LH Independent 10-29-20 by The Liberty Hill Independent

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2020

Volume 33, Issue 49

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October 29, 2020 | 50 Cents

No answers regarding high project costs

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor As the City of Liberty Hill prepares to embark on a number of new capital projects, many questions remain regarding cost overruns on recent projects and funding capacity for future plans. Two projects in particular -the Municipal Court Building renovation and Downtown Street and Utility project -have cost taxpayers an additional $423,475 above the bid award, but efforts by The Independent to get an explanation of the additional costs have been unsuccessful due to the City’s refusal to grant an interview to discuss the projects. In July, at the request of CounMIKE EDDLEMAN FILE PHOTO cil member Tony DeYoung, City staff provided an up- In January, contractors demolished the old washateria in the date on CIP expenditures that initial phase of the parking lot project at the corner of Loop 332 and CR 279. That project, which included multiple projects in the downtown area, was initially bid at $1.57 million but is now See PROJECTS, Page A6 up to $1.84 million as it gets closer to closing out.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:

* Who managed the municipal court building project? * Is it reasonable to nearly double the cost of that project? * What accounts for the increases in cost for recent capital projects? * How are projects and their costs tracked by the City? * Where specifically have funds come from to pay for the more than $5 million in projects the last two years? * How is the City determining the amount of bond funds it can afford to take on in future debt? * What will annual payment be for $2.5 million bond being considered? Because of the City of Liberty Hill’s lack of communication with The Independent, these are questions that can’t be answered through documents or attendance at City meetings.

Mixed signals on mixed use zoning proposal

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The City Council was set to consider an ordinance Monday establishing a new zoning district in Liberty Hill. However, mixed signals from one member of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission regarding the process of moving the ordinance forward stalled action. The ordinance would have established a mixed use zoning district for the City, something everyone seemed to agree Monday was necessary, but P&Z member Steve Messana took issue with how the ordinance reached the Council for consideration. Ultimately, the Council voted unanimously to postpone

consideration of the measure and scheduled a joint workshop with P&Z for Nov. 5 to further discuss the ordinance. Messana addressed the Council during public comments, adding that he was representing himself and not the P&Z Commission. “Why would city management take a zoning document created by Mr. (David) Stallworth, using his experience, education and resources, and decide that they know better than him and redact over 50 lines of the ordinance he created,” Messana asked the Council. “What experience does Mayor (Rick) Hall or Lacie Hale have in crafting zoning ordinances? Do they know more than David Stallworth?

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer To say that Darryl Lee has lived a fascinating life would be an understatement. In his eight-and-a-half-year career with the Coast Guard and decades as a semi-conductor engineering technician, Lee has experienced places and cultures all over the world. “I worked for Texas Instruments, Intel, Samsung, and

Freescale. All of these were high-end technical jobs, and my last position was as a senior engineering technician in photolithography,” said Lee. “All it boils down to is working with high-end equipment. I enjoyed it, and you make good money. In that job, when you’re eating, you’re eating well, but when everything drops around the world, it gets a little hectic. You always have to have a side gig.” Lee’s side gig? His restaurant between Sanderson and Del Rio. With COVID-19, Lee decided it was time to pivot and start having some fun. “COVID was beating up ev-

“What experience does Mayor (Rick) Hall or Lacie Hale have in crafting zoning ordinances? Do they know more than David Stallworth? Have his education? Have his experience? What makes a logistics manager and insurance salesman turned mayor capable of writing city zoning ordinances? What makes a former city secretary capable of writing city ordinances?”

~ Steve Messana Planning & Zoning Commission

Have his education? Have his experience? What makes a logistics manager and insurance salesman turned mayor capable of writing city zoning ordinances? What makes a

former city secretary capable of writing city ordinances?” Messana went on to explain he was suspect of the approval process and what he called the effort to push the ordinance

Bringing people together one kernel at a time

quickly through for approval. “While I do support a mixed use zoning ordinance, I support it only if that ordinance was crafted by an experienced professional,” he said. “I also support proper process. And to this point this ordinance has not gone through the proper process. What’s the hurry?” The P&Z Commission ﬁrst received a copy of the original ordinance on Oct. 16 prior to its Oct. 20 meeting. But at the meeting, according to Messana, Commissioners were given a revised and “highly redacted” version that the City recommended for approval. Messana said the original version was primarily written

See ZONING, Page A5

erything in the restaurant business, so I thought it was time to go back and have some fun,” said Lee. “I have a little restaurant. I had shut down for the winter season and was going to open up for the spring, and then with COVID, I said forget that for now.” Making popcorn, or “poppin” is a passion for Lee that stems from some of his most cherished memories. “What got me started poppin’ was the love of popcorn. It brings people together, and it’s just fun,” said Lee. “It comes Darryl Lee is bringing people together with his offbeat variety from my most fun job. It was of ﬂavored kettle popcorn. Poppin’ Around Texas is Lee’s way of giving back to the community and giving people a taste of See POPCORN, Page A6 his own cherished memories. (Courtesy Photo)

Grand Opening Celebration

WilCo shatters early voting record

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Early voting doesn’t end until Friday, but voters in Williamson County have already eclipsed the previous record for early voting, and smashed the 2016 election vote total by more than 25,000 ballots. Through Tuesday, 225,045 ballots had been cast in this year’s extended early voting window, with 9,420 at the Liberty Hill location. Current voter turnout stands at 59.7 percent. In the 2016 General Election the county had 205,862 total votes including Election Day. For the 150,000 registered voters who have not voted early, polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday with polling sites open at the Liberty Hill Municipal Court building, 2801 RR 1869; Liberty Hill High School; and the Santa Rita Ranch House, 175 Elizabeth Park Road. There will be 57 voting locations throughout the county on Election Day and voters can cast their ballot at any of those sites. The full list can be found online at Williamson County Elections Department, www. wilco.org. The county has more than 370,000 registered voters heading into this election, more than 10 percent more than for the 2018 contest. 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. Incumbent Mayor Rick Hall is being challenged by former City Council member Liz Branigan in the lone race for the City, while there are two races for LHISD Board of Trustees. Three candidates – Antonio Canas, Kendall Carter and Dana Munguia – are looking for the opportunity to occupy the Place 2 LHISD seat vacated by Clay Cole who chose not to seek reelection. In Place 1, Board President Clint Stephenson is being challenged by Terry Smith. Also on the ballot is a measure to decide whether City Council terms should be extended to three years. If passed, the extended term limits will not go into effect until the next City election in May. Sample ballots can be found on the County’s website.

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LHJH adjusts Veterans celebration

let the pandemic stop us from honoring and celebrating our veterans.” Last year students hosted a veteran speaker and held a choir performance in honor of the national holiday and the men and women it celebrates. “Unfortunately, this year will look different from the campus and community gathering they rocked last year,” said LHISD Director of Communications and Community Relations Kristy Kercheville. “But this year has a lot of neat activities that will still honor the veterans and educate the kiddos while keeping the safety protocols in place.” Students will take part in various activities, such as a tour

through a Veterans Day display in the library. Each station provides a different important piece of information, along with a video for the students to watch. The tour will run Nov. 10-12. A drive-through at the school will be hosted by the National Junior Honor Society for veterans to drive up and receive a card and a cupcake. This event will be from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Students are also writing letters to veterans that will be delivered to the Veterans hospital in Temple. Students will record a reciting of their traditional Veterans Day service and play for the students in the study hall.

There will be a Veterans memorial wall, with names of Veterans from students and staff set up in the main hall. Flags from military service branches will be displayed around the school and American ﬂags will line the driveway.

Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Nov. 10

The Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Nov. 10. The program is “Vines to Grow in Central Texas.” An expert member of the Barton Springs Nursery will present at a Zoom-based meeting. For Zoom information, write to gardenclublibertyhill@gmail. com.

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The Yellow House Becomes a Winter Wonderland!

Shin Oak Ridge Bulletin Board Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty Hill Junior High is adjusting its annual Veterans Day celebration. Refusing to allow COVID to prevent them from honoring the men and women serving the country, the staff is working on new methods to recognize them and educate students. “We are always excited to celebrate our Veterans that have served our country to give us our freedom,” said LHJH Principal Travis Motal. “Even through our COVID restrictions, we want to honor our veterans. We will not

JUDGE 26TH DISTRICT

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Week of Oct. 19-25, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 379 incidents resulting in 15 cases, 34 citations, 41 warnings and two arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On Oct. 19 at approximately 9:22AM, officers responded to Holmes Rd for a fraud complaint. - On Oct. 19 at approximately 12:26 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for an accident. - On Oct. 19 at approximately 5:43 PM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 19 at approximately 8:14 PM, officers arrested a subject for driving while intox-

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icated, as the result of a traffic stop. - On Oct. 20 at approximately 11:09 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance. - On Oct. 20 at approximately 12:35 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a theft complaint. - On Oct. 20 at approximately 6:44 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a harassment complaint. - On Oct. 20 at approximately 8:53 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Ln to assist the Liberty Hill Fire/EMS. - On Oct. 21 at approximately 12:07 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a criminal mischief complaint.

