LH Independent, Feb. 27, 2020 by The Liberty Hill Independent

2020

Volume 33, Issue 14

www.LHIndependent.com

News@LHIndependent.com

February 27, 2020 | 50 Cents

EDC An Olympic feat as Panthers win gold, show growth Executive Director’s future in question By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The future for Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Lance Dean is unclear following a meeting Feb. 20 when the EDC Board voted not to renew his contract. In a meeting called for the sole purpose of discussing the issue in executive session, the Board chose not to renew the contract – which is structured to be renewed annually – based on the desire to make changes to that contract. According to Board President John Johnston, no details of the decision could be shared because the issue was a personnel matter taken up in executive session.

See EDC, Page A5

Parties narrow ﬁeld Tuesday

Texas voters will narrow a long list of candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and Presidential contests Tuesday to bring a clearer picture to the race for a November win in the general election. In addition to the District 31 U.S. Rep contest, each party has a pair of Pct. 2 Constable candidates to choose from locally. Three candidates – Mike Williams, Christopher Wall and Abhiram Gartapati – are challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. John Carter on the Republican ballot. On the Democrat ballot, Eric Hanke, Donna Imam, Dan Janjigian, Christine Mann and Tammy Young are vying for opportunity to represent their party in the U.S. Rep. race on the November ballot. If no candidate from a party achieves a majority Tuesday the top two vote getters in that party’s primary will enter into a May runoff election. Democrats Robert Tijerina and Greg Papst are facing off in the Constable race, while Jeff Anderson and Renee Harrell are constable candidates on the Republican ballot. Democrats have 11

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Texas State University’s Jowers Center was the center of the basketball world Saturday for athletes competing in the 2020 Special Olympics. Traveling almost two hours south to compete in the event, the Liberty Hill Panthers secured their fourth gold medal in a row. The team took ﬁrst place in the 3-on-3 basketball competition. But the victory on the court is only a small part of what this trip and these students are all about. The Panthers were unbeaten, picking up their two victories against the Bastrop Silver Stars and Hutto Hippos. “I thought that Hutto was a challenge, they were our challenge team, but we pulled through,” said Panther Cassidy Sandlin. “It felt good winning and playing basketball in a team effort.” Aside from the glory of taking gold, the victory over the Silver Stars was a redemption win for Walker Raney, who never forgot their ﬁrst-year loss to the Bastrop team. “Winning was glorious,” said Raney. “Back in the day, we

Kevin Ellet-Graves practicing his jump shot before taking the court at the 2020 Special Olympics, where the Panthers took Gold over the Hutto Hippos and Bastrop Silver Stars. lost against the Silver Stars, highlighting and giving a but we did have a score to set- spotlight to individuals often tle. We were able to prevail.” overlooked and dismissed by The Special Olympics began society. The goal for the volin 1968, continuing to grow unteers, parents, coaches, and in size over the last 50 years, ofﬁcials involved in dissolving

COURTESY PHOTOS

Cassidy Sandlin playing defense as the Panthers prepared to face Hutto and Bastrop in 3-on-3 competition. the lines of division and usher- athletes and coach of the team, ing in a wave of normalcy and said times have changed since inclusion. they were in school. The vetLiberty Hill Elementary eran educator remembers a School educator Angela Meade, the mother of one of the See OLYMPICS, Page A6

The science of taste

Madrone Mountain aims to please every palate

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor When the front door opens, the aroma gives it all away. The layman says “I found coffee,” but the minds behind Madrone Mountain Coffee are ready to show there’s so much more to know. “Our mission is to connect people with great coffee,” said co-founder Jake Sussman. “Being able to do a custom roast for a restaurant owner or a company owner, to help them tell their story through coffee is what we like to do. “Seeing those light bulbs go off and seeing someone who has never tasted fruit in coffee or never noticed a Kenya could taste like blackberry jam, that’s what excites us.” The aromas, ﬂavors and stories are endless. A good mix of science and passion – blended with an innovative spirit – has the owners of the new coffee roaster just south of the South San Gabriel on County Road 279 ready to share not only their

unique blends, but the deep, flavorful story of their journey. “It is about what story do you want to tell with this coffee,” Sussman says as he slowly pours water over a sample of one of four different coffees to be tasted at this sitting. “What we’d like to do is make people aware there is this kind of coffee out there. I mean good coffee. I think there’s a lot of people used to scooping Folgers in a filter and that’s fine, but there’s a whole world of coffee out there people could discover.” As he pours and slides tasting cups in front of visitors, it is evident this experience is intended to go well beyond sending a coffee lover on their way MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO with a good brew. It is intend- Jake Sussman (left) and Alex Noel enjoy nothing more than sharing their love for and knowledge ed to be an experience, where of coffee with customers. the taste, the story and the unPerhaps a buyer simply derstanding go hand-in-hand consumers looking for coffee making his coffee each day. “It to create an entire experience. can find their very own coffee. is very ritualistic to everyone wants the signature Packsad“I like convenience just as who drinks it so to be able to dle blend. Maybe the KenSussman and his partners – Alex Noel and Rob Edwards much as everyone else, but get into it is kind of cool. If yan, Columbian or Ethiopian – have built their new busi- sometimes it’s the ritual, the we can be there like that when options. What Sussman and ness around that premise. It is five minutes each day I can people start their day, that conintended to be a place where zone out,” Sussman said of nection is cool.” See COFFEE, Page A6

Council decides against hiring a city administrator

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor In spite of repeated claims by Mayor Rick Hall over the last six months that a new city administrator would be hired, the Council voted unanimously Monday to hire an assistant administrator instead, sending a clear message that Hall would continue in the management position that has evolved since last May. Council member Kathy Canady made the motion

following a one hour and 19 minute executive session that included discussions of the administrator position as well as other items. “I’d like to make a motion that we look for a assistant city administrator, but we do some change to the name and it be a chief operating ofﬁcer,” Canady said in her initial motion, to which Hall responded with a question. “And who will that person report to?” Hall asked.

“That person would report to the Mayor,” Canady responded. Hall asked that it also be added to the motion that he and two others be tasked with reviewing all current applications to determine if a ﬁtting candidate could be found before reposting the position. The Council voted unanimously to support the motion, with the only discussion being a comment from Canady about how this move goes “hand in

hand with what we wanted” in relation to expectations set up for the Mayor’s ofﬁce. No further information was provided regarding the new job description, and the City has not responded to requests from The Independent for copies of the administrator and assistant administrator job descriptions. “We’re aligning the position to grow with the City,” Hall told The Independent Wednesday of the Council decision.

“Based on the Texas statute, the mayor is over the municipal ofﬁcers in a general law city, and then the city administrator is over the department heads. That’s the way it will continue to be. This position will also be referred to as a municipal ofﬁcer and report to the mayor.” He added that the plan was to align the management of the city more with the rules for a

See COUNCIL, Page A5

Page A2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Williamson County Learn to Fish OBITUARY event is coming March 28 Samuel Gonzalez

LEANDER -- Williamson County is hosting its Annual Learn to Fish Day in the Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, located at 3005 CR 175, Leander, on Saturday, March 28, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Children of all ages will be able to spend time learning various ﬁshing tips and techniques from local experts. The Learn to Fish Day event is free and open to the public. All activities are in preparation for the day’s objective -- to catch a ﬁsh. Angler hopefuls will be guided through learning stations that emphasize the use of basic tackle, appropriate bait selection, knot tying, boat casting, conservation ethics, and

general outdoor/water safety. Additional activities such as “backyard bass” will also help participants hone their casting skills. With all the planned activities, please allow at least an hour or more to fully enjoy the event. We recommend an early arrival to gain the most from the program. Fishing poles and tackle will be provided, so please leave personal fishing gear at home. We suggest wearing loose, comfortable clothing, a hat or visor, and closed toed shoes. No flip flops or sandals, please. The use of insect repellent is advised along with sun block. Commissioner Cynthia Long hopes the Learn to Fish event

will inspire families to spend quality time with children discovering the outdoors and engaging in the lifetime recreational activity of ﬁshing. No pre-registration is necessary. Upon arrival at the park, all participants are asked to stop at the registration table to pick up materials needed for the stations. Williamson County’s Learn to Fish Day is funded through the donations of private individuals and corporations. For more information, please contact the Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department at 512-943-1920 or the ofﬁce of Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long at 512-260-4280.

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Samuel Gonzalez, 62, of Liberty Hill, Texas, passed away Thursday, February 13, 2020, surrounded by the love of his family. He was born in Casa Grandes, Chihuahua, on January 25, 1958 to Jose Brijido and Cruz Trejo Gonzalez. Samuel was educated by the school of life and was a jack of all trades with a strong work ethic that he instilled in his children. He worked hard to provide for his family. A stern man who was not afraid to voice his opinion on anything, he never met a stranger and easily made friends. He had a heart of gold and would go out of his way to help anyone in need. He would give you the shirt off his back, if need be. While baseball was his favor-

ite sport and the Dodgers his favorite team, he was also an avid Lakers and 49ers fan. He dreamt of seeing the world and enjoyed traveling, especially cruising. He was preceded in death by his mother, Cruz and the mother of his children, SanJuanita Gonzalez. He is survived by his wife, Rosalva Loera; daughter, Monica Gonzalez; son, Fidencio Gonzalez and wife Frances; son, Samuel Omar Gonzalez; father, Jose Brijido Gonzalez; siblings Jose Gonzalez and wife Marta; Moises Gonzalez and wife Manuela, Leonel Gonzalez, Belia Gonzalez, Noel Gonzalez, Casimiro Gonzalez and wife Cecilia; grandchildren Kaila, Krystofer and

Ella; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and godchildren. Services have been completed. Condolence messages may be left for the family at www. gabrielsfuneral.com

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

Public Meetings

The following are standing open meetings that are subject to change within the guidelines set forth by the Texas Open Meetings Act. For the most current meeting postings, and meeting agendas, visit the respective websites. - Liberty Hill City Council, 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 9 and 23 at City Council Chamber, 2801 RR 1869. libertyhilltx.gov/agendacenter - Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees, 6 p.m. Monday, March 16, 2020, at LHISD Administration Bldg., 301 Forrest Street. libertyhill.txed.net

Liberty Hill Public Library hours

The Liberty Hill Public Library is now open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The library is located at 355 Loop 332 in Liberty Hill.

Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets March 3

The March 3rd meeting of the Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild will be brief and will immediately be followed by our annual sew-in and birthday party. The meeting is 10-10:30 a.m. and sewing is 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Quilts made on this day go to Linus and Patriotic Quilters. Visit www.ctquiltguild.org for more information on the guild and other programs/ workshops.

Liberty Hill Garden Club meets March 10

The Liberty Hill Garden Club meets March 10, and the program will be “Converting to Low Water Landscaping” by

Jenee Lamberton, known as “The Plant Chick”. She will discuss landscaping with less water use, which is an economical and environmentally appropriate idea. The meeting starts at 10 a.m., but come a little early to socialize. The meeting is held at Life Springs Church, 15611 W. State Hwy. 29.

Highland Lakes Garden Club meets March 12

The Highland Lakes Garden Club invites the public to attend a free gardening talk by Willard Horn, Master Gardener and Master Naturalist, on “Container Gardening”, March 12 at 1 p.m. at the Marble Falls Library, 101 Main, Marble Falls.

