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2021

Volume 34, Issue 11

Committee ﬁnds consensus in bond proposal

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor A group of 65 community members gathered for the first time in October to determine how Liberty Hill ISD could address its future facility and growth needs. At that meeting, the new Long Range Planning Committee learned first about the growth that has occurred in the district in recent years and the growth expected over the next decade -- setting the group on a course that resulted in a $491 million bond proposal presented to the Board of Trustees on Jan. 25. Committee member Kenneth Huff, a sixth-grade teacher at Liberty Hill Intermediate School, has been in education a long time, but had not been involved previously in issues like the ones facing the committee. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” he said. “This is my twenty-third year in education, and in those 23 years I’ve only had the opportunity to work in a brand new building one time. I was not part of the similar process for that new building.” The task proved to be large, with many questions and a lot of data, but Committee member Aurora Trahan, the mother of a first grader at Santa Rita Elementary, said it was presented and covered in a way that it wasn’t too overwhelming. “I would say they did a really good job from the outset setting the tone to let us know this was a big

See COMMITTEE, Page 4

www.LHIndependent.com

Snell discusses ins and outs of potential bond election

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor With a $491 million bond proposal now on the table, it is up to the LHISD Board of Trustees to make a ﬁnal decision on exactly what will be put in front of the voters May 1. That decision should come at the Feb. 8 meeting, after Board members have had two weeks to consider the information one last time. But the information is not brand new to the Board. “The Board has been involved every step of the way with the committee,” said Superintendent Steve Snell. “They’ve heard the conversations, they understand how this specific proposal evolved over the four-month conversation.” As part of the meeting Mon-

day, the Board will work out the ballot language and specific propositions. “We will go over how every proposition will be worded, exactly what’s in each proposition,” he said. “I’m going to make a good recommendation to the Board and they’ll have all the data they need to be able to vote and then we will move forward from there.” As proposed, the bond on the table calls for additions and renovations to Liberty Hill Elementary and the new Louine Noble Elementary – currently the Intermediate School campus – to bring them up to 800 student capacity and ensure facilities are on par with the newer campuses. It also includes two new elementary campuses as well as funds for the design of the

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Entering Amanda Ott’s home for the ﬁrst time, you might be greeted by Sully. Or Stella. Or Winston. Regardless of who greets you at the door, each of these four-legged friends is eager to make a new acquaintance. Ott is the owner of Golden Star Canine, a force-free training facility and dock diving pool just a few minutes north of the US 183 and SH 29 intersection. Golden Star Canine is the culmination of years of Ott’s experience working with dogs, both early in life competing in agility and obedience, and then professionally after graduating from Texas A&M University. “I worked in vet clinics growing up since I was 16. I knew what I wanted to do. I worked with retired chimpanzees in Bastrop and learned the forcefree training there. There’s a lot of science there, and I

thought I could mix the science with behavior and training,” she said. “While working at boarding places, I found that there were dogs that didn’t do well in boarding. There are some dogs it’s great for. Some dogs are a little shy or even too excited. So, I asked myself what if I could set up to cater to those guys and make them feel more comfortable.” Earning her Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) certification, Ott volunteers her time with Travis County Search and Rescue. The experienced trainer has trained multiple dogs for air scent, trailing, and human remains detection. Her home is set up to house up to six dogs at a time, not including her own five. She has several rooms dedicated to housing a half dozen dogs. Integration for boarded dogs is key to comfort.

eighth elementary campus. There is a third middle school included as well as design funds for a fourth. The biggest ticket item in the proposal is a second high school with a projected price tag of $165 million. Another $101 million is planned for infrastructure projects that include technology improvements, maintenance, buses and funds for land purchase for the new campuses. Snell said he understands it is a lot to digest for voters. “To me, at the end of the day that number is a large number,” he said. “People have to know this was a very, very thorough process and the responsibility of this committee was enormous and they took it

See BONDS, Page 5

February 4, 2021 | 50 Cents LHISD NUMBER CRUNCH 13.5%

LHISD 2020 enrollment growth rate

26,286

Projected new home occupancy by 2030

3,305

New homes in Santa Rita Ranch by 2030

12,215

Projected student enrollment by 2025

1,513

Current High School enrollment

5,010

2029 projected High School enrollment

$491 million

Estimated total bond price tag SOURCE: Population and Survey Analysts of Bryan, TX

Golden Star Canine strengthens bonds with dogs

WilCo continues vaccination expansion

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer As Williamson County sees increased deaths and COVID-19 cases, the urgency to get vaccinations to the public quickly and efﬁciently has grown. Williamson County and Cities Health District Marketing and Community Engagement Director Deb Strahler credits the increased number of January deaths and COVID-19 cases in the county to several factors. “We don’t do all of the case investigations. There is a group the state coordinates called Texas Health Trace. We don’t talk to every single positive case, but we do with a small handful,” she said. “In general, the compounding of all the holidays starting in October with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. It was the perfect disaster recipe for the explosive number of cases. Fortunately, we’re seeing the hospital rate coming down.” The County continues to roll

News@LHIndependent.com

out its vaccination plan, focusing on category 1b citizens, those 65 and older, or those with health complications. There are 81,282 people living in Williamson County 65 and older and eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. “We are working rapidly to meet the needs of our community. We can open all of the mega sites that we want in Williamson County,” said Williamson County Judge Gravell. “Until we get a signiﬁcant amount of vaccine, it’s still going to be fairly slow. We’re grateful for the work the WCCHD is putting in. Not only were they able to complete the 1a category. They are now in the process of circling back to check on our nursing homes to make sure we’re vaccinating every senior.” Williamson County is working with Family Hospital Systems (FHS) for their vaccination rollout, successfully administering 15,000 doses to pre-registered individuals so far. FHS will continue administering vaccines by appointment only at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex drive-thru site and Georgetown ISD Athletic

See VACCINE, Page 4

Golden Star Canine offers a wide variety of training options for dogs – and owners – with every

See TRAINING, Page 5 need. Owner Amanda Ott uses years of experience and training to help both reach their goals.

County looks to Legislature over busy courts

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor County leaders are keeping one eye on the Texas Legislature as it enters its ﬁrst full month of the 87th Session, hoping for action in some areas and no action in others. One area the Commissioners Court is asking directly for assistance is in the local judiciary. “With the continuing growth in the county, we are probably at a place where we need to add another County Court at Law as well as another District Court,” Pct. 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long said. “The case volume is monitored by the ofﬁce of court administration and they have concurred with what the judges surmised in that we really do need to add one more in each of those court systems and that requires legislative action.” The Commissioners Court resolution in support of creating the two new courts is submitted to State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, for the legislative process that Williamson County hopes will result in the addition of the two courts. The anticipated future cost to the County is between $1 million and $2 million annually to fund and operate the courts.

“It’s all in the caseload the courts take on,” Long said. “The most conservative approach would be on the low end about $1 million-plus per year, and this doesn’t include the start up cost, but just in ongoing personnel and that sort of thing. It depends on whether it is a civil docket or criminal docket. It takes personnel from both the District Attorney and County Attorney offices to have prosecutors, then it also takes personnel from the County Clerk and District Clerk offices. The judges have worked closely with all those parties to figure out the most financially conservative way to do it.” The bulk of District Judge salaries are paid by the state, but all judicial staff is paid for by the County. County Court at Law Judges are funded at about 40 percent by the state. Long said the County has spent many years making the current courts work effectively, but the growth is dictating needed expansion. “We’ve gone almost 15 years without adding a court on either side and they have rearranged dockets and added associate judges to handle some things, we’ve used magistrates to do some things,” she said. “We’re at that point where there’s really not a lot

more efﬁciencies they can squeeze out of it.” An area Long said the County hopes the Legislature stays out of is renewed diversions from the gas tax fund which is earmarked for transportation

90s, and hasn’t been adjusted for inﬂation. The dollar you brought in then is probably worth about 20 cents now and construction price index has gone up more than the consumer price index. (Texas De-

“We’ve gone almost 15 years without adding a court on either side and they have rearranged dockets and added associate judges to handle some things, we’ve used magistrates to do some things. We’re at that point where there’s really not a lot more efﬁciencies they can squeeze out of it.”

