LH INDEPENDENT 11-4-21 by The Liberty Hill Independent

VETERANS DAY

SALE

25% OFF

Nov. 11-13

Must present coupon at time of purchase. Liberty Hill location only. Curbside pickup available. Delivery not included.

2021

Volume 34, Issue 50

www.LHIndependent.com

News@LHIndependent.com

Take a step back in time at Pioneer Day celebration

Santa Rita developer proposes new subdivision

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer A new 1,000-lot subdivision for Liberty Hill was proposed by Santa Rita Ranch owner and developer Ed Horne at the most recent City Council meeting on Oct. 27. The subdivision, called El Dorado, would be a 333-acre development on the west side of Santa Rita Ranch, just north of Santa Rita South, said Horne. The new subdivision would be a sister community to the Santa Rita development, which is why he proposed to Council to have El Dorado operate under the same development agreement created for Santa Rita in 2005. “In that agreement, El Dorado would operate under the [Williamson County] guidelines just like Santa Rita, and we would also

See COUNCIL, Page 7

LHISD pays Chapman for consulting on land purchase

By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer The Liberty Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a real estate consulting agreement for $200,000 at their Oct. 18 meeting. The consulting agreement was discussed during executive session and approved unanimously without public discussion. The Independent recently obtained the agreement through an open records request. The agreement is between Bill Chapman, owner of Chapman Property Investments and a former president of the City of Liberty Hill’s Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors, and the school district for consultation on land acquisition for future school sites. The agreement is speciﬁcally for work Chapman did over the last year and a half to help LHISD acquire 95.611 acres near US Highway 183 and County Road 258. The agreement called it a “potential site for the new high school.” “We would not have that land were it not for Bill

November 4, 2021 | 50 Cents

RACHEL MADISON PHOTO

Pastor Michele Lott (right) and Pam Turner (left), event coordinator for Pioneer Day, stand next to one of the recently restored stained glass windows inside the Cross Tracks Church chapel. The Nov. 14 event will show the community what Liberty Hill was like in the late 1800s, when the chapel was ﬁrst built.

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Cross Tracks Church will look a lot different on Nov. 14 when the entire campus is transported back to the late 1800s for a Pioneer Day celebration to commemorate one of Williamson County’s oldest chapels. Pam Turner, Cross Tracks Church member and coordinator for the event, said the United Methodist community has been trying to celebrate their chapel turning 150 years old since early 2020, but it has been postponed twice due to the pandemic. Finally—now that the chapel is 151 years old—the celebration is happening this month. Pastor Michele Lott said the event has grown to be much larger than originally planned, which is one of the few times she has been grateful for COVID, because it’s allowed for the celebration to take on a

life of its own and offer a lot to the community of Liberty Hill. “We are doing this Pioneer Day in conjunction with the Williamson Museum,” Turner said. “They will be with us in every aspect of the day. They will be bringing a pioneer encampment area with a couple of characters that will share stories, like a medicine man. They will also have guns and artifacts from the late 1800s.” Texas storyteller Donna Ingham—who Turner said has been named the best liar in Texas seven times—will be telling her tales from inside the chapel. The east wing of the chapel will be transformed into a schoolhouse from the late 1800s. “The chapel served as the original schoolhouse in Liberty Hill,” Turner said. “We will have a teacher there telling the rules from the 1870s, and children will write on slates and use quills as well.”

In the west wing of the chapel, local historian Gary Spivey, who is also the longest living member of Cross Tracks Church, will be telling stories of Liberty Hill’s history. An 1870s chuckwagon is also coming from Walburg with a cowboy who will be sharing everything from his chuckwagon with attendees. “We also have a lace maker, a spinner and a hand quilter coming,” Turner said. “The quilter will be bringing several antique quilts to show.” The Liberty Hill Public Library will also be at the event, overseeing a couple of family-friendly crafts for attendees to make. “Part of our church’s history includes one of our founding members churning butter for her pledge to a missionary group, so because of that, we will have a butter churner

See PIONEER, Page 4

Operation Liberty Hill extends deadline to apply for Angel Tree program

By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer As the calendar turns to November many kids are already busy circling toy catalogs, carefully picking out their favorite items to put on their list for Santa. But for families less fortunate, November is when the stress of not being able to afford toys to put under the tree is just beginning. Operation Liberty Hill will once again be helping local families in need with its Angel Tree program and will serve as the pickup location for Blue Santa donations. “The stress that these families are under to provide for their kids on a daily basis is difﬁcult enough. But then when Christmas comes along, or a birthday, they don’t have the resources to make those special days for the kids,” said Operation Liberty Hill Executive Director Susan Baker. “I know

that this Angel Tree program helps their holidays to be less stressful so the kids don’t feel different from the other kids.” The Angel Tree program is available to families that live in the Liberty Hill Independent School District. If a child is home-schooled, or not quite school-aged, they would still be eligible, as long as they are not receiving Christmas aid from another program. Operation Liberty Hill recently extended the deadline to Nov. 12 to sign up to be a recipient of a donation. Families in need can apply through a counselor at any of the LHISD schools or directly at Operation Liberty Hill. Jamie Etzkorn, a local attorney and volunteer organizer of Angel Tree, said they keep all names of those asking for help anonymous. “We don’t want anyone to ever feel negative because

Blue Santa in front of the Liberty Hill Police Department in December 2020.

See ANGEL, Page 4 (LHPD Courtesy Photo)

Veterans Day event to honor City’s oldest veteran

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer This Veterans Day, the City of Liberty Hill will be honoring the community’s oldest veteran, 97-year-old Dale Bates, at its annual Nov. 11 event. Katie Amsler, communications director for the City, said honoring the oldest veteran in Liberty Hill is something new to the event. “Mr. Bates is going to have a special chair and will sit at the front during the event, and we are going to gift him the flag that is flying at Veterans Park right now,” she said. “We will lower it and present it to him, and then raise a new flag.”

Bates was born in January 1924 in Oregon and grew up to follow in his father’s footsteps by enlisting in the Army-Air Force in October 1942. After training as a gunner, he was sent to the Pacific theater as part of the 90th Bomb Group. He also flew a few missions with the 22nd Bomb Group and as a gunnery instructor. He flew 47 missions total during his military career and was awarded several medals for his service in World War II, including a service medal, American theater service medal, and a good conduct medal. Bates joined the Army-Air Force Reserves at the end of

his WWII tour. He retired as a major in the Reserves in 1984. Bates will turn 98 in January 2022. The annual event is meant to honor all of Liberty Hill’s veterans, and the community is invited to participate. Demetrice Gonzalez, Economic Development Corporation director and veteran, will emcee the event, and Liberty Hill resident Sar Fleming will sing the National Anthem. Coffee, donated by Perky Beans, will be served, and Pastor Derrick Norris from Andice Baptist Church will Dale Bates is the oldest veteran in Liberty Hill and will be honored during the City’s annual Veterans Day event on Nov. 11 at See VETERANS, Page 4 Veterans Memorial Park. (Courtesy Photo)

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Shop Simply and securely!

Make contactless, secure purchases in stores, apps, and on the web with First Texas Bank Digital Wallet. Georgetown • Round Rock • Cedar Park • Pflugerville • Liberty Hill

FirstTexasBank.bank

KRISTEN MERIWETHER PHOTO

Ofﬁcials from Williamson County and the City of Liberty Hill participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for CR 200 improvements at Liberty Hill City Park on Oct. 27.

Widening of CR 200 begins Nov. 8

By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer Williamson County and City of Liberty Hill ofﬁcials held a groundbreaking ceremony for improvements to CR 200 on Oct. 27. The project will reconstruct CR 200 to add a center turn lane and shoulders to the current two-lane roadway for one mile from CMTA Railroad near Sundance Ranch to CR 201. “This project has been a

long time coming,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long said at the ceremony. “It’s going to be much safer for the folks going up to County Road 201.” The project is expected to cost $5 million, coming from a voter-approved Roads Bond passed in 2019. Construction is set to begin on Nov. 8 and is expected to last 308 days, according to construction ofﬁcials. This is the third of a threephase project to improve CR

200. Project 1, which spanned 0.2 miles, added turn lanes on State Highway 29, widened CR 200 and Loop 332 and installed new trafﬁc signals and a waterline. The project was complete in summer of 2019. Project 3, which also spanned 0.2 miles, widened CR 200 and added a left turn lane onto Bold Sundown in the ClearWater Ranch neighborhood. That project was completed in November 2018.

Shin Oak Ridge Bulletin Board Send news to: News@LHIndependent.com

Veterans Day Program

Liberty Hill Middle School will be honoring Veterans and individuals who are still serving in the military with its annual Veterans Day Program on Thursday, Nov. 11. Veterans and current military personnel are invited to a reception in the library at 1:30 p.m. Program will follow in the gym

at 2 p.m. Guest speaker for the program is Lt. Col. Casey Thomas, Retired U.S. Army, RET, JD, LL.M.

Liberty Hill PD Stuff a Cruiser

The Liberty Hill Police Department will be collecting non-perishable food items for Operation Liberty Hill holiday food boxes. Residents looking

to donate food can drop off at the following times and locations: - Nov. 15 in front of LHPD from 1-4 p.m. - Nov. 16 at the Liberty Hill Dollar General Store, 3-7 p.m. - Nov. 19 at the Liberty Hill Dollar General Store, 1 -4 p.m. - Nov. 20 at Indian Mound Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Oct. 25-28, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 506 incidents resulting in seven cases, 46 citations, 70 warnings and two arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On Oct. 25 at approximately 10:22 AM, officers responded to the 12000 W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 3:26 PM, officers responded to Chaparral Dr. to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 6:07 PM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 9:30 PM, officers responded to Orvieto Cove for a noise complaint. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 9:58 PM, officers responded to

the 10000 block for W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Oct. 25 at approximately 10:07 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On Oct. 26 at approximately 7:47 AM, officers responded to Trick Pony Rd. to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 26 at approximately 10:17 AM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Oct. 26 at approximately 12:49 PM, officers responded to the 600 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 26 at approximately 3:43 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for an accident. - On Oct. 26, at approximately 9:38 PM, officers responded to Howard Ln. to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s

Office. - On Oct. 26 at approximately 10:34 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 27 at approximately 9:47 AM, officers responded to the 3000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 27 at approximately 3:47 PM, officers responded to14000 W. SH 29 and CR 214 for an accident. - On Oct. 27 at approximately 8:31 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 27 at approximately 9:21 PM, officers responded to CR 200 for a suspicious vehicle. - On Oct. 28 at approximately 4:06 AM, officers responded to Morning Dove Ln. for suspicious activity.

