LH Independent 4-8-21

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2021

Volume 34, Issue 20

www.LHIndependent.com

Tension, toxic exchanges mar Council meeting

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor There’s been tension on the dais since the night Mayor Liz Branigan was sworn in last November, but it seemed to reach a boiling point Monday as Branigan and Council member Kathy Canady tested one another’s resolve throughout the brief meeting.

Two primary issues raised the ire of Canady, the first being a request by Branigan to move an item from the consent agenda to the regular agenda so that it could be discussed.

Items placed on the consent agenda are not open for discussion during the meeting, but are approved together in one vote. If a council member has a question or concern on an item on the consent agenda they can request it be removed and placed on the regular agenda, something Canady has done a number of times.

“Item E is a contract, which as I was reading over it I found it to be out of date and having spoken with some of the people involved it is not current and needs to be revised,” Branigan said before being interrupted by Canady.

“It is current, that’s why it is in there,” she said.

From that point forward, neither allowed the other to complete a sentence as tensions rose and Canady declared she would oppose any effort to move the item to the regular agenda for discussion.

“You’re asking that it be removed, so we need a way to remove it or not remove it and you don’t make motions so I don’t know how we do that,” Canady said.

Branigan called for the item to be tabled so the contract could be discussed and Canady

See COUNCIL, Page 10

Technology needs included in LHISD bond package

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Amid the new campuses, renovations and athletic facilities questions included as part of the $491.7 million Liberty Hill ISD bond package on the May 1 ballot is Proposition B, which asks voters to approve $8 million for school technology.

More specifically, the ask is for funds to meet the needs of the district’s new one-to-one device initiative that ensures a computer device for every student and teacher.

But how many devices does that mean the district needs?

The district has roughly 5,700 students currently using devices, along with about 700 staff members needing devices, but it is not a hard number because more students are added regularly, and a straight one-to-one doesn’t function well.

“One of the things I tell people all the time is a one-to-one program requires more than that,” said LHISD Chief Technology Officer Jay Olivier. “If you have 5,700 students and

5,700 devices you do not have enough. What happens is the very first day you put them out there something is going to break or something is going to happen and you won’t have a spare device for them to continue working. You have to have enough for those that break or need to be repaired.”

The goal is to have five to 10 percent more devices than the total needed.

“You also have to have enough devices for the growth we’re constantly seeing,” he said.

“We’re seeing new students every single day so we have to make sure we can keep up with those new students as well as keep up with the breakage, the repairs and additional needs that come up.”

According to Chief Financial Officer Rosanna R. Guerrero, the district spent about $800,000 on devices this year alone in ramping up the oneto-one program, and that cost was aided with CARES Act funds and other monies from

See TECHNOLOGY, Page 4

News@LHIndependent.com

LIBERTY HILL VOTES 2021

Candidates reaching out to voters during political forum

©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent

osition passes, then all of the maximum 8.25 percent in sales tax would be sewn up in the area, with a quarter cent going to the Library District and 6.25 percent to the state.

Inside the Liberty Hill City limits, the 1.75 above the library’s share and the state’s portion goes to the City, not the ESD. The three quarters of a cent available outside the City limits is what will be voted on, and in some areas outside the Library District the ESD could gain an entire cent.

“By approving this new sales tax rate, Williamson County ESD #4 will be able to increase with the growth of the community by adding firefighters and

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Three of the four candidates for Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees Place 3 – (from left) Steve Messana, Michael Ferguson and Antonio Canas – participated in the video recording of The Liberty Hill Independent’s candidate forum Tuesday. The six candidates for Place 6 also answered questions for the public, and candidates for Liberty Hill City Council will participate in a forum April 8.

All of the forums can be found on the newspaper’s website and social media channels.

Jones challenges Rundzieher for Liberty Hill City Council, Place 5

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Among the contests for three Liberty Hill City Council seats is the race between nine-term council member Liz Rundzieher and first-time candidate Angela Jones, who has lived in downtown Liberty Hill for six years.

Rundzieher did not respond to multiple requests by phone and e-mail, for an interview with The Independent on her candidacy.

The choice to challenge Rundzieher in Place 5 was more about Jones’ own campaign rather than the opponent on the ballot, she said.

“I don’t have anything negative to say about my opponent,” she said. “I appreciate the years of service she has put in and I understand she has been on the Council more or less since 1999, and I am definitely not interested in having a contentious campaign. I respect her, but at the end of the day there are only a certain amount of seats and if I want one I have to pick one.”

For Jones, the decision to run revolves around one primary concern.

“I really wanted to see strong leadership on our Council and I know our city limits are small, and that limits the availability of people available to serve, but I really want to see strong leadership,” she

ESD looking for sales-tax assistance on May ballot

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Outside the Liberty Hill City limits, there’s between three quarters of a cent and one cent available in sales tax revenues, and Williamson County Emergency Services District (ESD) #4 is hoping voters will approve a proposition on the May 1 ballot to allocate it for the fire department.

The ESD currently receives one cent of sales tax revenues within the district. If the prop-

April 8, 2021 | 50 Cents

fire stations,” said Jeff Foster, President of Liberty Hill Professional Firefighters Association Local 4744. “Adding additional stations and personnel will help property owners in the reduction of your insurance rates and provide a faster response time to emergencies that may occur.”

According to Foster, sales tax revenue represents only about 15 percent of the ESD budget, but recent legislative changes to property tax increases has made the sales tax portion more important than ever.

“Senate Bill 2 has reduced the amount of tax revenue we can safely receive without election

See SALES TAX, Page 4

said. “I see our city council as a role of service through leadership. I’ve questioned things that have happened, and not being an insider I’ve wondered about why certain things are happening.”

Over the last couple of years, some of what Jones has seen and heard about the city has made her question that leadership.

“When I see our city painted in a negative light in big newspapers like The Statesman, seeing stuff about our former mayor (Rick Hall), it just makes me question what’s going on, and ultimately that leads me back to why I say we need good leadership,” she said. “I don’t know our former mayor, I don’t know what was happening exactly.

I just think that we need a council that can lead our city in the right direction without all of the politics and the negativity.”

The chance to step into one of those leadership roles on the Council would mean an opportunity to focus on a handful of core issues.

“Ultimately, I just want to serve the citizens of Liberty Hill and make this a special place to live, while still influencing the growth we’re experiencing. I’m passionate about preserving what makes our town unique, which is our downtown area.”

The downtown of Liberty

Hill was the first draw for Jones and her family, and she believes without focus that could disappear and take away what’s special here.

“When we decided to move here six years ago, I chose this area because of the potential I saw,” she said. “What I’m very passionate about and hope to push for is creating a walkable downtown and creating a safe downtown so that people who live there can walk to businesses and enjoy spending time with their families.”

Transportation – all over town – is a growing concern for Jones, starting in her own neighborhood with the intersection of Loop 332 and CR 279 next to Wetzel Park.

“We have the splash pad, then across the street the parking lot that just opened up and there is no safe way to cross the street,” she said. “Transportation, safety, and roads are very important to me and I will definitely be pushing to address those if I’m elected.”

But traffic concerns need to be addressed all over town.

“One thing that concerns me is the safety on SH 29, with the speed limit and the businesses that are developing,” she said. “I’m concerned when people are turning both directions to go into businesses. I feel like we need to work with (Texas Department of Transportation) and the coun-

ANGELA JONES ty to really take a look at that to make it more safe, and also to slow people down through there where there are businesses. I think it would be good for the business owners and improve the overall safety for everyone driving through.”

In all things related to the council and city, Jones wants to see increased focus on transparency and communication.

“I haven’t quite understood, and I’ve been frustrated myself as a citizen, why more questions aren’t being asked,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with prying and asking more from some council members and trying to get information to the public.

See JONES, Page 9

Library set for May opening

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The Liberty Hill Public Library closed its doors to the public March 16, 2020 in response to increasing COVID-19 restrictions and the need for safety protocols.

As it began slowly offering services again the library adopted a no-contact business model.

Today, as more people are vaccinated and case numbers drop, the library is preparing to open its doors again.

“I’m leaning towards holding it till May until the staff has as much immunity as possible,” said Library Director Angela Palmer. “Williamson County hasn’t come down off of orange yet. I’m leaning towards early May when the staff has their second shots.

We are going to be opening before summer reading.”

Despite opening to the public, Palmer is considering keeping some practices adopted during the shutdown.

“We will be keeping curbside service throughout the summer because some people don’t feel safe yet,” said Palmer. “I am considering keeping curbside around permanently. I think about some people who have trouble walking or even a busy mom with little ones. We have a collection of books online that are exclusively available to our patrons. It’s a good collection of books, and people have been using them a lot.”

Summer Reading The library’s reopening lines up with its annual Summer Reading Program, and sign

up for the annual summer hit begins May 17.

“It’s going to be different this year,” said Palmer. “We usually have a big sign-up thing, but this year people are just going to pick up a reading log and start reading. This year it’s going to be half of what we’d normally do.”

One thing that will be the same is a visit from Austin Reptile Shows on July 28, one of the annual favorites.

Palmer’s goal for the program is to offer variety to the kids, from different activities to several performers. The program has authors Jeffery Brown and Dori Hillstead Butler set for virtual visits, as well as Singing Zoologist Lucas Miller, Sparkles the

See LIBRARY, Page 8

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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

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Thursday, April 8, 2021

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

March 29-April 4, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 799 incidents resulting in 12 cases, 58 citations, 104 warnings and one arrest.

Weekly Highlights: - On March 29 at approximately 8:06AM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On March 29 at approximately 2:46PM, officers responded to the 8000 block of RM 1869 for a traffic hazard.

- On March 29 at approximately 9:14 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29, to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On March 29 at approximately 11:31 PM, officers responded to Horseshoe Loop for a suspicious activity complaint.

- On March 30 at approximately 1:44 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious activity complaint.

- On March 30 at approximately 5:12 AM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a dangerous animal complaint.

- On March 30 at approximately 2:49 PM, officers responded to the 18000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On March 30 at approximately 5:30 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a runaway.

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- On March 30 at approximately 7:13 PM, officers responded to Ancellotta Way for a harassment complaint.

- On March 31 at approximately 4:14 AM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On March 31 at approximately 11:14 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On March 31 at approximately 2:51 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On March 31 at approximately 5:57 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance.

- On March 31 at approximately 11:46 PM, officers responded to the 400 block of US 183 for an animal complaint.

- On April 1 at approximately 10:25 AM, responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a fraud complaint.

- On April 1 at approximately 11:51 AM, officers responded to Deserti Rd for a disturbance, resulting in the arrest of a female adult for assault.

- On April 1 at approximately 6:33 PM, officers responded to Freedom Park Ave for a disturbance.

- On April 1 at approximately 7:11 PM, officers responded to the 300 block of Loop 332 for a 911 silent call.

- On April 2 at approximately 7:12 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a theft complaint - On April 2 at approximately 7:57 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a theft complaint - On April 2 at approximately 9:53AM, officers responded to Jonathan Dr. for a motor vehicle theft.

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Opinions expressed in the articles, letters and columns do not reflect the views of The Liberty Hill Independent or its owners.

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Thursday, April 8, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 3

Chody, others indicted on EDITORIAL: charges related to Ambler death Canady holds Liberty Hill hostage

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody surrendered last week to Travis County authorities on a new evidence tampering charge related to the in-custody death of Javier Ambler II. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza announced on April 1 that a Travis County grand jury indicted Chody on evidence tampering charges, a third-degree felony. This announcement comes just one day after Jason Nassour, former general counsel for Williamson County under County Attorney Dee Hobbs, was indicted on similar charges.

This is the second indictment on evidence tampering charges for Chody and Nassour. A Williamson County grand jury indicted them on similar charges last September. Nassour was arrested and posted bond Wednesday.

Chody was booked and released Thursday after posting a $15,000 bond.

A third-degree felony is punishable by two to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000.

Earlier in the week, former Williamson County sheriff’s deputies James Johnson and Zachary Camden were indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges in Travis County.

In response to the deputy indictments, Ambler’s father, Javier Ambler Sr. released a statement.

“We are very pleased to see that the Travis County District Attorney is serious about seeking justice for our family.

Our goal has always been to hold these officers accountable so that there are no more families who have to suffer like ours has. We sincerely thank Mr. Garza and his team and hope they are able to secure a conviction to send the message that police officers are not above the law,” he said.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit will prosecute Chody, Nassour, Johnson, and Camden in district courts.

Trial dates have not been announced.

The altercation Chody, Nassour, Johnson, and Camden’s charges stem from the March 2019 in-custody death of Javier Ambler.

Ambler died after Johnson and Camden engaged in a vehicular pursuit of him for 22 minutes. The pursuit began when Ambler did not dim his headlights and continued into Travis County before ending in a North Austin neighborhood.

Bodycam footage shows officers using Tasers on Am-

bler four times after Ambler crashed his vehicle. Ambler screams multiple times that he suffered from a heart condition and could not breathe.

Ambler died shortly after.

Ambler’s story gained national attention last June, over a year after the incident occurred, amid Black Lives Matter protests in response to the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd erupted across the nation.

The now-defunct A&E reality show, Live PD, which was at the time in partnership with the Williamson County Sheriff’s office, had crews at the scene and filmed the incident. Investigators believe that Chody and Live PD later worked to prevent the release of the footage. Williamson County and Live PD’s contract allowed the show to destroy unused footage after 30 days unless a court order or federal or state law required it preserved.

Live PD host, Dan Abrams, said on his website that the Sheriff’s office initially asked for the video to be preserved.

The footage was destroyed two months later after Chody told them the investigation was completed.

Chody, who lost his bid for reelection in November, will appear before a judge in his Williamson County case on April 28.

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

Over the Hill Gang sets April 15 meeting

Members of the Over the Hill Gang in Liberty Hill are invited to participate in a meeting at 10 a.m. April 15 at OTHG to discuss keeping the center open.

Those members unable to attend are asked to call (512) 636-3402.

Liberty Hill Pharmacy has COVID vaccines

The Liberty Hill Pharmacy & Compounding Center is holding vaccine clinics at Rockpointe Church in Liberty Hill, 170 CR 214.

To obtain a vaccine, reserve a time online.

The Moderna vaccine requires two doses, approximately 28 days apart for patients 18 and older. The Pharmacy will offer first doses of Moderna on April

9 in the morning. Please do not sign up if you have already received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Sign up here for Moderna at https://form.jotform. com/210925641589160.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dose for patients 18 and older. The Pharmacy will offer Johnson & Johnson on April 9 and 13 throughout the day.

Sign up here for Johnson & Johnson https://form.jotform. com/210945244170147.

On the day of your appointment, bring your Driver’s License, along with both your Rx and Medical insurance cards. If you have Medicare, bring your red, white & blue Medicare card. All Medicare patients must be billed to traditional Medicare part B. If you are uninsured, bring

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There is no charge to the patient for any COVID vaccine.

For more information, contact Liberty Hill Pharmacy at 512766-5479.

Master Gardeners meet April 12

On April 12, the Williamson County Master Gardeners monthly meeting will feature “Demonstration Veggie & Herb Garden Update” by Gail Kelley and Jim Williams, Williamson County Master Gardeners.

The meeting is free and open to visitors of all ages. The program begins at 7pm and will be held virtually via Webex. Visit the calendar to join the meeting: https://williamson.agrilife. org/ Contact Kate Whitney at klwhitney@ag.tamu.edu.

Council member Kathy Canady, with the support of the other four Council members, has decided to hold public discussion at meetings hostage – especially if it involves an item Mayor Liz Branigan wants to address.

No one on the Council – aside from former Mayor Rick Hall – has worked so hard or been so outspoken in trying to squash open debate, often turning to toxic exchanges on the dais to force the issue.

Monday night highlighted another incident where Canady had two choices – open discussion or no discussion at all – and once again she chose to fight angrily to prevent it.

It is mind-boggling to see someone in the position of serving the public, and even getting paid for it, act as though they owed nothing to that public.

On issues of how to handle public comments or manage executive sessions in a way that favors the public’s ability to participate, Canady has responded by showing she really could not care less what might serve the public best.

“Well they’re at home where they can do something besides sit there and twiddle their thumbs like the people out here are,” Canady said Monday in response to concerns over citizens who might have trouble watching meetings due to executive session interruptions.

On the question of allowing citizens to speak on any issue they choose before the Coun-

cil, Canady said in February, “I don’t want to talk about ducks or the price of tea in China. I don’t want to hear about things that don’t pertain to the agenda at this time. If somebody has concerns they have the opportunity to look at the agenda, come in and make their comments.”

Her indignation goes beyond how she responds to concerns about public participation, and she has made it a personal goal to shut down any attempts by Mayor Branigan to bring items up for discussion.

She twice shut down an effort by Branigan to discuss the city budget during a meeting, and Monday refused to support moving an item from the consent agenda to the regular agenda, which would have done nothing more than allowed an open debate for the public to hear.

No member of the city council or any governing body should be so quick to object to such conversations. But Canady has made it a habit and believes stifling such debate is her role on the Council.

Back in 2019, when the Council was questioned about its voice and a lack of public discussion on issues like the budget, Canady – who had recently been appointed – was among those who took issue with the claim, speaking up during public comments to defend the independence and voice of each council member.

But then-Mayor Hall’s tight-fisted management of the

City continued unabated, and when asked why she didn’t question the budget, or show interest in considering the accusations made against Hall by former Police Chief Maverick Campbell she voiced her full trust and support for Hall.

The moment a new mayor was sworn in Canady immediately discovered her disdain for anything Branigan might even want to talk about, much less implement, with no discussion at all.

It is an interesting phenomenon and turn of fate.

Sounds personal, like a bully looking to take charge.

If Canady can’t find an interest in the voice of others, perhaps it is her voice that should be marginalized on the Council.

She is not on the ballot in May – she has yet to earn a vote for her place on the Council – but three members of the council are. It is the rest of the panel that will decide whether Canady continues to dominate meetings with her lack of interest in what the public, or other elected officials have to say.

Disagreement on a solution and an action is one thing, but disagreement over allowing voices to be heard is something else entirely.

Will she be allowed to shut down others so easily going forward or will she be forced to accept being just another one of the group that makes decisions collectively?

Her job is to listen to all voices – for this city.

Campaign reminds drivers ‘U Drive. U Text. U Pay’

Williamson County Sheriff’s Office will join law enforcement agencies nationwide April 8-12 to remind drivers about the dangers and consequences of texting and distracted driving. This annual campaign is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. high-visibility enforcement effort.

According to NHTSA, between 2012 and 2019, 26,004 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. While fatalities from motor-vehicle crashes decreased slightly from 2018, distraction-related fatalities increased by 10%. NHTSA also reported that the number of deaths linked to driver distraction was 3,142 nationwide,

or almost 9% of all fatalities in 2019. This represents a 10% increase over the year 2018, or 284 more fatalities. The distraction figure was the largest increase in causes of traffic deaths reported for 2019.

According to NHTSA research from 2017, young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld

electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.

“We aren’t out here for the fun of it,” said Sgt. Michael Baxter.

“Texting, messaging, and other forms of distracted driving are increasing habits that put everyone at risk, even those of us in law enforcement.”

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Page 4

SALES TAX Continued from Page 1

by 4.5 percent,” Foster said.

“The old roll back tax rate was at 8 percent and that has been reduced to 3.5 percent.”

In 2020, the ESD brought in $1.2 million in sales tax revenues, nearly 50 percent more than the $807,832 brought in in 2019. In 2017, the ESD’s first full year with sales tax revenue, it brought in $468,434.

“Our call volume, staffing, and budgets have all increased and with that comes a need to generate additional revenues,” Foster said. “With the desire and planning to open additional stations we must continue to be resourceful and plan for projects such as the additional sale tax election that can produce additional funding and keep those funds serving the Liberty Hill and surrounding community.”

Station 2 opened in 2019 on

Ronald Reagan Boulevard, just north of SH 29.

The department is knee-deep in the planning for Station 3 which will be on the western end of the coverage area. That land has been purchased, and Chief Anthony Lincoln estimated previously it will cost about $1.4 million per year in additional funds to operate the new station once it is open.

That estimate includes debt service on land and construction, staffing and operating expenses.

After ESD Commissioners voted to call the election, Lincoln said the outcome of the vote will play a role in how fast the ESD moves forward with Station 3. If it passes he anticipates construction to be on a one to three-year plan, and if not likely more like a three to five-year plan.

Texas Education Agency.

“This was the first year that Liberty Hill ISD went to a one-to-one device ratio,” she said. “We’ve never had that before and because of the pandemic and the need to do more online instruction there was this surge to get 100 percent to one-to-one. Now we have to maintain that and we don’t have access in the budget to have those types of dollar items because that one-to-one ratio is very demanding.”

The bond proposition is necessary because purchasing new devices each year at the rate needed currently does not fit into the budget.

The district has been primarily using two devices, an iPad at the younger grades and Chromebooks for all others, but through feedback and analysis that is expected to change some.

“We reevaluate that regularly and have just recently been through the process of reevaluating the younger and upper grade levels,” Olivier said.

“We make adjustments every year based on advances in technology and what’s available and what the needs are for students and teachers.”

The plan now is to continue using iPads through first grade, then move students to

Chromebooks beginning in second grade.

“These will provide some extra functionality,” Olivier said.

“Students at those grade levels will benefit greatly from having access to a touchscreen on the devices. The touchscreen provides a tactile experience for those students that works really well. We can bring that into the lower grade levels while still providing a device that has a full size keyboard and basic mouse support so they can learn those skills as well and really shift to the more intensive, creative projects they do as they get older.”

The Chromebooks will be used up through eighth grade, and then beginning in ninth grade shift to a Windows laptop.

“The other shift we’re looking at, based on feedback we’ve had, is changing our high school students over to a Windows PC laptop instead of the Chromebooks we’ve been using,” Olivier said. “The Chromebooks were successful for the first couple of years, but at this point the amount of use the students are bringing to the classroom and the amount of creative processes and advanced work they’re doing at those levels they have really reached the limit of what we

TECHNOLOGY

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Williamson ranked second healthiest county

Where we live, work, and play matters to our health. In good news for Williamson County residents, the 2021 County Health Rankings, released today, deem the county as Texas’ second healthiest place to live among ranked counties. Since the rankings were first introduced in 2010, Williamson County has been ranked among the top healthiest counties.

Many factors influence how well and how long we live, from our access to affordable housing or well-paying jobs to opportunities for a good education for our kids. The County Health Rankings model shows us how these factors

work together and illustrates where communities can take action to improve health and eliminate barriers to opportunity.

All ranked counties are evaluated using a variety of data including Health Factors, which measure the rate of education, housing, crime, employment, unhealthy behaviors, and exercise. These components are considered to be “changeable behaviors” and indicate the current and future health of a county. Additional measures make up Health Outcomes, which are based on length of life and the quality of daily physical and mental health.

The 2021 Rankings are based

on pre-pandemic data sources from 2019.

“The pandemic exposed and emphasized inequities in health and well-being. Data from the Rankings and our Community Health Assessments help to show the root causes that contribute to poor health. Creating conditions for everyone to thrive requires looking to multi-layered social, economic, and structural factors,” said Derrick Neal, Williamson County and Cities Health District Executive Director. “Critical to this process are the Health District’s many partners such as stakeholders at the local, county and state level, healthcare partners,

school districts, non-profit partners and The Healthy Williamson County coalition. Our ability to increasingly focus on equity and inclusiveness in the realm of public health will be critical to remaining one of the healthiest communities in Texas.”

The rankings are produced by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The annual report analyzes the health of nearly every county across the United States. The rankings are available online at www.countyhealthrankings. org. Learn more about Your Public Health Department at www.wcchd.org.

Your Business Card can be seen every week for only $32!

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Continued from Page 1

can do with the Chromebooks at this point.” iPads and Chromebooks are about $250 to $300 per device, with the Windows PC laptops being higher at about $400, but those prices are dependent on specifications as well as other factors.

“The cost of devices have changed a bit now versus if you’d have asked me a year and a half ago,” Olivier said.

“One of the consequences of this global pandemic has been supply chain disruptions which have caused what was a buyers market – where I was getting things well below what the typical asking price was – to shift, and now there are not nearly as many discounts and there are back orders.”

Nailing down the lifespan of these devices is not as simple as picking a date due to a number of factors.

“One is the manufacturers have been working really hard to extend the life farther than we would have thought,” he said. “We still have Chromebooks in circulation and working that we bought my first year in the district (six years ago). They’re obviously some of the ones we see the highest level of repairs needed and they’re not the nicest ones out there, but they’re still func-

tional. That’s quite a feat.”

But Olivier said the target is four years with the option of keeping them in service a firth year if needed.

Even in later years they can often be repurposed for many uses even when not suitable for the most high-end needs and functionality.

While there is a target date, Olivier said it is a much more finessed process when deciding when to replace them.

“For Chromebooks and most devices what we actually look at is historical trends and historically how long we’ve been able to hold those devices in,” Olivier said. “We have tracking on every single device we’ve purchased in the district. We look at when it was purchased, we look at the manufacturing date and we put a ticking clock on each one.

Because we’re not always accurate in that we adjust those year by year and reevaluate.

“Sometimes we’re able to get an extra year of life out of something because there wasn’t as much advancement that year as we thought there would be and some years we aren’t able to get as much as we thought because a significant change occurred. We go model by model and I have spreadsheets upon spread-

sheets that show all the different models we have, their expected life, how many of each one we have, where they are and we look at that constantly.”

Because the computer devices have a much shorter lifespan than the new buildings and renovations found in other propositions in the bond package, Guerrero said the financing plan is much different as well.

“We will break up the purchase of these devices on a yearly basis because we’re growing year after year,” Guerrero said. “The devices are needed not only to replace the outdated devices, but we also need to buy devices for the additional students and staff coming on board. Every year we do a sale, we break out the cost of the bonds and make sure that we finance the devices separately and we pay those off within the first five years so that when we pay off the bonds that is actually the life of the device, so it is fully depreciated and the debt associated with the device is aligned.”

Sales over time Similar to the plan to expend the device funds over time, the same will hold true for the re-

mainder of the bond funds to better manage the monies.

“The bonds will be sold based on need, so we are not going to go out and sell all $491.7 million in one sale,” Guerrero said. “We are braking them up and right now the plan is to do annual sales, with the first sale happening this summer for about $160 million to get started on the additional needs in terms of construction timelines and such.”

The flexibility in when to sell the bonds positions the district to avoid moving too quickly should the growth pattern in Liberty Hill shift or slow.

“There is no particular timeline,” Guerrero said. “If the growth doesn’t come as fast as we’re anticipating and we don’t have to sell, we can slow down our construction timeline. I can do for example 160 (million) this summer, and if the growth is actually slowing down then I don’t have to sell for maybe two years alter because maybe two years is when the growth is coming.

We can play it by ear, but the downside to that is if it comes faster then we may be in a situation where we can’t sell them fast enough.”

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Departments - Business Office (4/15p) - Purchasing - Current Bid Opportunities. Or request a copy NEED PERSON TO CLEAN by emailing: proposals@liber2 homes per day, Monday-Fri- tyhill.txed.net. day in Georgetown, Round (4/22) Rock, and North and South Austin. Professional cleanMISSING PROPERTY ing experience required. Must If you believe the police dehave current driver’s license, partment may have a found pass background check, and item that belongs to you, you speak English. $400-$450 per can call the Property Division week plus tips. 512-458-3523. directly at 512-548-5530 or (4/8p) email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe PUBLIC the item(s) you are looking for, NOTICES in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, LIBERTY HILL ISD is seek- we will make arrangements to ing Proposals for a Food Ser- get it back to you. vice Management Company. (4/29) All interested proposers please see RFP #21-003 available at

NOTICE OF GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTION (AVISO DE ELECCION GENERAL Y ELECCION ESPECIAL)

To the registered voters of Liberty Hill Independent School District, Liberty Hill, Texas: (A los votantes registrados Liberty Hill Independent School district, Liberty Hill, Texas) Notice is hereby given that the polling places listed below will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., on May 1, 2021, for voting in a general and special election to elect Trustees to the Liberty Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees.

Election Day Registered voters of the jurisdictions participating in the May 1, 2021 election may vote at any location listed below Los votantes registrados en las juridicciones participantes en la elecion del 1 de mayo de 2021, podran votar en cualquiera de los lugares de votacion listados abajo Williamson County Early Voting Schedule Horario de la Votacion Adelantada del Condado de Williamson Dates and Times for Locations: Fechas y horarios para localidades de tiempo completo Monday, April 19 - Saturday, April 24 8:00am - 6:00pm NO SUNDAY VOTING Monday, April 26 and Tuesday, April 27 7:00am - 7:00pm

Del Lunes, 19 de abril al Sabado, 24 de abril 8:00am - 6:00pm NO VOTACION EN EL DOMINGO Del Lunes, 26 de abril al Martes, 27 de abril 7:00am - 7:00pm

Applications for ballot by mail shall be mailed to: (Las solicitudes para boletas de votacion adelantada por correo deberan enviarse a:) Early Voting Clerk Williamson County Elections PO Box 209 Georgetown, TX 78627 Applications for ballots by mail must be received no later than the close of business on: Friday, April 16, 2021 Attachment B Adjunto b

Williamson County Joint General and Special Elections Saturday, May 1, 2021 Elecciónes generales y Especiales

Sabado 1 de mayo

Registered voters may vote at any location listed below Los votantes registrados podrán votar en cualquiera de los lugares de votación listados abajo Vote Center Locations

City (ciudad) AUSTIN

7:00 am - 7:00 pm

Location (ubicación) Anderson Mill Limited District Lord of Life Lutheran Church BARTLETT Bartlett City Hall CEDAR PARK Vista Ridge High School Cedar Park Library Cedar Park Randalls FLORENCE Florence City Hall GEORGETOWN Cowan Creek Amenity Center First Baptist Church-Georgetown Williamson County Inner Loop Annex Georgetown Housing Authority GISD Technology and Nutrition Building GRANGER Granger Independent School District HUTTO Hutto ISD Administration Building Wilco Hutto Annex JARRELL Jarrell ISD Administration LEANDER Leander Public Library Annex Pat Bryson Municipal Hall Rouse High School LIBERTY HILL Liberty Hill Municipal Court Liberty Hill High School ROUND ROCK Baca Senior Center Brushy Creek Community Center Round Rock Randalls Round Rock High School Williamson County Jester Annex TAYLOR Taylor Middle School

Locaciones de Centros de Votós

Address (la dirección) 11500 El Salido Parkway 9700 Neenah Avenue 140 W Clark Street 200 S Vista Ridge Boulevard 550 Discovery Boulevard 1400 Cypress Creek Road 106 S Patterson Stret 1433 Cool Spring Way 1333 W University Avenue 301 SE Inner Loop 210 W 18th Street, Building 1 603 Lakeway Drive 300 N Colorado 200 College Street 321 Ed Schmidt Blvd, Suite 100 108 E Avenue F 1011 S Bagdad Road 201 N Brushy Street 1222 Raider Way 2801 RR 1869 16500 W SH 29 301 W Bagdad Avenue, Building 2 16318 Great Oaks Drive 2051 Gattis School Road 300 N Lake Creek Drive 1801 E Old Settlers Boulevard 304 Carlos G Parker Blvd NW

Zip 78750 78717 76511 78613 78613 78613 76527 78633 78628 78626 78626 78628 76530 78634 78634 76537 78641 78641 78641 78642 78642 78664 78681 78664 78681 78664 76574

Williamson County Early Voting Schedule Horario de la Votación Adelantada del Condado de Williamson Joint General and Special Elections – May 1, 2021 Elecciones Generales y Especiales Conjuntas – 1 de mayo del 2021 Dates and Times for Locations: Fechas y horarios para localidades de tiempo completo: Monday, April 19 through Saturday, April 24 Del Lunes, 19 de abril al Sabado, 24 de abril 8:00 am to 6:00 pm NO SUNDAY VOTING NO VOTACION EN EL DOMINGO Monday, April 26 and Tuesday, April 27 Del Lunes, 26 de abril al Martes, 27 de abril 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Main Location - ubicación principal Georgetown: Georgetown Inner Loop Annex, 301 SE Inner Loop Branch Locations – ubicaciones de sucurales Austin: Anderson Mill Limited District, 11500 El Salido Parkway, 78750 Cedar Park: Cedar Park Public Library, 550 Discovery Boulevard, 78613 Cedar Park: Cedar Park Randalls, 1400 Cypress Creek Road, 78613 Georgetown: Cowan Creek Amenity Center, 1433 Cool Spring Way Georgetown: Georgetown ISD Technology Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, 78628 Hutto: Wilco Hutto Annex, 321 Ed Schmidt Boulevard, Suite 100, 78634 Jarrell: Jarrell ISD Administration, 108 East Avenue F, 76537 Leander: Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Road Liberty Hill: Liberty Hill Municipal Court, 2801 RR 1869, 78642 Round Rock: Baca Senior Center, 301 W Bagdad Street, Building 2, 78664 Round Rock: Round Rock Randalls, 2051 Gattis School Road, 78664 Round Rock: Brushy Creek Community Center, 16318 Great Oaks Drive, 78681 Round Rock: Williamson County Jester Annex, 1801 E Old Settlers Boulevard, 78664 Taylor: Taylor City Hall, 400 Porter Street, 76574 Georgetown: Limited Ballot Voting – Georgetown Inner Loop Annex, 300 SE Inner Loop

LAND OUT OF THE HENRY FIELDS SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 233, THE JOHN INGRAM SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 335, AND THE JOSEPH M. GLASSCOCK SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 254, SITUATED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS, SAID TRACT OF LAND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS BEING ALL OF THE REMAINDER OF A CALLED 99.57 ACRE TRACT OF LAND (TRACT NO. 2) DESCRIBED IN DOCUMENT NUMBER 199961486 OF THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC RECORDS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS (O.P.R.W.C.TX.), AND CONVEYED TO JSB HOLDINGS, LTD., IN DOCUMENT NUMBER 2002103000 (O.P.R.W.C.TX.), ALL OF A CALLED 126.90 ACRE TRACT OF LAND (TRACT NO. 1) DESCRIBED IN DOCUMENT NUMBER 199961485 (O.P.R.W.C.TX.) AND CONVEYED TO JSB

HOLDINGS, LTD., IN SAID DOCUMENT NUMBER 2002103000 (O.P.R.W.C.TX.), AND ALL OF CALLED 7.957 ACRE TRACT OF LAND CONVEYED TO JSB HOLDINGS, LTD., DESCRIBED IN DOCUMENT NUMBER 2014076250 (O.P.R.W.C.TX.) (4/8p)

LEGAL NOTICE

Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage (MB) permit by TAKE THE CANNOLI LLC dba Sabino’s Pizza Pub, to be located at 2082 US Hwy 183, Suite 110, Leander, Williamson County, Texas.

Officers of said corporation are David and Amber Sabino, Members.

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION (AVISO DE ELECCION GENERAL) To the Registered Voters of the City of Liberty Hill, Texas: (A los votantes registrados de la Ciudad de Liberty Hill, Texas:) Notice is hereby given that the polling places listed below will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., on May 1, 2021 for voting in the following elections: Notifiquese, por la presente, que las casillas electorales citadas abajo se abrirán desde las 7:00 a.m. hasta las 7:00 p.m. el 1 de Mayo de 2021 para votar en las siguientes elecciones: General Election: To elect a Council Member Place 1, Council Member Place 3, and Council Member Place 5 from the city at large.

Elección General: Para elegir un Miembro del Consejo, el Lugar 1, un Miembro del Concejo, el Lugar 3, y el Miembro del Concejo, el Lugar 5 de la ciudad en general.

LOCATIONS OF POLLING PLACES (DIRECCIONES DE LAS CASILLAS ELECTORALES POR DISTRICTO) Registered voters of the jurisdictions participating in the May 1, 2021 Election may vote at any location listed below. 7:00 am-7:00 pm Los votantes registrados en las juridicciones participantes en la elección del 1 de mayo del 2021, podrán votar en cualquiera de los lugares de votación listados abajo. 7:00 am-7:00 pm Location

Address

City

Anderson Mill Limited District

11500 El Salido Parkway

Austin

9700 Neenah Avenue

Austin

78717

Bartlett Town Hall

140 W. Clark Street

Bartlett

76511

Cedar Park Randalls

1400 Cypress Creek Road

Cedar Park

78613

200 S. Vista Ridge Boulevard

Cedar Park

78613

106 S. Patterson

1433 Cool Spring Way

Florence

Georgetown

76527

1333 W. University Avenue

Georgetown

78628

210 W. 18th Street, Building 1

Georgetown

78626

603 Lakeway Drive

Georgetown

78628

Williamson County Inner Loop Annex

301 SE Inner Loop

Georgetown

78626

Granger

76530

Hutto ISD Administration Building

300 N. Colorado Street

200 College Street

Hutto

78634

321 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Suite 100

Hutto

78634

108 E. Avenue F

Jarrell

76537

Leander Public Library, Annex

1011 S. Bagdad Road

Leander

78641

Pat Bryson Municipal Hall

201 N. Brushy Street

Leander

78641

Rouse High School Liberty Hill High School

1222 Raider Way 16500 W. SH 29

Leander

78641

Liberty Hill Municipal Court

2801 RR 1869

Liberty Hill

78642

Round Rock

78664

Round Rock High School

301 W. Bagdad Avenue Building 2

300 N. Lake Creek Drive

Round Rock

78681

2051 Gattis School Road

Round Rock

78664

1801 E. Old Settlers Boulevard

Round Rock

78664

16318 Great Oaks Drive

Round Rock

78681

304 Carlos G. Parker Boulevard NW

Taylor

76574

Lord of Life Lutheran Church

Cedar Park Public Library

Main Location - Localidad Central: Locations Subject to change (ubicaciones sujetas a cambios)

subject to change sujeto a cambio

NOTICE This is to give notice of intent to introduce in the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, a bill to be entitled an Act relating to the creation of the Liberty Hill Municipal Utility District which bill shall pertain to the creation, and to the administration, powers, additional powers, duties, operation and financing of the Liberty Hill Municipal Utility District located in Williamson County, a Conservation and Reclamation District to be Created Under Article XVI, Section 59 and Article III Section 52 of the Texas Constitution created to Acquire, Construct, Finance, and Operate Water, Sewer, Drainage, and Road improvements serving the following respective tracts of land: BEING ALL OF THAT CERTAIN 223.942 ACRE TRACT OR PARCEL OF

Page 5

Vista Ridge High School

Florence City Hall Cowan Creek Amenity Center

First Baptist Church Georgetown

Georgetown Housing Authority GISD Technology Building

Granger ISD

Wilco Hutto Annex Jarrell ISD Administration

Baca Senior Center

Round Rock Randalls Williamson County Jester Annex Brushy Creek Community Center

Taylor Middle School

550 Discovery Boulevard

Cedar Park

Liberty Hill

78750

Zip

78613

78633

78642

EARLY VOTING by personal appearance will be conducted each weekday at: (La votación adelantada en persona se llevará a cabo de lunes a viernes en:) Dates and Times for Full-Time Locations: Fechas y horarios para localidades de tiempo completo Monday, April 19 through Saturday, April 24 Del Lunes 19 de abril al Sábado 24 de abril 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am – 6:00 pm NO Sunday Voting Domingo NO habrá votación Monday, April 26 and Tuesday, April 27 Lunes 26 de abril y Martes 27 de abril 7:00 am - 7:00 pm 7:00 am – 7:00 pm - Anderson Mill Limited District, 11500 EL Salido Parkway, Austin - Williamson County Inner Loop Annex, 301 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown - Georgetown ISD Technology Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown - Cowan Creek Amenity Center, 1433 Cool Spring Way, Georgetown - Baca Senior Center, 301 West Bagdad Street, Building 2, Round Rock - Williamson County Jester Annex, 1801 East Old Settlers Boulevard, Round Rock - Round Rock Randalls, 2051 Gattis School Road, Round Rock - Leander Public Library, Annex, 1011 South Bagdad Road, Leander - Cedar Park Public Library, 550 Discovery Boulevard, Cedar Park - Cedar Park Randalls, 1400 Cypress Creek Road, Cedar Park - Jarrell ISD Administration, 108 East Avenue F, Jarrell - Wilco Hutto Annex, 321 Ed Schmidt Boulevard, Suite 100, Hutto - Liberty Hill Municipal Court, 2801 RR 1869, Liberty Hill - Taylor City Hall, 400 Porter Street, Taylor Applications for ballot by mail shall be mailed to: (Las solicitudes para boletas que se votarán en ausencia por correo deberán enviarse a:) Williamson County Elections Administrator (Name of Early Voting Clerk) (Nombre del Secretario(a) de la Votación Adelantada) Williamson County Elections Department PO Box 209, Georgetown, TX 78627 Applications for ballots by mail must be received no later than the close of business on April 20, 2021 (Las solicitudes para boletas que se votarán en ausencia por correo deberán recibirse para el fin de las horas de negocio el 20 de abril, 2021) Issued this the 5 day of April, 2021 (Emitada este dia 5 de abril, 2021) Liz Branigan, Mayor (Alcalde)

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, April 8, 2021 Page 9

Lady Panthers fall short in title pursuit

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Mykenna Russo has made a living over the course of her Liberty Hill soccer career by cranking up and shooting from long distance and often finding the back of the net in the process.

So, when the Lady Panthers’ senior midfielder cracked one from 30 yards out in the second half of their 2-0 regional quarterfinal defeat against Dripping Springs on Friday night, it was a familiar sight to see the ball arcing over the goalkeeper’s head, only for it to deflect off the crossbar, then deflect off the keeper and in.

Only problem was the ball had rebounded off the football goalpost and not the crossbar of the soccer goal just beneath it, which meant the hysteria the Lady Panthers broke into thinking they had tied the score was short-lived, as the goal was waved off.

As a result, the Tigers maintained a 1-0 lead, which they would add to in the 75th min-

ute to seal the victory and advance to the regional semifinals, while Liberty Hill was left to come to the realization its season was over.

Senior midfielder Abbey Janicek began to process what had just happened, as her four-year pursuit of a championship remained unfulfilled.

“I guess this means one chapter of my life is over,” she said.

“But, it’s part of growing up and now it’s on to new things.”

For the opening 10 minutes, the contest was a cagey affair, as both teams attempted to figure one another out, with no scoring chances at either end.

Carson Glenn fired the first Liberty Hill shot of the evening in the 13th minute, but it was easily dealt with by Dripping Springs goalkeeper Caroline Dill and the game stayed scoreless.

The Tigers answered with a chance in the 18th minute on a corner only for the ball to flash over the top of the Liberty Hill net.

Finally, in the 24th minute,

BASEBALL BRIEFS Georgetown 5, Liberty Hill 2 Liberty Hill was limited to only three hits in a 5-2 district away loss to Georgetown.

Ryan Leary led off the game with a double, then advanced to third on a error before scoring on a Carson Riley sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Panthers lead, a score which remained until the Eagles plated a run in the third to even the game at 1-1.

In the fourth, Liberty Hill

regained the lead when Logan Dyer was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and advanced to third on a double off the bat of Jackson Knox before Dyer scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Kade Neuenschwander for a 2-1 advantage.

However, the lead was shortlived, as Georgetown scored three runs in its half of the frame off the Panthers’ Logan Bailey, who had relieved starter Tyler Williams, who

freshman Neeley Giessinger made a marauding run down the left flank before being on the receiving end of a full-blooded challenge by a Tigers defender which sent her flying to the ground and landing heavily, with the ball going out for a corner.

However, the ensuing Alyssa Lee effort went wanting, as the ball made its way all the way through a maze of bodies in front of the Dripping Springs net without anyone being able to get on the end of it.

Moments later in the 29th minute, the Tigers’ Taliyah Copeland broke in on goal and beat Lady Panthers’ goalkeeper Kylee Bush low to the left corner of the net for a 1-0 Dripping Springs lead.

Janicek said the pace of the proceedings increased after the goal.

“Everything intensified,” she said. “We knew what we had to do.”

After scoring, the Tigers kept the pressure on and two minutes later in the 31st, it was

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Madi Fuller (#7) sprints past a defender during the Lady Panthers’ 2-0 playoff loss to Dripping Springs.

Copeland again, only this time on the other end of the supply line as she passed the ball to Sofia Picucci, who carried it all the way to the end line before firing an inch-perfect cross to teammate Gracie Green, who directed it on goal only for Bush to make a tremendous

last-second reaction save.

Bush again came to the rescue with another save in the 35th minute to keep the Lady Panthers’ halftime deficit at 1-0.

As the second half began, it was Liberty Hill who answered the bell with renewed

vigor.

Following a Bryden Bourgeois free kick from 35 yards out which sailed into the arms of Dill, it was Madi Fuller, who sent a corner into the area in the 47th minute to test her

See SOCCER, Page 8

had pitched two scoreless innings to begin the contest.

Bailey was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on two hits in two innings, with one strikeout and one base-on-balls.

The Panthers were sloppy in the field, committing five errors on the evening, as only one of the Eagles’ five runs was earned.

Liberty Hill (15-8-1, 4-2) will next host Glenn on April 9.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Senior shortstop Ryan Leary (#12) is the only Panthers player whose spot in the lineup isn’t open for competition as the team searches for a winning combination.

Shaking up the diamond Wholesale lineup changes in the works

Kylie Kirk (#11) winds up during the Lady Panthers’ 7-4 home loss to Cedar Park.

SOFTBALL BRIEFS Marble Falls 10, Liberty Hill 6 Marble Falls struck for five runs in the fifth inning of a 10-6 victory over Liberty Hill.

The Lady Panthers scored three runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Katelyn Castleberry which scored Tannis Brewer and Molly Cochran and led, 3-1 after 2 ½ innings.

However, the Mustangs took

a 4-3 advantage after three runs in the bottom of the third before the visitors plated three more of their own in the fifth.

Cochran tripled home Cadence Wiese, then a Castleberry RBI single was followed by a Kylie Kirk triple which scored Reese Albrecht to give the Lady Panthers a 6-5 lead.

But, the home side roared back with five runs off Kirk in the bottom of the frame to

provide the final margin.

Castleberry was 2-for-3 with one run scored and three runs batted in, while Cochran and Albrecht also had a pair of hits apiece for the Lady Panthers.

Kirk got the loss on the mound, allowing six runs on seven hits, while striking out three and walking none.

Liberty Hill (12-14-1, 3-8) will next host Leander on April 9.

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Liberty Hill head baseball coach Steve Hutcherson didn’t like what he was seeing on the field from his team during its two most recent outings – both losses – so he decided to do something he never has in his entire coaching career.

“We’re having three intrasquad games this week, so we can get a sense of who belongs where,” said Hutcherson. “We have guys trying to win jobs, so we want to let them compete.”

According to Hutcherson, by the midway point of the district schedule, he’s normally set on a lineup he can depend on, but after the recent defeats to Leander (3-2) and Georgetown (5-2) – which left the Panthers with a 3-3 league record – he had seen enough.

“Usually by this point in the season, I can pretty much write the same nine names in the lineup,” said Hutcherson.

“But, for whatever reason, this year we’re not there. We’re definitely an unfinished product.”

The series of scrimmages – which amounts to a three-day tryout – is to reshuffle the deck so the cards dealt the rest of the way prove to be a better hand than what the Panthers have had so far, he said.

“Nobody has looked great to this point,” said Hutcherson.

“So, we want to keep them competing for spots throughout the year to find out what we’re most comfortable with.

But, we should have a better idea by now.”

With the exception of senior shortstop Ryan Leary – the team’s leading hitter with a .486 average to go with two home runs and 17 runs batted in – Hutcherson said the other eight places around the diamond – including the starting pitching roles – are now an open competition based on the sloppy play he’s seen from his

club.

“The last few games, we’ve made errors at the wrong times and found a way to give extra outs to the other team,” he said. “We’ve also struck out too much and not done a good enough job putting the ball in play.”

During the intra-squad games, Hutcherson is set up with the rest of his coaching staff at a table right behind home plate guarded by a net in order to gain a better perspective of the action compared to his customary post in the dugout.

“I can see if our guys are hitting the pitches they should be hitting,” said Hutcherson.

“It gives me a better vantage point so I can see baseball IQ things.”

For example, taking what the pitcher gives in certain situations instead of forcing the issue.

“We’ve been trying too much

See BASEBALL, Page 8

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Triple-jumper always seeks success

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Konnor Bye splashes down in the sand pit at the end of another successful triple jump, it’s the culmination of all the effort that has been put into the leap, with the tangible result being a distance that is measured down to fractions of inches.

Despite the fact he only began triple-jumping last season, Bye has qualified for the area track meet after winning the district event with an effort of 43-0 – a new personal best. He attributes his relatively quick success in the event to a single-minded pursuit of excelSHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO Konnor Bye – who won the triple jump at the district track meet with a new personal best – will lence.

“I’ll do extra work before and attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy after graduation.

after practice,” said Bye. “But, I’m a little surprised I’ve done so well so fast.”

Bye – a senior – didn’t even run track his freshman year, as he was still playing soccer for the Panthers, which he gave up entering his sophomore season to focus on kicking for the football team and soon returned to the track for the first time since junior high.

The fact the triple jump is a quite unusual event was what drew him to it in the first place, he said.

“I wanted to do something different,” said Bye. “The triple jump is more technical than the long jump and I really enjoy that part of it – kind of like kicking in football – you

have to pay attention to all the little things.”

According to Liberty Hill head boys’ coach Tommy Foster, all three phases of a triple jump must be executed with pace and precision in order to get maximum distance.

“First, there’s the cycle, then the bound and finally the sand,” said Foster. “You need to carry speed and momentum through all three phases and be consistent.”

One could argue a triple jump is one big geometry problem, full of physics and all kinds of formulas and that’s just fine with Bye, who lists math and science as his favorite subjects

See BYE, Page 8

Thursday, April 8, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 7

Cruel fate for Lady Panthers

Kaden McMahan, left and Carlton Schrank, along with Mattvey Carter and Ryan Achumuma qualified for the area track meet in the 4x200-meter relay.

Runners, jumpers headed for area track meet

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Usually, a track practice at Panther Stadium is a bustling beehive of activity, as 30-40 athletes run, jump and throw in honing their skills for the next meet.

However, once the district meet is held, there isn’t a next meet for everyone – only the ones who qualify to move on to the area event by finishing in the top four at district.

As a result, only 15 Panthers are left, leaving only about half of the team out on the field on a recent afternoon in continuing to get ready for the next competition, which is the area meet at East View on April 14.

On the girls’ side, Ayanna Donwerth (1600, 3200 meters) and Payton Hanson (100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles) were the only Lady Panthers who qualified in more than one event.

Other qualifiers included Hayden Harris (100 meters),

Taylor Sims (discus), Kenzy Wise (high jump) and Greta Coker (pole vault).

For the boys, Kaden McMahan qualified in three events – the 200 meters, triple jump and 4x200-meter relay.

Other Liberty Hill qualifiers included Bryce Rampy (long jump), Konnor Bye (triple jump), Collin Lyons (triple jump), Colton Harbour (110-meter hurdles) and Mattvey Carter, Carlton Schrank and Ryan Achumuma, who will join McMahan on the 4x200 team.

Liberty Hill head boys’ coach Tommy Foster said he feels his athletes are up to the task at hand.

“It’s good to feel pressure – that’s what we teach here at Liberty Hill,” he said. “Our guys are doing a good job pushing themselves.”

Senior Konnor Bye was the only Liberty Hill athlete to win an event at the district meet, prevailing in the triple jump with a new personal

best effort of 43-0, no surprise to Foster, he said.

“Konnor was already in first place when he got his new personal best,” said Foster.

“He’s one of our best competitors and always has a desire to do well.”

In fact, all three Panthers triple jumpers qualified for the area meet, as Lyons and McMahan will join Bye in attempting to move on to the regional meet at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio on April 23-24.

According to Foster, the presence of assistant and former girls’ head coach Gretchen Peterson has gone a long way to bringing out the best in all three.

“Coach Peterson’s been doing this for a long time – I just add on to what she tells me,” said Foster. “We also have great kids who are gifted with natural ability, work hard and do an excellent job of competing.”

Katelyn Castleberry (#2) leads Liberty Hill with 17 runs batted in as the Lady Panthers’ No. 3 hitter in the lineup.

Hitting with runners on base critical

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Once a lineup’s top two hitters do their jobs in setting the table by getting on base, it’s up to the middle of the order to bring them home and dent the scoreboard.

For the Lady Panthers of Liberty Hill, that critical component begins with No. 3 hitter Katelyn Castleberry, who has been consistent in that role this season, with a team-leading 17 runs batted in, along with two home runs, which shares the lead. She has also scored 18 runs herself, good for second.

According to Castleberry, the secret to her success is to recognize the situation when there are runners on base and hit in a situational manner.

“If there are runners on second and third, I’ll always try to hit behind them in order to move them along,” said Castleberry, a right-handed hitter.

“Also, it’s a longer throw from right field.”

When she steps into the box in such a situation with two outs, there’s even more at stake and if she gets two strikes, it increases that much more.

“When there’s two outs, there’s a little bit of pressure,” she said. “If there’s two strikes, I consider myself a two-strike hitter, which requires more discipline and not swinging as hard.”

Castleberry does have a pair of long balls to her credit this season, but the Lady Panthers’ game plan up and down the lineup can’t depend on home runs, said Liberty Hill head coach Kristen Brewer.

“We’re not a power-hitting team – it’s as simple as that,” she said. “We need to keep the ball on the ground and hit behind runners.”

Sometimes, knowing the strike zone and how the umpire is calling the game can also help in recognizing the right pitches to attack – especially with two strikes, said Brewer.

“We want our hitters to be more aggressive in those situations and expand the strike zone,” she said. “We’ll also use hit-and-runs to get our hitters to put the bat on the ball and protect the runners.”

However, at times hitters will try to be something they’re not, said Brewer.

“We’ve been trying to hit

the long ball this season,” she said. “These girls have been playing forever, so they know what they can and can’t do, but trying to get into a teenager’s head is easier said then done.”

In addition, slumps will set in which can derail a hitter’s mindset if the player doesn’t stay focused, said Brewer.

“You can’t overthink things,” she said. “If you’re not hitting, you don’t have to re-invent everything.”

Earlier this season, Castleberry – who is currently hitting .380 to lead Liberty Hill – found herself in a rut, but said she knew she couldn’t let it affect her.

“I know I can’t get down on myself and let it eat away at me if I have a bad at-bat,” she said. “Because the next time up, I could hit a home run.”

Remembering to properly execute fundamentals is never a bad way to break out of a slide at the plate, said Castleberry.

“Mostly, it’s muscle memory,” she said. “Stuff like driving your hands through the ball.”

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When the curtain fell on the Lady Panthers’ soccer season in the wake of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Dripping Springs in Austin last Friday, the final chapter was written and the book was closed on a group of young women who had endured many things over the course of a four-year journey during their time in Purple-and-Gold.

Only one team can celebrate victory in its final game of the season and on this occasion, it was the Tigers who had earned the right to play on for that very chance.

Getting to the regional quarterfinals after a season which saw them win a district title in its first season as a Class 5A program is certainly something to be immensely proud of.

However, this team was destined to win a state trophy – or it certainly seemed that way, as they had gotten one step closer to the ultimate prize in the two previous campaigns leading up to last season, losing in the state semifinals and the championship game in the process.

The next logical step would’ve been to return to the title game and this time win it – something which had a more-thanvery-good chance of happening last spring before a global pandemic decided to be the most rugged of defenders in shutting their season down before they had a chance to

progress and indeed prevail in their final season as a Class 4A team.

Of course, there are no guarantees and there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but the Lady Panthers were about as close as one can get to being a certainly to take home silverware.

Alas, we’ll never know.

But, that’s what made defeat this season even tougher to take.

All season long, the goal was to get back to where they had been previously and prevail.

Although one could argue that wasn’t really possible after having moved up in class and comparing Class 4A competition to what they faced in 5A an apples-to-oranges proposition.

Ironically, the Lady Panthers both began and ended their season against Dripping Springs after having suffered a 1-0 loss to the Tigers in the opener three months earlier – bookend losses in a campaign which only saw them defeated four times, but twice to the same opponents.

Before the playoffs even began, head coach Darren Bauer had said if his team failed to win a title, the season would definitely not be considered a failure – a message he delivered to his seniors after he had gathered them around in a huddle immediately following Friday’s contest, after he had spoken to the entire team as a whole in the aftermath.

Bauer said his side had played exactly as they had planned and wanted to – all that was missing was the result on

the scoreboard – a statement which can’t be denied by anyone who knows the game and witnessed the proceedings.

Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers simply came up against a team just as good as them who happened to play just a bit better at critical times, which on this occasion was good enough to win.

So, for players like Kylee Bush, Mykenna Russo, Athena Brown, Abbey Janicek, Madi Fuller, Piper Tabor and Bryden Bourgeois – the club’s seniors – there is no next season to redeem themselves as their quest has come to a conclusion.

But, be proud, ladies.

All of you had one tremendous run and did Liberty Hill proud in the process.

Now, next year’s seniors will take up the mantle and continue forward, while a promising group of underclassmen replenish the ranks in reloading the roster.

Janicek summed it up when she said it was time for her to move on to new things in her young life, as will the others who shared in the sorrow.

No, the Lady Panthers didn’t lay claim to a crown they felt they were destined to wear – a fact which came crashing down on them in the midst of the flowing tears and consoling hugs during the postgame.

We’re not all winners – on the scoreboard, at least.

However, the Lady Panthers showed their mettle in what they accomplished this season and that’s certainly the stuff champions are made of.

Whether you get a trophy or not.

TAFE makes history with trip to Nationals

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Liberty Hill High School’s Keely Davis, Jai Lynn Jittlermontgol, and Natali Reveille are making school history.

The trio earned the school’s Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) organization its first trip to national competition.

“So far, this has been great and exciting,” said Jittlermontgol. “At first, it was unbelievable and shocking, but overall, it felt amazing. State was nerve-racking, but my team and I pulled it off in the end.”

With a trip to nationals on the line, tension was high for Davis and her group.

“I’ll admit I was feeling a little bit lost at first, but I eventually started to like it and get the hang of it. For my part, I was in charge of the slideshow and editing the grammar and punctuation of our paper,” said Davis. “It makes me feel very accomplished and proud because it seems like such a big deal. I remember clinging to Natalie’s pinky, watching the slideshow anxiously. When I finally saw our names, my chest exploded with pure joy.”

The trio competed in an assigned research challenge topic focusing on Autism. Their presentation was the exploration and development of recommendations regarding educational supports for students with Autism.

“They researched an assigned topic that everyone who competed in the Researching Learning Challenges event had to research, which was Autism,” said TAFE instructor Laura Brown. “They wrote a research paper and created a presentation to present in front of judges.”

This event isn’t the group’s first time working with the topic of Autism. During their

Keely Davis, Jai Lynn Jittlermontgol, and Natali Reveille cemented themselves in Liberty Hill High School history after placing at TAFE state competition and earning a spot at TAFE Nationals for the first time in the organization’s history. regional competition, the group worked with similar information. As they prepare for the national competition, Reveille says they’ll need to expand their research efforts even further. Davis shared the same sentiment.

“Trying to find new information and re-imagine old information, as well as making everything creative and unique, had to be the hardest part of getting here,” said Davis. “For me, I was always the most nervous during the presentation and talking.”

With her firsthand experience, Brown is confident in her students’ efforts.

“These young ladies are very diligent workers,” she said.

“They attend after-school

practice once a week, and we work on what the judges notated on the rubric. The main focus is speaking clearly and trying not to fidget. When Nationals rolls around in June, I plan to make the entire day about them.”

Confidence is key for the group moving forward. Jittlermontgol knows there are some improvements needed, but the confidence to succeed is there.

“I feel like we can improve on how to work zoom better and how to speak more confidently,” said Jittlermontgol. “To be honest, I don’t know how we’re going to celebrate if we place at Nationals, but I feel like we should celebrate with a party because, why not?”

Page 8

Baseball

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 6

to pull the ball,” he said. “If a pitcher makes a quality pitch on the outer half of the plate, you can’t do that.”

Hutcherson added his concerns are more at the plate than in the field.

“We want our best nine offensive players out there as long as they don’t let us get beat defensively,” he said.

“You can’t have a guy who makes every play on defense, but gives us no chance at the plate.”

The fact his team is currently

treading water with a .500 district mark made it much easier to go back to the drawing board, said Hutcherson.

“When you’re going good, it’s much harder to change things up,” he said. “But, we need to do this now, so we can see how guys react in game situations.”

Helping the cause was the absence of the usual Tuesday game due to school testing, which allowed Hutcherson to stage the three-day camp before the Panthers’ next con-

NOTICE OF ELECTION FOR PUBLICATION (AVISO DE ELECCIÓN PARA PUBLICACIÓN) To the registered voters of Liberty Hill Independent School District, Texas: (A los votantes registrados en el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Liberty Hill, Texas:) Notice is hereby given that the polling places below will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 1, 2021 for voting in a special election to consider the following propositions: (Por la presente se da aviso de que los lugares de votación a continuación estarán abiertos de 7:00 a.m. a 7:00 p.m. el 1 de mayo de 2021 para votar en una elección especial para considerar las siguientes proposiciónes:) PROPOSITION A “Shall the Board of Trustees of the Liberty Hill Independent School District be authorized to issue and sell bonds of the District, in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount of not more than $457,700,000 for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping school facilities (and any necessary or related removal of existing facilities), the purchase of the necessary sites for school facilities, and the purchase of new school buses, such bonds to mature serially or otherwise (not more than 40 years from their date) in accordance with law; any issue or series of such bonds to bear interest per annum at such rate or rates (fixed, floating, variable, or otherwise) as may be determined within the discretion of the Board of Trustees, provided that such rate or rates of interest shall not exceed the maximum rate per annum authorized by law at the time of the issuance of any issue or series of such bonds; and shall the Board of Trustees of the District be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem taxes on all taxable property in the District sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements executed in connection with the bonds?”

(PROPOSICIÓN A “¿Deberá la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Liberty Hill recibir la autorización para emitir y vender bonos del Distrito, en una o más series, en el monto principal total no mayor a $457,700,000 con el fin de diseñar, construir, renovar, mejorar, modernizar, actualizar, adquirir y equipar las instalaciones escolares (y cualquier remoción necesaria o relacionada de las instalaciones existentes), la compra de los sitios necesarios para las instalaciones escolares y la compra de autobuses escolares nuevos, tales bonos vencerán en serie o de otra manera (a no más de 40 años de su fecha) de acuerdo con la ley; cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos devengará un interés anual a una tasa o tasas (fija, flotante, variable o similar) según sea determinado a discreción de la Junta de Síndicos, siempre que dicha tasa o tasas de interés no excedan la tasa máxima anual autorizada por la ley en el momento de la emisión de cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos; y deberá autorizarse a la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito para imponer y comprometer, y hacer que se calculen y recauden impuestos anuales ad valorem sobre toda propiedad gravable en el Distrito de manera suficiente, sin límite en cuanto a la tasa o cantidad, para pagar el capital y los intereses sobre los bonos y el costo de cualquier contrato de crédito celebrado en relación con los bonos?”)

PROPOSITION B “Shall the Board of Trustees of the Liberty Hill Independent School District be authorized to issue and sell bonds of the District, in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $8,000,000 for the purposes of acquiring and updating technology for new and existing school facilities, such bonds to mature serially or otherwise (not more than 40 years from their date) in accordance with law; any issue or series of such bonds to bear interest per annum at such rate or rates (fixed, floating, variable, or otherwise) as may be determined within the discretion of the Board of Trustees, provided that such rate or rates of interest shall not exceed the maximum rate per annum authorized by law at the time of the issuance of any issue or series of such bonds; and shall the Board of Trustees of the District be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem taxes on all taxable property in

test against Glenn at home on Friday.

“It’s good timing for us,” he said. “But, at the same time when you’re struggling, you want to get right back out there again.”

Hutcherson said he believes his players are taking the current situation as seriously as he and his coaches are.

“I think they are,” he said.

“They know we mean what we say.”

After the game against the Grizzlies, the Panthers will

the District sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements executed in connection with the bonds?”

(PROPOSICIÓN B “¿Deberá la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Liberty Hill recibir la autorización para emitir y vender bonos del Distrito, en una o más series, por un monto total no mayor a $8,000,000 con el fin de adquirir y actualizar la tecnología para instalaciones escolares nuevas y existentes, tales bonos vencerán en serie o de otra manera (a no más de 40 años de su fecha) de acuerdo con la ley; cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos devengará un interés anual a una tasa o tasas (fija, flotante, variable o similar) según sea determinado a discreción de la Junta de Síndicos, siempre que dicha tasa o tasas de interés no excedan la tasa máxima anual autorizada por la ley en el momento de la emisión de cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos; y deberá autorizarse a la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito para imponer y comprometer, y hacer que se calculen y recauden impuestos anuales ad valorem sobre toda propiedad gravable en el Distrito de manera suficiente, sin límite en cuanto a la tasa o cantidad, para pagar el capital y los intereses sobre los bonos y el costo de cualquier contrato de crédito celebrado en relación con los bonos?”)

PROPOSITION C “Shall the Board of Trustees of the Liberty Hill Independent School District be authorized to issue and sell bonds of the District, in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $6,000,000 for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping an existing stadium at High School No. 1, such bonds to mature serially or otherwise (not more than 40 years from their date) in accordance with law; any issue or series of such bonds to bear interest per annum at such rate or rates (fixed, floating, variable, or otherwise) as may be determined within the discretion of the Board of Trustees, provided that such rate or rates of interest shall not exceed the maximum rate per annum authorized by law at the time of the issuance of any issue or series of such bonds; and shall the Board of Trustees of the District be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem taxes on all taxable property in the District sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements executed in connection with the bonds?”

(PROPOSICIÓN C “¿Deberá la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Liberty Hill recibir la autorización para emitir y vender bonos del Distrito, en una o más series, por un monto total no mayor a $6,000,000 con el fin de diseñar, construir, renovar, mejorar, modernizar, actualizar, adquirir y equipar un estadio existente en la Escuela Secundaria No. 1, tales bonos vencerán en serie o de otra manera (a no más de 40 años de su fecha) de acuerdo con la ley; cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos devengará un interés anual a una tasa o tasas (fija, flotante, variable o similar) según sea determinado a discreción de la Junta de Síndicos, siempre que dicha tasa o tasas de interés no excedan la tasa máxima anual autorizada por la ley en el momento de la emisión de cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos; y deberá autorizarse a la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito para imponer y comprometer, y hacer que se calculen y recauden impuestos anuales ad valorem sobre toda propiedad gravable en el Distrito de manera suficiente, sin límite en cuanto a la tasa o cantidad, para pagar el capital y los intereses sobre los bonos y el costo de cualquier contrato de crédito celebrado en relación con los bonos?”)

PROPOSITION D “Should Proposition A be authorized by the electorate, shall the Board of Trustees of the Liberty Hill Independent School District be authorized to issue and sell bonds of the District, in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $20,000,000 for the purposes of designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring, and equipping a new stadium at High School No. 2, such bonds to mature serially or otherwise (not more than 40 years from their date) in accordance with law; any issue or series of such bonds to bear interest per annum at such rate or rates (fixed, floating, variable, or otherwise) as may be determined within the discretion of the

arrive right at the halfway point of the district season, with seven games remaining on the schedule to solidify a playoff spot.

However, the only way that will happen is if his squad is able to successfully shore up what currently ails them, said Hutcherson.

“We’re going to have to figure out how to show some consistency,” he said. “We also need to get a couple wins against the teams which have already beaten us.”

Board of Trustees, provided that such rate or rates of interest shall not exceed the maximum rate per annum authorized by law at the time of the issuance of any issue or series of such bonds; and shall the Board of Trustees of the District be authorized to levy and pledge, and cause to be assessed and collected, annual ad valorem taxes on all taxable property in the District sufficient, without limit as to rate or amount, to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the cost of any credit agreements executed in connection with the bonds?”

(PROPOSICIÓN D “¿Debería el electorado autorizar la Propuesta A, deberá la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Liberty Hill recibir la autorización para emitir y vender bonos del Distrito, en una o más series, por un monto total no mayor a $20,000,000 con el fin de diseñar, construir, renovar, mejorar, modernizar, actualizar, adquirir y equipar un nuevo estadio existente en la Escuela Secundaria No. 2, tales bonos vencerán en serie o de otra manera (a no más de 40 años de su fecha) de acuerdo con la ley; cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos devengará un interés anual a una tasa o tasas (fija, flotante, variable o similar) según sea determinado a discreción de la Junta de Síndicos, siempre que dicha tasa o tasas de interés no excedan la tasa máxima anual autorizada por la ley en el momento de la emisión de cualquier emisión o serie de dichos bonos; y deberá autorizarse a la Junta de Síndicos del Distrito para imponer y comprometer, y hacer que se calculen y recauden impuestos anuales ad valorem sobre toda propiedad gravable en el Distrito de manera suficiente, sin límite en cuanto a la tasa o cantidad, para pagar el capital y los intereses sobre los bonos y el costo de cualquier contrato de crédito celebrado en relación con los bonos?”)

Polling Places* (Lugar de la votación*) -Liberty Hill Municipal Court, 2801 RR 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 -Liberty Hill High School, 16500 West State Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 -Cowan Creek Amenity Center, 1433 Cool Spring Way, Georgetown, TX 78633 -First Baptist Church-Georgetown, 1333 W. University Avenue, Georgetown, TX 78628 -Williamson County Inner Loop Annex, 301 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown, TX 78626 -Georgetown Housing Authority, 210 W 18th Street, Building 1, Georgetown, TX 78626 -GISD Technology and Nutrition Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628 -Leander Public Library Annex, 1011 S Bagdad Road, Leander, TX 78641 -Pat Bryson Municipal Hall, 201 N Brushy Street, Leander, TX 78641 -Rouse High School, 1222 Raider Way, Leander, TX 78641 * Registered voters will be able to cast their Election Day ballots at any of the Vote Centers identified above and on the County’s website: https://www.wilco. org/Departments/Elections. (*Los votantes registrados podrán emitir sus boletas el día de las elecciones en cualquiera de los centros de votación identificados arriba y en el sitio web del condado: https://www.wilco. org/Departments/Elections.)

For early voting, a voter may vote at any of the locations listed below: (Para Votación Adelantada, los votantes podrán votar en cualquiera de las ubicaciones nombradas abajo:) -Georgetown Inner Loop Annex, 301 S.E. Inner Loop, Georgetown, TX 78626 -Georgetown ISD Technology Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628 -Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Road, Leander, TX 78641 -Liberty Hill Municipal Court, 2801 RR 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 April 19-24, 2021 (19-24 de abril de 2021) 8:00 am – 6:00 pm April 26-27, 2021 (26-27 de abril de 2021) 7:00 am – 7:00 pm Applications for voting by mail should be received no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on April 20, 2021.

(Las solicitudes de votación por correo deben ser recibidas a más tardar al cierre de operaciones (17:00) el 20 de abril de 2021).

Applications should be sent to (Se deben enviar las solicitudes a): Chris Davis, Early Voting Clerk, P.O. Box 209, Georgetown, TX 78627, fax (fax): (512) 943-1634, email (correo electrónico): bbm@wilco.org.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Deadlines approaching for expired vehicle registrations

AUSTIN – The clock is ticking for those with expired vehicle registrations and overdue title applications to bring their state motor vehicle account current without incurring financial penalties or risking a ticket from law enforcement.

Gov. Greg Abbott set the deadline for April 14.

“If you miss this deadline, law enforcement can cite you for expired registration and if you fail to apply for a title by April 14, state financial penalties automatically kick in that can cost you up to $250,” noted Travis County Tax-Assessor Collector Bruce Elfant.

Applying for a title requires making an appointment for an in-person visit to the tax office. Appointments fill up fast, but new slots are added every weekday. Book an appointment at www.TravisCountyTax.org/appointments.

The tax office usually requires

Bye

appointments for vehicle registration renewal, too, but is suspending this requirement until April 14 at the main tax office, 5501 Airport Blvd., for those whose vehicle registrations are expired by more than nine months. “We are taking walk-ins until the deadline,” Elfant said. Walk-ins will need to bring their signed, vehicle inspection document and insurance card.

Elfant urged those expired by less than nine months to use an alternative registration renewal method.

Vehicle owners whose registration stickers are not expired by more than nine months, should get their inspection and renew online at www.Texas. gov. The online renewal system generates a receipt to carry in the vehicle until the new registration sticker arrives. The receipt is good for a month and serves as proof of registration.

Continued from Page 6

in the classroom.

“I just like problem-solving,” he said. “When I have to put a lot of extra work in to figure something out, I feel accomplishment.”

Once Bye graduates this year, he’s headed off to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, where he will study to become an officer in one of the service branches – although he’s not quite sure which one yet.

Bye said a family vacation to Colorado Springs, Colorado – where the U.S. Air Force Academy is located – planted the seed of military service in his consciousness.

“I got to learn a little bit about what military life is like,” he said. “It opens a lot of doors.”

Although he doesn’t know quite what exactly to expect upon his arrival, he certainly knows it’s going to be vastly different from anything he’s ever experienced, he said.

“I know it’s going to be a cul-

Soccer

Continued from Page 6

once again and Glenn got her head on the ball and directed it on frame, but Dill was quick enough to make the save.

At this point, the Lady Panthers were bossing possession and moving the ball effectively in the final third as they chased the game and were at last able to exploit open spaces in the Dripping Springs defense, said Janicek.

“We had a lot more movement and were finding open spots,” she said. “They were playing a high line, so we knew the backside was open.”

Emma Stephens – who had largely been nullified to that point by dogged Tigers defending – broke in on goal in the 64th minute, only to have the ball tackled away at the last possible moment by a pursuing defender as Dill came off her line to challenge.

Fuller took the ensuing corner after the ball had gone out of play, but to no avail.

Moments later in the 75th minute, as the Lady Panthers desperately hunted an equalizer, Dripping Springs’ leading scorer Picucci picked up a loose ball directly in front of goal and slotted home to make the score 2-0 and in doing so, killed off the game and Liberty Hill’s season in one fell swoop.

According to head coach Darren Bauer, his side executed its game plan to perfection.

“We played exactly how we wanted to,” said Bauer. “Sure,

Library

ture shock,” said Bye. “But, I know whatever I have to go through is going to pay off – it’s going to be different than regular colleges, but I’ll learn strong leadership skills.”

However, perhaps the best part for Bye is the fact he’ll be serving his country.

“I know I’ll be pretty proud of that uniform,” he said. “It’s cool you get to represent something bigger than yourself and I have a lot of respect for it, so I’m super-excited.”

When Bye isn’t studying or practicing his jumping skills, he likes to be in the garage at home working on his 1966 Ford truck – yet something else that allows him to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

“I started building go-carts with my dad when I was younger,” he said. “I like putting work into something and then being able to see it.”

Kind of like landing in a sand pit at the end of a triple-jump runway.

we’re disappointed, but we have to put things into perspective.”

The game had a physical edge throughout, as the referee let several rough challenges on both sides go unpunished, but Bauer said that’s all part and parcel of Class 5A playoff soccer.

“You have to be able to play physical like that at this level,” he said. “It was just a physical, aggressive game – that’s what made tonight so good.”

Janicek also appreciated the rough stuff going uncalled as the game unfolded.

“I like when it gets physical,” she said. “But, some people tend to exaggerate and flop.”

Bauer added the high line Dripping Springs plays was cause for concern, but could be exploited if handled correctly – although not an easy task.

“If you can deal with that, you’ll have success,” he said.

“But, a lot of teams can’t.”

As the clock on the scoreboard ticked down on the Lady Panthers’ season and finally reached zero, the gravity of the situation began to sink in – especially for one particular group of his players, said Bauer.

“For our seniors, this is really difficult with the realization their high-school career is over,” he said. “But, for the past four years, I’m very proud of what they’ve done.”

Continued from Page 1

Clown and others.

“We’re going to have three things to do a week plus a story time,” said Palmer. “Mondays, they can pick up a togo kit. Tuesday is story time.

Thursday, we’ll have either a performer or a craft for outside events. We have seven performers right now. It will all be outside. We won’t have anything inside. Fridays are focused on some more science things.”

Through the summer, the library will remain closed during the week, focusing on their weekday activities. In-person library events will run from 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. with some safety measures still in place.

“We’re starting programs at 9 a.m. because we’re doing

them outside, and that’s when it’s going to be the coolest,” said Palmer. “We have a lot of tables, and we have the park.

We’re working on things now.

People will have to social distance and wear masks. We have a new policy that will be coming out soon. We’re going to have it in stations where kids can have things to do.”

In case COVID forces an unexpected closure or prevents opening, Palmer has a backup plan ready.

“We are going to have a few virtual programs,” she said. “If anything happens where we can’t open after all, we’ll have all of our performers go virtual. I’ve made arrangements with them about that.”

Thursday, April 8, 2021

JONES

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 9

Continued from Page 1

If you have a good reason for doing something then explain it.”

Part of that effort includes reaching out to residents more.

“Ultimately, I am for getting the community involved,” she said. “I plan on walking neighborhoods. I have a Facebook page. I’m welcoming all citizens to ask questions and I think more transparency is

very important.”

The outreach efforts should not stop at the city limits, though.

“I want those outside of the city to feel welcome and work with those inside the city,” Jones said. “I see it as a partnership and we need one another.”

The owner of an interior design company and mother

of four, Jones feels her family focus is a good fit for the Council.

“My husband and I have four kids and we live in the downtown area,” she said. “I believe Liberty Hill residents love their children, you can see that everywhere. I think the fact that I have a family and children gives me a perspective on Council that might

not be there now.”

In her business she has worked with budget, staffing, money management and other aspects of running a business so the responsibilities of the council are ones she says she is ready for.

“Those all are very important skills and things that you need to be on the council,” Jones said. “I think being a strong

leader in general, in all areas of life will feed into me being an effective council member.

The business helps me with management experience, I volunteer with my church, we’re all about family.”

In the end, Jones sees herself as a resident and voter like everyone else, interested in the chance to represent her neighbors as the city grows.

“I’m just like everyone else,” she said. “What I want for our city is for it to be safe, functional and most importantly I want it to be community.

When I think about what Liberty Hill could look like in five or 10 years I want the citizens to have options for jobs, affordable housing, leisure, green space.”

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Page 10

COUNCIL

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

responded, “That’s not your option.”

City Administrator Lacie Hale spoke up, saying a motion to remove the item would be needed to do so, with Canady again quickly speaking up.

“I’m not making that motion.”

She said she had no desire to move the agenda item, but after a few minutes Council member Gram Lankford stepped in and made the motion to move the item to the regular agenda.

Both Canady and Council member Liz Rundzieher refused to second the motion, and with Council members Tony DeYoung and Steve McIntosh absent, the motion died for lack of a second.

Lankford later explained why he chose to step in and make the motion to try and move the item to the regular agenda.

“The majority, if not all the things I do, or the questions I ask, are really just for the clarity of the public,” Lankford told The Independent. “I felt like if there was debate between council members or the mayor and a council member then it would be better for the public having more discussion on a particular item. It’s important for our citizens to understand each perspective. I hoped it would have gotten a second.”

When asked later by e-mail why she opposed the effort to remove the item for the purpose of discussion, Canady told The Independent, “The Mayor and staff make the agenda for the council. The council has the right to make changes at the meeting. The Mayor signed off on the agenda before we ever as council received it. This item was an update of a fully accepted agreement of this council. There was no need to move it.”

Branigan said in an interview Tuesday that she saw a number of issues with the contract that she felt needed to be discussed before it was approved, but without it being moved to the regular agenda that was impossible.

The agreement was with the Our Village organization for partial use of the Over the Hill Gang building located behind Parker’s Market downtown.

The Council approved the use of the building last Spring, but due to COVID restrictions be-

ing implemented at that time never voted on the contract.

The second issue where battle lines were drawn was over when the Council would convene into executive session.

The closed portion of the meeting generally appears at the end of the agenda, but Canady often requests that the Council go into executive session early in the meeting in the name of meeting the needs of lawyers and engineers attending the meeting for the closed session discussions.

But those sessions often go one to two hours, and leave citizens watching or attending the meeting waiting until late in the evening to see the rest of the agenda addressed.

“We also have an audience online that can’t follow along because our meetings are so choppy and very often interrupted by executive session, which can go an hour or two long,” Branigan said of people waiting for the meeting.

“Well they’re at home where they can do something besides sit there and twiddle their thumbs like the people out here are,” Canady responded.

“Every time we’ve had to change executive session it’s because we have attorneys, not city attorneys, we have engineers that are not city employees, and I have asked repeatedly that when we have these people here that we have that executive session first,”

Canady continued before being interrupted by Branigan.

As Branigan began to speak, Canady snapped, “I’m talking now,” before continuing.

“What I’m recommending is we have that executive session first. Anything else that involves employees can be at the end.”

Branigan again tried to argue that operating under that plan would make it difficult for the community to attend or watch meetings.

“They have the right to watch on TV and they have the right to sit here while we’re taking care of business,” Canady said. “We were voted in to take care of this business.”

Canady, who was not elected to council, was appointed in July 2019 and earned another term last November when she did not draw an opponent.

The final vote Monday was unanimous 3-0 to divide the executive session as described

by Canady.

Canady took issue with a pair of other issues on the agenda, one being Branigan’s decision to award blue ribbons to a number of local individuals at the opening of the meeting.

“I want to first say that I have no issue with anybody that got this ribbon,” she said. “But I am not exactly sure who or how we got to hometown heroes ribbon status. I don’t know what the criteria is, the council knows nothing about

Thursday, April 8, 2021

this or how it was accomplished.”

Branigan offered to let Canady lead the effort to draw up criteria for the awards, to which Canady responded, “Probably before we did this we might should have developed it and brought it to the council. It’s like any resolution or presentation we put before the council.”

Late in the meeting, on the agenda item to consider reappointing Moseby Hamilton to the Parks Board, Canady again was at odds with Branigan.

The issue was that Branigan wanted to see Hamilton appointed to fill the seat left vacant with the departure of Mike Wilson, and Canady wanted to leave the situation as is, with Hamilton serving on an interim basis, while the Council determined new criteria for board members.

“I personally am not willing to make a motion to do anything different than what we’ve already talked about,” Canady said.

After Branigan made her argument for why he should be appointed, the back and forth began again before Canady said, “I make a motion that we take no action on this item.”

The argument continued but the issue died without a motion.

Why such tension?

While Lankford chose not to wade into the discussion

of what the root of the current tensions and hostility among council members might be, he did not deny that the tension was visible during Monday’s meeting.

“These are people that have been living here a very long time,” he said. “Honestly, I really don’t know how to answer that. As far as a personality conflict I can’t really speak to that, and if it is a conflict it is between two individuals and that’s something they have to resolve.

“It can be healthy to have a debate,” he continued. “Some people may look at it as argumentative and that’s fair.”

When asked why there was so much tension between Branigan and herself and potentially other council members, Canady wrote, “I think the mayor needs to accept her role as the MAYOR and let the council and city administrator do their parts respectively.”

Branigan said Tuesday that the only solution to the tension on the council was a new council, referencing the change she hopes for with the May 1 election.

“I think we have reached an impasse and the only real workable solution is a new council,” she said.

Public comments test City Council candidate Chris Pezold was the first to take to the podium under the new public comments ordinance,

immediately testing the implementation of the new rules.

“After reading our local paper and the latest accusations made by Gram (Lankford) about rumors of unethical behavior and him running on the same platform a few others on this council ran on two years ago I wanted to share an epiphany I had: this town has a rumor problem,” Pezold said.

He went on to explain why he believed the new rules for public comments and the lack of discussion of certain issues only made the rumor issues worse.

After two minutes, Pezold said he was yielding the remainder of his time for “a little back and forth with the council” and at that time Lankford argued that the new rules were about accountability. Within the next minute the exchange became a debate between Pezold and Lankford, leaving the rest of the Council and staff unsure of what to do next.

After four minutes, Canady spoke up to cut off the exchange.

“Mayor, we’ve had our three minutes and that’s what we agreed to have on both.”

Branigan asked both Lankford and Pezold if they were satisfied with the exchange and Pezold took his seat.

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