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Volume 34, Issue 35
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The struggle is real
July 22, 2021 | 50 Cents Are you currently hiring?
NO
Finding employees proves difficult for many Liberty Hill businesses
The City of Liberty Hill has settled a lawsuit with former Chief Maverick Campbell. (Courtesy Photo)
City settles lawsuit with former police chief
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The City of Liberty Hill has settled a lawsuit with former police chief Maverick Campbell. On July 14, the City Council voted unanimously to execute a settlement agreement for the Campbell v. City of Liberty Hill et al lawsuit in the amount of $39,308.32, with $13,102.77 payable in attorney fees and expenses to O’Brien Law, P.C.; and $26,205.55 to Campbell, for applicable income tax withholding and Texas Municipal Retirement System contributions. In the agreement, Campbell relinquished all claims for unpaid compensation, including back pay, retroactive pay, loss of pay, leave of absence pay, vacation pay and sick leave. The agreement states Campbell is responsible for paying all attorney fees and costs associated with bringing the lawsuit against the City, whether already incurred or incurred in the future. According to the agreement, which was provided to
See CAMPBELL, Page 8
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer If it seems like everywhere you look there’s a “Now Hiring” sign on display, you’re not wrong. In recent months, as businesses have worked to reopen and find a new normal in a post-pandemic world, finding, hiring and keeping good workers has proven to be a difficult task. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by the Texas Association of Businesses (TAB), 48 percent of businesses in Texas had at least one to five positions currently available, and the overwhelming majority—80 percent—of these businesses cited the $300 per month federal supplement workers were receiving as the reason they have been unable to fill their job openings. “While the initial federal unemployment supplement was
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munity. Respondents included business owners in the retail, cleaning, real estate, restaurant and transportation industries. One hundred percent of respondents said they were currently hiring, with 76 percent stating they had one to five open positions, and 23 percent stating they had six to 10 open positions. The average length of time these positions have gone unfilled is two months, according to the survey. The businesses surveyed have starting wages ranging from $10 per hour up to $22 per hour but are still having a hard time finding employees. One respondent said “government aid and lack of child care” was the reason they were unable to find employees, while another said “no one wants to work [in this] crazy
See HIRING, Page 8
100%
If so, how many positions do you have available?
1-5 6-10
23.1%
76.9% A recent survey of local businesses by The Independent showed all respondents were hiring - most for multiple positions.
Sundance Estates residents oppose zoning for sausage factory
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer It was standing room only at Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting as about 100 residents from Sundance Estates came to voice their disapproval of a potential sausage manufacturing company being built in front of their neighborhood. John Byrum, the City’s director of planning, said the request was submitted on behalf of property owner Lookout Partners LP to rezone approximately 4.498 acres out of a total of 6.7496 acres it owns to allow for the construction of a sausage manufacturing facility for Austin-based Smokey Denmark’s Smoked Meat Company. The property is located at
Board approves additions for LHES, Noble
By SHELLY WILKISON Publisher Liberty Hill school Trustees made several decisions this week regarding projects approved by voters in the 2021 bond election. Board members approved a schematic design for the expansion of Liberty Hill Elementary School, which includes second floor classroom space for fourth and fifth grades, expanding the gym, and a new facade. Architects from Huckabee Associates say the expansion will make Liberty Hill’s oldest campus more equitable with the newer elementary schools. The Board also voted to move forward on a classroom
needed at the height of the pandemic, its continuance for those who are eligible to work is keeping businesses from unleashing the full might of the Texas economy,” said Glenn Hamer, CEO of TAB. “This survey is just a sample of what TAB has been hearing for weeks from organizations all throughout Texas and backs up the recent call by the United States Chamber of Commerce to put an end to this federal supplement. With vaccines readily available to anyone who wants one, it is time for the President and Congress to realize that this policy is a barrier to enhanced employment in Texas and throughout the country.” The Liberty Hill Independent conducted its own survey of local businesses to understand what the current hiring environment is like across the com-
YES
addition to Louine Noble Elementary. Noble opens to elementary students next month. The building was previously home to Liberty Hill Intermediate School, which housed only fifth and sixth grades. The addition will increase capacity to up to 900 students. With less than four weeks remaining until the start of school, Noble’s enrollment is already at 544 and is expected to grow as up to 30 new students are registering daily districtwide. In fact, as of Monday, the district had enrolled 1,095 new students for a total enrollment of 6,549. School starts Aug. 19. The Board also approved a plan to renovate the Administration Building on Forrest street, making use of
See LHISD, Page 2
State Highway 29 and Bronco Boulevard behind Prosperity Bank. The rezoning request would change that land from general commercial/retail (C3) to light industrial/warehousing (I1). “Should this request be approved, the applicant intends to have the use as manufacturing sausage,” Byrum said. “The I1 district is intended to provide for low intensity, limited impact industrial uses, which may include office warehousing, wholesaling, product assembly and light manufacturing conducted primarily within the confines of a building. This development would be in close proximity to the new Golf Cart King headquarters and
See SAUSAGE, Page 4
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
It was standing room only during the Planning & Zoning Commission’s meeting Tuesday night. Approximately 100 residents from Sundance Estates came to speak and show their opposition to a proposed rezoning of property in front of their neighborhood from commercial to industrial, which would allow for an Austin-based sausage smoking facility to build there.
Local Scout on mission to donate K9 to LHPD
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer It’s safe to say Jillian Hamrick, a 14-year-old incoming sophomore at Liberty Hill High School, has been busy this summer. When she’s not at Pacesetter K9 in Liberty Hill learning skills to handle drug and police dogs, she’s working on the creation of a program that will help teach students across the community about the importance of K9s. All this work isn’t for nothing—Hamrick is working toward earning her Gold Award through the Girl Scouts of America, which is the highest award that can be earned as a Girl Scout. Hamrick, who is a senior member of Troop 40101, decided that for her Gold Award, she would train and donate a K9 to the Liberty Hill Police Department. The police department hasn’t had a K9
on the team for at least eight years, said Brad Langham, owner of Pacesetter K9, and he knows it’s something the department needs. “They’ve wanted a dog for years and never had the budget for it,” he said. “K9s keep drugs off our streets and out of our community, and Liberty Hill needs one. If you think about it, if you want to bypass Austin, Highway 29 is a great corridor to get back to the typical drug corridors like Interstate 35 and Highway 281.” Langham added that while Hamrick will be donating the K9 to the LHPD, the police department will have to work with her on a timeline to make sure they have all the equipment and training required, as well as a handler to work directly with the dog. “There are different grants and programs that can help
See SCOUT, Page 8
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
Girl Scout Jillian Hamrick stands with Narcos, a dog she’s helping to train at Pacesetter K9, as she works to earn her Gold Award.
Page 2
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available space to create more offices for central staff. Many offices and meeting rooms are larger than necessary because the building was formerly a school and those spaces will be divided to created additional offices. Constructions is expected to be complete prior to the start of school. The Board also approved changes to a plan for installation of a temporary traffic light at the entrance to the new Santa Rita Middle School at Ronald Reagan and Santa Rita South boulevards. The new school opens Aug. 19, and the light is needed to facilitate traffic flow. To be sure the light is in place when school starts, Santa Rita Development Company is installing the signal that will then be turned over to Williamson County for operation. In other bond-related news, the Board: - Approved a Construction Manager at Risk delivery method for Elementary #6, Middle School #3 and the Lib-
erty Hill Middle School renovation project. - Approved the following architectural firms - VLK Architects for Liberty Hill Middle School expansion; Pfluger Architects for Elementary #6; and PBK Architects for Middle School #3. Since 2010, Huckabee Associates has been the exclusive architectural firm for LHISD projects. “We interviewed four companies, and after reference checks, we thought it was time diversity,” said Superintendent Steve Snell. Following a 90-minute executive session, Trustees voted to renew the contract of the Superintendent and authorized a $5,000 pay increase from the current $199,000 to $204,970. Snell was hired in December 2018 at which time he received a three-year contract with a starting salary of $190,000. In other personnel action, the Board approved the following new hires: Dustin Akin, director of construction; Abby
Arrington, middle schools athletic trainer; Tyler Askins, LHHS tech theater teacher; Susan Cole, executive director of Teaching & Learning; Jonathon Garcia, LHHS social studies and coach; Kimberly Garcia, Noble Elem 2nd grade; Tarabeth Gertsch, Santa Rita MS 8th grade math; Audrey Johnson, LHES 3rd grade; Laurie Kelso, PEIMS manager; Rebecca Leo, LHMS power reading; Mary McSwain, LHHS social studies composite; Ashley Morale, LHHS English; Anthony Novak, Rancho Sienna ES 4th grade; Angela O’Rourke, Bill Burden ES 3rd grade; Nicole Pagliai, Santa Rita ES music; Brandi Pennington, LHHS associate principal; Kara Reeves, LHES special education; Megan Riggins, LHHS counselor; Magen Schott, LHMS power math; Annie Schultze, Noble ES assistant principal; Michelle Scroggie, LHMS assistant band director; Corey Smith, LHHS culinary arts; Alexandra Stulz, Santa Rita MS power math; Corina Taylor,
Santa Rita MS power reading; Joshua Woodbury, Santa Rita MS intro to tech apps/coach; Michael Wuensch, Santa Rita MS assistant principal. The Board accepted resignations from the following: Lara Clark, LHHS lead counselor; Christine Clemons, Noble ES 3rd grade; Pax Figioli, Bill Burden ES 3rd grade; Jaycee Garlitz, Nobel ES 2nd grade; Melissa Harrington, LHHS head athletic trainer; Jennie Mundell, student support services; Julie Schoolenberg, LHHS history; and Susan Slagle, LHJH athletic trainer. Although no action was taken, the Board heard from a representative of the Liberty Hill Youth League regarding the league’s request to utilize empty space between the Administration Building and Liberty Hill Elementary to build additional baseball fields. The Youth League, which is growing and needs more field space, is also talking with the City of Liberty Hill about possible space.