- On Oct. 21 at approximately 1:36 PM, officers responded to Holmes Rd for an accident. - On Oct. 21 at approximately 4:40 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an animal bite complaint. - On Oct. 21 at approximately 7:07 PM, officers responded to Freeman Ranch Street to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 22 at approximately 8:49 AM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 22 at approximately 1:30 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 22 at approximately 3:28 PM, officers responded to Buffalo Trail to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 22 at approximately 8:15PM, officers respond to the 18000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 23 at approximately 12:51 AM, officers responded to W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On Oct. 23 at approximately 11:40AM, officers responded to Eagle Owl Loop to assist the

Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 23 at approximately 1:37 PM, officers responded to US 183 and W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 24 at approximately 12:40 AM, officers responded to the 3000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 24 at approximately 1:00 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 24 at approximately 11:45 PM, officers responded to Maerceeta Way to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 10:23 AM, officers arrested a subject for driving under the influence as the result of a traffic stop. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 8:29 PM, officers responded to CR 207 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 11:46 PM, officers responded to San Gabriel Ranch Road to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

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OPINION Throwback Thursday Cooler weather means it’s time to build a ﬁre

By JAMES WEAR Columnist If you are my age (early 60s) or older and grew up in the c o u n t r y, chances are you were raised in a home where wood was burned as a means to stay warm during the winter. Actually, perhaps my father had it right when he often reminded us that by burning wood we were staying warm twice: first time around when we cut it up and the second time when you actually had the wood in the stove and had a good fire roaring. We didn’t have a fireplace; instead, we depended on an old cast iron stove that could hold chunks of wood up to nearly 30 inches long. We’d install the stove at the last-minute, often the afternoon when the first norther of the season would blow in, and by the time every joint on the flue pipe was secure and the fire was burning the sun would have dipped below the horizon and we’d gather around and enjoy the warmth radiating out. Burning wood is a messy task as there’s ashes to be shoveled and taken out on a regular basis, and no matter how careful one might be there’s going to be a bit of dirt that falls from the pieces of wood when you carry them into the house. It takes a bit of skill to get a good fire going, but as one

grows older and more adept, he learns to bank the ashes at night when going to bed so that hot coals remain until morning light, and then, with a few well placed smaller pieces of wood, the fire is roaring again before the coffee is made. My family didn’t have a chainsaw when I was a youth, and so the long branches from fallen trees we’d find in pastures required us to swing an ax. My older brother handled an ax much better than I ever did, and our father made sure to keep it sharp for him, and it often fell to me to stack the cut up wood. Hauling the wood and getting it cut up often took the entire afternoon, but a good haul meant we’d have enough fuel for the next several days. It was during our second year of marriage -- some 30 odd years ago -- that my bride and I moved into a house I’d built that depended on electric heaters for us to stay warm, and being the proud Texan I am I quickly decided we were going to do better than that. We purchased a wood stove and went to the hardware store for the necessary components for the flue to extend through the roof. Four or five hours later, we had the stove installed and a fire going…for a few minutes. This house I had built was on the homeplace, not 100 feet away from my folks’ house, and yep, it was my mother, who seldom raised her voice, that walked over, knocked on the front door and calmly said, “James, your house is on fire.” I had not extended the flue high enough beyond the roof

staff notebook The Independent reached out to Mayor Rick Hall Oct. 12 with an interview request speciﬁcally focused on a story about the status of Liberty Hill’s capital improvement projects and their costs. Responses to e-mails – much less interview requests – have been hard to come by since early July, so when this request received a response from Hall that he would make time for an interview it seemed promising. But the exchange quickly turned into a request from Hall that the questions be sent to him ahead of the interview. When The Independent declined, Hall was no longer available.

(RIGHT) A sketch I drew as a teenager of the old cast iron stove that my family used to stay warm by during the winter months.

line, and yes, there was a bit of ﬁre going that I quickly extinguished with a couple of pails of water. We ended up retiring rather early that night to stay

warm beneath a pile of blankets on our bed, and the next day, paid another visit to the hardware store to purchase additional pipe to correct our problem.

when the paper declined, he de- how or why it happened. clined the interview. ~ Mike Eddleman Journalists generally don’t provide questions ahead of time. Interviews should be discussions of issues and information, not a canned response carefully crafted before providing an answer. In addition to that long-held media tradition, the last time questions were shared with Hall in advance of an interview he decided it would be more useful to post the questions and his answers on the City’s social media account in some odd attempt to preempt the story. As we’ve said a dozen times in this time of few and far between interviews, there is no bad question if there is an honest, well-intentioned answer. But as has become usual, there are few answers available to give context or explanation to the information, and that’s why this week’s CIP story (See Page A1) only explains that a number of projects spent well over their original budget, and not

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Interview drought continues

(ABOVE) Sixty some odd years ago, my older brother and me are pictured in our back yard after our father has brought a load of wood to cut up.

Then he suggested, because his schedule was booked, that the paper contact new City Administrator Lacie Hale for an interview, which we did. Hale responded quickly as well, but also asked for questions ahead of time. Again the paper declined, but sent Hale an e-mail – as we did for Hall – indicating that the interview was to cover “bids and costs for the municipal court building project, the downtown project, and discuss future planned projects and estimates as well as plans for arranging funding for those projects.” Three e-mails later and Hale has yet to respond again to our interview request. This week, Hall again emphasized the need for questions ahead of time and

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, October 29, 2020 Section A Page 3

EDITORIAL:

The bond between government and the governed

There are many bonds in this world. The bond between friends, the bond between parent and child, then there is the kind of bond where residents entrust their elected leaders to spend large amounts of money on their behalf. There are different types of bonds governments use to fund projects, some that need voter approval and some do not. But in the end, they are all funded through your tax money and all impact how much you pay. Think of the city and school district as your community financial managers. Then think about who is doing it right and who is doing it wrong. Liberty Hill ISD is halfway through spending $98.6 million voters approved in 2018 to build two new schools, add on to another and renovate one more. The first new campus is essentially complete and when all the bills are settled, the project with a $27.2 million construction budget will be under budget. There’s no guarantee every project will save money, but there’s no reason to assume they won’t. And there’s every reason to believe they won’t go over budget. The City of Liberty Hill has recently spent the remainder of its funds from the most recent bond sale. These bonds, and the ones likely to be sold in December don’t require voter approval. And that’s alright – it is often the case – but that doesn’t eliminate the need for good, informed financial stewardship. A variety of projects have been funded with those proceeds and other monies in the past couple of years, and cost overruns are talked about like the inevitable result of any public project. It’s just reality. So when the municipal court building remodeling bid was awarded for $171,714, it may have just been inevitable that the final bill came in at $303,066, right? The Council approved what should be the final change order to the Downtown Street and Utility Project on Monday, and bragged a little bit that it was a credit, saving the City $10,398. That is indeed good news, but since the original project that was bid out at $1,557,298 has tacked on an additional $302,501 since first being awarded, there can’t be much to celebrate on the financial management of that project. These two projects alone added more than $434,000 to the $1.729 million originally awarded. The changes regarding the wastewater plant expansion are an entirely different story, with a few million dollars in added costs for a project that comes with its own rules and funding sources for bonds -- but still money you have to provide. But hey, things happen right. It should be pretty simple to go back and see where these projects ran into financial issues. Not as simple as you might think. It has taken detailed requests, patience, and sometimes a legal fight for the newspaper to get even some of the financial information from the City. On the LHISD website there is a bond tab that allows anyone to see every detail of those school projects down to the last bill, check, drawing, change and update. No need to ask, no need to go dig for the information, it’s just there. Why wouldn’t Liberty Hill do the same to keep taxpayers up to date on the status and cost of its projects? They are much smaller and surely much less cumbersome to manage. The City of Liberty Hill has a lengthy list of future projects in the works, estimated to cost as much as $6 million pending some final decisions by the Council, and we can only hope those don’t average 25 percent in cost overruns because that would be $1.5 million of your money.

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EMPLOYMENT

LITTLE PEOPLE LEARNING PLACE Hiring full-time and part-time for the afternoons. Benefits include paid time off, some paid holidays, half of cost for health insurance. Please call Debra at (512) 515-5832 or come by 150 Bluebonnet Lane to fill out application. Background check and fingerprinting required. Must have GED or high school diploma. (11/19p) 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 INVITATION FOR BIDS Property maintenance including mowing for Liberty Hill Cemetery Association (LHCA) properties. Sealed bids for the contract term of two calendar years for the performance of general maintenance including mowing of the properties of the LHCA must be received on the attached LHCA bid proposal form. Sealed bids may be hand delivered to the General Manager at 1100 Loop 332 Liberty Hill. Bids may be delivered to this address between 9am and 4:30pm Monday thru Thursday until November 18, 2020. Bids may be delivered to the LHCA ofﬁce at 107 Brown Bridge Road on November 19, 2020 between the hours of 9am and 2pm. No bid will be accepted after 2pm on November 19, 2020. Bids may also be mailed to the Liberty Hill Cemetery Association at P. O. Box 73, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642 and must be postmarked no later than November 17, 2020. Scope of Work describes the required maintenance at the LHCA properties. The scope includes insurance requirements and other speciﬁcs. A resume of prior similar work performed within the last three years must be included with each bid proposal. References are not required but are recommended and will be taken into consideration. The scope of work is available for down-

load within the bid packet at www.libertyhillcemetery.com or a bid packet may be picked up from the General Manager Kathy Canady at her ofﬁce located at 1100 Loop 332 in Liberty Hill between the hours of 9am and 4:30pm Monday thru Thursday. The LHCA reserves the right to reject any and all bids at its sole discretion. Bids must be honored for at least 60 days after the bid date. Bidders will enter into the attached contract for a term of two years for the scope of work. It is anticipated that the term of the work will Liberty Hill Chamber welcomes Agape BBQ begin January 1, 2021 and end The Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Agape BBQ with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The restaurant, located at December 31, 2023. 3610 RM 1869, is owned by Lonnie Wendling and Brandon Reinoehl. Jeremy Archer is the pit master. Prospective bidders are en(Photo Courtesy Deborah Reinhard) couraged to contact the General Manager Kathy Canady 512-775-7654 OR 512-7786792 to set up an appointment for a site visit and a discussion of the expected quality of work. (11/12p) 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 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) 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.