~ Cynthia Long County Commissioner, Pct. 2

projects and maintenance. The state has stepped away from diverting from those funds for other areas in need, but with what is expected to be a tighter budget cycle there are concerns. “We worked really hard over many legislative sessions to stop the diversions from the dedicated gas tax and my hope is in this year of potential revenue shortfalls the Legislature doesn’t go back on their word and start diverting from that again,” she said. “That is already a diminished fund. The state and federal gas tax hasn’t changed since the early

partment of Transportation) is barely able to maintain the roads they have.” The revenue cap instituted previously by the Legislature is something Williamson County has managed well, according to Long, but seeing some struggle to meet the requirements leads to concern it could come up again. “We actually complied with the revenue cap number a year early and unfortunately there were some communities that not only didn’t do it early, but used the pandemic as an

See COURTS, Page 4

Page 2

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May election slate up to 12 candidates

Twelve candidates have filed for a spot on the May 1 ballot that includes the Liberty Hill City Council and Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees, with just over one week reamaining before the Feb. 12 filing deadline. In the LHISD Board race, Steve Messana and Michael Ferguson have both filed for Place 3, which is currently held by David Nix, who to date has not filed for reelection. Incumbents Kathy Major (Place 4) and Anthony Buck

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(Place 5) have both filed seeking reelection. Place 6 was added to the ballot after Board member Vickie Peterson announced in January that she was resigning due to work obligations. Lockie Ealy and Aurora Trahan both filed this week to run in Place 6, which is for 1-year to finish out Peterson’s term. In the City Council election, all three places on the ballot now have two candidates. Kim Sanders is running for Place 1, which is currently

held by Steve McIntosh. This week, Michael Helbing added his name to run against Sanders. McIntosh has not indicated whether he will seek reelection. Place 5 Council member Liz Rundzieher has filed seeking another term, but Angela Lynn Jones filed Tuesday also seeking Place 5. Crystal Mancilla, filed last week to run against incumbent Gram Lankford, who has also filed seeking reelection to Place 3.

Candidates can file until 5 p.m. Feb. 12. To file for City Council, candidates can download the application packet from the City website or pick one up from City Secretary Nancy Sawyer by appointment. In addition to school board races, a $491 million school bond election may also appear on the ballot. To file for School Board seats, candidates should call (512) 260-5580.

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

(512) 740-3215 - Contact Terry We Answer the Phone!

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Jan. 25-31, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 520 incidents resulting in 10 cases, 22 citations, 71 warnings and one arrest. Weekly Highlights: - On Jan. 25 at approximately 9:15 AM, officers responded to Horseshoe Loop for a burglary complaint. - On Jan. 25 at approximately 10:48 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for an accident. - On Jan. 25 at approximately 4:47 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for

a disturbance. - On Jan. 25 at approximately 8:53 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Jan. 26 at approximately 5:15 AM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Jan. 26 at approximately 8:24 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious person complaint. - On Jan. 26 at approximately 12:02 PM, officers responded to Myrtle Street for a disturbance. - On Jan. 26 at approximately

8:41 PM, officers responded to W SH 29 and Ronald Reagan Blvd to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Jan. 27 at approximately 9:21 AM, officers responded to Freedom Park for an alarm call. - On Jan. 27 at approximately 12:54 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for suspicious activity. - On Jan. 27 at approximately 5:01PM, officers responded to CR 279 for a harassment complaint. - On Jan. 27 at approximately 6:23 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for

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Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Feb. 9

The Tuesday, Feb. 9th Liberty Hill Garden Club program is “Landscape Design” with speaker Val Black, Williamson County Master Gardener. This is a Zoom-based meeting. For Zoom information, write to gardenclublibertyhill@gmail. com.

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Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter meets Feb. 13

The Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas will meet Saturday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m. at the Cross Tracks Methodist Church, 101 Church Street in Liberty Hill. The church will be sanitized, masks and social distancing observed.

The program features a talk on the history of Williamson County during the Republic. For information on membership in the Daughters, please contact Joyce Parsons at jnparsons1114@gmail.com, or Mariann Laughlin at truetexaswomen@gmail.com.

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a criminal mischief complaint. - On Jan 28 at approximately 6:29 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Jan. 28 at approximately 1:32 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On Jan. 28 at approximately 5:51 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for a traffic hazard, resulting in the arrest of a male adult for driving while intoxicated. - On Jan. 28 at approximately 11:14 PM, responded to CR 279 for an accident. - On Jan. 29 at approximately 2:28 AM, officers responded to Drystone Trail to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Jan. 29 at approximately 10:44 AM, officers responded to CR 279 for a criminal mischief complaint. - On Jan. 29 at approximately 10:17 PM, officers responded to Jase Reid Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Jan. 30 at approximately 1:31AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious vehicle. - On Jan. 30 at approximately 10:57 AM, officers responded to Stonewall Pkwy to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Jan. 30 at approximately 2:14PM, officers responded to Liberty Meadows for suspicious activity. - On Jan. 30 at approximately 10:54 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Jan. 31 at approximately 12:47 AM, officers responded to Green Bur Oak Loop for a disturbance. - On Jan. 31 at approximately 4:09 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On Jan. 31 at approximately 12:11 PM, officers responded to Sundance Trail to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Jan. 31 at approximately 12:28 PM, officers responded to US 183 and W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Jan. 31 at approximately 8:08 PM, officers responded to Lola Drive for a suspicious incident.

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

LHHS Cross Examination team earns trip to state

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Basking in the glow of victory, Liberty Hill High School students Cassidy Sudekum and Kaitlyn are celebrating a ďŹ rst place ďŹ nish in District 25-A District Cross-Examination. With their win in the virtual event, the pair advanced to state-level competition in March. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is amazing. You know your students work hard and prepare to succeed, and you keep telling them hard work wins,â&#x20AC;? said Debate instructor Tammy Ballard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes students work hard, and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win, but when they do win â&#x20AC;&#x201C; wow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their faces light up, and you see that they realize that they accomplished that. They earned the win. It is amazing. They were a new team, they worked together, and they just kept their headon, were focused and were successful.â&#x20AC;? Making it to state is a ďŹ rst for Sudekum and Brooks, and the moment is still sinking in for the district champions. Sudekum also earned top speaker points. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, this accomplishment still feels surreal because we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gone this far before and did not want to get our hopes up this time. So when it actually happened, we were sort of shocked,â&#x20AC;? said Sudekum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It feels weird to be the ďŹ rst in the state for this event because there have been a lot of great debaters to come through the Liberty Hill program, but we know we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the last.â&#x20AC;? The duo is excited to carry on a great Liberty Hill tradition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am honored to be the ďŹ rst in this category to make state, and I am excited to represent the school,â&#x20AC;? said Brooks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The event was stressful; we prepared by researching and practicing our speeches. The

most difďŹ cult part was being prepared for the other teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case.â&#x20AC;? The method of preparation, in the end, lined up perfectly with what they were presented in competition, giving them the edge they needed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had practices where we worked on timing our case, preparing for what our opponents would say, and outlining how to respond to certain questions,â&#x20AC;? said Sudekum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The actual event went better than we expected because the negative cases all read the same capitalism disadvantage, so by ďŹ nals, we were pretty prepared for that card.â&#x20AC;? Sudekum has previous experience in traditional Lincoln-Douglas Debate but felt the need to try a different one. The main attraction to cross-examination for both girls was the chance to share debating duties with a partner. Ballard feels the successful teamwork Sudekum and Brooks have displayed will serve as inspiration for the rest of the debate team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, hopefully, the hard work results in winning. I think it also means that team debate, really has to be that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a team,â&#x20AC;? said Ballard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it ignites some of our other team members in other speech and debate contests to push on and that working hard results in winning.â&#x20AC;? With March right around the corner, the time to get ready for state starts now for the district champions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The part of cross-examination that I enjoy the most is getting to see different arguments and sides on the topic of the year and prepping with my partner on how to respond,â&#x20AC;? said Sudekum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are preparing for state by practicing running through our case, going to tournaments, and prepping for our opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cases.â&#x20AC;?