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Week of July 12-18, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 579 incidents resulting in 11 cases, 61 citations, 71 warnings and one arrest. Weekly Highlights: - On July 12 at approximately 6:45 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a trespassing complaint. - On July12 at approximately 11:07 AM, officers responded to Mount Vernon Way for a 911 hang up call. - On July 12 at approximately 1:39 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a motorist assist. - On July 12 at approximately 4:17 PM, officers responded to Larkspur Park Blvd. for a welfare check. - On July 12 at approximately 7:39 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183 for an
accident. - On July 13 at approximately 4:06 AM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On July 13 at approximately 5:36 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On July 13 at approximately 9:11 AM, officers responded to the intersection of Loop 332 and CR 279 for an accident. - On July 13 at approximately 4:05 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a 911 hang up call. - On July 13 at approximately 5:30 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On July 14 at approximately 4:39 AM, officers responded to Deserti Rd for a suspicious vehicle. - On July 14 at approximately
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8:29 AM, officers responded to Deserti Rd. for an alarm call. - On July 14 at approximately 3:38 PM, officers responded to Proclamation Ave for suspicious activity. - On July 14 at approximately 7:25 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance. - On July 14 at approximately 8:05 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of CR 279 for a disturbance. - On July 15 at approximately 3:11AM, officers responded to Deep Lake Drive for suspicious activity. - On July 15 at approximately 11:44 AM, officers responded to Whitewing Drive for a traffic stop resulting in a possession of drug paraphernalia citation. - On July 15 at approximately 3:39 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a 911 hang up call. - On July 15 at approximately 11:31 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183 for a disturbance. - On July 16 at approximately 3:41 AM, officers responded to Limestone Rd to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On July 16 at approximately 1:04 PM, officers responded to Hillcrest Lane for a 911 hang up call. - On July 16 at approximately 4:42 PM, officers responded to Prosecco Path for a 911 hang up call. - On July 16 at approximately 6:20 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On July 17 at approximately 2:39 AM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity, resulting in the arrest of a male adult for public intoxication.
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Thursday, July 22, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Throwback Thursday
Sitting down with Willie is still on the bucket list
By JAMES WEAR Columnist Another Fourth of July has come and gone, and with it, once again, was the realization that No. 27 on this 60-plus-yearold country boy’s bucket list… to sit down with Willie Nelson and have a cup of coffee and maybe discuss the pros and cons of cannibas or whatever the heck two old guys talk about, has yet to be realized. Now I’ve been following Willie since before I was 12 years old, having first became aware of him when I spied a poster on the pool hall in Florence promoting Willie’s appearance at Big G’s in Round Rock. That dance hall, of course, like so many other legendary locations throughout the state, has been gone for several years now but memories of entertainers like Willie (back when he was clean-shaven and performed in a coat and tie) appearing there remain with us older folks. Those were the days prior to Willie becoming a major part of the outlaw country music scene, and a good seven, maybe eight years before he threw a party in Liberty Hill that attracted 80,000 music lovers. I was too young to make it down to Round Rock to see Willie, and my folks deemed that even at 17 I was too young to attend the Liberty Hill picnic. Instead, I had to content myself with buying his records or listening to him on the radio. And then came that summer night in 1980, when I had driven down to Austin to hear a group of fellows I had befriended in college playing a gig at a club Willie owned. My friends had dubbed their band “Jobangles” and their manager was a young lady by the name of Susie…Nelson. Yep, Willie’s daughter was in the music business and Willie himself came out that night to see his daughter’s group perform. Dave, Jobangles’ bassist, comes over to my table during a break and says, “Hey, you wanna meet Uncle Willie?” I peered through the darkness of the night club and could tell Willie was already a bit surrounded and so I shook my head, telling Dave maybe another time would be better. And that was perhaps the closest I’d ever get to seeing Willie up close and personal, although as my life unfolded I found myself meeting and befriending many others who were tight with the red-headed stranger. Among them was
Ronny Mack, a songwriter who was also a member of Mel Tillis’ band. Ronny told me of the time when he almost became a member of Willie’s band, but the moment passed. Ronny recalled that later, after he had penned several hit songs for Mel, he ran into Willie and Willie said, “Guess I should have hired you.” Older country music fans will recall Willie Susie Nelson Nelson once was clean cut, as he appeared mentions Ronny in this promotional picture issued by his rein her autobi- cord company in the mid-1960s. ographical book According to a narrative about her relationship with her dad, writing that Ronny decid- found on the Sonobeat website, ed to stay on and party with “In fact, there seems no doubt Willie rather than getting on that the Country Nu-Notes is the plane with the rest of Mel’s Johnny Lyon’s band from the band and was nearly late for beginning. Remarkably, Johnthe show. Mel was unhappy, ny keeps the Nu-Notes togethbut how do you fire a guy who er and performing for over 30 was hanging out with perhaps years, albeit with several perthe biggest country music star sonnel changes along the way. The Country Nu-Notes’ recordof the 1980s? As the years passed, others ings and Sonobeat’s stereo 45 came into my life…Johnny RPM single by The Afro-CarBush, who penned “Whiskey avan – recorded at the HemisRiver” and would often open Fair ’68 world’s fair in San for Willie; Rusty Wier, who Antonio, Texas – are the only was among those to appear at known live recordings made by Willie’s Liberty Hill picnic; Sonobeat; however, we don’t and Charlie Day, another tal- hear any actual audience noise, ented musician with close ties such as applause or chatter, on to Willie and has joined us in the Nu-Notes’ tapes, suggestAndice a couple of times over ing that the Nu-Notes sessions the years to pick and grin a bit. may not be ‘live’ recordings afAnd then there was Johnny ter all but, rather, are recorded Lyon, who we got to know on a Sunday evening when the through a close friend of ours, Broken Spoke is closed to the Suzy Joseph. Johnny was a public. “So, if these are not actually huge supporter of volunteer fire departments, and Suzy ‘live’ recordings, why does Bill coaxed him and his band, the record the Country Nu-Notes at Country NuNotes, into per- The Broken Spoke rather than forming for a benefit when the at Sonobeat’s studio? In middepartment was in need of fi- ’73, Bill relocates the Sonobeat nancial help. The two became studio from Austin into an old stone A.M.E. church on the friends and later married. I spent several weeks work- outskirts of rural Liberty Hill, ing for Lyon at his ranch in Texas, about 35 miles north of Caldwell and we developed a Austin. It takes Bill months to solid friendship. It was during get the new facility set up. Blue this time that Lyon and Willie Hole Sounds, as Bill calls his would pair up and record a new Liberty Hill studio, is still song known as “Old School” not fully ready in February ’74, that was included on his when he records the Nu-Notes. So, Bill records the band where “Winds of Change” CD. Sadly, Johnny lost his battle it’s most comfortable performwith cancer some 10 years ago. ing... at the Broken Spoke.” Ah, the Broken Spoke…still It was only recently that I discovered Johnny Lyon at one alive and well and a source of time nearly recorded in Lib- other memories. And perhaps erty Hill, back in 1974 and those memories and others of long before I knew him and those folks we’ve encountered a year before Willie’s Liberty along the way in our pursuit of Hill picnic. Longtime readers sitting down with Willie, in the of this column may recall that big scheme of things, are quite we once wrote of the recording enough and we can comfortstudio Austin businessman Bill ably cross that particular item Josey, Sr. and his record com- off on our bucket list. pany, Sonobeat, operated out of the old AME church located south of Liberty Hill.
