LH Independent 3-11-21 by The Liberty Hill Independent

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2021

Volume 34, Issue 16

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March 11, 2021 | 50 Cents

Intersecting costs Pool plan approved, out for bid next Council starts discussion on funding for new projects

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Three intersection projects were discussed as priorities by the Liberty Hill City Council in 2020, with each getting as far as initial design work and cost estimates, but Monday, Council members were questioning the status of those projects and why more progress had not been made. “We have the summer coming up, we have a brand new parking lot and we have an awesome splash pad,” said Council member Tony DeYoung. “I’m really kind of frustrated this hasn’t gone forward after the last conversation we had. I don’t know where that got off. Why are we not moving forward?” The urgency, especially for the downtown intersection, is concern over safety with the new splash pad at Wetzel Park and the assumption that many people will be crossing the road to access the park, but the potential for traffic collisions at any of the three raised concerns. “We have three identified locations that are significant traffic hazards,” said Council member Steve McIntosh. “We’ve identified those are serious hazards and I think that should weigh into the funding and how we prioritize. We should evaluate these projects based on the danger that they present. We

face an issue with the fact we identified these as a problem and we have not moved forward on them. If we have a serious accident there, there can be the impression that we have ignored the danger of the intersection.” But there is no funding in place for the projects in the current budget, and City staff said funds would have to come from issuing tax notes or a future bond sale. The Council recently approved $2.56 million in bonds for the swim center, community center and renovations at City Hall. Kathy Canady asked how the three intersection projects were originally intended to be funded, but funds were never earmarked for them specifically. “This is one of the many CIP (capital improvement projects) that was on the list for which there was no continued long-term plan to fund all the projects,” said City Treasurer Becky Wilkins. “Once we have the price then we can come back and Council can decide if you want to do a tax note, if you want to do a bond or combine a couple of projects.” An amount for any future bond will not be known until final estimates are tallied for the projects, if all three are

See COUNCIL, Page 10

LHISD weighs mask protocal

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer As Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that removes the statewide mask mandate took effect Wednesday, Liberty Hill ISD is evaluating the safety protocols currently in place. “As you can imagine, this opened up old debates on masks, and lots of emotions are tied to this debate on both sides,” said LHISD Superintendent Steve Snell in a video released Tuesday. “As superintendent, we understand that, and we understand our parents’ needs to keep their kids both safe and possibly remove those masks as soon as possible.” The Texas Education Agency announced guidelines allowing schools to continue their current safety practices if they choose. School boards have full authority to determine local mask policy. “We’re in the process now of reviewing our plans,” Snell said. “When I make a recommendation to the board, I want ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent

to loosen up some of those mask restrictions, and we want to evaluate some of our policies.” Before loosening restrictions, Snell made it clear that two speciﬁc things must happen ﬁrst. “We have to have two things happen before that takes place. Number one, the county has to get out of the red (phase),” he said. “Number two, we need all of our staff that wants to, we need to give them the opportunity to get vaccinated and fully inoculated so we have that level of protection so our schools can take a look at the mask policy. Once we have those things in place, we’re going to consider loosening the mask restrictions.” The district is closely monitoring updates and new information coming from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). “Even more important to me than the data from the city and the county is the fact that we need to get our staff vaccinated,” said Snell. “The CDC came out with an update talking about the

See LHISD, Page 9

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liberty Hill residents are now only a bid and a build away from a community swimming pool, after the City Council approved the final plan to be advertised for bid. The project, planned for City Park on CR 200, broke ground in June 2019, but has been fraught with delays and backtracking since the design first received final approval by the Council early that year. The final design includes a “kiddie cove” play area for young children with water up to 18 inches deep and a variety of splash-pad type amenities. That portion is divided from the main pool by a short wall. The larger pool area has a tanning shelf on either end, a beach entry, and still includes room for two swim lanes.

See POOL, Page 2

Pair set sights on Council seat

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor With Liberty Hill Council member Steve McIntosh choosing not to ﬁle for reelection, Place 1 will see a new face come May.

In what was originally a three-person race, Michael Helbing said he is withdrawing from the race due to family obligations, but planned to revisit a run for council in the future. He plans to continue to

CHRIS PEZOLD

A resident of Liberty Hill for more than 15 years, developer Chris Pezold said he has been blessed in his time in the community and wants to see the city grow in the right way with the right attitude. He said he doesn’t want to see a repeat of the previous administration, pointing to the tenure of former Mayor Rick Hall, and wants to see more transparency from elected ofﬁcials. “Right now what’s really prompted me to run is I’m not seeing the transparency that I believe a town of our size should have,” he said. “I don’t want to feel like I distrust my council, but because of the lack of clarity in a lot of the deci-

serve on the Economic Development Corp. Board. That leaves Kim Sanders and Chris Pezold as the two candidates for voters on May 1. The three seats on the ballot this May – places one, three

and five – will be the first to serve the new three-year term, and will each draw a monthly $1,000 salary according to the Council decision in 2019 to compensate elected officials.

KIM SANDERS

CHRIS PEZOLD sions I’m left scratching my head.” He also said it is time the council and staff had a reinforced focus on public service. “We need an attitude of service from the city,” Pezold

See PEZOLD, Page 4

A life-long resident of Texas and longtime member of the Liberty Hill community, Kim Sanders has lived in the city limits for one year and 11 months, and decided early this year that this was the right time for a City Council run. “I’ve always been interested in the council,” she said. “I’ve been going to those meetings for ﬁve years and wanted to get involved. Instead of sitting back and complaining, I want to be a part of the planning for the growth.” Sanders has worked in a number of professional roles, including as a corporate ac-

KIM SANDERS countant and later a Liberty Hill Junior High teacher when she moved to the area and wanted to have a work schedule more closely aligned with her sons who have both graduated. She is now a Realtor.

See SANDERS, Page 10

Firefly awarded NASA lunar lander contract By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace was selected by NASA in February to deliver a set of 10 research payloads to the moon in 2023. The award is valued at $93.3 million, and the 10 payloads will include technology demonstrations and science experiments that will help prepare for human missions to the lunar surface. The experiments will include an x-ray imager that will study the interaction of the Earth’s magnetosphere with solar wind; a probe that measures heat flow from the lunar interior; and a test to discover the abilities of using GPS signals at lunar distances. The award is the sixth in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, but the first to Firefly. Through the

CLPS initiative, NASA is partnering with commercial organizations to quickly land science and technology payloads on the lunar surface. “Firefly and its teammates are honored to be selected by NASA to deliver these important payloads to the lunar surface, paving the way for human and robotic exploration missions to follow,” said Tom Markusic, chief executive of Firefly, in a company statement. “The CLPS mission represents the third pillar in Firefly’s plan to become America’s premier end-to-end space transportation company. Firefly is poised to ensure U.S. preeminence in the commercialization of cislunar space.” This initiative is an integral part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024, “using in-

Fireﬂy will use its Blue Ghost lunar lander to deliver 10 payloads to the moon in 2023 for NASA. The company will do much of the testing and manufacturing for the lander at its Briggs testing site. (Courtesy Photo) novative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before,” according to

a NASA news release.

See FIREFLY, Page 4

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

SATURDAY, MARCH 20 | 11:30-12:30PM

Week of March 1-7, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 593 incidents resulting in 10 cases, 25 citations, 76 warnings and one arrest. Weekly Highlights: - On March 1 at approximately 9:57 AM, officers responded to Agave Azul Way for an accident. - On March 1 at approximately 2:12 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a fraud complaint. - On March 1 at approximately 3:44 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On March 1 at approximately 9:29 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On March 2 at approximately 8:25 AM, officers responded to W. SH 29 and Ronald Reagan to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On March 2 at approximately 10:22 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On March 2 at approximately 3:24 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On March 2 at approximately 10:51 PM, officers responded to Larkspur Park Blvd. to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On March 3 at approximately 2:35 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a theft complaint. - On March 3 at approximately 7:09 PM, officer issue a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia as the result of a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Loop 332. - On March 3 at approximately 10:16 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance. - On March 4 at approximately 3:00 AM, officers arrest a male

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adult for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest as the result of a traffic stop in the 15000 block of W. SH 29. - On March 4 at approximately 7:12 AM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for school zone enforcement. - On March 4 at approximately 5:23 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of RM 1869 for a traffic hazard. - On March 4 at approximately 9:56 PM, officers responded to Prospector Lane to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On March 5 at approximately 8:09 AM, responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for a motorist assist. - On March 5 at approximately 2:12 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a citizen assist. - On March 5 at approximately 8:33 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On March 5 at approximately 11:01PM, officers responded to the intersection of W. SH 29 and CR 277 to assist the

Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On March 6 at approximately 2:50 AM, officers responded the 16000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On March 6 at approximately 2:34 PM, officers responded to the 300 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On March 6 at approximately 8:58 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On March 6 at approximately 11:26 PM, officers responded to the 700 block of Loop 332 for an animal complaint. - On March 7 at approximately 3:58 AM, officers responded to Aynsworth St. for an animal complaint. - On March 7 at approximately 7:12 AM, officers responded to Hillcrest Ln for a theft complaint. - On March 7 at approximately 4:00PM, officers responded to Barton Dr. for an animal complaint. - On March 7 at 10:31 PM, officers responded to American Ave. for an animal complaint.

Continued from Page 1

There will be a pavilion, and a building with restrooms, ofﬁce, vending, chemical and other storage space. In December, the Council approved the sale of $2.56 mil-

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lion in bonds to cover the cost of construction for the Swim Center along with the new downtown Community Center – awarded for construction in October – and renovations at City Hall. The bond has a seven-year note. The budget and funding, as well as a number of design questions became repeated snags in moving forward with the project after the 2019 City Council election. After the June groundbreaking, then-Mayor Rick Hall said the pool project was stalled over a delay in receiving a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife for $500,000, and the city’s portion of the necessary funding. As the Council began discussing the project more last summer, it became clear that with the number of projects ongoing, the funds were no longer available for the pool. In the Fall, the swim center project budget – to be funded by bonds – was set at $1.8 million, with $1.3 from the bond funds and $500,000 from the Texas Parks and Wildlife grant. Halff Associates designed the original pool plan as well as the newest design. The most recent redesign cost the City $76,308, but helped trim the cost of the project down to ﬁt the new budget. A bid was awarded to Jimmy Jacobs Construction in October for the renovation of the former County barn near the intersection of RM 1869 and Loop 332, to create the community center. The Council heard estimates for the project ranging from $500,000 with potential grant funds to help cover costs back in January, then a higher projection in July of $750,000 with no grant possibilities, the approved bid Tuesday was considerably higher at $858,643.

