GIVE T of erials t F a I G M E e p TH ndsca tine’s Day! La r Valen fo
ERY &
DELIV
ICK
DE P
SI CURB
BLE!
A VAIL UP A
Mon-Sat 7am-5pm am-5pm • 14775 W SH 29, Liberty Hill • (512) 515-1336 • www.989Rock.com
2021
Volume 34, Issue 12
Liberty Hill transportation plan raises questions again
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The Liberty Hill City Council adopted the current transportation plan in May 2018, but this week questions arose among members of the current Council regarding what was in place and how to address creating a potential new plan. Council members were unsure of the status of the current plan or what had transpired since its adoption. “About a year ago someone had inadvertently posted the transportation plan on the City website, which resulted in a town hall meeting over at the Intermediate School which drew a lot of people,” said Council member Steve McIntosh. “It appears the transportation plan was out of date so I don’t know where we are with that. As far as I know we let go of the issue and it was not readdressed. I think we need to go back and do some housekeeping on that.” But the plan had been formally adopted and posted to the site with the intent to make it public, not an inadvertent posting. The Council discussed Monday the possibility of bringing in a representative from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) to give a presentation, but in January 2019 the Council voted in favor of entering an agreement with CAMPO to create an updated plan, even pledging $4,000 toward the agreement following a request by
See COUNCIL, Page 5
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
BUSINESS
Yesterday to meet today in new development
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Tucked behind a barb-wire fence and some overgrown cactus is a portal to the past, hidden in the middle of Liberty Hill. Fort Tumbleweed – along SH 29 – is a mystery to many who have arrived in recent years, but if the vision shared by developers and current property owner Leonard Kubiak comes into focus, the property could become the epicenter of where the past meets the future in Liberty Hill. Kubiak has owned the 30acre property for 40 years, and he has collected pieces of history from all over Williamson County. Not just the three-dozen plus saddles, handful of wagons and buggies and countless items that each tell a story, but old buildings as well. Many of these buildings will form the bridge to the past when the new development takes shape. According to Realtor Nathan Pinson, the development will include retail, entertainment venues, dining options, a 120room hotel and more than 500 apartment units. “The ones buying it do apartments and townhomes in Colorado and they were looking for a Georgetown or Liberty Hill project,” he said. “When they saw this, and its proximity to the high school, they just wanted to build apartments here. Then when they got down here and saw all this history they said they wanted to keep this and do a retail front and mixed use type of project. (Kubiak) already had that vision. They liked it a lot and wanted to run with it. This is attractive to tenants for things like the brewery and dance hall.” Pinson expects the site work to begin in the summer after the sale closes, and that is expected
MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTOS
(ABOVE) The Andice Saloon, built in the 1850s in Andice, was moved to Fort Tumbleweed years ago by property owner Leonard Kubiak. The 30-acre Fort Tumbleweed is soon to be the home of a mixed-use project that will incorporate a number of the historic buildings into the development. (RIGHT) Fort Tumbleweed property owner Leonard Kubiak (left) and Realtor Nathan Pinson stand on the porch of the old Round Rock Bank building that is part of the history that has been collected on the 30-acre property set for development soon. to take six months, followed by four to eight months of construction. There is a lot of interest in being a part of the project, and part of the plan includes a saloon, brewery and dance hall. “We have a tenant that wants to do a very high-end whiskey
saloon and pour whiskey and do craft cocktails in a really cool environment,” Pinson said, pointing to one of the old structures that will be refurbished on the property. “This is the Andice Saloon, built in the 1850s in Andice. (Kubiak) had the opportunity to buy it
Filing deadline Friday LHISD Board green for May 1 election
The deadline to file for a place on the May 1 ballot for Liberty Hill City Council or the LHISD Board of Trustees is Feb. 12. To date, 13 candidates have submitted applications. In the Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees race, Steve Messana and Michael Ferguson have both filed for Place 3, which is currently held by David Nix. Three candidates – Lockie Ealy, Aurora Trahan and Robert Baughn – have filed to run for Place 6, which is for one year to finish out former Trustee Vickie Peterson’s term after she resigned last month due to work obligations. Incumbents Kathy Major (Place 4) and Anthony Buck (Place 5) have both filed seeking reelection and neither has drawn an opponent to date. In the City Council election, all three places on the ballot are contested. Kim Sanders and Michael Helbing have both filed to run for Place 1, which is currently held by Steve McIntosh. Place 5 Council member Liz Rundzieher is seeking another term, but Angela Lynn Jones has filed to run against the in©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
February 11, 2021 | 50 Cents
cumbent. Crystal Mancilla, is running against incumbent Gram Lankford in Place 3. Candidates can file to run until 5 p.m. Feb. 12. To file for City Council, candidates can download the application packet from the City website or pick one up from City Secretary Nancy Sawyer by appointment. Completed packets must also be dropped off by appointment due to current COVID-19 precautions. City Hall is located at 926 Loop 332 and the phone number is (512) 778-5449. In addition to the four School Board seats that will be on the ballot, the Board voted to move forward with a $491.7 million bond election that will appear on the ballot as four separate propositions. To pick up applications to file for a School Board seat, candidates should go to the LHISD Administration Building between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to pick one up or one can be requested by mail. The Administration Building is located at 301 Forrest Street and the phone number is (512) 260-5580. The newspaper will hold a virtual candidate forum for all contested places for both Council and School Board in April.
lights bond election
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor It’s official, a $491.7 million bond election is now in the hands of Liberty Hill ISD voters as the school board voted Monday to call the election May 1. After mulling the bond proposal submitted two weeks ago by the district’s Long Range Planning Committee, the Board of Trustees only made one change to the package, separating two stadium-related issues to broaden the choices for voters on that issue. Initially, the proposal was for three propositions, with the third being a combination of $6 million for a 5,000-seat expansion to Panther Stadium and $20 million for a new stadium to be built at the second high school. After a lengthy Board discussion, it was decided to split those so that voters would have a choice when deciding whether to approve one, both or neither of the projects. “I’m very proud of our Board and the conversations we had,” Superintendent Steve Snell said of the process. “That’s what they get elected to do is have tough conversations and really think through
the big ask we’re going to make of our community coming up on May 1.”
New schools The first proposition totals $457.7 million, and makes up most of the total bond package. It includes funds for new schools, campus renovations and expansions, planning funds for new campuses, land purchases and a variety of other infrastructure projects. The bulk of this proposition, though, is made up of new campuses. There is $86 million planned for two new elementary schools – $42 million for the first and $44 million for the second due to anticipated increases in construction costs. A third middle school is planned at $70 million, and then a second high school at $145 million. The ever-increasing price tag for new school buildings raises eyebrows in all communities when considering a bond election, but Casey Sledge, the district’s engineer managing the projects said there are multiple reasons the cost is so high. “The first issue, easily, is regulatory requirements,” he said. “There are many laws
See BOND, Page 10
and he moved it out here.” The pedestrian-friendly area will include water features, an expansive wrap-around deck with chairs, tables and rockers connecting the different businesses. Above a retail center with more dining and entertain-
ment options will be 12 Air B&B lofts, totaling 16,000 square foot retail space, with a 12,000-foot second story for the lofts. “(The retail portion) will have a fairground environment with
See TUMBLEWEED, Page 5
LHISD BOND ELECTION - MAY 1, 2021 PROPOSITION A, $457.7 MILLION:
• Construction of two new elementary schools – Elementary School #6 and #7 • Construction of new middle school – Middle School #3 • Construction of a new high school – High School #2 • Expansion and renovations at Liberty Hill Elementary and Louine Noble Elementary • Expansion and renovation of Liberty Hill Middle School – increase to 1,200 student capacity, CTE, Fine Arts, new roof, HVAC, and traffic flow improvements • Expansion of Santa Rita Middle School to 1,200 student capacity • Liberty Hill High School expansion to 2,400 student capacity, CTE, Fine Arts, locker rooms • Maintenance and Repair– HVAC, roofing and other maintenance repair needs • District-wide campus security – cameras, access control, front entry vestibules • Technology infrastructure • Expansion of transportation facility and purchase of new buses • Land acquisition and design for future schools
Proposition B, $8 million:
• Technology Devices for students and staff
Proposition C, $6 million:
• Liberty Hill High School Stadium expansion – additional 5,000 seat capacity and additional restrooms that are ADA compliant
Proposition D, $20 million:
• Stadium for New High School #2 – competition field, seating capacity for 10,000, press box, locker rooms, concession stand and restrooms, 8-lane track
Page 2
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
THE INDEPENDENT IS THE ONLY LOCAL TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE! Support Local Journalism. SUBSCRIBE NOW 512.778.5577
Residential & Commercial Locally Owned & Family Operated Since 1976 www.AllStarRoofingTexas.com
RE-ROOFS & REPAIRS SHINGLES / FLAT ROOFS
(512) 635-4936 - Contact Lynn
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Council approves LHPD grant applications
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The Liberty Hill Police Department is seeking to add a new canine member to the force after the City Council approved a measure on Monday to apply for a grant that would cover all expenses. “What we’re doing is through the office of the Governor. It’s just a grant through them and what it would do is give us a police canine,” said Police Chief Royce Graeter. “If we get the grant, we’d get a 2021 Tahoe, fully equipped with all
the normal police stuff, plus the canine stuff.” The goal of the program is to limit the reliance on other law enforcement entities when emergencies arise. Graeter said a new officer will not be hired for the position. Instead, one officer already employed will be moved into the new role specializing in working with the canine. “The canine will be dual-trained. It would be tracking and narcotics. We could use it for search and rescue. We could track suspects with it
and narcotics. It’s so helpful to the community,” said Graeter. “Not only are you getting the narcotics off the street, and of course, it helps with a lost child or lost elderly person. Recently, we’ve even had to utilize Williamson County’s canine. We can do that if they’re around, but if they’re tied up or somewhere else, then there’s no way that we can get access to that.” Along with the measure to apply for the canine grant, the Council also approved the application for a grant
Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department
Quality Work at Reasonable Rates Locally Owned - Quick Response
Week of Feb. 1-7, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 418 incidents resulting in 12 cases, 29 citations, 36 warnings and four arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On Feb. 1 at approximately 9:24 AM, officers responded to Hillcrest Lane for follow up on theft case. - On Feb. 1 at approximately 2:14 PM, officers responded to Liberty Place Cove for a suspicious incident. - On Feb. 1 at approximately 5:55 PM, officers responded to Lola Drive for a trespassing complaint.
Keep Your Love Alive...
- On Feb. 1 at approximately 9:15 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a theft complaint. - On Feb. 2 at approximately 12:45 AM, officers responded to Sundance Trail to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 2 at approximately 12:02 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a disturbance. - On Feb. 2 at approximately 5:30 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a hit and run accident. - On Feb. 2 at approximately 8:20 PM, officers responded to Walkup Lane for suspicious activity.
- On Feb. 2 at approximately 11:49 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Ln. for a suspicious person, resulting in the arrest of a male adult with an outstanding warrant. - On Feb. 3 at approximately 9:48 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a fraud complaint. - On Feb. 3 at approximately 8:57 PM, officers responded to Trellis Blvd. for a mental health issue. - On Feb. 3 at approximately 11:48 PM, officers responded to CR 279 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 4 at approximately 10:05 AM, officers responded
Shin Oak Ridge Bulletin Board Send news to: News@LHIndependent.com
Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter meets Feb. 13
don’t forget to shop local for your sweetie and get a new date night outfit, too!
The Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas will meet Saturday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m. at the Cross Tracks Methodist
all 20% off clothes r priced
Church, 101 Church Street in Liberty Hill. The church will be sanitized, masks and social distancing observed. The program features a talk on the history of Williamson
County during the Republic. For information on membership in the Daughters, please contact Joyce Parsons at jnparsons1114@gmail.com, or Mariann Laughlin at truetexaswomen@gmail.com.
regula
o In store coupon
(use e20) code lov
See GRANTS, Page 4
Liberty Hill Police Blotter
We Answer the Phone!
-15th Feb. 11thr online
that would allow the department to purchase new ballistic vests. The grant is a matching grant through LCRA. With the grant, only $3,200 would come out of the department’s budget. The total value of the vests is close to $15,000. The current vests are on the cheaper side of the spectrum and are designed to stop rifle rounds. “So, this vest carries all my maps and medical gear on it, along with some extra ammo,”
15280 Highway 29, Liberty Hill www.simplyhomeTX.com Tuesday-Friday 10-6 & Sat 10-3
SUBSCRIBE 512-778-5577
Request Refills Online
NOW OFFERING CURBSIDE PICKUP! Mon-Fri 9am-7pm Saturday 9am-1pm 512-548-6838 | 13740 W. Hwy 29, #4 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Libertyhillpharmacy@gmail.com | LibertyHillPharmacy.com
to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for a suspicious person. - On Feb. 4 at approximately 9:39 PM, officers responded to US 183 for a traffic stop resulting in the arrest of a female adult and male adult for possession of drugs. - On Feb. 4 at approximately 11:40 PM, officers responded to Arrowhead Vine St. for a suspicious vehicle, resulting in the arrest of a male adult for possession for drugs with intent to distribute. - On Feb. 5 at approximately 10:23 AM, responded to Championship Dr. for suspicious activity. - On Feb. 5 at approximately 3:48 PM, officers responded to Aynsworth St. for an animal complaint. - On Feb. 5 at approximately 8:44 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Feb. 5 at approximately 11:51PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Feb. 6 at approximately 10:48 AM, officers responded to FM 970 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 6 at approximately 2:26PM, officers responded to Trellis Blvd. for a disturbance. - On Feb. 6 at approximately 2:55 PM, officers responded to Deserti Road for a theft complaint. - On Feb. 6 at approximately 5:59 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a hit and run accident. - On Feb. 6 at approximately 8:51 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Ln. for a suspicious activity complaint. - On Feb. 7 at approximately 11:04 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 to assist the Liberty Hill Fire/ EMS. - On Feb. 7 at approximately 2:43PM, officers responded to Deserti Rd. for a disturbance. - On Feb. 7 at approximately 7:17PM, officers responded to Rusk Bluff to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 7 at approximately 11:22 PM, officers responded to Aynsworth St. for an animal complaint.
The Liberty Hill Independent YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
~~ A Publication of Texas Independent News Corp. ~~
(512) 778-5577
Switching to eStatements is a
Win - Win - Win!
Access your Account Statements online 24-7 Save and print eStatements from your computer Reduce your impact on the environment Today is always the best time to switch.
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 Mike Eddleman - Managing Editor Stacy Coale - Media Specialist Scott Akanewich - Sports Editor Anthony Flores - Staff Writer Rachel Madison - Staff Writer
www.firsttexasbank.bank Georgetown • Round Rock • Liberty Hill Pflugerville • Cedar Park
DEADLINE Noon Monday prior to Thursday publication
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.
COPYRIGHT
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, February 11, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
AREA EVENT CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2021
Submit event information: anthony@lhindependent.com FEB 8–28
Liberty Hill Beer Market 7:30 p.m.: Jo Ellen and the Box of Chocolates Live
FEB 12
Georgetown Art Center, Georgetown 8-10am: Pistons on the Square
Georgetown Palace Theatre “Same Time Next Year” Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Princess Bride” 10pm: “The Notebook” Salado Creek Saloon, Florence 8pm: Friday Night Karaoke
FEB 13
Salado Creek Saloon, Florence 8pm: The Voodoo & the Moonshine Band Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 4pm: The Drive in Comedy Tour Live 7pm: “The Princess Bride” 10pm: “The Notebook”
FEB 14
Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Princess Bride” 10pm: “The Notebook” Liberty Hill Beer Market 12pm: Crawfish Boil on Valentineʼs Day
FEB 16
Liberty Hill Beer Market 7pm: Beer Market Trivia
FEB 18
Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” Georgetown Palace Theatre 7:30pm.: “Hits of Broadway: A Celebration of Color in Musical Theatre”
FEB 19
Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Lego Batman Movie” 9:30pm: “Bill & Ted Face the Music”
Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Goonies” 9:50pm: “Freaky”
FEB 21
Georgetown Palace Theatre 6:30pm: “Hits of Broadway: A Celebration of Color in Musical Theatre”
FEB 22-27
Arts Avenue Theater and Dance, Georgetown Last Round-Up of the Guacamole Queens 7:30pm Fri. and Sat. 2:30 p.m. Sun.
FEB 23
Liberty Hill Beer Market 7pm: Beer Market Trivia
FEB 25
Georgetown Palace Theatre 7:30pm: 80ʼs Night at the Palace
FEB 26
Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Lego Batman Movie” 9:30pm: “Clueless”
FEB 27
Liberty Hill Beer Market 6:30pm: February Fun Blue Starlight Urban Drive-In Cinema, Round Rock 7pm: “The Goonies” 9:50pm: “Freaky” H-E-B Center, Cedar Park 11pm: No Limits Reunion Tour
FEB 28
H-E-B Center, Cedar Park 11pm: No Limits Reunion Tour
FEB 20
San Gabriel Brewery, Liberty Hill 8pm: Liberty Hill Laughs
Promote your business weekly! Discount Packages Available. For rates, call 512.778.5577 news@LHIndependent.com
Page 3
We should argue and debate the $491 million school bond, but we shouldn’t hate one another
By WILT CUTTER Columnist My great uncle, Ice Cutter, who worked at the old Ice House in Georgetown would vote for anything that he felt would benefit the community. Not only was he a good guy he just believed that Liberty Hill was the best place on earth. He would have voted to finance Jerry Jones’ Cowboy Stadium in Liberty Hill. My dad used to grin and dryly refer to his uncle as a built-in ‘Yes’ voter. He and my grandfather had lots of good old country debates out on the front porch or leaning up on the hood of one of their pickup trucks. As a kid it was impossible for me to understand they were brothers. To me, a brother was a little kid like my brother. These debates would often sounded heated to me and I would hang around listening to these two ancient Texans arguing about the government, General McArthur, Ford vs. Chevy, and how to make the
world better. Did I mention Beechnut vs. Redman chewing tobacco? There was no topic off limits and many that would make a grown man blush. My mom used to laugh and say that if the argument got boring the two would switch sides just to keep it going. The past few days I find myself wondering what hilarity those two could have made with a new President, the impeachment of the immediate past one as well as the school board recommending a $491 million bond proposal aimed at answering all the educational needs of this community for time immemorial. I’ve channeled their arguments in my mind: “This sends a clear signal to the world that Liberty Hill values education more than anything.” “No, this will prove that our tax appraisals will gradually rise to the level that only displaced Austinites can afford to live here.” “Two high schools will mean that Liberty Hill will have arrived economically. We’ll begin to pull even with all of the towns who look down on us.” “No, this will prove that we
are silly enough to indebt ourselves for generations in order to prove up to other communities that we are good people.” “We will eventually outgrow all our facilities and eventually we will need every dollar in order to buy land and build even more schools.” “So, like in ‘Field of Dreams’, if you build it, they will come?” Back in the here and now, there are many folks in our community who will see the school bond proposal very differently. They should all feel free to campaign without being typecast or ridiculed. Many will ask questions about future costs, unintended variables of growth and expansion, and what happens if the population explosion doesn’t actually roll out this far north. While others may question whether or not it’s wise to destroy a community’s way of life by inviting this kind of unbridled growth. For some it will seem simple. Voting for the future is what each generation is called upon to do. Others will see this as making a wonderful community a part of the endless sameness of Suburbia. All of these questions and
positions are legitimate. Not only should they all be asked and answered, but we should all vow to respect those who see the issue from the completely opposite side of the coin. The hatred and vivitrol of the big city has no place out here along the paradise of the Shin Oak Ridge. We should all take our time and make our decision and vote according to the dictates of common sense and our beliefs. A lot has changed since the Cutter Brothers used to debate the merits of life its own-self while peering into old worn out truck motors, handing one another wrenches, chewing and whittling and fussing about everything. They made their points while laughing and filibustering. Neither one ever doubted the validity of the other’s beliefs. They disagreed in the solid acknowledgment of the other’s right to see things differently. After all, they were still brothers. Wilt Cutter is the only man in the Free World whose name is his profession. Wilt’s typewriter hates injustice. He is a man who finds beauty in the people and naturally occurring poetry of the Shin Oak Ridge.
Some stay-in favorites for Valentine’s Day
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer While some will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a night out, others might be planning to stay at home with their significant other this time around. The Independent recommends some movies perfect for a Valentine’s night in.
The Wedding Singer, 1998 Set in 1985, this romantic comedy oozes 1980’s nostalgia and cheese in the best ways. Robbie Hart, a wedding singer, is stood up at the alter and has his heart broken. After, he meets Julia, an engaged waitress, and falls head over heels, it’s a race against the clock to win her heart before she walks down the aisle. The first of three movies starring Adam Sandler (Robbie) and Drew Berrymore (Julia), “The Wedding Singer” is hilarious and truly heartwarming. With an abundance of hilarious moments and standout characters, the flick is a must watch for the romantic holiday. 50 First Dates, 2004 Henry, a womanizing veterinarian at a sea park on Oahu, meets Lucy at a diner and hits it off and they decide to meet again the next day for breakfast. Henry soon notices something odd about Lucy, she doesn’t seem to remember him. When Henry finds out
that Lucy suffers from shortterm amnesia, he makes it his mission to romance her over and over each day. The chemistry between Adam Sandler (Henry) and Drew Berrymore (Lucy) is apparent in this quirky romantic comedy. Full of laughs and sweet moments, it’s hard not to get absorbed into the antics on screen.