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925

849

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260

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

WilCo hosts hazardous waste cleanup day

GEORGETOWN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Williamson County and Waste Management of Texas, Inc. are hosting a free household hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, Nov.14, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Williamson County Expo Center, 5350 Bill Pickett Trail, Taylor. Residents must wear a face covering, stay in your vehicle with the windows up, and let volunteers unload your car. Only go through the line once. Bring products in original containers if possible and do

ZONING

not mix or consolidate products. Make sure containers are sealed properly. For more information, 512-759-8881. DO BRING: â&#x20AC;˘ Acids â&#x20AC;˘ Aluminum â&#x20AC;˘ Antifreeze â&#x20AC;˘ Brake and transmission ďŹ&#x201A;uid â&#x20AC;˘ Cleaning products â&#x20AC;˘ Workshop/Painting Supplies â&#x20AC;˘ Lawn and garden chemicals â&#x20AC;˘ Lighter ďŹ&#x201A;uid â&#x20AC;˘ Paints, solvents and varnish â&#x20AC;˘ Pesticides and herbicides

Continued from Page A1

by Stallworth, the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Planning Director, and the altered version was changed prior to the meeting by Hall and new City Administrator Lacie Hale. A request was made at that meeting to table the issue, but Messana said they were told the Council would be considering it Oct. 26. The P&Z Commission voted to approve the originally proposed ordinance according to Messana, but that version was not in the Council packet for consideration or discussion at the Oct. 26 meeting. When the agenda item came up later in the meeting for consideration, Hall opened with the suggestion that a joint workshop be held. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think this would be a great opportunity, if the Council feels so, to have a joint workshop with the Planning and Zoning and the Council, to lay out the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations for how our city is built,â&#x20AC;? Hall said. Council member Gram Lankford asked for clariďŹ cation on what the P&Z Commission received regarding the proposed ordinance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both the original and the changed version were presented to the P&Z Commission at the last meeting?â&#x20AC;? asked Lankford. Hale said yes, that both were presented, but Messana clariďŹ ed when Commissioners received the two documents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were both presented

to the Planning and Zoning Commission,â&#x20AC;? Messana said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were given advanced notice of the original document, the redacted document was presented at the time of the meeting and we were asked to vote on the redacted document.â&#x20AC;? Stallworth was not involved at any point in the discussion Monday, but was present at the meeting when the item came up for consideration. He did not respond to questions regarding his role in the process. Had the ordinance been approved at the Oct. 26 meeting, there would have been only eight days from the ďŹ rst time either draft was considered by any additional staff, the P&Z or Council to the date it was passed. The initial discussion of what the ordinance should look like originally included ďŹ ve people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The initial discussion about mixed use happened four or ďŹ ve weeks ago,â&#x20AC;? Hall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was a discussion between myself, Lacie (Hale), (city attorney) Tad (Cleaves), and David (Stallworth) and Matt Powell. It was done due to a developer that is looking to come in to Liberty Hill to do a development that would particularly fall in line with a mixed use project.â&#x20AC;? The reason for the quick edits, which Hall said he made along with Hale, was because it was received so close to the

Â Â? Â? Â?Â? Â ÂÂ Â Â? Â&#x20AC;

DO NOT BRING: â&#x20AC;˘ Agricultural chemicals â&#x20AC;˘ Ammunition â&#x20AC;˘ Asbestos-containing materials â&#x20AC;˘ Compressed gases â&#x20AC;˘ Containers larger than 5 gallons â&#x20AC;˘ Dioxins â&#x20AC;˘ Explosives and ďŹ reworks â&#x20AC;˘ Industrial, commercial or business waste â&#x20AC;˘ Medical and Pharmaceutical items â&#x20AC;˘ Propane cylinders â&#x20AC;˘ Radioactive materials â&#x20AC;˘ Tires

meeting date. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was given to us at the eleventh hour without staff review and then Lacie and myself reviewed this with changes,â&#x20AC;? Hall said. He took issue with a number of items in the originally proposed ordinance, citing references to 12-foot-wide sidewalks, bike racks and confusion over the deďŹ nition of activity centers among other things. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll say a couple of the items I saw in it, that Lacie and I discussed, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel were what was best for the City,â&#x20AC;? Hall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of them was all hotels must be an extended stay hotel. Why do we want to limit ourselves?â&#x20AC;? He did not speak to the process of how the ordinance made its way to the Council or the argument that it was being rushed through for approval. He said it was a joint effort between the Council and P&Z, but emphasized that the P&Z needed guidance on the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wishes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Council (in its decision to hold a joint meeting) felt that maybe we need to help guide the Planning and Zoning Commission on what the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wishes are so they can understand why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re recommending one thing for review versus coming back to the City Council and the City Council saying this is what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to do,â&#x20AC;? Hall said.

Page A5

Locals share brushes with the supernatural

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer In one way or another, as a believer or a skeptic, people have a natural fascination with the supernatural. That fascination is as evident in Liberty Hill as anywhere. Sarah McDaniel remembers what she calls her supernatural experiences growing up in Liberty Hill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up in a house here in Liberty Hill that I was certain had a story within its walls,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My entire family experienced things at different points while living there. Things like obvious footsteps upstairs when no one else was home, radios turning up by themselves, doors slamming among many other things.â&#x20AC;? Silhouettes in the corner of her eye to messy beds and unexplained sounds became a daily occurrence for McDaniel and eventually her sister and mother as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the beginning, we would be so sure of the footsteps the police would actually be called because we thought someone was in there,â&#x20AC;? said McDaniel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They searched the house and obviously found nothing. After that, it became a regular occurrence to hear footsteps frequently. We learned to just live with it.â&#x20AC;? For Lyndsi Nickole, her experience centered on a reunion between her deceased husband and her oldest child. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My oldest daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father died when she was three. Not long after, I had a vivid dream about him. In the dream, he came and saw me, and I told him he needed to spend time with his daughter,â&#x20AC;? Nickole said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, he sat with her and watched TV with her and visited. When I woke up, I went in and checked on my daughter in her room. When I asked what she was doing, she replied, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Watching TV with daddy,â&#x20AC;? I was absolutely stunned.â&#x20AC;? Closure surrounded the theme

of Laurie Dickersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After my stepfather passed away unexpectedly, my mother got a phone call from his cell, which she had powered off,â&#x20AC;? Dickerson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It had been two days since he had passed away. There was no sound on the other end, and it lasted only about 10 seconds before it disconnected. While it was shocking, it was also kind of closure.â&#x20AC;? While visiting the historic and rumored to be haunted Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Ashley Laurenne and her family had a supernatural brush with fame. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were on the third ďŹ&#x201A;oor next to the elevator door. My mother and I were getting ready to head back down to the main ďŹ&#x201A;oor when the elevator doors opened up, and there was one person in the elevator,â&#x20AC;? said Laurenne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I guess I should say ghost instead of a person. As soon as we saw the ďŹ gure, we instantly knew who we were looking at, Theodore Roosevelt.â&#x20AC;? Eager to verify what they witnessed, Laurenne and family chased the specter down. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say a single word. We were in a bit of a shock. The elevator door closed. We ran down the next ďŹ&#x201A;oor, expecting it to stop there, but it kept going to the ďŹ rst ďŹ&#x201A;oor,â&#x20AC;? said Laurenne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quickly went down there and made it just seconds before the door opened. It was completely empty. I will never forget what he looked like and how amazing it was to see something like that.â&#x20AC;? Kelli Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brush with the unexplained occurred during a hotel stay while visiting colleges in California with her mother. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were walking around lost trying to ďŹ nd our room and to be honest, scared as hell. Suddenly we ran into the sweetest old man with a hotel uniform on, he almost looked like an

old-fashioned bellhop type guy,â&#x20AC;? Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He guided us to our room and even rode the elevator with us to make sure we got there safely and to protect us. We got off the elevators by our room, he pointed it out, and we turned around to thank him profusely, and the elevator was empty.â&#x20AC;? An unforgettable experience for Smith, after much thought, she is still unable to explain her experience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We realized God had sent us a guardian angel to protect us and get us to our room safe. He was no doubt a ghost or spirit. There is no other explanation,â&#x20AC;? said Smith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Makes sense why the uniform was old fashioned, too. It was so crazy, scary, and yet comforting at the same time. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sleep much that night, replaying it all in my head, trying to come up with a logical explanation, but there was none.â&#x20AC;? Donald Carson believes that the former location of an old house by Wolf Ranch on SH 29 and IH-35 is a place of unexplained phenomenon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To this day, it has not been developed. When I worked for the Dan Williams company, our equipment broke down daily in the 40 yard stretch in front of that gate,â&#x20AC;? Carson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;More than once, the low boy, we would take it back to the shop, and it would start right up. A lot of people do not know that most of the digging to widen that small stretch of road was done by hand. More than one developing project has been canceled due to mysterious problems there.â&#x20AC;? Supernatural experiences vary from individual to individual, and to each person, the meaning they take away from it unique. Regardless of the takeaway of each moment, they are equally unforgettable to the people who experience them.