County businesses may again operate at 75% capacity

Williamson County, which falls under Trauma Service Area (TSA) O is no longer considered a high hospitalization area by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). This classiďŹ cation allows certain businesses to operate at an increased capacity under Governor Greg Abbottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Order GA-32. Williamson County establishments were required to restrict capacity to a maximum 50 percent because the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percent-

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 3

Throwback Thursday

The 1971 Liberty Hill Junior High football team, coached by Arnim Humphreys (standing far left), played its games on a ďŹ eld located behind the present day administration building. The original Panther Stadium had yet to be built. (Courtesy Photo)

Looking back at Liberty Hill schools in the early 1970s

By JAMES WEAR Columnist Times have cert a i n l y changed. Fifty some odd years ago, one could pretty much count the number of support personnel for the Liberty Hill school district on two handsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;among those pictured on Page 3 of the 1972 Panther yearbook were two bus drivers, two lunch room employees and another four individuals whose positions were not identiďŹ ed. Mr. Ford and Mr. ShefďŹ eld drove the school buses while Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. McLeod prepared lunch, and Darlene Cox, Lois Spivey and Mildred Foust were also listed as employees. Three people were pictured as members of the administration, including David Bates, su-

perintendent; Barbara Forbes, secretary; and principal Andy Frost. Of course, this was during that time period when Liberty Hill was without a high school and those students of high school age were attending either Leander or Georgetown schools. Liberty Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eighth grade class totaled 37 students, while the seventh grade had 21 boys and girls and the sixth grade had 29 youngsters. The junior high faculty included Macky Williams, Andy Frost, Patricia Cousins, Tom Meginnis, Arnim Humphreys, Louise Marcom, Connie Sue Mather, Edna Foster, Janice WingďŹ eld, Patsy Faulkner and Ann McMurry. Alice Oldham was the ďŹ fth grade teacher, Lacy Lett taught fourth grade, Linda Oltmann was the third grade teacher, Betty Carothers was the second grade teacher and Sudie Foster taught ďŹ rst grade. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;old red brick school houseâ&#x20AC;? had been torn down and

this group of students were housed in the new elementary building on Forrest Street that

(ABOVE) David Bates served as school superintendent back in 1971 while Barbara Forbes was school secretary. (BELOW) The 1971 Liberty Hill pep squad. (Courtesy Photos)

age of total hospital capacity exceeded 15 percent. After seven consecutive days with the number of COVID19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity at 15 percent or less, these businesses are allowed to return to 75 percent capacity. Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell requested the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) allow bars to reopen at 50 percent capacity for indoor seating and the TABC approved.

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Page 4

COMMITTEE

job,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a lot to consider and was a big decision. What I appreciated about the committee is it really was a nice cross section of the people in Liberty Hill that were new, that were here a long time, business owners, folks that had gone through the school system themselves, to say we are all coming at it with our own perceptions and reactions to it.â&#x20AC;? There was one aspect of the process that did seem overwhelming for some, though. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is overwhelming in that if the district doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do something to try and stay ahead of the data they are showing, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re left with what do we do if we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay in front of this growth?â&#x20AC;? Huff said. Beyond projected enrollment numbers, the committee worked through a long list of other considerations to try and leave no stone unturned when looking at the expense, efďŹ ciency and culture of the district. Perhaps the biggest challenge was the discussion of whether to stick with one high school or move forward with building a second one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re growing, this is a town that has a lot of pride, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all Panthers, but then

VACCINE

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

we got to thinking about two high schools and the implications that can bring and it was a little bit more challenging,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said. In the end, for the committee, opportunity won out over that one-campus unity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where we landed was really about students being able to participate in things, to have opportunities to be on the sports teams, do things like ROTC, robotics and those sorts of things,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you start to think about the numbers in the student populations we are seeing in the demographic projections itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tough to think about a school that large and have opportunities for kids to participate the way they can today.â&#x20AC;? With older campuses that have less capacity than newer ones, another issue was trying to establish equity across all campuses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to make this a district where there is equity across the district,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want folks to feel like whatever school theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at is representative of the great pride in education in the school system that we know is Liberty Hill. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why you see in the proposal things like adding to and updating some of the older

Continued from Page 1

Complex. To expand their efforts, on Jan. 26, the Commissioners Court approved a contract with Curative Inc. to set up additional vaccination sites. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal of the County is to have Family Health Systems take care of the west side and have Curative manage the vaccination site in Georgetown and ultimately open a vaccination site at the Dell Diamond,â&#x20AC;? said Gravell. Some people have difďŹ culty registering for a vaccination due to either a lack of technology or comfort using it. The County has set up the Vaccine Registration Technical Assistance (VRTA) site, currently at the Sun City Social Center ballroom, located at 2 Texas Drive in Georgetown, as well as a call center. The call center is to provide

COVID-19 vaccine information and can be reached at (512) 943-1600. It is available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and can assist individuals with information such as how to sign up on the vaccine wait list, conďŹ rm that someone is on the wait list, provide information about the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vaccine plan, and share details on the VRTA sites. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Folks that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have capabilities to get online or have the comfort getting online can call that call center and have their name placed on the Family Health Systems website,â&#x20AC;? said Rachel Arnold, executive assistant to Commissioner Valerie Covey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have noticed in our community is we have people that need help. We have a phase 1b population that is uncertain in using tech-

campuses.â&#x20AC;? The ideal size of a LHISD campus, on the elementary, middle and high school levels, was also thoroughly vetted by the committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As part of our discussion in small groups and the whole group when we gathered, there was discussion on how big do we want these schools if we build them?â&#x20AC;? Huff said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is that magic number or the tipping point of how many is too many students? Or how much is too much building? You have to ďŹ nd the middle ground of where is it cost effective as far as how big we build.â&#x20AC;? That evaluation went beyond what committee members or even district staff envisioned as the ideal number. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We looked at other districts around us,â&#x20AC;? Huff said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How big is a typical elementary school in Leander? How big is an elementary school in Bertram? We want to compare apples to apples. Do they feel like their size is too big and on the other side of that did they build it too small and now they have to come up with another building.â&#x20AC;? Nailing down a dollar amount and the structure of the bond proposal came down to a handful of factors for the commit-

nology or has socioeconomic challenges where they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have access to the internet or a smartphone.â&#x20AC;? The County plans to create VRTA sites at Hill Country Bible Church, Taylor First Baptist Church, and a yet to be determined possible Round Rock location. The goal is to have a VRTA site on the east and west side of Williamson County. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Family Hospital Systems was having kind of a bottleneck as they were giving vaccinations. They asked for some help getting the registration part complete,â&#x20AC;? said Arnold. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They do have ways of helping people when they get there, but it does ďŹ&#x201A;ow faster and easier if people have registration done ahead of time. So, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what these centers are mainly doing. Helping people get the information and register.â&#x20AC;?

Thursday, February 4, 2021

tee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One issue was the speed in which the growth is happening, and then some of the logistics like if weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to need schools and facilities itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to secure land before thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no space to build another school,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That played a big part on how we ultimately landed on the larger number and the time frame. Looking at the big picture and securing that land and getting started on construction and at least planning for some of the other future campuses was critical. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to end up with our kids in overcrowded schools as we look to catch up or call another bond in a couple of years.â&#x20AC;? In the end, as the plan came into focus, Huff was pleased with how the large group, with varying perspectives came together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was able to voice my

COURTS

opinion coming from a classroom, as well as hear opinions coming from parents or other community members,â&#x20AC;? Huff said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of those conversations happened, but at the end of the day we all kind of came to agreement. I was very surprised at how much consensus we had in the group. There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a split.â&#x20AC;? Both Huff and Trahan hope that voters dig into the information and details the same way the committee did before coming to a conclusion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The more people know the better their decision will be,â&#x20AC;? Huff said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like voting for the president. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just shoot from the hip and say one guy looks good. Dig into the information, ďŹ nd something you think is a selling point or huge detractor and let somebody know. If you shoot from the hip and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do the research youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing a disservice to

Continued from Page 1

excuse to bust the revenue cap, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hoping that behavior doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reďŹ&#x201A;ect negatively on those of us who complied with the legislative directive,â&#x20AC;? Long said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Williamson County did the right thing.â&#x20AC;? Long is comfortable with the revenue situation in the county, but with the pandemic and unknowns about long-term economic impacts of it, it is being watched closely. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am fearful that a lot of the business closures weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen across the county, means we may see a downturn in some

of the commercial property tax revenue,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to just wait and see if people are able to pay their property taxes.â&#x20AC;? Then there is the ďŹ&#x201A;ip side of mandating that tax rates be capped or dialed back and that is how the Legislature addresses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t address â&#x20AC;&#x201C; appraisals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you think about it, the County tax rate has gone down over four cents over the last 14 years, but little has been done to really address the appraisal side,â&#x20AC;? Long said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We

the community. The expansion is going to happen whether the district is ready for it or not. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to support it, give us a reason why so we can adjust it and move forward as a community. This was not something thrown together. We put some time in and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud of the work we did and I can support it.â&#x20AC;? Trahan agreed, emphasizing the effort she has seen toward gathering and sharing information through the process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a true desire for community input and there is a true lens toward transparency,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d encourage folks to become educated on the topic. It was a large committee, so network with folks that you know to talk through the information or read it yourself on the website and ask questions.â&#x20AC;?

still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require commercial transaction disclosures in Texas so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still hard to know if the appraised value truly is the market value. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On one hand the Legislature is capping revenue and saying you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take in more revenue, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not dealing with the real problem. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a challenging system and while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried to address the revenue side of things they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t addressed the appraisal side,â&#x20AC;? she said.