When Harry Met Sally, 1989 College graduates Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a car ride from Chicago to New York, arguing about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective friends they set out to remain friends and avoid the pitfalls of romance. “When Harry Met Sally” is a classic in every sense. Witty, funny, and charming, this film ages like fine wine as it studies the age-old question of whether or not men and women can remain strictly friends. Lost in Translation, 2003 Aging actor Bob Harris meets newlywed Charlotte and the two form the unlikeliest of bonds. Strangers in a foreign Tokyo, Bob filming a Japanese whiskey commercial and Charlotte accompanying her photographer husband, the two find solace, escape and understanding in each other’s company. Notching an Oscar nomination in the Best Actor category
for Bill Murray and one of the earliest critical successes for Scarlet Johansson, “Lost in Translation” stands as a highlight in their storied careers. For those looking for an introspective exploration of love and understanding, this is the perfect film. As Good as It Gets, 1997 Romance novelist Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is a less than pleasant human being. An obsessive-compulsive person, with a pessimistic view of the world and the people in it, Melvin’s view on life begins to take a turn when he’s forced to care for his neighbor’s dog. As he begins to change, he develops an often-odd romantic relationship full of missteps with waitress Carroll (Helen Hunt). With dual Oscar wins for Nicholson and Hunt, Best Actor and Best Actress, this romantic comedy is a fun and often frustrating ride. Watching the back-and-forth between Nicholson and Hunt is delightful. Ghost, 1990 Banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered by his corrupt business partner, he is left to roam the earth as a spirit. When Sam learns of his partner’s betrayal he must rely on the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopie Goldberg) to contact his former love Molly (Demi Moore) and keep her safe from his backstabbing partner. “Ghost” is a romance classic, well-known for some of its
iconic scenes – you’ll never look at pottery the same again. With plenty of comedy and even some action, “Ghost” should be a signature staple for any Valentine’s movie night. The Notebook, 2004 A classic tale of romance separated by class. Mill worker Noah (Ryan Gosling) and rich Allie (Rachel McAdams) fall in love despite the protests from her parents. When Noah goes off to World War II, it seems as though the love affair is dead and Allie eventually moves on with another man. But when Noah returns to their small-town years later, just before Allie’s marriage, it soon becomes clear that their romance is anything but over. “The Notebook” is synonymous with romance movies and a staple for most valentines. If you haven’t had a night in with “The Notebook”, then hunker down and get the tissues. La La Land, 2016 Jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their shared love of performing. As success enters their relationship, they face strains and tests that threaten to pull them apart. Winner of several Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Emma Stone, “La La Land” is a great film to watch with a significant other. The combination of the storytelling, music and acting put this must watch over the top.
Your Official Texas Sticker Shop 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
Feather Dusters House Cleaning We clean it right the first time!
Kim Glosson
512-569-7587 Free Estimates References Available Satisfaction Guaranteed
An Overall Inspection is your Best Protection! KEN COFER Professional Real Estate Inspector Certified Infrared Thermographer Insured & Bonded - TREC #20262
Overall Inspection Services, LLC
www.overallinspectionservices.com
Decks • Patios & Pergolas • Outdoor Kitchens • Stone & Masonry Work • Fireplaces & Fire Pits All Styles of Fencing - Ornamental, Wooden Privacy, Farm & Ranch, Handrails & More
BUSINESS DIRECTORY YOUR LOCAL RESOURCE FOR LIBERTY HILL AREA BUSINESSES
WANT TO SEE YOUR AD HERE? P.O. Box 953, Bertram TX • TECL#32830
LHJH students earn regional honors
Page 4
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The Liberty Hill Junior High Choir is singing in celebration after several members earned Region 32 Choir honors. Seventh graders Savannah Rawlins, Rita Gerten, Penelope Johnson-Quaife, Avery Carlton, Abigail Himmer, Angie Marquez, and eighth-grader Addison Gonzalez earned region honors. “Making the Region Choir, especially in Region 32, is a huge accomplishment,” said LHJH Choir Director Clark Stanley. “Region 32 is Leander ISD, Eanes ISD, Burnet CISD, and Marble Falls ISD middle school students. We have an incredibly talented region with inspiring music educators that lead our kids.” Leading up to their accomplishment, students put in hours of work learning their voice parts on three music selections chosen by the Choir Directors in Region 32. The students must attend sectionals and rehearse their music outside of class. “It was very hard. I had to work for two to three months on the same music going over the cuts over and over again until I got them just right. Even then, there were still
GRANTS
some problems to tweak,” said Addison Gonzalez. As with so many other areas of life, COVID-19 forced adjustments to the norm for the choir. “In a non-COVID year, our students would perform with the region choir at a “clinic and concert” with all of the students who advanced,” said Stanley. “We are all disappointed that the students will not receive this incredible experience, but I am proud of them for their accomplishment. It is not diminished by any means. Singing with a mask on has been challenging for all of my students. Not performing live has also been a huge hurdle to overcome.” The process of learning a song and recording it is a daunting task that requires a great amount of discipline. “First, you need to listen to all of your songs and get to know them, then start singing with the track,” said Abigail Himmer. “After that, you can start to do the track with just your voice part. Now you have the song memorized. You can start working on dynamics, vowels, and musicality and sing with accompaniment. Make sure to work with your director and work on what they tell you to
Continued from Page 2
Graeter said describing the vest he wears. “The weight of it is coming from the metal plate in the front and the back. These weigh like 10 pounds apiece, that’s 20 pounds of plates. These are a little cheaper, but it’s what we could get.” Graeter’s goal in acquiring the new vests centers on reducing the amount of stress on an officer. The difference in extra weight combined with everyday gear is almost a 20-to-25pound difference. “The new plates will defeat the same rifle rounds, but they only weigh two pounds apiece. That’s a huge difference when you’re out running through a
field or going through a school shooter situation. Normally I’ve already got about 40 pounds of stuff on me, then I add another 30. It’s all wear and tear on the body.” Graeter said he is prepared to make budget adjustments for the ballistic vests. He believes the City is in a great position with the canine. “I’ll have to find the $3,200 in my budget, but I will move around things,” he said. “That way we can get what we need, and with the canine, the City can get a free canine if things go through, knock on wood.”
improve. finally record over and over until it has reached your full potential and then submit it.” In the case of region preparation, time is shortened drastically, forcing choir students to follow the same learning process in a condensed form with the same efficiency. “Preparation will take months for any singing music, but when we get the region music, we have less time, and after we are used to the whole song. We then have to figure out the cuts and one less song to sing, then continuously only have a small part of the song to sing,” Seventh graders Savannah Rawlins, Rita Gerten, Penelope Johnson-Quaife, Avery Carlton, Abigail said Gonzalez. “I know Himmer, Angie Marquez, and eighth-grader Addison Gonzalez earned region honors. (Courtesy Photo) you would think that it would be easier, but you ones to make it,” said Savan- the judges would decide who to give our choristers the expeare used to doing the whole nah Rawlins. “I am very proud to select. I was happy with the rience of performing with one song and the pitches, and then of myself that I have. It was recording I submitted and con- another and building our Choir you have to go to the middle of hard to get to this point.” fident that I would do well.” Family. We believe our kids the song and start there instead Rita Gerten went into the proWith Regional selections out deserve the gratification of of the beginning.” cess with plenty of confidence of the way, the next challenge working towards and achievEven with all of their hard but still showed surprise at on the horizon is Concert and ing their goals. UIL Concert work, the honors of earning re- earning region honors. Sight Reading. and Sight Reading is set for gion status came as a surprise “Our kids are preparing for March 26th at the LHHS PAC “I’m very proud of myself to some. and my friends who made Re- UIL Concert and Sight Read- during the school day.” “It feels great to have made gion choir,” said Rita Gerten. ing in class,” said Stanley. “We Region. In all honesty, I didn’t “I didn’t know how many peo- as Choir Directors and Music think that I would be one of the ple would be chosen or how Educators feel it is imperative
Sawyer earns certification
Nancy Sawyer, City Secretary, for the City of Liberty Hill, graduated from the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program on Jan. 28. Graduates complete approximately 200 hours of individual study over a four-course curriculum and attend eight two-day seminars for an additional 100 hours of classroom study. The curriculum includes selected texts and a number of special readings on the topics of public administration, election law, budgeting and finance, municipal law, and personnel management. The Texas Municipal Clerks
Certification Program, located at the University of North Texas in Denton, is a university-level professional education program for city clerks and city secretaries in Texas. The program is the third oldest of 33 such programs in the country. The Certification Program is recognized and endorsed by Section 22.074 of the Local Government Code, Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated. In 1984, the College Board selected the Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program as one of 64 exemplary professional development programs in the United States.
Your Business Card can be seen every week IN COLOR for only $32! 512.778.5577 or news@LHIndepenent.com Live in Historic Downtown Liberty Hill Walk to restaurants, salons, corner grocery and more! Just minutes to highly acclaimed Liberty Hill Schools.
DRIVE THRU FLU SHOTS
Call today for your appointment!
TRACTOR SUPPLY LIBERTY HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MAIN STREET SOCIAL RYS ABOVE QUICK SERVICE NUTRITION GARAGE TEXAS MALTED GRAINS HONEY HOLE PARKER’S LO GROCERY O FELLOWSHIP P CHURCH 33 AGAPE BBQ DANA’S INDIGO VETERANS 2 ( M 869 HAIR SALON PARK A Y. 1 IN HW HELL OR ST B HIGH WATER .) A R BREWING T LE
T YR
.
LN
O
N
D
R
M
.
GE
V A N
AN
GR
LIBERTY HILL GARDEN HOMES AT CENTRAL PARK M
RO
A LL
More Liberty Hill Living to Love in 2021 Six years after the launch of the first annual issue of Liberty Hill Living, we’re excited to announce the community magazine will be delivered to Liberty Hill area homes five times in 2021! Packed with more indepth articles, professional photography and regular features on local business, cooking, home and garden, travel, history and entertainment – each issue holds something for everyone without the long wait!
CONTACT US TODAY FOR SALES OPPORTUNITIES! (512) 778-5577 or Stacy@LHIndependent.com www.LibertyHillLiving.com • 921 Loop 332, Liberty Hill TX 78642
SHOW YOUR
panther pride!
E
Y
.
ST
N
U
L
EL W LL FA
.
ST
D
EL
I EF
BL
UB
ST
✪
.
ST
Thursday, February 11, 2021
.
LN
STUBBLEFIELD PARK APARTMENTS
304 Stubblefield Lane | StubblefieldPark.com New 2BR 1BA apartments | Porches + balconies | Privacy + gorgeous scenery Washer/dryer hookups | Green space for kids + pets to play CALL TODAY 512-453-6566
Military & First Responders Discount • Locally Owned + Managed
YOUR LIBERTY HILL HQ FOR PANTHER GEAR! Same day appointments available Monday - Friday 8am-5pm
WWW.LIBERTYHILLPEDIATRICS.COM | 12661 SH 29 | LIBERTY HILL
M-F 8-6 • SAT 8-4 • TwoBrandIt.com
Don’t get caught in the cold.
Visit www. integrityinsurance.group today to complete a short form and we’ll get back to you right away with your insurance quote. STARTING AT
2328
$
Call ACA for a heater checkup Service you can Trust.
Free service call with repair
325 E State Hwy 29 | Bertram Located between PEC and the Train Depot
512-219-0900
Includes custom color to match your home!
HOA APPROVED SHEDS Visit us online, in person or by phone!