Page 3
Council uses meeting as workshop to hash out CIPs, MUDs and more
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The City Council recently voted to turn one of its three regular monthly meetings into a workshop to have more time to discuss topics council members feel are important to understand in detail. The first of those workshops was held July 14, where the Council reviewed the water and wastewater capital improvement project plans (CIPs), policy for municipal utility districts (MUDs) and policy for development agreements. The workshop also served as an opportunity for the water, wastewater and streets and maintenance department to submit its budget requests for the 2021-22 fiscal year. Perry Steger of the engineering firm Steger Bizzell presented information about the City’s current water and wastewater CIPs, adding that the ongoing theme of his presentation would be centered on the growth Liberty Hill is experiencing and what the Council needs to plan for in the future. “When we created these CIPs, we weren’t bold enough to predict the kind of growth we’re seeing,” Steger said. The current water CIP was prepared in 2019, and the following water system projects were identified to be completed from 2019 to 2022: construct wells #8 and #9; complete an 8-inch loop closure on CR 214; complete downtown fire protection including a 12-inch water line along Church Street from Hickman Street to Matthews Circle along RR 1869 and along Forrest Street; construct the Stubblefield ground storage and pump station; complete an 8-inch upgrade to Van Alley; and complete the Stubblefield WTM. Based on current system growth projections and recent utility feasibility studies, Steger said there is a need for additional water supply, which could be either well or surface water. He provided a list of options for Council to consider, including amending the City’s water treatment contract with the City of Leander; identifying and contracting with other additional water suppliers; constructing wells #8 and #9; and constructing a wastewater treatment plant for direct water reuse. Steger said ultimately, Liberty Hill needs a long-range plan on how it’s going to have more sources of water. He said if the City does nothing, it would be out of water by mid-2026. “We don’t want to be too conservative either way,” he said. “We want to have enough water and also don’t
want to have too much.” The current wastewater CIP identified several wastewater system projects to be completed from 2019 to 2022, including the expansion of the South Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant to two million gallons per day; construction of Lift Station #4; the addition of interceptors to CR 266 and CR 260; and increasing the capacity of Highway 29 from CR 214 to a gravity line. Steger added that based on current system growth projections and recent utility feasibility studies, there is also a need for additional wastewater treatment and conveyance. Options for this CIP include expanding the South Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant to four million gallons per day; constructing the gravity wastewater lift station 4, and force main improvements to provide service originally planned with the SH 29 FM Capacity Increase from CR 214 to a gravity line; and constructing the southwest regional gravity wastewater, lift station and force main improvements to provide service to the downtown and western portions of the city’s wastewater service area. “We need to get started now on the next two million gallon a day expansion at South Fork to bring it up to 4 million gallons a day,” Steger said. “We need to have that next phase in service in 18 months. It’s doable, but everything has to work. I think we owe it to you guys to bring you a task order and then you decide whether or not to tell us to get started.” Steger added that the wastewater treatment plant currently uses 1.4 million gallons per day, which is why he projects the City has 18 months to get the next expansion completed. “With the current growth rate, that will get us through the end of 2025,” he said. “We will also be building one or two additional plants before that time. We already have locations identified on the North San Gabriel River on Ronald Reagan Boulevard and negotiations underway for a plat on the west side of Liberty Hill that is in the early stages. If growth continues after that, we’d look at expanding the plants we already have.” Next, council discussed the City’s policy for MUDs, including the various options, as well as a rough draft of a MUD policy.
City Attorney Alan Bojorquez said establishing a clear-cut MUD policy will provide for more consistency across the board, meaning the City won’t be making decisions project by project and developer by developer. The Council decided to review the draft and discuss the need for a future workshop. The Council also discussed and the policy for development agreements. “There is nothing regarding the process notice, hearing or criteria for development agreements,” Bojorquez said. “We have some opportunity to establish that for ourselves.” Council decided to discuss this policy in a future workshop. “We have development agreements that are different with every developer, and we need to be more consistent,” said Council member Kathy Canady. Public Works Manager Jay Holmes used the workshop to present his budget requests for water, wastewater, and streets and maintenance in the upcoming fiscal year. He said his requests were due to the growth his department is seeing. The wastewater treatment plant processes 1.3 million gallons a day and has added 1,300 customers in 2021, he said. Water connections have grown to 1,602 in just the first six months of 2021, compared to 1,413 total in 2020. “With this budget there will be some increase and there will be some impacts,” Hale said, adding that because the city has a more stringent TCEQ permit, testing will go from twice a week to five times a week, increasing the amount of lab equipment needed. Hale also said lift station preventative maintenance needs to be caught up, which is why the budget also asks for two additional wastewater operators. In addition, an increase for smart meters to replace current meters was also requested as well as additional moneys for sludge haul. Lastly, Holmes also asked for an additional employee to cover the streets and maintenance sector. Also at the meeting, the council voted unanimously to increase City Secretary Nancy Sawyer’s annual salary to $83,000 after going into a second executive session. The next regular meeting will be July 28 at 6:30 p.m.
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SAUSAGE
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Continued from Page 1
manufacturing center.” Golf Cart King will be moving its facility from Austin to Liberty Hill and will be located just north of the QuikTrip convenience store at SH 29 and County Road 214. Byrum added that the applicant informed city staff that all raw ingredients for making sausage would be delivered to the facility in a box, meaning there would be no slaughtering of live animals. Two to four semi or box trucks a day would be delivering raw ingredients and picking up finished products, and business hours would be Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with no activity after 4 p.m. or on the weekends. In addition, Smokey Denmark plans on having a small retail business for walk-in customers. The smoke generated from smoking sausage can be eliminated with the use of scrubbers, if necessary. There are currently 27 employees, with the hopes to have 30 to 40 employees when the new plant is built. They are currently located on East 5th Street in Austin and have outgrown their building, which is why they are looking to relocate to Liberty Hill. Kathleen Bassi, who lives on Stallion Way, spoke about her concerns regarding odors and noise coming from the proposed building, adding that scrubbers scrub emissions, but not smells. “A meat packing facility should not be next to a residential neighborhood,” she said. “We want this land to stay zoned for C3. I know there was an exception made for Golf Cart King, but if we change this zoning, it opens the door for all sorts of things that can come in under an I1 classification.” Amanda May, who lives on Hobby Horse, said the current zoning of that land has remained the same for several years, which she believes makes sense and is compatible. “Now a company from East Austin wants to come to our
town for industrial purposes, and we all know about fatty, greasy pork and how that smells,” she said, adding that P&Z should decline the request for rezoning. Michelle Hawley, who also lives on Hobby Horse, said her property would be directly behind the proposed building. She brought up the health risk and skin absorption rates over time from the smoke. “Barbecue smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic and easily absorbed,” she said. “Smoke from charcoal and wood produces these hydrocarbons and soot particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs and can contribute to respiratory illnesses and even lung cancer.” Hawley added that the wind blows heavily into her yard and she is concerned about the smell being a nightmare. “Smoke scrubbers are great, but they won’t take care of the issue in full,” she said. “Also, how will the amount of garbage and waste product distributed be handled? The visual impact will change our property value, the dynamics of our neighborhood and certainly the traffic.” James Loughlin, who lives on Hobby Horse, said he works at a similar type of company in Austin, and he has seen all sorts of varmints there, from cockroaches to rats. “The sanitation of these buildings is not up to par and we can’t monitor that,” he said. “We don’t want to be living in houses that back up to that because there’s nothing we can do to stop it once it gets there.” Aaron Hubbard, also a resident on Hobby Horse, echoed similar comments. He added that if Smokey Denmark is having a hard time finding a property that suits them, he would be happy to help them find a good deal between Bertram and Burnet through his real estate business. Cassie Reveile, a resident on Stallion Way, said she is concerned for her children, who walk the neighborhood. She