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Page A6

POPCORN

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page A1

Swensen’s Ice Cream Parlor. I worked there from the ninth grade to the 12th grade. I don’t think you’ll ever have a sad face with ice cream.” Lee’s kettle corn business, Poppin’ Around Texas, offers a variety of flavors, including Liberty Hill Gold (cheddar), strawberry, blue raspberry, and sweet and salty. Along with those flavors, Lee has his gourmet flavors, cookies and cream, strawberry cheesecake, creamy dill, and banana pudding. “The flavors are based on my first job, my most fun job -- the ice cream parlor. Swensen’s was like Baskin Robbins, and

they have several different ﬂavors,” said Lee. “Now I’m going by my childhood memories and trying to recreate an ice cream parlor but with popcorn. It’s the concept of what an ice cream parlor would have. So with popcorn, we can create different ﬂavors with different ingredients and combinations.” Joined by his wife, Lee believes not trying to get his business off the ground at all is worse than failing. “We create everything, and you know the people making it. It’s my wife and me. We put all that love in it,” he said. “I worked for Samsung, and

she still works for Apple, but there was a point where we just wanted to have fun in life and try something different. If you don’t try, it’s a guaranteed fail.” Ever the beacon of positivity, Lee believes that starting this business during uncertain times only leaves room to improve and head in an upward direction. “A good businessman will adjust. I had a lot of events, but they kept getting canceled. Once this COVID takes its foot off our necks, I think it’ll get even better,” he said. “Right now, I go out and perform under my canopy, with

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Thursday, October 29, 2020

my kettle. I have two stores that, by the end of November, my product will be in.” Performing for Lee involves sharing the kettle corn making process with the community, allowing them to know the person they’re purchasing from. “Liberty Hill is my main location. I have all the festivals in Liberty Hill and all the ones in Bertram. That’s what keeps us busy,” he said. “Whenever we have an event, a private party or festivals, trades and some wholesales. That’s where you have a popcorn guy around now. It’s great for local businesses too, and people can

PROJECTS

get to meet me and know me.” Why does Lee pop? Why does he travel around Texas and perform at festivals and other events? What is it that took him out of the tech industry and put him in front of a 500-degree kettle? Simple. The opportunity to bring people together one kernel at a time. “You never have popcorn being angry, it’s a festival snack or a home snack. When you go to a carnival or a circus, you have popcorn,” said Lee. “My mom had three boys, and instead of spending a lot of money, she could get a big bag of kettle corn for ﬁve or

six bucks. Popcorn is one of those things that, as kids, your mom did it on the stove or microwave. It brings family and friends together. It’s fun food.” Visit Lee and try some popcorn on Election Day courtesy of The Independent. Lee will be cooking popcorn from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 behind the newspaper ofﬁce at 921 Loop 332. Let us know you voted and enjoy a free bag of popcorn. Additional bags of popcorn in assorted ﬂavors will be available for sale to take home. Masks and social distancing required.

Continued from Page A1

showed the additional $131,352. The presentation on CIP expenditures from 2018 to present showed $5.76 million in budgeted projects and expenditures of $5.1 million, despite the swim center project at City Park, the funds set aside for the Stubbleﬁeld project that was scrapped and the roundabout that was also scrapped accounting for just over $3 million of the planned budget and none of them being awarded for construction. A request for information submitted on July 6 for invoices and change orders related to the Municipal Court Building was responded to by the City on July 16, showing a variety of expenses from adding a safe room and additional security equipment installation to the project, to a lighted metal sign to hang behind the council dais at a cost of $2,825, to 10 new conference chairs at $3,960 as well as what appears to be three conference tables at just over $2,300. The project also included rewiring of the building by Cable Com at $7,037. Questions on who managed the project and authorized the additional expenditures have not been answered. The Independent is waiting on a response from the City to a request sent Oct. 15 for details on expenditures related to the Downtown Street and Utility

project. According to a change order approved at Monday’s Council meeting, the City saved $10,398 on the project by doing the parking lot striping downtown in-house, but the project has had $302,521 in additional costs added on since the bid was awarded. The downtown project was awarded in lieu of the roundabout project ﬁrst approved in early 2019 before the Council canceled the awarded bid to Smith Contracting Company for $1.372 million. The amount was to cover the roundabout for the intersection of CR279 and Loop 332 as well as the parking lot on the old washateria property. The parking lot project was rolled into a larger downtown project to include additional work on the police station parking lot, some road and utility rehabilitation and the Van Alley parking, which was approved originally for $1.55 million. The project did not include intersection improvements, which have since been considered with an engineering estimate of $840,254. With the intersection work added in – with the change orders – that would bring the downtown project expenditures to an estimated total just under $2.7 million. Future projects Liberty Hill has six projects

in various stages of approval, from the community center that was awarded for bid in early October at $858,000 and a shared use path that the City will pay $217,000 of, to the swim center, Loop 332 and CR 279 intersection, new Liberty Parke entrance, and Bailey Lane realignment, which are estimated in early planning stages to be as much as an additional $4.7 million that has yet to be awarded for construction. At Monday’s council meeting, Finance Director Becky Wilkins explained the anticipated bond total to cover the community center and swim center project, saying it would likely be $2.5 million. In July, the plan was to pay for the community center with what was said to be $710,319 in remaining CIP funds, but that money has since been spent on the Downtown Street and Utility projects. The bonds being considered are for seven years, and Wilkins said previously a $1 million bond would cost the City between $125,000 and $220,000 annually over the life of the bond payments.

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• Council Member/Mayor Pro-Tem (6 yrs) Parks and Rec Board Member (10 yrs)

• City budget INCREASE of 77% in 2 years

• Fiscally responsible city budget (2018-2019)

• $5.68 Million General Fund Budget Staff INCREASE from 37 to 64 employees, $1.06 Million in Reserves (emergency) $0.00 for Infrastructure

• $3.2 Million General Fund Budget Staff of 37 $2.7 Million in reserves (emergency) $3,385,0000.00 for Infrastructure

• Advocated his own $40,000 Mayor Salary, Personal vehicle paid for by the taxpayers

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SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, October 29, 2020 Section B Page 1

Walker attempts to right his ship

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Over the first five weeks of the season, Liberty Hill head football coach Jeff Walker has watched his team outscore its opponents by a combined margin of 292-52 overall in racking up a perfect 5-0 record. Once the district schedule got underway, the difference became even more drastic, as the Panthers have outpointed their first three league opponents by a combined score of 204-0 in victories over Crockett (76-0), Travis (86-0) and McCallum (42-0). The offense is averaging 334.2 rushing yards per game and has already connected on four touchdown passes this season. Still, Walker doesn’t like what he’s seen and it has nothing to do with the numbers on the scoreboard or stat sheet. It’s something far more important in his opinion, he said. “Our offensive line needs to establish its blocks on the defense’s side of the line of scrimmage,” said Walker. “Which is really important in our offense.” What Walker sees is despite the fact the rushing yards and points are still there, a distinct dominance of the trenches is certainly not, and even more frustrating to him is the fact he knows what his players are capable of.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill head coach Jeff Walker wants to see more toughness from his team, such as that being shown here by Panthers defenders Andon Thomas (#10), Preston Shephard (#27) and Austin Bourgeois (#2) during a 42-0 home win over McCallum on Oct. 23.

“I know what they can do because I’ve seen it,” he said. “But, they’ll run one good play and then four bad ones – it’s about getting consistency.” One method Walker said he and his coaches will employ to get the desired results is to emphasize something even more

than they already do. “We’ll just keep drilling it into them,” he said. “Which is why we rep so much in practice.” However, the main deﬁciency he sees in his side is a part of the game that isn’t as simple or elementary as running drills over and over again.