Free seeds available for spring planting

We Thank You

Submitted Content Did you know that the beginning of spring is actually here? March is sticking its nose out from under the covers and is one of those months that can really be spring-like one day and winter the next. Yes, we can still get frost, but we need to start planning for our yards and gardens in order to enjoy the beauty of our efforts. This past September the Liberty Hill Garden Club launched a seed library locat-

ed in the Liberty Hill public library for the community to access. Those who have discovered it are taking their ﬁrst steps to growing vegetables and ﬂowers for their families to enjoy. The seeds are free. You are invited to take seeds from any category. (Flower, Vegetable, Herb, or Fruit) Limit 10 packets. The Liberty Hill Garden Club asks that you only take what you have space for in your garden. Check out your seeds with a staff member at

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the desk in the library. If you don’t already have a library card, you can sign up for one. You are asked that at a future date to please consider donating seeds to the seed library to help it ﬂourish for others to enjoy. You do not need to donate the same kind of seeds you take. Donate seeds throughout the year. Drop off seeds to a staff person at the library. If they are seeds you harvested from your plants, please put them in a sealed paper envelope and write as much basic information as possible telling what they are on the outside of the envelope. Store-bought packets already have necessary information on the packaging. The Liberty Hill Garden Club will more fully prepare them for the seed catalogs. Thank you for helping the seed library grow. Happy gardening! Learn more at www.facebook. com/lhgctx www.libertyhillgardenclub.org.

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

EDITORIAL:

Mayoral election very different today

In the spring of 2018, when Rick Hall filed to run for Mayor against then-incumbent Connie Fuller, the position was very different than it is today. When Hall was sworn in that May, following a 15-vote win in a contest that tallied 129 total votes, the Mayor’s job was to lead the council and fill a role focused more on vision than the day-to-day inner workings of the government. Within a short time, Hall has remade the position, and along with it completely changed the leadership structure of Liberty Hill. Today, as he runs for re-election he is not running for the same position he sought two years ago. Today, Hall is applying for a job with the voters of Liberty Hill -- a job that residents generally would expect to come with qualifications and city management experience to even get an interview, much less be hired. The job now also comes with a $40,000 salary. Today, Hall wants voters to say he should be the day-to-day decision-maker and manager in Liberty Hill. He wants voters to say the ultimate decision on 8-inch or 12-inch water lines should rest with him, that the call on how and where to spend tax funds should be in his hands, and the tasking, disciplining, and hiring of city employees should be completely his call. It all sounds like the things a mayor would do, right? Are we splitting hairs with responsibilities and duties? No. The decisions Hall is making today are ones that most people have a lot of experience with before they are handed the keys to everything. If we assume that an elected mayor suddenly holds the same skills and qualifications as a City Administrator we are making quite a leap. Would we assume Hall is qualified to go out and begin applying for City Administrator or City Manager jobs posted across Texas? What is Hall’s resume? When it appeared that Hall’s intent was to assume management of the city staff and become the primary decision-maker in Liberty Hill, The Independent requested a copy of his resume to look closer at his experience and qualifications. That request, made multiple times, was ignored. When Hall was given direct supervisory authority over city staff by the current Council last May, he and that Council only wanted to argue that’s how it was all along. But that’s not true. The city administrator filled that management and supervisory role for the most part. When asked why the change was made, Hall said it was done because then-Administrator Greg Boatright said he didn’t like to, or want to, manage. Boatright repeatedly denied ever saying it, but Hall said taking supervisory control of staff was “...to help – for lack of a better term, teach (Boatright) how to be the manager the city needs him to be. I’ve had 22 years experience with staff management with thousands of employees under me and I’m just trying to create a structure so we have a solid path moving forward.” There’s that experience we don’t really know much about. So in May, Hall began running the City and making changes, and getting Council approval along the way. It was at this same time that public Council discussion of issues and how the City would be managed ceased. By August, to no one’s surprise, Boatright was out of a job. A city doesn’t really need two people managing staff and operations. But that same night Hall pledged that the Council would begin the process of hiring a new administrator. Hall was even asked if his plan was to not replace Boatright, and he denied that, again assuring The Independent the plan was to hire a new administrator. The plan finally changed Monday – as had been suspected by many observers all along – when the Council voted unanimously to not hire a new administrator but to hire a new assistant administrator with a new title and few specifics on what that role would be. An assistant to Hall, it seems. Hall said last week it was a “Council decision”, but that decision came with little consideration and seemed to match up well with the trajectory city government has been on since Hall began his Mayoral journey to this point. It all appears very orchestrated. The suspicion shortly after he was elected was that Hall wanted to call the shots in Liberty Hill. To date, not only has nothing occurred to change that suspicion, but many things have happened that reinforce it. Hall is in line for a new paycheck in May and a position atop the City of Liberty Hill with more authority in his hands than one person in the city has ever seen. In a growing city like Liberty Hill there is much at stake, and qualifications matter. Experience matters. The voters should be able to focus in on qualifications and experience and see if they have hired the right person or not.

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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Throwback Thursday Hughes’ exploits led to beloved TV series

By JAMES WEAR Columnist The man who historians say inspired the classic television series “The Lone Ranger” once owned a farm near Liberty Hill. John R. Hughes was born in Cambridge, Illinois, in 1855. When he was 10, his family moved, ﬁrst to Dixon, Illinois; and then on to Mound City, Kansas. At 14 he struck out on his own and took a job as a cowboy. He left the ranch and traveled into Indian Territory where he spent time with different tribes, learning much about the Indian way of life. He later was employed as a trail driver on the Chisholm Trail before moving to Central Texas in the mid-1860s. He bought a farm near Liberty Hill and it was here an incident occurred that would change his life. Historians say a group of thieves stole several horses from one of Hughes’ neighbors and Hughes took off after the bandits, killing at least two of them before rounding up the remainder of the outlaws in what would later become New Mexico, and returned the stolen horses to his neighbor. His pursuit, which took place over several months, attracted the attention of the Texas Rangers. One of those Rangers, Ira Aten, invited Hughes to join him in tracking down Judd Roberts, a known murderer. The pair caught up with Roberts, with Aten gunning him down, and soon after, apparently impressed by Hughes’ skills, paved the way for Hughes to join the Rangers in 1887. During his career, which lasted until his retirement in January of 1915, Hughes devoted much of his time serving with the Frontier Battalion that was charged with protecting the Mexico-Texas border. In 1900 he was promoted to captain and later became a senior captain with the Rangers. In an article that appeared in a 1927 issue of Frontier Times Magazine, Captain Hughes was quoted as saying, “I enlist-

Captain John R. Hughes, who once owned a farm near Liberty Hill, gained fame as a member of the Texas Rangers. Historians say his exploits inspired the television show “The Lone Ranger” in which actor Clayton Moore immortalized the catch phrase “Hi-ho, Silver! Away!” (Courtesy Photo) ed at Georgetown, on August on his trail and was certain to mulated enough of this world’s 10, 1887,” expecting then to catch him as I had never failed. goods to keep the wolf away stay only six or eight months. I was absent from my camp on from my door and do not crave “Riding 700 miles on horse- a scout when the message ar- notoriety.” back I reached headquarters rived, but returned two or three Upon his retirement, the camp at Camp Wood, in Nuec- days later and read the letter San Antonio Express-News es Canyon, November 12. and the paper. I started right ran a story featuring CapThat same winter we moved away on his trail and caught tain Hughes, with the articamp to Rio Grande City, re- the man about 300 miles away cle noting, “The Southwest maining in that section a year and took him to the El Paso has produced and developed and a half, during which time jail. some remarkable men, but we had many exciting expe“Unfortunately, I have been none who possesses a more riences. Among other things in several engagements where wonderful life story than that the Garza war was started. desperate criminals were which Hughes could relate. I arrested Catarina Garza in killed. I have never lost a As a gunfighter he probably August, 1888, for criminal li- battle that I was in person- far outranks any peace officer bel, complaint being made by ally, and never let a prisoner either in or out of the Ranger Victor Sebra. Sebra afterward escape. The longer I hold a service. How many men he has shot Garza and two companies prisoner the closer I watch killed in the discharge of his of Rangers were sent there to him. I got my promotion all official duties he will not say. attend to the mob. I was the the way from private to cap- He has never taken human life first ranger to arrive. Later it tain by my superior officers except it was, a case of kill or was I who arrested Charles F. being killed by bandits. Ser- be killed. Notwithstanding his Dodge, wanted in New York geant Charles Fusselman was long years of hard service, his in connection with the Morse- killed by smugglers in the meeting up with all kinds and Dodge case, which afterwards Franklin Mountains, April 17, conditions of men, he is still became so notorious. I took 1890, and I was promoted to as modest as a schoolgirl. The him to Houston and held him his place. Captain Frank Jones mere suggestion of publishing a week at a hotel while a legal was killed on Pirate Island by In a newspaper an account battle was being fought over Mexicans on June 30, 1893, of some of his daring deeds him, and finally delivered him and I was appointed by Gover- brings a blush to his bronzed to Judge Waller T. Burns. nor Hogg to fill his place. My face. He not only opposes the “I have always been a appointment as Captain is dat- idea, but he cannot be induced horseback Ranger and have ed July 4, 1893. to talk about any of the stirring worked in every county on “For several years I did not events of his career. There are the Rio Grande from El Paso expect to live to the age l am many men on the border, howto Brownsville. In 1902 I was now. I expected to be killed ever, who are able to give the stationed at old Fort Hancock. by criminals. An officer who desired information.” A young man stole a horse at hunts desperate criminals has Hughes’ story did not have a Ysleta and a county official no business having a wife and happy ending. By the 1940s he wrote, asking me to catch family and I have remained was in poor health and living him and return the horse. He single. I have an interesting with a niece in Austin. At the also told a newspaper report- scrap book, and many of my age of 92, on June 3, 1947, he er that I would catch the man, friends have insisted that I took his own life. He is buried and the El Paso Herald told should write a book of my life in the State Cemetery in Ausof the horse being stolen and as a Ranger. I do not expect to tin. said that Captain Hughes was do so, however as I have accu-

The Independent has made seven requests to the City of Liberty Hill under the Freedom of Information Act so far this year for information pertaining to a number of different ongoing issues. Below is an up-to-date list of all requests made in 2020 and their disposition: Requests sent Feb. 19: • “A list of all items (hats, shirts, coats and any other clothing items) authorized

for purchase with City logo or name embroidery, to include number purchased of each item, cost per each item, who authorized the purchase, which business was contracted to provide the items and how they have been distributed.” • “The total price (including design, production and mounting) for the new metal, backlit sign in the Municipal Court Building hanging behind the dais. The name of the individ-

A record of requests

ual that authorized the project and cost. The name of the company contracted to design and produce the sign.” • “A list of all security devices purchased and installed by the City at City Hall to include locks, key card access devices, alarms, cameras, monitors, etc. The company or companies contracted with for these devices as well as installation of the equipment. A cost breakdown by item for these

devices including installation costs.” • “A list of all vehicles currently owned by the City of Liberty Hill, including year, make and model; date purchased; purchase price; which department the vehicle is assigned to.” The response to these requests to date came by email from the law ﬁrm representing

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Page A4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

CLASSIFIED ADS $10/week for Minimum 30 Words Additional Words $0.20 Deadline Tuesday At Noon

(512) 778-5577 or NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM

SALES YARD SALE. Country/Cowboy Collectibles, etc., 500 Glasscock, Durham Park, Liberty Hill. Feb. 28 & 29, 8am2pm. CASH ONLY. (2/27p)

SERVICES TRUSTED HOUSEKEEPING Housecleaning monthly, weekly, bi-weekly. Away with the cobwebs and dust bunnies. (512) 569-7587. Kim Glosson/ owner operator. Christian employees. 15 years experience. (3/26) SELL YOUR UNIQUE home made or grown items locally! The Market At Indian Mound Ranch is currently accepting Vendors for the 2020 Season. Saturday’s 9-3 weather permitting. $20 space fee. 12805 SH 29 W. Send email to imr1873@gmail.com for details.

PUBLIC NOTICES LIBERTY HILL ISD is seeking E-Rate services for Funding Year 2020 (July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021). All interested vendors please see RFP200020571 at: https:// erate.esc12.net/R12/. To view the Form 470, please visit: https://portal.usac.org/suite/ Form 470 #:200020571. (3/5) CITY OF LIBERTY HILL PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT is accepting bids for services related to manhole repairs and pouring curbs. SCOPE OF WORK A manhole located at the intersection of CR 213 and Highway 29, on Texas Materials property. This manhole needs to be fully replaced while in service. Manhole measurements are approximately 36” wide and 30” deep.