also has teens who drive in and out of the neighborhood frequently. “I’ve had anxiety all week thinking about this,” she said. “We all walk and ride bikes in the neighborhood, walk to the mailboxes and even walk to Sonic. All of that would change for us. Adding two to four semi-trucks and 40 employees to that space is overwhelming. Traffic is already bumper to bumper there every day. I am all for new businesses coming to Liberty Hill, but not an industrial meat packing facility.” Bridget Lee, a resident of Bronco Boulevard, said she’s been in Liberty Hill for 15 years and believes the City hasn’t done a good job of planning for growth. “It’s been a game of hiring people they know and friends and family and there’s been no real planning,” she said. “There will be too much traffic if a manufacturing plant is put next to a gated community. There will be an accident—I just know it. There needs to be better planning, period, point blank.” Several other residents made brief comments about the proposed project, saying they moved to Liberty Hill to get away from industrial style buildings and businesses. Approximately 40 other Sundance Estates residents did not speak, but signed a form indicating their opposition. Many of the residents erupted in cheers and applause as their neighbors spoke. Because of the overwhelming push back from residents, city staff recommended the commission table the item and come back to it after hosting an open house for people to ask questions and gain more information. “Smokey Denmark has been where they currently are since 1969, and they’ve received no code violations,” Byrum said. “There is a neighborhood where they are located; however, the recommendation from staff is to table [this item] and host a workshop or open
Thursday, July 22, 2021
The current location of Smokey Denmark’s sausage factory and retail meat market is on E. 5th Street in Austin. (Courtesy Photo) house to further discuss this with residents.” Because a representative from Smokey Denmark was in attendance, the P&Z asked him to speak, even as they unanimously agreed to table the item. “We want to build in an area that welcomes us,” said Marlis Oliver, president of Smokey Denmark. “We will not force this on the community. What I would like to do is share some points just to make our case.” Oliver said the way the ovens work in the sausage factory is very different from a smoker in a barbecue restaurant or even a backyard. Once those are lit, they immediately start producing smoke off the stack. The commercial ovens his company uses have a threehour pit process where smoke is injected into the sausage during a sealed, recirculating process. After the three-hour cook process, a vent is opened and steam and smoke exit at that point, but he said there is not constant smoke coming from the building. He added that the factory’s limited hours and being closed on weekends also reduces smoke output. “The smoke emitted is much less than any barbecue restaurant you’ve eaten at,” he said. “We’ve never received a complaint in the 52 years we’ve been on East 5th Street. We sit on a half-acre there, and we are
crammed in with no growth opportunities. We thought Liberty Hill would be good opportunity for us.” Oliver added that waste from the factory is a non-issue, because the meat is brought in boxed and already trimmed. Any waste stays in a refrigerated cooler at 38 degrees and approximately every 10 days is disposed of by a truck that picks it up. “As far as fencing, if we were given the opportunity to build there, we would have attractive barrier fencing, and we would only have a one story building. It would be as attractive as we could make it. We desire to add to the community to make it better, not worse. We have a retail meat market up front, and we sell a variety of smoked sausage, beef jerky and summer sausage. We felt that would be a cool thing for Liberty Hill.” Oliver also argued that while two to four truck deliveries a day sounds like a lot, it’s no more than any local restaurant that receives deliveries. He added that the company doesn’t plan to grow past 30 to 40 employees. “We specifically chose that spot because it’s a large piece of land,” he said. “It’s way more than we need but gave us the ability to have some breathing room and you can see it from 29.”
P&Z Commissioner Steve Messana said he felt residents didn’t get enough information before the public hearing, which caused rumors to spread and assumptions to be made. “We had 100 residents show up because they herd about this rezoning, but only 22 letters went out,” he said. “Obviously a lot more came out here tonight because they were very upset. [These people] had very little information and spoke on a lot of speculation and rumors. If those residents had more information up front, generally speaking things might have been different.” P&Z Commissioner Diana Williams said while many challenges were pointed out by residents, as members of the P&Z, she and the board are challenged to balance needs of the city. “If we don’t have the businesses we need for the tax base, that falls on us within the city limits,” she said. “That said, I wouldn’t want light industrial behind my home either. With that in mind, I encourage P&Z to work with city staff and figure out a place that better suits this factory.” City Staff and the P&Z Commission are now working together to choose a date for an open house and workshop for residents to ask questions and get more information.
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SPORTS
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, July 22, 2021 Page 5
Liberty Hill’s 10-and-under softball team finished fifth in a field of 14 teams at the Pony World Series in Youngsville, Louisiana. Pictured are team members Sofia Brooks, Braelynn Cottingham, Kelsey Etheridge, Brilynn Fults, Brehna Havelka, Felicia Kurczewski, Sammie Lain, Caleigh Newberg, Anna Nicholson, Oliva Oehrlein, Emme Quintana, JayAnna Thomas, Jocelyn Willis and Juliana Willis. Co-head coaches are Brett Lain and Mike Etheridge and assistant coaches are Jake Willis and Jen Willis. (Courtesy Photo)
Liberty Hill’s 8-and-under softball team qualified for the Pony World Series in Youngsville, Louisiana and won two games at the event. Pictured are team members Sidney Quick, Lennox Moer, Tinzlee Wichmann, Chandler Johnson, Sofia Bowen, Piper Lashley, Ruby Spitler, Scarlett Smithson, Aidynn Dungan, Trinity Cowey, Emma Boles and Kate Fults. Head coach is Mandy Fults ans assistant coaches are Jim Lashley, Josh Moer and Ricky Spitler. (Courtesy Photo)
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor If the performance of the squads who represented Liberty Hill at the recent Pony Softball World Series is any indication of where local youth softball is headed, then the future is definitely bright. Two different Panthers teams played in the event in Youngsville, Louisiana – in the 8-and-under and 10-and-under divisions, with both winning games along the way. The 10-and-under squad fin-
with Rayne, Louisiana, and came away with a 7-0 defeat before rebounding with a 7-7 tie against Mercedes, Texas, to finish pool play with a 1-1-1 record. Liberty Hill was then paired up against Ville Platte, Louisiana, and defeated them by a score of 7-6 before once again facing No. 1-seed Rayne and suffering a second loss to them, 18-0. Due to the double-elimination format of the tournament, the Panthers were relegated to
Youth softball teams represent well at World Series ished fifth in a field of 14 teams from across the organization’s South zone, which encompasses Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. According to 10-and-under co-head coach Mike Etheridge, his players did a fine job of acquitting themselves well on and off the field over the course of the four-day tournament. “Honestly, I was excited with how the girls represented us
– it was amazing,” said Etheridge, who also serves as vice president of Liberty Hill Youth League Softball. “They were completely hungry.” The 10-and-under team – who play in the Mustang division – began the tourney with a 5-4 victory over Eunice, Louisiana, in the opening game of pool play to determine the seedings for the knockout rounds, with each team playing three games in the process. After the opening victory, the Panthers were matched up
Liberty Hill’s 12-and-under softball team advanced to the regional tournament this season. Pictured are team members Elyssa Brown, Angie Poston, Addison Sumwalt, Charlotte Naschke, Presley Pittman, Veda Shaghafi, Aliya Knight, Riely Nichols, Chloe Sumwalt, Anisa Lopez and Maya Gutierrez. Head coach is James Brown and assistant coaches are Justin Sumwalt, Walter Poston and Pelon Lopez. (Courtesy Photo)
ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO
Swingin’ for the fences one final time her on the field that night. “I knew I was going to miss playing with these girls who I got to know so well,” she said. “So, me and the other seniors took some time to reminisce about our careers because it had come to an end.” The fact the Lady Panthers failed to qualify for the playoffs made the occasion even more difficult to comprehend, but one thing Williams had going for her was despite her high school career coming to a conclusion, she still had plenty more softball to play
See SOFTBALL, Page 7
Sports provides some of our best memories
Amber Williams (#10) just missed a home run in the final at-bat of her high-school career, but has many other memories she will take with her as the Liberty Hill senior moves on to play in college.
