one which she is completely capable of filling, said Peterson. “Emma can jump really well – in fact, she has one of the best verticals on our team,”
See EMOTION, Page B5
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Blake Simpson (#42) is Liberty Hill’s second-leading rusher with 531 yards on 53 carries and six touchdowns this season.
Unbeaten Panthers to host Campus trail a place to call home McCallum - 3rd Austin school Liberty Hill’s cross country team has new stomping grounds
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Finally, the Liberty Hill cross country squad has a place they can truly call home. Right on campus. After either practicing at the junior high or running on concrete parking lots and rubberized tracks at the high school, now there is a very viable alternative in the form of a 1.2mile running trail that traverses the campus and provides the Panthers with the opportunity to train on the same type of terrain they compete on without having to go anywhere.
All courtesy of the Liberty Hill Cross Country Booster Club, who made the vision a reality once the club was officially formed in March 2019, said president Heather Johnson. “We had a meeting and asked the coaches what some big dreams and plans they had and a running trail at the high school was on the list,” said Johnson. “In May, we began to do some research to see if this was something the high school and district would allow and to get an estimated cost so we could have a fundraising
goal.” The entire concept became more and more of a no-brainer the more the idea was considered, she said. “During the school year, the cross country team would run on the track, in the parking lots and behind the baseball fields, so a dedicated trail with lights would be much safer,” said Johnson, of the course which also includes a shorter onemile route. “Plus, a trail would allow them to know how far they’re running.”
See TRAIL, Page B5
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor After seeing his team win its opening pair of district games by scores of 76-0 and 86-0, head coach Jeff Walker is looking for something – anything – in the way of a competitive game for his club. Listening to the veteran coach, he just might get what he’s wishing for in a visit from McCallum at Panther Stadium on Oct. 23. “They’re the best team we’ve played so far this season,” said Walker. “They’re pretty fast defensively and they run to the ball faster than anyone
we’ve seen.” So, the Knights should present more of a challenge for the Panthers – critical word being should. McCallum has played only a single contest thus far this fall, a 14-7 road loss to fellow capitol dwellers Anderson on Oct. 2, which perhaps indicates an uptick in quality over both Crockett and Travis – or at least, Walker thinks so. “We’re going to have to play our best to beat these guys,” he said. “They’re wellcoached, they play extremely hard and they look like really strong kids.”
Walker could’ve been describing his own squad. In fact, the Panthers have outscored opponents by a combined 250-52 margin this season, which equates to averaging 63 points per game on offense, while allowing only 13 on defense – a 50-pointsper-game spread. Of course, there’s no question most of the lopsided numbers so far are due to the strength – or obvious lack thereof – the Panthers have faced from their new district foes, but Liberty Hill has
See MCCALLUM, Page B6
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Page B2
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Defense never rests
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Zero. It’s a number all football players love to see when they look up at the scoreboard at the end of a hard-fought Friday-night contest. If you’re on the defensive side of the ball, anyway. For the past two games since Liberty Hill opened district play, the Panthers’ defense has pitched a shutout in both, securing the coveted goose egg in the process during 76-0 and 86-0 defeats of Crockett and Travis, respectively. Another number to consider is one. It’s the amount of first downs both the Cougars and Rebels mustered apiece in each contest. Giving up points is one thing to be anguished about, but when letting an opposing offense simply move the chains is alarming, you know your standards as a defense have gone appreciably up, said Liberty Hill head coach Jeff Walker. “Anytime you get upset over giving up a first down, you know you’re doing pretty well,” he said. Indeed. In fact, against Travis, the Rebels ended the game with fewer yards of offense then they began, finishing on the minus side of the ledger after being blown up in the backfield on several occasions by a relentless Purple-and-Gold pursuit. Leading the charge as of late has been junior defensive lineman Lloyd Johnson, who is currently third on the team in tackles with 19 – four of them behind the line for a loss – and a squad-best four sacks on the current campaign. Walker said Johnson has really come into his own this season in a starting role after not getting much playing time last
year as a sophomore – something which can be largely attributed to an undying work ethic put forth in the offseason. “Lloyd’s just a player,” he said. “He really changed his mind and body during the offseason.” According to Walker, once Johnson bought into what his coaches were selling as far as his personal development as a player was concerned, the sky’s been the limit. “I don’t think he still knows exactly how good he can be,” said Walker, of the 6-foot2, 210-pound Johnson. “We wanted him to be more physical with his style of play and now he’s finally just let go and done it. Last season, he had just moved to Liberty Hill and he was using his hands too much. But, since then, he’s toughened up and is a completely different player mentally and physically.” Lining up alongside Johnson on the defensive line this season is senior Canyon Schirpik, who was converted from his linebacker spot of last season and has made the adjustment smoothly – although not without the requisite bumps and bruises which come along with the job description. “Sometimes, the next morning after a game, I feel like I just got kicked by a bunch of horses,” said the 185-pound Schirpik, who gives away as much as 100 pounds to his opponents across the line. “But, that’s why we always lift weights on Saturday morning, to get all the lactic acid out of our bodies, so then I feel better.” Schirpik said when the coaches told him he was going to be matched up against the big boys up front, he was a bit startled. “At first, I freaked out about it,” he said. “But, I knew I had the strength and quickness to be able to do it.”