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Thursday, March 11, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 3

Truckload of hope delivered for community

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer When Sovilla Coblentz saw the need of the Florence community in the wake of the February winter storm, she took to social media to seek aid. Her efforts paid off when Pennsylvania-based food bank Blessing of Hope responded to her posts. The organization sent an 18-wheeler stocked with food and other essential items to the Florence community. Blessing of Hope also asked Coblentz if she knew of another community that needed help because they had a second truck available. Through social media Coblentz connected with Kendra Cofer of L4 Cares, and it wasn’t long before the second truck’s destination was Liberty Hill. “If there’s a need, it’s hard for me to sit back and not do everything possible,” said Coblentz. “Whether it’s making the connections or anything else. There’s a lot of people that need help and have no way to get the help that they need.” Each box of supplies contained items including a gallon of milk, orange juice, bread, breakfast meats, cereal and fresh produce and weighed close to 50 pounds. One box was meant to serve a family of four. Families larger than four received extra boxes, and cases of bottled water were also distributed. “Our mission has always been to take care of the least, the last, the lost and the lonely,” said Cofer. “We found a lot of people in the community who

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTOS

The Liberty Hill community received much needed aid thanks to the combined efforts of Florence resident Sovilla Coblentz, L4 Cares, and Cross Tracks Church. need help and are hurting after this last storm. Produce has been hard to ﬁnd, so we just felt it was important to connect and get people some fresh food.” Cofer reached out to Cross Tracks Church as the location to distribute items to the community. “It was the ﬁrst place I thought of. The members of this church don’t just talk about being the hands and feet. They’re actually out there doing things to help people,” she said. “They’re always looking for service opportunities, and we’ve created some good relationships with them. It was a no-brainer. I reached out to Pam Turner, and she said I don’t need approval, we’re going to do it.” Residents from Georgetown, Bertram, and other surrounding

Lindgren-Israel engagement

Rona and Virgil McCown are pleased to announce the engagement of Rona’s daughter, and the daughter of the late John Israel, Jennifer Israel to Steven Lindgren, son of Sandie and Roger Lindgren. The couple have planned a late spring wedding. The largest market in the area!

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Brotherhood of Heroes thanks public servants with meal delivery

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Lee Vernon saw needs in his community and he didn’t hesitate to step in and help. The retired firefighter and Liberty Hill resident reached out to Liberty Hill entities open and operating during the February storm like Liberty Hill Pharmacy, Liberty Hill Police Department, and several other businesses to gauge what was needed. Water was first, so Vernon loaded up on pool water and delivered it to locations in need. His service heart didn’t stop beating once the storm subsided, as he and his organization, Brotherhood of Heroes, decided to deliver meals as a token of appreciation to those who went above and beyond during a precarious situation. “We tried to take what resources we had and tried to think outside the box. All of these people were busting tail for seven days,” said Vernon. “I know guys that didn’t go home for five days and were out sacrificing their time with their family to provide for the general public. We knew something as simple as a meal

and showing appreciation for going above and beyond really goes a long way.” Brotherhood of Heroes has delivered several hundred meals to locations around Liberty Hill, including Liberty Hill Pharmacy, the ﬁre and police departments, Tractor Supply, and Parker’s Market. Hell or High Water Brewery partnered with Vernon to provide the meals. “It took us a couple of days to get things together,” said Hell of High Water partner Jim Jenkins. “We coordinated with the city for a list of organizations and businesses that did a yeoman’s job and needed a nice thank you. All week they’ve been out delivering, and we had the easy part. We just did the cooking.” The decision on who would get meals was an easy one for Vernon. “We knew that individuals were starting to go without, and we knew there would be help for the general public,” he said. “We thought who is going to take care of the restaurants, the grocery stores, and pharmacies.” Brotherhood of Heroes originated in 2016 to honor the men

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as the pillars that carry and support the Brotherhood of Heroes in their endeavors. “The proceeds from sales and revenue from my three companies go to our Foundation. So, we can offer support for mental illness, PTSD, injuries, line of duty deaths, or natural disasters,” said Vernon. “We’ve so far been able to donate over the last few years, over a quarter of a million dollars in equipment, gear, or money. Whatever a ﬁrst responder may need, we want to make it happen.”

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Page 4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

OBITUARIES

Gonzalo Martinez Perez

Gonzalo Martinez Perez, 70 of Liberty Hill passed away on February 27, 2021. He was born on November 5, 1950 to Saturino and Elvira Perez in Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Oralia Rodriguez Perez, and brother Hector Javier Perez. He is survived by his wife Evangelina Perez, his sons Gonzalo “Gonzo”, Jose, Eleazar and wife Janet, Tony and wife Janie and Edgar; his siblings Bertha Alicia Perez, Dora Luz Perez, Maria Luisa Perez,

Jose Luis Perez, Jesus Perez, David Perez; grandchildren Natalie and husband Heelie, Jose “Smokey”, Mercedes, Jacinda, Antonio “BB’s”, Alexandra and Evelinda; greatgrandchildren Aliyah, Samuel and Isaiah; as well as numerous friends and extended family. A visitation with the family was held on Friday, March 5, 2021 at The Gabriels Funeral Chapel in Georgetown from 6-8 p.m.. The funeral service took place the following morning at Fel-

lowship Church in Liberty Hill at 10 a.m. with the burial immediately after at Liberty Hill Cemetery.

William ‘Rayburn’ Ashabranner

William “Rayburn” Ashabranner of Liberty Hill, Texas passed away Thursday, February 18, 2021. Rayburn was born October 28, 1938 to Rayburn T. and Wilma Ashabranner in Burnet, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents. Rayburn was a member of the Army Reserves for eight years. He worked for the Texas Department of Transportation for 43 years and loved his job. Rayburn always said he could “outrun the rain to ﬁnish a seal coat.” His love of guns led him to be a founding member of the Burnet Gun Club. He was an avid photographer and loved taking

pictures of wildlife. He was a member of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church and participated with the Mop and Hammer gang and the Saintly Seniors. He is survived by his wife, Patsy Ashabranner, his son Greg Ashabranner and wife Karla, daughter Terri Lehner and husband Mike, stepsons Chris Castellow and wife Beth, and Brian Ashabranner and wife Emily. He is survived by nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The family would like to send a special thank you to Texas Home Health employees, Beverly and Fran for all their help in taking care of Rayburn. Due to COVID 19, a memori-

al service will be held at a later date. In lieu of ﬂowers, contributions can be made in his name to St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 606 West 15th Street, Austin, Texas 78701.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

PEZOLD

Continued from Page 1

FIREFLY

Continued from Page 1

said. “We need an attitude where people that work here need to be gracious, they need to be service oriented and not acting like they will tell you what you need to know, taking away your right to talk freely off of agenda items. We can’t act like we don’t want anyone questioning us. “I don’t think everyone on the council is bad,” he added. “In my heart of hearts I have to believe everyone is up there trying to do their best, but when we don’t have clarity people start to worry. I want truth. I don’t want there to be a repeat of having someone on the dais that is bought and paid for by somebody else.” Pezold has housing developments in downtown Liberty Hill, and said he has always wanted to focus on that area as the center and character of the city. “At one point, downtown Liberty Hill was a center that would bring people in from

“We will collaborate with our commercial and international partners and establish sustainable exploration by the end of the decade,” NASA states. “Then, we will partners and establish sustainable exploration by the end of the decade,” NASA states. “Then, we will use what we learn on and around the moon to take the next giant leap—sending astronauts to Mars.” Fireﬂy will deliver the pay-

Service brings COVID vaccine to communities

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Point of Care Health Services is bringing mobile COVID testing and vaccination units to employers, churches, and schools throughout the county. “We can pull up into your parking lot and test all of your folks in a relatively short amount of time. If you’re symptomatic, there’s a lot of things that make you sick that aren’t COVID,” said Dr. George Willeford of Point of Care Health Services. “In addition to COVID, we can test for strep, we can test for ﬂu, and we can test for the respiratory syncytial virus. Not only can we tell you if you have COVID, but we can also tell what you might have and then forward you to a primary care doctor.” Point of Care Health Services is a north Austin-based company, and their mobile units are the evolution of all the efforts to improve testing since the pandemic began. “We were trying to come up with some ideas on what we could do to try and get people back to work or back to what-

ever community they’re in,” Willeford said. There are several COVID tests available, and the one most frequently used at drive-thru testing locations is the antigen test. That, in asymptomatic people, is somewhat unreliable, but if someone is sick, it works well. The mobile units want to provide a more reliable test. “The gold standard is what’s called a PCR Test,” said Willeford. “The problem with that is it takes a swab that’s jammed up close to the brain, and it takes 24 to 48, or sometimes 36 hours to get the results. What we have is a 30-minute PCR that is done with a swab in the front of the nose. We can get the answers in 15 to 30 minutes.” Each mobile unit is outfitted with sinks, hand sanitizers, and floor-to-ceiling dividers. They also have one-way directional flow via an entrance and exit ramp. They have four patient bays divided by plexiglass and have privacy curtains and folding seats that keep patients at a six-foot social distance. “The mobile units are staffed

with medical assistants, and either myself or a physician’s assistant oversee what’s going on in the unit,” said Willeford. “If somebody is sick, we can do a quick telehealth visit. If it’s appropriate, we can do whatever testing is necessary.” With the equipment and staff down, POCHS is expecting to receive approval from the Texas State Department of Health Services to distribute the vaccine in the next couple of weeks. “Once we get approved for the vaccine, our goal is to go to places that have high numbers of people that we can effectively vaccinate,” said Willeford. “School teachers were just approved, and we hope to go to schools and some nonproﬁts in different parts of Travis, Williamson, and Burnet counties. We want to take the vaccine out to the folks.” Willeford believes they can get a large number of doses out to those who need it. It’s a matter of taking what they can get from the State and proving their method is effective. “I think we could easily ad-

minister a couple of thousand doses a week, but whether or not they’ll give them to us or not, we don’t know,” he said. “What they’ve been doing is giving their doses to convention centers and football fields and big places, but people have to figure out how to get there. We’re trying to make it easier. We aren’t going to have thousands and thousands of doses, but we hope to have enough to make a difference in the community.” Willeford wants the community to know that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the costs. “I’ve been vaccinated. I was in one of the early Pfizer trials. I was vaccinated back in early November, and I can say the vaccine is perfectly safe,” he said. “Sure, there is a small percentage of adverse reactions, just like with any vaccine. The cost-benefit ratio is so favorable, and the chance of having a serious COVID illness is much greater than side effects from the vaccine.”