No, it’s something much more complicated – which also involves the mental side of the game. “Nowadays, you have to teach kids how to be tough,” said Walker. “We live in a technology age where they’re inside playing video games

or on their phones all the time – they’re not out in the yard playing tackle football anymore.” Walker said it’s not only a physical thing, though, but also one that is psychological, as well as societal. “These days, we always have

to make sure we don’t hurt anybody’s feelings,” he said. “People will tell you that you played well even if you didn’t.” Also, the price to be paid for so-called success has been discounted over the years to where some young athletes will simply give up when the going gets too tough for their liking, said Walker. “Some kids will just quit when it gets too difficult,” he said. “Nobody wants to get out of their comfort zone. The problem is kids will quit when it gets uncomfortable – they’re always looking for the easy way and want it to always be fun.” Last season, the Panthers began the year 2-5 before righting the ship and running off five consecutive wins before losing in the fourth round of the playoffs and despite his squad’s much-improved record so far this fall, it doesn’t provide him with much solace. “I feel the same way about our team now as I did at that time last year,” said Walker. “We’re not much better than last year and our opponents have been making us look good.” Another factor Walker believes has affected the game overall is the product on the field. “I think the quality of football

See TOUGH, Page B2

Bringing the beach to the Hill

Country hitter hones skills on the sand

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Kaileigh Truslow stands behind the end line holding a volleyball in her hand, as she surveys the court in front of her. Once everyone is set, the Liberty Hill sophomore outside hitter takes a short run-up before launching the ball high in the air and then rising herself off the shiny ﬂoor to meet the spinning orb on its way back down. Bam! With a graceful leap and a violent swing of her right arm, Truslow sends the ball hurtling toward the opposing defense with extraordinary velocity over the net before it dips sharply at the last moment and crashes to earth beyond the outstretched arms of a diving defender. Ace. Truslow has burst upon the scene for the Lady Panthers this season with a skill level that has been simply sublime compared to players a year or two her senior. However, the blonde bomber has honed her considerable skills in a way that is not exactly orthodox, trading the hardwood for the sand of beach volleyball – a version of the game she began playing in ﬁfth ALEX RUBIO PHOTO grade – and said many of the Kaileigh Truslow (#18) has a potent topspin serve the Liberty Hill sophomore outside hitter honed on the sand courts of See TRUSLOW, Page B6 beach volleyball.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill boys’ cross country squad will be a contender for the title at the district meet in Round Rock on Oct. 30.

Cross country team has district meet in its sights

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Every cross country runner begins training in the heat of summer with one goal in mind. Reaching the state meet. However, before one can race for glory at that level, he or she must qualify and in order to do that, success at both the district and regional meets are a must. With that in mind, Liberty Hill’s cross country squad is diligently pounding away in anticipation of those events, with the district race scheduled for Old Settlers’ Park in

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Round Rock on Oct. 30. According to Panthers head coach Kim Holt, her team is rounding into form quite nicely – particularly the boys. “I really think our boys have a shot to win district,” said Holt. “They’ve already beaten Georgetown and Cedar Park, although not Marble Falls yet.” This season, as Liberty Hill has transitioned to Class 5A competition for the ﬁrst time in school history, the going has been more rugged than in years past, when they weren’t as toughly tested during the season. Add into the equation the fact only the top two teams at district will qualify for regionals this year instead of the usual three – due to health guidelines – and the task of making it all the way to Corpus Christi has

become that much more challenging. Jacob Russell has been the most consistent among the Panthers’ boys this season and finished sixth at the Liberty Hill Invitational on Oct. 17, a finish that matched the junior’s previous best result of the season after having also achieved it at the Waco Invitational on Sept. 17. But, perhaps more impressive is the fact Russell scored a new personal-best time of 16:28.50 at the Georgetown/East View Invitational on Oct. 3 despite a 13th-place finish in a tougher field of runners. Russell has shaved 1:22 seconds off his personal best since his freshman season, so he will certainly look to continue that

See RUNNERS, Page B6

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Mustangs up next for Panthers THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Marble Falls runs same offense as Liberty Hill

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Liberty Hill’s football squad lines up across from Marble Falls on Friday, it will resemble looking in a mirror. The Mustangs run the same Slot-T offense the Panthers have perfected over the years, so the contest will deﬁnitely be an exercise in familiarity. According to Liberty Hill head coach Jeff Walker, the game will provide his squad the toughest challenge they’ve faced so far this season. “They run the ball very well,” said Walker. “Not to mention we’re not playing very good football at the moment.” Indeed, those two factors mean there probably won’t be a blowout like in the ﬁrst three district games for the Panthers, in which they’ve outscored the opposition by a combined 204-0. As far as playing a team that runs the same offense as they do, Walker said there probably isn’t a tangible advantage for either side. “I think it’s probably a wash,” he said. “We know them as good as they know us.” However, Walker does know one thing. He doesn’t like having to face his own offense for the same

TOUGH

reason opponents dread it, he said. “I hate playing against the Slot-T,” said Walker. “Because it’s something you don’t see too often.” Marble Falls enters the game with a 3-0 overall record on the season and a 1-0 mark in district play, having defeated Travis, 55-0 – an opponent the Panthers beat by a score of 860. But, just because his team proved to be 31 points better than the Mustangs against a common opponent doesn’t mean the Panthers are necessarily that much better, he said. “I guess that’s going to be determined,” said Walker. “It could come down to the last possession of the game.” Finally having a matchup with a team that can present problems for his side is a welcome change compared to the lack of competition the Panthers have faced this season, but at the same time, it’s also a cause for concern, he said. “I’m sure it’s going to be good for us,” said Walker. “But, scary at the same time.” Something that has been scary lately for Liberty Hill opponents is how the Panthers’ defense has been playing in posting three straight shutouts.

Continued from Page B1

has gone down overall,” he said. “Which is why we use our offseason to toughen our players up.” Only problem with that part of the usual equation is the Panthers – along with everyone else – were deprived of their usual spring and summer training regimen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the ﬂow of what is

usually a well-oiled and deliberate process. Something Walker would like to do is make his practices more physical with live blocking, but doesn’t necessarily have the resources in the way of bodies to do so without risking being shorthanded on game day. “We could do that if we had the depth,” he said. “Now, we

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Charlie Calabretta (#4) gets ready to throw downfield during Liberty Hill’s 42-0 home victory over McCallum on Oct. 23. Andon Thomas has been Lloyd Johnson has 24 tack- while Blake Simpson has 599 home game against Navarro leading the way, as the junior les and three sacks, tied with yards on 69 attempts and sev- on Nov. 20, so Walker wants linebacker has a team-leading teammate and fellow lineman en touchdowns and Eric De La his team to head into the break 55 tackles on the current cam- Blake Wilson in that depart- Cruz 50 carries for 451 yards with positive momentum. paign, with 11 for a loss, while ment. and seven scores. “It could be a fun time or fellow backer Aaron Brewer is Offensively, the Panthers Following the Marble Falls it can be difficult,” he said. second with 35 stops and sev- are led by leading rusher Trey contest, the Panthers will have “Right now, we’re not where en for loss. Seward, who has 75 carries for consecutive bye weeks before we need to be.” On the defensive line, junior 698 yards and 11 touchdowns, they return to the field with a

use a lot of dummy blocking instead of full contact – it’s always better to block a live body.” A very big difference between last season and this is at 2-5, the Panthers needed to win their ﬁnal two regular-season contests just to make the playoffs – an urgency which is missing at the moment. “Last year, our backs were up

against the wall,” said Walker. “This year, we’re already in the playoffs and I’m worried because we haven’t played anybody good yet.” Only three games remain in the season, but there are six weeks of practice due to the back-to-back byes and another open date in the last week of the district schedule, which means there is still more time

to get things right than might appear. But, Walker wonders if even that’s enough. “It’s really frustrating when you can’t get your team to play up to its potential,” he said. “Especially when you have a team which is better than it’s shown and coaches who are never going to give up. But, I worry about the players giving

PANTHER R GAMES FOR OCT. 29 1. Liberty Hill vs. Marble Falls 2. Burnet vs. LBJ 3. Rouse vs. Cedar Creek 4. Glenn vs. Elgin

up on themselves.” For now, Walker must continue to look for the solution before it’s too late. “If I knew what it was, I’d ﬁx it,” he said. “Right now, that’s the million-dollar question.”

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Thursday, October 29, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

VOLLEYBALL BRIEFS Liberty Hill 3, East View 0

East View visited Liberty Hill Oct. 27 and the Lady Panthers defeated the Patriots, 3-0 (2514, 25-23, 25-12). Emma Becker and Maddi Rowley each had eight kills, while Emma Parsons added 17 assists 10 digs and Haley Kuhlmann 17 digs in the victory. Peyton Lilienthal, Rowley and Kuhlmann each served a pair of aces, with Lilli Wilkins blocking six shots and Aile Hair and Kaileigh Truslow each had one.

Leander 3, Liberty Hill 1

In the ﬁrst meeting of the season between Liberty Hill and

nearby neighbors Leander, the Lady Panthers managed to defeat the Lions in ﬁve sets. However, in the rematch on Oct. 24, Liberty Hill failed to do the season double with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-11, 14-25, 2125) away loss. Rowley and Kindsee Escamilla led the Lady Panthers with 10 and nine kills, respectively, while Parsons had 26 assists. Rowley added three aces and four blocks in a strong all-around performance, with Wilkins blocking six shots and Kuhlmann leading with 18 digs and Parsons getting 14 on the match.

Junior varsity

Liberty Hill’s junior varsity team defeated Leander, as Bailey Lundy and Morgan Poulain

Page B3

led with four kills each, while Dara Hawkins supplied 15 assists, Paris Hunter four aces and Sarah McCleod nine digs in the victory. On Oct. 27, the Lady Panthers defeated East View, 2-0 (25-5, 25-23, as Hunter had ﬁve kills and 14 assists.