Walker said Schirpik’s position switch was predicated on a particular reason. “Canyon has a motor which never stops running,” he said. “We wanted him to put his hand down and use his speed.” Schirpik has recorded 13 tackles on the season, to go with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pair of quarterback hurries. However, Schirpik knows he is only a single cog in a machine which needs all the parts running in smooth synergy in order for the desired result to come to fruition. “Our game plan going in is to make sure each one of us on defense does our job,” he said. “It’s all about getting 11 hats on the ball, keeping our chins high and never letting up even for a single play.” Walker has rued the fact his team has yet to be tested during district play and knows some of the numbers his defense has put up are due to the competition level, but he’s certainly not letting that fact take away from what his unit has accomplished. “Anytime you get a shutout, it’s something no matter who you’re playing,” he said. “You can only do so much against the competition which is in front of you, but we’ve definitely been getting better on that side of the ball.” Andon Thomas is Liberty Hill’s leading tackler on the season with 42 and has been so dominant the junior linebacker has more than twice as many stops as next best on the roster – fellow junior backer Aaron Brewer’s total of 20 – and his 28 solo tackles are 16 more than Brewer’s 12. The linebacking corps, along with the defensive secondary, provides plenty of cover for anything which gets past the line, said Walker.
See DEFENSE, Page B4
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Lloyd Johnson (#17) has had a breakout season for the Liberty Hill defense, which is allowing less than two touchdowns per game.
PANTHER OF THE WEEK
Lineman in the middle of it all
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Brady Hewlett has a small scar across the bridge of his nose – one which is the result not of gridiron battle in the trenches, but from a much more docile activity. “Busted my nose on a blocking sled during practice when I was a sophomore,” said Hewlett. “Was bleeding all over the place. Needed a complete reconstruction.” Back then, Hewlett was an offensive tackle, a position he played through his junior season before being moved to center for his senior campaign this year. Instead of playing out wide ALEX RUBIO PHOTO on the end of the line, Hewlett now found himself in the Brady Hewlett (#55) has much responsibility as the Panthers’ center in making reads at the line and reacting accordingly in See HEWLETT, Page B5 addition to snapping the ball and blocking.
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page B3
Panthers host Liberty Hill Invitational Liberty Hill Junior High School was the site for the Panthers’ annual home cross country meet on Oct. 17, as the boys finished second in the team standings and the girls third. On the individual side, senior Ayanna Donwerth was the highest-ranked Liberty Hill finisher with a third-place result in the girls’ race in a time of 19:04.70, while junior Jacob Russell crossed the line in sixth in the boys’ race in 16:52.20. Georgetown’s Mackenzie Bailey won the girls’ race in 18:31.70, as the Eagles claimed three of the top four spots in the finishing order and seven of the top 10 to win the team event, with 20 points, while Liberty Hill posted 119. For the boys, Charles Daw-
son of Austin Westlake won in 16:24.50, while Medina Valley won the team competition, with 44 points to the Panthers’ 68. Also scoring points for the Liberty Hill girls were Daisy Anaya (17th, 20:40.60), Angela Mena (36th, 21:27.50), Natalie Roth (37th, 21:27.50) and Avery Holland (39th, 21:37.20). Other point-scorers on the boys’ side included senior Cade Johnson (12th, 17:05.00), Caden Glenn (15th, 17:15.70), Cayden Branch (16th, 17:16.80) and Branden Colicher (19th, 17:31.70). Liberty Hill will next compete at the Georgetown Halloween Invitational on Oct. 23 at East View at 6:30 p.m.
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor AUSTIN -- You though the game against Crockett was rough. Coming off a 76-0 home victory over Crockett last week in the district opener, Liberty Hill football supporters who made the trip to South Austin in hopes of seeing a more competitive contest this week against Travis were sorely disappointed. Not with the result – an 86-0 Panthers victory against the Rebels – but, with the fact the game was actually even less hotly-contested than six days earlier. One man who definitely wasn’t pleased with how the game unfolded was Liberty Hill head coach Jeff Walker. “We’re not very good,” he said. “As far as the fundamentals go, we’re still not doing the things we need to be doing.” Although it sounds preposterous to hear a coach complain about his team after winning consecutive contests by a combined score of 162-0, Walker’s comments echo what he’s been voicing concerns over through his squad’s first four games of the season – despite a 4-0 record. Liberty Hill’s offense was only required to run 32 plays on the evening, compared to the usual 80 or so a week after only needing 22 against Crockett.
Do the math and that’s only 54 plays in two games – not enough reps to be able to iron out the coach’s concerns – but certainly enough to demolish the opposition for the second straight week. After a false start penalty on the Panthers’ offense on their opening play from scrimmage, senior fullback Blake Simpson took a handoff from quarterback Charlie Calabretta and rumbled 75 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead only 16 seconds into the game. Surprisingly, it took nearly four minutes for the Purpleand-Gold to get back on the board, as Eric De La Cruz scored from nine yards out at the end of a five-play, 40-yard drive to make it a 14-0 game. But, the Panthers were only getting warmed up. Within the final 5:01 of the first quarter, Trey Seward (68yard run), Andon Thomas (20yard interception return) and Seward again (2-yard run) all scored with a safety from the defense thrown in and the visitors held a 37-0 lead after one. For Thomas, it was the second straight week the junior linebacker returned a turnover for a score after scooping up a Crockett fumble in the previous game. Carter Hudson got in on the scoring act with a 62-yard punt return for yet another Liberty Hill touchdown in the second quarter before Seward and De La Cruz found themselves in
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Liberty Hill’s Tyler Goode (#426) makes her way down the home stretch during the Panther’s home cross country event on Oct. 17.