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 5

Liberty Hill’s talented pets

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Jaime Sladek adopted her dog Willie when he was four years old. Immediately, Sladek learned that her new family member loved to fetch. It was during one of their normal outdoor sessions that Willie revealed a secret talent. He started dribbling the ball after each fetch. “Our dog Willie can dribble the ball with his mouth,” she said. “He drops it and catches it over and over. We didn’t teach him. We adopted him at about four years old, and he already knew how to do it.” Dog trainer and owner of Golden Star Canine Amanda Ott believes the process of successfully training a dog or teaching them new tricks starts with patience. “You have to be patient with the dog and work on what motivates that specific dog,” said Ott. “A lot of us think we should use a specific treat or toy, but we need to figure out what motivates each dog and that we’re having fun at the same time. If we make sessions games, fun, and something cooperative, then the dog is going to learn much faster.” Similar to their human coun-

TRAINING

terparts, dogs have their own likes and dislikes. They have their own driving forces. Ott suggests that people figure that out before they dive into the teaching process. For Amber Box’s companion, Edgar, it was a combination of methods that eventually led to his celebration of America’s Team. “I taught our dog, Edgar, to give a high five if you say, go Cowboys,” said Box. “We are from Dallas, and it’s always been a tradition in our family to watch the games together. So naturally, we had to make sure Edgar was a fan, too. We just used the word association and treats. Started with high fives and then evolved. We also started when he was a puppy, so he picked it up pretty quick.” Rick Wyckstandt works with his four-legged friends on a practical issue to make both of their lives a little easier and a lot less messy. “This is an old trick, but it works. Hang a bell by the door you use to take them out and ring it every time you go,” he said. “Eventually, they will ring the bell when they need to go out. This has worked for me on four out of five dogs over

Continued from Page 1

“We kind of do a pre-interview when someone comes to drop off their dog to see what their dog’s socialization experience is,” said Ott. “If they’re pretty dog social, then I let them explore the yard and let them relax all by themselves. They come inside and get to know everything. Then I’ll introduce them to a dog.” Along with their own rooms to sleep in, dogs staying for Ott’s two-week training also have a spacious yard to run in and have access to a dog diving pool. “My average is two weeks with a dog. If it’s something behavioral, I’ll recommend three,” she said. “The ﬁrst week is them settling into the house and the routine. They learn the behaviors. The second week, we practice them at places and make it complex so they transition well. It’s hard for dogs to generalize. We’ll do outings and practice being around people. That way, when they go home, they know these things already.” Motivation dictates any chance of success. Ott does all she can to increase those chances by exploring what

motivates her four-legged students. “Just try out different things. Try a food tasting and see if they have a preference for specific treats or whatever motivates them,” said Ott. “A lot of dogs are toy motivated or motivated by attention. You can try different toys or games to see if that motivates them. Sometimes toys can be more motivational than food. Understand that if you motivate them correctly, they’ll want to do what you want them to. They just need to understand what that is.” Some dogs have natural instincts they can’t fight. One example is the 10-month-old Golden Retriever Winston. Winston has a strong urge to have something in his mouth and, at times, will bite down on other dogs to fulfill that urge. Instead of punishing dogs for their natural quirks, Ott finds better ways to help deal with them. “I’m big on enrichment. So, giving dogs natural things to do that mimic what they need to do. A dog that wants to shred something, I’ll give it a toy that they can tear apart,”

the years.” Gwena Margolis’s dog Nitro is skilled in the art of dance and at one time thought he was a gunslinger. “Our dog will stand on his hind legs and circle. We call it the Nitro Dance,” said Margolis. “His name is Nitro, after the electrician in Down Periscope. We taught him that because it is adorable, of course. He used to lay on his back when we said bang, but they don’t like that one anymore.” Getting a dog to learn new skills isn’t always as time-consuming as one might think. Ott suggests that training sessions are all about substance over time, and even the busiest individuals can accomplish great things. “Dogs, especially puppies, have short attention spans, and the more often but shorter training sessions you can do, the better,” said Ott. “I typically recommend five-to-10minute sessions about three or maybe even four times a day. Lots of short sessions. Keep it fun, so that when you finish the session, they want more and want to keep playing. Making it fun and short makes Jaime Griffiths Sladek’s dog Willie was adopted and already had the moves of a true baller. Wilthem want to train more.” lie’s talent is his ball dribbling skills. (Courtesy Photo)

said Ott. “With Winston, we give him a toy that he can have in his mouth instead of trying to have the other dogs in his mouth.” It didn’t take long for Ott’s business to get off the ground, although COVID did create a small hiccup. “I bought this house speciﬁcally for this. It took off pretty fast because I had pretty good clientele from knowing people and word of mouth,” said Ott. “When COVID hit, we opened up the dog diving pool since it’s socially distanced, and you can rent the pool for an hour. People needed to do something with their dogs since everything was canceled. That helped us over the summer.” With her business up and running, it’s critical for Ott to keep in mind what makes it all work so well – having fun. “Doing this makes me feel good,” she said. “We need to ﬁgure out what motivates each dog and that we’re having fun at the same time. If we make it games, fun, and something cooperative, then the dog is going to learn much faster.”

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BONDS

Continued from Page 1

very seriously.” The proposal was the result of a series of meetings by a 65-member Long Range Planning Committee, and Snell said this is an opportunity to make proactive decisions about the district’s future amid huge growth. “We have an unbelievable opportunity to build Liberty Hill the right way and not be caught off guard and not be caught with overcrowded schools or portables or those things nobody wants,” he said. “We are charged with keeping that Liberty Hill small-town feel no matter how we grow. We made sure during this process that things like family and tradition and opportunities and excellent education stayed in the forefront of every conversation.” Taxing questions While passage of the bond will extend the district’s debt out over more years in the future, by law it is impossible for any bond passed to increase the debt tax rate, also known as the Interest and Sinking (I&S) fund, because it is already at $0.50 per $100 valuation -- the maximum allowed by the state. It is one of the messages Snell most wants to share with voters and one he feels will be difﬁcult because of requirements on how bond propositions are worded. “That’s going to be a challenge for us because the law, the way it’s written on the ballot, requires wording that says this is a tax increase,” Snell said. “But the tax rate will not increase because it can’t by law.” Financially, the district has the bond capacity to take on the new debt, even with the debt tax rate capped at the current level. “People need to understand that we can afford this responsibly and be ready for the next bond which is not too far down the road,” he said. As far as tax rates overall, while the I&S rate has been at and would remain at 50 cents, the Maintenance and Operations rate was reduced by 11 cents last year per a requirement by the state when the Legislature increased school funding from other sources while requiring the M&O rate be reduced.