which finally settled into the outfielder’s glove for the final out of Liberty Hill’s season-ending 6-3 road loss to Glenn, marking not only the Lady Panthers’ last contest of the campaign, but the final time Williams would don the Purple-and-Gold. “I think if the wind hadn’t been blowing in, the ball would’ve went out,” said Williams. In the aftermath, Williams said she was nostalgic about the fact she would never again call any of the players with
Liberty Hill center fielder Anna Nicholson, who hit .630 for the weekend, said the competition was the toughest she and her teammates had faced all season. “Some of the teams we played were really hard,” she said. “So, it was a challenge.” Aside from the action on the diamond, Nicholson enjoyed participating in the tradition of pin-trading, which goes on between teams at national
Liberty Hill’s 14-and-under softball team advanced to the regional tournament this season. Pictured are players Summer Lewis, Charlotte Whitaker, Madeline Adams, Ashlyn Butler, April Smith, Lillian Walenta, Abigail Thailing, Bailey Ray, Shanley Temple, Lilly’Ann Dykes, Kendall Winkley, Megan Mendiola and Laila Alexander. Head coach is Paul Thailing and assistant coaches are Brad Adams, Ben Rey and Mike Winkley. (Courtesy Photo)
THE LAST GAME
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Gripping her bat determinedly and looking out at the pitcher in the final at-bat of her high school softball career, Amber Williams was thinking one thing and one alone. “I just wanted to hit the ball as hard as I possibly could,” she said. Williams drove an offering deep to left field and the ball kept carrying … and carrying. Unfortunately, the dimensions of the park held the ball,
the consolation bracket, where they would rebound with a pair of victories against Eunice (11-7) and Kaplan, Louisiana (5-2). Unfortunately, the Panthers’ good fortune finally ran out in the next round as they lost to nearby neighbors Round Rock, 12-2, finishing fifth overall with a 4-3-1 mark for the tournament. Central Austin Youth League defeated Normoyle of San Antonio, 6-5, in the championship game.
after having signed a national letter of intent to continue her playing days at Ranger College. In addition, her immediate itinerary was already booked with more ball, she said. “Right after our season ended, I went right to my club team,” said Williams. “So, for me, it was going from softball to softball.” However, Williams did find herself with some extra time on her hands without daily
See GAME, Page 7
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In recent weeks, w e ’ v e chronicled seniors from this y e a r ’s graduating class in a series of features describing the athletes’ last games. What they were thinking, what they did and what resulted. We learned many things from the eight different Panthers we profiled, but one thing that struck us the most profound during the conversations we had were the lifelong memories that were made on the different fields of play. You know, the ol’ “remember that time when …” type of anecdotes that will be cultivated and passed down from one generation to the next until grandparents are prefacing stories with “back in my day.” Whether it was the torrential downpour Jackson Knox and his baseball teammates played the final game of the season in, the utter shock Kindsee Escamilla and the Lady Panthers volleyball squad felt in the immediate aftermath of their elimination from the playoffs or the massive emotional roller coaster Charlie Calabretta and the Liberty Hill football team went through over the course of losing their beloved head coach, then going on a memorable postseason march that ended a few yards short of a berth in a state championship game. All of those life lessons coach-
es like to teach and preach, which transcend sports and carry over into life for these young people long after they’ve left the athletic arena, are indelibly etched in the minds of those who undergo trials and tribulations on the way to victory or defeat. We had the privilege of being at many of the above-mentioned events and as one who covers Panthers sports, there are certainly instances and images that will remain with us as we move forward with pen and paper in hand to further record the exploits of the Purple-andGold. Perhaps the most poignant was standing on the sidelines at Westlake High School as the clock ticked down on the Lady Panthers’ soccer squad during its third-round playoff match against eventual state champions Dripping Springs. Of all Liberty Hill’s teams that were directly impacted by the early days of the pandemic and having the end of the previous season washed out as a result, they seemingly had the most to gain this time around. After all, what would’ve been an almost-certain state title the season before had been taken away without even an opportunity to grasp it and this was their chance for redemption. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as Abbey Janicek and her fellow female footballers were left to contemplate what might have been if the world had never heard of coronavirus. If we only remember one thing about Liberty Hill’s
See MEMORIES, Page 8
Page 6
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, July 22, 2021
N O I S T ! A L U CO N GRAT
Jennifer Mayne Photography
Sofia Brooks
Braelynn Cottingham
Kelsey Etheridge
Brilynn Fults
Brehna Havelka
Felicia Kurczewski
Sammie Lain
Anna Nicholson
Caleigh Newberg
Oliva Oehrlein
JayAnna Thomas
Emme Quintana
Jocelyn Willis
Juliana Willis
Thursday, July 22, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page 7
Tennis camp benefits players, coaches
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Usually, a summer sports camp is scheduled for three or four days, during which time all lessons must be taught and learned before the students are adjourned until returning to school in the fall. However, Liberty Hill head tennis coach Sherry Rhoden had a different idea when it came to putting hers on, she said. “I think it’s a lot more effective if I can see them once a week,” said Rhoden, who is beginning her second season in charge of the Panthers’ program. “This way, I can stay in contact with them.” To that end, Rhoden’s camp has been spread out over a six-week period during which players attend weekly sessions and are divided into beginner/ intermediate or advanced skill levels. But, that’s not all. In order to keep campers engaged during the week in between sessions, Rhoden will give them homework assignments in the form of drills they can do on their own to further enhance the overall learning experience. “Even if it’s something basic like having them dribble the ball or scoop it up off the ground with their racket,” she said. “Drills like that help them learn to better track the ball, along with developing hand-eye coordination and spatial skills.”
Rhoden said she gets more and more advanced as the weeks pass by as far as the curriculum of the camp goes. “We pick a particular focus to work on each week – be it serving, groundstrokes or whatever,” she said. “As the weeks progress, we increase the difficulty level.” In addition to being under the watchful eye of Rhoden, several Panthers varsity players have appeared at the camp to serve as instructors, which provides them with a unique perspective from what they’re accustomed to – being on the opposite end of the coach-player relationship. Senior Ethan Wukasch has taken full advantage of the opportunity to help hone his game, he said. “It’s been a really good experience,” said Wukasch, who along with doubles partner Patrick Fay, advanced to the regional tournament at the end of last year’s spring season. “Being a coach gives me reminders of what I need to do on the court as a player.” According to Wukasch, some of the more common mistakes campers make are routine, but fundamental aspects of the game. “Things like having good form and finishing their swing over the other shoulder as opposed to stopping halfway after they hit the ball,” said Wukasch. “Or something as simple as holding the racket the right way.”
Rhoden said the experience forces her players to think more about what they do and why they do it while playing. “For them, it’s a question of ‘I know how to do this, but how do I teach it?’ she said. “After that, they can self-correct on their own during a match when something’s not working.” Holt Avery, a junior on the Panthers’ squad, is another who has volunteered his time this summer and found after an uneasy beginning, coaching got easier as relationships with the campers developed, he said. “At the beginning, I was a little nervous,” said Avery. “But, once you get to know the kids, it’s a lot easier – it’s good to be a role model for them.” Rhoden said when it came time to ask her own players for help over the summer, she wanted to get some of the more reserved members of the squad to be a bit more vociferous. “I challenged them to come out of their shells,” she said. “I remember what it was like when I was a kid – I looked up to the high school kids like they were rock stars.” Participation by current players in the camp is also a measuring stick of one’s commitment to the program and along with other tasks that can be accomplished during the summer, must be performed in order for players to be permitted to try out for the team in the fall – including returners, all of whom must once again prove
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor After Jake Lapuszynski suffered a concussion in the second game during his junior year as a member of the Liberty Hill football team, he realized by the end of that season the game he grew up loving was no longer an option. “The school decided to not let me play anymore,” said Lapuszynski. “I was really upset at the time, but looking back now, I know that was what was best for me.” However, Lapuszynski now had an enormous void in his life – one he immediately began to think of ways to fill before arriving at a momentous conclusion. After careful consideration, Lapuszynski decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, hoping he could regain what had been lost. “Honestly, it’s why I joined,” he said. “With the way football ended for me, I felt unfulfilled and it left a bad taste in my mouth.” As a result, Lapuszynski was off for boot camp at Marine Corps Recruiting Station San Diego where he spent 13 weeks going through the gauntlet of learning what it would take to be called a Marine – a process that he said wasn’t as rugged as most people think. “Really, it’s more of a mental challenge than physical,” said Lapuszynski. “You learn how to take orders and it’s where
they separate the men from the boys. They don’t teach you anything tactical and you find yourself walking around in a box of people.” Upon graduation from boot camp, Lapuszynski headed up the Southern California coast to Camp Pendleton in north San Diego County for advanced training in his military occupational specialty as a missile gunner – a pursuit he chose in order to quench his thirst for putting rounds downrange, he said. “I’ve always had a love for weapons,” said Lapuszynski. “So, I wanted to shoot the biggest guns available.” Lapuszynski got that wish, but unfortunately for him, when he received his orders for his permanent duty station, his other primary desire was left wanting, as he was sent across the Pacific Ocean to Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay as part of 1st Batallion, 3rd Marine Regiment, where he was a vehicle commander in a Saber missile system weapons company. Most would celebrate the opportunity to live and work on the island of Oahu in such an exotic clime, but for Lapuszynski, he had hoped to be sent across the Atlantic, instead. “I wanted to go to war and be in combat,” he said. “But, I knew if you were stationed there, it wouldn’t happen.” As a result, the closest La-
puszynski got to action was deploying to Japan as part of a quick reaction force in Okinawa and Fuji and when he and his unit would travel to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, located in Southern California’s Mojave Desert for training. Lapuszynski described his disappointment in never engaging enemy forces with a metaphor from his previous existence. “Imagine being on a football team and living in a locker room which you’re not allowed to leave,” he said. “You practice every day for four years and never get to play a game.” However, he did find the brotherhood he was seeking, although the bonds formed with his fellow Marines were of a different variety than those he had forged on the gridiron, he said. “On the football team, you’re with a group of friends and then you break off into your smaller groups,” said Lapuszynski. “But, in a platoon these guys are your brothers for sure and you’re much closer.” Lapuszynski said he chose the infantry for the simple reason of going all in on the experience. “Being in the infantry isn’t for everyone,” he said. “It’s a cutthroat society where if you’re not up to it, you’re going to get kicked or kicked
SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO
Head tennis coach Sherry Rhoden confers with Panthers senior Ethan Wukasch during the final session of the program’s summer camp, during which varsity players help instruct campers. they deserve a spot on the roster, said Rhoden. “I give them a points sheet at the beginning of summer,” she said. “You get certain amounts of points for various things like taking lessons, working out on your own or what have you. To try out in the fall, you need a certain number of points.” Growing the program remains at the top of Rhoden’s priority list as she begins her second year at the wheel of the Panthers’ tennis program and with the new Santa Rita Middle
School opening in the fall in addition to the former junior high – which will now be Liberty Hill Middle School – and her obligations at the high school level, she will oversee 14 teams in all as she looks to move the Purple-and-Gold up the pecking order of Class 5A programs. No small task, she said. “I think I have the biggest job in the entire district,” said Rhoden. “I know I have my work cut out for me to be up there with programs like Fred-
ericksburg, Mason, Lake Travis and Westwood.” So, what do those programs have that Rhoden aspires to for her own? “The biggest thing is they all have strong connections with nearby country clubs,” she said. “When you have so many kids to teach how to play the game, they need someplace else to go.” For example, Rhoden said she has already sent many players
See TENNIS, Page 8
Panthers alum returns home Former LHHS linebacker spent four years in the Marines
Softball
Continued from Page 5
tournaments. “It was interesting because you get to see all the pins from the other states,” said Nicholson. “My favorite was the one from Kaplan because it had a voodoo doll in the background.” While the 10-and-under squad was busy working its way through the bracket, the 8-and-under team had serious business of its own to tend to in the Pinto division. The Panthers compiled a 1-2 record in pool play, with a 6-4 win over Medina Valley, Texas, and losses against Southwest White (9-4) and Edgewood, Texas (12-2). In the opener of bracket play, the Panthers had a rematch with Southwest White and defeated them this time around by a score of 7-6, which propelled them into another contest against Edgewood, which they lost, 12-1. After dropping into the consolation bracket, Liberty Hill lost to Southwest Green, 4-2 and finished the tournament with a 2-4 record, as Bertram went on to win the title with a 9-3 victory over Edgewood in the championship game.
Sidney Quick, a first and second baseman for the 8-and-under Panthers, said it was a thrill just to win a game at the tournament. “When we won that game in the bracket, we were all very excited,” said Quick, who finished the weekend with a .685 batting average. “We just needed to get our bats fired up.” Rain plagued the tournament from beginning to end, including a five-hour delay at one point, which saw the 10-and-under team start a game at 11:45 p.m. and not finish until 1:20 a.m. before having to report back later that morning for its next contest at 9:50 a.m. However, both Panthers squads weren’t going to let a little inclement weather get in the way of them having a good time, said Quick. “My favorite part was when we would do our cha-cha dance before every game,” she said. “It’s something we started.” Quick said the most important thing for her when she steps onto the field is to always maintain a positive attitude –
even when things don’t go her way. “Like if you strike out, you can’t be sad,” she said. “Because then you won’t get a hit the next time – you just need to have fun.” Nicholson said she enjoyed the opportunity to hit against top-quality pitchers with more velocity. “When you hit the ball, it goes farther,” she said. “But, I’d rather have a pitcher who is right in the middle – not too slow or too fast.” Etheridge attributed the recent success of the Liberty Hill program to mastery of the basic aspects of the game. “We’re always working with the girls on the fundamentals,” he said. In addition to the 10-and-under and 8-and-under teams’ appearance at the World Series, Liberty Hill’s 12-and-under and 14-and-under squads advanced to the regional tournament, finishing off a fine year for the program. Etheridge said they’re just getting started, though. “The future is definitely bright for us,” he said. “All of our teams are young.”
somewhere else and find yourself as an outcast.” During his time as a Panthers football player, he was under the leadership and guidance of former Liberty Hill head coach Jerry Vance, whom Lapuszynski remembers fondly as a taskmaster and perhaps a harbinger of the kind of drill instructor discipline he would later experience. “Coach Vance was very oldschool, which is what I liked most about him,” said Lapuszynski. “He was always no-nonsense, straightforward and to the point.” Lapuszynski is the oldest of four brothers who have all played football for Liberty Hill and said he feels an obligation to be a role model for younger siblings Josh, Jed and Jarod. “I think that’s probably my biggest responsibility,” he said. “I’ve had life experiences and now I can be the big brother I never had as the oldest.” Lapuszynski rose to the rank of corporal during his time in the Marine Corps, but now has returned home to chase a couple of different pursuits as he transitions back to being a civilian. “I’m combining my two biggest passions – my love of weapons systems and fitness,” he said. “My father and I are starting a tactical company and I’m getting certified as a personal trainer.” Lapuszynski said his military experience is one that he en-
Game
Former Liberty Hill football player Jake Lapuszynski, center, joined the Marine Corps as an infantryman and missile gunner and rose to the rank of corporal. (Courtesy Photo) joyed and he wouldn’t go back and alter the path he’s been on even if he could. “I wouldn’t change anything – I’d do everything exactly the same,” he said. “But, I’m glad
Continued from Page 5
practices after school each afternoon and had no trouble finding activities to occupy her newfound free time in organizing the powder puff football game. But, before stepping on the field herself as a wide receiver, Williams had plenty of legwork to do so the game could come off properly, including the practices leading up to the contest, which provided an additional twofold challenge. “We had to work with all the other teams’ schedules,” said Williams. “Also, we had to make sure the boys (who functioned as coaches) would show up.” Everything worked out well – except the final score – Juniors 14, Seniors 7. Following that, Williams took her planning prowess to an entirely different level in helping plan and execute the annual “Senior Prank” – a covert operation conducted under the highest level of secrecy. “We sneaked into the school and saran-wrapped the main stairs and covered them with balloons and confetti,” she
said. “There was a choir performance that night and one of the seniors hid in the restroom until everyone was gone, then let us in.” Truth be told, the seniors had the approval of Liberty Hill ISD Police to carry out the classified mission, but administrators and teachers were kept in the dark. Once everything was in place, the approximately 100 seniors who participated were supposed to have a slumber party, but in the end it was left to Williams and Lady Panthers teammate Allie Potts to guard the fort, said Williams. “Both of us ended up staying awake all night to make sure it didn’t get taken down before everyone got to school the next morning,” she said. While she was still enjoying her final days as a senior, Williams was also getting to know some of her future college teammates, she said. “My new roommate, along with two other freshmen took a trip to Six Flags together,” said Williams, who will begin classes and practice in late August. “I’m very excited – I
to be back in Texas because of the type of people and culture here and the small-town feel we still have in Liberty Hill – it’s where I belong.”
can’t wait to get started.” Williams has managed to keep herself busy during the days and weeks since the season ended, which has provided solace from the sorrow that had been experienced that evening in Leander when her prep softball career came to an unceremonious close, but there is one memory she will forever cherish about that night. “When we got back and got off the bus and were saying our goodbyes, (teammate) Molly Cochran came up to me and gave me a hug,” said Williams. “She told me she would miss playing with me after having grown up with me and she knew I was going to go on and do great things.” But, before that emotional exchange took place, there was another upon their arrival, when there was one final ritual to be realized, said Williams. “Whenever we got back from a road game, we would always sing the school fight song on the bus,” she said. “We never sang it louder.”
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
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with that, and some of what the dogs do helps to sustain the K9 program,” Langham said. “Dogs can take drug-related money off the streets and the police department can use a portion of that to fund the program.” “Police relations with communities haven’t been so great recently, and I wanted to point out that not all police are what they’re being made out to be,” Hamrick said. “Both of my parents work in law enforcement. Everyone everywhere was putting them in the wrong stereotype. I just thought it would be a nice way to contribute to the community and my school.” Right now, Hamrick is learning how to train and handle a drug detector dog and is working on getting certified. She attends classes at Pacesetter alongside law enforcement officers from across the country and will spend a total of 160 hours learning how to be a basic handler. Langham has donated all the training to Hamrick for her cause and has already given her plenty of opportunity to get her feet wet. She has already learned how to lead a dog to search a room and a car for narcotics and has learned several Czech commands. She’ll soon learn how to search an open field, and eventually how to lead a dog to search for bombs. She’s also experienced what it’s like to be attacked by a dog. “Getting bit by a dog is terrifying. I’m going to have to
do it again because it’s part of my certification, but the initial thought of letting a dog bite you triggers your fight or flight instinct,” Hamrick said. “If that dog got loose, I would sprint out the door. It’s scary because it’s a 90-pound dog, it has sharp teeth and stares into your soul.” After she’s certified, Hamrick will go with Langham to Poland in October to pick out the right dog for LHPD. Langham will supervise the trip and show Hamrick what to look for when choosing a dog. “We go to Europe because they breed dogs for working there, and they are of purer lineage and working capabilities,” Langham said. “I can go to one place and look at 60 to 75 dogs and have a better selection.” In addition to training a K9, Hamrick is also creating a school program to help teach students about the importance of police dogs. “A requirement of the Gold Award is that it has to have sustainability,” said Gina Giachetti, Hamrick’s troop leader. “She can’t just train a dog and give it to the police department, so she is going to work with the Liberty Hill Independent School District on creating lesson plans on how assemblies can run, which any K9 handler can use.” Hamrick is taking inspiration from other similar programs used in schools across the country, but will focus her program specifically on the dan-
gers of current drugs and educate students on drug use and abuse. Langham will help her with the K9 aspect of the program, by helping her develop a plan for setting up displays for the K9 to sniff out drugs. Giachetti added that Hamrick’s contribution will continue to give back to the community for several years, even after she’s grown up, because most K9s serve for about a decade as long as they remain healthy. So far, Hamrick has raised about $1,300 for her trip to Poland and the cost of the dog. The cost for the K9’s training will be approximately $5,000, Langham said. Most donations are coming through social media as the word gets out about Hamrick’s project. She has even caught the attention of the Belton Police Department, which donated to her cause; and veterinarian Todd Murphy of Sam Bass Veterinary Wellness in Round Rock, which donated full care for the K9 for the duration of its life. Another way Hamrick hopes to earn money for the K9 is through homemade paw balm she and Giachetti made to sell at local farmers markets, like Indian Mound Ranch. One hundred percent of proceeds from the sale of the paw balm will go toward the K9 as well, Hamrick said. Giachetti said when she and Hamrick began researching the Gold Award, most of the projects centered around
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Hiring
Continued from Place 1
market.” Another respondent had a similar argument, stating that people are “happy receiving stimulus checks,” while another said because of unemployment benefits, “people just don’t want to work for their money anymore.” Another respondent added that the prolonged unemployment benefits were causing a lot of the hiring difficulties. “Even at $15 [an] hour for 40 hours a week, resulting in $600 [per] week, people are earning more from government benefits to stay home than to get back to work,” wrote the respondent. “Three hundred dollars [a] week alone comes from federal aid on top of the state aid received. There is no incentive for people to go back to work unless they are earning more than $15 [an] hour. These increases in costs have led to inflated prices for customers.” Brittney Ortiz, co-owner of Liberty Hill-based J & Co. Electric, said finding people who want to work has been her biggest challenge. “When we do get people who want to work, they want us
Campbell
The Independent in response to an Open Records Request, the City of Liberty Hill “[has] denied and still [denies] liability on the merits of [the] plaintiff’s claims.” The agreement states that the City’s sole purpose of entering into the settlement agreement was to avoid “the time, expense and uncertainty which would accompany further litigation.” Neither Campbell or his attorney responded this week to multiple calls, texts and emails from The Independent. In response to the settlement, the City issued the following statement to The Independent this week: “At the time Campbell’s employment with the City of Liberty Hill was terminated, the previous administration had legitimate concerns regarding his suitability for continued service in the community. Subsequent to termination, Campbell raised objections regarding alleged deficiencies in the notice and documentation related to his discharge. Rather than continue to dispute this matter, the parties chose to settle the suit and put it behind them.” The settlement agreement does not prevent Campbell from appealing a negative F-5
to pay them $20 an hour, and that’s difficult to do for someone who hasn’t been trained [as an electrician],” she said. “We’re a small business—we can’t afford to pay someone $20 an hour with no experience.” Ortiz added that finding good employees in the trades was problematic even before the pandemic began, because a lot of jobs in the trades were overlooked, which just added to their hiring troubles after COVID-19 started. “Schools have been pushing so hard for kids to go to college, and that’s great for a lot of people, but not everybody is going to go to college,” she said. “People now are realizing they can have a really good career and make a good living supporting their family by doing a trade, but that got put on the back burner and looked down on for a long time. When we got into the pandemic, all the government aid handed out and extra money given every week—we couldn’t compete. Why would you go to work when you can stay at home and make more money than if
you were working?” Chandrika Prajapati, owner of Parker’s Corner Market, said she has struggled to hire employees since COVID-19 began. “When COVID started, we would post a job and get several people applying, but they would show up for a day and then file for unemployment benefits with the Texas Workforce Commission, even though they clearly didn’t have enough hours filled to qualify for those benefits. It became a strenuous task for us to keep track of who filed for what.” Prajapati said once the presidential election hit in November, it got even harder to find staff. “We were fortunate enough to find a good candidate at the beginning of the year, and I’m not sure how we lucked out, but that has helped us hold up our operations,” she added. “In the meantime, we are looking for more employees. Lots of people have come and gone, but no one is sticking. We’ve paid enormous amounts this year on Indeed and LinkedIn
Continued from Page 1 termination report submitted by the City to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), and likewise does not prevent the City from defending the F-5 originally submitted to TCOLE. A negative F-5 can impact an officer’s career as many agencies will not hire someone who may have been dishonorably discharged. Campbell filed the lawsuit against the City and former Mayor Rick Hall, on Oct. 1, 2020, in District Court for breach of contract and sought more than $290,000 in lost wages as well as other damages. Campbell alleged the City failed to follow the proper procedure in his termination. The former police chief was fired in March 2020, following an internal investigation spanning roughly two weeks. The City Council voted unanimously to terminate Campbell, citing a violation of Section 13 of his contract, including “willful misconduct, gross negligence, dishonest or fraudulent conduct, or such other acts in bad faith which result in injury to employer.” The City’s internal investigation began after an incident occurred with Campbell and his wife on Feb. 23, 2020, at
the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. The Campbells were attending a law enforcement conference where Campbell was representing the City of Liberty Hill. According to an investigative report released by the New Jersey State Police, on the night of Feb. 23, 2020, two officers from the New Jersey State Police noticed a group of people at the casino’s security podium and offered their assistance. That is where they interviewed Campbell’s wife about an argument between the couple that occurred in the casino. Officers viewed the security video and observed the interaction, which concluded with Campbell throwing a chair that knocked over a trash can. “He then departed, it should be noted that at no time did Maverick become physical with [Mrs. Campbell],” the incident report states. Later, officers contacted Campbell in his hotel room, where he provided access to the safe that contained his firearm. Officers secured the weapon and returned it the following day when the matter was resolved. Campbell’s
Thursday, July 22, 2021
building a bench and dedicating it to someone or changing local street signs, but Hamrick wanted to do something different. “Jillian didn’t want to do the norm,” Giachetti said. “She wanted to do something out of the box, and she really likes dogs and this is a real need in the community.” Giachetti added that a Gold Award looks good on a college resume, and because Hamrick has already earned her Bronze and Silver Awards, she was planning on earning her Gold Award as well. Hamrick has been a Girl Scout since childhood when she started as a Daisy. (RIGHT) Jillian Hamrick guides Narcos as he demonstrates drug detection at Pacesetter K9. RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
Tennis
Continued from Page 7
to Cimmaron Hills, which is the closest club where players can receive additional instruction. But, perhaps the biggest factor of all in building a championship-caliber program is to have unwavering support from the community – something she believes has already increased since her arrival.