Panthers blast Rebels 86-0, continue to run over weak opposition acres of open space on scoring runs of 10 and 51 yards, respectively, for a 58-0 halftime advantage. Once De La Cruz completed his hat trick with his third touchdown of the night on a 17-yard run in the third quarter, the Panthers’ starters got to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines, as the second-team took over. But, that didn’t mean the scoring stopped, by any means. Backup junior signal-caller Will Szewczyk scored from 11 yards out to close the third period with the score at 72-0, before freshman Noah Long scored from seven yards out and junior Grady Flinn broke off a scintillating 65-yard run – both in the fourth quarter – to close the scoring at 86-0. Walker’s career-high on offense as a coach is 89 points, most recently accomplished in the Panthers’ 89-34 home win over Connally on Sept. 21, 2018 and he said his players are cognizant of that fact. “Our kids know that’s the record and they want to get it,” said Walker. Simpson led Liberty Hill with 10 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown, while De La Cruz finished with 119 yards on seven carries and three touchdowns and Seward had 113 yards on seven attempts and a pair of scores. In all, the Panthers ran racked up 468 rushing yards, while kicker Ethan Minix was a per-
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Senior running back Eric De La Cruz (#32) scored three touchdowns in Liberty Hill’s 86-0 away victory over Travis on Oct. 15. fect 12-for-12 on extra points. Travis only had 25 players suited up for the game – something which affected the outcome, he said. “I think COVID has had more of an impact on Austin ISD than other places,” said Walker. “We’re seeing the result of that.” However, global pandemics or not, this game had the feel of an NCAA Division I power conference team taking on a Division I-AA side, just as it had the previous week against
Crockett. But, next week’s opponent is another Austin school in McCallum, who currently sits at 0-1 after losing a close 14-7 decision to Anderson in its opener and is set to face Marble Falls away on Friday before visiting Panther Stadium on Oct. 23 – an opponent Walker fears won’t be so forgiving of mistakes by his club as the first four teams they’ve faced have been. “We’re super-excited about next week because we’re play-
ing a good McCallum team,” he said. “We’ll have to play our best football and to do that, we’re going to have to get better.” As for his squad’s second straight slaughter, Walker was pleased for his players – if not completely with the manner they went about achieving victory. “I’m happy for our kids to get a win,” he said. “But, moving forward, we need to get better.”
Lady Panthers swept by Cedar Park
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor On Friday evening, the Lady Panthers of Liberty Hill did something they hadn’t done for over four years. Unfortunately, for the Purpleand-Gold faithful, it was an occasion they could’ve done without, as the Lady Panthers were swept at home by district rivals Cedar Park by a score of 3-0 (24-26, 23-25, 13-25). Not since Oct. 2, 2016 – in an away match against Salado – had Liberty Hill suffered a straight-sets district defeat. However, head coach Gretchen Peterson wasn’t overly concerned about the psychological effect such a heavy defeat would have on her players. “Cedar Park is just a really good team,” said Peterson, of the No. 19-ranked Timberwolves. “I have complete confidence in these girls, but this is a tough one because we could’ve played it closer.” But, not that much closer as the margin in the first two sets of the match was as close as it gets, with only two points separating the sides in each. In fact, in the opening stanza, the Lady Panthers built as much as an eight-point advantage in leading 19-11 with a chance to close out the set and establish momentum moving forward. But, the visitors weren’t going to go so quietly, as Cedar Park went on a 12-3 run in reeling the home side back in before overtaking them for the set victory. Perhaps the highlight of the
set was a Kindsee Escamilla kill that deflected off a Cedar Park player with such power, the ball ricocheted high off the “LH” on the gym wall. Maddi Rowley hammered four kills in the first and finished with a squad-best 10 for the match. The second set was back-andforth throughout, as Kaileigh Truslow claimed a kill early on in her return to the lineup, which was followed by a double-team block by Emma Becker and Lilli Wilkins. Midway through the set after falling behind, 12-9, Liberty Hill went on a 5-0 run to take the lead back, at 14-12, which included another pair of kills for Rowley, but the visitors were stubborn in their resolve and despite the Lady Panthers holding a 23-22 lead, Cedar Park stormed back yet again to win the set. Entering the third set down in the match, 2-0, Peterson’s club faced the same predicament as it had in the district opener at Rouse on Sept. 29, when the Lady Panthers rebounded to force a decisive fifth set before bowing to defeat, but no such comeback was in the cards on this night, as Cedar Park closed the deal with a dominant display in securing the victory. Senior Avery Cole led the Lady Timberwolves with 16 kills and added 10 aces. In addition to Rowley’s team-leading 10 kills for Liberty Hill, Truslow had seven to go with 11 digs, while Emma Parsons and Becker collected
18 and 11 assists, respectively. Wilkins also recorded an ace and three blocks, with Becker picking up a block and nine digs on the day. Peterson attributed Cedar Park’s defense for causing her club headaches throughout the proceedings. “Their block is really good,” she said. “As soon as they figured out our timing, they really gave us trouble. Overall, their defense is good – they didn’t let much hit the floor.” As for her squad’s failure to reproduce the kind of comeback they had against Rouse earlier in the season, Peterson couldn’t quite nail down the reason why. “I don’t know,” she said. “We played a different opponent tonight and once we got down, we knew it was going to be a tall order to come back.” LHHS 3, East View 1 On Oct. 17, the Lady Panthers made the short trip to Georgetown and defeated East View, 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 2518, 25-21). Rowley led Liberty Hill with 13 kills, while Escamilla had 12. Emma Becker collected 28 assists, 14 digs, an ace and a block and Parsons added 15 assists, 13 digs and an ace, with Rowley serving a pair of aces and getting 13 digs, while Hair blocked two shots and Wilkins added a block and two aces. LHHS 3, Marble Falls 0 On Oct. 20, Liberty Hill faced
See VOLLEYBALL, Page B4
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Seniors Lilli Wilkins (12) and Kindsee Escamilla (2) rise up to block a shot during the Lady Panthers’ 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21) away win over East View on Oct. 17.