The Liberty Hill Independent YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

~~ A Publication of Texas Independent News Corp. ~~

(512) 778-5577

Saturday Nov. 6 | 10am-4pm

Send Email: news@lhindependent.com www.LHIndependent.com www.LibertyHillLiving.com PO Box 1235 | 921 Loop 332 Liberty Hill, TX 78642

The Liberty Hill Independent is published every Thursday at 921 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, TX 78642. Periodical Postage Paid at Liberty Hill, Texas. Publication #018932 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Liberty Hill Independent PO Box 1235, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Shelly Wilkison - Publisher/Managing Editor Stacy Coale - Creative Director, Media Specialist Scott Akanewich - Sports Editor Rachel Madison - Staff Writer Kristen Meriwether - Staff Writer

DEADLINE Noon Monday prior to Thursday publication

www.SimplyHomeTX.com 15280 W Hwy 29 | Liberty Hill, TX

2021

SUBSCRIPTIONS

$25 per year in Williamson County, $29 per year in Texas outside of Williamson County, and $32 per year outside Texas.

ADVERTISING

DISPLAY RATES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Liberty Hill Independent welcomes letters to the editor, but requests that letters be limited to 300 words or less and address issues rather than personalities. Unsigned letters or those deemed unacceptable by the publisher will not be published. Children under the age of 17 must have signed parental permission. Phone numbers and addresses must be included for verification purposes. Opinions expressed in the articles, letters and columns do not reflect the views of The Liberty Hill Independent or its owners.

The entire contents of each issue of The Liberty Hill Independent, including editorial and advertising copy, is protected under the Federal Copyright Act. Reproduction of any portion of any issue will not be permitted without the express written permission of The Liberty Hill Independent.

Follow The Independent on Social Media!

Facebook.com/LibertyHillIndependent

@LHIndependent

Thursday, November 4, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 3

Football dads, fans need to stick to cheering

A motor vehicle crash at State Highway 29 and Kauffman Loop on July 9, 2021. (Photo Courtesy WCESD #4)

WCESD #4 tops last year’s calls for service numbers in October

By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer Just 10 months into this year the Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 4 surpassed the total number of service calls received in all of 2020. This marks the ﬁfth year in a row the department has seen a year-over-year increase in calls. WCESD No. 4 received 2,205 calls for service between Jan. 1 and Oct. 25. In 2020, the department received 2,199 total calls all year. Fire Chief Anthony Lincoln attributed the increase in calls to more people and more trafﬁc, which is producing more motor vehicle accidents. “I’ll give a warning to anybody out there -- just because

your red light has (changed to) green, check cross trafﬁc,” Lincoln said. “We have a lot of accidents where people pull out under a green light and still get hit.” Lincoln said those types of accidents happen all the time on State Highway 29 and at the area’s major intersections, some of which are fatal. He advised drivers to be patient, check for movement at the light and make sure trafﬁc is stopped prior to entering the intersection. Lincoln said the department has maintained staff levels over the past few years despite the increase in calls for service. But they are planning to open a third station in 2023 that will increase staff levels in the department.

Promote your business weekly! For rates, 512.778.5577

By WILT CUTTER Columnist While sitting behind two football dads (a term that carries with it a full connotation of meddlesome arrogance) at the last game, I realized that Liberty Hill’s long legacy of educating kids, building strong character and winning football games will no longer be enough in this new world order. These two fellows were critiquing and criticizing every down and every play to the point that I had to get up and move to avoid saying something unchristian like. After I had safely seated myself downwind of these two football experts and subsequently cast my lot with people who liked to stare intently down at the ﬁeld, eat peanuts and drink Dr Pepper, and clap furiously when the Panthers did something wonderful…I realized that perhaps I was just plain out of touch with this new enlightened world where everyone is an expert

on everything. Never mind that hard working, educated coaches have spent their lives building a football program that is the envy of high schools all over the great state of Texas and beyond. Never mind their never-ending search for lower grade kids who might have that unquantiﬁable zealous piece of football religion that might someday evolve into a sudden bolt of lightning bearing down on an opponent and bringing with them the fear of God almighty and the swiftness of a Panther on the prowl. Imagine constantly seeking out future talent in scrawny little kids who are only loved by their grandmas and spending years developing their self conﬁdence and physical and mental skills only to be second guessed by two guys sitting in the stadium playing on their phones. All those coaching years of studying strategy, remaining a student of a sport that has been over commentated, suffering through summer practice and parents, pumping iron into the carcasses of shrimps, constantly tending

(512) 746-2000 301 County Road 307 PO Box 416 Jarrell, Texas 76537

By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer The Williamson County Commissioners Court approved a settlement against Johnson & Johnson in opioid litigation that will bring $314,000 to the County this year. The settlement also gives the County access to regional abatement program funds of more than $6.3 million. The settlement with Williamson County marks the ﬁrst in the nation that will fund this year instead of over nine payment years, which was proposed by Johnson & Johnson in late July. “We are happy to see the money begin to come in so we can provide more help to residents of Williamson County in combating the opioid epidemic,” Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a news release Wednesday. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 500,000 people died nationwide from overdoses involving opioids from 1999-2019. Over 70% of the 70,630 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in

2019 were attributed to opioids. “Each one of us probably knows someone whose life and their family’s has been devastated by the opioid epidemic,” Williamson County Commissioner Cynthia Long said Wednesday. “I am pleased that Williamson County will be receiving over $314,000 as a part of the global settlement with J&J to begin immediately addressing prevention and treatment of opioid abuse.” Williamson County, along with the State of Texas and other counties, sued four pharmaceutical companies in 2018 claiming they ﬂooded the market with opioids and used deceptive marketing tactics that later contributed to the opioid crisis. On Oct. 26 Johnson and Johnson settled the lawsuit with the State of Texas for $290 million. “This is the next step to bring much-needed funding for Texans who have fallen victim to the irresponsible and deceptive marketing practices from opioid manufacturers that spurred this epidemic,”

CDC GRAPHIC

Attorney General Paxton said in a news release. “These funds will bring life-changing resources to those victimized by this tragic crisis.” In a statement on Oct. 26 Johnson & Johnson said the prescriptions named in the suit accounted for less than one percent of total opioid prescriptions in Texas and the United States and that the company no longer sells prescription opioid medications in the U.S. “The Company’s actions relating to the marketing and promotion of important prescription opioid medications were appropriate and responsi-

Request Refills Online

ACTION PROPANE, INC. We Provide Keepfull Routing Service

Mon-Fri 9am-7pm Saturday 9am-1pm 512-548-6838 | 13740 W. Hwy 29, #4 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Libertyhillpharmacy@gmail.com | LibertyHillPharmacy.com

512-259-1196

Murray Hoggarth • Wanda Hoggarth 2601 S. Hwy 183 | Leander, TX 78641

Your Official Texas Sticker Shop

An Overall Inspection is your Best Protection!

Insured & Bonded - TREC #20262

Overall Inspection Services, LLC

www.overallinspectionservices.com

ble,” according to the Johnson & Johnson statement. “This settlement is not an admission of any liability or wrongdoing and the company will continue to defend against any litigation that the ﬁnal agreement does not resolve.” To address the opioid crisis Williamson County created a Mobile Outreach Team that provides Narcan. The medication helps reverse an opioid overdose if administered in a timely manner. “We will continue to do all we can to help families ﬁnd treatment for their loved ones and to help save lives,” Gravell said.

R.V. Fuel | Bottle Filling | Gas Piping in Home Propane Tanks | Grills & Replacement Parts | Gas Logs

KEN COFER Professional Real Estate Inspector Certified Infrared Thermographer

Wilt Cutter is the only man in the world whose name is his profession. He ﬁnds beauty in the naturally occurring poetry of the Shin Oak Ridge and its people. His typewriter hates injustice.

DOMESTIC • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

NOW OFFERING CURBSIDE PICKUP!

Jarrell (512) 746-2000 Leander (512) 259-1709 FAX (512) 746-5807

Instead of the very successful professional coaches having to bother running in plays, the quarterback could just pull his phone out of his sock and check it to see the next play to call. Can you imagine all the high drama ﬁstﬁghts that would erupt in the stands as the fans of the passing game or those calling for a blitzing pass rush realized they had been outvoted by the fans of the Liberty Hill ground game? As absurd as this sounds to me, I assure you that we would have folks believing they should be calling the shots. If you don’t believe the experts telling you to get vaccinated, you probably believe you could coach the best football team in Texas. As for me, I’m happy to sit in the stands, clap and cheer for Coach Walker and kids from Liberty Hill. Go Panthers!

Williamson County approves opioid litigation settlement with Johnson & Johnson

Clawson Disposal, inC. Residential * Commercial * Roll off

the ﬂocks of kids who are pulled in millions of different directions apparently mean nothing to the citizen sports reporters/coaches who inhabit the chatty cheap seats. In this new era of self-appointed expertise on all things I’m sure someone soon will suggest that we should allow democracy to decide how to run the football plays from the stands. Soon we will see the cheerleaders handing out paper ballots before the kickoff and have the booster club collect them and tally the ballots down at the concession stand at halftime. I guess the announcer will tell us all whether the Panthers would be switching to a passing game out of the shotgun on third downs. I bet the players would be laying their own wagers on which way the game was about to turn out. Or the demand for an iPhone Panther app that allows fans various option plays to choose from in the fourth quarter. The stands will soon be full of folks voting from their phones and seeing the results of their decisions as the formations changed in front of their eyes.

BERTRAM ELECTRIC, LLC. P.O. Box 953, Bertram TX

Locally Owned & Operated GO PANTHERS GO!

512-548-6773

123 Holmes Rd, #3, Liberty Hill (behind Wag-A-Bag)

Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 / Sat 7:30-3:30 License# 6P054793

You provide a service. We provide a voice. Make sure your customers can ﬁnd you when they need you.