miles around,” he said. “Now we’re in this renaissance period and I want to make sure that Liberty Hill grows, but make sure we grow the heart of Liberty Hill in this time and really bring it back. That’s what’s unique about Liberty Hill. Even though we don’t have the Main Street of Fredericksburg or the square of Georgetown we can still create a really neat, sprawling downtown area that’s a great heart for the city.” With much of his development background in residential development, Pezold is eyeing opportunities for increased affordable and multi-family options in his own projects and others that may come to town. Not only do these help residents afford living in the community, it helps grow the local economy. “I’ve always been about affordable housing,” he said. “When you look at Liberty Hill right now, with $90,000

loads using a lander called Blue Ghost, named after a rare species of firefly. The delivery is planned for Mare Crisium, which is a more than 300-milewide low-lying basin on the moon’s near side. The company will be responsible for endto-end delivery services, from payload integration to landing on the moon. “The payloads we’re sending as part of this delivery service span across multiple areas, from investigating the lunar soil and testing a sample capture technology, to giving us information about the moon’s thermal properties and magnetic field,” said Chris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Blue Ghost will operate on-board payloads through lunar transit, during lunar orbit, and on the lunar surface for a complete lunar day, which equals approximately 14 Earth days. In addition to NASA’s payloads, the lander will also have room for over 50 kg of commercial payloads. Firefly is developing and manufacturing the Blue Ghost at its Texas facilities. “We are utilizing our engineering, test and production facilities to build and operate world-class spacecraft,” said Shea Ferring, lander program manager at Firefly. “NASA’s support for our lunar program allows us to increase our capabilities for in-space services to the benefit of both U.S. gov-

over the median home price in Austin, we don’t have any affordability here. We need to develop downtown and get multifamily so we can get affordable housing that will grow our businesses and feed them employees.” Pezold’s entire career has been in commercial construction and he believes that will help in serving on the council in a city growing like Liberty Hill. “I understand utility work,” he said. “We’ve built about everything. I’ve kept an eye on multifamily and affordability.” While the idea of serving on the council appeals to Pezold, he has already said it is not a long-term plan for him. “If I win I’m going to do this one time,” he said. “I believe in term limits and I don’t believe in getting paid. I’m not going to accept any money.”

ernment and commercial customers.” Eric Salwan, director of commercial business development for Firefly Aerospace, said this award is a huge deal for Firefly and the Central Texas area. “This promotes the continued expansion of Austin and surrounding areas as an aerospace hub,” he said. “This project will really help propel us forward, because we will be wrapping up this program pretty quickly, in 2023, for the lunar lander. We will be bringing people from all over the country to work in Texas on this project.” While development takes place in Cedar Park, all of Firefly’s testing and manufacturing takes place in Briggs, just north of Liberty Hill. “We do our testing at our Briggs site,” Salwan said. “That includes engine testing and structures testing. We also do all our R&D and initial manufacturing out there, and we actually build all our rockets in Briggs. It’s likely that we’ll do a lot of the testing and some of the manufacturing for the NASA project in Briggs.” Firefly currently has more than 300 employees between the two Central Texas locations, but is continuing to hire for well-paying manufacturing jobs, Salwan said. “We expect that to increase,” he added. “The lunar mission places Firefly in a unique category of companies with a lunar lander contract.”

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Thursday, March 11, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 5

‘Jose’s Special’ a family tradition

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Deer hunting is an important part of the culture in Liberty Hill and around central Texas. But working with venison in the kitchen can be a challenge. Venison can be gamey, and if not correctly handled, stringy and tough. Jamie Ramos Torres’ grandfather Joe Coleman made sure his famous “Jose’s Special” dish always delivered tender and delicious venison. “The recipe is from my grandfather. We use venison, but you can easily sub beef steak or chicken,” said Torres. “It’s a hearty sort of gravy stew we serve over a slice of bread, rice, or mashed potatoes. We simply call it ‘special’, but my grandfather called it ‘Jose’s Special’, as this was his nickname for himself. No one actually called him Jose.” With a deep love of deer hunting, Joe did his best to develop a dish that enhanced notoriously difﬁcult meat like venison. His goal was simple – show people the value of the meat.

“My mom says she remembers him making it since she was little. He created the recipe because he was an avid deer hunter his entire life,” said Torres. “Many family members would ask how they could eat deer meat because they didn’t like the taste. He would make this recipe for friends and family and not tell them it was venison until they said how amazing it was. It was all in the preparation of the meat. I wouldn’t necessarily say he had a passion for cooking, but he loved to make this dish and grilled often.” The dish carries a sentimental value for Torres. Making the recipe allows for Torres’ connection to her grandfather to carry on after his passing. “Another specialty of his was venison back strap wrapped in bacon. He was an entertainer, always joking, and always had a story,” she said. “The last time I remember him cooking this was the day my husband wrote down this recipe. We think of him every time we make it. It’s such a warm and comforting dish, especially on

a cold day. My husband is a hunter as well. This is our favorite dish with venison or any steak for that matter.” Torres and her husband Dustin try and ﬁnd the time to get in the kitchen when they can. “We love cooking. It’s hard to do it together as much now with young kids and his demanding work schedule, so I cook most days,” said Torres. “He’s excellent with grilling meats and smoking. I like to try new recipes a lot, usually anything quick with whole, fresh ingredients.”

HOMETOWN FLAVORS

Jose’s Special

Ingredients: 2 lbs. venison steaks 2 cans Cream of Mushroom 1 yellow onion 1 cup chopped celery 1-2 bell peppers, chopped ½ cup chopped green onion Salt and pepper the steaks and then coat them in ﬂour. Cut the steaks to size. Sear the steaks in a frying pan until browned on each side, then remove and to turn translucent. Remove set the steaks aside. Sauté the vegetables in the the vegetables from the pan. Take a large sauce pan and frying pan until the onions, celery, and green onions begin heat to medium heat. Add

Jamie and Dustin Ramos keep the tradition of Jamie’s grandfather, Joe Coleman (above), alive by making his Jose’s Special, a creamy dish that uses venison as its prime ingredient. (Courtesy Photos) venison steaks and vegetables to sauce pan. Add cream of mushroom to the vegetables and venison. Add milk to make

creamier if needed. Bring to a boil then reduce and the mixture simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

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PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bid proposals addressed to Meritage Homes of Texas, LLC. on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 (the “District”),

c/o LandDev Consulting, LLC, Attn: Caylea Pogue, will be received from qualified bidders until 2:00 pm CST on April 1, 2021 at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735, for furnishing all labor, supplies, and supervision necessary for construction of Omega Ranch Phase 1 Subdivision (the “Project”). The Project involves construction of subdivisions and associated infrastructure including grading, roadway, water quality ponds, waterline, gravity wastewater line, force main, lift station, storm sewers, erosion controls, and associated appurtenances. Bids will be opened and publicly read aloud at 2:00 pm CST at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735, on April 1, 2021. No faxed bids will be accepted. Any proposal received after the closing time will be filed unopened. Bids must be submitted on the form included in the bid documents, in sealed envelopes marked “Bid for Omega Ranch Phase 2 Subdivision Project”. Plans and Specifications for the Project may be examined without charge at the offices of LandDev Consulting, LLC, 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas, 78735. Bidders must contact Caylea Pogue at LandDev Consulting, LLC in order to view and/or obtain electronic access to proposal forms, plans, specifications, and contract documents without charge (telephone: 512-872-6696 or email: caylea. pogue@landdevconsulting. com). A bid must include Bid Security in the form of a certified or cashier’s check or a bid bond issued by a surety legally authorized to do business in Texas, payable to the District, in an amount of at least 5% of the to-

tal amount of the bid, in accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.271(c), as a guaranty that, if awarded the contract, the bidder will promptly enter into a contract with MA Omega Ranch, LLC on behalf of the District and furnish bonds on the forms provided. If a Bid is Accepted, the contractor will be required to furnish, at the contractor’s expense, (i) payment and performance bonds in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 2253; (ii) a one year maintenance bond in the amount of 10% of the contract price, in a form and substance, and with a surety satisfactory to the District, upon ﬁnal payment and acceptance under the contract; (iii) worker’s compensation insurance coverage in accordance with Texas Labor Code Section 406.096; and (iv) general liability insurance insuring against liability for bodily injury, personal injury, death, or property damage. No Bid may be withdrawn for at least 90 days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Award will be made on the basis of the lowest responsible bidder that is considered the most advantageous to the District and result in the best and most economical completion of the Project in accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.273(c). The right is reserved to waive any informality in the bidding and to reject any or all bids. The Project is being constructed by MA Omega Ranch, LLC on behalf of and in the name of the District. The contract will provide that the contractor will look solely to MA Omega Ranch, LLC for payment of all sums coming due thereunder. Minimum Wage Scale: The contract will require compliance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 2258, Subchapter B, pertaining to prevailing

wage rates. In accordance with Texas Water Code Section 49.279, the District specifies the prevailing wage rates for public works established by Williamson County, Texas as the District’s prevailing wage rates. The contractor for the Project must pay not less than the specified prevailing wage rates to workers employed by it in execution of the contract. (3/18) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND CALL FOR PROJECTS FOR WILLIAMSON COUNTY/ HUD CDBG PROGRAM Williamson County will be awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) FY21 (October 1, 2021-September 30, 2022) funding allocation ($1,668,453) to successfully support community development and affordable housing efforts in low and moderate income areas throughout the County. The County is requesting eligible potential projects to submit applications for consideration. Application packets can be obtained at http://www. wilco.org. A public hearing will be held by the Williamson County CDBG office on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 5pm at the Williamson County Courthouse located at 710 Main Street, Georgetown, TX 78626 (Please use 8th Street entrance). The purpose of the hearing is to announce the CDBG award, receive public comments concerning the CDBG program, and to answer any questions regarding the application process. Comments and concerns will be considered in the development of the 2021 CDBG Action Plan which describes how funds will be utilized. Bill Gravell, County Judge VISO DE AUDIENCIA