Other scope of work to be completed is 2 manholes (#2 & #3) located north of work being performed on CR 213. These manholes need ring and lids replaced with new rings / lids. A manhole (#4) in Summerlyn Subdivision located south of the main trunk line needs to be spray coated. Additionally, at the City’s WWTP a 30 ft x 6” x 1 ft curb needs to be installed (#5). BIDS must be received on or before THURSDAY – MARCH 12th at 10 AM. All bids are to be dropped off at City Hall – 926 Loop 332 between the hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM. BIDS will be opened FRIDAY – MARCH 13th at 10 am at CITY HALL in the Conference Room located at 926 Loop 332. For more details and the BID PACKAGE contact one of the following: BRIAN PAUL at 254-226-0094 or bpaul@libertyhilltx.gov OR Wayne Bonnet at 512-745-7070 or wbonnet@ libertyhilltx.gov. (3/5)

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Feb. 17-23, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 295 incidents resulting in six cases, 17 citations, 63 warnings and one arrest. Weekly Highlights: - On Feb. 17, at approximately 2:22 PM, officers responded to Proclamation Avenue for an animal bite. - On Feb. 17, at approximately 7:51 PM, officers responded to Independence Avenue for a noise complaint. - On Feb. 19, at approximately 1:07 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 19, at approximately 6:01 PM, officers responded to Proclamation Avenue for a ha-

rassment complaint. - On Feb. 19, at approximately 8:53 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of SH 29 for a runaway. - On Feb. 20, at approximately 11:51AM, officers arrested a male adult for evading arrest after a pursuit, the result of a traffic stop. - On Feb. 20, at approximately 5:15 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Lane for a noise complaint. - On Feb. 21, at approximately 2:26 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 21, at approximately 9:23AM, officers responded to American Way for an accident. - On Feb. 21, at approximately 1:05PM, officers responded to

the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Feb. 21, at approximately 11:53 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 22, at approximately 10:11 AM, officers responded to Limestone Road to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Feb. 22, at approximately 5:48 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Lane for a noise complaint. - On Feb. 23, at approximately 6:15 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of SH 29 for a theft complaint. - On Feb. 23, at approximately 7:11 PM, officers recovered a stolen vehicle at the intersection of US 183 and W SH 29.

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the City of Liberty Hill on Feb. 20, saying, “Please note that pursuant to Texas Government Code section Sec. 552.261(e) all requests received on February 19, 2020 will be treated as a single request for purposes of calculating costs. The City will respond to you with the estimated costs in accordance with the Act.” To date, no estimated cost has been provided to The Independent. The 10 business day deadline to respond or ﬁle for exception with the Texas Attorney General’s Ofﬁce is March 3. Requests sent Jan. 2: • “Notes, emails, memorandums, text messages and other correspondence relating to establishment of the August 2019 City of Liberty Hill budget process and budget discussions shared between City staff and members of the City Council with any other staff or Council member between the dates of 06/01/2019 and 10/01/2019.” The response to this request from the City was that no such documents exist. The City sent approved minutes from two Council meetings and agendas from three others as the only documentation of correspondence regarding the budget process. • “The current annual salary for each City of Liberty Hill

employee by name and title or position, to include all Police Department staffing. Include date of hire and salary at time of hire.” The response to this request was a list of employees by name with current salary, but did not include the date of hire, title or salary at the date of hire. • “A copy of the City of Liberty Hill Employee Handbook.” The response to this request was to send a copy of the employee handbook by email on Jan. 21, after the Jan. 17 response deadline. • “A copy of the final City budget approved by the Liberty Hill City Council in September 2019.” The response to this request was to send a copy of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2019-2020 by email on Jan. 21, after the Jan. 17 response deadline. The document sent was the one originally proposed in August 2019, but included no changes made between that time and the official vote in September 2019. • “Notes, emails, memorandums, text messages and other correspondence relating to the process, planning and hiring efforts related to the City of Liberty Hill city administrator search between Mayor Rick Hall and consultant Powell Municipal between 08/01/2019 and 12/31/2019.” No response has been pro-

vided by the City regarding this request. • “Details of who authorized the disbursement of (advance salary to a City employee). How was the additional payroll disbursement requested? Who authorized it? Correspondence or document authorizing the disbursement, either by memorandum or electronic mail? Veriﬁcation that (City employee) received disbursement of the regular payroll amount on 06/06/2019, twice on 06/18/2019 and once on 06/20/2019, with a credit back for one of those disbursements on 06/20/2019.” No response has been provided by the City regarding this request. This was an additional request made for further information pertaining to a request submitted in September 2019. • “Details of the travel (City employee) was reimbursed $1,244.30 for on July 3, 2019. What was the travel for (speciﬁc training or event), where was it located, when was it held, who authorized the travel and who authorized the reimbursement?” No response has been provided by the City regarding this request. This was an additional request made for further information pertaining to a request submitted in September 2019.

propositions on the ballot as well, while Republicans have 10. More details on the propositions and names on the two ballots can be found on the Williamson County elections website at wilco.org. Voters can cast their ballot March 3 at any voting location in Williamson County, but Liberty Hill area locations Tuesday include Liberty Hill Municipal Court, 2801 RM 1869, Liberty Hill High

School, 16500 W SH 29, and Santa Rita Ranch House, 175 Elizabeth Park Road. Voters should bring photo identiﬁcation to the polls. Williamson County is using the new voting equipment where voters get a blank ballot to be inserted into the marking device ﬁrst, which is then printed once marked to be inserted it into the scanning and tabulation device. Williamson County voters

have cast 28,077 ballots – in person or by mail – through the ﬁrst eight days of early voting, representing eight percent of all registered voters. That’s on pace by average for about 39,000 early votes compared to 45,798 in the last presidential election in 2016. So far, voters in the Democratic Party primary have a 751 vote edge in ballots cast.

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

COUNCIL

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Type A General Law city. “The more the Council started laying out the guidelines the more we got into how the city as a general law city should be operated based on state law, it didn’t warrant the need for a city administrator at this point. The city administrator is more designated in local government code when cities become home rule, and we’re trying to get everything back following the way the local government code states that the city as a general law city should be operated.” The state’s Local Government Code, though, is not firm on specifics of how a Type A city must be managed. According to the Code, Sec. 22.042, “The mayor is the chief executive officer of the municipality” and the code spells out specific duties of the mayor. The code also details how a city may create a city manager form of government through an election (Chapter 25), but adds that, “However, any city can appoint a city manager, city administrator, or other managerial employee, regardless of whether the city has adopted Chapter 25 of the Local Government Code.” Immediately after accepting Greg Boatright’s resignation last August, Hall said the Council would begin the search for a new administrator.

EDC

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

“We will actively start working (to hire a new administrator),” Hall said on Aug. 12, 2019. “There’s a firm that helps cities place interim city administrators so we don’t drop the ball or lose ground on what we’re doing and that firm will also help us in finding a replacement that suits the needs of the council.” Since that time, Hall has assumed all management of the City, and has on a number of occasions, told The Independent the hiring process was ongoing, even indicating there had been more than 40 applicants for the position. But since then it has become less clear what will happen with the vacant position. In October, Hall was temporarily given duties of the City Administrator in what was explained as an administrative fix during the time the City is without a City Administrator. Matt Powell, who was hired in September to consult on a variety of issues for the City, was working through the vetting process for City Administrator candidates through the Fall, according to Hall. But repeated requests for updates by Council member Tony DeYoung during meetings since September have been met with promises the issue would be discussed at a future meeting.

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“We wanted to do some changing on (the contract) and all that was in closed session,” Johnston said. “To do that, the ﬁrst thing we have to do is not renew it if we’re going to change it. It was all stuff in closed session so I really can’t talk to you about it.” When asked why the Board chose not to renew the contract versus negotiate changes through the renewal process, Johnston insisted it was necessary to vote to non-renew it. “We didn’t want it to stand for another year,” he said. “We had to cancel so it would not renew.” As far as what changes the Board is considering for the position or the contract, Johnston again cited his inability to disclose information regarding personnel matters discussed in closed session. “(The changes have) yet to be determined,” he said. “(The)

changes are up to the Board and we have not met to discuss those changes.” Board member Jack Harkrider, one of three members tasked with looking at the contract and potential changes along with Johnston and John Clark, said he hopes to clear the issue up soon. “What we’re concentrating on is Lance is still there and we need to get the contract reworked and about that time we’ll get Lance’s self evaluation and do our own evaluation also,” Harkrider said. “I have no inclination to let Lance go, we just need to get the contract set up, then we will discuss it at some point.” But neither Harkrider or Johnston would say whether the contract changes are being made to create a new contract for Dean or if this move signaled a change in the Executive Director’s position.

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The issue was taken up briefly at the January Council retreat in executive session, with the outcome being a vote to allow Hall, Mayor Pro tem Liz Rundzieher and Powell to screen the current applicants. At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Council took up the city administrator search in executive session, before returning to open session and approving a motion to “direct (consultant) Matt Powell to refine the job description for City Administrator and the position of Assistant City Administrator to bring it back at the next Council meeting for Council to decide a path going forward.” Prior to that date, no mention had been made publicly of any consideration to hiring an assistant city administrator. When asked after that meeting how and why the city administrator job description was being reworked and whether an assistant might be hired, Hall responded Feb. 14 by email that, “This needs to hold off until the job descriptions have been review by council and a decision is made in moving forward. Nothing is finalized until the council votes on this and it will be taken up at the next council meeting.” He declined to answer other questions about how the role of a new city administrator would fit in with his supervisory and

day-to-day management duties of the City, as well as how the Council could justify three salaries in management positions should they hire an administrator and assistant. “There is nothing to answer until the Council takes up a vote to determine if the city will hire a City administrator, an Assistant City Administrator or both and the reason for their decisions. Sorry if you feel like this does not answer your questions but until the council makes a decision it is all hypothetical,” he responded in a second email.

The decision leaves Dean in limbo with a contract that expires at the end of March and no public indication about whether he might be offered a new contract following any possible changes. Dean declined to comment on the issue, but had not expected the renewal of his contract to be an issue. Mayor Rick Hall refused to comment on the decisions of the EDC Board, saying he was unaware of the Board’s plan. “I have no clue. That is the EDC’s decision,” Hall said. “They have their board that the position is reporting to and if they make any decision it will have to come to the Council for ﬁnal approval, but no decision is to be made by the City before they bring it to us. In a nutshell, I have no comment.” In attendance at the meeting were EDC Board members Johnston, Harkrider, John

Clark, City Council Member Liz Rundzieher and Eric Bailey. Steve Snell and Jamie Etzkorn were not present. Missing information By press time Wednesday, the City had not provided the wording for the motion made at the meeting or the breakdown of the vote on the measure. The Independent was unaware of the meeting as the required posting to the City’s website never appeared. City Secretary Barbara Zwernemann responded by email to a request for the motion and breakdown of the vote Wednesday morning with an explanation of why the posting of the meeting did not show up on the City’s website. “Last week our server was down. In conjunction with that, I couldn’t get into CIVICPlus; we couldn’t even access areas on our computer

Charter committee set Including the seven names put forward to serve on the City Charter Committee by Hall at the January Council retreat, the City received six additional volunteers seeking a place on the committee. Monday, the Council decided to add three to the original proposed list, keeping all seven of Hall’s recommendations and expanding the committee. “What we discussed was having somewhere between seven and nine for this committee,” Hall said. “We have a total number of 13 that have put in for it.” Consultant Matt Powell said a committee of 10 could be effective and function well. The ﬁnal 10 named to the

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committee are the original seven nominees: Larry Allman, Kathy Canady, Bill Chapman, Daniel Duckworth, John Johnston, Liz Rundzieher and Kim Sanders, with the addition of Whitney Brace, Keeling Neves and Dianne Williams. The three applicants not selected, due to them not residing in or owning a business within the city limits, were Jennifer Anderson, Mary Lyn Jones and Rudy Ridolﬁ. “All of these meetings will

be open to the public,” Hall said. “I am very conﬁdent that we will advertise very well for these committee meetings we’re having and the committee will be happy to take comments from the public in order for them to make the best decision.” The plan is for the committee to have a draft charter ready for Council consideration by late July so the ﬁnal proposed charter can be placed on the November ballot.