Lots of Options for Customizing Financing Available - Lease or Buy Come See Our Huge Inventory Free Delivery & Setup
512-548-6474
9750 W. SH 29 • Liberty Hill, TX www.moorelibertybuildings.com
Home | Auto | Commercial | Life
512-515-5533
Thursday, February 11, 2021
COUNCIL
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Continued from Page 1
then-Mayor Rick Hall. It is unclear whether those funds were ever spent with CAMPO or the status of the previous decision. “CAMPO will come in and sit down with us – and Sally (McFeron) and Greg (Boatright) have been working with them for a few months now – and they will look at what the county’s plan looks like, what the state’s plan looks like, what the projected growth looks like and they will help us figure out how we need to get around in our city to connect to all these arterials outside so we have a fluid process to get through the entire county and the state,” Hall said at the time. Public concerns over the plan boiled over in August 2019 when area residents noticed a road on the plan that appeared to go through the Sundance Ranch neighborhood. To quell the fears of residents, Hall told them the plan was essentially void, promising to have it taken down from the site. “I want to apologize that I haven’t taken the initiative to remove that map from the website,” He said at the meeting. “I have taken the initiative to totally stop the transportation plan that we have in effect right now because we do have to go back to ground zero.” But the transportation plan remains the official plan today, though the Council has indicated its intent to replace it with an update to the comprehensive plan. It does not imply, though, that all of the potential roads on the plan are intended to be constructed. Council member Kathy Canady asked if it could simply be revoked, but City Attorney Tad Cleaves said there
were a number of steps in that process. “You have to amend the comp plan to that,” Cleaves said. “That requires a hearing, ordinances. It’s a process. You can do it, but it’s a process.” Citizens comments For the second month in a row, the Council took up the debate about when and how citizens should be allowed to address the Council during public meetings, this time at the request of Canady. The issue first made the Council agenda in early January when McIntosh requested it be discussed. The item corresponded with local resident Chris Pezold addressing the Council on two occasions and complaining about the actions of McIntosh as a Council member. “I really feel like for citizens comments it needs to be what’s on the agenda,” Canady said Monday. “I don’t want to talk about ducks or the price of tea in China. I don’t want to hear about things that don’t pertain to the agenda at this time. If somebody has concerns they have the opportunity to look at the agenda, come in and make their comments. This avoids things that happen in citizens comments that have nothing to do with the agenda.” Others were quick to defend the comment time as the public’s right. “They have every right to come speak on an agenda item at the time we are addressing that agenda item,” said Council member Tony DeYoung. “This is the citizens’ forum to talk to us about anything.” Canady responded that it was the Council’s choice, but DeYoung continued. “You’re eliminating their
opportunity to talk to us in an open forum,” he said. “I don’t agree with that at all.” Part of the discussion focused on how to police the comments and prevent individuals from attacking Council members. “I have a hard time wrapping my hand around letting them say whatever they want to say,” said Council member Gram Lankford. “That I don’t agree with because there are statements made that can be slanderous or can be personal attacks against persons on staff, the mayor or council members. To make it a stage where they can personally attack someone’s character or slander their reputation I feel like that is wholly inappropriate.” Lankford suggested guidelines be established that would spell out expectations for citizens comments and establish how to police them. “The Open Meetings Act requires the City Council allow people to speak on any posted agenda item, that’s kind of all it says,” said Cleaves. “You can’t stop them from speaking, but you can have reasonable rules around that. It does not require you have this open citizens forum. That’s simply something created by the Council.” The item was tabled for future consideration when Cleaves brings back potential wording for a new policy and guidelines. Generator maintenance The Council approved spending up to $49,999 annually on service and maintenance on the City’s 32 generators – primarily serving wastewater lift stations. The responsibility for this maintenance had previously
CLASSIFIED ADS $15/week for Minimum 30 Words Additional Words $0.20 Deadline Noon Tuesdays NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM (512) 778-5577
EMPLOYMENT LABOR HELP NEEDED at Bertram, TX. Factory (Hand & Machine cutting stone). Full time, with or without experience, good pay. Call 512-3392299. (2/11p) SE NECESITA TRABAJADORES en Bertram, TX para una fabrica de acabado a mano y use de maqunaria para piedra natural. Tiempo completo, con o sin experiencia, buena paga. Interesados llamar al telefono 512-339-2299. (2/11p) NEWSPAPER DELIVERY The Independent is seeking a backup delivery person to work up to three hours delivering newspapers to businesses in the Liberty Hill area on Thursdays. Must have vehicle and insurance. For information, call (512) 778-5577 or send email to Mike@lhindependent.com.
PUBLIC NOTICES MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you. (2/25)
LEGAL NOTICES LIBERTY HILL ISD is seeking E-Rate services for Funding Year 2021-2022. All interested vendors please see RFP at: https://erate.esc12.net/R12/. To view the Form 470, please visit: https://portal.usac.org/ suite/ Form 470 #:210014319 (2/11)
Clawson Disposal, inC. Residential * Commercial * Roll off
(512) 746-2000 301 County Road 307 PO Box 416 Jarrell, Texas 76537
been with the Public Works Department, but a lack of documentation available regarding previous maintenance and staff workload led to proposing the outside contract. “It’s for three quarterly inspections, then one is a complete overhaul of the generator to make sure it is functioning,” said Hale. “It is outsourcing that service so our operators can focus on operations. We’ve never had a maintenance agreement for this.” On the issue of the missing data, Lankford was concerned about the lack of background. “Are we sure the inspections that were being performed were accurate?” asked Lankford. “Do we have any documentation on previous inspections by Public Works employees on these?” Hale said there was no documentation she was aware of. Lankford also indicated he hoped to eventually see this responsibility go back to the Public Works Department. “It is my assumption that this is done with the expectation that eventually the City will have the bodies in order to facilitate this through the Public Works Department,” he said. “It seems like a lot of money, and my assumption was this was already being facilitated through the Public Works Department. The end state for me is the understanding this was a temporary thing.” Canady said the responsibil-
LEGAL NOTICE
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage Restaurant Permit (RM) and a Food and Beverage Certificate (FB) by An Thinh Asian Cuisines to be located at 2082 N. Highway 183, Suite 150, Leander, Texas 78641, Williamson County, Texas. Owner of said Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) is Thu Thi Nguyen. February 11 & 18, 2021
GET NOTICED! Call 512.778.5577 NEWS@LHIndependent.com
TUMBLEWEED craft cocktails and local beers with an arcade side to it,” Pinson said. There is one historic marker on the property – on its southeast corner – and that’s the Bryson Home. “This is where Liberty Hill started,” Kubiak said. “This was the stage stop in the 1850s and the church and school – the Methodist Church – started right in that clearing in a log cabin.” The Bryson Home will be refurbished and is expected to become an outfitter shop. “It can not be moved,” Pinson said. “It can only be restored.” But there are a handful of other locally-significant structures that will be kept and restored and that is why the project is moving forward. “I’m very excited about this,” Kubiak said. “We held out, trying to save the buildings. I could have sold them to individuals, but I really wanted to keep them right here. The vision they came up with is exactly what we wanted.” There is the Dodd trading post, the first building in Cedar Park, which was later moved to its current location to preserve it.
The McCoy Agency gives back to Liberty Hill schools because our teachers give so very much of themselves every day.
DOMESTIC • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL R.V. Fuel | Bottle Filling | Gas Piping in Home Propane Tanks | Grills & Replacement Parts | Gas Logs
512-259-1196
Murray Hoggarth • Wanda Hoggarth 2601 S. Hwy 183 | Leander, TX 78641
in support of the annual Liberty Hill Rodeo, an event organized and hosted by the Williamson County Cowboy Church. The City donated $10,000 to the rodeo last year. In a follow up to a discussion of the request from the Liberty Hill Development Foundation Board to donate $20,000 to the 2021 Sculpture Festival, Communications Manager Katie Amsler told the Council that the Foundation Board said no event would be held this year. The Council balked at the request in January, indicating it was not willing to provide that amount of funding for the sculpture festival event. The Council did approve moving forward with the Whimsy & Wonder Festival scheduled for May 15, with the modification that all activities be held outside. There was also support for Amsler’s fiscal year 2022 festival calendar that included the Christmas Festival, Whimsy & Wonder, Fourth of July and a new event in March 2022 that would bring back the Liberty Hill Festival. “The idea I would like to do is I want more community involvement,” Amsler said. “I want it to be lower budget on the City’s end. I want the City to handle logistics, the oversight, the layout and location and I want to do it at Foundation Park. And I want to utilize all the community organizations.”
MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO
WE PROUDLY GIVE BACK!
We Provide Keepfull Routing Service
ity was an important one with particular skills required. “In all fairness to the Public Works Department, that’s a specific type of job that you just don’t want anybody doing. That’s a mechanics job.” The Public Works Department has recently been reorganized and expanded to 22 employees. Planning assistance The City also entered into an agreement for planning services with Mundo & Associates. The agreement authorizes the City to pay Mundo & Associates $135 per hour for up to 50 hours per month. “This is to provide additional support for our planning department,” Hale said. “They’ll be handling the city planner’s duties like the technical review, assisting staff and developers to improve development meetings.” Hale added this would allow Director of Planning David Stallworth to focus more on the comprehensive plan and long-term planning needs. The Council added a planner position, but it has not been filled to date. Former Planning Director Sally McFeron, who continued on with the city, working under Stallworth after he was brought in to head the department, was terminated in July 2020. Event plans The Council pledged $20,000
(RIGHT) Realtor Nathan Pinson (left) talks about future plans for the 30-acre Fort Tumbleweed site with potential investor Michael Gonzalez and Williamson County Museum Executive Director Nancy Hill.
Jarrell (512) 746-2000 Leander (512) 259-1709 FAX (512) 746-5807
ACTION PROPANE, INC.
Page 5
McCoy Agency
Honest, Local & Trusted David & Christa McCoy, Wendy Neill
TheKindnessRevolution.net
12780 W Hwy 29, Liberty Hill • 512 900-4422 www.farmersagent.com/cmccoy
Continued from Page 1
“This was the very first building ever built in Cedar Park,” Pinson said. “There are musket holes and eye holes in the walls of the cabin. That’s how they defended their trading post.” Then there is the Round Rock Bank building at the center of the famed shootout when outlaw Sam Bass shot and killed lawman A.W. Grimes. “The Sam Bass gang was in Round Rock to hold this bank up,” Kubiak said. “The Texas Rangers had infiltrated his group so they were notified and all the Rangers were in town.” At the time, all pistols were to be turned in to law enforcement while in town, and Grimes saw that Bass was carrying a pistol. When he confronted the outlaw, he was shot and killed. The incident gave birth to the reenacted shootouts once held annually in Round Rock, which Kubiak once participated in. “Our thought is when this becomes the new development and operational that they could move the shootouts out here,” Pinson said. The history of the buildings and their contents have been
painstakingly cataloged by Kubiak. “I sat down and put together a history of each building so that information can convey with it,” he said. Partnering on the project, the Williamson County Museum hopes to help developers in seeking grants for restorations. “We want to be the historical preservation part of the project,” said Nancy Hill, executive director of the museum. “We could also do events, because there is going to be food and beverage here. This will help get the museum out more in the county.” Whether they host events or just help promote more of the county’s history through the structures, the museum hopes to expand education on local history. “We are going to use some of the buildings where we can do a mixture of exhibits, having living history characters and be able to have education programs,” said Andrea Robisheaux, Visitor Services Coordinator for the museum. “We’ve done partnerships like this in other local areas.”