TENNIS BRIEFS
Panthers defeat Marble Falls in district playoffs
On Oct. 16, Liberty Hill’s tennis team defeated Marble Falls in the opening round of the district playoffs by a score of 17-2 on its home court. In girls’ singles, No. 1 Ellis Young won 6-0, 6-0, while No. 2 Sophie Sherman (6-0, 6-2), No. 3 Jennifer Merrill (6-1, 6-0), No. 4 Peyton Buckley (62, 6-0), No. 5 Mackenzie Coleman (6-0, 6-0) and No. 6 Madi Sudekum (6-3, 6-1) also won. In boys’ singles No. 1 Joseph Sherman won 6-1, 6-1, while No. 2 Patrick Fay (6-1, 6-0), No. 3 Colin Garner (7-5, 7-5), No. 4 Ethan Wukasch (6-0, 6-0) also won and No. 5 Will Gray (4-6, 5-7) and No. 6 Will Snell (6-0, 4-6, (8-10) lost. Girls’ doubles saw No. 1 Sherman/Young (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Ava Ortega/Coleman (6-1,
LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO
Madi Sudekum won her district playoff match against Marble Falls by a score of 6-3, 6-1. 6-3) and No. 3 Merrill/Abigail Gates (6-0, 6-2) win. Boys’ doubles had No. 1 Fay/ Sherman (6-3, 6-2), No. 2 Wukasch/Zach Kizer (7-5, 6-4)
and No.3 Gray/Snell (6-4, 6-3) winning. In mixed doubles, No. 1 Buckley/Garner won 6-2, 6-2.
Page B4
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, October 22, 2020
5 NUMBERS +198
Point differential for the Panthers in their first four football games of the season, including a combined 162-0 in the first two district contests
5
Number of sets Lady Panthers volleyball has already gone on two different occasions in district play this season after not losing a set all last year
12
Extra points kicked by Liberty Hill’s Ethan Minix during the Panthers’ 86-0 away win over Travis
3
Place finished in girls’ varsity race by senior Ayanna Donwerth at Liberty Hill Invitational cross country meet
17 LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO
Head coach Sherry Rhoden has found much gratification since taking over the Panthers’ tennis program this season.
Rookie coach finds gratification in new job
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Sherry Rhoden took over the controls of Liberty Hill’s tennis program back in the summer, her primary goal was made quite clear from the very beginning. “I’m most impressed with their efforts to become a united team,” said Rhoden. “I’ve seen many of them put themselves aside and put the team first.” Getting young athletes to put the collective group first in an individual game is quite an endeavor, especially with the diverse and eclectic collection of players – and people – she has on her roster, she said. “We have so many wonderful and unique personalities on the team and I love how they’ve accepted each other and are learning how to appreciate each other’s gifts,” said Rhoden. “The leaders of the team have encouraged everyone to have higher expectations. Of course, to get to this point, we’ve had to work through some trials and be honest and communicate at a high level, while showing care and
VOLLEYBALL an away match against Marble Falls and came home with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-8, 25-11) over the Mustangs. Truslow led the Lady Panthers with nine kills and Emma Becker added eight, while Parsons picked up 25 assists in the victory. Kuhlmann had three assists and six digs, Rowley had two aces and Reece Williams and Peyton Lilienthal each served one. Bailey Becker and Hair each blocked a shot and Dubbs added six digs in the match. Liberty Hill (11-3, 5-2) will next face Leander in an away match on Oct. 24 at 12 p.m.
DEFENSE
concern for everyone. This united team has learned to trust each other, work hard for each other and from this point, their growth within the physicalities of the sport has been huge.” According to Rhoden, all of her players have improved in one way or another over the course of the season. “Each had a starting point with me,” said Rhoden. “Some have grown with maturity and some have grown mentally, while others have grown in their knowledge of the sport as far as strategies are concerned. Some players have become physically stronger and developed a better work ethic. Every player has improved so much from their own starting point. I love it – it’s why I coach.” After a long and successful career as a teaching professional, Rhoden decided to jump into coaching the highschool game – something which has been gratifying, but also provided its fair share of challenges, she said. “As a coach new to the day-today coaching of a high school
Continued from Page B3
JUNIOR VARSITY Liberty Hill’s junior varsity squad prevailed over Cedar Park, 2-1 (18-25, 25-16, 2521) as Morgan Poulain and Bailey Lundy each collected five kills, while Poulain also blocked four shots. Dara Hawkins led with 14 assists, while Sarah McCleod and Mackenzie Bamsch had six and four digs, respectively. Bamsch, Lundy and Olivia Hodges each served a pair of aces. Liberty Hill moved to 7-5 on the season and 3-2 in district. LHHS 2, Marble Falls 0 Poulain had four kills and Hanson three in a 2-0 (25-11, 25-20) victory against Marble
Continued from Page B2
“We have Andon (Thomas), Aaron (Brewer) and Kaden (McMahan), who cause all kinds of havoc in the passing lanes – especially with a couple of guys who are 6-4,” he said. “Then, we have our defensive backs in Preston (Shephard), Carter (Hudson), Bryce (Rampy) and Austin (Bourgeois), who have been very efficient.” Walker is quick to give praise to defensive coordinator Kent Walker for the job he does in orchestrating the Panthers’ defense – something he, as an offensive coordinator by trade – tries to stay out of if he possibly can, he said. “I think earlier in my career, I’d get mixed up in the defensive side of the game,” said Walker. “But, then I found out you need to just hire good coaches and let them coach.”