Call 512-778-5577

Support Local Journalism. 512.778.5577

lhindependent.com/subscriptions

Page 4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Gifted and Talented class creates school newspaper to develop creative writing skills

By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer When the school year began, teacher Wendy Pleak needed a sustainable long-term project for her ﬁfth grade gifted and talented class. The Rancho Sienna Elementary School teacher was familiar with the students, having taught them for the previous few years. She recalled the students’ love of writing and the district’s push for developing creative writing. Pleak thew out a bold idea: what about creating a school newspaper? She pitched it to her students and the digital-natives loved it. With help from Pleak, the ten and 11-year-old students have

brought the idea from concept to reality, producing their ﬁrst edition of The Rancho Times on Oct. 21. “They had fun making it,” Pleak told The Independent. “That’s kind of what they’re doing, just playing and learning. But most importantly, really learning about journalism, learning how fun writing can be.” The project is designed for fun but the students take their responsibility very seriously. Every student has laminated press passes for going out on assignment, thanks to Madeleine Heiderscheit, 11, who is a feature writer for The Rancho Times. Everyone in the class has a re-

sponsibility for the paper. Some write features, others produce proﬁles and some pitched and created kid-friendly content for the entertainment section like jokes or how to make fun science projects at home. Pleak recognized not every student was interested in writing so she tapped some students to serve as editors or photographers. The variety allows every student to pitch in whatever talents they bring to the project. Jacob Anderson, 10, is in the class along with his twin sister Madeline and serves as an editor for the newspaper due to his top-notch spelling skills. “There was rarely a word that I couldn’t spell,” Anderson said. “I wanted to be an editor so I can correct my twin.” Phoebe Johnson-Quaife, 11, brought her love of photography to the project, shooting most of the photos for the ﬁrst edition. “It made me feel good that I got to see my photos were actually in there,” Johnson-Quaife said. “The whole school sees that.” The Independent recently attended an editorial meeting for the second edition of The Rancho Times and found their pro-

KRISTEN MERIWETHER PHOTO

Wendy Pleak, editor in chief of The Rancho Times, runs an editorial meeting in her ﬁfth grade Gifted and Talented class at Rancho Sienna Elementary. cess very similar to a professional newsroom. The writers pitched ideas and Pleak, who serves as Editor in Chief for the group, helped the young journalists develop their ideas. The class discussed and debated what the lead story would be for the second edition. Options included an upcoming Veterans Day ceremony and the Storybook Parade for Healthy Habits Week. Following the meeting, Heiderscheit, who is tasked with the front-page feature, was pecking away at her keyboard, hard at work on next

month’s A1 story. Aubrey Brand, 10, and Peyton Brown, 11, are in charge of the Teacher Feature section. After several years with the same teachers, the pair said they have a special connection to the staff. They both jumped at the opportunity to interview and highlight the teachers at their school. The process helped these ﬁfth graders learn a lesson nearly every journalist learns: going out on assignment is fun, but the writing on deadline when you get back is the hardest part.

“The interviewing is pretty easy and fun,” Brand said. “But after you do the interviewing, you have to write a draft and find out what you’re going to say and not make it sound weird.” The pair managed to find out what to write just fine, producing six profiles and three award bios for the first edition. Once completed Pleak put the paper together and produced a PDF that was included in the school’s newsletter and social media accounts. For many of

our town,” Amsler said. “This is one day a year where we can come together and show our appreciation and support for them. We have a lot of vets in our town. This is also a good time for them to come together and meet one another and hopefully form bonds and continue to have relationships throughout the year.” Gonzalez, who spent more than 20 years serving in the Marine Corps and the Army, said the event isn’t just for the veterans, but also for their families. “We want to recognize the

families because of the sacriﬁces they had to make while their loved one was in the military,” she said. “We want them all to know we are there for them and that the impact they’ve made on our safety and freedom is noticed. Being

a veteran myself, that means a lot.” The Veterans Day ceremony will take place Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Liberty Hill.

VETERANS Continued from Page 1 provide the invocation and benediction. The guest speaker is Sgt. Major Brian Harless of Burnet, who has served in the military for nearly 30 years. ProWired Electric, a local business, is buying a barbecue lunch from Slab BBQ for all of the veterans in attendance,” Amsler added. In addition, the Liberty Belles from Liberty Hill High School will do a special performance at the end of the event and will help during the ceremony by holding the ﬂags. “Veterans are very special in

CHAPMAN Continued from Page 1

Chapman,” Superintendent Steven Snell told The Independent. Snell said the district has worked with Chapman in the past on other land acquisitions and in those instances the seller paid Chapman fees directly. This time, however, the seller did not wish to pay the fees directly to Chapman, leading to the $200,000 payment from LHISD. The site is two parcels, a 69.951-acre parcel and a 25.66-acre parcel. Both sites

PIONEER

are owned by the same person, according to Williamson County tax records. The 69-acre parcel shows a land market value of nearly $1.5 million and the 25-acre parcel shows a land market value of $569,203. It is still unclear how much the district is paying for the property. At the same meeting the Board approved the agreement, they also authorized Snell to close on the 95-acre parcel in November.

Continued from Page 1

here,” Turner said. “We will serve the butter with corn mufﬁns for people to try.” Lott will be riding into the event on horseback as the event’s circuit rider, which in the 1800s, were clergy as-

signed to travel around to speciﬁc areas to minister to settlers and organize congregations. The event will also feature an old-fashioned cake walk, a country store with everything from pioneer bonnets to wooden toy guns and slingshots, as well as three historic trunks on display. “There will be a toy trunk, a cowboy and history trunk, and a railroad trunk all coming from the Williamson Museum for people to see,” Turner said. “They are all from the late 1800s.” Another activity available to attendees will be making a tin punch Christmas ornament as an homage to the chapel’s original design. “The chapel’s original ceiling is made of tin, but you can’t see it because there’s a drop-down ceiling in there right now,” Turner said. “As part of the restoration, we are taking that drop-down ceiling down so we can see the original ceiling, which is absolutely beautiful.” A food truck, Pizza PieRos, and Texas Pecan Cakes will also be on site serving food. In addition, a silent auction with donations from church members and the community will be taking place to raise money for the chapel’s restoration project. Cross Tracks Church was founded in 1854 in Liberty Hill, and its chapel was built in 1870—which Turner said is in the running with the Stubbleﬁeld building in downtown Liberty Hill for the oldest building in the city. Church

ANGEL

See RANCHO, Page 8

Continued from Page 1

they’re asking for the help,” Etzkorn said. Area churches will distribute most of the angels to adopt, which have speciﬁc gifts for a speciﬁc family. Those looking to make a monetary donation can drop it off directly at Operation Liberty Hill (1401 US-183 in Leander) or through their website at www.operationlh.org. Baker said families can also email LHangeltree@ gmail.com to discuss donation opportunities. Operation Liberty Hill will also serve as the pickup location for donations made through the Liberty Hill Police Department’s Blue Santa program. Clothing and toys can be dropped off at any of the 24 bins that have been in place at local businesses since Oct. 6. “It’s super important for us to make sure the community has the resources they need to have

a bright holiday season,” said Julie Sullivan, administrative assistant with LHPD. Etzkorn and Sullivan said this year they are hoping to see an increase in donations for gifts speciﬁc for 12-18 year olds. This could include art supplies, nail polish, curling irons, bath and body soaps or lotions, or any kind of sporting goods like balls, gloves or ﬁshing equipment. “So if the community can really concentrate on the older kids this year,” Etzkorn said. “I think they’ve been impacted the worst by COVID. I really think those kids need a good Christmas.” The last day to donate to the Blue Santa bins is Dec. 3. The items collected will be put in the Operation Liberty Hill store and recipients will be able to do their holiday shopping Dec. 14, 16, 21, and 23.

members have been working on restoring the chapel since early 2020. Since then, they have successfully taken four layers of old roof off the chapel and put on a new tin roof. “The chapel had four full roofs on it, because they’d just add on to it every time it needed to repaired,” Lott said. “Not only was the weight of four roofs bad for a 150-year-old building, but the structure was kind of a nightmare, so we had that totally removed.” Besides the roof, the exterior of the chapel has been painted, landscaping is being redone, and the stained-glass windows have all been restored. Turner added that anything that has been done to the exterior of the building has had to go through the Texas Historical Commission. “To restore the stained glass, we took off [the plexiglass] and put tempered glass with proper venting on all the stained-glass windows,” Turner said. Lott added that the plexiglass covers had colored with age and didn’t provide much protection to the stained glass, making the windows’ colors look very muted. “Now the windows are stunning, and you can see their beauty,” she said. The front doors of the church have also been restored, and the interior doors are next on the list. Turner said the interior of the chapel has not had much work done to it yet, because they are working on writing grants to help assist in the cost of interior renovations.

“The biggest thing we want to do is take the dropped ceiling down,” she said. “We want to work from the top down. We will be refinishing the pews, which are from the early 1900s, and the flooring needs work. We will be doing everything in stages.” Lott added that there is plenty of work to be done considering the building was built before electricity existed. “Churches have been notorious over the years that as they grow, they just keep adding and adding,” she said. “This chapel has these beautiful bones, and as the church grew, they tried their best to match those bones, but in some of the transitions the building lost some of its integrity and beauty. Now we are working on bringing that back.” Turner said there is no set timeline for the restoration to be completed, but her hope is that everything will be done three years from now. “We wish it was done now because it’s so beautiful,” Lott added. “We want to be able to open it up to people to enjoy in the future. Right now, it’s okay, but it will be stunning when it’s finished.” Pioneer Day will take place at Cross Tracks Church, 101 Church St., on Nov. 14 from 12 Noon to 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and pioneer costumes are encouraged. For more information, visit Cross Tracks Church on Facebook.