SPORTS
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, February 11, 2021 Page 6
Two of a kind taking turns Lady Panthers goalkeepers effectively share time in net
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Eleven players take the field for a soccer game. However, only one wears gloves, is allowed to use their hands, and stands between the goalposts. Goalkeepers are certainly a different lot – people who choose to put themselves directly in harm’s way in attempts to block, parry and catch swerving, dipping, speedy shots – all in the name of keeping a clean sheet on the way to victory. The Lady Panthers of Liberty Hill have a pair of netminders who have shared the goal this season in senior Kylee Bush and sophomore Keira Garcia – a combination which has worked just fine so far for head coach Darren Bauer in his ongoing quest for a state title. With the early graduation of last season’s No. 1 keeper, Sam Carter, a gaping hole was left at the back of the Liberty Hill lineup entering this season, which required Bush – a converted defender – and Garcia, a transfer from Leander High School, to compete for the starting role. Early on, the pair was splitting time in goal, with each one playing a half apiece in several games, but now that district play is in full swing, Bush has been getting the majority of time, especially
against rivals such as Cedar Park and Rouse, while Garcia has played against the likes of Marble Falls and East View. According to Bauer, Garcia is no different from a player at any other position on the pitch as far as needing the seasoning required to move forward and get better. “Goalkeepers are just like field players,” said Bauer. “They need to get experience, so we’ve been getting both of them playing time.” Garcia’s is an interesting story, as far as how she became a shot-stopper in the first place. “Back when I was seven or eight and started playing soccer as an outfield player, I was always very protective about letting the ball go in my own net on defense,” she said. “I even used my hands sometimes instinctively.” Well, that silly rule about only using one’s feet to play the game got in the way of that strategy, so it was suggested Garcia get in goal – and she’s been there ever since, she said. “My family and coaches pretty much decided right then and there I was going to be a goalkeeper,” said Garcia. “So, I’ve stuck with it ever since.” One thing Garcia has had to adjust to since making the move to Liberty Hill and trading being a Lion for a Panther, is getting acclimated to how her new team plays – and ex-
SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO
Liberty Hill sophomore goalkeeper Keira Garcia (#00) is currently learning the Lady Panthers’ system after transferring from Leander before this season. pects her to. Bauer employs a system in which playing the ball out of the back and maintaining possession is the highest priority, as opposed to the goalkeeper simply booting long balls downfield to begin the attack. As a result, keepers must be much more aware of how the action unfolds in front of them and in kind, have to ability to see the play and react accordingly, said Bauer. “To play in our system, a keeper needs to be able to read the game and have the ability to understand all of the dynamics going on,” he said. “You need to see how the defense is shaped and know where to want to pull defend-
ers to where you want them to be in order to distribute the ball effectively.” To that end, the goalkeepers are integrated into practice sessions with the outfield players in certain drills which can benefit them, as well. “We work on a lot of passing techniques,” said Bauer. “So, we also want our keepers to be able to pass the ball and take good touches in our possession game.” Bauer said Garcia definitely has what it takes to be a top keeper – with some time and focus on certain aspects of playing the position. “Keira has soft hands, which allows her to hold onto shots other keepers can’t,” he said.
“But, she still needs to work on playing with her feet. She’s already improved a lot as far as seeing the field, although she has lapses and struggles a bit sometimes.” Certain imminent danger comes with being a goalkeeper ans is something Garcia has experienced firsthand, she said. “I got hit in the face with a shot while playing indoor soccer,” said Garcia. “I had a bloody nose and it broke the bracket on one of my braces, but I was okay with it.” In addition, keepers must sometimes leave their line to challenge an onrushing attacker who has broken free of the defense – creating the distinct
possibility of some nasty collisions in the area. No worries, said Garcia. “I’ve never gotten hurt in one of those,” she said. “Usually, it’s the other person who gets hurt.” With Bush graduating after this season, Garcia will be first in line to take over the Lady Panthers’ No. 1 goalkeeping duties next season, but for the time being, is content to share the spotlight with her teammate, she said. “We’re competitive, but also supportive of one another,” said Garcia. “It’s important to be happy either way, whether I’m playing or not.”
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Kadin Knight (#12) scored 18 points in the Panthers’ 63-47 home win over East View in a game Liberty Hill needed to win to keep its playoff hopes alive.
ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO
Kindsee Escamilla (#2) has signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Cisco College, while studying for a career in secondary education.
Catching a dream, Escamilla signs with Cisco College
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Ever since Kindsee Escamilla was a youngster just beginning to learn the game of volleyball, she had visions of perhaps one day having the opportunity to play at the highest possible level. So, when the Liberty Hill senior outside hitter put pen to paper and signed her name to a national letter of intent to play at Cisco College, she was one step closer to the destination on the journey to her dreams – with gratitude in no small part to those who have supported her over the years – both in an earthly and spiritual sense, she said. “I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity God has presented me with,” said Escamilla. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my family and faith. I’m so excited because I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl.”
According to Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson, Escamilla is a shining example of what can happen when a young student-athlete is driven and determined despite adversity. “I’m so proud of Kindsee for getting to this point. She’s overcome so many challenges and obstacles, but has always persevered, put head down and went to work,” said Peterson. “She may make this journey look easy, but I assure you, it hasn’t been – she’s been tested and pushed down, but has always come back – a great example of persevering through anything that comes between you and your goals. It’s always good when the good guys come out on top and Kindsee is definitely a good one. I love her and I know I’m better for coaching her. She’s a strong
See ESCAMILLA, Page 7
Fighting for a playoff spot
Focus must be sharp for ‘must-win’ games
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor For the first time in quite some years, Liberty Hill’s boys’ basketball squad is facing the distinct possibility of missing out on the postseason. With only a handful of games remaining before the playoff seeds are determined, head coach Barry Boren and his troops must win games now and ask questions later to avoid being on the outside looking in when the ball goes up for the postseason dance. Everything looked rosy for the Purple-and-Gold as the calendar turned for the new year, as the Panthers had posted a 14-1 record to begin the season, with only a 74-65 away defeat at the hands of Class 6A Hutto ruining their record. However, a non-district, 7664 road loss to Hays on Jan. 2 began a three-game losing streak for Boren’s club, a slide that included losses to Glenn (77-63) away and Georgetown (69-52) at home in the first two district contests of the campaign. The Panthers rebounded with a 75-67 road victory against
East View, but all momentum on the comeback trail was then stonewalled by a two-week team quarantine, which kept them on the sidelines until Jan. 29. Once back in action, Liberty Hill again stumbled in a pair of defeats to Georgetown (43-33) and Glenn (70-56), to suddenly find themselves with a 4-4 league record and a predicament the likes of which represented uncharted territory for the program, as they navigate across the Class 5A hoops landscape for the first time. At this point, Boren knew he needed to do something in order to shake his squad out of the malaise that could potentially derail its playoff hopes – which is exactly what the veteran bench boss did. “We had a little ‘Come-toJesus’ meeting today before practice,” said Boren, of the Tuesday morning gathering the day of the rematch against East View, one he called with the hopes of providing his players proper perspective and perhaps a realization of the gravity of their current conundrum, he said. “On my part, I had a sense
of urgency – but, they didn’t,” said Boren. “We were 15-4 and then we were off for two weeks, so how were we going to regain the momentum we had? I asked them if there was any doubt in their minds if they were going to beat East View (that night) and asked them to play with a sense of urgency and make as big of a deal over the game as they were.” The result was a gritty, gutty, 63-47 win over the Patriots in a game that began as if it was going to be a blowout for the home side, only for it to degenerate into a sloppy, mistake-filled affair in which they were ultimately able to hold on for the victory. According to junior forward Walker Weems – who poured in a game-high 19 points in the victory – he and his teammates finally rediscovered their mojo and once again came together at exactly the right time. “We played much more as a team,” said Weems. “As opposed to sometimes, when we each try to do too much on our own. Especially on defense, where if one person slacks off, it affects everyone.”
Boren agreed with Weems’ assessment of the situation. “When I tell them we need to play as a team, it doesn’t mean the same thing as when you’re playing pee-wee ball, when you make sure you pass the ball around and everyone gets a shot,” he said. “Here at this level, what it means is making sure you’re always in the right place at the right time because if you’re not holding yourself up to the standards of the team, it reflects on someone else’s play.” Like during the second East View game, when Weems found himself out of position defensively, only to suffer Boren’s wrath from the sidelines. “Wake up, Weems!” he shouted to his player, who sheepishly accepted the medicine for his transgression – an unpleasant occurrence Weems said he and his teammates try to avoid at all costs. “We know if we make mistakes, Coach Boren’s not going to be happy about it,” said Weems. “So, we try to make sure that doesn’t happen too
See BOYS, Page 8
Thursday, February 11, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page 7
Rough waters for Lady Panthers’ ship
Move up in class, quarantines, made for a tough season
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Entering this season, Liberty Hill’s girls’ basketball team and head coach Chris Lange knew they were going to be in for a challenge like one never before seen by any Panthers team of the past. The newly-minted move up to Class 5A and the fierce competition it would bring would certainly have been enough of a handful to deal with under ordinary conditions. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the road was even more rugged than anyone could’ve expected. The campaign got off to a good enough start, though, with a pair of victories against Class 6A squads in Killeen (79-45) and Copperas Cove (45-43) in the home opener. But, those victories were balanced out in the win-loss record by back-to-back defeats to another duo of Class 6A teams in Ellison (38-26) and Vandegrift (42-36) – the latter of which was a harbinger of a specter that would haunt the Lady Panthers all season long – their inability to prevail in close games. Those two losses were followed by another – to Fredericksburg, at home by a score
of 53-45 – although the Billies would go on to post a 23-1 overall record on the season and are currently ranked No. 3 in all of Class 4A. The three-game losing streak coincided with the Lady Panthers’ first quarantine encounter of the season, with Lange forced to call up junior varsity players to fill out his roster – another bugaboo that would be a constant companion as the campaign unfolded – and a bane of Lange’s existence. “We had games where we were playing shorthanded,” said Lange. “At times, we only had six varsity players.” Following the restoration of his roster, Liberty Hill posted two wins in its next three contests, including wins against Belton (42-33) and Salado (53-52) and entered the district opener at East View with an overall record of 4-4. Without the luxury of playing in tournaments early in the season leading up to district competition missing from the docket this year due to health restrictions, the Lady Panthers were plunged headlong into the league fire without nearly as much time to hone their collective game compared to a normal season. But, nothing was normal
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Senior guard Baylee Laird (#12) showed grit and determination for the Lady Panthers all season during a disappointing campaign which saw Liberty Hill fail to qualify for the playoffs in its first season in Class 5A. about this season – something they were about to experience firsthand. When the Lady Panthers were on their game, they were a difficult team to play against, witnessed by the first two district contests against East View and Rouse. Players such as Jessica Holl-
iday, Madison Walker and Regan Walker were never ones to shy away from contact driving fearlessly to the hoop time and again, while outside threats such as Baylee Laird and Morgan Jackson were able to light up defenses from beyond the 3-point arc when opponents would collapse down low.
Post players such as junior center Emma Hubbard, along with senior Olivia Shelton and junior Kenzy Wise provided a gritty, inside physical presence. Only problem was for as good as they would play in stretches, it was consistency and the ability to close out contests
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Kadin Knight (#12) scored a game-high 23 points in Liberty Hill’s 77-45 away victory over Rouse.