In addition to Kent Walker, Scott Hawkins (defensive line), Carlos Garza (inside linebackers), Tommy Foster (defensive backs), Patrick Kellner (outside linebackers) and Jordan Johns (defensive line) comprise the Liberty Hill defensive coaching staff. Walker said although his defense is not always the biggest, that deficiency is made up for with a combination of speed, quickness, toughness and a ruthless mindset. “When one guy gets blocked, we need another guy to fly to the football,” he said. “There’s no resting on our defense – everyone needs to handle their responsibility – each man has an assignment to fulfill. Just do your job and don’t worry about the opponent’s stats.” For a defense that is only allowing 13 points per game
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team, my biggest challenge has been all of the distractions pulling my mind away from the needs of the team,” said Rhoden. “I think about each team member constantly and my goal is to stay one step ahead of the next turn in our season so I can better prepare each one individually. Most of the distractions are needed to do this job well and some – well, they’re just distractions and I have to label them as such to move on.” Although high school coaching was always a goal and an undertaking she’s already enjoyed immensely, she said there was always going to be a time and place for everything and doesn’t wish she had made the move earlier in her career. “No regrets,” said Rhoden. “I sort of interviewed for this position four years ago and again two years ago. Coaching at the high school level has always been on my heart, but I had peace God would provide if it was His will for my life and His timing would be perfect. I’m grateful for this opportunity.” However, the experience
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hasn’t been without its bumps in the road. “The most frustrating part has been being reminded I will not be able to please everyone – that is such a crazy thing for an adult to say, but it’s the truth and I don’t know if it ever gets easier,” she said. “Some people have goals that are simply outside the parameters of our team goals and it’s my job to keep us focused.” On the flip side of that coin lies all of the pleasant aspects which attracted her to the job in the first place – all of which have certainly come to fruition. “The most gratifying aspect has been seeing the smiles on the players’ faces day in and day out, said Rhoden. “I love the humor on our team, I love the excitement they bring to practice each day, I absolutely love learning all their personalities and hearing about their dreams after high school and I love seeing their trust for each other growing. Their parents have done a wonderful job raising them and it has been a blessing to me and to everyone around them.”
Falls. Hawkins had 10 assists and three aces, while Lundy led with four aces, Poulain had three blocks and McCleod five digs in the win. FRESHMEN The Lady Panthers’ freshman team was victorious over Cedar Park, 2-0 (25-21, 25-13) in moving to 11-0 on the season and 5-0 in district play. Healy Dirner led with seven kills to go with an ace, two blocks and five digs in the contest, while Gigi Mason added five kills and three blocks. Carson Glenn had 17 assists and Merrill Madison served two aces, with Dirner, Glenn and McKenna Mayfield each
getting one and McKinley Grimm added four digs in the win. LHHS 2, Marble Falls 0 The freshmen defeated Marble Falls, 2-0 (25-7, 25-8), as Mason led with six kills and a block, while Glenn added 12 assists, Kylie Hutchinson seven aces and four digs on the day. FLEX Liberty Hill’s flex squad defeated Marble Falls, 2-0 (2520, 25-13), as Kiley Wood had four kills, Hannah Karr four assists, Brooke Constantino seven aces, Avery Holland two digs and Valdivinos a pair of blocks.
on the season, the standard remains to set the bar even higher and to never be satisfied, said Schirpik. “We know it’s never enough,” he said. “We have potential and we haven’t really done anything yet.” Schirpik added the brotherhood that exists within the unit is what ultimately brings the best out of each individual member, which results in collective excellence. “We all trust each other and we all know how to help us grow as a team,” he said. “We know we have to all play 100 miles-an-hour and not make mistakes.” As for the zero on the scoreboard when the smoke has cleared and the dust has settled, Schirpik said it’s always gratifying to be able to wear down and break the spirit of
the opponent. “Basically, we’re a fourth-quarter team – we like to finish what we started,” he said. “We don’t like to give up any points.” With more difficult competition on the horizon – especially come playoff time – Walker wants to make sure his defense is up to par for whatever they may face down the road, but he likes what he’s seeing so far, he said. “We still have guys we need to step up and make plays,” said Walker. “But, I’m extremely happy with how they’ve played. They’ve done a good job, continue to show up every day and get better and are fun to be around. As a coach, you can’t ask for much more.”
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Matches won out of 19 during Panthers tennis team’s first-round playoff victory against Marble Falls
Football devoid of drama, not volleyball
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Not m a n y things in sports – or life, in general, for that matter – are predictable. However, we knew two things going into Liberty Hill’s first season of Class 5A competition. We knew football was going to be a walk in the park and volleyball was going to be more like a stroll through a minefield, where one wrong step could prove disastrous. For whatever reason, the powers-that-be, who draw up district boundaries, decided to put the Panthers’ gridiron gang in a league with fellow small town Marble Falls along with five big-city Austin schools. On the other side of the competitive coin, the same powers-that-be put the volleyball squad in with neighbors from Leander, Georgetown and Cedar Park – to go with Marble Falls, as well. Now, we’re not going to pretend to understand how all the UIL’s internal machinations work as far as the process of which schools get aligned with each other for district play. But, we do know common sense when we see it. All the talk of the opposition being so much more fierce at the Class 5A level has come to fruition for head coach Gretchen Peterson’s squad, but the same can’t be said for sideline boss Jeff Walker and his club. While the volleyball squad has been tested so far like never before in the history of the program, the football team is forced to play glorified scrimmages against opposition so inferior, it’s a joke. 76-0. 86-0. Those were the two scores from the Panthers’ first two district games against Crockett and Travis, respectively. When a football coach insists his team “isn’t very good,” – in Walker’s words after the latest demolition job right after his side has won by 86 points – the week after winning by 76 points – that’s really all we need to know about the level of competition. Currently, Walker’s club has outscored their opponents by a combined 250-52 in all four contests and it’s not going to get much better. We’re projecting Liberty Hill will win the district with a 6-0 record, while Marble Falls will be runner-up at 5-1, with the Mustangs’ only defeat coming at the hands of the Panthers in what will probably be their only halfway-competitive game on the campaign. Not very good prep for the playoffs, where in 5A, there won’t be many – if any – gimme games in the first few rounds the likes of which the Panthers played last fall in reaching the fourth round in their final 4A season. Sports is a results-oriented business and one can’t argue with a perfect record and a