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, November 4, 2021 Page 5

Lady Panthers look for atonement

Liberty Hill wants to better last year’s playoff result

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Last season when the Lady Panthers walked off the court for the last time, it was after a defeat at the hands of Alamo Heights in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs. Looking back a year later, they certainly don’t want history to repeat itself and if indeed those who learn from the past aren’t necessarily doomed to duplicate it, Liberty Hill should be in good shape this time around. Despite clinching a postseason spot with an 11-3 district record during the regular season, the Lady Panthers required a playoff with Cedar Park – whom they finished tied with – for outright second place and the No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs. Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson said the match with the Timberwolves, which both coaches agreed to play instead of a coin flip to determine district runner-up,

was vital in restoring her side with a bit more self-belief before moving on to the postseason. “It’s a big deal because we want to be on top of our game,” she said. “Once you get to the playoffs, it’s win or go home.” Peterson and her players know that feeling all too well after last year’s disappointing end to their campaign and have gone to great lengths to help ensure they spare themselves from the same heartbreak all over again. “We need to go out and play as hard as we can,” she said. “There’s no added pressure – this is a great opportunity.” Senior outside hitter Maddi Rowley has her own designs of what the Lady Panthers’ postseason blueprint should look like – and it’s one with plenty of grit sprinkled in, she said. “It’s a practice in perseverance,” said Rowley. “When you get down in a match, you can’t just give up.” Rowley said the seniors on this season’s squad have been

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Senior Maddi Rowley (#11) and her Lady Panthers teammates are counting on history not repeating itself in this season’s playoffs. galvanized by the many experiences they’ve gone through as teammates and have learned from past examples. “Our group this year has been

together for three years,” she said. “We’ve seen how other seniors before us have acted and not led us in the best way, so we know we have to go in

with a more focused mindset.” The one-and-potentially-done playoff format means there’s no room for error, not only physically once the ball goes

up, but psychologically as far as maintaining vigilance over thinking there’s a tomorrow,

See PLAYOFFS, Page 7

Youth soccer league continues to grow with Liberty Hill

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor As Liberty Hill continues to grow at such a rapid pace, so too does the talent pool of young athletes in the area. One need look no further than City Park on a Saturday morning for evidence of this boom, as 10 fields are filled with the ranks of soccer players of all ages and experience levels. According to Liberty Hill Youth Soccer Association President Josh Jacobi, the explosive growth of the league in such a short amount of time is nothing short of remarkable. “We used to have about 200 kids out here playing,” said Jacobi, of a league that features players from age 3-18. “Now, we have 600, so it’s been amazing.” Jacobi praised the recent newfound fountain of those who have been donating their time to make the league better. “It used to be like pulling teeth to get coaches out here,” he said. “But, now we have a ton of volunteers and an incredible army of coaches and board members who have all been doing a great job. You can just see how we’ve grown.” Although the association features an academy and select teams, the Board wanted to

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Liberty Hill Youth Soccer Association has grown from 200 players to approximately 600 as more families continue to move to the area. create an all-inclusive atmosphere for players regardless of skill level or ambition, said Arturo Duarte, LHYSA director of coaching. “We want a place for everybody to play soccer,” said Duarte. “Which has been my vision for the beginning.” Duarte arrived in Liberty

Hill in 2018 and has already overseen a massive overhaul for an organization that is currently in the transitional stage from small-town soccer club to a much more involved program in the hopes of eventually competing with its larger, more established counterparts in Austin, from a competitive

– as well as a cultural – standpoint. However, in order to do that, one of the most critical areas of improvement was to attract professional coaches, said Duarte. “One of the biggest things for us in taking our program to the next level was to bring in paid

coaches, as opposed to parttime staff,” he said. “Also, we needed to find coaches who would follow our methodologies and philosophies.” LHYSA’s academy – known as the Liberty United Soccer Club – features nine teams for girls and boys ranging in age from eight to 14 and is geared

for those who are more serious about the game and require higher-level coaching in order to reach their full potential. In addition, recreational leagues are available for young players who perhaps want to try out the game at a lower level, with the option of more serious soccer later on. But, Duarte is interested in more than producing good soccer players, he said. “My job here is to be a coach and role model to be good not only at the game, but in life,” said Duarte. “We want our players to be able to face life with strength and be good people.” LHYSA’s schedule features two different seasons with the fall campaign running from late August to November and the spring season beginning in late February and extending into late May. The league also offers summer skills camps in June and July, for academy and recreational players, respectively. More information about the Liberty Hill Youth Soccer Association can be found on the organization’s website at www. libertyhillsoccer.org.

Switching signal-callers seamless for center

Panthers junior leads offensive line despite QB change By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When the Panthers break the offensive huddle before each play, Jackson Harrison sprints up to the line of scrimmage in advance of his teammates, gets down in his stance and places his right hand on the ball. Seconds later, his 10 Liberty Hill teammates join the junior center and in the blink of an eye, another play in the Slot-T scheme is run with blinding speed and efficiency. In the interim, before the ball is snapped, Harrison has surveyed the defense in a matter of seconds and made the proper adjustments as far as what he and his fellow lineman must do for the play to be successful. But, recently, the pair of hands receiving the ball from Harrison have been those of junior quarterback Reese Vickers, who replaced senior Will Szewczyk after the latter was lost for the season with a broken arm suffered during the Panthers’ 41-34 home loss to LBJ. One might think it might not make a difference who Harrison hikes the ball to, but quite the contrary, he said. “With Reese, it’s a little different than Will,” said Har-

rison. “When you switch quarterbacks, all of a sudden, there’s a different hand placement and a different cadence of the snap count.” However, the transition was made easier by a familiarity between the two, he said. “We’ve been playing together since seventh grade,” said Harrison. “So, it hasn’t been much of an adjustment.” Liberty Hill head coach Kent Walker said there should also be a level of comfort when a lineup change is made due to the fact starters and backups interchange during practice. “Our 2s (backups) get as much time as our 1s (starters),” he said. “So, they’re always ready to go.” Just as a middle linebacker makes calls for the defense based on what he sees when the opposing offense lines up, Harrison is doing the same thing at the same time in reverse and said sometimes that’s an easier proposition to deal with than others based on what’s happening on the other side of the line. “All that depends on what kind of team we’re playing,” said Harrison. “For example, against Georgetown this season, they stayed in the same

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Center Jackson Harrison (#60) has had to adjust to working with junior quarterback Reese Vickers (#16) as a result of starter Will Szewczyk being out for the season due to a broken arm. defense all night, but against Marble Falls, they were moving around a lot more and later in the snap count.” Harrison knows he and his mates along the line have an

enormous responsibility – especially in the complex offense the Panthers run – to make sure everything comes off without a hitch time and again, so when a play occa-

sionally goes horribly wrong, he places the blame squarely on the shoulders of the men in the trenches. “I would say nine times out of 10 when a play doesn’t work,

it’s on us as linemen and not the running backs,” he said. “So, we police and encourage each other to make the

See CENTER, Page 8

Page 6

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Panthers host Northeast in regular-season ﬁnale Liberty Hill has already clinched the district championship

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor One more game. Following Liberty Hill’s home contest against Northeast this week, the Panthers can finally get to the business of trying to finish what they fell just short of last season – a berth in the state championship game. For Liberty Hill head coach Kent Walker, the game against the 3-6 Raiders presents one last chance to fine-tune his team before the stakes go up dramatically once the postseason begins. “We just want to make sure we continue to play as fast as we can,” said Walker, of his 7-2 squad, which has outscored district opposition by a 258-37 margin this season. “On defense, that means 11 hats on the football so we look like a purple blur.” Northeast is coming off a 49-0 home defeat to Marble Falls in falling to 1-4 in district play, with its only win a 30-13 victory over winless Navarro. Speaking of the Vikings, Liberty Hill sent them packing last week by a 67-7 score in officially clinching the district title at House Park in a game that saw the Purple-and-Gold score

signal-caller took over the duties under center, with the run game carving out huge chunks of real estate in the process. Sophomore Noah Long has rushed for 1,137 yards on 128 carries and 17 touchdowns, while teammates Logan Dyer (68 carries, 517 yards, four touchdowns), Grady Flinn (39408-4) and Joe Pitchford (59339-9) provide the Panthers with a multi-faceted backfield quartet to draw on. On defense, there’s no question senior Andon Thomas is the stopper extraordinare, in posting a team-high 146 tackles, with Reid Bynum (94), Aaron Brewer (63), Carlton Schrank (56) and Drake Torno (50) rounding out the top five. Senior kicker Ethan Minix has made 48-of-51 extra points and gone 2-of-3 in field-goal attempts, while averaging 38.5 yards on kickoffs. Walker said at this time of ALEX RUBIO PHOTO year there is an added sense of Caynyon Jolly (#34) rushed for 70 yards on four carries with a touchdown during Liberty Hill’s 67-7 road district win over Na- urgency for a particular group of his players. varro. “I told our seniors they only touchdowns on four of its first LBJ six weeks ago and Walk- “We haven’t come close to has really come together.” six offensive plays, includ- er said from that point on his doing some of the things we Reese Vickers continues to fill have two guaranteed games ing a pair of one-play scoring team has improved a great did in that game. We’ve been in admirably for injured starter left,” he said. “They have to drives. deal. keeping our assignments on Will Szewczyk at quarterback, step up and they’ve done a In fact, the Panthers’ last loss “I think we’ve gotten quite a both sides of the ball much as the Panthers’ offense hasn’t good job of being leaders.” was the 41-34 home defeat to bit better since then,” he said. better and our offensive line missed a beat since the junior

Liberty Hill secures district title with win over Navarro

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor AUSTIN -- When the Panthers defeated Marble Falls two weeks ago with a hardfought 21-14 home victory over the Mustangs, Liberty Hill had ﬁguratively clinched the District 14 championship, as its alter-egos from along the Colorado River posed the most serious threat to its title aspirations. However, the deal wasn’t ofﬁcially sealed until the Purple-and-Gold prevailed over Navarro on Thursday night at House Park in Austin by a score of 67-7. Liberty Hill head coach Kent Walker was pleased with his

team’s businesslike approach to the contest, as he and his players begin to build momentum for the playoffs. “I told our kids after the game we have one more and then the season really starts – the one we look forward to and that’s the playoffs,” said Walker. “The biggest thing for us tonight was to come out, get better and play faster and better than we have all year.” Noah Long scored three touchdowns on four carries in the ﬁrst half before getting the second half off with the rest of the starters who had been sent to the sidelines with the contest well in hand. But, it was the Liberty Hill

defense that started the scoring in securing a safety on the fourth play from scrimmage after Navarro had received the opening kickoff only to begin the evening backed up on its own 1-yard line. On a 3rd-and-9 play after the Vikings’ ﬁrst pair of plays had gained only a yard, a host of Panthers descended on a Navarro ballcarrier in the end zone for the two-point play and a 2-0 lead only 45 seconds into the game. Liberty Hill then set up shop on the 50 after receiving the Navarro free kick and after Logan Dyer burst forward with a

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Joe Pitchford (#6) had touchdown runs of 39 and 37 yards in the Panthers’s 67-7 See NAVARRO, Page 8 victory against Navarro.