Weems leads Runnin’ Panthers to must-win victory
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor For the past few weeks, head coach Barry Boren has been imploring his players to have a sense of urgency as they battle for the fourth and final playoff spot in their district. Walker Weems certainly got the message loud and clear in scoring a game-high 19 points in the Panthers’ 63-47 home win over East View in a game that was by all accounts a must-win after a crushing 7056 home loss to district-leading Glenn in their previous outing. However, despite his personal offensive outburst, Weems credited the work he and his teammates did at the other end of the court for the victory. “We really wanted to concentrate on our defense,” he said. “We practiced a different zone before this game.” The shift in defensive schematics bore immediate dividends on this night, as the Panthers got out to a 21-9 advantage after the first quarter of play – the result of stifling defending which left the Patriots guessing, said Weems. “They weren’t expecting
Escamilla
young woman who will do great things.” Escamilla – who missed nearly her entire sophomore season due to an injury – said she is hoping to take this opportunity and use it as a springboard to even bigger and better things on and off the court. “I chose Cisco because being at a smaller school, I can continue to further my education and grow and improve my volleyball skills while playing at the next level,” she said. “Hopefully, with a lot of work,
that,” he said. “Also, we were passing the ball really well and our transition offense was much better.” Weems was certainly a direct beneficiary of the Panthers’ prowess, as the 6-foot-4 junior forward scored six points in the opening period, along with 3-pointers from Bobby Mundy, Kadin Knight and Gunter Daniels. But, the second quarter saw the visitors slowly start to claw their way back into the contest, although the home side still took a 37-23 lead into the halftime locker room, as Knight hit a pair of threes in the period. East View’s Jakson Derr drained a 3-pointer to begin the third quarter, which was immediately answered by a Mundy bucket on a nice pass underneath from Anthony Sierras and then it was Weems who took over. After nailing a three, Weems scored on a pretty spin move in the paint, then followed that with another bucket on the Panthers’ next possession to make the score 46-26. But, just as if it seemed the home side would cruise to an
easy victory over their neighbors from the east, the Patriots stormed back into the game with the kind of gusto their American flag-waving mascot would’ve been proud of. Following Weems’ final score of the trio, East View went on a 14-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to turn a 21-point deficit into a seven-point game, at 48-41. But, despite the Patriots’ dogged determination, the Panthers were able to hold on for the win, as Weems scored six of Liberty Hill’s final seven points of the game, including a two-handed dunk to put an exclamation point on the proceedings. The throwdown marked the third occasion in which Weems has dunked in a varsity game and was something he said was the end product of his and his teammates’ desire to come out and make a statement. “I think it showed we’re motivated to win the rest of our games and make the playoffs,” he said. “I feel like now we’re more confident in what we’re doing offensively and
See HOOPS, Page 8
Continued from Page 6 I can use this experience to move on to a four-year university and be ready to step right in and be a big contributor to the team.” Secondary education is what Escamilla plans to begin studying upon her arrival as a Wrangler and will be plenty busy adjusting to all aspects of college life, but she won’t ever be too preoccupied for her thoughts not to occasionally wander back to Liberty Hill. “The biggest challenge will probably be just missing my
family and friends,” said Escamilla. However, it’s those family members and friends who will live forever in her memory in helping her get to this point – something she will dearly miss as she moves on. “I’ll remember most the memories from volleyball and all the support from all the coaches,” she said. “I’m definitely going to miss playing in the gym and working each day to try to reach our goal.”
that would rear their ugly heads on a regular basis. A 51-49 defeat to East View would be followed by a heartbreaking 47-45 overtime home loss to Rouse in a game that saw Liberty Hill lead by as much as 10 points in the fourth quarter before the Raiders went on an 11-1 run down the stretch to force the extra period, which ultimately led to a loss for the Lady Panthers in a contest they had won. Lange could only ruminate over what the solution to his team’s late-game woes were. “I don’t know why we’ve struggled to finish games,” he said. “But, it’s super frustrating for everyone.” After the Rouse game on Dec. 11, the Lady Panthers were forced into a team-wide quarantine and weren’t able to return to the court until Dec. 22, when they defeated Leander on the road by a score of 49-33. After losses to ranked teams in No. 1 Cedar Park (57-21) and No. 5 Georgetown (5526), Liberty Hill lost to Glenn, 47-36, before recording backto-back victories against East View (57-52) and Rouse (4540), leaving the Lady Panthers with a 4-5 district record with four games left to salvage their season and still qualify for the playoffs. A loss against top-ranked
See GIRLS, Page 8
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Kenzy Wise (#14) faces up on defense during the Lady Panthers’ 42-38 home defeat to Leander, which ended Liberty Hill’s playoff chances.
Leander eliminates Lady Panthers from playoffs
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor The Lady Lions of Leander did something last week they hadn’t done in over three years. They won a district basketball game. In fact, the last time Leander tasted the fruits of victory in a district contest before their 42-38 win over Liberty Hill was all the way back on Jan. 19, 2018, when they prevailed over Lehman by a score of 39-29. In between, they had stepped onto the court for a district game 49 times and on every single occasion, walked off with a defeat. But, not this time. Leander showed the heart of their mascot in scratching and clawing from beginning to end in a game the Lady Panthers desperately needed to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Now, Liberty Hill’s postseason chances are dead and it was the Lions who put the final nail in the coffin and threw the first shovelful of dirt on the grave. According to Liberty Hill head coach Chris Lange, it was a just result, given the effort level of the visitors. “Leander should be happy – they earned it,” said Lange. “We just struggled to get it going and they showed they wanted it more.” Lions junior guard Parker Bradley was certainly one of those, scoring a game-high 14 points and epitomized the grit and determination the home side was sorely lacking against a team they had beaten in their first meeting this
season by a score of 49-33. In fact, the loss marked the fourth time this season in which the Lady Panthers have lost a district contest by five points or fewer. On this night, both teams began the game as if they were allergic to nylon. The score was 9-7 in favor of Leander after the opening period of play – a quarter that saw only a pair of field goals made – one by each team – in the midst of a nonstop parade to the free-throw line, as 12 of the 16 points scored were from the charity stripe. Lady Panthers center Emma Hubbard got the first 2-point bucket of the contest and was fouled for a 3-point play – which she converted – after 4:05 had already elapsed. Lions senior guard Bella Leal sandwiched a pair of threes around a Baylee Laird free throw to extend Leander’s lead to 15-8 at the outset of the second stanza. However, the Lady Panthers then embarked on a 7-0 run, fueled by back-to-back buckets by Jessica Holliday, in addition to a 3-pointer from Morgan Jackson and just like that, the game was tied at 1515, with 3:58 left in the half. Laird then took over down the stretch, with consecutive 3-point plays to end the second quarter – one of the drive-and-foul variety and the other a traditional long-distance dart from beyond the arc and the Lady Panthers led at the break by a score of 2217. Holliday drained a three to open the third quarter, which was immediately followed by another Baird bucket and the
home side enjoyed its biggest lead of the evening at 27-17. But, right after, the Lions stormed back with a 7-0 run – including a Bradley three – to close the gap to 27-24. Hubbard added another pair of free throws, followed by a Holliday basket and an Ashton Jordan free throw and Liberty Hill led, 32-30, entering the final quarter, with everything to play for as their postseason lives hung in the balance. However, it was Leander who played the kind of desperate basketball the home team needed in outscoring Liberty Hill by a 12-6 margin in the final period. Holliday scored on an uncontested layup to close the score to 40-38 with 12.5 seconds left, but a pair of Bradley free throws at the death sealed the deal for the visitors. Hubbard, Laird and Holliday all led Liberty Hill with nine points apiece on the night, but Lange’s team didn’t come through when it needed to, which wasn’t helped by the fact he was missing junior guards Madison and Regan Walker due to quarantine, he said. “I don’t know if it was because we didn’t have the right people out there or what,” he said. “But, it’s just super-frustrating for everyone.” Glenn 47, Liberty Hill 40 The Lady Panthers’ season came to an end with a 47-40 road defeat at the hands of Glenn in a contest that was indicative of the struggles they faced all season.
See LEANDER, Page 8
Page 8
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, February 11, 2021
SOCCER BRIEFS
Girls Not only has Liberty Hill not lost a district game so far this season – they’ve failed to concede even a single goal to the opposition in storming out of the starting gates to a perfect 5-0 record on the new campaign. The latest example of the Lady Panthers’ league dominance was an 8-0 home win over Leander, which extended the Purple-and-Gold shutout streak to a remarkable 400 minutes. Mykenna Russo and Piper Tabor each scored a pair of goals in the victory against the Lions, with single markers from Abbey Janicek, Kaylie Fowler and Madi Fuller, as Liberty Hill jumped out to a 5-0 halftime lead before adding on three more in the second half. Kylee Bush (2 saves) and Keira Garcia (1) each played a half in goal and combined for the shutout. LHHS 10, Marble Falls 0 Fowler netted a hat trick, while Tabor bagged a pair of strikes in the Lady Panthers’ 10-0 away success against Marble Falls. LHHS scored six goals in the opening half before tacking on another four in the second stanza, as Russo, Cordelia Brown, Kassidy Contreras and Fuller
Hoops
Kaylie Fowler (#9) leads Liberty Hill with 14 goals on the season, as the Lady Panthers are 5-0 in district play. each scored a goal in the victory. Bush and Garcia combined for the clean sheet, without either goalkeeper required to make even a single save in their respective 40 minutes of work. Fowler leads the Lady Panthers will 14 goals on the season, while Tabor has 13 and Russo 12. Liberty Hill (11-2-2, 5-0) will next host Georgetown on Feb. 12, then travel to Glenn on Feb. 16. Boys The boys hosted Marble Falls looking to end a three-game losing streak to open district
Continued from Page 7
defensively.” In addition to Weems’ 19 points on the night, Knight poured in 18 and Sierras 10, while Peyton Adams led East View with 11 points. Boren said the result was certainly welcome – even if the way it was accomplished wasn’t necessarily. “We made a ton of mistakes, but we played really hard,” he said. “An ugly win is always better than a pretty loss.”