plus-198 point differential through the first half of the regular season, but Walker is certainly wily enough to know how good they really are. So, it should be quite a challenge to try to get his players to continue to buy in when the results are clearly speaking for themselves. But, if anyone is capable of waving a magic motivation wand, it’s Walker, who was able to bring his team back from the abyss last season after a 2-5 start. So, we’ll see. On the other hand, the Lady Panthers entered the week with a 4-2 district record, including a pair of five-set thrillers – a loss to Rouse and a win against Leander. Peterson and her players knew exactly what they were in for this season before it even began, but once the fir starts flying and you experience what they’ve gone through thus far, it’s a different story altogether. After not losing a single set in district play all last season, the Lady Panthers dropped their first two this year in a five-set away defeat to Rouse, only to rebound the very next time out three days later with a rousing five-set home victory against Leander. After beating Glenn and Georgetown in their next two outings, the Lady Panthers found themselves on a three-match winning streak heading into a home match against state-ranked No. 19 Cedar Park. In the past, that would’ve been old hat and small potatoes, but nowadays, it’s nothing to sneeze at with the caliber of the teams they’re facing each and every time they step on the court. No more Lampasas, Burnet or Taylor to toy with before summarily sending them packing when losing even a single set would’ve been cause for concern. Against the Timberwolves, we saw something we’re not very accustomed to at all – a straight-sets Purple-and-Gold defeat against a team that was clearly their equal, if not superior. The opening two sets were as close as could be, with the visitors prevailing in both by only a pair of points, which set up a third stanza in which Cedar Park’s quality won out despite brave resistance from the home side. Of course, they bounced right back less than 24 hours later with a four-set road win over East View, so once again, the Lady Panthers showed their resolve and proved their mettle after a tough defeat. Wining the district is no longer a birthright for them – in fact, just qualifying for the playoffs in such a rugged field will be an accomplishment. What we’re getting at here is when the playoffs roll around and it’s one-and-done if you’re not ready, Peterson’s team will certainly have been thoroughly tested and will come out on the other side better for it, which bodes well for a long postseason run. If only Walker’s squad could
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Thursday, October 22, 2020
TRAIL
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
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According to head coach Kim Holt, the trail is exactly what the doctor ordered for her squad – especially when Mother Nature intervenes. “In the past when we didn’t have a trail and it rained on our long-run days, we didn’t have a place to run, so we had to adjust our workouts,” said Holt. “Now if it rains, we can still run on the trail and it won’t be running in the mud like in the past.” Indeed, the going is now much smoother as the surface of the trail is mulch, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg as far as the planning and coordination that went into making the plan a reality, said Johnson.
HEWLETT
“It was surprisingly a much easier task than expected,” she said. “Coach Holt asked the district and the idea was approved.” From there, the plan began to unfold – but not without some serious generosity, said Johnson. “As we began getting ideas for where exactly the trail should be and how much this might cost, (LHISD Trustee) Clint Stephenson was asked for his advice, seeing how this is something his company does,” she said. “Soon after this, Clint began working with his contacts and was able to get the mulch for the trail donated by Arrow Roll Offs
and Recycling. He and Amber (Stephenson) provided the labor and equipment for the installation of the mulch – the estimated cost for all of this would’ve been about $50,000. The booster club did pay for all the lights and poles for the lights around the retention pond, the smaller solar lights around the baseball field and a few other areas of the trail, which was approximately $5,000.” As far as the design of the layout, Holt said it was a collective effort on the part of the entire coaching staff. “The other coaches and I sat down together and looked at the landscape around the
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center of the chaos that unfolds each and every time the ball is snapped – a move which took a bit of an adjustment period, he said. “It was really different at first,” said Hewlett. “I have to be aware of what other people on the line are doing instead of just myself.” Akin to a middle linebacker calling plays on defense, the center must also make reads of what he sees when he approaches the line. “Sure, it’s challenging, but it’s a whole lot of fun,” he said. “I have to know all the different sets and I’m expected to run a lot more and block downfield.” According to head coach Jeff Walker, Hewlett’s intelligence makes him an ideal candidate for anchoring the Panthers’ offensive line. “You need a really smart guy to play that position in our offense,” said Walker. “There’s a lot more responsibility.” Walker said one of Hewlett’s primary motivations for getting it right is to make sure his brothers-in-arms know they can always count on him when the chips are down. “Brady’s one of those play-
ers who never wants to let his teammates down,” he said. “He works hard and he wants the entire team to be successful.” Hewlett said things can get pretty nasty up front in the heat of battle and it’s sometimes difficult to remain focused when opposition trash talk comes across the line. “Oh, yeah, it can be really challenging,” he said. “But, Coach Walker just tells us to talk with our screws and not say anything back.” Speaking of the spoken – or written word, for that matter – Hewlett identified English as his favorite subject in the classroom. “It’s a lot easier for me than math,” he said. “I really like writing papers.” Hewlett doesn’t plan to carry on with his football career after high school, preferring instead to focus on a business degree with the hopes of one day owning his own business. “I want to go to either Baylor or Texas Tech,” he said. “My dad really wants me to go to Texas Tech because he went there.” But, for now, the only business he’s concerned with is
HOMES AROUND THE HILL
helping the Panthers’ offense roll up plenty of yards and points in their first season of Class 5A competition. However, when Hewlett isn’t busy putting scoring drives together on the field, he’s driving around in his Chevy Silverado truck embroiled in an ongoing controversy with some teammates over who has the best ride, he said. “Charlie (Calabretta), Trey (Seward) and Nate (Hilbrich) are always talking smack they have the best truck,” said Hewlett. “But, I just know mine’s the best.” Hewlett also wears a cross around his neck, which he said always reminds him of where his priorities lie. “I’m a Christian and I believe in Jesus,” he said. “It’s a big part of my life.” As for any possible future blocking sled misadventures might go, Walker said his teammates will never let Hewlett live it down. “Any time we get out the sleds, the guys let him know about it,” said Walker. “But, Brady’s a tough kid who always comes back and doesn’t miss a beat.”