Memories
“I want people to realize tennis can be a family thing,” said Rhoden. “Tennis is a sport which can be played competitively as early as age five and can be a lifetime activity.” However, in the meantime, Rhoden will continue to lay the foundation that already has solid beginnings and uses an appropriate analogy when de-
scribing the process to young players who have yet to gain a foothold of working tennis knowledge. “I tell them to imagine you’re playing with Legos,” she said. “Before you can build the next layer, you need to finish the first.”
Continued from Page 5 process. In fact, of the eight traditional teams, only four made the playoffs and of those only football and girls’ soccer advanced past the first round. But, win or lose, there are always memories and there were plenty of them to be had and cherished covering the full spectrum of emotions over the course of a very unique and interesting year in Pantherville.
However, as fall slowly edges closer and a new year of Liberty Hill sports approaches, last year fades away like so many before and new memories are just waiting to be made, as last year’s juniors will now pick up the mantle as it’s their time to shine in the senior spotlight. We can’t wait to see what memories they will make.
for job posts. Lots of people apply, but then we get no response from them or they will hang up on us. They’re not interested in working. People do make a concerted effort to apply for jobs, and then they put the blame on employers.” The lack of employees has made an impact across the board, Prajapati said, adding that Coca-Cola deliveries have been cancelled because there weren’t enough drivers and their meat supply has substantially been reduced due to shortages. “We’ve had to put more strain on our employees, and we don’t want to burn them out because they now spend extra hours working,” she said. “My husband and I are helping, and my kids are even coming in and helping to stock the store.” John Johnston, president of the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and owner of Dahlia Cafe, said the last year has been hard on his restaurant because of the lack of employees. “We’ve had a hard time,” he said. “We had to stop serving
breakfast because we need a shift that can start work at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to open by 7 a.m., and that takes a whole other crew. The crew we have now can only cover lunch and dinner. Scheduling has become a lot more difficult.” In addition to nixing breakfast, Johnston said the Dahlia menu has also had to change to accommodate a smaller staff. “We’ve taken off items that require more labor to prepare, like the cobblers,” he said. “We hated to take those off, but they’re so time consuming to make. We’ve adjusted the menu according to what is more expedient and available.” When the pandemic began, Johnston said he got creative to keep his employees busy. Even when the restaurant was closed, employees got to work painting, cleaning and doing maintenance work around the restaurant. “We kept all of our employees that wanted to stay and kept them busy,” he said. Prajapati believes the main reason people aren’t motivated to work is because of the
government benefits being dispersed. “Until there is a concerted effort from the Texas Workforce Commission to reevaluate what people are receiving benefits, they’re not going to be working.” Prajapati also said workers are expecting to be paid more for entry-level positions, but if she has to pay unexperienced workers a higher rate, then she has to adjust hourly pay for her experienced workers as well. “Unfortunately, I have to put that cost back on my customers because I can’t afford to pay my employees such high salaries,” she said. “People can literally make more money staying home than they could going to work,” Johnston said. “How can you fight that?” “If you look up and down Highway 29, every place is hiring,” Ortiz added. “It shows there’s a huge problem. So many people are still saying they’re unemployed, but a lot of them look at the available jobs and say, ‘I am not going to do that.’ It’s a sad time.”
wife did not file a complaint against her husband and the report states that “due to the fact the victim did not wish to pursue the matter any further, this case can be considered closed.” Campbell was never placed under arrest or charged. “I had a disagreement with my wife,” Campbell told The Independent at the time. “It was a simple disagreement that got blown out of proportion. A lot of rumors started spreading and people reacted based on those rumors being factual. There was no violence; there were no charges.” The former chief filed a grievance in April 2020, seeking reinstatement following his termination and also requested the City retain an independent investigator to review the City’s internal investigation. That investigation, conducted by Bruce Mills, a former Austin Police Department Assistant Chief and owner of his own consulting firm, stated that “the City of Liberty Hill followed its policies and procedures in taking the actions that it did to terminate the employment of Maverick Campbell.” However, from the onset of the internal investigation
through the filing of the lawsuit, Campbell maintained that former Mayor Hall had used the incident in Atlantic City as an “excuse to find a reason to terminate him for other reasons,” citing Hall’s increased involvement in department operations, pressure on certain personnel decisions, and excessive ride-alongs with officers. “It was as if there was some sort of very strange, odd obsession with being involved with the police department and being involved in controlling what my decisions were even though that authority is given to me by the council,” Campbell told The Independent at the time. “The reason I included all of the information about the mayor’s behavior in my grievance was to show the pattern of abuse that I know led to my termination because of threats against my job by the mayor. The incident in New Jersey was simply an excuse and he reacted on emotions instead of facts, making false claims of an arrest when there was no arrest.” Campbell won an appeal hearing in August 2020 with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), entitling him
to unemployment benefits. The ruling from TWC stated “the claimant’s (Campbell’s) firsthand testimony did not reveal any misconduct and the employer failed to carry its burden of proving any acts of misconduct. Under these circumstances, the (Appeal) Tribunal must conclude that the claimant was not discharged for misconduct with the work” (in accordance with Section 207.044 of Texas Labor Code). The TWC decision also stated that, “The employer received most, if not all, of the information it used to make its decision to discharge the claimant from secondhand sources.” The current settlement agreement was signed first by Campbell on July 12, and later signed by city representatives, including Mayor Liz Branigan, City Secretary Nancy Sawyer and City Attorney Alan Bojorquez on July 15. The agreement was also approved and signed by Julia Gannaway, an attorney for the City of Liberty Hill during the dispute.
sports season of 2020-21, it will certainly be the unaccustomed-to feeling of defeat during the Panthers’ first year as a Class 5A program. Following years of dominant district campaigns and playoff runs that seemed to be a birthright, there were many struggles along the way as suddenly the proverbial big fish had become the small one, with plenty of growing pains in the
Thursday, July 22, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
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PUBLIC NOTICES ORDINANCE NO. 21-0-06.23-02 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS TO AMEND APPENDIX A OF THE LIBERTY HILL CODE OF ORDINANCES, THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH ADOPTS ZONING DISTRICTS, USE REGULATIONS AND LOT DESIGN STANDARDS WITHIN THE CITY’S LIMITS AS WELL AS AN OFFICIAL ZONING MAP IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BY CHANGING THE ZONING AND CLAS-
SIFICATION OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The City received a petition from the owner of a property consisting of 10.52 acres Williamson County, Texas; specifically, generally located along the west side of SH 29 between CR 277 and Bevers Rd, and identified as Assessor’s Parcel Number R-023043, to amend the property’s zoning on the official zoning map from the Agricultural (AG) zoning district to the Multifamily Residential (MF2). (7/22) ORDINANCE NO. 21-0-06.23-03 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS TO AMEND APPENDIX A OF THE LIBERTY HILL CODE OF ORDINANCES, THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH ADOPTS ZONING DISTRICTS, USE REGULATIONS AND LOT DESIGN STANDARDS WITHIN THE CITY’S LIMITS AS WELL AS AN OFFICIAL ZONING MAP IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHEN-
SIVE PLAN, BY CHANGING THE ZONING AND CLASSIFICATION OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The City received a petition from the owner of KENNEDY SUB, BLOCK A, LOT 3 consisting of 0.691 acres Williamson County, Texas; specifically, generally located along the west side of SH 29, between CR 277 and Bevers Rd, and identified as Assessor’s Parcel Number R-562347, to amend the property’s zoning on the official zoning map form the General Commercial (C3) zoning district to the Light Industrial (I 1). (7/22) MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you. (7/29)
Page 9
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Page 10
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Commercial, Mixed Use 5BR/3BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/3.5BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/3BA Lot 23, Block 4 Phase III Lot 24, Block 4 Phase III Lot 25, Block 4 Phase III Lot 26, Block 4 Phase III Lot 69, Block 4 Phase III 3BR/2BA No restrictions, Ag exempt 4BR/2.5BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2BA Cleared & level 4BR/4BA Sold!
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Dax Oglesby
REALTOR®, RPL daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com
(512) 635-7529
Adrienne Hughes
Cheryl Stephens
512-810-0185
512-417-0026
Broker/Owner
Realtor ®, GRI, MRP
3106 Ranch Road 1869 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 | www.Hughes-and-Company.com
3103 Ranch Road 1869 Liberty Hill
www.DaxSellsTexas.com