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PÚBLICA Y CONVOCATORIA DE PROYECTOS PARA LA PROGRAMA HUD CDBG / DEL CONDADO DE WILLIAMSON El Condado de Williamson se ha adjudicado una Beca de Bloque del Desarrollo de Comunidad (Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)) FY21 (1 octubre 2021 a 30 septiembre 2022) la asignación de fondos ($1,668,453) para apoyar con éxito el desarrollo de la comunidad y los esfuerzos de vivienda asequible en áreas de bajos y moderados ingresos en todo el Condado. El Condado está solicitando posibles proyectos elegibles para presentar las solicitudes para su consideración. Los paquetes de solicitud pueden obtenerse en http://www.wilco.org. Una audiencia pública se llevará a cabo por la oﬁcina del Condado de Williamson CDBG el martes, 23 de marzo 2021 a las 5pm en el Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Williamson ubicado en 710 Main Street, Georgetown, TX 78626 (Utilice la entrada de la calle ocho). El propósito de la audiencia es para anunciar el premio CDBG, recibir comentarios del público sobre el programa CDBG, y para responder a cualquier pregunta relacionada con el proceso de solicitud. Comentarios y preocupaciones serán consideradas en el desarrollo del Plan de Acción CDBG 2021 que describe cómo se utilizarán los fondos. Bill Gravell, Juez del Condado (3/11) LIBERTY HILL ISD is seeking Responses for Underwriting Services. All interested Responders please see RFQ #21-004 available at www. libertyhill.txed.net click Departments - Business Ofﬁce - Purchasing - Current Bid Opportunities or request a copy by emailing: proposals@lib-

ertyhill.txed.net. (3/11) MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you. (3/25)

LEGAL NOTICES ORDER OF PUBLICATION Commonwealth of Virginia VA.CODE 8.01-316 Case No. JJ008994-03-00 Bristol Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Juvenile Division Commonwealth of Virginia, in re. Degooyer, Anevay Sakari. Bristol VA DSS /v. Degooyer, Julien Leon. The object of this suit is to: terminate residual parental rights of the said Julien Degooyer, father, including but not limited to the right of visitation, right to determine religious afﬁliation, responsibility for support and consent to adoption. It is ordered that Degooyer Julien Leon appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 03/18/2021 at 8:30 a.m. Date: 02/04/2021 Lisa Prichard, dep. (3/11p)

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, March 11, 2021 Page 6

Lady Panthers clinch district title

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Alyssa Lee was perhaps the least likely player on the field for either side to score in Liberty Hill’s 3-1 district-clinching away victory at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown. But there was the junior defender, perfectly positioned on the back post to score the game’s opener after Emma Stephens had expertly lofted a free kick into the Eagles’ area from 25 yards out in the 24th minute and a 1-0 lead for the visitors. Lee had only one goal to her name on the season entering the contest and was the only player on the Lady Panthers’ roster other than backup goalkeeper Keira Garcia, who hadn’t yet found the back of the net before her strike in Liberty Hill’s 11-1 away victory over East View recently. According to Lee, scoring the opener in a game in which Liberty Hill needed only a draw to claim the district title made it that much taller a task for Georgetown and helped open the floodgates for the Lady Panthers. “Scoring the first goal like that is very important,” said Lee. “Because that’s what gets us going.” Head coach Darren Bauer acknowledged the significance of Lee’s score, but added getting on the board first is always paramount for his team and how they play.

“For us, it’s always important to get the first goal in a game,” he said. “I can’t remember a time recently when we scored first and didn’t win or at least draw.” Following Georgetown’s 1-0 victory over the Lady Panthers in the sides’ first meeting of the season in what was a gritty, gutty affair, another physical battle was to be expected in this matchup and it took less than 60 seconds after the opening kick for Kaylie Fowler to suffer a hard foul while making an early run down the right flank – one which incidentally went unpunished, prompting Bauer to voice his displeasure at the referee. The hosts sent the first shot of the contest goalward in the eighth minute, only to be dealt with by senior goalkeeper Kylee Bush, which was soon followed by an offensive flurry at the other end of the pitch by the visitors. After Fowler had been taken down again – only this time earning a free kick in the process – Stephens sent a shot toward the low left corner of the Lady Eagles’ net, only for Georgetown senior keeper Cristie Montgomery to parry it wide of the net for a Liberty Hill corner. However, that effort failed, as well as a second corner moments later to keep the game scoreless. Once the Lady Panthers had taken the lead on Lee’s goal,

Abbey Janicek (#5) advances the ball upfield during Liberty Hill’s 3-1 district-clinching away victory over Georgetown. the game’s intensity level increased and it was Liberty Hill defender Katie Wilson who paid the price, receiving an errant Georgetown elbow to the face during a sideline challenge. Wilson left the game for treatment, but later returned to action and not a moment too soon to see senior striker Piper Tabor get the ball near midfield on the left flank and carry it on a marauding run down the wing, before cutting inside and sending a low shot past Montgomery and into the net for a 2-0 advantage in the 30th minute. As the clock ticked down on the opening 40 minutes, se-

nior midfielder Madi Fuller absorbed a Georgetown clearance at point-blank range – a blast in the ribs which left her sprawled on the ground on the sideline, only to return to the fray after a short break. Georgetown’s physical approach to the game finally proved fruitful with a goal in the 35th minute off a corner by sophomore defender Mycah Morrow to halve the deficit and leave the score at 2-1 at halftime. Bauer admitted the Georgetown goal altered his approach a bit as opposed to if his side had taken the original 2-0 lead to the half. “We had a couple different

formations we were looking at for when the second half started after they scored that goal,” he said. As the second half got underway, the Eagles kept the pressure on as they had to chase the game, with Joeli Benson getting a shot away in the 45th minute, which sailed wide left of the Liberty Hill goal and was quickly answered with a Fowler chance at the other end. After the exchange of early salvos, things got tough for Fuller again, as she was roughed up and sent to the ground a second time on the evening during an aerial duel at midﬁeld shortly after the

ﬁrst incident and came up hobbling as a result. But, Fuller – who always plays with a physical, rugged edge to her game anyway – seemed to be fueled by the Eagles’ roughhouse tactics. Time and again, for the balance of the contest, Fuller went in for 50-50 chances with a full-blooded nature that exceeded even her usual lofty standard of ruggedness. Bauer said the Eagles picked the wrong player to upset in Fuller. “Madi’s a player who gets even more aggressive when that kind of thing happens,”

See GIRLS, Page 8

Panthers duo dynamic at plate, in the ﬁeld

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Anyone who knows anything about baseball will harp on the importance of up-the-middle defense, at the center of which are the second baseman and shortstop – a pair of defenders who are critical in preventing the opposition from scoring runs. Fortunately, Liberty Hill has that base covered – no pun intended – with the duo of seniors Ryan Leary and Jackson Knox, who have formed a solid partnership at the heart of the diamond for the Purple-andGold. The primary beneficiary of the pair is Panthers head coach Steve Hutcherson, who can rest easy in the dugout, assured very few batted balls will find their way past them and into the outfield with the propensity of leather, which is regularly flashed in flagging down anything that comes their way off opposing bats. “They make plays up the middle other infielders don’t because they both have really good range,” said Hutcherson. “So, they can get to balls in the hole other guys can’t.” However, it’s not all about just athleticism for Leary and Knox – the mental side of the game is also always on display, said Leary, who has signed to play at Texas State University.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Jackson Knox (#8) and teammate Ryan Leary combine for a formidable partnership in the middle of the Liberty Hill infield. “We communicate really well out on the field,” he said. “We’re always talking about what’s happening and positioning the outfielders based on the hitters, as well as telling each other what we should do and shifting one way or the other.” Knox, who will play at Tyler

Junior College next season, realizes the value he and Leary provide on the defensive side. “When you have good defense up the middle, you can get yourself out of a lot of difﬁcult situations,” he said. “We feel like we can get to most of the balls on the inﬁeld.” While much is made of speed

in sports, inﬁelders need to possess quickness – especially of the lateral variety – and the ability to read and react in a split-second when the ball comes off the bat in order to make plays, said Knox. “I think quickness is more important than speed,” he said. “The ﬁrst step in baseball is

the most important in getting to the ball.” Leary and Knox have both worked extensively on this aspect of their respective games by putting themselves through the paces of various agility drills and other methods with the help of a local trainer. But once they step on the ﬁeld, it’s

all about execution and they deﬁnitely deliver, said Hutcherson. “Just this past weekend (at the Round Rock ISD tournament), they turned three inning-ending double plays,” he said. “What that does is shut down chances for big innings.” However, Leary and Knox are more than simply shutdown defenders, as they’re just as potent at the plate as they are effective in the ﬁeld, hitting in the No. 1 and 3 spots, respectively, in the Panthers’ order. Leary is Liberty Hill’s leading man at the dish, with a .439 batting average, along with one home run, 10 runs batted in and a squad-best 16 runs scored, while Knox is hitting .308 with a team-leading 11 RBIs, prompting praise from Hutcherson for what they bring from the bat rack. “We feel like with those guys, we have really good bats in the one and three holes,” he said. “They’re both very tough outs and Ryan is a really good leadoff hitter.” Speaking of which, Hutcherson moved Leary to the top of the order after batting him third last season after Leary proposed the idea. “I’ve always hit leadoff,” said Leary. “But, I’ve never been a slap hitter – I’ve always had

See DUO, Page 8

Liberty Hill Project Graduation 2021 Bass Fishing Tournament at Lake LBJ Hosted by the Liberty Hill Fishing Team

Saturday, April 10th Lake LBJ Yacht Club and Marina Registration/Check-in 5-7:30am | Start Fishing 6:45am | Weigh-in 1:30pm Lunch available at Weigh-in on a donation basis

ENTRY FEE $50 per person

(up to 3 people per team) Fee Includes T-Shirt

PRIZES:

1st - 15% of proceeds 2nd - 10% of proceeds 3rd - 5% of proceeds

70% of proceeds benefit Project Graduation 2021 For entry form and more information, send email to LHPG2021@gmail.com

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Rhett Hofmann (#3) has remained a central ﬁgure for the Panthers during his senior season despite a foot injury which ended his Liberty Hill career.