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school and suggested a path we thought would work and it’s pretty much what it is today,” she said. “There may have been some minor adjustments, but the trail is awesome.” Other past and present booster club board members who were involved with the efforts are Kim Webb (past vice president), Reagan Russell (current vice president), Amber Stephenson (treasurer) and Michele Miller (secretary). Cross country runners aren’t the only ones who benefit, said Johnson. “Other groups such as track and soccer can use the trail to run on, so it’s definitely benefiting the entire school,” she said. “Also, I know both kids and adults used the trail over the summer, so it’s also benefiting the community.” In addition to the trail, the booster club is also on point
EMOTION
concerning some of the other needs of the team, said Johnson. “Last year, we were able to pay for a charter bus for the runners that went to the regional meet in Corpus Christi and our hope is to be able to provide this each year,” she said. “The students and coaches both appreciated and it was a much more relaxing and enjoyable ride than one of the yellow school buses. We’ll also be budgeting money each year to help with any future repairs on the trail or with the lights as needed. As the coaches see things that can improve the program, they bring them to us and as we can, we help them out. We definitely look to the coaches and athletes for what they need so the program can continue being successful. We also help out with the Liberty Hill Cross Country Invi-
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she said. “She can also swing very well.” Parsons was pressed into service up front due to the need to provide breathers to outside hitter Kindsee Escamilla, who rotated to the back row briefly to help recharge the senior outside hitter’s batteries for the rest of the match, said Peterson. “We knew it was going to be a tough, long match and we needed to keep our rotation fresh,” she said. “But, for Emma, it’s nothing new because she’s played up front before.” So, how was it being on the other end of the supply line for once and getting to hammer home a few kills instead of providing the pass to do so? “I wouldn’t mind being a hitter all the time,” said Parsons. However, she knows where she benefits the team most is by being a playmaker as opposed to a finisher – something she continues to improve on.
“This is my third year setting to these girls now,” said Parsons, who debuted on the varsity as a freshman two years ago. “Back then, I was just getting to know what each hitter likes, but now I’m able to focus on who the ball is going to and how they like it.” Explanation, please. “For example, I know Emma (Becker) likes a higher ball and when she’s on the right side, she wants it quicker,” she said. “Where with Kindsee (Escamilla), she likes the ball delivered a bit flatter, so it gets to her faster.” One of Parsons’ trademark moves is a no-look set behind her to a waiting hitter – something else she’s able to do now that she has developed the sixth sense of always knowing where her teammates will be. “Usually, my hitters will yell pretty loud, so I can hear them,” she said. “But, I’ve been setting to them for so long, I know they’ll be there.”
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tational each year and host the hospitality room for coaches during the meet.” The boosters have also organized events such as team dinners and tailgating parties before Liberty Hill home football games, which earned them a $2,900 award from the Panther Pit Crew for the continued enthusiasm and participation of both athletes and parents. Holt said the presence of the club has worked wonders for the betterment of the program overall. “The booster club is great because they’re always there to help and support our kids,” she said. Anyone who would like to donate to the Liberty Hill Cross Country Booster Club can send a check to the high school or use PayPal (paypal. me/LHXC).
On occasions such as the Georgetown match, having built-in radar certainly helps one deal with the wild conditions while at the same time remaining focused on the mission all the while properly controlling the emotions which can go awry if not checked. “Sure, we get all hyped at times like that, but getting hyped isn’t a bad thing,” said Parsons. “It just makes me more excited to go after a ball and what that does is mess with your opponents’ heads.” Peterson knows situations such as the one she and the Lady Panthers successfully dealt with against Georgetown is only par for the course in their new district this season. “We know there aren’t going to be any gimme matches,” she said. “But, our girls stepped up and handled everything which was handed to them, which is all you can ask.”