Bond structure The Committee settled on the proposal for one large bond for a variety of reasons, primarily due to the urgency for new student capacity in the next few years. “The committee talked about

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having a bond every year, having a bond every other year, every four years, have one bond to cover the next 10 years,” Snell said. “The reason they settled on this is this will get us the schools we need to cover the projected enrollment for the next four to five years.” If the bond package passes, bonds will only be sold as required for projects, but having them approved helps speed the process and eliminates what Snell said is the potential for “bond fatigue” if voters are asked to support new projects each year. “(The growth) might speed up, it might slow down, we don’t sell all the bonds at once, we sell them as needed,” he said. “We will need that voter approval so we can sell when needed so we’re not behind. We didn’t want voters to get bond fatigue. I want to be clear that we’re going to need to build schools for at least the next 20 years. This bond is covering roughly four to five. At the end of the day, do you want to vote on a bond every single year over and over again?” The pace of growth and projections played critical roles in determining how to proceed. Snell pointed to the fact that the student population in LHISD has grown by 1,500 students in his two years at the helm -- an increase of nearly 30 percent. “That’s pretty significant,” he said. “Next year we will open up a new school and have a high school that’s been expanded to 2,100 (student capacity), and all three of those schools that were approved by the voters in 2018 will be full by November of 2021. We want to be responsible to stay ahead of this growth and we want the community to trust us in our planning.” He also pointed out that in Texas there is no other mechanism to fund the construction of new schools or pay for large infrastructure projects or expansions. Committee considerations Enrollment alone may lead to the conclusion new facilities will be needed in Liberty Hill, but many other considerations were included in mapping out the committee’s bond proposal. Some of those considerations were equity of schools, efficiency of scale, and campus student capacity. “We have three elementary schools right now that are built for 800 kids roughly and then we have one that can

only hold a little over 400,” Snell said. “To help the district be efficient, the committee felt that all schools should be the same size so they have the same amount of staff, the same amount of budget issues and things like that. The smaller a school is the more expensive it is.” That balancing of school capacity also puts a focus on equity across all campuses, from similar-sized cafeterias and libraries, to program opportunities. On the flip side, while schools can be too small to be efficient and equitable, they can also be too big to maintain the culture the committee said it wants to maintain. “The larger a school is, the more efficient it is economically, but they wanted to keep the small-town feel of Liberty Hill as well,” Snell said. After looking at a wide variety of campus capacities based on grade levels, the committee settled on the target of 800 students for elementary campuses and 1,200 for middle school. According to Snell, those numbers reflect a comfort level where there are not too many students, but also come with some economic efficiencies as well. The district’s calculations show those capacity decisions work out to saving taxpayers the need to build one more elementary and one more middle school campus beyond those now included in the proposal, which Snell said is an estimated $100 million saving down the road. A second high school? Something much of the community has staunchly resisted in the past is the discussion of a second high school. “When I go around and talk to people they want one high school, they want one Liberty Hill,” Snell said. He agreed, saying that’s what the district would like to maintain as well, but when working through that question, the committee felt there was another important factor that led to the decision a second high school would be needed. “The committee did not want a high school that big,” Snell said. “They wanted kids to have opportunities, identity, chances to participate, and so based on that and the need – looking at when we think the kids are going to be enrolled – the committee decided to start that second high school now. It won’t be long until we have

See GROWTH, Page 10

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, February 4, 2021 Page 6

Close-quarters defending critical Players must be able to shut down attacks at close range

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor A recent soccer practice at Panther Stadium found Liberty Hill boys head coach Wayne Munger putting his charges through the paces on a small corner of the spacious ﬁeld they call their home. No more than 15 yards of open grass was between a pair of pint-sized goals set at either end of a pitch too small to hold even the youngest of youth games, as players were drilled in the skill of defending at close range, when one false move on the part of a defender can make all the difference in whether or not an attacking player gets a chance on goal. According to Munger, exercises such as these are designed to build his players’ conﬁdence in dealing with such situations when they unfold on the big stage of games. “Something like this is all about making sure we keep our shape defensively,” said Munger. “We need to ensure our positioning is good.” Sounds very strategic – and it certainly is – an instant which takes place dozens of times over the course of an average game – and although these skirmishes are brief, they can ultimately add up to the difference between victory and defeat, he said.

“It’s quick, rapid-ﬁre,” said Munger. “It might only take two-to four seconds each time, but the more we can do it, the longer it will take the other team to score.” On this day, it was the Panthers’ junior varsity who was being drilled on this all-important skill, but Munger said even the varsity veterans need constant maintenance when it comes to this kind of work. “We revisit this all the time with the varsity,” he said. “We’re always building off one-against-one or twoagainst-one situations. What it comes down to is can you perform.” Post-quarantine After emerging from a teamwide quarantine for two weeks, the Panthers opened up their district schedule with a 3-0 home defeat to Rouse in a contest Munger said was a challenging ﬁxture having just come off an extended break. “Rouse was physical and we knew it was going to be a tough game,” he said. “Conditioning-wise, we weren’t right from the start. We asked a lot of our guys and they went out there and gave it all they had.” Senior Jacob Oshel has wrested the No. 1 goalkeeping job for the Panthers – settling a situation which had lingered around the squad all through

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Garrett Fizner (#14) and his Panthers teammates must be skilled in close-quarters, one-on-one defending in limiting opposing scoring chances. the pre-district slate – and was a decision which came down to a familiarity Oshel has with many of the players in front of him in the Liberty Hill defense, said Munger. “We have a lot of athleticism in our ranks among the goalkeepers,” he said. “But, Jacob’s been around longer and has played with a lot of his teammates before at the club level. Also, his distribution of the ball is very good.” Liberty Hill had to reschedule a pair of games due to the quarantine, which means they will now face a more congest-

ed ﬁxture list moving forward, but the good news is his entire squad is ﬁnally back and ready to go, said Munger. “Everyone recovered quickly,” he said. “The district season has come fast, but we feel like we did enough in our preseason. Now, we’re just looking for our guys to be big and step it up.” Munger added attempting to make up for lost time with additional training isn’t a viable option considering the crowded schedule they will now face as a result of the break. “We could ask the players to

go longer or practice before and after school,” he said. “But, when we’re going to have as many as four games in a week, they’re going to need their rest.” Early-morning lights One profound difference from last season to this for the Panthers is when they lace up their cleats for practice. After training traditionally primarily after school in the past, Munger and his troops are on the practice ﬁeld these days at 6 a.m. long before the sun is up – something he said he let his players decide.

“I left that up to the guys,” he said. “They like having practice early as a good way to start the day.” Working out in the pre-dawn hours isn’t an entirely new concept, but it’s one that was brought into necessity at the outset of this season as a result of the football season running well into January, as opposed to under normal conditions, when it’s over in December. “At ﬁrst, it was about getting enough space, as we have to share ﬁelds,” said Munger. “But, we’ve been doing morning practices for years.”

Players provide coaches with different perspective

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Chris Lange calls a timeout during a game or gathers his players around him for a huddle during practice, it’s to give his players advice and instruction. But, he also takes time to listen to what they have to say. In doing so, the Liberty Hill girls’ head basketball coach provides himself with an invaluable source of knowledge which gives a different perspective as far as what’s going on out on the court at any given time. “I believe in players having a voice when it comes to what we do in games and practice,” said Lange. “That doesn’t mean I always listen, but I think it’s important to listen because players sometimes can see something I don’t and other times they can’t see what I see. So, it’s about listening and trusting each other.” Forge enough trust and the formula for success is one step closer to fruition, as players are more likely to buy into what a coach is selling if they feel they have a say in the proceedings, he said. “I hope so,” said Lange.

“Over the years, I’ve had players that suggest we run this or that based on how the game is going or their conﬁdence in a certain play. So, by giving them a voice and me trusting them, gives them ownership in what we’re doing and trying to accomplish.” Lange said he’s open-minded when it comes to player input – regardless of the stakes of the situation – even in a pressure-packed playoff game. “During a timeout in a regional ﬁnal game once and needing a bucket late in the game, (former player) Kandyn Faurie suggested we run a certain inbound,” he said. “I said okay and as they stepped back on the court, I made a little adjustment to how we run it based on how the defense picked us up. The waters parted and she ended up with a wide-open layup to help us seal the deal. But, things like that happen all throughout the season. I’ve had suggestions by Baylee (Laird), Jessica (Holliday) and Emma (Hubbard) throughout the year about should we do this or that. You just have to trust your gut and listen.” Lange added part of his maturity as a coach over the years

has allowed him to be more receptive to advice from inside the inner circle of the team and tune out distractions and voices from outside the team dynamic which are clamoring for his attention – ones he may have sought to appease in years past. “Kids are not really different these days. But, I’ve grown and changed over the last 25plus years. I’ve learned not to listen too much to the outside noise and have learned to trust myself and my players,” he said. “Sometimes, when you’re young, you feel like you have to prove you know more than everyone else. I want my players to be able to tell me what they see and to make adjustments, because that means they’re learning and becoming conﬁdent in what they’re doing.” After all, as the years continue to pass, Lange’s ability to give himself a ﬁrst-hand perspective of the action becomes less practical, he said. “I’m getting too old to get on the court and play to see what they’re seeing,” said Lange. “So, I have to trust their eyes.” ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

www.LHINDEPENDENT.COM/SUBSCRIPTIONS

Lady Panthers players such as Regan Walker (#3) can give Liberty Hill head coach Chris Lange valuable input from an on-court perspective.

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Spring tennis spreads out roster

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Anyone who attends a Liberty Hill home tennis match in the fall will immediately recognize the overall feeling of togetherness and fellowship the Panthers have as they compete under the umbrella of a team format. The entire scene is a one-forall, all-for-one endeavor during which players mill about the pristine purple playing surfaces of the complex, watching each others’ matches and cheering each other on, as they battle the opposing team in head-to-head fashion. However, fast-forward to the spring season and it’s an entirely different proposition. Gone is the team tennis format and in its place is the individual tournament system, one in which players play for individual results – and many times aren’t even in the same location. According to head coach Sherry Rhoden, the players remain resilient despite the polar opposites of competition between the two seasons. “Each time a player steps onto the court – whether it be team tennis in the fall or individual tennis in the spring, he or she is representing himself and his or her team and school,” said Rhoden. “Our players work hard and have much pride, so they’re mentally tough with both seasons of tennis and

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Liberty Hill tennis players such as Colin Garner and Peyton Buckley will play singles and doubles in the fall, but must choose one or the other in the spring season. want to win.” Rhoden. ness remains the same.” cus their attention,” said RhoUnder the team format, play“They all love playing this With different sites on the den. “They text me with match ers will play a single match game and want to stay in docket, Rhoden can’t be there play questions before and/ in singles or doubles with the it as long as they can,” she for every player, so she doles or after their matches. Also, result recorded as part of the said. “Depending on the out directives to all before we have an amazing assistant team score. bracket, a loss many times each is deployed to their re- coach (Sue Davidson) that But, in the spring system, means the player is done for spective hardcourt battlefields. does her magic when I’m at players advance through a the day or done for the entire “I give the team overall in- another site.” bracket in seeking individual tournament. None of our play- structions for the day and inIn addition to having either victory, which means defeat ers want to lose, so they work dividually, I remind them of Rhoden or Davidson observearly on can bring a premature hard in both team and individ- one or two goals they’ve been ing and offering support from end to the proceedings, said ual tennis – the mental tough- working during the week to fo- the sidelines, Panthers players

Page 7

are expected to put to good use everything they’re taught by the duo during training, she said. “Our players are super-smart and think on the court,” said Rhoden. “In practice, we talk about situations when they hit a valley in their match and the simple ways of recovering. I remind them to self-talk and make minor adjustments which can add up to a progression in self-esteem and more points won overall. We talk about walking away from the net and making time for positive selftalk and resetting their foundational footwork.” Another difference is spring tennis requires players to choose one discipline or the other when they hit the court, said Rhoden. “Many times in team tennis, the more consistent or stronger players will be asked to play both singles and doubles. Almost always, they prefer one over the other,” she said. “In the spring, individual tennis requires them to choose and many times they choose what they’re most comfortable playing. Tennis players do well in both formats – it’s either another singles match or another doubles match, but either way, it’s an opportunity to do what they love.”

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Aaron Brewer (#3) and Kaden MacMahan (#5) – who both stand 6-foot-4 – have arrived to reinforce the Panthers’ basketball squad at a critical point in the season.

Gridiron gang back on court Hoops reinforcements have arrived for Panthers

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor All season long, Liberty Hill has lacked a real inside presence. Someone who can effectively bang bodies under the basket and create scoring chances down low, while also opening up the perimeter for additional offense. Anthony Sierras has done a fine job filling in, as the junior forward has the athleticism and court awareness to beat bigger opponents to the basket, but at 6-foot-2, there are still times when more size is needed. Such was the case in the Panthers’ 43-33 away loss to Georgetown – a contest in which the Eagles featured a pair of inside players who stood in the 6-foot-4 to 6-foot5 range. Last season, the hulking presence of Walker Baty – all 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds of the senior center – arrived once football season was over and instantly gave head coach Barry Boren the much-needed physical presence in the paint he was lacking to that point in the campaign. Well, this year Baty’s not walking through the door, as he’s moved on to play football at the University of Texas-San Antonio – but other reinforcements have still arrived to bolster the roster as they brace for the most critical part of the season, as they are currently fighting for a playoff spot in a very competitive district. However, right when the

gridiron gang was set to arrive, the Panthers were forced into quarantine for two weeks – one they just recently returned from – throwing a monkey wrench into Boren’s master plan, he said. “We had just gotten our football guys and bam, COVID reared its ugly head,” said Boren. “I had patiently been waiting to eventually get a roster boost from our five JV and varsity football kids who also play basketball. We knew they were coming, we knew they would be ready when that time came and we knew both parties would be glad to see one another. “ But, now that the entire squad is back on the court at last and Boren has his entire arsenal of weapons available, he only rues the fact it didn’t happen sooner, as football season lasted well into January as opposed to being done by Christmas in a normal year. “Here is the reality. We just became deeper and we just became more athletic – that’s the good news,” he said. “Now, for the bad news. The season is almost over. Practices have become noticeably shorter and yet we have new kids we’re trying to teach. Meanwhile, teams are going into quarantine daily, so games are being canceled. In short, it’s a mess.” The two varsity additions are Aaron Brewer, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 230 pounds and fellow junior Kaden McMahan, who goes 6-foot-4 and tips the scales at 200 pounds.

But, simply adding size to the lineup without the proper readiness makes for a recipe that won’t come out of the oven very well, said Boren. “Kaden and Aaron are our varsity additions. They’re big, fast, strong and athletic,” he said. “But, they haven’t played in a real basketball game since last February – and have never played in a varsity game.” Meaning the duo will need time to be able to trade the Xs and Os of the football field for those of the hardwood – although there is one way the pair has had an immediate affect. “They immediately had an impact on our practices,” said Boren. “The pace and the intensity heightened from the onset. But, I’ve had to take some time to go back and teach or reteach some specifics relative to playing in the realm of the team, the game and the situations therein. I’m definitely glad they’re here and I’m anxious to see what they can do in competition. Likewise, Reese Vickers, Carlton Schrank and Houston Brown have bolstered our JV group. They’ve had to be patient because there’s a learning curve there, also.” All in all, the usual dynamic of the run-up to the season was severely disrupted by the ramifications of the pandemic, which has in turn disrupted the normal rhythm of a standard season – he said. “In a normal year, we would’ve had these football

See HOOPS, Page 9

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Zane Lauper (#5) has patience – whether it’s waiting his turn to play point guard for the Panthers or hiding out while hunting.

Patience pays off for point guard

Liberty Hill backup waits turn in field, on court

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Zane Lauper has quite a knack for being patient. That patience serves him well whether the Liberty Hill junior point guard is on the Panthers’ bench during a game waiting for his chance to have an impact on the court or hiding out in a hunting blind waiting for a deer. “Basketball and hunting both take a lot of patience,” said Lauper, who regularly hunts on a 300-acre swath of land his grandparents own in San Saba. “On the court – especially as a point guard, you need to wait to see how things open up in the defense and when you’re hunting, you just need to be quiet and wait.” Another example of Lauper’s patience is the fact he finds himself backing up starter Kadin Knight this year – his first on the varsity squad – after having watched graduated senior Carson Perkins perform admirably in that role last season, while he was still on the junior varsity, which has provided him the opportunity to learn, he said. “I’ve been watching the

other point guards,” said Lauper, who has played the position his entire basketball life. “Last year, it was Carson (Perkins) and this season, it’s Kadin (Knight) and I’ve been able to learn from both of them.” So, now, when Lauper is inserted into the lineup at critical times in contests, he not only has confidence in his own abilities, but also has the approval of his coach, as after a recent game when Panthers head coach Barry Boren offered words of encouragement for his efforts. “When that happens, it makes me feel good,” said Lauper. “It lets me know I have to be able to step up and lead this team.” Boren said he has no problem putting Lauper in situations where mistakes can be costly on the scoreboard. “Zane does a good job of pushing the ball up the court when we need that to happen,” he said. “He also brings energy and is probably the quickest kid on our team – he’s very capable.” Lauper suffered a serious knee injury which kept him

off the court for his entire eighth-grade season, so the fact he was able to rebound and be a productive player has made a positive impression on Boren. “To come back from something like that is a pretty big deal,” said Boren. “Since then, he’s also added some things to his game. He’s always been a good ball-handler, but now his defense has gotten better as far as getting his hands on balls and being able to advance it up the court.” However, one thing Lauper hasn’t been able to do yet is bag a particular buck, which he’s been tracking for three years to no avail, he said. “He’s a 12-point buck who is nocturnal, so he only comes out at night,” said Lauper, who listed breakfast sausage and jerky as two of his favorite deer-based dishes. “We can’t use night vision to see him, so I can only hope he makes a mistake and comes out during the day.” But, if anyone can wait, it’s Lauper. After all, it’s become his specialty.