LHPD chase ends in collision, arrest

Just before noon on Feb. 20, Liberty Hill Police attempted a traffic stop for fictitious license plates on SH 29, but the driver fled, leading to a nearly 10-minute high-speed chase through town. The driver, 35-year-old Brandon Marcus Turner of Seadrift, Texas, fled through downtown Liberty Hill, evading officers as he traveled up and down Loop 332 before heading back to SH 29. While traveling west on SH 29 he intentionally rammed the driver’s side of a Liberty Hill police unit making a u-turn,

and also collided with another patrol vehicle after driving into a ditch near Liberty Hill High School. Turner fled on foot toward the high school, but Liberty Hill officers, along with Liberty Hill ISD officers, apprehended him following a short pursuit. There were no serious injuries to officers involved, and Turner was transported to the hospital for evaluation after he was detained. He had outstanding warrants in Williamson County, Copperas Cove and Lampasas for drug offenses and evading arrest.

SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577 until repairs were made. The agenda was posted at Municipal Court in a timely and appropriate manner.” State law requires the notice be posted online as well as at the site of the scheduled meeting. According to Texas Government Code, “Section 551.056 requires certain governmental bodies and economic development corporations to post notice on their Internet websites, in addition to other postings required by the Act. This provision applies to the following entities, if the entity maintains an Internet website or has a website maintained for it: a municipality; a county; a

school district...” Recognition The EDC was notified this week that for the third consecutive year it was being honored through the Texas Economic Development Council’s Economic Excellence Recognition program. Recipients qualify for recognition based on training taken by their governing board/ council as well as the economic development director and professional staff. Certifications, professional memberships and activities, and organizational effectiveness of the economic development staff also contribute to the standards for qualification.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 27, 2020

(FAR LEFT) Alex Noel (left) and Jake Sussman, two of the three partners who launched Madrone Mountain Coffee, show off their roaster from Portugal. (LEFT) The owners of Madrone Mountain Coffee spend a lot of time studying and testing coffees from around the world.

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Noel believe is that everyone’s taste falls somewhere in the middle of the wide variety of options and that’s where the personalization comes in. Through tasting, and learning about the different coffees from all over the world what results is a personal blend created for a particular customer. “There’s excitement of seeing someone realize their own blend,” Noel said. “Then we bag it up and label it and they know they’re part of it. We know that you might really like a Kenyan dark and a Columbian medium, and you will be able to save those profiles and then blend them together and we can tag that as your blend. It is very customizable.” This opportunity to customize orders is their innovative way to create something unique and memorable. “We had someone come in here and do a tasting, and we said taste everything, take a sample with you, drink them all, together and separately, then come back and we will figure out what the blend is,” Sussman said. “He called me a week later and said it was so much fun, he and his wife sitting there in the morning putting two parts of one and one part of another. It was a fun exercise.” The first roast Madrone Mountain Coffee wasn’t born in the office space it resides in now, or with the website where the variety of coffees can be purchased today. It began when Sussman was

still working in software and suggested his company offer coffee to its employees. “I’ve always been a coffee fan, but was noticing people at my office were going across the street a couple of times a day to a coffee shop,” he said. “I said ‘why don’t we put a coffee bar in?’ and they said ‘Jake, that’s a good idea, own it.’ I went down a complete rabbit hole and wanted to know everything from how it was sourced to shipped and everything.” That rabbit hole went far beyond a Keurig and a variety of K-cups, leading Sussman to researching coffees from all over the world, how to roast and how to know a good cup of coffee. His first roast was done in a popcorn air popper, but soon became more sophisticated with a small test roaster. “I bought a lot of green coffee and I had more coffee than I knew what to do with,” Sussman said. “I was driving to work every day and I was dropping coffee off on my friends’ front porches on my route to work. They’d call me and ask how they could get more. I was really fired up about connecting people with coffee that didn’t taste like cardboard.” Then he found his partner in crime when he learned Noel, who at that time was living in California and working as a chef, had a similar love of coffee. Noel and his wife were planning a return to Texas from California when Sussman sprang the idea on him. “Hearing the excitement from

time when special needs students faced segregation from the rest of the school population. “When I was in school you didn’t see kids, they were in a portable building out back,” she said. “You saw them maybe at a meal, maybe if they were walking to their class.” Meade is at the forefront of normalizing and removing stigmas that Special Olympic athletes face, aiming to bring unification to the games by the following year. “What we hope to do next year is unify,” said Meade. “Where you take two general education students and put them on a team with three Special Olympic athletes. That is my goal to do that next year because this is the community they live in, and these are their peers. That’s the big push nationally. It’s not the dark ages anymore.” Watching the excitement flowing through each athlete as they put their heart into every movement, every dribble, and every shot is infectious for Meade, as feelings of pride and joy spread throughout the gyms as families cheered on in support. “When you go, the way your heart just overflows is amazing,” said Meade. “The first time you go to a competition, you can’t help but smile because everywhere you look, it’s just joy.” The belief that because this is Special Olympics means the level of the competition lacks any intensity and is a way to appease is wrong. Each contest is physical, competitive, and filled with passion as each team vies for the top spot. Just like in any other basketball competition, battles for every rebound involve heavy contact. During their game against the Hutto Hippos, one player for the Hippos took a nasty shot to the face, forcing him to leave the game. “One of the things people don’t realize is that the Special Olympics as it is estab-

lished is very competitive,” said Meade. “These kids work hard, and we work them hard. We have high expectations.” Competition divides into different categories; younger athletes take part in individual or team skills, and older athletes take part in either 3-on3 or 5-on-5 tournament. This year a lack of certified coaches led to the varsity team being the only ones to compete. Going into Saturday’s competition, the Panthers had high expectations to meet, having won gold at the last three Special Olympics. In preparation to take its next gold medal, the team worked hard in the weeks leading up, holding their scrimmage with competitors the week prior. Since their first year participating, the team has come a long way, at one time being entirely outmatched by opponents. It was the early blowouts that helped create the drive to strive for more. “Our first year, we came in very novice and just happy to be there,” said Meade. “We were blown away and got torn up, and we realized ‘Oh no, we’re playing real ball,’” While competition is the heavy focus of the games, the camaraderie formed between individuals involved rises above all else. The opportunity to meet and relate to others like themselves lets the athletes know they aren’t alone in the struggle. “They form friendships in our broader community,” said Meade. “My kiddo knows the guys from Pflugerville, from Leander, and so when they see each other in public, it’s like seeing an ally.” The encouragement to socialize and build a more indepth community is one of the biggest focuses for Meade and the other parents and volunteers. “We aren’t made to be islands; we’re not made to be in isolation,” she said. “It would be a lot easier to just stick with our group, but we push

MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTOS

people about coming home and finding a bag of coffee, I thought that could be something,” Sussman said. “I kind of told him what I was thinking about and told him we should do it.” All that was left was to begin roasting together and learn all they could about coffee. “We went out and roasted a couple of batches in the garage,” Sussman said. “He was really interested in how to bring flavors out of the coffee.” Noel immediately saw the parallels between roasting and cooking. “I’m obsessed with barbecue,” he said. “I found there was a lot of correlation between roasting coffee and roasting brisket. A coffee roast is much much faster than a brisket, but you have to be extremely methodical with both.” By early 2019 they were ready to pull the trigger and launch their roasting business, but the more they learned, the more they realized how little they actually knew. “I started going down that path and as I put the final touches on some branding I did, the website, and some roasting I was doing I just realized suddenly I didn’t know near enough,” Sussman said. “I decided to take all of 2019 to get smart, and that involved bringing in people who had done it before, familiarizing myself with the industry on the import and equipment side, so I did my homework while doing my full-time job all of last year.”

OLYMPICS Continued from Page A1

social boundaries, we learn how to win, lose, compete, and how to cheer for the next guy over.” Before her son was diagnosed with autism, Meade had minimal experience with Special Olympics, volunteering from time-to-time during college. For her and many parents of special needs children, the chance to meet parents – just like for the students – removes the feeling of being alone in a sometimes overwhelming situation. “As a parent, when I ﬁrst did it, it was great to be able to say ‘Okay, she has a son with autism, too, we’re doing alright,’” she said. “When my son was diagnosed, he was one of the ﬁrst kids in Liberty Hill in a mainstream setting.” With leaps and bounds taken socially and a wealth of information obtained over the years, Meade is using her platform and her position to educate the next generation as well. “Tolerance is an important word in society that we tend to tiptoe around,” she said. “Sometimes people think tolerance has a negative connotation, but having worked with this young age group the majority of my career – almost 20 years now – I teach kids you have to have tolerance because these people are members of your community. That goes for all in the human race.” When the dust settles, and competition is over, what matters to the volunteers, coaches involved, and families on the sidelines is that their children are treated just like anyone else. “It’s hard sometimes, it’s stormy, and it’s dark,” said Meade. “But that’s the beautiful thing about working with these kids. We’ve got those misconceptions, and when someone comes in and sees it, it’s beautiful. I think of a phrase I once heard, ‘It ain’t pretty, but it’s beautiful,’ and that’s my team.”

The business model is exciting, but as the pair thinks about where the journey can lead them over time, it boils down to being happy in a new career. “At the end of the day this is fun,” Sussman said, adding a glimpse into how they imagine the future. “We want to go and source these beans. We want to go and talk to the producers and farmers themselves, to get over there and see how they run their operation.” The process They roast Mondays and Wednesdays, and ship on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but the fun begins in what they call the green room, where all unroasted coffee is stored. “It has to be kept in a cool, dry place with about 60 percent humidity and never over 70 degrees,” Sussman said. “Essentially, coffee is the seed of a cherry. They take the cherry off the tree, take the skin off and they’ll dry it and it gets bagged up.” The room is ﬁlled with bags large and small from all over the world. “We have about six or seven coffees we are regularly selling, that are on the menu,” Sussman said. “There’s a big world of coffee importers out there, so part of this is getting the introduction to the right importers.” The jobs those importers do seem to light the imagination in both Sussman and Noel. “They’ll go sit in Ethiopia where all the farmers are bringing their crop and they’ll taste everything and they’ll

pick who is bringing the best coffee and they’ll go forge a relationship with that guy,” Sussman said. As seasons change, different parts of the world move into their growing season, so the options on where they can buy coffee from is ever-changing. “Our strategy is to just buy enough coffee to take us through the harvest season so we’re always getting the freshest coffee we can,” Sussman said. “Right now about 2,000 pounds of coffee is the most we’re sitting on at any time.” From the green room, the pair moves into the science of the roast, beginning with a sample roaster that sits on the counter. “The idea is that instead of doing these big batches and wasting a bunch of greens experimenting, we put them in there and figure out what a bean will do in a really hot drum roaster,” Sussman said. “How much heat it can take, how much time it can take and basically develop a profile we want to apply to it in the big machine.” It boils down to time and temperature and three phases of the roasting process – the drying phase, caramelization time, and first crack, when the carbon dioxide is being released “In general, the lighter the roast the more natural the flavors,” Sussman said. “If we have this really standout coffee from Ethiopia or Costa Rica we want to taste the sweetness of we usually do a light or medium roast so we get the acidity. If we’re going for a really bold cup of coffee, something

smoky and dark, we will take it all the way through the end of ﬁrst crack.” Once they have a hit on their hands in sample form, it is time to move on to the larger batch production. Even the roaster selected by the partners is unique, built by a Portuguese company with its own foundry to create the cast iron drum. “This company wasn’t even on our radar until we attended a coffee conference and we learned about the cast iron drum,” Sussman said. “Whether you’re doing it on one of these or on one of the state of the art very technical machines it’s the same, it’s time and temperature and it’s about isolating variables and recording your results.” The best part might come last, when the roasts are evaluated, a process called cupping. “It’s a way to take a methodical approach to tasting coffee,” Sussman said. “If you’re in Columbia and I’m in Ethiopia and you say you’ve got a great coffee and it’s an 88, I know within a pretty standard score how your coffee tastes versus just saying it’s good. It’s a standard scale to evaluate coffee on 10 attributes.” Even learning that evaluation process took a lot of time, the assistance of an expert and of course testing and drinking lot of coffee. The pair has decided, though, that a job roasting great coffee and enjoying it a cup at a time is well worth the journey. “There’s a whole world of possibilities,” Sussman said. “It’s a science.”

LHIS announces 6th grade UIL results

Team Art Smart Team - 2nd Calculator Team - 1st Chess Puzzle Team - 2nd Dictionary Skills Team - 2nd Listening Team - 3rd Maps, Charts & Graphs - 1st Mathematics Team - 3rd Music Memory Team - 1st Number Sense Team - 3rd Science Team - 1st Social Studies Team - 2nd Spelling Team - 1st Individuals Art Smart (Tie) Chloe Oshel Irasemi Hensley - 1st Anna Shelton - 3rd

Calculator Zachary Davidson - 5th

Modern Oratory Grant Hilum - 5th Penelope Johnson-6th

Chess Puzzle William James - 4th Caleb Calvert - 6th

Music Memory Rita Gerten - 1st Kaleigh Pituch - 6th

Dictionary Skills Nena Steeter - 2nd Jaden Base - 4th

Number Sense Kayden Quevedo-6th

Editorial Writing Kylie Jameyson - 3rd Emme Johnson - 5th Listening Christian Florczykowski - 6th Maps, Graphs & Charts Jaxson Richter - 2nd Elijah Tucker - 3rd Jordan Andrews - 4th Mathematics Emma Klepac - 6th

BEST ACCOUNTANT

Oral Reading Madelyn Kingslien - 6th

Spelling Maggie Greenless-1st Rita Gerten - 2nd Caedmon Bradley - 3rd Drawing Carson Albrecht -1st Maeylynn Rongey - 4th Sam Posadas - 6th

Ready Writing Zoey Jackson - 4th Bryson Wood - 6th

Painting Zach Davidson -1st DeAnna Jorde -2nd Maddy Thompson -5th

Science Barrett Gray - 1st Paul Figioli - 3rd Jeff Greedy - 5th

3D Art Jalee Moran - 1st Maddie Davis - 4th Mackenzie Olson-6th

Social Studies Jonathan Van Antwerp - 1st Barrett Gray - 5th

Misc. Art Georgia Riley - 1st Perry Amthor - 6th

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, February 27, 2020 Section B Page 1

Runnin’ Panthers on playoff prowl Liberty Hill boys are looking for a return trip to State

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Six games and six victories are all that stand between the Liberty Hill boys’ basketball squad and a chance to regain the glory they found last season when the Panthers marched all the way to the Class 4A State Championship game. Considering they’re currently riding the wave of a nine-game winning streak, head Coach Barry Boren’s club is playing its best basketball of the season at exactly the right time and he wants his players to fully realize the opportunity that lies before them, he said. “We have three weeks until spring break,” said Boren. “During that time are seven games we can play in – we’re so close, we need to have a sense of urgency and can’t waste any time.” As a result of the potential gauntlet they’re about to enter, Boren has made adjustments to his workout schedule – just not at the expense of losing a competitive edge.

“We’ve tried to shorten up practices and save the players’ legs,” he said. “But, we still want to maintain a degree of competition.” Boren said the drill has become a familiar one to him and his players in recent seasons. “For the last several years, we’ve established a routine for how we do things,” he said. “We like to stay on it, but we do make some changes. For example, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, we do very little with the basketball. We’ll mostly lift weights and watch ﬁlm – this allows for a little more introspection on what’s going on.” Boren is determined to not let complacency set in at such a critical juncture of the season. “The players can’t get tired of the mundane things we do like drills,” he said. “What I love about our players is they always want to compete, even in practice.” What Boren wants to do more than anything is to make sure his players are always ready no

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s boys’ basketball squad will need plenty of tenacity to make a return visit to the state ﬁnals again this season. matter what they might face during a game. “My goal is for them never to be surprised,” he said. “I try to do my very best to put them in situations so they’ll be ready.” As is the usual custom, the Panthers will immediately head out onto the road for the playoffs – despite the fact they won their district, something

Boren said is unfortunate. “I think it would be advantageous to be at home,” he said. Over the course of the Panthers’ nine-game winning streak entering the postseason, Liberty Hill is averaging 70 points per game, while only allowing 42 per contest. However, it’s not all about numbers, said Boren.

“All I really want is for them to give me everything they have,” he said. “Because they’re going to get everything I have.” Helping is the fact many of this year’s players were present for the playoff run last season, which was the furthest Boren has ever guided the Panthers in the postseason,

with a regional ﬁnal appearance in 2012 having been the previous high-water mark for the program. “Last year, we experienced what it took to get there,” he said. “I think once you experience something, it’s much easier to believe you can do it again.”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTOS

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Jessica Holliday (#2) and Morgan Jackson led the Lady Panthers in scoring with 12 points in a 67-58 loss to Fredericksburg in the Class 4A regional quarterﬁnals in Marble Falls on Tuesday.

Lady Panthers’ season ends against Fredericksburg

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor MARBLE FALLS -- Usually outplaying a basketball team in three of the four quarters of a contest is enough to ensure victory. However, when the one you lose is bad enough, it’s sometimes too much to overcome. Such was life for the Lady Panthers in a 67-58 defeat to Fredericksburg in the Class 4A regional quarterﬁnals in Marble Falls on Tuesday. Despite the fact the Lady Panthers outscored the Billies by a 49-46 margin from the second through fourth quarters, a dreadful opening period during which they were outscored 21-9 ended up being the end of their season. According to Liberty Hill head Coach Chris Lange, the ﬁrst-quarter meltdown was attributed to a breakdown of basics. “We just made too many mistakes – we missed assignments and they hit four threes,” said Lange. “Fundamentally, we were bad – even though our effort and heart were as well as I would expect.” Just seconds after the opening tip, Fredericksburg dumped

the ball down low to 6-foot-1 junior center Audrey Spurgin for the opening two points of the game – a precursor of what was to come all game long as she scored a game-high 18 points. But, most of it was from the free-throw line – hitting 10-of14 on the evening after continually being fouled under the basket. Avery Harrell scored the Lady Panthers’ ﬁrst bucket of the contest to even the score at 2-2, but that was the last time the Billies would fail to have a lead in the game. Fredericksburg went on an 11-0 run following Harrell’s basket and led 13-2 before Morgan Jackson hit a bucketand-one to end the slide. Olivia Shelton then scored off a steal, which was followed by a Taylor Swieczkowski score to close it to six at 15-9, but the Billies went on another run – this one 6-0 – to end the quarter with a 21-9 advantage. As the second period began, the Lady Panthers began to solve their opponents and when Baylee Laird hit a pair of free throws with 6:00 left in the half, Liberty Hill had ﬁnally broken into double-digit

scoring. Swieczkowski scored again shortly thereafter, then Shelton drained a pair from the line before a rather animated sequence took place. Harrell made a steal and passed to Emma Hubbard, who was fouled and made both free throws before Laird also stole the ball and was fouled on her way to the basket, after which she also hit a pair, which preceded Harrell getting a rebound before she was fouled and hit both free throws. After the unconventional 6-0 Liberty Hill run, the Lady Panthers were once again within striking distance at 28-21 with 2:01 left until halftime. But, as was the case all evening, each time the Lady Panthers would begin to gain ground, the Billies fought them off with a run of their own and an 8-2 run left the score at 3623 at the break. After being held scoreless the entire ﬁrst half, Jessica Holliday came back out for the second on a mission, as the junior guard hit 3-pointers on four consecutive possessions to begin the third quarter, part of an

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(TOP) Senior Kailey Berzin (#20) played her last game for the Lady Panthers in a 67-58 playoff loss to Fredericksburg on Feb. 25. (ABOVE) Brooke Wright (#21) will next join the track team as the Liberty Hill senior’s basketball career has ended.

Pair of Panther seniors say farewell

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Kailey Berzin and Brooke Wright stepped onto the court for the Lady Panthers’ Class 4A regional quarterﬁnal game against Fredericksburg in Marble Falls on Tuesday night, they were aware it could be the last time they would wear the Purpleand-Gold. But, they were hoping it wouldn’t be the case. Unfortunately, the pair of seniors – the only two on the roster – would walk off after a 67-58 defeat to the Billies, which brought the curtain down on their respective Liberty Hill hoops careers.

According to Wright, the entire experience was a culmination of a long road for her and her teammates. “It was kind of fun and really exciting with all the memories I have of the team,” said Wright. “I think we’ve really improved a lot this season and that’s what really matters.” However, just because her hoops career is over doesn’t mean Wright’s time as a Lady Panthers athlete is done, as the pole vaulter will join the track team for the remainder of their season. For Berzin, it was her ﬁnal athletic appearance of any kind, which sparked an emotional response after the

game. “I just remember looking across the court to the bench and realizing I love those girls,” she said. “I got to experience a lot of new things with all of them, which I’ll never forget.” Berzin added the fact her Lady Panthers career is over probably won’t fully hit home until it’s time for next season to begin. “I don’t think it’s really going to sink in until the time when we would usually start practicing rolls around,” she said. “But, really what I take away from this is having had the ability to appreciate

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Page B2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MORE COWBELL!

Hold the noise and no homecourt, but bad behavior okay for UIL

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Hey. I got a fever … and the only prescription is … Anyone who’s seen the famous “Saturday Night Live” skit with Will Ferrell will know how that one ends. If you’re too young to know what we’re referring to, do what all good millennials do. Google it. We were in lovely Johnson City last week at LBJ High School for the Lady Panthers’ opening-round victory in the Class 4A state basketball playoffs and despite a Liberty Hill victory, came away less than thrilled with it all. For multiple reasons. First of all, any team who wins its district should have home-court advantage in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. Period. We know this is Texas and things are darned spaced-out, but nobody from Central Texas is going to be playing someone from El Paso in the ﬁrst two rounds. Once you make your way to the regionals and beyond, ﬁne. Different story. But, tell me, if you would please, why the Lady Panthers and their supporters should be subjected to a 100-mile round trip on wet, dark, rainy roads to play a team who only squeaked into the postseason as a fourth seed? Does this make any sense whatsoever? Hmm … let me think about it. No! Canyon Lake was the opponent on this night, a nice little settlement out in the wilderness approximately 80 miles from Liberty Hill. The Lady Hawks had to play

Llano – a team with a 6-20 record -- in a play-in game just to make the postseason after losing its regular-season finale to – you guessed it – 6-20 Llano! Guess what, Canyon Lake? Y’all should’ve been just happy to be in the dance. But, no. Because we’re all winners and nobody can be even slightly put out or have their feelings hurt, the game had to be played at a neutral site roughly halfway in between the two towns. Can somebody tell me what’s wrong with this picture? Wait, we already know. If you have a 9-1 district record, are on a seven-game winning streak and finish atop said district standings come the close of the regular season (that would be the Lady Panthers) you should be rewarded by getting to play in the comfy, friendly confines of your own building for the first two rounds of the playoffs. But, no. Instead the team that barely gets in is rewarded by only having to travel 40 miles to their imminent beatdown instead of 80 and the Purpleand-Gold have to hit the road instead of playing in Pantherville – which they earned the right to do. Of course, the same thing will happen to the boys’ team when their playoffs begin, so ditto for them. Apparently, so we’re told by someone in the know, Class 5A does exactly what we’re proposing, so next season, things will be different. But, this is still this year. However, back to our cowbells. (You haven’t YouTubed it yet?) A small group of Panther people decked out in Purple-andGold regalia were in the stands for the Lady Panthers’ playoff

opener and were equipped with cowbells adorned in school colors, which they would shake enthusiastically at various times during the proceedings. Until the long arm of the law showed up in the form of an LBJ official who strolled across the court during a timeout early in the game and put the kabash on the cowbells. “According to UIL rules.” So, we looked it up and sure enough, right there in Section 1208, Section N of the UIL Constitution (where are the Founding Fathers when you need them? Anybody have George Washington or Thomas Jefferson on speed-dial?), there it was. “Noisemakers are prohibited at League athletic events held in field houses and/or gymnasiums.” So, legit. But, still stupid. We’re at a basketball game, people. Not a golf tournament or a tennis match, okay? Shh … Baylee Laird putting for birdie. No! Admittedly, we probably don’t need air horns or some other ear-splitting devices at games – but cowbells? Come on now – this is Texas, for crying out loud! Anyway, rules are rules (even if they are completely asinine), so fine. No cowbells. But, it’s too bad the UIL “Constitution” doesn’t have rules and regulations prohibiting ridiculous behavior by socalled “fans” who spend the entire game yelling at the top of their lungs at game officials. Oh, wait an minute. There are. Page Nine of the UIL Parent Information Manual clearly outlines parameters for proper behavior by spectators at all sanctioned events.

Included in the tidbits are these words of wisdom: “A ticket is a privilege to observe the contest, not a license to verbally assault others or be generally obnoxious.” We especially like the last part of that one. “Respect the integrity and judgement of game officials. Understand that they are doing their best to help promote the student-athlete and admire their willingness to participate in full view of the public.” Someone obviously didn’t get the memo (just keep reading). “Be a positive role model at events through your own actions and by censuring those around you whose behavior is unbecoming.” Yeah – usually when you attempt to “censure” someone, blows end up being thrown after somebody says something about someone else’s mama – good idea. “Parents and spectators should be aware that the school can (and should) remove them from the premises and can prohibit them from attending future contests due to undesirable behaviors. Game officials can ask that school administrators have unruly fans removed from a contest facility.” Notice where it says “and should.” Well, the folks in Johnson City didn’t. So, we had this. Apparently, a pair of Canyon Lake “supporters” didn’t get the memo. We’ll just call them the “Angry Moms.” During the entire course of the game – and we mean every single time the ball went up and down the court – the Angry Moms had something to shout – primarily at the officials. We’ve been to a lot of games over the years and have never witnessed such outrageous and disrespectful behavior

aimed at anyone involved with a particular contest – players, coaches, ofﬁcials – we mean nobody. Usually, when such nonsense happens, it’s only for a short time and not all that blatant or out-of-line, but this disgraceful display carried on for the entire evening, even when the score was well out of hand in favor of the Lady Panthers. Perhaps the same gentleman who was the Cowbell Cop should’ve enforced the above UIL rules on the ill-mannered (and that’s putting it mildly) real noisemakers instead of being so concerned with a few innocuous cheering devices. We’ll, (I’ll) tell you something. If we had been wearing a striped shirt, we would’ve stopped the game and demanded the perpetrators be removed from the premises before the contest would be resumed. “According to UIL rules.” But, no. Instead all of the other people – on both sides, mind you

– had to have their enjoyment of the game be ruined by these obnoxious fools and their constant string of high-pitched barbs raining down on the court. People like that should put the same amount of effort and energy into something worthwhile. Like ﬁnding a cure for cancer or bringing about world peace or stopping hunger. Something. Anything. Just don’t go to games. These are extreme, very ugly examples of something that goes on at every single high school event we cover. Overzealous parents who want to coach, ofﬁciate – you name it – from the stands instead of simply being Mom or Dad and acting accordingly. After all, isn’t one of the pillars of parenthood to set an example for your children? But, no. We’re worried about cowbells. By the way. We still have a fever.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Lady Panthers’ goal-scorer gave up rodeo for a return to soccer

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Emma Stephens came into her own on horseback. However, these days, instead of four, she’s using her own two legs to make a name for herself. The Lady Panthers’ midfield starlet has made a habit of filling opposing nets with goals this season and plenty of them – 29 in all so far on the current campaign. However, as she tells it, Stephens could’ve easily been racking up rodeo victories as a barrel racer as opposed to dominating the opposition on the pitch. “I started riding when I was six,” said Stephens. “After I had been riding for five years, I started barrel racing when I was 11.” Stephens lived in Cedar Park before she moved to Liberty Hill, which was when she got the inspiration to jump into the saddle one summer, she said. “I visited my grandparents on a ranch in Bandera,” said Stephens. “Which was when I began riding.” But, that was only the beginning of her equine influence, which was further increased by a later happening, she said. “I remember my mom taking me to the Austin rodeo and seeing barrel racing for the first time,” said Stephens. “I said to myself, ‘I want to be that.’” So, after some research, she devised a plan to get her rodeo dreams started. “When I first started, I didn’t have my own horse,” she said. “So, I rode one which belonged to my trainer. It wasn’t until later when I had my own horse.” So, along came Blaze, Stephens’ very own mount, who was followed by Tex – both males who served her well, whether it was flying around barrels at high speeds or pole bending, which she also competed in – a pair of animals she certainly developed a special bond with. “You really need to take a lot of time riding a horse to get to know it,” said Stephens. “But,

once you get to know them, they’re like really big dogs.” In fact, Stephens had such a love affair with the rodeo ring, she gave up her first love – soccer – in order to completely devote herself to her newfound passion and didn’t step on a pitch for five years. But, that all changed as she approached high school, she said. “I did both for a long time,” said Stephens. “It was really hard to give riding up.” Once she entered her freshman year of high school, she determined the best course of action was to trade in her spurs for gear of a different kind – soccer cleats once again. “I figured playing soccer was a better way for me to get to college,” she said. Once she was back on the pitch again, it was like she had never left. After all, the old saying goes once you learn how to ride a horse, you never forget. Indeed, Stephens scored 13 goals during her freshman season as a Lady Panther and has only continued to elevate her game ever since, said Liberty Hill head Coach Darren Bauer. “It took her a little while to get back into it, but ever since, she’s come along very quickly,” he said. “Emma’s skill and understanding of the game is outstanding.” But, one thing Stephens had to overcome before she could continue to excel was an injury she suffered during her freshman season. “It was during a scrimmage against the boys’ JV,” said Stephens. “I was sprinting after the ball and felt something pop.” A fractured hip was the diagnosis – an ailment that was supposed to keep her out of commission four months – but in actuality, only kept her out of action for eight weeks. Despite her quick recovery, it wasn’t any easier for her to accept, she said. “We were about halfway through district when it happened,” said Stephens. “It wasn’t very good and I was

Emma Stephens (#8) was a barrel racer before she returned to the soccer field for the Lady Panthers. very angry about it.” Stephens said the injury was due to earlier problems she had while still also competing in track at the junior high level, where she ran the relays. “I always had hip flexor issues,” she said. “After I went to one track practice in high school and it bothered me, I decided that was enough – it was interfering with soccer.” Initially, once she recovered from her hip injury, it was awhile before she could once again run free without anxiety hanging over her head. “Last year, I’d still worry a lot about it happening again,” said Stephens. “But, when it finally stopped hurting, I stopped worrying about it.” Suffice to say, the rest has been history, especially after being moved to a central position this season after spending her rookie campaign out wide, something that has suited her game to perfection, said Bauer. “The biggest thing for Emma this season is the fact she’s changed positions,” he said. “We realized she needed to be in the middle.”

Entering the season, though, it remained up in the air as to where exactly Stephens would ﬁt in the Purple-and-Gold puzzle. “We sat down and had a talk,” said Bauer. “We told her we weren’t sure where we were going to play her.” So far, it’s worked out pretty well, as Stephens has already more than doubled her goal output from a year ago and part of the reason is the multi-dimensional attack the Lady Panthers have at their disposal, he said. “At the beginning of this year, most teams we played spent all of their time focusing on (striker) Piper (Tabor) and Madi (Fuller) because they had the stats from last season,” said Bauer. “But, it didn’t take long for them to realize ‘Hey, we better mark No. 8, too.’” According to Bauer, what makes Stephens so good is her relentlessness. “Honestly, it’s her movement which sets her apart,” said Bauer. “She’s constantly looking for open spaces, which is an absolutely deadly trait and

she has the tenacity to ﬁnd it.” Something else that makes Stephens even more of a threat is her propensity to test opposing keepers from distance, a part of her game that has seen rapid improvement this season, she said. “I feel like I’m more on top of the ball this year when I shoot,” said Stephens. “I’m also better one versus one.” So, is there a particular method to her shooting madness when she’s outside the area? In a word – no, she said. “I don’t really think about it,” said Stephens. “I just try and aim for the goal and with how well we work as teammates, it draws defenders in, which allows me to get better shots.” Stephens said her favorite subject in the classroom is algebra and she plans to pursue a career as an oncology nurse at Texas A&M – an aspiration which was inspired by the passing of her father from cancer when she was in eighth grade. Bauer said Stephens is more than up to the challenge. “Emma’s great in school, the

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

classroom and on the ﬁeld,” he said. “She’s mature beyond her years, which goes a long way.” As for if she would be even further along in her soccer career if she hadn’t taken ﬁve years off for her rodeo pursuits, Bauer said there’s no way to tell for sure. “Really, it’s hard to say,” he said. “She’s just so good at everything she does out there – you never know.” Bauer said schools have already inquired about Stephens’ soccer services once her days in Purple-and-Gold are done – but that’s still a long ways off. “Emma’s really going to be something to watch the next two years,” he said. “Her work ethic is outrageous.” So, after all this and how far she’s come, is there ever any want or desire for a return to the saddle? “Actually, I’m scared to go back,” said Stephens. “Because I might want to start again.”

Thursday, February 27, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page B3

Lady Panthers put 17 past Jarrell

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Walker Baty (#33) scored a game-high 18 points in the Panthers’ 101-42 opening-round playoff victory against Bandera in Johnson City on Feb. 25.

Runnin’ Panthers open with dominant win

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Walker Baty only has a handful of basketball games left before he begins his college football career and the Liberty Hill center began to make the most of it by leading the Panthers with 18 points in a 10142 victory against Bandera in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs in Johnson City on Tuesday. Liberty Hill wasted no time in not only setting the tone for the contest, but ending it quickly, as the Panthers opened the floodgates early and often on the Bulldogs, leading 32-1 after the opening quarter after Kadin Knight and Kaleb Bannon both hit a pair of 3-pointers. The second quarter saw much of the same. Carson Perkins, Hunter Clayton and Knight each hit threes on the way to a 56-15 lead at halftime. After scoring eight points in the first half, Baty came out for the second in fine fashion, matching those numbers in the third period alone.

In the fourth quarter, the Panthers continued to rain threes on Bandera, as Caeden Minix, Clayton and Cole Ondrasek all hit from distance on the way to victory. Baty led all scorers with 18 points, while Bannon added 16, Knight had 14, Perkins 12 and Clayton 10, as the Panthers made 12 3-pointers in all. Liberty Hill head Coach Barry Boren said he was determined to have his club simply take care of business in the opening round of the postseason. “We said the key to victory was playing basketball the right way,” he said. “Defending without gambling, contesting without fouling and rebounding before running – then pass the ball ahead and shoot it if open, pass it if not. It was about lifting us up at all times without verbally degrading our opponent – in my mind it was mission accomplished.” Liberty Hill (27-7) will next face Needville in the area ﬁnals at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

In what has become a familiar result this season, the Lady Panthers’ soccer squad hammered yet another opponent with a 17-0 home victory against Jarrell to begin the second round of district play on Feb. 21. Kaylie Fowler led the way for Liberty Hill with ﬁve goals on the evening – her sixth multi-goal game of the campaign -- as the impressive freshman has 19 on the season. Madi Fuller, Mykenna Russo, Emma Stephens and Piper Tabor each scored a pair against the Cougars, while Ellie Thompson, Mia Macias, Kaylee Richardson and Athena Brown picked up single markers. Stephens boosted her team-leading goals total to 31, while in addition to Fowler’s 19, Tabor has 13, Russo 12 and Fuller 11. LHHS 22, Florence 0 The Lady Panthers continued its district domination with a 22-0 away victory against Florence on Feb. 25, scoring 11 goals in each half on the way to an easy victory. Liberty Hill (15-1-3, 8-0) will next host Little River Academy on March 3.

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTOS

(ABOVE) Bryden Bourgeios (#19) takes a shot during the Lady Panthers’ 13-0 away district victory against Little River Academy on Feb. 7. (RIGHT) Madi Fuller (#7) scored a pair of goals in Liberty Hill’s 17-0 home win against Jarrell on Feb. 21.

BOYS SOCCER

The Liberty Hill boys’ soccer squad hosted Jarrell Feb. 21 in a district contest and prevailed by a score of 7-0. Kegan Taggart netted a hat trick for the Panthers in the victory, while Gerald Shoetan, Jessie Anaya, Gabe Hernandez and Mayson White each scored a goal. Leading scorer Jaron Frye was limited to a pair of assists, but still leads the team with 32 goals on the season, along with 14 assists. LHHS 8, Florence 0 The Panthers faced an away contest against Florence Feb. 25 and emerged with an 8-0 victory. Liberty Hill (13-6, 7-1) will next host Little River AcadSHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO Gerald Shoetan (#9) scored a goal in the Panthers’ 7-0 home victory against Jarrell on Feb. 21. emy on March 3.

BASEBALL

Panthers win opener at Bourne

POWERLIFTING The Liberty Hill powerlifting team competed at the Salado Invitational Feb. 20 and picked up a win and a pair of second-place individual ﬁnishes. John Delacruz won the Class 4A boys’ 165-pound weight class with a squat of 425, a bench press of 300 and a dead lift of 395 for a score of 1120. Taylor Sims competed in the girls’ Class 4A 165-pound class, as she squatted 305 pounds, bench-pressed 145 and dead-lifted 305 for a score of 755. James Eckford lifted in the Class 4A boys’ 148-pound division and scored 375 pounds in the squat, 245 in the bench press and 365 in the dead lift for an overall score of 985.

Other top-five finishers for the girls were Madison Knisley (fourth, 132-pound class, 255-130-250-635) and Perla Hernandez (third, 198, 305160-275-740). For the boys, other top-five lifters were Jaret Martinez (fifth, 148, 350-210-340-900) and Luke Huddleston (fourth, 165, 385-215-345-945). In the team standings, the girls finished seventh in the nine-team field with 10 points behind winners Belton, who scored 43, while the boys were sixth out of seven schools with 15 points, as hosts Salado won with 46. Liberty Hill will next compete at regionals in Del Valle on March 7.

TENNIS

“It was nice to see teams travel here to compete,” he said. “Sam Rayburn is northeast of Dallas and they came down and spent a couple nights to compete.” Several teams from other regions such as Brownwood, Robinson and Gatesville were also present. Inclement weather plagued the event, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of everyone involved, said Dodd. “Tuesday and Thursday were windy and cold and we actually had rain the ﬁrst half the day on Thursday, but it opened up and we got the tournament ﬁnished,” he said. “Several coaches from other schools helped out and Rouse, Glenn and Burnet allowed us to use their facilities. So a big thank you to them. (Assistant ) Coach Davidson did a great job secur-

The Liberty Hill tennis team hosted its spring tournaments Feb. 18-21. Waco, Harker Heights, Brownwood, Lockhart, Lago Vista, McNeil, Manor Tech, Gatesville, Glenn, San Marcos, Burnet, Robinson, Bastrop, Copperas Cove, Wimberley, Rouse, Sam Rayburn, Smithville, Bryan, Academy and Caldwell were all in attendance. On Feb. 18 the freshmen tournament was held, followed by the junior varsity on Feb. 20 and ﬁnally the varsity event on Feb. 21. Teams competed in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at four different locations due to size of the tournament. Liberty Hill head Coach Philip Dodd was pleased with the large turnout for the event.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Ryan Flake (#21) went 3-for-5 with five runs batted in during the Panthers’ season-opening 9-4 raod win against Bourne on Tuesday. ing breakfast for the coaches each morning and running a site. Mrs. Fay helped out with pizza delivery each day. It’s always great when neighboring communities help each other out and parental support is a key to event success, so I’m very appreciative.” As far as the competition was concerned, the Panthers’ freshmen dominated, bringing home the team championship trophy, while the junior varsity won the girls’ division and finished second behind Wimberley in the overall team standings. Varsity was a clean sweep for the home team with first in girls’ division, first in the boys’ division and overall team champions. Dodd said his team was able to meet the challenge of tough

See TENNIS, Page B4

The Liberty Hill baseball team made the long trip to Bourne Tuesday for its season-opener and came home with a 9-4 victory over the Greyhounds. After a shaky first inning in which he allowed all four Bourne runs on the mound, Panthers senior Ryan Flake more than made up for it at the plate, as he went 3-for-5 with five runs batted in on the game. After plating a run in the top of the first, Liberty Hill scored four in the fourth and sixth innings to secure the victory behind strong relief pitching from Garrett Shull, Ryan Leary and Rowan Guerra, who combined for six scoreless innings out of the bullpen with 10 strikeouts. Jackson Knox homered for the Panthers in the win. Liberty Hill (1-0) will next host the High Country Invitational on Feb. 27-29.

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Eliza Homorodi and Colin Garner ﬁnished second in the mixed doubles’ competition at the Liberty Hill varsity tournament on Feb. 22.

Page B4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

TRACK

The Liberty Hill track team began the new season by hosting the Panther Relays Feb. 22 and senior Kevin Berber was the Purple-and-Gold’s top performer on the day with a pair of victories in the 1600 and 3200 meters, while fellow senior Gabe Diaz prevailed in the 800 meters. Berber set a brand-new personal best in the 3200 with a time of 9:53.06, which was enough to outdistance his nearest competition by nearly two seconds, while posting a 4:36.94 in the 1600 for the victory. Diaz smoked the field in the 800 with a time of 2:02.58 for his first win of the season. Ryan Davis finished sixth in the 800 in 2:09.96 and also sixth in the 400 in 55.38. In the relays, the 4x400-meter quartet of Ryan Achumuma, Christopher Palomo, Noah Ybarra and Diaz crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 3:35.17. The pole vault saw Liberty Hill’s Gavin Bailey finish third

F AREWELL Continued from Page B1

all year and have fun with my teammates because ultimately that’s what it’s all about.” Wright voiced similar sentiments. “I think when the team starts practicing without me is when I’ll realize and especially when I come to watch them play next season,” she said. “What I’ll remember most is all the relationships.” Liberty Hill head Coach Chris Lange said the pair will deﬁnitely be missed. “It’s always tough to lose kids like Kailey and Brooke,” he said. “But, they never let us down – they always played hard and won some big games for us.”

LADIES

with an effort of 11-0, while James Mixson was right behind in fourth with a result of 10-0. In the team competition, the boys finished fifth in the 12team field, with 58 points behind winners Rouse, who posted 112.5. On the girls’ side, freshman Zaila Smith was the highest-finishing Liberty Hill athlete with a second-place in the 3200 meters in a time of 11:47.84, just ahead of Panthers teammate Ayanna Donwerth, who was third in 12:07.57. Donwerth added another third-place result in the 1600 in 5:36.84, while Smith also finished fifth in the 800 in 2:34.13. In the 400 meters, Lindsee Miller finished third with an effort of 1:05.29, with teammate Haley Polser in fourth at 1:05.88. The 4x400-meter relay team of Dejahnae Thompson, Tyler Goode, Miller and Polser finished second in 4:19.85, while

See TRACK, Page B5 Lauren Hagerman ﬁnished fourth in the high jump with an effort of 4-10 at the Panther Relays on Feb. 22.

TENNIS

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Continued from Page B3

competition. “There were several state qualifiers from other regions here and we held our own,” he said. “We just happen to be in the toughest region in the state in Region 4 with depending state champions Fredricksburg.” Individual results Freshmen Girls’ singles – Ava Ortega, first Boys’ singles – Patrick Fay, second Mixed doubles – Nhu Nyugen/Joel Rodriguez, first Mixed doubles – Tru Nyugen/ Torbio Rodriguez, second Girls doubles – Grace Davis/ Jesslyn Jackson, second Junior varsity

Continued from Page B1

12-3 run – with Holliday scoring all of Liberty Hill’s points -- to make it a 41-34 game. Once again, Fredericksburg weathered the storm, a source of frustration for Lange throughout, he said. “Every time we would hit a three, they would get one, so we just got neutralized,” said Lange. “We needed to play a little better defense.” Still, the Lady Panthers were in the game at the start of the fourth quarter with the score at 50-37. Jackson hit back-to-back threes from the left corner, which was followed by a Hubbard block and a pair of freethrows from the junior center before Jackson hit her third three of the period to close Liberty Hill within ﬁve points at 56-51. The Lady Panthers would further reduce the deﬁcit when Kenzy Wise hit a pair of freethrows to make it a 56-53 game with 3:11 left, which completed a 17-3 Liberty Hill run which began at the beginning of the quarter. However, despite Wise scor-

Thursday, February 27, 2020

ing all nine of her points in the final eight minutes and the Lady Panthers outscoring the Billies by a 21-17 margin, when the buzzer sounded, it was Fredericksburg who was moving on to the regional semifinals while Lange was left to wonder what might have been. “We didn’t play too well and any time that happens, you usually lose,” he said. “But, most teams would’ve quit after being down so much, but our girls never did.” Holliday and Jackson led Liberty Hill with 12 points each, while Wise added nine and Laird six. Liberty Hill finished the season with an overall record of 23-15, including a district championship after finishing with a 9-1 district mark. LHHS 52, La Grange 28 The Lady Leopards of La Grange entered their second-round Class 4A state playoff game with a sparkling 30-4 record on the season and a top15 ranking. However, the Lady Panthers

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Girls’ singles – Kylie Harlow, second Girls’ doubles – Cassidy Sudekum/Abby Gates, first Girls’ doubles – Sofie Stafford/Olivia House, second Mixed doubles – Will Gray/ Analysa Caskey, third Varsity Girls’ singles – Sofie Sherman, first Girls’ doubles – Mackenzie Coleman/Ava Enstrom, second Mixed doubles – Eliza Homorodi/Colin Garner, second Boys’ singles – Ethan Warrington, second consolation Boys’ doubles – Tyler Franklin/Daniel Leh, first LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO Boys’ doubles – Zach Kizer/ Sophie Sherman won the girls’ singles competition at the Panthers’ varsity tournament on Feb. Ethan Wukasch, third

of Liberty Hill couldn’t have cared less about records and rankings. Liberty Hill defeated La Grange by a score of 52-28 in a contest they controlled from start to ﬁnish on Friday in Taylor. Hubbard led the Lady Panthers with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Wise added six points and 11 boards on an evening which saw plenty of gritty, gutty, physical play that suits the sophomore dynamic duo perfectly. According to Hubbard, her recent resurgence is attributed to a mental adjustment she made coming down the stretch of the season. “I think my mindset changed,” said Hubbard, who has played with much more physicality and aggressiveness. “Before, I wanted to do well and win, but I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. But, ever since the Salado game, it’s been different.” Harrell stole the ball and drove for a layup for the game’s ﬁrst points, but neither team scored after that until

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5:05 was left in the opening quarter, when Hubbard got her first bucket of the night, as the teams battled back-and-forth in hectic, sloppy fashion. Hubbard scored again, then immediately blocked a shot at the other end of the court to make it 6-5 in favor of Liberty Hill nearing the end of the first period. At that point, Wise began scoring to go along with her relentless rebounding, scoring the final two baskets of the quarter, as the Lady Panthers led, 10-5. Wise pulled down four boards in the opening eight minutes, which was a precursor for what was to come for the balance of the game, said Lange. “Ever since Kenzy was a freshman, she’s taken a beating,” he said of his tenacious power forward. “She never backs down.” In fact, after being hit by a wayward hand during a particular scrum, Wise’s lip got stuck in her braces – but she simply kept right on going in winding up red-faced from exertion as is her custom. Once the second stanza was underway, it was time for the Lady Panthers’ bench to stamp its authority on the proceedings. Swieczkowski made an instant impact, scoring a bucket to extend the Liberty Hill lead, which was followed by a Madison Walker three to double up the Leopards at 14-7. Lange appreciated the contributions he got from his backups.