Freshmen

The Lady Panthers’ freshman squad remained unbeaten on the season with a dominant 2-0 (25-6, 25-8) win against Leander, as Kealy Dirner led with seven kills, while Carson Glenn added 18 assists. Liberty Hill defeated East View, 2-0 (25-22, 25-7), as Dirner had ﬁve kills, three aces and four digs, while Mason had four kills, two aces and ALEX RUBIO PHOTO two blocks and Glenn record- Maddi Rowley (#11) led Liberty Hill with eight kills in the Lady Panthers’ 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25ed 14 assists. 12) home win over East View on Oct. 27.

Panther defense posts third straight shutout, defeats McCallum, 42-0

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Heading into Liberty Hill’s district game against McCallum last week, Panthers head coach Jeff Walker claimed the Knights would be the best team his side has faced so far this season and he was right. After the Purple-and-Gold hammered Crockett (76-0) and Travis (86-0) by a combined 162-0 in the ﬁrst two district contests of the season, Walker had to settle for a relatively pedestrian 42-0 home victory over McCallum on Friday night. Senior Trey Seward ran 15 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns on a cold, windy late autumn evening – conditions that certainly didn’t match Walker’s mood after the game. “Our offensive line didn’t play very well tonight,” said Walker. “McCallum’s defense was much more physical than our offense.” Sounds a bit absurd to hear a coach complain about an offensive unit that has just scored 42 points and rolled up 367 yards of offense, but Walker was referring more to how his offense operated as opposed to the numbers on the stat sheet or scoreboard. A primary point of contention is the territorial battle being waged – and lost – at the point of attack, said Walker. “We need to establish ourselves on their side of the line, which we’re not doing,” he said. “We knew exactly what McCallum was going to do and they were a little bigger than us, but it was just a matter of them being more physical than we were.” Walker had no such qualms with his defense, as they posted a shutout for the third consecutive week. “They did a great job of getting us good ﬁeld position the entire game,” he said. “The defense scored as many points in

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Lloyd Johnson (#17) and Canyon Schirpik (#14) team up for a sack during the Panthers’ 42-0 home victory over McCallum on Oct. 23, the defense’s third consecutive shutout. the second half as our offense did.” Walker was referring to Andon Thomas’ 86-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter – an occasion that marked the third consecutive game in which the junior linebacker has returned a turnover for a score – and is certainly one player Walker need not worry about not showing up for work, he said. “Andon’s the real deal – he could easily play all 22 positions on our team,” said Walker. “I can see him playing at a Division I school.” Liberty Hill’s defense established itself on the opening possession of the evening, forcing a three-and-out that netted the Knights -5 yards, including tackles for losses of -4 and -5 ﬁves yards, respectively, by a tag-team of Aaron Brewer and Lloyd Johnson on the ﬁrst play from scrimmage and a solo effort by Canyon

Schirpik on a 3rd-and-10. After McCallum’s punt netted only ﬁve yards, the Panthers’ offense took over on the Knights’ 20 and it only took three plays for Blake Simpson to score from 12 yards out and a 7-0 lead. Another three-and-out on the next McCallum possession gained only three yards before the Panthers set off on perhaps their most impressive offensive drive of the season. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the home side on the return set the offense up at its own 10-yard line after another McCallum punt. Following eight straight runs by either Seward or Simpson, senior quarterback Charlie Calabretta dropped back and found Nate Hilbrich for a 24yard gain through the air down the right sideline on 2ndand-8 at the Knights’ 36 before Seward ran in from seven yards out on a 4th-and-5 from

the seven four plays later and it was 14-0 with 3:31 left in the ﬁrst quarter after a 13-play, 90yard drive. Perhaps the defense’s value was best illustrated when midway through the second quarter, the Panthers forced the

Knights to attempt a 24-yard ﬁeld goal after they had driven 69 yards on 17 plays and had a 1st-and-goal on the Liberty Hill 8-yard line. McCallum missed the attempt and on the ensuing play after the Panthers had taken over on

downs at their own 20-yardline, Calabretta rolled out to his left and saw nothing but open field in front of him, as he galloped off on an 80-yard touchdown run down the sideline. According to Calabretta, he was only concerned with one thing on his way to the end zone. “I just ran as fast as I could and kept looking behind me to see if they were gaining on me,” said Calabretta. “All I wanted to do was get to the purple.” Once the signal-caller finally did reach the violet target beyond the goal line, it was 21-0 in favor of the home team with 6:56 left in the half. Yet another three-and-out forced by the Panthers’ defense on the next McCallum possession resulted in the Knights’ punt being returned by Carter Hudson for 29 yards all the way down to the visitors’ 31-yard-line. Four plays later, Seward took advantage of the short field with an 18-yard scoring run and it was 28-0. Freshman Noah Long recovered a McCallum fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but the Panthers handed the ball back with

See BRIEFS, Page B4

FISHING TEAM BRIEFS

On Oct. 17, the Liberty Hill fishing team competed at a Texas High School Bass Association tournament in Canyon Lake and finished third overall in the team standings in a field of 70 teams. Individually, Skyler Meuse and Colton O’Dell finished in fifth place with three fish at 8.96 pounds, while Leo Vann with Captain Jeff Williams was 12th, with three fish at 7.21 pounds and Cade Reynolds and Mason Tvinnereim finished in 14th place with three fish at 6.93 pounds. Meuse had the big bass for Liberty Hill at 4.76 pounds. On Oct. 24, the Panthers competed at the Faith Angler Network tournament in Lake Travis in an event which featured 127 teams. Holt Avery and Michael Evans (with Captain Lee Evans) finished third overall, with five fish weighing in at 14.16 pounds, while Greyson McVan and Gunner Rutherford placed seventh, with four fish at 11.26 pounds and Hoyt Brown and Jake Carter were 17th, with five fish weighing in at 10.72 pounds.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Jacob Russell (454) ﬁnished second in the boys’ varsity race at the Georgetown/ East View Halloween Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 23.

CROSS COUNTRY BRIEFS

Panthers pair ﬁnish second

Liberty Hill’s cross country team competed Oct. 23 at the Georgetown/East View Halloween Invitational and scored a pair of individual second-place finishes, as well as a team title for the boys’ squad. Ayanna Donwerth finished second in the girls’ varsity event in a time of 18:29.90, just missing out to winner McKenzie Bailey of Georgetown, who crossed the line in 18:29.00. Liberty Hill’s Holt Avery and Michael Evans – with Captain Lee Jacob Russell was also runEvans – finished third overall at the Faith Angler Network tour- ner-up in the boys’ varsity race nament in Lake Travis on Oct. 24, with five fish weighing in at in 16:52.00, second to East 14.16 pounds. (Courtesy Photo) View’s Antonio Pena, who

won in 16:46.40. Overall, Liberty Hill’s boys won with 31 points, easily outdistancing East View’s 65, as the Panthers claimed six of the top 10 spots in the finishing order. Ryan McCarn had a strong race for the Panthers in fifth place (16:56.50), while Isaiah De La Garza (seventh, 17:02.80), Caden Glenn (eighth, 17:03.30), Cade Johnson (ninth, 17:06.80) and Cayden Branch (10th, 17:11.00) rounded out the top 10. The girls finished second in

the team standings with 55 points to Georgetown’s 19. Following Donwerth for the Panthers in the points were Daisy Anaya (10th, 20:15.00), Angela Mena (13th, 20:34.70), Avery Holland (14th,20:40.00) and Natalie Roth (16th, 20:53.70). Freshman Anthony Barreras won the boys’ junior varsity race in 17:49.60, as the Panthers’ boys won the team title with 19 points. Liberty Hill will next compete at the district meet at Old Settlers’ Park in Round Rock on Oct. 30.

Page B4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, October 29, 2020

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Will Gray returns a shot during Liberty Hill’s district match against Rouse on Sept. 22.

TENNIS BRIEFS Liberty Hill 10, East View 4

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Ellis Young’s experience playing USTA tournaments has helped her in her role as Liberty Hill’s No. 1 girls’ singles player this season.

Queen of the courts

Ellis Young is experiencing high school tennis for the ﬁrst time

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Ellis Young steps onto the court for the Liberty Hill tennis team, she represents the Purple-and-Gold as the Panthers’ No. 1 girls’ singles player. Of course, along with the lofty ranking comes the pressure of being the one player her teammates look to for inspiration in setting the tone for the entire squad. But, Young isn’t fazed in the slightest by this responsibility, said Liberty Hill head coach Sherry Rhoden. “Ellis plays without fear,” she said. “She sees the patterns on the court during her points and sizes up her opponents quickly. Her shot selection is second nature to her and she’s a bold player with conﬁdence. Most importantly, Ellis is a leader on and off of the court – she plays like a champion and represents Panthers athletics with consistency. I love her spirit and how she lets her racket do the talking.” However, Young does do some talking on the court during matches – to herself. “Sometimes when I make a mistake, I’ll yell at myself,” said Young. “But, then I just take a few deep breaths and tell myself everything will be ﬁne.” Except for when her opponent is less skilled than she is and is perfectly content to just hit the ball back over the net without any kind of particular plan, she said. “I try not to get annoyed,”

said Young. “Some people are happy to just push it back over the net and make me run it down, but that’s okay because I’m good at running.” According to Rhoden, the emotions Young believes are bubbling to the surface when she plays are properly channeled with grace and control. “Ellis thinks she’s an emotional player, but it’s all relative. She handles her emotions with maturity and her emotions haven’t kept her from thinking clearly. In times when she has been frustrated, we’ve focused on what was working versus what wasn’t working, then we made a clear plan,” said Rhoden. “She’s very coachable and is willing to do what is asked of her. Even when she’s down, she asks about her teammates and how they’re doing and keeps a smile on her face. She has played long enough to know she will win some and lose some. Her losses don’t get her down – she moves on quickly and focuses on her teammates.” Not that there are many defeats to get over, as has been the case this season, which is mainly due to the fact Young comes from a pedigree of playing much tougher opponents during her United States Tennis Association exploits, with this being her maiden voyage into high-school competition. But, what she is getting out of her ﬁrst prep experience are all the aspects missing when she’s competing as an individual, she said.