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Hicks to serve as Superintendent in Jarrell
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Her time in Liberty Hill may have been limited to four years that seemed more like a blur of student growth, but Dr. Toni Hicks’ impact on the school district can be felt in every classroom across all seven campuses. The assistant superintendent charged with developing, managing and improving district curriculum is moving a few miles up the road after accepting the Superintendent’s position in Jarrell ISD. “I’m excited, you know I have all the feelings,” Hicks said of the new chapter ahead. “I’m sad to leave the Liberty Hill family, but what I feel very fortunate with is I’m just down the road and a neighbor. It’s going to be great to call on my Liberty Hill friends because I’m sure I’m going to have questions.” What she looks forward to most in her new role in Jarrell is the same thing that made her time in Liberty Hill so special from the first day. “I’m really excited to get to know the people of Jarrell,” Hicks said. “It’s a small town,
and when I started in Liberty Hill this was about the same size. What I loved was being able to interact personally with each person. That was one of the first things I did in Liberty Hill and I look forward to doing that in Jarrell.” Hicks has more than 25 years of education experience, beginning in a classroom in El Paso before making her way to Central Texas where she worked as a teacher and administrator in Leander and Round Rock before making her way to Liberty Hill. When she assumes her role in Jarrell, she expects the nervous excitement she said always comes with a fresh start. “Just as you are going into that first day of school and you’re nervous, and not sure who you’re going to meet or what the day is going to be like, and will you be a fit?” she said. “You think about that as a student, a new teacher and you think about that as an administrator. It never changes.” Many people played a mentorship role for Hicks along the way, encouraging her to consider a future she said really didn’t cross her mind ini-
clearly done enough to currently be ranked No. 10 by Texas Football in the latest Class 5A weekly poll. Not bad for a school who has only begun to work its way through a new, higher classification. Senior Trey Seward leads Liberty Hill with 57 carries for 556 yards and eight touchdowns, while Blake Simpson has run for 531 yards on 53 attempts and six scores and Eric De La Cruz has racked up 40 carries for 408 yards and seven touchdowns, as all three primary Panthers backs are averaging over 100 yards per contest. Most impressive of all concerning the Purple-and-Gold stable of runners is yards-percarry with all three gaining about 10 yards every time one of them touches the ball in De La Cruz (10.2), Simpson (10) and Seward (9.8). When an offense is getting
a first down on almost every rushing play, there’s really no need to put the ball in the air, so after senior quarterback Charlie Calabretta had thrown four touchdown passes in Liberty Hill’s first three games, the signal-caller was limited to only a single attempt last week against Travis, which fell incomplete. Perhaps kicker Ethan Minix is the most tired player on the roster, as the junior has already been called upon to boot 32 extra points this season, making 29. On defense, all-everything linebacker Andon Thomas continues to lead Liberty Hill with 42 tackles – an average of 10.5 stops per game, including seven for loss – but fellow junior defensive lineman Lloyd Johnson has been getting his share of the licks in lately, including a 10-tackle performance against Travis and a team-leading three sacks on
MCCALLUM
tially. “I don’t know that I ever thought to myself that I even wanted to be an administrator,” she said. “It was Tom Glenn in Leander who encouraged me to be an administrator. Then you start thinking about it and think you can do it.” Her impact in Liberty Hill ISD is evident to those around her. “Overall, what Dr. Hicks brought to the district is just a solid foundation of curriculum structure and training to really lift Liberty Hill up to the premier district we aspire to be,” said Superintendent Steve Snell. “Obviously, the district has achieved an A rating in consecutive years under her leadership. She leads our special ed department, she leads and has improved our career and tech opportunities for our students. To me it is the overall leadership and the fact she has put together a great team that supports our staff and students.” The student population was only 2,200 four short years ago and is 5,500 today. Hicks believes she can take that experience with growth to Jarrell
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the season. Despite the fact his team has dramatically cut down on the turnovers and penalties which plagued them in the season’s first two games, Walker still isn’t quite sold on if the improvements are genuine or simply a matter of the nature of the past two contests. “In tight games, we haven’t done very well with those things when there’s been a little pressure,” he said. “McCallum could frustrate us offensively, so we just need to be patient and hope we can control the ball.” So, what kind of contest will we see? Walker hopes he gets what he’s wishing for, but at the same time, is a bit wary of that very prospect, he said. “This week is going to be an all-around tougher game,” said Walker. “It’s what we need, but it’s scary.”
where they face similar challenges. “That’s what the demographers say is (Jarrell) is going to be exploding and doubling for the next few years,” she said. “If you look at it, there are houses being built really overnight and selling before they are finished because there is such an explosion right now of people wanting to come to Jarrell. I experienced that here in Liberty Hill and having that experience is going to help me in supporting them. Growth is hard for many reasons, and making sure we have the right supports in place so we can handle it with grace and ease is important.” When she looks back over her Liberty Hill years, Hicks feels like it went by and changed so quickly. “It seems like in the blink of an eye we have added campuses, we have gone to multiple elementary schools, we have added staff and have developed our own curriculum,” Hicks said. “We have added additional programs, elementary all the way through high school and in the work that happened it felt like it was just natural. It was natural because the people in our district want what’s best for kids and those things that were happening – while it was hard – were taken with grace and pride because they knew it was best for kids.” Monday’s LHISD Board meeting was her last, but the Board members didn’t let her go without thanking Hicks for
NUMBERS
Dr. Toni Hicks is leaving Liberty Hill ISD to serve as Superintendent in the Jarrell ISD. For the past four years, she has served as Asst. Supt. for Curriculum and Instruction in Liberty Hill. (Courtesy Photo) her work. “We’re very proud for you,” LHISD Board President Clint Stephenson said to Hicks at Monday’s board meeting. “We thank you and you will definitely leave a hole here that will be tough to fill. I love to see people succeed who really put in hard work and you definitely are one of those.” What she will miss most is easy to identify. “It’s the pride of being a Panther,” she said. “It’s not anything but a team approach. It’s not to say that’s not where I’m headed, I’m just saying that’s what I’ve experienced here and I’m looking forward to
being a part of that in Jarrell, too.” The lesson Hicks has learned about the importance of those around you is one she always tries to share with teachers she mentors and leads. “Don’t ever forget it’s the people around you who help you get where you’re going,” she said. “The experiences they provide for you and the mentorship and relationships are critical. You don’t get to new positions on your own. You get to different positions because you have great people around you helping to support and encourage you.”
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be put through a similar gauntlet. Which they could if they had been placed in District 11 with the likes of Cedar Park, Georgetown, Manor and Leander. But, alas, it apparently wasn’t meant to be. Made way too much sense to play your closest rivals when you can face schools on the
south side of Austin instead. Perhaps the best aspect of the Lady Panthers’ new district is it will build rivalries with all of Liberty Hill’s nearest neighbors, which not only means shorter road trips, but a boiling cauldron of competitiveness between players who know each other from club volleyball. And you know what they say about familiarity.
So, what we have is two years of non-competitive regular-season football, which is certainly unfortunate and not very enjoyable for anyone involved on either side. But, the good news is there’s currently no shortage of drama on the volleyball court – something we can confidently predict will continue.
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