Liberty Hill 77, Rouse 45 For some time now, Boren has been wanting Weems to establish more of an inside presence and use his wiry, 6-foot-4 frame to his advantage. After scoring 19 points against East View last time out in a Panthers’ win, the rangy, junior forward poured in 13 in another Liberty Hill victory – this one a 77-45 away success against Rouse. Boren acknowledged perhaps the light has at long last come on for Weems. “I think Walker turned a corner the other night (against East View),” he said. “I also think he knows he did, so he took the ball and went to the basket tonight.” Weems scored eight of his points in the first quarter, including the first bucket of the game and after Kadin Knight hit a pair of free throws and converted a 3-point play, Gunter Daniels drained a three before Knight then stole the ball and fed Weems, who drove along the base line and went up-and-under for a pretty reverse layup. Weems then added a bookend basket to his opener by sinking the final shot of the first period and the Panthers held a 17-14
Girls
LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
lead, as the Raiders had traded scores with the visitors. However, the second quarter was largely where the contest was determined, as Liberty Hill outscored the hosts by a 25-6 margin. Knight hit a three to open the quarter, then added another pair nearing halftime, before Daniels scored on almost identical plays on back-to-back possessions, getting offensive rebounds and converting them into hoops on both occasions. The second-quarter offensive outburst left Liberty Hill with a commanding 42-20 lead at the half, with Knight’s 18 almost matching the entire Rouse squad’s point total at the break. Rouse’s Nazar Mahmoud hit a three for the Raiders to open second-half scoring, on his way to a squad-best 20 points on the game, but Knight scored his 19th and 20th of the evening immediately after from the free-throw line. Weems drained a pair of free throws to extend the Liberty Hill lead to 50-30 approaching the end of the third period and after a Hunter Clayton 3-pointer and a Kaden McMahan bucket, the Panthers led, 56-34, entering the fourth. Knight hit a three moments into the final quarter and finished with a game-high 23 on the night, then Daniels scored five straight points on the same trip down the floor after converting a three-point play after being fouled on the way to the basket, then draining a pair of free throws after Rouse was assessed a technical foul. The final nail in the Raiders’ coffin was a strike from beyond the arc by McMahan, who finished off the game with
Continued from Page 7
Cedar Park set up a three-game gauntlet in which Liberty Hill needed to win all three games to keep its postseason hopes alive. However, the straw that finally broke the camel’s back for the Purple-and-Gold was a 4948 away loss to Marble Falls – a team they had defeated earlier in the season – 45-36 – in a game that was a microcosm of the season. After Laird hit a late three to even the game at 45-45, the teams traded a pair of free throws to make it 47-47, before the Mustangs hit another from the line to lead by a point with 3.3 seconds remaining. After Lange had called a timeout to set up a potential game-winning play, the Lady Panthers stepped onto the court determined to make it happen. Which is exactly what they did – only a split-second too late. Taylor Swieczkowski heaved a pinpoint pass from the base line to Laird at half-court, who then expertly found Holliday driving to the basket for an easy layup. But, the basket was waved off after it was determined Holliday failed to release her shot before the clock expired.
As the Mustangs celebrated only their second district win of the season, the Lady Panthers walked off the court knowing their playoffs hopes had all but died. “Marble Falls was pretty rough,” said Lange. “It took us out (of the playoffs) realistically.” After yet another quarantine, Liberty Hill was defeated at home by Leander – who had entered the game with a 49game district losing streak dating back over three years – 42-38 – in a game in which the winless Lions played with the desperation that was so desperately missing from the home side – something not lost on Lange in the aftermath, although he was quick to place the blame squarely on his own shoulders, he said. “It all falls back on the coach,” said Lange. “We have great girls who are positive kids and work hard and I know they definitely have playoff ability. I need to do a better job of coaching.” Senior guard Laird attributed the season’s results to the fact so many players were missing from the Lady Panthers’ lineup on a consistent basis over the course of the entire season. “When you lose players like
play and came close, but ultimately settled for a 0-0 draw against the Mustangs. Both sides generated scoring chances, but were equally unable to capitalize enough to secure a win. Leander 2, Liberty Hill 0 Next up for the Panthers was a road game at Leander, one in which they were shut out, 2-0, by the Lions, as the home side scored a goal in each half on the way to victory. Liberty Hill (3-7-1, 0-4-1) will next play Georgetown on Feb. 12 before returning home to host Glenn on Feb. 16.
the last of his season-high nine points. Daniels added 14 points in one of the sophomore forward’s best efforts of the season, but perhaps Boren was most pleased with something senior Hunter Clayton – who was held to five points – did which didn’t appear on the scoresheet, he said. “Back during the first quarter, Hunter came back to our bench and really got the guys fired up,” said Boren. “Our players responded to that, which is what winners do.” But, back to Weems’ sudden resurgence, as he seems to be on a one-man mission to help the Panthers make the playoffs – a desire exemplified by something he did the day before the victory which was a bit out-of-character, said Boren. “Yesterday, Walker went in and lifted weights with Kaden (McMahan), then did a recovery exercise with him,” he said. “He stepped out of his comfort zone, which is something that shows me growth because Walker’s biggest opponent has always been himself.” The victory moved the Panthers into fourth place and ahead of Rouse for the fourth and final playoff berth in the district standings, with a rematch between the clubs set for the regular-season finale at home on Feb. 16. However, before then, Liberty Hill (17-6, 6-4) will have to play three games in four days to make up contests which were postponed due to a teamwide quarantine, with matchups against Marble Falls at home on Feb. 12 and a pair of road games at Leander on Feb. 13 and Cedar Park on Feb. 15.
that, you lose your rhythm as a team,” she said. “The virus really messed it up for all of us.” What Laird didn’t do was use Liberty Hill’s move up to Class 5A – and the rugged competition that resulted in district play – as an excuse. “Sure, it was definitely faster-paced,” she said. “But, it was nothing we couldn’t handle.” Now, it’s back to the drawing board for Lange, as he will lose eight seniors off this year’s squad and be looking to infuse some youthful enthusiasm into his roster – along with a self-examination, he said. “We’ll bring in some new players and try to put the pieces right back together again,” said Lange. “But, I think you always have to re-evaluate yourself at the end of every season.” Lange said one of the biggest factors in his team’s malaise this season was a lack of identity. “I think we struggled to find a voice,” he said. “We had lapses in concentration and focus and you can’t make mistakes like we did against any team – it was just a tough season.”
Liberty Hill’s Ethan Wukasch demonstrates a proper backhand – a valuable, but difficult shot to understand and use properly.
Backhand critical to court success
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When a tennis ball is returned back over the net by an opponent, it will approach a player in one of three zones – to the left, the right, or in the center. At this point, one has a choice to make. Hit a forehand – which is usually a player’s strength, but also requires the quickness to get around to the proper side to execute a successful shot – or have the ability to hit a return on the backhand, a more difficult groundstroke to master, but one which will serve well when properly harnessed. However, despite the value of honing such a weapon in one’s hardcourt arsenal, many players resist putting in the time and effort to develop such a skill, said Liberty Hill head coach Sherry Rhoden. “After giving countless group lessons and private lessons over the years with many on-court conversations, the backhand groundstroke is the least liked in tennis,” she said. “Most players have one side of their body that’s most difficult and for most, it’s their less dominant side. Players seem to always want to take a lesson to improve their forehand, when in reality, they need more work on their backhand. In tennis, the ball will either be hit to our left or right with some balls landing in the middle of our bodies, making a player choose either the forehand or the backhand.” According to Rhoden, strate-
Leander
Continued from Page 7
Liberty Hill played well in spurts and showed flashes of the kind of team they can be, but ultimately it was the same combination of costly mistakes and inconsistency that had plagued them all season, which was their undoing on this night. After the visitors had fallen behind early by a score of 5-1, it was junior center Emma Hubbard who got the Lady Panthers going with a rebound and bucket, which was followed by a Baylee Laird 3-pointer to even the score at 5-5. However, the Grizzlies then went on a 6-2 run to end the first quarter with a 10-7 advantage. Senior Morgan Jackson hit a three on the opening possession of the second quarter to once again tie the game at 10-10, but Glenn answered right back with a 3-pointer by Ashley Bonneville, which was followed up immediately with another from Brooklyn Scott, to open up a six-point
Boys
gy enters into the equation as far as what shot will be used and when during a competitive match. “Players size up their opponents during the warm-ups,” said Rhoden. “Our goal is to find our opponent’s weaknesses in the first minutes of hitting. Having a good backhand can prevent a player from having to run around the backhand to hit the forehand shot, which can be great for players who want to take less steps.” Although the basic technique is the same between the shots, the manner in which the racket is held differs, said Rhoden. “The forehand normally has more head speed and more power than the backhand and the grip changes between a forehand to a backhand,” she said. “Most forehand beginners start with an eastern forehand grip and advance to a semi-western or modern grip. The majority of basic backhands are hit with a continental grip. Then, there is the ageold conversation about the two-handed backhand versus the one-handed backhand – I like my more advanced players to know both.” Whether a player will choose to employ a one or two-handed variance of the shot will often depend on what that particular player’s athletic capabilities are. “Many times, players have a preference and many times, it boils down to what their body can physically do,” said Rhoden. “Are they fast with their feet? Then they’ll nor-
lead at 16-10. Hubbard scored off another rebound, while senior Jessica Holliday drained a pair of free throws, but Glenn still led, 22-16, at halftime. Madison Walker opened the third quarter with a bucket, but despite a Laird basket and a three from senior Taylor Swieczkowski, the Lady Panthers still trailed after three, 36-24. As the fourth period began, it was if Hubbard had been shot out of a cannon. Following a steal, the 5-foot10 post player dribbled up the court and drove all the way to the basket before being fouled, then shortly thereafter, she blocked a shot at the other end of the court. Hubbard’s inspired play seemed to fire up her teammates, as moments after her gritty display, Holliday hit a shot, then drove the lane strong the next trip down the court and was fouled on the way to the basket for a 3-point play.
Continued from Page 6
often.” Boren attributed his team’s recent struggles to an unfamiliarity with adversity. “We have kids here who have never lost – even going down to the junior high level,” he said. “People want to know what’s wrong with us because we’re not winning.” One thing that was wrong when the struggles started was a defensive disconnect, which Boren said began in the first meeting with East View, that the Panthers won by a much smaller margin than the size of the lead they had enjoyed earlier in the game. “When you blow a lead, something happens,” he said. “Since Christmas, our defense had been bad because we weren’t communicating, so we decided to simplify things and make it easier.” Indeed, it had the desired effect, as the Patriots could
only muster 47 points in the second game, compared to the 67 they posted in the first meeting. Now, it’s onward down the home stretch for Boren and his charges, with critical contests left in a condensed schedule, as they make up for the earlier quarantine absence, but although fighting for one’s playoff lives may be something new to his players, Boren is one who’s been there, done that, he said. “I’ve been doing this for a while,” said Boren. “So, I’ve been in this place before.” Which means he’s wily enough to employ tactics such as shorter practices as the season winds down in order to keep his players fresher, both mentally and physically. However, there’s one thing he can’t do anything about. “Because of the pandemic, our players don’t see each
mally use a two-handed backhand. One-handed backhands are nice for the reaching aspect of tennis, which normally means a player is slower with their feet or they’re playing an opponent with a faster-paced return. The two-handed backhand is many times more reliable, as two hands on the racket helps the player have a more controlled swing pattern and helps players combat big spin and pace from their opponent.” Rhoden added the ball’s flight path off the racket – regardless of forehand or backhand – is more the result of other factors. “The spins on the ball come from the contact point on the ball and the swing pattern,” she said. “Opponents can adjust to the types of spin by observing the start of the swing pattern on the stroke.” As far as how she goes about applying all this knowledge in the tutelage of her Panthers players, Rhoden said she wants them to always be cognizant of the benefits of both all along the learning curve. “I teach all of my players the forehand and the backhand at the same time, so they can feel the difference from the beginning,” she said. “I like for the brain to develop both sides equally. My beginners work on both of these equally. Many times, the forehand develops quicker because players also feed the ball with their dominant side – this is naturally hit the most.”