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“I really like the team thing,” said Young. “I think team tennis is the best of both and I enjoy all the off-the-court things.” Rhoden said the fact Young was eager to give of herself to her new teammates speaks volumes about her overall approach to not only the present, but the future. “She’s choosing to be a part of something bigger than herself,” she said. “She knows her family has given her the resources she needed to become a great player and she’s willing to share her experience and court time with Liberty Hill High School. She and her family recognize the need and beneﬁts of being a part of a team. If she chooses to play at a higher level, those institutions want to have players that have played for a high-school team. Any great player at the high-school level plays tournaments outside of school – it takes a combination of both.” Young’s status as the Panthers’ No. 1 girls’ singles and doubles player does create pressure, but it’s certainly nothing she hasn’t handled before, said Rhoden. “Each player handles pressure differently. Some players play best with pressure and better opponents, while other players allow fear of playing bad and losing to take over and the pressure builds,” she said. “My expectation is for all players to have fun and enjoy representing their team

See TENNIS, Page B6

On Oct. 23, the Panthers defeated East View by a score of 10-4 to secure the No. 3 seed in the bi-district round of the playoffs. In girls’ singles, No. 1 Ellis Young won 6-1, 6-1, while No. 2 Sophie Sherman (6-7 (6-8), 6-0, (10-7), No. 4 Mackenzie

Coleman (6-4, 0-6, (10-8) and No. 5 Madi Sudekum (6-2, 6-1) all won. In boys’ singles, No. 1 Joseph Sherman won 6-0, 6-1, along with No. 2 Patrick Fay (7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 3rd set (11-9) and No. 4 Ethan Wukasch (60, 6-4), while No. 6 Will Snell lost 5-7, 3-6. Girls’ doubles saw No. 1 Sherman/Young (6-0, 6-0)

win, No. 2 Coleman/Ava Ortega lose 1-6, 5-7 and No. 3 Gates/Homorodi win 6-0, 6-3. In boys’ double, No. 1 Fay/ Sherman won 6-2, 6-1, while No. 2 Wukasch/Zach Kizer won (7-5) ,6-2 and No. 3 Snell/ Tyler Williams lost 5-7, 1-6. In mixed doubles, No. 1 Peyton Buckley/Colin Garner lost 4-6, 5-7.

Conner Harrit (#12) takes the snap from center during Liberty Hill’s home game against Hutto on Oct. 14.

JUNIOR HIGH SPORTS BRIEFS

Football Liberty Hill Junior High played Elgin Oct. 6 and won all three games. 8th Grade Purple beat Elgin, 24-6, as JD Richards led the defense with an interception return for a touchdown early on and the offense was able to control the ball most of the game. 7th Grade Purple defeated Elgin, 40-0, Grey Hargrove scored two touchdowns to lead the way for the Panthers. DJ Seaborn, Gavin Meuse and Kaden Cockburn also scored

BRIEFS

touchdowns on offense, while Dallas Gurley scored on a scoop-and-score for the defense. 7th Grade Gold beat Elgin, 20-6, as Paul Figioli scored a pair of touchdowns to lead Liberty Hill, while Conner Harritt added another touchdown. On Oct. 20, the Panthers faced Benold and split the four games. 8th Grade Purple lost, 15-12, as Kendrick Hicks and Braden Radziwon each scored a touchdown.

Continued from Page B3

a fumble of their own moments later and the score remained 28-0 at halftime. The only other points of the second half in addition to Thomas’ interception return were supplied by Seward’s 65yard, breakaway run with 2:50 left in the third quarter, after

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which the contest was done and dusted. However, even in yet another one-sided victory, Calabretta knows he and his offensive teammates must be better if they expect to have any kind of success against playoff-caliber competition. “If we keep playing like this, we won’t get past the second round,” he said. “We’re not being physical enough, which is something I’ll have to remind them about in practice.” Walker wasn’t quite as diplomatic in his assessment. “I didn’t see a lot of scratching, clawing and knocking heads by our guys out there tonight,” he said. “Maybe we need to revamp our practices because we don’t do a lot of

8th Grade Gold was defeated, 20-0, as the Panthers’ offense was to put together a few long drives, but were unable to score. 7th Grade Purple won, 240, as Hargrove scored three touchdowns to lead the Panthers’ offense, with Cockburn adding the 2-point conversion after each score, while the defense shut down Benold all night. 7th Grade Gold won, 6-0, as Brendan Stafford scored the only touchdown of the game.

live blocking in practice.” Walker doubled down on Calabretta’s assessment of the Panthers’ playoff chances. “Even the ﬁrst round is going to be tough this year,” he said. The veteran coach also added he’s not concerned with his players tiring of hearing the same halftime and postgame speeches. “I’m not worried about that at all,” said Walker. “I’m very demanding of them, but I’m also honest and upfront. This program’s not about Coach Walker and we need to do what we have to for it to be successful.” LHHS (5-0, 3-0) will next face a road game against Marble Falls on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

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Page B5

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Trail runner plans career in engineering

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Most teenagers cover their bedroom walls with posters of their favorite athletes, movie stars or musicians. But not Makenzy Webb. Adorning the walls in her living space are works by a very talented artist. Herself. “I took an advanced art class when I was in eighth grade,” said Webb, a senior on the Liberty Hill cross country team. “My style has really changed over the years.” Webb paints primarily with acrylics and specializes in abstract works containing geometrical shapes, although she has one painting that features the silhouette of a deer in a forest. However, her future lies in mechanical engineering – something she has developed a passion for in recent years, although back at the beginning, what attracted her to the potential profession was the fact there weren’t many girls involved, she said. “Back when I was younger, both of my parents worked with engineers and I noticed there weren’t many who were female,” said Webb. “So, that made me want to do it even more.” Webb said an experience she had in junior high provided her with the proper inspiration to carry on with her academic aspirations – regardless of gender. “We had a career class where we all had to apply for a job,” she said. “It was a competition where we had to interview – only two out of six were selected and I was one – that told me I could do something in engineering as a girl.” When she reached high school, the numbers were still slanted,

as there were only three girls in a class of 16 freshmen who were enrolled in the engineering course. Webb said it wasn’t long before she began to make her mark. “I was always one of the ﬁrst ones done when we had a project or something to do,” she said. Indeed, to this day, Webb is the only female out of 12 seniors who are in the Liberty Hill High School engineering class – which is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program at the school. Over the years, friends of both genders have questioned her decision to pursue engineering as a result of the lack of women in the profession, but that has simply stoked her ﬁres further, she said. “Some of my female friends have said things like ‘Why don’t you just go into medical like us?’” said Webb. “But, I

never listen.” Undaunted, Webb still has designs on her dream, having narrowed her college choices down to Texas Tech, Angelo State or the University of Texas-Dallas. Before that, though, she still has plenty of trails to successfully negotiate as the Panthers cross country squad runs down the ﬁnal stretch of the season toward district, regional and state meets. Webb has participated in cross country since seventh grade, in addition to playing soccer and softball. Once she reached age eight, she left the diamond behind, choosing to focus on the pitch and as the years went by, she said she simply used cross country to keep her conditioning and ﬁtness level up for soccer. In fact, right up through her junior year, Webb remained on the Lady Panthers’ soccer squad, until she had an epiph-

any about to enter her senior season. “Seeing I was going to be a senior and had to be on the varsity soccer team, I realized it was going to be too much to do both,” she said. “So, I chose academics over athletics.” All that being said, she still trudges on for the cross country squad, which is something she enjoys just as much for the camaraderie as the competition. “Cross country is very family-oriented as far as how our team is,” said Webb. “We’re always there for each other to offer encouragement and to be positive, especially at the end of races.” According to head coach Kim Holt, Webb is a pleasure to have on the team due to a couple different factors. “Makenzy always comes out and works hard,” said Holt. “Also, she doesn’t like to draw a lot of attention to herself. She doesn’t goof around and is very dedicated.”