PANTHER R GAMES FOR NOV. 4 1. Northeast at Liberty Hill 2. Cedar Park at Manor 3. Georgetown at Weiss

PICKS

Bret Smith

DJ Keegan

Jamie Etzkorn

JD Davis

David Sabino

Seth Slye

Scott Akanewich

Owner Goosehead Insurance

Owner Tetris Cleaning Services

Owner Jamie Etzkorn Law

Owner Davis Tire & Automotive

Chef / Pizza Guy Sabino’s Pizza Pub

Graphic Designer Two Brand It

Sports Editor Liberty Hill Independent

Liberty Hill

Manor

Cedar Park

Manor

Cedar Park

Manor

Weiss

Georgetown

Weiss

4. Brenham at Rouse

Brenham

Rouse

5. Army at Air Force

Air Force

Army

Air Force

Army

Texas

Iowa State

Texas

Iowa State

Texas

Texas A&M

Baylor

Cincinnati

Cleveland

Cincinnati

Cleveland

Cincinnati

6. Texas at Iowa State 7. Auburn at Texas A&M 8. Baylor at TCU 9. Cleveland at Cincinnati 10. Denver at Dallas

Dallas

11. Houston at Miami

Miami

Kansas City

Green Bay

9-3 66-28

7-5 59-35

11-1 67-27

7-5 57-37

6-6 55-39

10-2 63-31

8-4 54-40

12. Green Bay at Kansas City LAST WEEK’S RECORD OVERALL RECORD

POLLS OPEN EVERY TUESDAY

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

at www.lhindependent.com/panther-picks

Congratulations to last week’s winner: JEFF DUNGAN!

WEEKLY WINNER RECEIVES A TEE FROM TWO BRAND IT (up to $20 value)

A PERFECT BALLOT WINS $50 CASH!

THE POWER OF CHOICE

YOUR LIBERTY HILL TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR EXPERTS

FULL SERVICE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP GENERAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES HEATING & A/C REPAIR ELECTRICAL SERVICES TRANSMISSION & ENGINE REPAIR TIRE SALES, ROTATION & BALANCING

1. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5PM FRIDAY BEFORE THE WEEKEND GAMES. 2. The entry with the most games correct will be the winner. Weekly winner receives their choice of tee from Two Brand It (value up to $20). A perfect ballot with the correct tiebreaker wins $50. 3. In case of a tie, the tie-breaker will be used. The tiebreaker is a combined score of the two teams in the final game. A tie will be considered a loss unless it is chosen as a tie. 4. Any incorrectly listed game will not be considered. 5. One entry per contestant.

Carpet Cleaning • Water Damage Restoration Tile & Grout Cleaning • Disinfection Services FREE ESTIMATES - CALL TODAY!

512-825-4005

815 Loop 332 Liberty Hill | TetrisCleaningServices.com

PANTHER 14 big screens Drive-thru or dine-in Craft brews on tap Order online: SabinosPizzaPub.com 2082 US Hwy 183 • (512) 548-6963

GEAR Custom Apparel • Embroidery Screen Printing Vinyl Printing & Decals

14262 W State Hwy 29 • Liberty Hill • Mon-Sat 10-6

BRET SMITH | 512-548-6900 bret.smith@goosehead.com

The Caring Downtown Attorney

Thursday, November 4, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 7

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Getting a kick out of it Panthers place-kicker finds focus

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor While his teammates are off on one side of the field running through the playbook time and time again, Ethan Minix is off in his own little world at the other end of the gridiron taking aim at the uprights over and over from varying distances. It can indeed be a lonely proposition, but it’s certainly an important one – and not a task without its difficulties. “Kicking is actually a lot more difficult than most people think,” said Minix, a senior. “It takes a certain amount of mental maturity and there’s a lot of repetitive motion, so it can be physically demanding.” Minix will usually launch 3050 kicks during a single practice while training with his junior varsity counterpart in making sure he doesn’t overwork his right leg. “We’ll come up with different games and have competitions with each other,” he said. “It’s important to hold each other accountable and be teaching each other.” Minix had a tough act to follow when he took over the Panthers’ kicking duties last season from Matthew Shipley and twin brother Mason, who are currently kicking at Hawaii

Playoffs

Continued from Page 5

said Rowley. “People always want to say ‘It’s just another match,’” she said. “But, it’s not.” Rowley went on to describe a roster which this year is much deeper and more committed than perhaps in years past. “I think our team this year is a lot more talented and that goes for everyone,” she said. “Even the players who sit the bench because they help us in practice – we have a lot of athletic players in our gym and we’re grateful for it.” Another stark difference between last year and this was the fact the Lady Panthers had the opportunity to play in the customary preseason tournaments which toughened them up for when the chips were down in district, said Rowley. “We have a lot more experience than we did at this point last year,” she said. “I feel like we’ve seen a wide range of teams.” Peterson added this being her team’s second season of Class 5A competition – compared to the relative rookies they were last year – has also helped season her squad. “This being our second year up, we have a comfort and confidence we didn’t necessar-

Council

and Texas State, respectively – a fact that wasn’t lost on him, he said. “I feel like there was a lot of pressure and responsibility,” said Minix. “I didn’t exactly have the team’s respect, so I had to earn it.” Ever since, though, Minix has been nearly flawless in handling the Panthers’ placements in addition to kickoff duties, after the latter assignment was handled by senior Konnor Bye last year, something that has now only added to Minix’s value, said Liberty Hill head coach Kent Walker. “It’s a huge weapon when you have a kicker who can constantly have other teams starting on their own 25-yardline,” he said. “It gives us an advantage.” As for Minix’s ascendancy in assuming the kicking role the Shipleys set such a high standard for, Walker said he’s done so with skill and grace. “Ethan had some big shoes to fill,” said Walker. “But, he’s handled it well and hasn’t let it get to him.” Walker added Minix has the mental acumen kickers need to succeed. “As a kicker, you really need to have a next-play mentality,” he said. “Especially if you

ily last season,” she said. “But, now we have all the experience from the past year.” Peterson is counting on that confidence coming to fruition and has already seen signs of that being the case, she said. “All of us know we don’t want what happened last year to happen again,” said Peterson. “Right now, we’re playing better than we were at this time last year. We’re winning more matches, but we’ve also had to fight through setbacks, which is a testament to our ability to play through challenges.” In addition, Peterson believes her side has rebounded down the stretch following a notso-smooth start to the district schedule. “I think in the first half of district, we came out a little flat,” she said. “But, since then, we’ve adjusted and learned lessons along the way.” However, the veteran coach knows the temperature is only beginning to rise once the playoff pressure-cooker begins to burn. “We know it’s going to be a different level of intensity,” said Peterson. “We’re going to be challenged, so we have to work hard, but we’re together because this is our last run.”

miss a kick early in a game, it’s one of those things you just need to let go.” Minix began kicking on football fields in seventh grade, but was doing so with a soccer ball much earlier on from the age of four. However, despite still playing soccer for the first three years of high school, he’s up in the air as far as if he will continue for his senior season or focus strictly on football. “Thinking about my future, football is what I need to pursue,” he said. “I love kicking and it’s tough doing both.” According to Minix, kicking a football compared to a soccer ball is a vastly different athletic act. “You can get a football much higher in the air because of its shape and you want to keep it straight, of course,” said Minix. “But, with a soccer ball, especially on corner or free kicks, you want to make the ball curve by striking it differently than you would a football.” Minix is considering a career in engineering – although he doesn’t know exactly what discipline at the moment, but has somewhat of an idea, he said. “Materials engineering is really interesting for me,” said

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Ethan Minix (#1) is just as adept at kicking footballs as he is soccer balls in his duties as the Panthers’ kicker. Minix. “For, example, coming up with something like carbon fiber, which is used for so many things – stuff we didn’t have before.” One might think an aspiring engineer would prefer to work with numbers rather than words, but for Minix, it’s quite the contrary. “I’ve always liked English and especially this year,” he said. “I’m not the biggest reader, but I like to write papers. Last year, I wrote 6-8-page essays about controversial topics – something I’m proud

of because they took about a month-and-a-half.” Instead, the only numbers Minix likes to deal with are the ones on his uniform and after wearing No. 33 last season, Minix switched to No. 1 this year when it became available – but would much prefer a particular digit, he said. “I’ve always wanted to wear No. 9,” he said. “But, I only wear a medium-sized jersey and the No. 9 was an extra large. So, I just took No. 1 because it seems like a kicker’s number.”

Athough kickers are known to be a bit quirky personality-wise, Minix considers himself a mixture of social butterfly and recluse all in one. “I’m really an ambivert,” he said. “Which is kind of half and half between an extrovert and an introvert.” One last thing one needs to know about him is his strong faith, he said. “I’m a Christian and I love Jesus,” said Minix, who leads a youth Bible study every

door-neighbor rivalries can now develop as opposed to with towns farther away and secondly, it provides a much better level of competition to test the mettle of the Purple-and-Gold’s various teams across the sports spectrum. But, here is where we get to the bad part – at least in the short term. While the Panthers continue to adjust to the higher classification, there will be many bumps in the road and the bumps and bruises that come along with being the proverbial small fish. We saw this play out last year, as with the exception of football and girls’ soccer, Liberty Hill’s teams in the other traditional team sports were either eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs or failed to qualify for the postseason altogether. You see, the problem is as simple as this. Liberty Hill is already too big to be beating up on smalltown schools as it has in recent years, so a move up the sports food chain is warranted and necessary for the program to grow. However, at least for the time

being until the Panthers get fully acclimated to their new habitat, they’re not yet big enough to take on teams from the big city, which they will inevitably keep facing in the later rounds of the playoffs. Even the football team met its match last season in losing to Houston-area Crosby in the state semifinals following a heroic run that saw them get to within a failed two-point conversion of a chance to play for a title. This year, the Lady Panthers’ volleyball squad was ousted in the opening round of the playoffs by Alamo Heights – a San Antonio school – for the second straight season after improving on last year’s thirdplace district showing with a runner-up finish this season. See what we’re getting at here? Regardless of enrollment – which is what classification is strictly based on – schools in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are still going to have larger talent pools to draw athletes from even if the numbers are even. Chances are a school in the Metroplex (which sounds like one of those movie theaters

with 20 screens, by the way) with 1,500 students is going to have a higher percentage of athletically-inclined kids than a school with the same number of students in a less urban area. Like Liberty Hill, for example. All the hard work in the world will only get a program so far if there isn’t enough talent there in the first place. Don’t get us wrong. Liberty Hill features some of the most skilled, highly-talented and committed athletes you’ll find anywhere. But, there just aren’t as many of them as you’ll find at city schools. Which is the issue in a nutshell. Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution for this conundrum of being caught in between two worlds, except to sit back and wait and see what the future holds. However, in the interim, we’re afraid there are going to be continued growing pains which we can only hope time will heal.