Once again, Hubbard got an offensive rebound and a putback and Liberty Hill had cut the deficit to 39-34, before back-to-back threes by Swieczkowski and Holliday left the score at 44-40. But, from there, all the Grizzlies had to do was hit their free throws down the stretch to close out the victory and with it, the Lady Panthers’ season. Lange sized up his side’s shortcomings after the curtain dropped on his club’s campaign with yet another hardfought, close-but-no-cigar defeat. “We just couldn’t seem to get over the hump,” he said. “Mistakes cost us opportunities, but we fought all the way to the end.” Holliday led the Lady Panthers with 11 points, while Hubbard added eight. Liberty Hill finished the season with an overall record of 8-13, including a 4-9 mark in district play.
other twice a day like they usually do,” he said, of the normal daily school schedule that sees them assembling in the gym before classes, then after school again for practice. “As a result, they don’t have the same bond with one another and socially, we have kids from three different classes – sophomore, junior and senior – so, I don’t think they hang out socially, which makes it all the more difficult to pull together toward a common goal.” With five games in eight days to determine their postseason fate, Boren knows he and his players must put everything in the rear-view mirror and focus on the road ahead. “All we can do is try to build on what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “But, my biggest fear is we do the same things that got us into this situation in the first place.”
Thursday, February 11, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page 9
FISHING BRIEFS Liberty Hill’s fishing team was in action on Jan. 23, as the Panthers held an intra-squad tournament on Lake Fayette between anglers from the high school and junior high school. The high school boys won the team event, with an average weight of 6.88 pounds, to the junior-high boys’ haul of 6.58. Holt Avery and Michael Evans were the first-place overall
winners, while the junior-high teams of Hoyt Brown and Jake Carter and Greyson McVan and Gunner Rutherford finished second and third, respectively. Bo Stubblefield and Gavin Salinas were fourth and Cade Stratton had the big bass. In honor of fallen former Liberty Hill football player Cade Riley – whom the Panthers
fishing team was founded in honor of – all of the anglers had “53” – which was Riley’s football number – written on their hands. (RIGHT) Michael Evans and Holt Avery won the team competition as the Liberty Hill Fishing Team held an intrasquad tournament on Lake Fayette on Jan. 23. (Courtesy Photo)
HOMES AROUND THE HILL
SELLING L LIBERTY HIL FOR
40 YEARS!
BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?
RE/MAX Town & Country 13561 W. Hwy 29, Liberty Hill shanetwhite@remax.com www.ShaneTWhiteTeam.com
512.515.5253
Feature your property listings weekly! (512) 778-5577
Home
is where e heart is!
Let us help you fall in love with a new home.
Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing
Dax Oglesby
REALTOR®, RPL daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com
(512) 635-7529
3103 Ranch Road 1869 Liberty Hill
www.DaxSellsTexas.com
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.
Is NOW the time to sell your home? Call us ... We know the answer! Residential, Luxury, Farm & Ranch
Kristen Childers REALTOR®
Tammy Wise REALTOR®
(512) 501 501-0777 AustinAndHillCountryRealEstate.com
900 Quest Parkway Cedar Park, TX 78613
Page 10
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
County updates COVID-19 vaccination plan
GEORGETOWN- COVID-19 vaccine providers in Williamson County are preparing to administer 9,700 first doses throughout the week, adding to the continued efforts of getting the vulnerable population in the community vaccinated. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the following providers will be vaccinating people who have signed up to receive their first shot. · Family Hospital Systems, 8,000 doses. · Williamson County and Cities Health District, 1000 doses. · Lone Star Circle of Care in Cedar Park, 100 doses.
BOND
Thursday, February 11, 2021
· Lake Aire Med Center Senior Health and Wellness, 100 doses. · WellMed in Leander, 400 doses. · Lone Star Circle of Care, TAMU Health Science Center Family Health, 100 doses. “Getting more vaccines for our community members is instrumental to support our efforts of keeping our most vulnerable residents safe and protected from COVID-19,” said Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell. “While our public-private partnerships have been key in getting this work done, we are hopeful we will get a larger supply of vaccines through the support of our
Continued from Page 1
we have to comply with. It ranges from Texas Education Agency on classroom sizing, which calls for minimum standards for spacing, to building codes and fire codes. They drive many of the materials and sprinkler requirements and things like that.” A second reason for higher costs of construction is the need to build efficient structures in terms of durability and efficiency. “The better job we do building the facility up front, the lower the long term maintenance and operations (M&O) cost can be if we do it correctly,” Sledge said. “This is particularly important in today’s school finance. The way the state funds school districts in Texas, most districts are very limited in the M&O funds they have. We have to be efficient with our future M&O.” To determine a dollar amount for a bond the school district needs reliable estimates for future construction and renovations. Engineers, architects and contractors look at many factors in determining those estimates. “When you’re trying to put an estimate to a building that has not been designed or barely planned, it is very difficult,” Sledge said. “We have to have assumptions about what we want the facility to do. That’s
the hardest part. After that it gets down to experience. There’s not a simple formula, but we rely on many sources, the design team, contractors, the price of inflation and think logistically through each project.”
Other inclusions The first proposition includes funds for land acquisition, and Snell said there are some land plans already pending should the bond pass. “We have a couple of properties under contract pending a successful bond as we actively explore other options to get under contract should the bond be successful,” Snell said. Some bond monies will be for maintenance and repair needs across the district, as well as security, technology infrastructure and expansion of the transportation facility and purchase of additional buses. Expansions An additional $54 million is included in the first proposition for renovations and expansions at five of the district’s campuses. Both Liberty Hill Elementary and Louine Noble Elementary – currently Liberty Hill Intermediate – will be expanded with some renovations to make them equal in student capacity to the district’s other
state and federal leaders.” People who are interested in getting on the COVID-19 vaccine waitlist through the County’s vaccine hub provider Family Hospital Systems can visit www.wilco.org to get registered. Williamson County is now maintaining the waitlist that will be used by FHS and other COVID-19 vaccine hub providers, such as Curative Inc, that have established agreements with the County to provide the COVID-19 vaccine. On the County’s website, people who sign-up to get on the waitlist will be able to check if their name is on the list and edit their information or remove themselves if they
receive the vaccine elsewhere. A big part of the County’s vaccination plan includes the assistance of volunteer-run Vaccine Registration Technical Assistance (VRTA) centers. The centers are made possible thanks to local partners willing to fill the need for technical support by providing wi-fi connectivity, assistance with uploading documents, and other technical needs. These are the County’s three VRTA centers and their availability: ·First Baptist Taylor, 2500 Mallard Lane, Taylor, beginning Feb. 9, will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
· Hill Country Bible Church, 3300 Little Elm Trail, Gym Building, Cedar Park, beginning Feb. 15, will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. · Sun City Ballroom, 2 Texas Drive, Georgetown, is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The County’s first VRTA center at the Sun City Ballroom will continue servicing people on an appointment basis only; however, appointments are not necessary to get help at the VRTA centers in Taylor and Cedar Park. The County’s call center, phone number 512-943-1600, remains open Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to serve as a resource of information to community members. Just in the first week of operation, the call center received more than 16,000 calls. The call center has added staff members to keep up with the influx of calls the county has received since launching the service Feb. 1. For more information on the County’s vaccination plan, please visit www.wilco.org/ coronavirus.
elementary campuses at 800. The funds will pay for a new classroom wing, expanded library, gym and traffic management, as well as additional furniture needed and fine arts improvements. “I know people love Liberty Hill Elementary the way it is, but if we can get Liberty Hill Elementary and Noble Elementary to 800 (student capacity) then over the course of time we could save one elementary school as well,” Snell said. “Not that we look at it as savings because it is still a lot of money and a lot of schools being built, but we don’t have to spend an additional $100 million when we add to the schools we have. And that was important to me, it was important to our Board and to the Committee.” That expanded capacity is also the reason there are funds planned to expand Santa Rita Middle School, which is still under construction and set to open next Fall. The available funding for the last bond, and projections at the time limited the district to a smaller capacity than the expanded capacity planned today. “The demographics they had at the time just warranted another middle school for 900 students,” Snell said of the plan. “That’s what they budgeted for and that’s what
the current debt capacity then could afford as well.” Ultimately increasing capacity at both middle schools will help limit the number of schools that will be needed in the future, he said. “It wasn’t until very recently that the population exploded to the point where we looked at whether we wanted to keep 900-student middle schools – at which point we would have to build six middle schools – versus a 1,200-student middle school of which we would have to build five. That’s a $60 million savings to the taxpayer by choosing to build them at 1,200.” The funds for Santa Rita Middle School will be used for a new classroom wing, while those for Liberty Hill Middle School – the current junior high – will be for expansion as well as upgrades to the common areas, new roofing, traffic management and additional furniture needs. The middle school and new elementary campuses were all designed with potential future expansion in mind. The funds for expansion at the High School will be for added student capacity, Career Technology Education additions and fine arts upgrades. Not only were the expansions included as a way to cut new campus costs in the future,
they were added to help ensure equity across the district in terms of student activities and opportunities. “That’s what this bond is about is making facilities, classrooms, technology, access, everything equitable,” said Trustee Kathy Major. The second proposition voters will decide on is $8 million for technology devices for both teachers and students. Due to legal requirements, the purchase of these must be broken out in a separate proposition in part due to the shorter length of time they will be financed.
build a new high school we’re going to build a brand new stadium? That becomes a very expensive proposition for every school to have their own stadium,” said Trustee David Nix. “It seems to me that’s a pretty expensive $20 million out there that really isn’t used all that often.” The Board chose to follow the recommendation of the Long Range Planning Committee, which proposed the second stadium. “Based on what the Long Range Planning Committee said – those members came together and did a great job and had all the information – they recommended it so I’m in support of their recommendation.” But the decision was made to separate the current stadium expansion and the new stadium in case voters chose not to support the second stadium. “If people look at this and say they don’t like that $20 million and they fail that part of the bond, you’ve lost your $6 million at the current high school,” Nix said. “If people want the ($20 million) that’s great, but if they don’t you don’t want to lose the $6 million which is the more immediate need.”
Stadium discussion One issue that became a bit of a debate during Monday’s Board discussion was how to address stadium needs in the district once a second high school is built. “Athletic facilities always seem to be a sticking point when it comes to bond elections,” Snell said. “Having modest facilities that give our kids everything they need is important.” While the Board talked about equity, financial feasibility of trying to make everything equitable in all cases was also discussed. “If we start with this model, are we basically committing ourselves again, in terms of equity, that every time we
SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577
Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities
“WE DON’T HAVE TO BRAG ABOUT WHAT WE DO. OUR CUSTOMERS DO IT FOR US.” –BENNY BOYD
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEWS
• home of the lifetime engine warranty! • no payments for 90 days oac • payments as low $21,280 as $189/month 2014 Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler 6-Speed Manual 81,806 miles #EL306746
$24,987
$53,987
2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z51 8-Speed Paddle Shift w/Automatic Modes 18,895 miles #G5125915
BennyBoydLibertyHill.com Ben yB ydLibe tyHill.com | 10620 TX 29, Liberty Libe ty Hill | (512) 778-6111 778-
2017 Chrysler 300S All Wheel Drive - V6 Cylinder 8-Speed Automatic 31,847 miles #HH580390