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Makenzy Webb aspires to a career in mechanical engineering when her competitive cross country days are over. However, building things and making them work is where her heart truly lies moving forward with part of that passion also being involved in robotics and is the project manager for her class this year. So, has she ever worried about machines getting too smart and turning against their human designers? In a word, no. “I think even if that did hap-

pen,” said Webb. “They would go easy on us because we’re the ones who made them and can ﬁx them.” But, back to the paintings that are on display in her room, of which there is one that is her absolute favorite, she said. “Deﬁnitely the one I painted with help from my nieces and nephew,” said Webb. “They’re all energy and it’s really great having them around.”

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Library adjusting to COVID

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The doors to the Liberty Hill Public Library may remain closed for entry, but the staff is ﬁnding new ways to offer residents the various services they expect with an eye on possibly reopening before long. “We’re not reopening yet, it’s going to be a little while,” said Library Director Angela Palmer. “We’re planning on being closed to the end of November because we’re having a few things done to the library. We’ll continue to provide curbside service and to go kits for everybody.” With a previous career in the ﬁeld of science, Palmer is simply trusting her instinct and following the research. “I just want to let people know that we are considering reopening, but I’m watching the COVID, and we’re such a small place,” she said. “More research has shown that it’s air distributed, and I want to be as careful as possible.” Palmer has some ideas for outdoor activities, and despite some push back, will follow strict guidelines. “We are going to do some outdoor story times this coming month, but I’m already getting push back about why people have to wear masks,” said Palmer. “It’s because we’re following CDC guidelines and want to be as safe as absolutely possible. That’s why we’ve been closed as long as we have. Our space is so small, and transmission is so virulent. We want to keep the communi-

TENNIS

ty safe and the staff safe.” Safety for the community is at the root of Palmer’s decision. “We don’t want someone to come and then give something to their grandparents, so any child three and up needs to wear a mask and all adults,” she said. “We will be socially distanced outside. We’ll have chairs and yoga mats. People are free to bring whatever they want. I want to be open, but I want to be safe.” One of the most successful things adopted during the pandemic is the to-go kit program. To date, 22,000 kits have been distributed. “We plan on continuing the kits as long as we aren’t doing in-person programming,” said Palmer. “Even if we open up, we’ll still give them out when we aren’t doing in-person activities. Kids need something fun to do.” The Overdrive program is another vital offering that allows those with library cards to check out electronic books. “People can check out books on their tablets. We’re part of a consortium of 59 libraries, but we’re going to ask to have our own collection of books,” said Palmer. “It’s not going to be huge, but it’s going to be just for our Liberty Hill Library patrons to use. I want to mix in things that I like, and I think kids like.” Thanks to the funds raised on the Day of Giving and a $10,000 grant, the library is able to make upgrades in technology.

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and their school. Many times, pressure comes from players’ parents and this makes my job much harder. But, the other players enjoy watching our number one players play their game.” Young said she’s much more motivated when her opponent provides her with proper resistance. “It’s always better when it’s a good match,” she said. “I’d rather be challenged.” As for any of Young’s teammates who may have aspirations of climbing the ranks

within the team, Rhoden said she has provided her players with a precise plan as to how to make that happen. “This is something I explained to the players very early on,” she said. “I told them at tryouts that to play number one for their school meant they had to have good grades, a great attitude and be a positive, selﬂess leader. Our two number one players have earned their spots beautifully and their teammates are delighted to have them lead this Panthers tennis family.”

TRUSLOW

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obstacles she has faced on the sand are lessons learned she can apply to the traditional indoor game. “Beach teaches you ball control because when there are only two of you on the court, it’s much more important to keep the ball within playing distance of your partner,” said Truslow. But, what about that serve? “In beach volleyball, the wind is a huge factor -- it could be a strength or a weakness to help you win or lose the match,” she said. “That’s why I love the topspin serve so much, because in beach when you have the wind blowing towards you and you do a topspin serve, the wind pushes the serve straight down where very few people can touch it. In regular volleyball, the topspin is rarely used and people don’t usually play against it, so coming from beach to indoor the topspin serve is a nice tool to have.” Sure is, as the stats bear out so far this season, as Truslow is currently leading the Lady Panthers with 30 aces, but she’s far from just a one-wonder wizard, as she’s second on the squad in kills with 114 despite playing only 38 sets

RUNNERS

Thursday, October 29, 2020

compared to leader Emma Becker, who’s on top with 139 in 50 sets. Truslow not only pounds the ball with pace, but with extreme accuracy, as well, posting a kill percentage of 44.9 and a hitting percentage of .315. According to Truslow, there are many more differences than similarities between the two versions of the game than perhaps meet the eye. “There are many differences between beach and indoor volleyball – they’re two completely different sports in my opinion,” said Truslow. “Indoor is about power and technique, while beach is more ﬁnesse, speed and ball control.” Perhaps the playing surface itself provides the most problems, plus the fact only a single teammate is available to help make plays, she said. “Physical movement is also a big factor in sand – you must be quick and be able to move while the sand is pulling you down, making it harder to do so,” said Truslow. “Also, with only two players on a side in the beach game, players are forced to cover a much larger area and make nontraditional plays, unlike indoor where

you have people you can rely on to help you out and have a more controlled touch on the ball.” Truslow added there are aspects of each which help her improve at the other. “Beach volleyball helps with balance, coordination and ball control,” she said. “When I ﬁrst started beach it was a struggle, trying to change my mindset to go for everything and not let anything drop because there’s only one other person on the court instead of ﬁve – I had to do more. Beach also increased my strength, coordination and speed tremendously. But, indoor volleyball also helps my beach game – it improved and continues to improve my blocking and swinging with my contact and timing of the ball.” In addition, the fact Truslow plays with many different beach teammates only helps her in dealing with a larger group. “Beach partners can change frequently, so being able to communicate and adapt to a variety of personalities and athletic abilities is super important,” she said. “This carries over to the indoor game

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upward trend. Senior Cade Johnson had a season-best 12th-place finish on the Panthers’ home course in 17:05.00, two weeks after clocking his fastest time of the current campaign in Georgetown, with a 16:59.80. Freshman Caden Glenn ran a personal-best 16:41.30 at Georgetown, while sophomores Cayden Branch (16:43.00) and Brandon Colicher (17:14.70) did the same. On the girls’ side, senior Ayanna Donwerth is the brightest hope for Liberty Hill and is coming off a thirdplace finish at the Panthers’ home meet in 19:04.70. Donwerth has a pair of victories this season in Waco (18:35.40) and Temple (18:21.70), along with two runner-up results at Cedar Park and McNeil and has finished in the top five in all six

events this season. As the Panthers approach the big races at the end of the season, the training regimen has been tapered down appropriately in order to better ready the runners for the critical stretch that lies ahead, said Holt. “For example, we’ve already cut our long-run day down from 65 minutes to 50 and we’ll cut it back to 40 next week,” she said. “We want to make sure their bodies are ready.” Holt said they’ve also eliminated weight training for the rest of the season and have pushed practice back from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Only a limited number of Liberty Hill runners will get the opportunity to compete at the district meet, which should create some sense of urgency within the ranks of

her squad, said Holt. “They know only seven get to run at district,” she said. “So, it’s going to be really competitive.” The team rankings are based on the most recent result, so it’s really a case of whathave-you-done-for-me-lately when it comes time to select those seven, although coaches have the discretion to choose whoever they believe gives the team the best chance at success. As of the Liberty Hill meet, the Panthers’ top seven consisted of Russell, Johnson, Glenn, Branch, Colicher, Isaiah De La Garza and Ryan McCarn, while for the girls the order was Donwerth, Daisy Anaya, Angela Mena, Natalie Roth, Avery Holland, Amelia Clancy and Emma Hiebner. Holt said all of her girls have

because communication and working well with your indoor partners is necessary to have a successful team like we have at Liberty Hill.” Lady Panthers head coach Gretchen Peterson recognizes the beneﬁts of the beach game as far as it how can relate to success indoors. “I deﬁnitely see the way mixing in different types of shots and placement of the ball in beach volleyball can translate to the gym in a way some players have a hard time handling,” she said. “It’s a different look than they’re used to. Also the strength in terms of jumping and moving in sand can really help them in the gym.” Oh, about that serve again. “Yes, it’s an amazing topspin and when she starts a run and teams are struggling to handle it, it’s a great addition to our team,” said Peterson. “But the other great thing about her serves is she’s also versatile and does a great job of mixing in short serves and is continuing to work on others serves and other ways to be effective at the service line.” Just don’t get in the way.

improved this season, but a few stand out from the rest. “Daisy (Anaya) had a great race in our home meet,” she said. “Angela (Mena) has also been doing very well, as has Avery (Holland).” Anaya and Holland are only freshmen, so they only stand to keep improving, but the money meets at season’s end are indeed a different proposition as far as what’s at stake, the pressure it causes and how each runner handles him or herself in the midst of it all, said Holt. “Every kid is different as far as being emotional,” she said. “But, with the freshmen, you just never know – they just have to experience and go through it for themselves.”

As Mayor I will: • Not accept the $40,000 salary. • Audit the budget line-by-line for savings. • Hire a QUALIFIED City Administrator found with a professional search organization. • Get the “smell” of the Wastewater Treatment under control. • Realign City Hall with the core values of our community. • Create transparency and accountability by reducing the hours spent in executive session and initiate monthly Revenue/Expense reports to council and community. • Encourage quality growth and development.

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