Dealing with disappointment

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In many ways, Rhett Hofmann’s senior soccer season has unfolded as a microcosm of what his Panthers teammates have experienced during a campaign that has seen much sorrow, ranging

from results on the scoreboard to injuries, quarantines and the growing pains that go along with a young team experiencing the crucible of being thrown into the ﬁre. Along with all of these trials and tribulations, add Class 5A competition to the equation

and one is left with a recipe for a rather unappealing dish, one that is seasoned with the spices of disappointment and despair, with it all adding up to missing out on the postseason for the ﬁrst time in several

See HOFMANN, Page 8

Thursday, March 11, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

BASEBALL BRIEFS Liberty Hill 4, Vista Ridge 0 In the opener of the Round Rock ISD tournament last weekend, Liberty Hill prevailed by a score of 4-0 over Vista Ridge, as Logan Bailey and Ryan Leary combined for a shutout of the Rangers. Bailey hurled six scoreless innings, while allowing only three hits and striking out five while walking only one, followed by Leary, who closed out the game with a scoreless frame to seal the deal. Kade Neuenschwander drove in a pair of runs with a first-inning single and a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while Leary and Jack Stavinoha also knocked in a run apiece, as Liberty Hill plated a pair of runs in the first and single markers in the fourth and fifth innings. Round Rock 5, LHHS 0 The Panthers could muster only a pair of hits in a 5-0 defeat at the hands of host Round Rock, as singles by Tyler Williams and Trent Eller were the only players to hit safely. The Dragons scored a pair of runs in each of the second and third innings, before adding another in the sixth, despite only getting five hits. Ryan Rhoden started for the Panthers, allowing four runs on four hits, with three strikeouts and three bases-on-balls, while Taylor Gutierrez relieved and worked the final three frames, giving up one run on one hit, with two strikeouts. Liberty Hill 13, McNeil 7 Knox went 3-for-4 with an RBI and pitched four innings while allowing only one unearned run in the Panthers’ 13-7 victory against McNeil. LHHS scored five runs in the first inning, then added another four in the second. Knox tripled in the first run of the contest after Leary had led off with a single to center, followed by a Kash Durkin RBI single, a two-run double off the bat of Neuenschwander and a Williams single for a 5-0 advantage. The Panthers added a pair

GOLF BRIEFS

Liberty Hill’s Sarah Baker shot an 86, good for a fourthplace finish at the Wimberley Texan Golf Classic at Quicksand Golf Course. The Lady Panthers finished fifth in the team standings, with an overall score of 393, behind winners Cornerstone (354). Rylie Clayton finished fifth for Liberty Hill with an 88, while Brooklyn Huckaby shot 109 and Emma Walz 110. Faith Tufono of Cornerstone won the event with a 2-overpar 74. Liberty Hill will next compete at the Crystal Falls Golf Course in Leander on March 11.

Page 7

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Kash Durkin (#24) beats out an infield single in the Panthers’ 12-2 home win over Lampasas.

of runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings in the win, as Knox got the victory on the mound, with Lane Rybarski and Eller combining to pitch the final two innings. Liberty Hill 9, Stony Point 6 The Panthers scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Stony Point 9-6. Leary hit an inside-the-park grand slam in a six-run sixth and Stavinoha went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles to lead an 11hit Liberty Hill attack. After the Tigers had plated five runs in the bottom of the sixth and tie the score at 6-6, Liberty Hill went to work in regaining the lead for good in the eighth. Stavinoha doubled with one out, then scored on a Knox single to left before Neeley was hit by a pitch, putting runners on the corners for Blay, who drove home Knox with a grounder back to the pitcher. Neeley then scored on an error by the pitcher. Jefferson started on the mound for the Panthers, providing five innings during which he allowed one unearned run on three hits, but it was Gutierrez who came on in relief for Neuenschwander to get the victory with two scoreless innings to close the game. Liberty Hill 5, Cedar Park 4 Stavinoha was the hitting hero with a two-out, walk-off double to right scoring Ty Mal-

donado in the bottom of the eighth for a 5-4 extra-innings win over Cedar Park – part of a 2-for-4 effort. Leary also went 2-for-4 on the day, with a triple and two runs scored and Logan Dyer hit a solo homer to right in the second inning. The Panthers trailed the Timberwolves, 4-3, after five frames, then tied the score in the bottom of the seventh to set the stage for the extra-inning heroics. Carson Riley drew a one-out and was replaced by pinch-runner Maldonado, who stole second, bringing Stavinoha to the plate for his game-winning hit on a 3-2 pitch. Williams got the win with four scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, with one strikeout and three bases-onballs in relief of starter Blay, who allowed four runs on eight hits in four innings, with one walk and one strikeout. Liberty Hill 10, Temple 0 Rhoden pitched a shutout in a 1-0 home win over Temple, allowing only two hits in five innings, while striking out five in an 81-pitch performance. Leary homered leading off the third, while Maxwell went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Durkin also drove home a pair of runs for the home side, as the Panthers scored four runs in each of the first two innings in the win.

Liberty Hill’s girls’ golf team – including Sarah Baker, Brooklyn Huckaby, Rylie Clayton and Emma Walz – finished fifth at the Wimberley Texan Golf Classic. (Courtesy Photo)

SOFTBALL BRIEFS

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Ryan Leary (#12) has much left to accomplish with the Panthers before he heads off to play in college.

Unfinished business Senior shortstop on a mission

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Ryan Leary will be playing Division I college baseball next season at Texas State University, but just because he’s inked his autograph to a document that has booked the Liberty Hill senior shortstop passage to play at the next level doesn’t mean he already has one foot out the door of his Panthers career. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. “Honestly, after I committed, it’s driven me to work even harder than I ever have my entire life,” said Leary. “Especially after last year – that’s my mindset.” Last season, which Leary and his teammates never had the chance to complete due to the pandemic, has lit a fire within him this year, said Liberty Hill head coach Steve Hutcherson. “I think this season he not only wants to be a part of the success, he wants to be a leading factor in why it’s happening,” he said. “He’s showing a lot of leadership as a teammate.” According to Hutcherson, what’s allowed Leary to have the ability to inspire his teammates is a maturity he’s developed over the past two seasons in being able to weather the many storms baseball rains down on one. “Ryan’s really learned to handle adversity well, compared to back when he was a sophomore when I first got him,” said Hutcherson, who is in his third season as Panthers head coach. “Back then, if he had a bad at-bat or made an error, it would destroy him for the rest of that game or however long. Now, he doesn’t let it get to him.” Leary has plenty of confidence – and in a game in which one experiences failure far more than success, it’s certainly critical to maintain one’s mojo at all times, some-

thing he has absolutely no problem doing, he said. “One thing I love about baseball is it allows me to separate myself and just let everything out,” said Leary. “I even like to talk a little smack out there.” Leary has always been a shortstop ever since he started playing baseball and gave up football and basketball once he reached high school in order to focus solely on the sport he felt was his best chance of progressing to the college level – a goal he’s now achieved. However, he knows his confidence will be tested upon his arrival as a Bobcat, he said. “Right now, I’m a senior, but next year, I’ll go back to being an underclassman,” said Leary, who also drew interest from Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State. “I’m sure there are guys there I’m going to have to beat out, but I wanted to go there because they have a young, up-and-coming program and it’s also close to home.” But, being thrown in with players who are older and more experienced is nothing new for Leary, who as a sixyear-old played against nineyear-olds, setting a trend that has continued all the way up the baseball ladder. “I’m young for my grade, so I’ve always played up,” said Leary, who will still only be 17 when he reports to his college team. “But, I have confidence in my ability.” Hutcherson said early on in this season – the Panthers’ first as a Class 5A club – Leary has been the steady hand on the wheel when he and his teammates have found themselves up against tough competition – in particular when looking down the barrel of a an opposing flamethrower on the mound. “Ryan feels like he can handle any pitcher and he’s hon-

est with our other hitters,” he said. “He’ll never make it out like ‘Oh, we’re not going to be able to hit this guy.’ He helps bring the best out of his teammates in that way.” Leary plans on studying business at Texas State and said he sees himself as an entrepreneur dealing in something sports-related and also has a keen interest in science and astronomy – not to mention a fascination with conspiracy theories, with one in particular among his favorites. “I’m all about the Flat Earth Theory,” said Leary. However, at the moment – as well as the foreseeable future – Leary’s mind will be solely concentrated on diamonds, he said. “Right now, I’m all focused on baseball,” said Leary. “I just need to take care of my body and eat right.” Speaking of dishes, Leary is no different from most baseball players in that he has superstitions in how he goes about his business on the field, first and foremost when he steps up to the plate. “There’s a certain way I have to get into the batter’s box,” he said. “First, I dig in with my right foot and then I have to adjust my batting gloves and helmet.” As long as Leary continues to produce the way he has, there’s no need to mess with the routine because playing well allows him to bond better with his teammates – something that has really come to fruition of late, he said. “We’ve really come together as a team in the past two or three weeks in a way I never thought we would,” said Leary. “But, I love these guys – we spend so much time together, we’re like family. I can’t wait to see what we’re going to be able to do this season.”

Liberty Hill’s track squad competed at the Ranger Relays hosted by Vista Ridge, with the girls finishing fourth in the team standings with 83 points, behind winners Westlake, who posted 125.66, while the boys were seventh with 35 points after winners Rouse, who scored 82.50. On the individual side for the girls, Ayanna Donwerth won the 3200 meters in a time of 11:41.40, Payton Hansen prevailed in the 100-meter hurdles in 17.80 and Greta Coker finished first in the pole vault with an effort of 9-8. Other top-six Liberty Hill

finishers included Natalie Roth (800 meters, third, 2:35.42, 1600 meters, sixth, 6:04.95), Lexi Whitmore (100-meter hurdles, second, 17.91, 300-meter hurdles, fourth, 50.63), Hansen (300-meter hurdles, fourth, 50.63), Donwerth (1600 meters, second, 5:27.85), Taylor Sims (discus, fifth, 96-1.50), Kenzie Wise (high jump, second, 5-02), Emma Hubbard (high jump, fourth, 4-08) and Isabella Brethower (triple jump, fifth, 32-00.05). For the boys, Kaden McMahan won the triple jump with a leap of 43-01.

Other Panthers top-six finishers included Isaiah Delagarza (3200 meters, fifth, 10:34.24), Colton Harbour (100-meter hurdles, sixth, 18.12), Ryan Achumuma (400 meters, third, 53.82), Konner Bye (second, triple jump, 42-03, 400 meters, fifth, 54.75), John Gilbert (400 meters, 55.11), McMahan (200 meters, third, 24.00), Ryan McCarn (1600 meters, 4:53.28), Austin Bourgeois (long jump, third, 20-09), and Blake Simpson (shot put, fifth, 44-04). Liberty Hill will next compete at Georgetown on March 12.