on the audit,” she said. “We’re not where I wanted us to be. Honestly, our day-to-day fires are taking up a lot of time, and we’re still looking for supporting documentation for some of the things they’ve requested. The auditors are as anxious as we are to wrap this up quickly.” Hancock said the “day-to-day fires” include getting employees used to the City’s new purchasing policy and offloading some of the work the accounting department was doing to individual departments, like accounts payable. In addition, she is also conducting several internal audits on things like staff benefits to make sure they are all clear and accurate. “We’ve also had a lot of vendors calling and asking for payments, and some of those invoices we’ve never seen, so working through those with each of these vendors,” she said. “As we start the new year, we want to set up accounts correctly. We are really busy working on closing out last year and getting ready for new year.” Hancock said if the still missing documentation for the audit cannot be located, the audit will have to be completed without it. “I might not be able to find

some of the supporting documentation,” she said. “We are attempting to rectify that, but you might get a ding.” Missing documentation includes some procurement card agreements for employees, which Hancock said she has about 80 percent of. “Everybody wants a clean audit, but it is common to have a few dings where internal controls may have suffered,” Hancock added. “I will say I have found no false payments, no fraudulent activity, and haven’t even seen any duplicate payments.” Also at the meeting, the Council: • Unanimously approved a change order request for concrete testing overrun on the City’s shared use path in the amount of $2.490.75. • Approved a task order for the design of the South San Gabriel lift station, force main and gravity collection on Stubblefield Lane, which will allow for the City of Liberty Hill to serve wastewater customers on the western side of the City. The task order’s total estimated cost for engineering is $412,500, and the project should be completed in 20 to 22 months. • Authorized Hale to enter into agreements with future devel-

opers to reimburse the City for development review expenses incurred for the review of development agreements, particularly when it comes to public improvement districts (PIDs). This template will now be used for these types of agreements in the future. • Formed a committee for hiring a finance director for the City, which consists of Mayor Liz Branigan, Council member Tony DeYoung and Council member Crystal Mancilla. • Unanimously approved the adjustment of salaries for public works employees to match the salary study done earlier this year. Three positions will be adjusted to match market rates, including the maintenance superintendent, which will go from an annual salary of $52,000 to $62,430; wastewater foreman, which will go from an hourly rate of $26.45 to $30.27; and maintenance tech I, which will go from an hourly rate of $16.80 to $18.36. This will increase salaries in the public works budget by $21,619 total. • Unanimously voted to extend any expired terms of existing board and commission positions.

See MINIX, Page 8

Liberty Hill sports in a tough spot

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor As Liberty Hill keeps on g r o w ing by leaps and bounds, the Panthers’ athletic program is certainly being impacted by the infusion of young families and the increased enrollment in the high school’s student population. We view this as both a good and a bad thing. In the long term, it’s definitely a good thing as the school has now moved past the point of competing against former rivals in towns like Burnet, Lampasas and Taylor – places that may never grow at the same pace as Liberty Hill. As a result, the Panthers now find themselves matched up against nearby Class 5A neighbors in the form of the six combined schools in Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park, which is a natural progression Liberty Hill. What this does is provide two things. First of all, geographic, next-

Continued from Page 1

propose an overlay of Santa Rita’s HOA guidelines so that the development would operate and be developed under same standards as Santa Rita,” Horne said. He added that 20 percent of the overall development of the project would be used for parkland, including parks and trail systems, which would link with Santa Rita’s already existing 17 miles of trails. In addition, 15 acres would be set aside for a future Liberty Hill ISD elementary school. Horne said El Dorado would also connect to Santa Rita Ranch via Elizabeth Park Boulevard, and a major traffic light would be installed there to create a seamless connection between the two subdivisions. “The only reason this subdivision is called Ed Dorado and not Santa Rita is because I am not the direct owner,” Horne said. “Perry Homes would be the landowner, and I would be their partner on this project. We want to bring the same level of standards, like building a large amenity complex that both neighborhoods have access to.” As part of his proposal, Horne offered to gift the City of Liberty Hill $1 million for park improvements anywhere the City sees fit. Half of the

money would come from El Dorado and half would come from Santa Rita. “We saw there was a need in Liberty Hill to be able to get some resources to make park improvements however this council wants to do them,” he said. “There are no requirements—we are doing this because we want to see improvements made to parks in Liberty Hill, because it’s important for the overall community. That would be all tied together with this development agreement.” Horne added that the agreement would also allow for a new municipal utility district (MUD) to be created for El Dorado, as well as participation in the CR 260 gravity line, with El Dorado contributing up to 2,500 feet of that line from the subdivision to CR 260. “We’ve set the bar pretty high in Liberty Hill with Santa Rita, and that’s the same bar we want to see happen in this development,” Horne said. “We want them to have the same agreements and want to bring all those components we talked about to help Liberty Hill.” Following Horne’s presentation, members of the Council expressed some concerns regarding whether or not the development agreement was the

best option for the City. They opted to go into executive session to further discuss the proposed agreement. Following the executive session, Council directed staff to move forward with the terms discussed in executive session, said City Administrator Lacie Hale. Horne said he and Perry Homes are scheduled to close on the property on Nov. 12, and if the land is not purchased by them, it will be purchased by another buyer who is not part of Santa Rita. He added that if Liberty Hill doesn’t want to approve the development agreement, then he and Perry Homes will not close on the deal. “Council is very mindful of the timeline for El Dorado and hopes to respect that as the negotiations progress,” Hale said. “Council’s view is what is best for the City. That [$1 million] donation could potentially be a major impact on our park system, but there’s a lot of factors in a development agreement to take into consideration, like utilities and capital improvement projects.” Also last week, Interim Finance Director Misti Hancock provided an update on the status of the 2020 fiscal year audit, which remains incomplete. “Right now, we are behind

SUBSCRIBE to THE INDEPENDENT 512.778.5577

Page 8

Rancho Continued from Page 4 the students it was the first time they created something that was seen beyond their family or classroom. “I felt proud and excited that people are going to get to see what we did because not many people get to see what we do in GT (gifted and talented),” Brown said. Zoe Lorence, 10, who cowrote a feature on Hispanic Heritage Month for the first edition, agreed. “I was excited that someone reads what I, and my partners,

Center

made,” Lorence said. “I think it’s really cool that people do that.” Pleak hopes more will be able to read her students’ work in the future. Right now they do not have any funds to print a physical copy. But she hopes that will change. “That’s the one thing we’re having trouble with,” Pleak said. “It would be neat if we could find a way to mass-produce a paper so that every kid could have one.”

Continued from Page 5

necessary changes.” Offensive linemen rarely get credit when a big play downfield is the result of the groundwork they lay at the line, but when a mistake is made in the form of a sack or a loss of yardage, often blame quickly comes their way. As a result, playing the position isn’t at all glamorous and doesn’t garner the kind of

adulation as the so-called skill positions, but this is something Harrison is quite accustomed to and has actually come to embrace the concept, he said. “When you’re a little kid, everyone looks at the quarterback and wants to be like him,” said Harrison. “But, at some point, you accept God has destined you to play this part of the offense instead.”

17-yard gain, Joe Pitchford took a handoff from Reese Vickers and rumbled 37 yards for the first of nine Panthers touchdowns on the evening and a 9-0 advantage. Following a quick three-andout by the hosts, Dyer again began the second Liberty Hill drive of the game with a 13yard run and once again the Panthers struck on the second play as Long ran 32 yards for his first score of the night and a 16-0 lead. After yet another four-play possession by the Vikings, Dyer decided to buck the trend of the Panthers’ previous two series and took it all the way for a 43-yard scoring run on the first and only play of the drive. At that point in the proceedings, Liberty Hill had run five offensive plays and had a 23-0 lead to show for it. Grady Flinn got in on the single-play-scoring-drive act with a 30-yard touchdown run on the first play of the following Liberty Hill possession before the defense got another safety and Long added his second touchdown of the game from 21 yards out for a commanding 39-0 lead after only one quarter of play. Long and Pitchford added second-quarter scoring runs of 21 and 39 yards, respectively, leaving the visitors with 53-0 halftime lead. In the first half, Liberty Hill ran 17 plays for 330 yards, while Navarro countered with 27 plays for minus-5 yards. Once the second half got underway, both the third and fourth quarters were shortened to 10 minutes each from the customary 12 and the clock ran constantly in drawing the evening to an end so quickly the final two periods of the game passed faster than the halftime show, which fea-

tured performances form both schools’ bands. But, not before the Panthers added another pair of touchdowns on a 53-yard run by Gavin Salinas and a 35-yard sprint by Caynyon Jolly, which increased the lead to 67-0. As fate would have it, though, the final touchdown of the night was scored by the Vikings when Navarro quarterback Daemion Cervantez plunged into the end zone from three yards out after having completed a long pass down the right sideline to set up the score. Showing fight right to the end, the Vikings successfully executed an onside kick after scoring, but Kade McMahan intercepted a pass to drop the curtain on the contest. Walker was more than happy to get all of his backups into the game in the second half as a reward for all their continued hard work and effort in practice throughout the season. “It’s nice,” he said. “Really awesome to see (fourth-string quarterback) Cody Strobel get in and lead the team down the field to a touchdown.” Dyer led the Panthers with 113 rushing yards on eight carries and a touchdown, while Long contributed four carries for 86 yards and three scores and Pitchford ran for 81 yards on three attempts and a pair of touchdowns. Andon Thomas had 12 tackles for Liberty Hill, with Reid Bynum compiling nine and Devin Riley six on the evening. Liberty Hill (7-2, 5-0) will close the regular season by hosting Northeast on Nov. 5 before beginning the postseason most likely with an opening-round game against either East View or Bastrop, who are currently in a battle for the fourth and final playoff berth in their district.

Navarro Continued from Page 6

Minix

Continued from Page 7

Sunday. “We have it at the junior high school.” However, one shouldn’t mistake Minix’s kindness off the field for weakness on it – despite the fact he plays a position that doesn’t lend itself to much physical confrontation. Most of the time, anyway. During Liberty Hill’s 62-6 home victory against Del Valle earlier this season, Minix found himself the last man to

beat on a kickoff return and administered a crunching tackle to prevent a touchdown – something that doesn’t exactly happen every day for a kicker and certainly an occurance that warrants gratification, he said. “I heard about that from my teammates,” said Minix. “They wanted to know why I was celebrating after a 60-yard kickoff return.”