“Taylor came on and was 2-of-2 for us,” he said. “Both Walkers (Regan and Madison) made a few turnovers early, but bounced back strong and Kailey Berzin was much more physical.” Shelton scored the final points of the first half with a short-range shot and the Lady Panthers led at the half, 20-14. Once the squads emerged for the second half, Liberty Hill put the clamps on defensively. In fact, La Grange scored only a single point the entire third quarter on a free throw after being fouled on the only shot they were able to muster. Meanwhile, the Purple-andGold continued to hammer the Leopards at the offensive end. Laird hit a pair of free-throws to get things going, then after a Hubbard block, Wise scored on a nice pass from point guard Harrell, after which Laird hit a 3-pointer to punctuate a 7-0 Lady Panthers run. Finally, Hubbard scored, then blocked another shot before Morgan Jackson hit a basket to give Liberty Hill a 31-15 advantage after three. As if they hadn’t already dominated impressively enough throughout the opening three periods, the Lady Panthers really poured in on during the final eight minutes of the game and in doing so, offered La Grange absolutely no hope of a comeback, scoring 21 points in the period. Berzin and Regan Walker drained buckets to begin the fourth, then Swieczkowski got her second of the night before

Hubbard closed out her scoring account for the evening with another two points. Gloria Kostroun and Ashlyn Calhoun both got on the board for the final two Liberty Hill baskets of the game, with Calhoun hitting a three. In addition to the scoring heroics of Hubbard and Wise, Regan Walker and Laird scored five points apiece and Madison Walker four. Lange was understandably pleased after his club had made their opponents look more like they had a reversed record of their 30-4 mark. “It was a good game – we played hard,” he said. “We’re not 30-4 because of the schedule we play all season.” Also praised was Harrell, who once against ran the offense masterfully, said Lange. “Avery’s been getting better as she’s become more aggressive,” he said. However, despite the fact his side had just punched its ticket to the third round, Lange was rather matter-of-fact. “We’ve done this every year for the last five,” he said. “But, the players did their jobs tonight and I’m so proud of them.” Hubbard said she and her teammates will continue to succeed as long as they maintain their approach. “I feel our confidence is better even though we’re going to be playing harder teams,” she said. “We just have to remain humble.”

Thursday, February 27, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

T RACK Continued from Page B4

Hadleigh Vanderroest, Nikole Threet, Megan Sims and Delaney Foster were sixth in the 4x100 in 53.55. In the field events, Greta Coker finished third in the pole vault at 9-6, while Sims was also third in the triple jump at 32-11, with Isabella Brethower fourth at 32-2 1/2. Lauren Hagerman finished fourth in the high jump at 4-10, with the Panthers’ Haley Kuhlmann in sixth at 4-8, with Sims also finishing sixth in the long jump at 15-6. Overall, the Liberty Hill girls were fourth in the team standings with 70 points behind winners Fredericksburg, who scored 172 for the win. Liberty Hill will next compete at the Hornet Relays in Gatesville on Feb. 28.

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ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

(LEFT) Senior Kevin Berber won the 1600 and 3200 meters at the Panther Relays on Feb. 22. (Luedecke Photography) (ABOVE) Blake Wilson competes in the discus during the Panther Relays.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 27, 2020

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Mykenna Russo (#3) heads the ball on goal during the Lady Panthers’ 12-0 home victory against Burnet on Feb. 14.

Lady Panthers talent pipeline begins at the junior varsity level

LHHS Golf

On Feb. 14, the Liberty Hill girls’ golf team played in the Temple Valentine’s Day Invitational. Sarah Baker ﬁnished seventh with a 93, while fellow Lady Panthers Morgan Poulain carded a 100 and Jena Pina a 114. (Courtesy Photo)

JV ROUNDUP

TRACK

The Liberty Hill junior varsity track squad hosted the Panther Relays Feb. 22 and the girls’ team finished first with 146 points, easily outdistancing second-place Rouse, who posted 103. Kallista Frye won the 100 meters in a time of 13.09, while Natalie Roth finished first in the 800 in 2:34.95 and Alexis Whitmore crossed the line first in the 300-meter hurdles in 51.62. The Lady Panthers also won a pair of relay events, as the quar-

tet of Briley Judd, Haley Garringer, Cierra Craig and Frye was ﬁrst in the 4x100-meters in 53.06 and Tinnley Sumner, Morgan Poulain, Eimilie Taylor and Hannah Smith won the 4x400 in 4:37.32. On the boys’ side, the Panthers swept the top two spots in the triple jump, as Derek Martins won with a leap of 40-2 ½, while Konnor Bye was second with an effort of 39-5. Preston Mixson ﬁnished second in the 400 meters in a time of 56.63.

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Darren Bauer knows when a player is ready to step onto the pitch for the Lady Panthers in a varsity soccer game. Liberty Hill’s girls head coach has a very speciﬁc set of standards when it comes to making the grade for the Purple-and-Gold. Certain characteristics and skills are required – both tangible and intangible – and aren’t negotiable. “Effort, attitude and willingness to play how our program plays,” said Bauer. “Early on, I have a conversation with the entire group.” According to Bauer, the biggest challenge is to integrate new players into the Lady Panthers’ system – something which is sometimes difﬁcult when a young player has had success playing a certain way for previous teams.

“I tell them they might have played a different way somewhere else and it’s going to sound weird and crazy what we want you to do here,” said Bauer. “We’re always going to push them and we want them to fail because failure leads to success.” So, what exactly is Bauer referring to? The Lady Panthers are like a Purple-and-Gold amoeba which constantly changes shape during a game based on the ebb and ﬂow of the contest – remaining rigid in their resolve, while at the same time having the freedom to read and react to what opposing defenses give them. But, it’s not always easy, he said. “We just want them to try new things,” said Bauer. “Ideas they’re probably going to ﬁnd different, but we want them to see it through and be

successful.” A critical element for Bauer is to simply face the proper direction when playing the ball. “One of the biggest things we battle – even with our returners – is getting them to play the way they face, not just turning and going to goal – it’s not about how fast or athletic you are – it’s about playing simple. In fact, the more simple you play, the more complicated you can make everything, so the defense has no clue.” For Bauer, it’s about knowing the difference between when to play the ball and when to quickly dish it off to a teammate who may be in a better position. “We want to teach them the right moments to dribble and realize this is how they need to play all the time,” he said. “We want to get them to play different.”

Bauer’s philosophy is one which extends down to the junior varsity ranks, where the seeds are sown for varsity fruition. “We want consistency with how our JV plays, as well,” said Bauer. “Everybody’s not going to be like Madi (Fuller) or Emma (Stephens), who are extremely skilled, but you can still move the ball quickly – it’s really more cerebral than physical.” Bauer always keeps one eye ﬁrmly on the future in making sure all of his players throughout the program know exactly what’s expected of them at all times in everything they do. “We’re always looking to get our players experience because we’re always looking to the future,” he said. “Next year, we’re not losing anybody and we have good freshmen coming in.”

Liberty Hill Elementary students preparing for robotics competition

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The final Monday bell may signal an end for some at Liberty Hill Elementary, but it also sets off the sound of chaos as the Robotics Team gets to work, tinkering, fine-tuning and brainstorming new ideas to design and build. The team’s hard work is paying off. They recently advanced to state competition and are preparing to challenge for the top spot. Unlike the other robotics programs in the district – Liberty Hill High School, Liberty Hill Junior High and Liberty Hill Intermediate – the elementary students use Vex robotics to compete. “There are rules about how the robot is built,” said advisor and engineer Neil Tice. “It can only be a certain size, it can’t throw parts everywhere, and it can’t damage other robots.” Like Mindstorm competition in sixth and seventh grades, students must maneuver around a board completing a set of specific goals for points. “There’s these cubes and balls on the table. A green cube is 20 points, there’s three of them

and three platforms to place them on, the blue cubes go in the corner spots and those are 10 points,” said Tice. “Red ones go in the red in the red corners and each ball is one point if they get it in the cube. It’s about manipulating the game pieces on the board to get the most points.” While other robotics clubs in the district use automated robots, the elementary team uses both an automated programmed robot as well as a manually operated robot. “There’s two types of robot skills events,” said Tice. “There’s the driver assisted event, where one of the students drives the robot and autonomous where you program the robot and it goes and does things.” For the students controlling the manual robot, it’s reminiscent of playing a video game. “So, the way it works is there’s a controller, basically like one for video games,” said fourth grader Ryker Allen. “Each button does something. Press one and a part goes up, press down and it goes down, press another and it moves

The Liberty Hill Elementary Robotics Team is (front from left) Ryker Allen, Corina Tucker, Mathilda Tice, Wyatt Haney, Max Tiemann, Kysen Marak, Madison Melchor, Amanda Pavia-Cosper, (back from left) Brystal Carlton, Coach Chad Parsons, Cade Hensel, Addison Van Scoy, Camdyn Hensel, Rye Parsons, Victoria Brewer, Coach Neil Tice, and Coach Renee Tice. how you want.” In a demonstration of the robot in action, Allen uses the controller to get the robot to use its lifting mechanism to lift a green cube off the play board and carry it over to the designated area. Allen knows what part he prefers. “My favorite part is the building,” said Allen. “The hardest part is the programming. It takes me probably about two or three practices to get it.” At this level placing emphasis on the programming only earns a few points but the goal is improvement in that area. “A lot of this is about me-

chanical design, we have a lot of coding going on as well,” said Tice. “The way they set up the event you can do pretty well without autonomous programming, but it adds to your score a lot. Right now, our best effort is 11 points for autonomous but we’re aiming to get two green cubes and earn 40 points.” Leading the charge on the autonomous robot, are fourth graders, Wyatt Hayney and Rye Parsons. “So basically, you have to do a program on the computer and then download it onto the robot brain,” said Hayney. “Then you have to come up

with a name for it. You press go on the program and it starts doing it on its own.” As always, working on a team presents some difﬁculties because of different perspectives and ideas, but the group understands the necessity of working towards a middle ground. “Sometimes you disagree and can get into arguments,” said Parsons. “Usually we try and focus on something to get through it.” Competition for the team includes a second part that consists of a research project where students must come up with an idea for a robot and develop how it will work, what it

does and how it can be helpful. The team chose to create a probe meant to study and test minerals on a foreign planet. As they move toward their upcoming state competition, the group of young engineers are preparing to face stiff competition. Vex is headquartered in Texas and features not only a large number of teams from the Lone Star State but also a good number of international competitors. “They’re competing against teams that are top ranked in the world,” said Tice. “One of the teams competing when we won is ranked 43rd in the world.”

JOHNSON CITY — Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) invites area nonproﬁts to apply for community grants of up to $5,000. Applications are due by 5 p.m. April 3. The cooperative’s semiannual grants are open to organizations within or surrounded by PEC’s service territory. Grant funds may be used for projects that include technology, capital improvements, or equipment

related to energy efﬁciency. In the fall, PEC awarded a record $30,000 in community grants. “Giving back to our communities to help them thrive and serve our membership is a big part of who we are as a cooperative,” PEC Community Relations Coordinator Caroline Tinsley Porter said. “These grants are one way we show that commitment, and we can’t wait to see the good that will

be done with the next round of grants.” The grants are funded exclusively by the generosity of PEC members through the Power of Change program, which allows members to round up their electric bill to the nearest dollar for charity. “Signing up for Power of Change is such an important and easy way for our members to support nonproﬁts in their

community,” Tinsley Porter added. “The average donation is about $6 per year, and together we make a huge impact.” Members interested in supporting local nonproﬁts may enroll in Power of Change via SmartHub, by phone, on their payment slip, or by visiting a PEC ofﬁce.

Applications now open for PEC grants