Page 8

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, February 4, 2021

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Abbey Janicek (#5) fights her way past a pair of defenders during the Lady Panthers’ 2-0 home victory against Cedar Park on Feb. 2.

Lady Panthers open tough district schedule successfully

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Walker Weems (#34) scored 12 points in the Panthers’ 70-58 home loss to Glenn on Feb. 2.

Panthers shut down by Georgetown

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor GEORGETOWN -- Entering its road game against Georgetown on Friday, Liberty Hill was averaging 66 points per game over the course of the current district schedule. So, scoring only five points in both the second and fourth quarters certainly didn’t bode well for the Panthers in a 4333 defeat to the Eagles – a game in which they were held to exactly half of their average. All that being said, the hosts didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard either, although their total was closer to the 52 points they had been averaging so far in district play this season, which meant the contest played right into their hands, said Liberty Hill head coach Barry Boren. “It’s just the way they play,” he said, of the Eagles’ slow-tempo offense. “They switched everything on defense, so it was going to be that kind of game.” Right from the outset, it seemed as if the game was being contested on a quicksand court, with the slow, plodding possessions each side carried out making it look like the players were navigating wet cement. The score was 14-13 in favor of Georgetown after the first quarter, but the second stanza was when things really bogged down, with only 12 points combined between the teams, as they headed to the halftime locker room with the Eagles leading by a 20-19 score. Of the 19 Liberty Hill points, Anthony Sierras and Kadin Knight had teamed up for 16, with each pouring in eight in the first half. The shackles remained on both offenses in the third period, as it took nearly four minutes for the first points of the second half to be scored, on a bucket by Gunter Daniels, to give the Panthers a 21-20 advantage. Liberty Hill’s defense had clamped down on the Georgetown offense, as senior Bobby Mundy was particularly tenacious in pilfering a pair of steals, then it was Sierras who put on a one-man exhibition of basketball at both ends of the court. Sierras scored on a backdoor cut, then blocked a shot at the other end of the floor before scoring again after immediately stealing the ball back. Knight then stole the ball himself and was fouled on the way to the basket, hitting both free throws and the Panthers led, 27-22. Liberty Hill led, 28-27, after three quarters, then Sierras scored to open the fourth to increase the lead to 30-27. However, this was when the wheels would begin to come off the Panthers like a stock car that stayed out on the track

too long in between pit stops. Georgetown senior guard Aaron Bizzell – who had been forced from the game with a bloody nose after taking an arm to the face in the second quarter – returned to the game wearing a mask which made him look more like the Phantom of the Opera than a hoopster. No matter, Bizzell went on a personal 6-0 run for the Eagles, which included a pair of buckets sandwiched around a pair of free throws, turning a three-point Georgetown deficit into a three-point lead at 33-30. “He was the guy who made shots for them down the stretch,” said Boren. After the Eagles increased the lead to 35-30 on a bucket by Kade Locklin, all the Panthers could muster after that point was a pair of Sierras free throws and one by Knight and it was game over. Sierras led Liberty Hill with a game-high 17 points, while Knight added 11, but aside from them, only three other Panthers players scored in the game, combining for only an additional five points. Bizzell led Georgetown with 16 points, with nine of them coming in the decisive fourth quarter. Boren was left to rue the slow pace of the game, but said there wasn’t much his team could do about it. “We wanted to run,” he said. “But, they kept getting back to cover the basket.” Glenn, 70, Liberty Hill 58 Glenn had lost only one district game all season heading into the Panthers’ home contest against the Grizzlies – a 53-42 defeat at the hands of Georgetown – the same Eagles team Liberty Hill had lost to by 10 points in their last outing. So, the fact the Panthers were up by a score of 21-12 after a 10-0 run bridging the first and second quarters provided a glimpse of what they’re capable of when at the top of their game. However, Glenn has an extra gear they can kick their engine into and the Grizzlies recovered to hold off Liberty Hill by a 70-58 margin. According to Boren, his side failed to take care of the ball and play lockdown defense down the stretch. “We turned the ball over and didn’t stay in front of people,” said Boren. “Also, we didn’t close down their driving lanes.” After Trae Leak hit a three to open the game’s scoring to give Glenn an early lead, Hunter Clayton drove the lane strong and drew a foul for a 3-point play to level the contest. Moments later, Clayton converted a pretty reverse layup to give the Panthers a lead they

would still hold after one quarter, 17-12, after Anthony Sierras added a pair of buckets, including a slick, back-door score on a pass from Gunter Daniels. But, in the second period, the wheels came off the Liberty Hill wagon, as the Grizzlies outscored the hosts by a 2613 margin and led at the half, 38-30. However, Clayton continued to score in the second stanza, including a follow of a Daniels miss and a bucket from a Kadin Knight pass after the senior guard had backed down his defender. Still, the home side had a tough road to hoe as the third quarter began, but was equal to the task. Daniels scored on a follow of a Sierras miss, before the latter drained back-to-back buckets – all part of a 6-0 Liberty Hill run – to pull withing six at 42-36. But, it seemed as if each time the Panthers would get withing striking distance of the Grizzlies, the visitors would quickly put a run of their own together to keep the Panthers at bay. Walker Weems hit a pair of free throws, followed by a Daniels basket off a Bobby Mundy steal to make it 46-44, but that was as close a the Panthers would get the remainder of the game. Glenn began the fourth period with a 52-44 advantage and continued to score just often enough to kill off the contest. Sierras led Liberty Hill with 15 points, while Weems added 12 and Clayton and Daniels each scored 11. Leak scored a game-high 22 points for Glenn, with Jaylen Thompson adding 18 for the visitors. Boren attributed some of his side’s continued struggles to the addition of players into the rotation. “It’s a really calculated thing whenever you begin to mesh new players with the people you already have,” he said, concerning Aaron Brewer and Kaden McMahan, who both arrived recently following the end of the Panthers’ football season. “We felt like we could use their size and athleticism tonight.” Boren singled out a few select individuals who he thought added something to the mix on the evening. “Walker (Weems) played well off the bench for us tonight,” he said. “As did Gunter (Daniels) and Zane (Lauper), who did some good things out there.” Liberty Hill (15-6, 4-4) are currently tied with Rouse for the fourth and final playoff spot in the district and will next host East View on Feb. 5 before facing the Raiders on the road on Feb. 9.

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Life as a Class 5A soccer team was always going to present a different ball of wax for Liberty Hill’s girls this season as the district schedule would be much more challenging than in years past. Or, more like, just challenging, period. After the district schedule simply being a formality of which the boxes must just be checked before moving on to the playoffs in search of a state title, this season wasn’t going to be a matter of how big the scores were going to be and if they would concede any goals to the opposition at all. Sure, there were still going to be blowouts, such as the Lady Panthers’ 13-0 district-opening demolition of East View and there are still games left against sides such as Marble Falls, Leander and Glenn, who don’t stack up against them. But, there were also going to be battles against the likes of Cedar Park, Georgetown and Rouse, who all boast rosters stocked with highly-skilled club players to counter the quality head coach Darren Bauer has always had at his disposal over the years. Of course, thinking one is ready for something and entering with still a bit of trepidation is certainly different from experiencing the cause of your concerns firsthand and finding out if indeed you were ready or not. Consider the first test passed. After Liberty Hill defeated Rouse, 1-0, in an away match on Jan. 29, the Lady Panthers came right back with a solid, 2-0 home victory against Cedar Park on Feb. 2. For those keeping score, that’s 16 goals scored and zero allowed in the first three district games and one player who has certainly had an impact is senior Piper Tabor,

who has nine goals on the young season – including a hat trick against East View to go with single strikes in the Rouse and Cedar Park games. Scoring is nothing new for the speedy striker, as Tabor scored 23, 23 and 17 goals, respectively, in her first three seasons in Purple-and-Gold, but acknowledges the difference in the step-up in competition this season compared to years past. “We knew there was going to be much tougher competition this season and we weren’t going to be able to walk through games anymore,” she said. “But, we know we’re good enough.” Rarely before have the Lady Panthers had close leads to protect in seeing out district games – such as the past two – so, needing to remain disciplined throughout the entire 80 minutes is now paramount, said Bauer. “One of the things we talked about at halftime (of the Cedar Park game) was how having a 2-0 lead was dangerous,” he said. “The next goal was going to be a huge one, so we needed to maintain focus and play hard.” On this occasion, there never was a next goal, which is fine if you’re the side defending the lead – but that doesn’t make it any easier – especially concerning fitness level, said Tabor. “It gets really difficult near the end of each half,” she said. “But, it’s just about hard work and knowing your limits.” As an attacking player, Tabor said she must constantly resist the temptation to make runs into the final third when the Lady Panthers have a late lead while looking to add on a hammer-blow goal to put the game away. “Sure, I always want to go forward,” she said. “But, you need to have the discipline to make runs and get back to defend.”

Games have also been more physical, as was witnessed in the game against the Timberwolves. During one particularly frantic sequence, Lady Panthers wing-back Cordelia Brown was sent flying only to end up in a heap on the ground after a high-speed collision with a Cedar Park defender while chasing down a loose ball near the corner flag in the visitors’ end. Or, another, when Tabor was flattened fighting for a 50-50 ball in the middle of the park. Not to mention the physicality Liberty Hill midfield maestro Emma Stephens encountered nearly every time she touched the ball and began an attack. All part and parcel for the world the Lady Panthers find themselves in these days – but also something his players must be wary of moving forward as a rugged season kicks on, said Bauer. “This game was a little more physical than most,” he said. “Most of these girls know each other from having played against one another at the club level. We knew it was going to be more physical this year, which is why we need to always be looking to take care of our bodies because it’s going to be a battle all the way through.” All in all, Bauer was immensely pleased with how his team reacted to the first real test of the new season and what the results mean not only for his squad moving forward – but, what it also means for the Lady Panthers’ primary competitors for the district title. “A couple of weeks ago, we were still worried about our shape, but at crunch time, our girls really came through,” he said. “Scary part is, we still haven’t played nearly as well as I believe we can. Scary for the other teams – not us, that is.”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill senior Piper Tabor (#13) scores a goal in the Lady Panthers’ 2-0 home win over Cedar Park on Feb. 2.

SOCCER BRIEFS Girls The girls’ soccer squad faced its first real test of the new district season with a road game against Rouse on Jan. 29 and returned home with a 1-0 victory over the Raiders. Senior Piper Tabor continued her good goal-scoring form this season, with the only goal of the match in the first half on an assist from sophomore Kaylie Fowler. Kylee Bush made one save in goal to post a shutout.

LHHS 2, Cedar Park 0 The Lady Panthers returned home and picked up a hardfought win Tuesday over Cedar Park. Mykenna Russo and Tabor each found the back of the net in the first half, with assists going to Athena Brown and Madi Fuller and Bush made the lead stand up in goal, recording four saves in her third consecutive shutout to open district play. Liberty Hill (9-2-2, 3-0) will

next play at Marble Falls on Feb. 5, before hosting Leander on Feb. 9. Boys Liberty Hill’s boys’ soccer squad found rough going in its opening pair of district games, losing to Rouse at home, 3-0, on Jan. 30 and 4-1 at Cedar Park on Feb. 2. Liberty Hill (3-5, 0-2) will next play at East View on Feb. 4, home against Marble Falls on Feb. 5 and at Leander on Feb. 9.

Thursday, February 4, 2021

HOOPS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 7

kids in the gym during the summer. Quite probably, they would’ve played on some kind of summer basketball team. Very possibly, they may have attended some kind of basketball camp along with our other basketball players. In short, they would’ve spent some time in the offseason getting ready for the season,” said Boren. “This

past summer, however, was different, just like football season was different and just like the season we’re currently in is different. Back in the summer, we were concerned about mixing kids into various groups due to COVID. So, our football kids didn’t participate in the summer basketball workouts we had and there were time constraints

that also dictated the amount of time players could legally practice. Then, normally football ends before Christmas, so there’s a pretty good amount of the season left – that didn’t happen either.” All Boren and his players can do now, though, is continue on their current path, as they ﬁght to qualify for the playoffs in their ﬁrst season as a Class 5A

squad. “It’s been a different year and we’ve tried to make the best out of a difﬁcult situation,” he said. “To that end, we’re still hard at work. As I said before, we’re glad all our guys are with us and we’re going to forge ahead – always forward, never backward.”

Page 9

SWIMMING BRIEFS Pair of Panthers qualify for regionals

At the district swim meet in Georgetown on Jan. 29, Liberty Hill placed a pair of swimmers at the regional event in Friendswood, scheduled for Feb. 5-6. On the girls’ side, sophomore Victoria Phegley finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 1:02.26, while for the boys, freshman Cooper Hardy was fourth in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:16.63. In the team standings, Liberty Hill’s girls finished ninth, with 21 points, while the boys were eighth, with nine.

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GROWTH

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 5

to start talking about the third high school.” Current enrollment at Liberty Hill High School is 1,513 students, which is projected to grow to 2,793 by 2025 and over 5,000 by 2030.

Land needs To build a new campus it takes land, and Snell said demographers have projected the need for 10 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools over what the district already has over the next decade. That means planning for future sites is always on the radar. “We currently work on locking up future sites, I’ve been doing that since I got here,” Snell said. “The old saying goes buying land is like planting a tree, the best time to do it was 10 years ago or 20 years ago. The cheaper we can buy the land the better, and if we can buy it now that saves taxpayers a lot of money in the future. That has an impact on how much debt we incur over the next 20 years.” The district hopes that by working with developers there can be a partnership that helps identify sites early. “Being as proactive as we can and working with every developer that comes in town to ﬁght for land, collaborate on school sites – possibly even free school sites – is our goal,” he said. “We want to be good partners, but we need our developers to know if they’re putting in this many houses they need to know we need a school in the middle of that neighborhood.”

Communication As it has worked through the projects included in the current $98.6 million bond, approved in November 2018, the district has maintained a website and hosted a series of meetings to help members of the community stay up to date on expenditures and progress, A similar site will also be available if the new bond passes, showing project progress, all expenditures and change orders and their cost along the way. Snell said there will also be many opportunities leading up to the election to ask questions and get answers. “There are lots of committee members people can talk to if they have questions, including the Board and myself,” he said. “There will be lots of opportunities to hear me talk about the demographics, the information, what we’re looking at community wise,. Whether you’re for or against it I’d love to sit down and talk to you and explain what we’re doing with this bond. “We should all be able to sit down and talk about what you like or don’t like. I haven’t met anybody who loves the growth, but at the end of the day we have to manage it proactively and responsibly. The ﬁnished product will be judged 20 years from now.” Data source The data relied upon by LHISD is put together and presented by Population and Survey Analysts (PASA), a demographics ﬁrm located in Bryan. The most recent report was shared with the school

board at its Jan. 25 meeting -the same night the Long Range Planning Committee made its presentation on the bond proposal. These demographers have projected the Fall 2021 enrollment for the district at 6,566 and that number is expected to double by 2025 to 12,215. Beyond the ﬁve years the current bond is intended to address, enrollment is projected to nearly double again by 2030 to over 22,000. New housing occupancies are expected to reach 26,000 between now and 2030 when including single family, multifamily and mixed use development. Within the district, student occupancy is expected to be .49 per household for single family residences and .53 per household per multifamily residence.

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The committee The District’s Long Range Planning Committee is made up of 65 community members, from residents and parents to business owners and community leaders. “The committee did an outstanding job representing the community, making sure that we’re being very responsible with taxpayer money, with our debt and what we’re asking to do,” Snell said. “I couldn’t be more proud of their work.” The committee met ﬁve times over a four-month period to consider the issue of planning for the district’s future growth needs by assessing existing facilities, reviewing ﬁnancial data and demographics information.

and 1.196% saving the county $25,266,879. The County also afﬁrmed its AAA bond ratings from both Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. “Williamson County continues to experience strong economic growth. That combined with its conservative approach to budgeting and management has helped the County maintain its AAA bond rating. It

is the AAA bond rating that allows us to take advantage of these incredibly low interest rates,” said First Assistant County Auditor Julie Kiley. Since 2004, the County has saved $57.5 million through paying debt off early and $103.3 million in interest costs through 18 reﬁnancing opportunities.

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Open Door Baptist Church

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County saves $25 million on refunding debt

GEORGETOWN-- The Williamson County Commissioners Court heard a report Tuesday that the County saved more than $25 million when it recently refunded more than $193.43 million in debt service. Dan Wegmiller with Specialized Public Finance reported that by refunding existing debt, interest rates were lowered from between 3% to 5% to between 0.612%

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Restoration Church

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