TRACK BRIEFS

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Allie Potts (#12) and the Lady Panthers defeated Cedar Park, 16-6, for their first district win of the season. LHHS 16, Cedar Park 6 two innings of 6-3 victory over return to the mound and reReese Albrecht went 4-for- Lockhart at the Johnson/Hays tired the side in order, includ4 with three doubles and four tournament in Buda. ing a pair of strikeouts in the runs batted during Liberty After the Lions had taken a second, before the Lady PanHill’s 16-6 away district vic- 3-0 lead in the top of the first thers plated three more in the tory over Cedar Park Tuesday, against Liberty Hill starter bottom of the second. part of the Lady Panthers’ 20- Kylie Kirk, the Lady Panthers With runners on second and hit attack against the Timber- struck right back in their half third, Nicole Smith scored on a wild pitch, which was folwolves. of the inning. Cadence Wiese was 3-for-5, Tannis Brewer drew a leadoff lowed by a two-run double including a solo homer, while walk, then advanced to third off the bat of Lewis, scoring Amber Williams hit a three- on a groundout by Cochran Brewer and Cochran for a 6-3 run homer in a six-run fifth in- before scoring on an error by advantage. Kirk got the win after alning and Molly Cochran went Lions pitcher Ava Vega, who then issued a walk to Albrecht lowing three runs on two hits 3-for-6. Ashleigh Heiderscheit before hitting Dylan Lewis in two innings, while Heiderpitched 6 2/3 innings for the with a pitch. scheit pitched the final 1 2/3 win, allowing four runs on 10 After Desiree Garza singled innings, only giving up one hit hits, while striking out eight to load the bases, Albrecht and and striking out two. Lewis both scored on another LHHS 8, Fredericksburg 2 and walking three. Williams went 2-for-2 with Liberty Hill 6, Lockhart 3 Lockhart error to tie the score two runs and four runs batted The Lady Panthers scored at 3-3. three runs in each of the first Kirk settled down upon her

See SOFTBALL, Page 8

TENNIS BRIEFS Liberty Hill’s tennis team played at the Connally tournament March 5, with 12 Panthers players earning medals. On the girls’ side, Ellis Young won in the A bracket of girls’ singles, while Sophie Sherman won in the B bracket and while Mackenzie Coleman and Jennifer Merrill won in girls’ doubles in the A bracket. Ava Ortega and Abby Gates competed in the girls’ doubles

B bracket and came home with third place. For the boys, Joseph Sherman finished second in the A bracket of boys’ singles, while Will Gray competed in the B bracket for boys’ singles and won his first match 6-3, 6-3. Patrick Fay and Ethan Wukasch battled it out in winning in boys’ doubles in the A bracket, while Micheal Evans and Jon Kiger competed

in their first varsity doubles matches. Colin Garner and Peyton Buckley won in mixed doubles in the A bracket, while Eliza Homorodi and Cash Terry played mixed doubles together in the B bracket, winning first match 6-1, 6-1 and their second, 6-2, 6-1, before losing their third, 3-6, 3-6.

Page 8

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

LHHS faces 4 ranked teams in district

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Ethan Minix (#7) has provided the Panthers with speed in the attack this season.

BOYS SOCCER BRIEFS

Leander 3, Liberty Hill 0 Liberty Hill conceded a goal in the fifth minute on the way to a 3-0 home defeat to Leander Friday. Kegan Taggart blazed a shot wide to the right of the Lions’ net in a bid to score an equalizer in the 10th minute, but to no avail as the sides traded possession for the remainder of the first half, with the visitors still holding a 1-0 lead at the half. Leander came close in the opening moments of duplicating its first-half feat of scoring early on in the stanza by hitting the crossbar with a shot, only to do just that in extending its advantage with a goal in the 48th minute to make the score 2-0. The Panthers nearly cut the deficit in half in the 53rd minute when Ethan Miniz crashed a free kick off the crossbar after being fouled on a foray into the final third, but Leander managed to close out the home side with another strike in the 72nd minute to provide the fi-

nal margin. Head coach Wayne Munger said he saw some good things from his charges despite the scoreline – in particular the marauding runs Minix made time and again into enemy territory. “We have Ethan playing now in a striker’s role,” said Munger. “We been changing formations in trying to find success and we’ve seen guys begin to step up in certain roles in the past three or four games and he’s one of them.” Munger also praised a pair of his midfielders for their respective untiring efforts in the middle of the park over the course of the contest. “I thought Garrison (Clopton) and Sean (Snelgrooes) both played extremely well,” he said. “Both of them have the ability and a versatile players.” Georgetown 2, Liberty Hill 0 The Panthers were unable to duplicate their earlier success this season, when they defeated Georgetown, in a 2-0 home defeat to the Eagles Tuesday.

POWERLIFTING BRIEFS

The girls’ powerlifting squad had three competitors at the Class 5A Region 2 meet in Elgin, as freshman Charlie Harris posted the Panthers’ top result of the day, finishing fourth in the 105-pound division. Harris had a 215-pound squat, 135-pound bench press and 235-pound dead lift for a total score of 585.

Senior Taylor Sims finished fifth in the 181-pound class, with 300-pound squat, 185-pound bench press and a 320-pound dead lift for a score of 805. Freshman Elise Eckford failed to complete a successful lift in the 123-pound division. Liberty Hill finished 14th in a field of 30 teams.

in – including a solo home run and a bases-loaded double which drove in three – all part of a 12-hit Liberty Hill attack in an 8-2 victory over Fredericksburg. After plating a pair of runs against the Billies in the second, the Lady Panthers exploded for five runs in the third on Williams’ double and a two-run single to left by Hannah Kline for a 7-1 lead before adding another run in the fourth on Williams’ homer. Heiderscheit got the win on the mound with 3 2/3 innings of work, allowing two runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Hays 5, Liberty Hill 3 The Lady Panthers plated a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback in a 5-3 loss to Hays, as the Rebels scored runs in each of the first four innings in building a 5-1 lead. Brewer led Liberty Hill in going 2-for-3 with a run scored and Madison Hodges doubled for the Lady Panthers’ only ex-

tra-base hit of the game. Kline was charged with the loss, allowing three runs on three hits in one inning of work before being relieved by Albrecht, who gave up two runs on five hits in 31/3 innings. Smithson Valley 5, LHHS 3 Despite being held without a hit, Liberty Hill still crossed the plate three times in a 5-3 defeat to Smithson Valley in a game called after three innings. After trailing, 4-0, entering the top of the third, the Lady Panthers took advantage of four bases-on-balls, an error, a fielder’s choice and a hit-bypitch to score three runs in the inning. Heiderscheit got the loss, allowing five runs – one earned – on two hits, while striking out two and walking one in two innings. Liberty Hill (10-8-1, 1-2) will next host Marble Falls on March 12, play at Leander on March 15, then return home against Rouse on March 17.

Softball Continued from Page 7

Duo

Continued from Page 6

power in the leadoff spot even though my job is to get on base.” Leary’s on-base percentage of .558 is second only to the .585 mark posted by junior Jack Stavinoha this season and his on-base-plus-slugging clip of 1.241 leads the club in addition to 13 stolen bases and 28 total bases, both also team highs. While numbers don’t make the player, there are some that are rather telling indeed about certain aspects of one’s mental acumen and overall baseball IQ concerning their worth to the team. For example, Knox is known for working pitchers deep in the count, which not only drives up opposing hurlers’ pitch counts but provides himself with the opportunity to wait for his pitch while allowing runners to wreak havoc within the speed game the Panthers like to employ on the bases. Knox’s team-leading nine

quality at-bats – which is defined by number of times a batter sees three or more pitches after there are already two strikes – is an under-appreciated skill for most. But, not Hutcherson. “Jackson’s one of the best two-strike hitters I’ve seen,” he said. “I think in situations like that, he tightens his swing up.” Liberty Hill’s dugout boss will need Leary and Knox to be at their best as the district season gets underway, as the Panthers are now a Class 5A team, which means the days of easy runs to league titles are gone – a fact Knox is clearly aware of, he said. “At the beginning of this season, it was a little rough,” said Knox, of a stretch that saw the Panthers win only two of their opening six games of the new campaign. “We’re in one of the toughest districts in all of Texas, but I’m confident in our ability.”

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he said. As the game wore on with the Lady Panthers looking for the hammer-blow goal to restore a two-goal lead and the Eagles desperately pushing forward for an equalizer, the sides took turns possessing the ball, resulting in Bush and Montgomery trading saves in the 54th and 60th minutes, respectively, the latter off the boot of Kassidy Contreras. Finally, it was freshman Carson Glenn who found the ball at her feet in the 61st minute in the middle of the park 35 yards from goal, before looking up and sending a long, arcing shot through the gusty winds which plagued the pitch all evening past the outstretched hand of Montgomery before settling into the back of the net for a 3-1 Liberty Hill advantage. If the Georgetown pressure had been unrelenting before Glenn’s masterclass, it was downright ruthless after, as the Eagles now needed at least a pair of goals to keep their district title hopes alive. At this point, it was down to the Lady Panthers’ back four of Lee, Bryden Bourgeois, Wilson and Cordelia Brown to close the door in repelling one Georgetown assault after another on Bush’s goal. Lee said it was a task the quartet was certainly up to – especially with the stakes be-