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

SALES MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE Saturday, November 6 and Saturday, November 13 8am to 2pm. Awesome stuff! Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations, plush toys, camping, coats, furniture – wide selection of large and small items. Durham Park, 1050 Double File Trace, Liberty Hill. Cash only! (11/4p)

SERVICES COMPUTER TUTOR At your place, at your pace, I can help you with your computer, iPhone, iPad, or tablet. Helpful tips and tricks. Reasonable rates. Call Karen, 432-553-2468. (12/23p)

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC HEARING: To Discuss Liberty Hill Independent School District’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas Accountability Rating. Liberty Hill ISD will hold a public hearing on November 15, 2021, at 6:00 P.M at the Liberty Hill ISD Administration building located on 301 Forrest Street, Liberty Hill, Texas. The purpose of the hearing is to discuss Liberty Hill ISD’s financial accountability rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas. (11/11) 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 512-5485530 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. (11/25)

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS JOERIS GENERAL CONTRACTORS, LTD. Joeris General Contractors will be accepting competitive Proposals from Suppliers for GMP1: Additions and Renovations to Liberty Hill ES and Noble ES, until 2:00PM on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Proposals will be received by email at bidsAustin@joeris. com. Project Description: GMP1 includes all structural steel, steel erection, metal wall panels, metal soffit, roofing, and masonry at Hill and Noble Elementary Schools. Obtain project plans and documents at: https://joeris. com/trade-partners/ For a project invite contact Ancle Davis at adavis@joeris.com. Participation by S/M/W/ DBE firms & Certified HUB firms is encouraged. Joeris General Contractors is an equal opportunity (EEO) employer.

TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR AN AIR QUALITY STANDARD PERMIT FOR A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT WITH ENHANCED CONTROLS PROPOSED AIR QUALITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 166790 APPLICATION. Tex-Mix Partners, Ltd., PO Box 830, Leander, Texas 78646-0830 has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for an Air Quality Standard Permit for a Concrete Batch Plant with Enhanced Controls Registration Number 166790 to authorize the operation of two permanent concrete batch plants with enhanced controls. The facility is proposed to be located at 105 Flying B Ranch Road, Bertram, Burnet County, Texas 78605. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ assets/public/hb610/index. html?lat=30.729166&lng=-98&zoom=13&type=r. This application was submitted to the TCEQ on October 14, 2021. The primary function of this plant is to manufacture concrete by mixing materials including (but not limited to) sand, aggregate, cement and water. The executive director has determined the application was technically complete on October 26, 2021. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC HEARING. Public written comments about this application may be submitted at any time during the public comment period. The public comment period begins on the first date notice is published and extends to the close of the public hearing. Public comments may be submitted either in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087, or electronically at www14.tceq. texas.gov/epic/eComment/. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. A public hearing has been scheduled, that will consist of two parts, an informal discussion period and a formal comment period. During the informal discussion period, the public is encouraged to ask questions of the applicant and TCEQ staff concerning the application, but comments made during the informal period will not be considered by the executive director before reaching a decision on the permit, and no formal response will be made to the informal comments. During the formal comment period, members of the public may state their comments into the official record. Written comments about this application may also be

Thursday, November 4, 2021

CLASSIFIED ADS $15/week for Minimum 30 Words Additional Words $0.20 Deadline: Noon Mondays

NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM submitted at any time during the hearing. The purpose of a public hearing is to provide the opportunity to submit written comments or an oral statement about the application. The public hearing is not an evidentiary proceeding. The Public Hearing is to be held: Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at 6:00 pm. Members of the public who would like to ask questions or provide comments during the hearing may access the hearing via webcast by following this link: https://www.gotomeeting.com/webinar/join-webinar and entering Webinar ID 332709-771. It is recommended that you join the webinar and register for the public hearing at least 15 minutes before the hearing begins. You will be given the option to use your computer audio or to use your phone for participating in the webinar. Those without internet access must call (512) 239-1201 at least one day prior to the hearing to register for the meeting and to obtain information for participating telephonically. Members of the public who wish to only listen to the hearing may call, toll free, (562) 247-8422 and enter access code 592-519-712. Additional information will be available on the agency calendar of events at the following link: https://www.tceq.texas. gov/agency/decisions/hearings/calendar.html. RESPONSE TO COMMENTS. A written response to all formal comments will be prepared by the executive director after the comment period closes. The response, along with the executive director’s decision on the application, will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and the response to comments will be posted in the permit file for viewing. The executive director shall approve or deny the application not later than 35 days after the date of the public hearing, considering all comments received within the comment period, and base this decision on whether the application meets the requirements of the standard permit. CENTRAL/REGIONAL OFFICE. The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ Central Office and the TCEQ Austin Regional Office, located at 12100 Park 35 Circle Building A Room 179, Austin, Texas 78753-1808, during the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, beginning the first day of publication of this notice. INFORMATION. If you need more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the Public Education Program toll free at 1-800-687-4040. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Tex-Mix Partners, Ltd., PO Box 830, Leander, Texas 78646-0830, or by calling Mr. Aaron Dalton, Project Engineer at (512) 759-1438. Notice Issuance Date: October 26, 2021 (11/4p) NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bid proposals addressed to MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 (the “District”), c/o LandDev Consulting, LLC, Attn: Keith Parkan, will be received from qualified bidders until 2:00 pm CST on November 30, 2021 at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735, for furnishing all labor, supplies, and supervision necessary for construction of Omega Ranch Ph 3/3B Construction Plan (the

(512) 778-5577

“Project”). The Project involves construction of subdivisions and associated infrastructure including grading, roadway, water quality ponds, waterline, gravity wastewater line, force main, lift station, storm sewers, erosion controls, and associated appurtenances. Bids will be opened and read aloud via MS Teams video conference call at 2:00 pm CST at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735, on November 30, 2021. No faxed bids will be accepted. Any proposal received after the closing time will be filed unopened. Bids must be submitted on the form included in the bid documents, in sealed envelopes marked “Bid for Omega Ranch Ph 3/3B Construction Plans”. Plans and Specifications for the Project may be examined without charge at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735. Bidders must contact Keith Parkan at LandDev Consulting, LLC in order to view and/or obtain electronic access to proposal forms, plans, specifications, and contract documents without charge (telephone: 512-872-6696 or email: keith. parkan@ldcteams.com). A bid must include Bid Security in the form of a certified or cashier’s check or a bid bond issued by a surety legally authorized to do business in Texas, payable to the District, in an amount of at least 5% of the total amount of the bid, in accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.271(c), as a guaranty that, if awarded the contract, the bidder will promptly enter into a contract with Meritage Homes of Texas, LLC on behalf of the District and furnish bonds on the forms provided. If a Bid is Accepted, the contractor will be required to furnish, at the contractor’s expense, (i) payment and performance bonds in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 2253; (ii) a one year maintenance bond in the amount of 10% of the contract price, in a form and substance, and with a surety satisfactory to the District, upon final payment and acceptance under the contract; (iii) worker’s compensation insurance coverage in accordance with Texas Labor Code Section 406.096; and (iv) general liability insurance insuring against liability for bodily injury, personal injury, death, or property damage. No Bid may be withdrawn for at least 90 days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Award will be made on the basis of the lowest responsible bidder that is considered the most advantageous to the District and result in the best and most economical completion of the Project in accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.273(c). The right is reserved to waive any informality in the bidding and to reject any or all bids. The Project is being constructed by Meritage Homes of Texas, LLC on behalf of and in the name of the District. The contract will provide that the contractor will look solely to MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC for payment of all sums coming due thereunder. Minimum Wage Scale: The contract will require compliance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 2258, Subchapter B, pertaining to prevailing wage rates. In accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.279, the District specifies the prevailing wage rates for public works established by Williamson County, Texas as the District’s prevailing wage rates. The contractor for the Project must pay not less than the specified prevailing wage rates to workers employed by it in execution of the contract. (11/4)

We’ve got the Panthers covered!

LHINDEPENDENT.com/Subscriptions

Thursday, November 4, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Lady Panthers eliminated in ﬁrst round of playoffs

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor For the second straight season, Liberty Hill met Alamo Heights in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs and for the second consecutive time, the Mules eliminated the Lady Panthers, by a score of 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-17). There were a few differences this time around, though – the length of the match and the location. Last season Liberty Hill lost in four sets at Seguin High School after having earned the No. 3 seed in the bi-district round of the postseason, while this year saw them defeated in straight sets at Canyon Lake after entering as the No. 2 seed. However, one thing that was the same was the sheer disappointment as the Lady Panthers walked off the court after being vanquished once again by the same opponent. According to head coach Gretchen Peterson, both teams were more high-powered in the rematch. “We’re definitely better than we were last year – we have more weapons,” said Peterson. “But, Alamo Heights is a team which has played together for a long time. We knew they would have some great swings.” With a front line that all stand well over six feet, the Mules imposed their will from the outset in jumping out to a quick 4-1 lead in the opening set, but then it was Maddi Rowley to the rescue as the senior outside hitter hammered home five kills in quick succession to help the Lady Panthers level the score at 10-10. But, Liberty Hill never recovered from a 6-0 Alamo Heights run that immediately followed a Kealy Dirner kill, which evened the score, and despite getting back to within a pair of points at 21-19 on an Ailie Hair ace, the Mules held on for the set victory. Even after failing to complete its comeback in the opening set, Liberty Hill carried the positive momentum of the failed fightback into the second stanza. Rowley collected another kill – after pounding six in the first set – and the Lady Panthers took their first lead of the match at 3-2, which was followed by a Hair block to double the advantage to 4-2. Unfortunately, the furious sequence only seemed to stir the Mules from a slumber, as Alamo Heights quickly regained control of the proceedings by getting the lead back and building it to as much as 10 points before finally prevailing, 2515. Morgan Poulain hit a winner to begin the third set, but a modest 2-1 Lady Panthers lead would prove to be the last time they were ahead the rest of the match. Gigi Mason had a pair of kills to help keep it close, along with four more from Rowley, but the Mules proved too stubborn in securing the victory. Peterson said her team failed to achieve its two primary objectives entering the match. “We knew we needed to serve-receive well and slow them down on defense,” she said. We didn’t execute on those things.” Rowley led Liberty Hill with 14 kills, while Hair and Mason each added four.

Emma Parsons supplied 27 assists and nine digs to go with nine more from Haley Kuhlmann, with Keegan Walton adding seven. Hair also had a pair of blocks and an ace, while Dirner served an ace and had a block to go with one from Rowley in the match. Peterson said the end of a long campaign is always sudden, but not always expected. “Seasons have to end at some point, but you’re never really ready for it and we deﬁnitely didn’t want it to end this early,” she said. “We did a lot of good things tonight, but we just didn’t do it enough.” Peterson added there was very little room for error for her team in the contest considering the quality of the opposition. “There’s not much we can do if they’re swinging over our block,” she said. “But, we can’t be giving away points when we know they’re going to get some we can’t do anything about.” Liberty Hill ﬁnished the season with an overall record of 36-11, including 11-3 in district play, which was good for

Page 9

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Emma Parsons (#10) and Haley Kuhlmann (#22) lunge for a loose ball during the Lady Panthers’ 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-17) opening-round playoff defeat Tuesday to Alamo Heights. a second-place ﬁnish in the standings. Overall, Peterson was pleased with the grit and determination

her players showed all season, if not with the result from its ﬁnal match. “It’s deﬁnitely disappointing

to be in this situation again, but it doesn’t deﬁne us,” she said. “I’m thankful for each and every one of these girls and what

they’ve given to the program and I’m proud of them.” See more volleyball coverage at lhindependent.com.

KRISTEN MERIWETHER PHOTOS

Bill Burden Elementary celebrates storybook characters

Students, faculty and parents enjoyed the 3rd Annual Storybook Character Day and Parade on Oct. 29 at Bill Burden Elementary. Students dressed up as their favorite book characters in celebration of Healthy Habits Week. Classic storybook characters such as Dr. Seuss’ One Fish Blue Fish and Thing One and Thing Two were represented, as well as several characters from the Wizard of Oz. More modern additions like Star Wars, the Minions and Spiderman were also spotted. The parade started with Principal Tanya Lambert and faculty dancing down the student-lined halls to Halloween-themed music. Students joined the dancing train up and down every hallway before emerging to the backside of the building to eagerly waiting parents.

12 SECONDS SMARTER

HOW TO HANDLE

A BLOWOUT Grip the wheel fİrmly.

T O GE T E M TI

Avoid slamming on the brakes. Slowly take your foot oﬀ the gas. Pull slowly onto the shoulder, then apply your brakes.

McCoy Agency Honest, Local & Trusted David & Christa McCoy, Wendy Neill

14262 W. State Hwy 29 • Mon-Sat 10-6

12780 W Hwy 29, Liberty Hill • 512 900-4422 www.farmersagent.com/cmccoy

Page 10

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

HOMES AROUND THE HILL Luciano Cabasos - .41 acres Kempner Ranch - 40 acres 2 Homes/Guest House - 4.95 acres

550 Hopewell Rd 820 Panther Creek 1601 CR 256

Little Gabriel River Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Florence Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Amifast Ind Park Amifast Ind Park Amifast Ind Park Amifast Ind Park Amifast Ind Park Amifast Ind Park Mesa Vista Ranch Liberty Hill - 76 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Grayson, Leander Home + In-Law House, No HOA - 10 acres Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Marble Falls Bertram - 10 acres Hidden Meadows - 2 acres Sunset Oaks - 3 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Highland Lake Estates - Lago Vista Hornsby, J - 4.6 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Flores Watson Place, Bertram - 5 acres Silver Creek Ranch - 2 acres Summerlyn West, Leander Liberty Hill - 17 acres Luciano Cabasos Durham Park Florence Buttercup Townhomes Durham Park Carriage Oaks - 1 acre Hillcrest Cantarra Meadows/Pﬂugerville Palmera Ridge - Leander Palmera Ridge - Leander Llano Iron Oak - 2 acres Summerlynn - Leander Near Downtown Liberty Hill University Park - Georgetown San Gabriel River - 3/4 acres Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Liberty Hill - 2.2 acres

Homes for Sale

3BR/2BA 6BR/5BA 4BR/4BA Acreage / Lots / Property for Sale 420 Iva Bell Lane Barn TBD Lobella Bloom Bend Lot 92, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 71, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 74, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 75, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 85, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 87, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 89, Block 1 Phase III Tract 3A N Hwy 195 No restrictions, Ag exempt TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 72, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 73, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 76, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 88, Block 1 Phase III Commercial Property for Sale 100 Bevers No restrictions, water available 110 Bevers No restrictions, water available 118 Bevers No restrictions, water available 126 Bevers No restrictions, water available 129 Bevers No restrictions, water available 145 Bevers No restrictions, water available Under Contract / Pending TBD Red Yucca Ct 4060 CR 201 TBD Yellow Senna Pl 144 Syrah Court 2150 CR 282 Lot 12 Cloudwood Ranch Rd 337 Granite Row CR 321 1103 CR 204 631 CR 269 TBD Yellow Senna Pl 20701 Harrison Cv 1840 CR 226 TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Red Yucca Ct TBD Red Yucca Ct 550 Stadium Dr 240 Floyds Run 644 Silver Creek Dr 164 Green Egret Way 17600 W State Hwy 29 1540 W Hwy 29 500 CR 288 Tract 4B N Hwy 195 401 Buttercup Creek Blvd 550 Shin Oak Lane 105 Cavalier Lane 120 Crestview Dr 13500 Kearns Dr 2201 Bonavista Way 2200 Bonavista Way 504 E Green St 232 Oak Hill 104 Falcon Lane 3103 CR 1869 2006 E 18th St 121 River Rd Lot 22 Cloudwood Ranch Rd 140 Shin Oak Lane

Lot 83, Block 1 Phase III 3BR/2B - Barndominium & Shop Lot 79, Block 1 Phase III 3BR/2.5BA 2BR/3BA + 3BR/1BA - Pool Lots of trees 3BR/2BA River front & trees 3BR/2BA 3BR/3BA Lot 80, Block 1 Phase III Electricity & water available 4BR/2BA Lot 92, Block 1 Phase III Lot 70, Block 1 Phase III Lot 77, Block 1 Phase III Lot 78, Block 1 Phase III Lot 81, Block 1 Phase III Lot 82, Block 1 Phase III Lot 84, Block 1 Phase III Lot 90, Block 1 Phase III Cleared & level Sold! 4BR/3BA 3BR/2BA - Pool 4BR/2.5BA/Ofﬁce/2 Living 3 Homes & Barn 2BR/1BA Trees, electric, water No restrictions, Ag exempt 2BR/2.5BA Wet weather creek 4BR/4BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/2BA - Game Room 3BR/2BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/4BA 4BR/2.5BA - 2 car garage Commercial, Mixed Use 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA Lots of oaks, backs to creek 3BR/2BA + pool

$ 215,000 1389 sq ft $1,200,000 4483 sq ft $ 995,000 3112 sq ft

Shane T. White Cheryl Stephens Cheryl Stephens

$1,200,000 $ 202,000 $ 203,000 $ 212,000 $ 275,000 $ 285,000 $ 404,000 $ 202,000 $ 338,168 $ 219,000 $ 210,000 $ 418,000 $ 248,000

20 acres 2.02 acres 2.03 acres 2.12 acres 2.75 acres 2.85 acres 4.04 acres 2.02 acres 11.3 acres 2.19 acres 2.10 acres 4.18 acres 2.48 acres

Amy Gandy Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Dax Oglesby Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise

$ $ $ $ $ $

1.05 acres 1.04 acres 1.04 acres 1.05 acres 4.49 acres 3.110 acres

Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White

550,000 460,000 365,000 275,000 980,000 680,000

$ 201,000 2.01 acres

Tammy Wise

$ 229,000 2.29 acres

Tammy Wise

$1,999,000 1624 sq ft $ 375,000 1482 sq ft

$ 970,000 3353 total sq ft $ 255,000 7.74 acres $ 379,009 1913 sq ft $ 425,000 10 acres

$ 450,000 1641 sq ft $ 500,000 2984 sq ft

$ 201,000 2.01 acres $

60,000 .394 acres

Tammy Wise

Thursday, November 4, 2021

SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577

Sabrina Jordan REALTOR®

512.680.0375 cell sabrinajordan.kwrealty.com RESIDENTIAL, LAND, FARM & RANCH HOMETOWN ROOTS HOMETOWN VALUES

SELLING L LIBERTY HIL FOR 40 YEARS!

BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?

Adrienne Hughes Sabrina Jordan

Cheryl Stephens Dax Oglesby

Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Tammy Wise

Dax Oglesby Shane T. White 2.07 acres Tammy Wise 2.03 acres Tammy Wise 2.37 acres Tammy Wise 2.17 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.04 acres Tammy Wise 1.337 acre Side-Pad Shane T. White

$ 379,000 2432 sq ft $ 207,000 $ 203,000 $ 237,000 $ 217,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 204,000 $ 750,000

$ 810,000 3118 sq ft

Tammy Wise

$ 489,000 2709 sq ft

Kristen Childers

$ 699,000 2306 sq ft $1,600,000 1800 sq ft $ 250,000 1180 sq ft

$ 225,000 2.19 acres $ 564,300 20.9 acres $ 275,000 1280 sq ft $ 175,000 2 acres

$ 560,000 2453 sq ft $ 235,000 1568 sq ft $ 420,000 2507 sq ft $ 430,000 1855 sq ft $ 510,000 2100 sq ft

$ 200,000 1671 sq ft $ 765,000 2800 sq ft $ 350,000 2044 sq ft $ 350,000 968 sq ft

$ 315,000 1404 sq ft $ 230,000 1440 sq ft

$ 197,500 4.25 acres $ 430,000 1611 sq ft

RE/MAX Town & Country 13561 W. Hwy 29, Liberty Hill shanetwhite@remax.net www.ShaneTWhiteTeam.com

512.515.5263

Amy Gandy

Tammy Wise

Shane T. White Shane T. White Dax Oglesby

Shane T. White Amy Gandy

Amy Gandy Shane T. White Cheryl Stephens Amy Gandy Amy Gandy Sabrina Jordan Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens Cheryl Stephens Dax Oglesby

LIBERTY HILL’S REAL ESTATE GUIDE Feature your property listings weekly! (512) 778-5577

From Waco to New Braunfels, Llano to LaGrange and everywhere in between.

Amy Gandy, Broker/Owner | MCNE, CLHMS 512-589-9005 | amy@agandyandco.com www.agandyandco.com

“Our family of seasoned professional agents is what makes us unique. We’re here to help you, whether it’s selling your property or assisting in finding and purchasing the home of your dreams.”

Adrienne Hughes

Cheryl Stephens

512-810-0185

512-417-0026

Broker/Owner

Realtor ®, GRI, MRP

3106 Ranch Road 1869 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 | www.Hughes-and-Company.com

Real Life. Real People. Real Estate.

San Gabriel Realt y Gr oup

Is NOW the time to sell your home? Call us ... We know the answer! Kristen Childers REALTOR®

Tammy Wise REALTOR®

(512) 501 501-0777 AustinAndHillCountryRealEstate.com

900 Quest Parkway Cedar Park, TX 78613

Serving Williamson, Burnet and Travis Counties Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing

Dax Oglesby

Team Realty of Texas | REALTOR®

(512) 635-7529

www.DaxSellsTexas.com daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com

Love thy neighbor.