Hofmann

Thursday, March 11, 2021

fortable at any given time.” One player who is already doing everything in her power to prevent the Lady Panthers’ season from being an exercise in futility from a team standpoint is senior Amber Williams, who is off to a blistering start to her final season before heading off to play at Ranger College. Williams is Amber Williams (10) is off to a good start in her senior season, batting .412 with hitting .412 two home runs and eight runs batted in. (Alex Rubio Photo) through her trend is a concentration on thers have had to battle through first 12 games of the season, constant improvement. in the early going this season is with two home runs, eight runs “We need to put ourselves in an anomaly of a schedule that batted in, seven runs scored pressure situations over and saw them play their first two and a 1.465 slugging-plus-onover again, keep our standards district games while still in the base percentage. for ourselves high and hold midst of tournaments, which In fact, the Lady Panthers each other accountable,” she disrupts the rhythm of working have nine players with batting said. out bumps in the road along averages of .300 or better, inBrewer added there’s a sim- the way, said Brewer. cluding Williams, Kylie Kirk ple equation to explain the “Considering we played (.400), Reese Albrecht (.379), difference between when her through district and tournaHannah Kline (.368), Dylan team plays well and when it ments at the same time, we Lewis (.348), Tannis Brewer doesn’t. had to learn to make adjust(.342), Nicole Smith (.333), “We hit the ball and put it in ments sooner in games,” she Molly Cochran (.317) and Alplay to move runners around said. “Tournament games were lie Potts (.313). versus being too picky at the timed and much shorter, makHowever, although offense plate and then having to hit a ing it hard to gain momentum and scoring runs hasn’t been pitcher’s pitch or leaving the if we wait for everyone to go an issue so far, preventing the ball hanging in the air,” she through the lineup once before other side from scoring cersaid. “We just need to stay picking up on tips and tendentainly has been. comfortable playing our game cies of what works.” The Lady Panthers have comand not get in our own heads.” But, at the end of the day as mitted 24 errors in 19 games Brewer believes the strength the softball sun sets, nothing and the team earned-run-averof her side lies in the fact the else will matter more than a age is currently 4.76, as three roster is filled with versatility willingness to work hard and of their four primary pitchers – something that will bear it- the ability to handle inevitable have allowed more runs than self out in the form of finding adversity in order to come out innings pitched, with the sole an identity. on the other side with favorexception being Kline, who “To have players that will able results moving forward. has given up 14 runs in 14 do what’s best for the team “We’re in one of the toughest 2/3 innings, while Ashleigh and trusting we’re doing what’s districts in the state right out of Heiderscheit is leading the best for them and the team has the gate and we must be preLady Panthers with 30 strikebeen key as we’re trying to fig- pared to fight for every game outs in 31 innings. ure out who we are as a team this season,” she said. “NothAccording to Brewer, all that’s this season,” she said. ing will be handed to us and needed to stop this downward Something else the Lady Pan- we know that.”

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In perusing the current Class 5A softball rankings from a Liberty Hill perspective, it quickly becomes clear just how difficult a task the Lady Panthers will have qualifying for the playoffs in the program’s first season in the higher classification. Atop the charts is No. 1 Leander, followed by No. 3 East View, No. 6 Georgetown and No. 25 Glenn, meaning once the Purpleand-Gold gets further into the league schedule, it certainly won’t be easy going against the high-caliber competition in the district. Head coach Kristin Brewer is aware of what her club is up against, but also believes in her squad and the potential they have to compete – regardless of what the polls show on a weekly basis. “Competition is good and we’ve got to show up ready to play, for sure,” said Brewer. “At the end of the day, good or bad, a ranking is just a number. You have to believe in yourself and your abilities together and know you have to go out and perform day in and day out regardless of what number is beside your team name. We’ve preached that mentality even when we had better numbers beside our team name in previous seasons. Actions matter greater than a predetermined number and you can’t let it intimidate you, nor make you feel com-

Girls

ing so high. “We just needed to compress, stay back and constantly help each other,” she said. “But, even with a lead, we always try to play the same way.” In the 65th minute, it was senior midfielder Abbey Janicek who suffered the wrath of the home side’s continued reckless play, with the result being a cynical challenge which drew a yellow card for the offending Georgetown player. Neeley Giessinger came on for a late cameo appearance and the freshman quickly tested the Eagles’ defense with a blistering strike which was deflected into the hands of Montgomery to no avail. But, soon after, the entire Lady Panthers’ squad came pouring off the bench to celebrate victory, while a vanquished Georgetown club could only retreat to its own on the opposite side of the field in having to settle for a runner-up district finish. Bauer said the difference between his side in this game compared to the first meeting was rather basic. “Tonight, we finished our chances,” he said. “Plain and simple.” Fowler – who entered the evening as Liberty Hill’s leading scorer with 23 goals – was left largely isolated up front as a lone striker throughout, as a result of adding an extra play-

er in the middle to compensate for the additional room to roam the Eagles’ home field provides, said Bauer. “This field is much wider than we’re used to playing on,” he said. “So, we added another midfielder to help take up the extra space and have more of a control midfield four.” The formation adjustment left Tabor, who began the game third on the team scoring charts with 15 on the current campaign, on the bench for large stretches, but after scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal, the strategic move had paid off. As District 25 champions, the Lady Panthers will have the No. 1 seed heading into the bi-district round of the playoffs against the fourthplace team from District 26 – either Boerne Champion or New Braunfels Canyon. However, they still have the regular-season finale in hosting Glenn – which is also Senior Night – before their quest for state glory will begin – one which they were denied of last spring as a result of the pandemic shutdown – and something which is certainly on the minds of Lee and her teammates, she said. “We want what was taken away from us last year,” said Lee. Bauer also realizes the grav-

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seasons. For Hofmann, the season has presented a litany of challenges from a personal perspective, not the least of which was a stress fracture suffered early on in the year, which eventually degenerated into a broken foot that would not only end his season, but his Panthers career. According to Hofmann, he anticipated a tough go this season, but never imagined the degree of difficulties he and his teammates would face. “We knew going in there was going to be a big difference in the play this year,” said Hofmann, a center back and team captain. “But, it’s been a bunch of factors which have limited developing our cohesion as a team.” Perhaps the most damaging was a team-wide quarantine that forced the entire squad onto the sidelines for two

weeks right on the eve of the district schedule – a happening that certainly doesn’t help, not only from a physical standpoint in a sport that requires a high level of cardiovascular fitness, but also from a mental perspective for a side with so much integration needed in order to properly assimilate a promising group of freshmen into the team. In recent games while heading down the stretch of the season, the tangible results haven’t necessarily been there, but the intangible has begun to come to fruition, said Liberty Hill head coach Wayne Munger. “Our freshmen have played really well recently,” said Munger, of a young core of first-year players that includes Jett Byars, Dhar Ramsingh, Marcelo Bravo and Caden Glenn. “We’re beginning to see aggressiveness from them and they’re not backing down

from physical battles.” Despite the disappointment of how his final season in Purple-and-Gold has ended, Hofmann has accepted what has in essence become a learning year for a team he will no longer be around to reap the rewards with down the road, he said. “We knew this year was going to be for development and we’ll adapt for next season,” said Hofmann. “As far as everything else, that’s just part of it – there’s no point in worrying about it because there’s nothing I can do about it.” Maybe not on the field at this point, but Hofmann can still be heard shouting instructions and encouragement to teammates from the bench during games, and one player who has benefited the most from this mentorship has been Glenn, said Munger. “Caden has definitely been stepping up in Rhett’s ab-

ity of the situation and the opportunity which now lies before him and his team and although he was pleased as his players celebrated after checking the first item off the season to-do list, the next step on the journey is only beginning, he said. “We know what it takes to get there,” said Bauer. “We have the drive to win, our girls know we need to continue to work and remain humble.” As far as her recent scoring prowess is concerned, it seems as if Lee picked the perfect time to put her scoring shoes on. “Oh, yeah, it’s really cool to score,” she said. “It doesn’t happen too often.” Liberty Hill 5, Leander 0 Fowler scored two goals, with Fuller picking up three assists in the Lady Panthers’ 5-0 away victory over Leander. Liberty Hill netted a pair of goals in the first half before tacking on three more in the second, as Ellie Thompson, Tabor and Giessinger all scored a goal apiece in the win, while Bush posted her 13th shutout of the season in goal. Janicek and Mykenna Russo also collected an assist each for Liberty Hill.

sence,” he said. “But, we still have a lot of people who are used to having him (Hofmann) out on the field – he’s been one of our captains for multiple seasons.” During a recent run that saw the Panthers pick up points in back-to-back games, with a 1-1 away draw against Marble Falls and a 2-0 road success over Georgetown, Munger’s squad flashed some of the potential that still lies just beneath the surface. However, for now, Hofmann can only play the cards he’s been dealt and simply make the best of it – although that doesn’t make it any easier, he said. “It’s tough because I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this program,” said Hofmann. “I’ve just tried to pass along to the younger players what wisdom I have, continue to try to be a leader to the best of my ability and stay positive.”

Thursday, March 11, 2021

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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importance of that extra level of protection once you get both doses of the vaccine. Thankfully, teachers were put at the front of the list. As early as this weekend, there will be an event to vaccinate all school employees in Williamson County.” Snell reiterated it was not time to stop being cautious. “Remember, Williamson

County, we are still in a pandemic. The county is on red, which means there’s an uncontrolled spread of the virus at this point,” he said. “Our numbers are starting to look better, and we’re very excited about that, but just a couple of days does not mean a trend. We want everybody to continue practicing safe practices, so we can continue to stay safe.”

With the decision to continue their current policy, Snell hopes the community understands and will support the district’s decisions moving forward. “We want you to continue to be united in support for our schools, and please don’t pit yourself against the schools when it comes to the mask order,” he said. “We’re going to

Page 9

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get these masks off as soon as possible. We know you want them off. We know the kids want them off, and we know our staff wants them off. We just need to get to a place where it’s safe and appropriate to do so. We’re hoping it’s sooner rather than later.”

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Henry Martin - 25.12 acres Georgetown - No restrictions Driftwood - Running Rope Estates Post Oak Ranch - 10.25 acres Live Oak Greystone Ranch - Bertram Liberty Hill Liberty Hill Crystal Falls - Leander Vista Ridge - Leander Stonewall Ranch Stonewall Ranch Downtown Liberty Hill Berry Creek - Georgetown Sonterra - Jarrell Georgetown - 15 acres

3547 W Hwy 29 2462 CR 255 184 Vista Sierra Ln 101 Post Oak Ranch Rd 831 Live Oak Greystone Ranch 19000 W Hwy 29 807A Oak Lane 2808 Courageous 625 Cerezo Dr 204 Drystone Trail 309 Drystone Trail 109 Grange St 31404 Kingsway Rd 444 Druse Lane 3040 CR 255

Homes for Sale

3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/3BA 3BR/1BA Lots / Acreage for Sale

2 meter taps Under Contract / Pending 4BR/3BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/2.5BA 2BR/1BA Sold!

5BR/4BA Fully fenced/wet weather creek Lot 16 3BR/5BA Lot 22 Lot 14-B 2000 ft of highway frontage 100% fenced, light restrictions 4BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA 1BR/1BA 3BR/2.5BA/1 ofﬁce 3BR/2BA 4BR/4BA

$ $ $ $ $

310,000 299,000 325,000 900,000 299,000

1825 sq ft 1935 sq ft 1516 sq ft 3073 sq ft 1468 sq ft

Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Shane T. White Shane T. White Cheryl Stephens

$ 215,000 2.98 acres

Shane T. White

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

2738 sq ft 1664 sq ft 1835 sq ft 1882 sq ft 1935 sq ft 1935 sq ft 1882 sq ft 1935 sq ft 1935 sq ft 1825 sq ft 1882 sq ft 2809 sq ft 1755 sq ft 3266 sq ft .44 acres

Kristen Childers Shane T. White Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Kristen Childers Shane T. White Shane T. White Kristen Childers Shane T. White

3664 sq ft 10 acres 3.34 acres 2914 sq ft 3.97 acres 10.03 acres 171 acres 7.9 acres 2862 sq ft 1822 sq ft 1785 sq ft 1632 sq ft 812 sq ft 2933 sq ft 1625 sq ft 3100 sq ft

Shane T. White Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Tammy Wise Dax Oglesby Adrienne Hughes Adrienne Hughes Adrienne Hughes Cheryl Stephens Adrienne Hughes Adrienne Hughes Cheryl Stephens Dax Oglesby

540,000 235,000 299,000 299,000 299,000 299,000 299,000 299,000 299,000 310,000 299,000 549,900 350,000 415,000 85,000

$ 985,000 $ 499,900 $ 240,000 $ 650,000 $ 249,000 $ 119,900 $3,600,000 $ 232,000 $ 425,000 $ 295,000 $ 1795/mo $ 240,000 $ 135,000 $ 379,000 $ 205,000 $ 899,000

LIBERTY HILL’S REAL ESTATE GUIDE

SABRINA JORDAN REALTOR®

Feature your property listings weekly! (512) 778-5577

512.680.0375 cell sabrinajordan.kwrealty.com

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Cheryl Stephens

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Broker/Owner

Realtor ®, GRI, MRP

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

Real Life. Real People. Real Estate.

Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing

Dax Oglesby

REALTOR®, RPL daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com

(512) 635-7529

3103 Ranch Road 1869 Liberty Hill

www.DaxSellsTexas.com

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

Tammy Wise REALTOR®

(512) 501 501-0777 AustinAndHillCountryRealEstate.com

900 Quest Parkway Cedar Park, TX 78613

Page 10

Sanders

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

With that background, Sanders feels she is uniquely qualified to serve on the council. Her primary focus is on managing growth, but she also cited government transparency and budget management as other important points. “That’s a big issue with me,” she said of transparency. “I understand budgets, I understand profit and loss statements. I feel like I not only can see the big picture but I can hone in on details, too.” Working in real estate, and having lived in fast-growth

Council

areas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Sanders believes growth is the biggest challenge for the city. “My number one focus is how we’re going to look,” she said. “I am looking at modern urban planning with a focus on a small-town feel still. I want to be sure that we don’t look like an industrial city. I’m concerned about how we’re going to look and how we’re going to plan for this avalanche that’s coming toward us. “I was in Plano, McKinney and Allen, living there when all that growth was happening. I was there when all

Continued from Page 1

included on one issue, but Monday, City Administrator Lacie Hale mentioned it could be somewhere in the $4.5 million range. The three intersections include the downtown intersection of Loop 332 and CR 279, Bailey Lane and SH 29 across from Liberty Hill Intermediate School, and the realignment of the Liberty Parke subdivision entrance. Last April, the Council gave its approval to a plan to realign the intersection of Loop 332 and CR 279. The initial estimate for the project was $858,081, but a final total will not be known until engineering work is completed and the project is bid. The plan will alter the Loop coming from the east toward CR 279 to create a T-intersection with a three-way stop. Traffic coming into downtown from CR 279 would be able to turn right onto the Loop or continue into downtown after a stop. Drivers entering downtown from the east on Loop 332 will be able to continue right on the Loop with a yield or turn left onto CR 279 after a stop. Traffic leaving downtown will be able to continue south on CR 279 or turn left and continue on the Loop following a stop. To assist with traffic control at the intersection and designate the continued right into downtown from the Loop, a triangular median will be constructed at the intersection. The project replaces a plan scrapped by the Council in May 2019 to construct a roundabout at the intersection. The City spent close to $400,000 on engineering for

the project and awarded a bid in April 2019 for $1,372,104 for the roundabout and adjacent parking lot project on the washateria property. Under the new plan, the intersection and parking lot come in at a combined projected cost of $1.2 million. The parking lot was separated from the intersection work as it has already been completed as part of a larger downtown street and utility project totaling $1.2 million. That project package specifically included the parking lot, Van Alley parking, utilities for Barton, Aynsworth, a new water line going down CR 279, resurfacing of those roads, and completion of Munro. The Bailey Lane project was updated Monday, and traffic counts do justify a new traffic signal if the realignment moves forward. “The traffic warrant study for the signal at Bailey Lane indicated it met two of the warrants for a signal so we’re currently in the process of coordinating with (Texas Department of Transportation) to get approval for the signal,” said engineer Curtis Steger. “With that we will continue moving forward with the detailed design and the relocation because we know that was one of the important aspects of this.” In October, the Council approved spending $198,786 with Steger Bizzell Engineering for services related to the widening and rehabilitation of Bailey Lane, which runs north from SH 29 just west of Golden Chick. The increase came as the Council expanded the scope of planning to include the poten-

that growth took place and I worked for a large corporation so I saw those schools grow and I saw the community manage that growth. They did a fabulous job.” And she believes the need to plan and prepare is urgent. “It has to happen fast and the next three years are going to be critical,” Sanders said. Working on the comprehensive plan and zoning issues is where Sanders believes growth concerns can be addressed best. It all began with a growing interest in what was going on at council meetings. “I started going to the coun-

cil meetings so I could be in tune with what was going on,” Sanders said. “I love going to the meetings because you miss the nuances if you aren’t there. Then I got focused on what was happening to us with the growth and how we were changing and what we were missing.” She served as the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce President for two years and continues to serve on the board today. “I established a committee called community connections,” she said. “It is a committee of five and we go out to the different meetings then

tial realignment of Loop 332 at SH 29 to the east to create an intersection with Bailey Lane. Bailey is currently a twolane road and goes to Liberty Manor Apartments, but a new business park planned for the property between the apartments and restaurants is expected to increase traffic flow, and the Council is looking for ways to improve the road and its capacity. The proposal first brought to the Council regarding Bailey Lane was for widening only, and improving the entry from SH 29, with an estimated price tag provided by Steger Bizzell of $440,695. The new estimate proposed Monday with the addition of the possible realignment and signalization was for about $1.65 million including construction and soft costs. The property needs for shifting Loop 332 would involve coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation and Liberty Hill ISD. The estimated cost of the Liberty Parke entrance realignment – which would move the entrance further east and align with Stonewall Parkway – is $1.33 million without engineering and contingency costs. The City is hoping to cut that cost some by diverting Williamson County road bond funds originally intended for the Long Run extension project, which would have extended that road on the north side of the Stonewall subdivision east to intersect with US Hwy 183. More meetings The growing length of regular Council meetings, and

we report to the chamber members so we’re all connected and communicating with each other. It’s a new committee so people haven’t seen a lot from us yet, but we’re growing.” Having chose Liberty Hill as her home long ago, Sanders said even with one son in college and another graduated from college, her focus is still on this community. “I chose Liberty Hill for my kids to go to school,” she said. “But even with them grown I still love this community and I plan to stay here.”

the number of items on each agenda, led Canady to make a request that the Council add a third meeting each month. “I know that this probably isn’t real popular, but I’ve talked to some of the staff and I think that with everything we have going on, I think we need a third meeting,” she said. “I think if we find out we don’t need it we can always cancel one of those. “We’re here until 11 (p.m.), and we get stuff on Friday to look at over the weekend. If we had shorter agendas because we have extra meetings to get caught up with everything going on in our city I think that would be better for all of us.” The Council voted 4-1 to approve the change on a motion from Canady, with DeYoung voting against adding the third meeting. “It is very difficult for me to make a third meeting myself,” he said, adding he was also concerned it might not be fair to new candidates seeking a place on the Council as they filed to run with the understanding there were two regular meetings each month. The last four regular meetings prior to Monday ranged from four hours and 29 minutes long to five hours and 26 minutes long. The addition of a third meeting requires a new ordinance, which should be brought back at the next regular meeting for a vote. New development The Council unanimously approved a resolution in support of the creation of Municipal Utility District 40 (MUD) on the west end of Liberty

Thursday, March 11, 2021

MUNICIPAL ELECTION DATES APRIL 1

Last day to register to vote

APRIL 19

First day of early voting, last day to apply for ballot by mail

APRIL 27

Last day of early voting

Hill along SH 29 just past the planned Butler Farms development. Establishment of the MUD is being sought through the Legislature, and the Council resolution – while not required for its establishment – is something that helps its formation through the legislative process. “We will be purchasing wastewater and water service from the City,” said D.R. Horton representative Phillip Vargas. “We would extend utilities down to where the city connection ends now, then buy the retail service for our residents.” Council member Liz Rundzieher asked why a MUD was needed versus a voluntary annexation. “The plant is a few years out and it is going to be on the opposite side of the highway and down a little bit,” Vargas said. “Until the plant is there we have to assume it is never going to be there and with that assumption we have to extend utilities all the way into town.” The 1,122-acre MUD is being established for a new residential and retail development by D.R. Horton, and the initial concept plan is for 3,600 home lots and a potential new school site in addition to some retail. No timetable was given for when the development might begin construction. The Butler Farms development property – 433 acres – was annexed in late 2018, and is expected to have about 1,200 homes when built out. Water leak assistance When the Council discussed two weeks ago the possibility of making adjustments to

MAY 1

Election Day

water bills in the case of excessive leaks or broken pipes due to the recent winter storm, staff realized there was no policy in place to address such adjustments. Monday, staff proposed a new policy, which the Council approved, that will now offer an opportunity for water customers to get assistance in the form of a credit on their bill should it be considerably higher due to leaks or broken pipes. “I decided to go ahead and present a resolution for a leak policy that would have the ability and flexibility for us to make adjustments during a winter storm or something like that,” Wilkins said. “It would allow the utility billing department to evaluate if someone has a leak to determine if we can give them a credit, and in the event of a winter storm we can take further action and maybe do something additional.” To be eligible, customers must have a copy of a repair receipt and provide the range of high bill dates caused by the leak, as well as the date and description of the repair. If eligible, adjustments can be made to up to two consecutive billing periods prior to any repairs, but adjustments can’t be in excess of $100 per billing cycle. Adjustments will be made as a credit on the water account. The final determination for granting the adjustment will be made by the City Administrator or City Treasurer.

Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities