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2021
Volume 34, Issue 40
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August 26, 2021 | 50 Cents
LHISD sees increase in COVID cases one week into school year By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer School district officials are closely monitoring the COVID surge, reporting 65 students and 12 employees testing positive as of press time Wednesday, which represents about 1 percent of the staff and student population. According to case tracking, which is posted on the school district’s website and updated periodically each day, Liberty Hill High School had the most number of cases Wednesday at 18, followed by Liberty Hill Middle School at 15. “We’re still trying to check and see if there’s any connection with the cases,” said Superintendent Steve Snell. “But remember, on Monday, you report cases from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So, the daily average has been … 12 to 13 cases a day.” New guidelines issued this week by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) require schools to report positive COVID-19 cases to anyone who might have been in contact with the person who tested positive -- a change from a previous recommendation. “Even though TEA previously said we did not have to notify parents, we always want to notify parents,” said Snell. “What we did in the past is if there was a COVID positive case anywhere on campus, we had to let every parent on that campus know. This year we will let those parents know through the Dashboard.”
The community can keep track of LHISD positive cases online at https://sites.google. com/libertyhill.txed.net/lhisdcovid2021-22/home. Snell said parents will receive more targeted notifications from the schools instead of the district if a student with a positive test result comes in contact with their child. “We think that’s a good plan moving forward,” he said. “It helps our parents make decisions regarding their children a little bit better. As a district, I think we have the power to notify and communicate as much as we want to. We don’t want to overburden our parents with communications. But we want them to know the risk, and we want them to know if their child was exposed during the day.” If the school mandates students to isolate themselves, Snell said the district would work with parents to make sure students are safe and able to continue their education and deal with the absences. “The bottom line is we want families to be able to make the best decision for them,” he said. “We want kids who have been exposed or that have symptoms to stay home. So, we don’t want to create rules and regulations that get in the way of that. We’ll do everything we can to work with parents through this process.” TEA stated no guidelines on face masks would be issued until legal challenges to Texas
See COVID, Page 5
Welcome Back!
More than 7,027 students reported for class on the first day of school Aug. 19 in Liberty Hill. Hundreds of families shared their first day photos with The Independent on Facebook. Above left, are the Degutis Boys, posted by Laura Degutis; and at right are children of Melissa Brown Finley - Paityn, third grade; Presley, kindergarten; and their little brother Pierce. (Courtesy Photos)
Barber gives back to Liberty Hill students
By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer Timothy Fleming’s hand was throbbing after giving more than 70 free haircuts to Liberty Hill students on the day before school started last week. “The first couple of times that I did it out here, I had maybe 20 kids show up,” he said. “This time, I had close to 70 kids from 8-7, nonstop. That was like a typical Friday for me (at my old shop), so it was fun to do it again. My hand was a little sore afterward.” Georgetown resident Vladimir Kartashov came back last weekend to get his and his son’s hair cut since he
EDC incentive programs remain in limbo
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The Economic Development Corporation has yet to get the green light from the City Council on revamping its incentivization programs for businesses. “We are in limbo in terms of our incentive programs,” said Matt Powell, executive director of the EDC, at the EDC Board’s meeting on Aug. 18. “We have programs that exist, but based on direction from this Board, I drafted two new programs to consolidate all the programs into those. After presenting those to the Council, they wanted to have more time to discuss. We did meet in a joint session [in July], which was a highly productive con©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
versation.” Powell added that the EDC Board remains open to feedback from the Council on any changes they would like to see to the proposed incentive programs. In addition, Powell said he has been looking at adding a third program to the incentivization lineup for businesses, called either a “water wise” or “water smart” program. The Lower Colorado River Authority has an active WaterSmart program that Powell has been involved with in the past, which he said the City of Liberty Hill has not been utilizing. The WaterSmart rebates are available for businesses, industries, schools, hospitals, churches and other institutions in LCRA’s water service area. “Any part of the City receiving water from Leander would be eligible, and any area receiving water from Georgetown would not,” he said. “For example,
See EDC, Page 4
couldn’t do it when Fleming was giving free cuts. “On that day, I stopped by, and it was packed,” he said. “There were kids everywhere. It was crazy. There were a lot of people outside.” Born and raised in Germany, Fleming made Liberty Hill home to his business in 2018 and said he fell in love with the people and the culture. “Germany was getting too political, and I decided to chase the American dream,” he said. “I have a wife and four kids. When I came out here, it was dead. There was nothing here. I just took a big gamble. I went from cutting five people a day to cutting 30
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO
Mark Kartshov, age 5, gets a haircut from Hair Stop owner and See FLEMING, Page 4 barber Tim Fleming on Saturday.
BUSINESS
John Johnston read a prepared statement as he resigned from the EDC Board Aug. 18.
Johnston resigns suddenly from EDC Board
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer John Johnston, president of the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation, resigned unexpectedly during the Board’s regular meeting on Aug. 18. “I have purchased property and will be living outside of Williamson County and as such will no longer be eligible to be on the board of directors,” Johnston read from a statement during the meeting. “In my 10
See JOHNSTON, Page 4
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
From left, Amy Gandy, Jessica McGraw, Shanti Odom, Randy Blain and Charlee Cotten on the front porch of the new office of A. Gandy & Co. The home, built in 1910 and purchased by Gandy earlier this year, is undergoing a huge transformation to be restored and used as her company’s headquarters.
Changing Grange
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of stories following the process of building a business from the ground up in Liberty Hill. By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Amy Gandy has been patiently waiting over the last
few months to get the ball rolling on renovating the two homes she owns on Grange Street. But even in all the waiting, she’s found a way to utilize one of the homes this summer. Gandy, who just started her own real estate brokerage company, A. Gandy & Co., in
May, has started to transform the home at 111 Grange into her company office—and her team has been working on site through it all. The work started in the yard, where everything was covered in about a foot of leaves.
See GRANGE, Page 5
Page 2
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Santa Rita Elementary receives donation Ed and Elizabeth Horne (right), recently presented Santa Rita Elementary School Principal Kendell Luedtke (center) with a donation of $98,000 to help fund a Science, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) lab and an after-school Robotics program at the school.
It’s time to kick off FALL! Stop and see the new arrivals
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Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate
The Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2021 on September 9, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. (Noon) at 3801 N. Capital of Texas Highway, Austin, Texas 78746. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners. FOR the proposal: AGAINST the proposal: PRESENT and not voting: ABSENT:
Kris Elhert, Milton Schultz III, Todd Kolkhorst & Scott Davis None None Anthony Jasinski
The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.
Total tax rate (per $100 of value) Difference in rates per $100 of value Percentage increase/decrease in rates (+/-) Average appraised residence homestead value General homestead exemptions available (excluding 65 years of age or older or disabled person’s exemptions) Average residence homestead taxable value Tax on average residence homestead Annual increase/decrease in taxes if proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-) and percentage of increase (+/-)
2020 Last Year $0.95/$100
2021 This Year $0.95/$100
Adopted
Proposed
$0.00/$100 0.00% $271,417 $303,310 $$271,417 $2,578.46
$$303,310 $2,881.44
$302.98 11.75%
NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS’ RIGHTS TO ELECTION TO REDUCE TAX RATE If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than eight percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require than an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the voter-approval tax rate under Section 49.23603, Water Code. The Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 proposes to use the tax increase for the purpose of essential water, sewer, drainage services and related operational, maintenance and administrative services. The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.
The Liberty Hill Garden Club recently donated supplies to Angel Noble, a Liberty Hill special education teacher. Pictured from left are Club President Jeanette Roache, Angel Noble and Vicci Conway, past President and Parliamentarian. (Courtesy Photo)
Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department
Week of Aug. 16-22, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 722 incidents resulting in 15 cases, 71 citations, 70 warnings and no arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On Aug. 16 at approximately 7:11 AM, officers responded to Old Glory Trail for a burglary of a vehicle complaint. - On Aug. 16 at approximately 8:27 AM, officers responded to Old Glory Trail for suspicious activity. - On Aug. 16 at approximately 3:37 PM, officers responded to Democracy Ct. for a theft complaint. - On Aug. 16 at approximately 4:57 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 to assist the Liberty Hill Fire/ EMS. - On Aug. 16 at approximately 5:39 PM, officers responded to US 183 for a traffic hazard. - On Aug. 16 at approximately 9:25 PM, officers responded to Mourning Dove Ln for suspicious activity. - On Aug. 17 at approximately 8:59 AM, officers responded to the 700 block of US 183 for a citizens assist. - On Aug. 17 at approximately 3:37 PM, officers responded to
the 800 block of Loop 332 for a theft complaint. - On Aug. 17, at approximately 5:11 PM, officers cited a driver for possession of drug paraphernalia, as the result of a traffic stop on RM 1869. - On Aug. 17 at approximately 9:10 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of Loop 332, for a disturbance. - On Aug. 18 at approximately 7:59 AM, officers responded to Wonderstruck to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 18 at approximately 12:27 PM, officers responded to South San Gabriel Rd to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 18 at approximately 2:47 PM, officers responded to Green Egret Way for a disturbance. - On Aug. 18 at approximately 7:01 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 18 at approximately 9:29 PM, officers responded to Deep Lake Drive to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 18 at approximately 5:42AM, officers responded to Forest Lane for suspicious activity.
- On Aug. 19 at approximately 7:52 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Aug. 19 at approximately 8:32 AM, officers responded to the 4000 block of RM 1869 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office with an accident. - On Aug. 19 at approximately 6:13 PM, officers responded to Green Bur Oak Loop for suspicious activity. - On Aug. 19 at approximately 9:55 PM, officers responded to Brown Bridge Rd for suspicious activity. - On Aug. 19 at approximately 10:49PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a welfare concern. - On Aug. 20 at approximately 2:30 AM, officers responded to Brady Creek Way to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 20 at approximately 6:30 AM, officers responded to the 4000 block of CR 200 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Aug. 20 at approximately 11:55 AM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W SH 29 for an accident.
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Thursday, August 26, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
The EDC Board should send me a refund and an apology
By WILT CUTTER Columnist When we all voted in the Economic Development Corp. it was going to be the answer to the transition from a small, rural town facing change to a new inevitable environment of incredible growth and the challenges associated with getting the right businesses to locate here. I voted yes. I want my money back. Managing growth? Who’s managing that? Not any of you, that’s for sure. The growth here has been like weeds springing up after the rain. We got the same kinds of strip centers and drive-thru businesses that they have in every other town. The EDC good ole boy club seems to have benefitted certain new businesses while leaving others to fend
for themselves. It depends on who knew who, and who you paid to go before the EDC. That sounds more like a streetside domino game than a real bonafide government entity operating on my tax dollars. Now, the Cutters have never been a family that complained about taxes. We always had jobs, worked hard and paid Caesar’s government what they claimed we owed them. So, whether it’s Trump/Biden, Bush/Obama—doesn’t matter. I’ve always paid my taxes and remembered what my ancestor, Rock Cutter always said. “Son, your taxes will never go down. If you are still breathing in and out you can bet your sweet booty that some politician somewhere is planning on raising them.” Even my uncle Doc Cutter agreed. He is the one who said “why even Joseph and Mary had to go pay taxes”. If I have to remind you of who Joseph and Mary were then you need to head on back South to Austin.
Since we all have to pay taxes then the only thing we can hope for is representation. So, every time I hear of a kid getting an education I am proud. Every time I see a road crew fixing a pothole, it makes sense. Every time I have to adhere to a certain building code, I get it. However, I don’t get why one legitimate business that is bringing jobs, goods and services gets a freebie and the other doesn’t. What upsets me is the self-righteousness that accompanies all the denials. So, on behalf of my thousands of loyal readers I will await our refund and apology for intentionally turning something created for good into your own personal playhouse. Wilt Cutter is the only man in the world whose name is his profession. He finds beauty in the naturally occurring poetry of the Shin Oak Ridge and its people. His typewriter hates injustice.
RACHEL MADISON FILE PHOTO
It was standing room only during the Planning and Zoning Commission’s meeting in July. 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 have allowed Smokey Denmark to build there.
Sausage factory decides against Sundance Estates location
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer AUSTIN -- Sausage manufacturing company Smokey Denmark has gone back to the drawing board after about 100 residents from Sundance Estates voiced their disapproval of its planned relocation at the July Planning and Zoning Commission’s meeting. The company, currently located in East Austin, requested a zoning change to property at State Highway 29 and Bronco Boulevard behind Prosperity Bank from general commercial/retail (C3) to light industrial/warehousing
(I1) to build a sausage manufacturing warehouse. Dozens of residents spoke at the meeting to voice their opinions over the idea, citing concerns over smoke, smells and increased traffic. “They are no longer looking at the site in front of Sundance Estates for their new location,” said Liberty Hill City Administrator Lacie Hale. “I’m not sure where they want to go, but they haven’t approached the City again to locate elsewhere in town.” Marlis Oliver, president of Smokey Denmark, said the company doesn’t have a
timeline set on the relocation project, but they are still actively looking for somewhere to move. “We like Liberty Hill, but that spot on Bronco Boulevard didn’t work out,” he said. “We are now back to the drawing board and looking at a number of locations north of Austin. Liberty Hill is one of those areas. We love the area and want to be in a town we can support and give back to, but we don’t have any specific location in mind in Liberty Hill.”
Bring your sugar to the Oatmeal Festival on Labor Day weekend
By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer BERTRAM -- What began in 1978 as a spoof on chili cook-offs and a way to put the community of Oatmeal on the official Texas map has become one of the most anticipated festivals in central Texas. After a year’s hiatus due to COVID, the Oatmeal Festival, which now raises funds for local student scholarships, returns this Labor Day weekend. “We had the rural community of Oatmeal as our neighbor to the south, and it was simply too good an idea to overlook,” according to information posted on the festival’s website. “The folks who put together the official map of the State of Texas at that time had also decided to leave Oatmeal off the map because there was not an intersection of main highways there. Oatmeal (the town) is back on the map, and we have a lot of folks who come home to the country every Labor Day Weekend, no matter the weather, because everyone looks forward to the Oatmeal Festival.” In the early years of the festival, Oatmeal companies sponsored the event centered around the food, according to their site. The festival begins on Sept. 3 at the Community Center in Oatmeal, west of Liberty Hill. “It starts on Friday, at 5 p.m.,” said Oatmeal Festival Secretary Anastasia Vance. “(It will be) followed by a Miss Oatmeal Pageant, the cake auction, and then there will be some live music out there (featuring Chris Reeves and Ritchie Bustillo).” The festivities continue Sept. 4, in downtown Bertram. “The fun run starts at eight o’clock in the morning along with the trail ride that goes from the community of Oatmeal to downtown Bertram,” said Vance. “The (5K) run is called ‘Run for your Oats’. Our
Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets Sept. 7
The Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets at 10 a.m. Sept. 7 via zoom. Sandy Fitzpatrick of Hissyfitz Designs will present “Why Didn’t I Think of That”. Contact president@ctquiltguild.org if you would like to be a visitor.
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arts and craft vendors open at 8 a.m. We have a silent auction that runs from 8:30 to 2. We have a bake-off that runs from 9 to 11.” To enter the bake-off, participants need to use a minimum of a cup of oatmeal in their recipes, according to Vance. “We have junior and adult categories,” she said. “We have a pet parade followed by the grand parade, and then we have barbecue plates for sale after the grand parade is over.” The event will also feature what Vance called a mini-carnival with rides for children for a fee. Cody Hibbard will headline the event, with the Steel Belts making an appearance as special guests. “We will have $20 wristbands, and it’s good for every ride all day long,” she said. “Then the water tournament will begin at 12. At 1:30, they’ll have a bird from homecoming, which is something they do for the people that graduated from Bertram High School. We will have a street band that will play at 8 p.m.” Vance said the festival allows local students to volunteer and
obtain scholarships based on their participation. “Our mission statement is endeavoring to ensure scholarship opportunities and supporting programs to enhance our community,” she said. “We are a worship-driven festival. The money that we earned goes back to the students who volunteer to help us out over the course of the weekend. So, the more years and the more hours they have volunteered, the greater their scholarship is going to be.” Vance said there would be barbecue plates along with food and other vendors available throughout the festival. “It’s just basically a fun time to bring your family and friends out and just, you know, see what we have to offer,” said Vance. “There are some local businesses that are open during the festival as well as many local businesses who will have a vendor spot.” Advance tickets for the dance can be purchased at https:// doubleeagletx.com/upcoming-events/.
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Bertram is the place to be on Labor Day weekend as the Oatmeal Festival returns after last year’s cancellation due to COVID. (Photo Courtesy Ryan Schmidt)
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Our associated workshop on Sept. 8 is “Make the Most of Your Machine Applique”. For more information, visit our website.
Liberty Hill Garden Club meets Sept. 14
The program features Janice King, Texas Garden Clubs
Inc. District V Director and Beth Irwin, Assistant Director. They will talk about the activities that Texas Garden Clubs Inc. is involved in. Meeting is in-person at the Cowboy Church at 9:30 am social, 10 a.m. meeting. Write to gardenclublibertyhill@ gmail.com.
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Over the Hill Gang stops meetings, again
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer When the Over the Hill Gang restarted their weekly Thursday luncheons in April after a 14-month hiatus due to COVID, they had high hopes they were back for good. Unfortunately, due to the most recent surge in COVID cases because of the Delta variant, the gang made the decision Aug. 19 to suspend all meetings until further notice. “The board came to an agreement that due to the increased threat of COVID, this will be the last Over the Hill Gang meeting until there is clear evidence that it is once again safe,” said Tom Williams, president of the organization, during his weekly announcements. “There’s no way we can social distance in here, and I personally would feel somewhat responsible if any of you got sick because of being here and even worse if you died from it, so we are going to try to avoid that.” Williams said before the pandemic, around 70 people would attend the weekly Over the Hill meetings for food and fellowship. Since the group started meeting again a few months ago, there have been
JOHNSTON
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
Members of the Over the Hill Gang enjoy their final lunch as a group after learning from the board that meetings will no longer be held due to the resurgence of Covid cases locally. said. “It’s hard even for us not having people to talk to all the time.” Because of the age of the group, Williams said they didn’t try any virtual meetings. “While we were apart, we were apart,” he said. “I know there were a lot of friends here who tried to stay in contact, but it’s hard to play Canasta or Dominos over a virtual meeting.” During the Over the Hill Gang’s absence from their meeting space in the County Annex building behind Parker’s Market, former Mayor
Rick Hall rented out half of the building to The Village, a daycare for adults with disabilities. “We wanted to come back bigger and better, but it’s hard to come back bigger and better when you don’t have the space to meet,” said Ella Williams, one of the directors for the Over the Hill Gang’s board. “There’s no way we can social distance in just half our building. We love The Village— they are a wonderful bunch of people—and I’m all for finding a good place for them to be, which this was while we
were gone, but I hope when we come back, we have more space.” Tom Williams said Hall didn’t know how much the Over the Hill Gang group used the building, and while the gang doesn’t own the building, the group does own everything inside the building. “We were promised a new building under the previous mayor,” he added. “They were going to move us across the street and build a new community center, but as you see, we are still here and there is still [city-owned] machinery
over there [across the street]. I guess that was impacted by COVID also. However, if you ran a survey amongst our members, you wouldn’t find too many in favor of giving up this building. Instead, they just want to have our room back.” Current Mayor Liz Branigan said she has big plans for the Over the Hill Gang’s future and is currently looking into grant options to fund the building of a senior community center where the group can meet when they start their meetings once again.
but his idea was that he’d use $20,000 for each lot to put in that lift station, and then when new businesses came in they would not be eligible for the $20,000. He was basically taking the $160,000 up front to get the infrastructure completed rather than letting each individual business come in and ask for the money. That’s how that came about.” Council Member Chris Pe-
zold said during the July workshop that it just didn’t look right because the money went to the developer, who had paid money to former Mayor Rick Hall for consulting services, and then he got in front of Johnston’s board and was granted $160,000, particularly because Hall and Johnston are friends. Johnston said while Hall is his friend, Hall never asked
for him to put anything on the agenda or to vote one way or another. “We were totally separate in our roles,” Johnston said. “If he had pressured me, then we wouldn’t be friends.” The Board postponed the appointment of a new member until its September meeting, because Michael Helbing and Adrienne Hughes were absent.
was sworn in by Mayor Liz Branigan, and immediately began her new role. Powell also shared a department update with the Board, but because of recent changes to the City’s finance department—namely the termination of director Becky Wilkins—he didn’t have the most recent sales tax or budget update. “I’m assuming the sales tax outlook is good because it has been good for quite some time,” he said. “I’m also going to meet with the interim finance director and start discussing the planning process for next year’s budget. Between now and our next meeting, there could be a special called meeting to discuss and approve our next budget.” Also during his update, Powell said Golf Cart King plans to break ground at its new site on CR 214 just north of QuikTrip in about two weeks. He added that he was recently nominated to participate in the Texas Economic Development Council’s Future Leaders Program, which will take place in October. The EDC also unanimously
passed a motion to recommend to City Council the termination of the $20,000 Grant Incentive program, which is the program the Heritage Ridge development used to get $160,000 in incentives for utilities like a lift station. The only business currently operating in that development is Starbucks, which opened for business Monday. Also during the meeting, the EDC approved an application from Allied Stone for a sign grant. The business, located on the east side of State Highway 29, is interested in taking down its existing sign and installing a new monument-style sign, Powell said. “They heard about our sign grant and reached out,” he said. “The pros are that the business is in a gateway location to the city, and they are a stone company so I’m guessing it’ll be a good-looking sign. I don’t see anything on the application that doesn’t meet the terms of our [sign grant] program.” The next meeting of the EDC Board is Sept. 15.
Continued from Page 1
years serving on the board I have seen the EDC make great strides to operate in a way that is beneficial to the City of Liberty Hill. I have every confidence that the EDC board will do great things for the future of Liberty Hill. I want to thank you all for your support in my tenure as president and my time on the board.” After his statement, Johnston, who owns Dahlia Café, stood
FLEMING
dwindling numbers, with the last few weeks only bringing in around 25 people. “Our group is just continuing to get smaller,” he said. “There are a lot of people already not coming. With the COVID cases on the rise and the new variant, plus the age of our group and the assorted ailments that go along with that age, I don’t feel comfortable with us gathering.” Area seniors ages 50 years and older are eligible to join the gang. During the group’s hiatus, Williams said he didn’t hear of anyone in the group contracting COVID, but he believes that was because everyone took isolating very seriously. And even when the gang started meeting again, many still weren’t ready to socialize and didn’t attend the weekly luncheon. Although he is glad his group members are staying safe, Williams also worries about those who live alone and don’t get the chance to socialize much outside of Over the Hill Gang events. “My wife and I were together isolating, and I mentioned to her how terrible this would be to go through alone,” Williams
up, shook the hands of the board members, and left the meeting. The Board, as well as Economic Development Director Matt Powell and Mayor Liz Branigan, were surprised by his abrupt exit. At the July meeting of the EDC, which was a joint workshop with the City Council, the two groups had a heated discussion about incentive money given to the developer of Star-
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people a day in about a year. The city shows ‘mad love’ and great support.” After doing odd jobs that would get him away from home, Fleming decided to pursue his passion for hair styling following his wife’s advice. “I’ve never really thought about being a barber,” he said. “My wife was pregnant, and I got an offer to work for a different company a few hours away so that I wouldn’t be home for the weekend. My wife didn’t like that. She told me to go work with a friend in the business. I went to (barber) school, and I worked at a Turkish barbershop for six years. I turned my hobby into a profession, and within six months, I was the main guy out there and transitioned over here. I never missed a beat. I kept it going.” The Hair Stop in downtown Liberty Hill is split down the middle with a barbershop on one side and a salon with two stylists. Fleming took over the shop in 2018. Free haircuts for kids before school is a tradition he brought with him from the land of Bratwurst. “It was a way to give something back to the community,” said Fleming. “People get to know me, and who can say no to a free haircut? I don’t do it
for the money or to get new customers. I have too many as it is. As a matter of fact, I need to hire somebody to come help me. We can’t meet the demand. I have three open chairs and need people to come and work.” Fleming resides in Killeen but chose Liberty Hill for his business because of the warm welcome he received. “I was kind of scared about coming to a small town,” he said. “I’m a city guy. When I walked into Boomers, I see all these cowboy boots and was like, ‘where am I?’ I’ve been here for four years, and I have never experienced a bad attitude or any sort of animosity or racism. Liberty Hill, in general, is a gold mine.” Fleming hopes to make Liberty Hill a place he can call home for himself and his family. “I see myself staying here. I just need to get a house here,” he said. “I came at a good time for the business part, but the housing market, I came at a bad time. If I can get a house out here and my family out here. It would be all-around perfect. I would be living the true American Dream.”
bucks to put in a utility lift station required by the City. “[The developer] came to us because he needed to put in a lift station that the City required, and he was going to have to come up with extra money,” Johnston said during the workshop. “I don’t know how he found out that any business coming into town could get up to $20,000 per business for construction,
EDC
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for every low-flow toilet you install in your business, you’d get 50 percent of the cost up to a $100 rebate from the program.” Powell said if the EDC generated a third incentive program, it could dovetail on the LCRA rebate. “There are things here that are a higher priority from a water conservation standpoint, like pressure reducing heads and nozzles, low-flow toilets and rain sensors,” he said. “What if [the EDC] were able to come in and give another $100 to those who install low-flow toilets? Then the business would get up to $100 from LCRA and $100 from us. One of our core values is sustainability—this aligns with that.” Powell added that this third program would also be on the EDC’s website, like the others once they are approved, and would be clear and easy to understand. The EDC Board directed Powell to look into establishing a “water smart” incentivization program for the City to add to the other two offerings currently being reviewed.
The EDC also discussed providing incentives for Main Street Social, which has been an ongoing discussion between the entities and the City Council for the last two months. “We had a cordial meeting with [owner] James Prince at Main Street Social,” Powell said. “A lot of what he’s waiting for is what program do we do it under? I told him it would be on this agenda, but he understands the City and EDC are reviewing the policies of various programs. I reiterated to him that when the time is right, under one of the new programs, we will be able to provide him incentivization. If those programs were already in place, Main Street Social would be an easy contender. As soon as the new incentive programs are nailed down, I recommend that Main Street Social is the first business we entertain.” The EDC voted unanimously to table the item until the new incentive programs are solidified. Also at the meeting, the newest member of the EDC Board, Demetrice Gonzalez,
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page 5
Dancing Under the Stars features Billie Jo, Mojo Griggs on Sept. 3
By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer The third concert of the Dancing Under the Stars series will feature two up-and-coming Texas Country stars, Billie Jo and Mojo Griggs, on Sept. 3 at the Shooting Star Ranch. Billie Jo recalls performing the songs of her idols at age 4 in her grandparents’ living room, knowing she would grow up to entertain the masses. Born and raised in Emory, she performed at local fairs and churches, inspiring her music along the way. “My first time singing was at my local church,” she said. “I started singing in churches and local Opries all over, and I knew it was what I was meant to do. My stuff is a more traditional country. Growing up in a little town has definitely inspired a few songs I’ve written.” Billie Jo said she has every weekend booked until January, a sharp change from when she had to stop performing due to the pandemic. “It did, however, slow down quite a bit and came to a complete stop when COVID hit, but thank God it’s back to normal again,” she said. “Hopefully, it will stay that way. I never knew what it would be like not to go and perform, and I hope that never happens again. It definitely makes me never take one single performance for granted. I treat each show like it could be my very last.” Her accolades include making it to the top 100 on “The Voice” in 2013, “American
Grange
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Gandy hired her kids to load up about 50 bags of wet leaves, and a dumpster brought to the property was full in a matter of hours. The inside of the house was full of furniture, as the previous owner had her own furniture recycling business, and many of the rooms couldn’t fully be seen. “For example, I didn’t know what the fireplace looked like at all,” Gandy said. “And I didn’t know there were windows in the dining room because it was completely full of furniture. Even one of the showers was full of a bunch of plastic tubs.” Some of the furniture pieces were nice enough to keep.
COVID
Idol” in 2017, and getting to the top 14 on “Real Country”. “My current single is ‘Forever Came Today’,” she said. “I also made my first ever music video to this song, and it is doing really well on CMT Australia, the country network and heartland network thanks to Steve Baker. Sure, it’s tough, but someone out there is depending on me to do what God has called me to do, and that’s to share my voice and songs with the world. God’s got a plan for me, and I will continue to follow His path, and when it’s the right time, it’ll happen.” There’s a support system behind everyone’s success. Billie Jo said hers stems from her husband and family’s encouragement. “I am very blessed to be married to an oilfield man who supports my music probably more than I do at times,” she said. “He designs all my merch hats, t-shirts and is constantly writing radio stations and venues to get my name out there. “I’m not just a singer/songwriter. My most important job is being a mom to our kiddos. I have four kids and my husband three. My life is super busy, but I wouldn’t trade one minute of it. We are very blessed, and my kiddos love to see their mom out there chasing her dream,” she said. This will be the first time Billie Jo performs in Liberty Hill, “I have never been there before, but I have heard how beautiful and peaceful it is, and I cannot wait to play this gorgeous venue,” she said. “Come out and hear my amazing live band. It’ll be a fun night danc-
Gandy plans to use some of the pieces to furnish the office to give it an antique feel. At first, the plan was to just do the bare minimum to make the house function as an office, like give it a fresh coat of paint and update the landscaping, but Gandy and her husband, Mike, decided the house could use a little more work than just cosmetic upgrades. “We decided to have the foundation leveled at this home, just like we did with our other home next door,” she said. “The foundation company told us that the original cedar posts under the house used to be 4-by-12 and they have deteriorated down to 4-by-4.
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Governor Greg Abbott’s executive orders are resolved by the courts. “No mask mandates for students at this time,” said Snell. “We will constantly evaluate the data and daily work with the health department to make the best decisions we can for the district. The data doesn’t lie. And as we watch the numbers, especially inside our district, we might have to make adjustments to our protocols accordingly. Right now, we’re working on being consistent with the current protocols we have and trying to keep kids as safe as possible through those current protocols.” Snell added that there is no specific number of cases or percentages that will change the protocols at the district level, but rather how instances connect to each other. “We need to take it case by case and day by day,” said Snell. “We need to see if the cases are related or not related. So far, we’re still seeing community spread, but we’re not seeing in-school spread. Lots of factors have to be taken into consideration. So, there’s not a hard and fast number or percentage -- we just monitor it each and every day and debrief at the beginning and end of each day. Masks get a lot of attention, but it’s critical that families and students do that self-monitoring every day, and stay home if they have symptoms. That is the most critical part of everything.” Snell said the email announcement earlier this week by Bill Burden Elementary Principal Tanya Lambert that she had tested positive for COVID was proper protocol to keep students and their families safe. Lambert sent the email, which was shared with The Independent, to parents. In the email, she said she is recover-
ing at home. “I’m not telling you this to fulfill a notification requirement or create panic, but rather to inform you so you can continue to monitor your children,” said Lambert in the email. “I made every effort to wear a mask anytime I was outside my office last week. I understand this notice is unsettling as you place your students in our hands each day, but I also hope you know how much they mean to us and that we are doing all we can to provide a beautiful education to our students during this difficult time.” The Principal’s case is one of four staff and six students reported at Bill Burden. “We’re very proud of her,” Snell said. “She followed our COVID protocols. “She’s working from home, which is exactly what we want them to do to make sure that nobody else gets sick based on her exposure. As a district, we will support her campus to make sure they have everything in place to continue to function at full speed.” The number of students that were in close contact with Lambert was not available, Snell said. “Miss Lambert masked up the entire time and kept her distance,” said Snell. “I couldn’t answer (how many kids she came in contact with) with certainty. She’s probably one of our principals who is very consistent with her safety practices.” The Williamson County and Cities Health District on Wednesday reported 50,434 confirmed cases in the county, 523 deaths, with 396 daily new cases. WCCHD also reports about 64 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, and 76 percent is partially vaccinated. About 9.8 percent of total cases are linked to Liber-
Billie Jo leads the stage at Shooting Star Ranch as part of the Dancing Under the Stars Charity Concert Series next month.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Mojo Griggs opens for Billie Jo at Shooting Star Ranch Sept. 3
ing under the stars.” Mojo Griggs will warm up the crowd. He has publicly practiced his craft for 12 years. “Music was always my safe haven,” he said. “I was kind of an awkward kid and didn’t have a ton of friends growing up. That was where I learned about life, and I found comfort. I started doing open mics when I was 17, and I’ve been chasing it since.” He learned the craft by watching his father perform. “I think a lot of it had to do with my dad,” he said. “My dad was a drummer of a
honky-tonk band when I was growing up. So just seeing him play or talk about it or meeting his musician buddies and stuff.” Born in Illinois, Griggs says living in Texas for over 13 years has shaped his music and playing style. “The Texas music scene is just absolutely incredible,” he said. “You have so many people that are so talented. They’re playing their own stuff. I mean, this is genuine music. This is genuine artistry to me. And to get to see something like that really can drive
and motivate a person to want to be better in their industry.” Griggs’ style comes from his varied taste in music ranging from George Strait, Five Finger Death Punch, and Eminem. He said he enjoys playing in Liberty Hill because it reminds him of home. “I’ve played. I’ve played a few shows out that way over the years,” he said. “The town I grew up in in Illinois, only had 800 people. It’s the small-town feel for me. You see somebody out on the road, and you give each other a
wave. It’s all ‘yes ma’am and yes sir.’ It’s just that southern hospitality. We bring a very family-friendly show. A good variety of different stuff from Texas country to ’90s country to alternative, and it’s kind of a unique sound.” The concert benefits the L4 Cares. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Food trucks and concessions will be available. Those interested in alcoholic beverages can bring their own in a cooler for a $10 fee. Door prizes and other gift items will be distributed.
That’s impressive considering the house was built in 1910. They’ll be adding 55 concrete piers under the house, which will lift and level it.” Amy Gandy added that drainage issues along the street and sidewalk have caused the underside of the house to be wet all the time, which has added to its foundation problems. Because the house has settled so much in its 100-plus-years history, she’s also expecting the inside to need a lot of work after the foundation is leveled. “We will see what all happens on the inside, but I’m fully expecting to have to do new sheetrock in the whole kitchen because it’s the lowest part of
the house,” she said. “Mike is very handy and will do some things, but he doesn’t want to do sheetrock work, so we will be hiring that out. I’m hoping other than that it will be mostly cosmetic stuff [like cracks in the walls and ceilings] that will have to be repaired.” Once the foundation work is complete, the next steps will be to have the exterior of the home painted and central air
and heat to be installed. These projects are all set to be completed by the end of September, Amy Gandy said. The home will be painted a beige color with white trim and a navy blue porch and doors, to match the A. Gandy & Co. colors. The Gandys also plan to take down the railing on the front porch so people can see how the porch wraps around the house.
Once those major projects are done, the Gandys will focus on the outside of the home, she said. This will include landscaping and the removal of all the outbuildings on the property. “I want to do xeriscaping in the yard with native plants so it’s not high maintenance but still looks nice,” she said. “I
ty Hill’s zip code 78642. Earlier this week, the US Food and Drug Administration gave full approval for Pfizer-Biontech COVID-19 Vaccine to be used on those 16 years of age or older, a modification from its emergency authorization that allowed it to be used since December 11, 2020. Staff vaccinations at LHISD will continue to be optional. Snell said he encourages immunizations, but will not require them. “Right now, we’re doing a good job with the protocols we have,” he said. “Should the data merit changes, we will consider that at that time. As superintendent, I would absolutely encourage anyone who has not had the vaccine to get the vaccine. But what I would really encourage the community and my staff to do is talk to their doctor or health care provider and make the best choice for them and their family. All I can do is look at the data and see that people with vaccines have less severe symptoms than people without the vaccine.” Snell said the district continues to make adjustments as the first full week of school progresses, and he is hopeful for the remainder of the school year. “The teachers have been amazing,” he said. “The kids have done a great job, and we look forward to a great school year. Honestly, we’re going to get it done. We’re looking forward to football Friday. The volleyball teams are off to a successful start; tennis, cross country are off to successful starts. We want to do everything we can to make sure kids can participate and have a great school year without interruption. So that’s our goal.”
See GANDY, Page 8
SPORTS
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, August 26, 2021 Page 6
Stepping into the spotlight Sophomore back to lead Panthers offense
ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO
Noah Long (#21) debuted last season on the Liberty Hill varsity as a freshman and cited a 71yard kickoff return against Del Valle as the moment he knew he belonged on the squad.
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Noah Long knew something was up last year when he was issued his helmet before the start of his freshman season. “When I got mine, it was a SpeedFlex,” said Long. “The freshman team doesn’t get those.” At that point, Long realized he would at least be a member of the junior varsity squad during his first season of Liberty Hill football, but he had an inkling something more was in the offing. “Finally, I just asked (former head) Coach (Jeff) Walker and he told me I was on the varsity,” he said. “It was an amazing feeling, but it was shocking – I was overcome with happiness.” Fast-forward a year and Long finds himself in the Panthers’ starting lineup as the Purple-
Cranking out the miles
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Avery Holland does a lot of running with her teammates on Liberty Hill’s cross country team. But, it wasn’t enough. So, over the summer and leading into the beginning of fall practice, the Panthers sophomore decided to strike out on her own in addition to her customary training. Not only that, but she decided to keep a written log of all the miles that passed beneath the soles of her shoes until she had reached a particular number. Two hundred. As in miles, which was the amount of ground she ended up covering, along with a handful of her teammates who had set out on the same quest. Holland said she had a scientific strategy when it came to how much terrain she wanted to total up when it came to planning her schedule. “I wanted to make sure I ran at least 20 miles every four
days,” she said. “It wasn’t always the same amount every day – as long as it all added up.” Did it ever add up. In all, four runners hit the 200-mile mark on the odometer, but Holland was the only girl who reached the hallowed milestone. She said the motivation behind her efforts was simple. “Last summer, I ran 150 miles,” said Holland. “So, this year, I wanted to do better.” Holland didn’t even pick up the sport until two years ago as an eighth-grader after she had been encouraged to try it out on more than one occasion, she said. “People always told me I’d be a good runner because I have long legs,” said Holland. “Besides, I’ve always loved to run from an early age.” With her penchant for cardiovascular activity, it should come as no surprise Holland is also a gifted soccer player in addition to competing in track
– going against the grain as far as continuing to play multiple sports as opposed to honing in on just one. “I haven’t decided which one I’m best at yet,” she said. “ Liberty Hill head coach Kim Holt said the mileage log was intended to change up the monotony of endless miles passing by without any kind of acknowledgment. “I wanted to do something different to get their minds focused – I wanted to see how many would actually do it,” said Holt. “For the ones who participated, it shows me they want to do well.” Holt said the Panthers’ jump up to Class 5A last season provided a bit of a rude awakening for some of her runners concerning their summer training – or lack thereof. “In 5A, you’re not going to compete if you don’t run at all over the summer,” she said. “Class 4A was more geared for that.” Of the 50-plus athletes in the
program, about half showed up during the summer for the voluntary workouts designed to give the Panthers a leg up on the competition come fall, said Holt. “We would usually have 2025 kids every day,” she said. Holland said for her to improve her conditioning level, she needs to be free of running a particular pace during practice. “I don’t like to feel like I have to keep up or slow down,” she said. “I feel like when I’m running on my own, I know when I have to push myself.” As far as her mile-logging hobby, Holland said she was compelled to strive for the magic benchmark and will do so again next summer. “I felt like it was something I wanted to do to get better at the sport,” she said. “Next year, I want to run more than 200 miles.”
and-Gold prepare to host Ellison in the season-opener. Last season, Long was fourth on the depth chart behind seniors Blake Simpson, Trey Seward and Eric De La Cruz, but still got plenty of valuable playing time in gaining 421 yards on 39 carries, including six touchdowns. Most impressive, though, was his ability to break off big plays, which his hefty 10.8 yards-per-carry average attested to, including a 77-yard scoring run against Rouse in the regional finals – part of a 56-42 Liberty Hill victory. So, despite his limited time on the varsity squad, Long has already seen plenty of action and his early success can be attributed to the guidance he received before he even reached the high school level, he said. “I think I’ve had the ability to adapt quickly,” said Long.
“My coaches in junior high really helped me a lot.” According to head coach Kent Walker, Long has the proper mentality to have succeeded last season when other players of his relative inexperience may have failed. “Not only does Noah have the ability, but he also had the maturity to be able to play on Friday night – he doesn’t carry himself like a sophomore, but like an upperclassman,” said Walker. “He gets along well with everyone and has a great work ethic.” Long said it was his teammates last season welcoming into the fold with open arms that made his transition from junior high football to the high school varsity gridiron that much easier. “It was a respect thing – I
See LONG, Page 8
ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO
Avery Holland kept a log of her summer training – running 200 miles in all – along with a handful of her Liberty Hill teammates.
Stepping up to fill the void
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Sophomore Gigi Mason (#14) has stepped up her game to help fill in for injured senior Emma Becker, who is currently out of the Lady Panthers’ lineup.
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Gigi Mason knew her time on the Lady Panthers’ volleyball squad would come. She just didn’t think it would be so soon. But, when senior outside hitter Emma Becker went down with an ankle injury, it was partially up to her to step up and help fill the void left by the absence of Liberty Hill’s kills leader. Becker was injured during a match against Clear Lake at the Westwood Showcase in Round Rock and when it happened, Mason said she was initially a bit shocked as far as what it meant for her. “I was like ‘Wow, okay, this is real, I guess I’m going to be out there for a while,’” she said. “At first, I was nervous, but there weren’t a lot of other options.” For the rest of that match and the subsequent contests, it has been Mason and fellow sophomore outside hitter Kealy Dirner who have picked up the slack in Becker’s absence and have done a fine job in doing so. In fact, Mason co-led the Lady Panthers with 10 kills in a narrow road defeat to Class 6A Cedar Ridge, while Dirner led Liberty Hill with 12 kills in a home loss to another Class 6A club in Westwood on backto-back days. According to head coach Gretchen Peterson, an entire group of fresh faces have already contributed mightily to the Purple-and-Gold cause this season. “We have four sophomores who have made the jump this season from the freshman team directly to varsity,” said Peterson, of Carson Glenn and Kylie Hutchinson, in addition
to Mason and Dirner. “It’s a matter of getting them experience and seeing a lot of volleyball and all of them have made immediate impacts.” Peterson said this kind of reloading process, which can be required due to graduation – or in this case, injury, is a testament to the success the sub-varsity squads had last season. “Last year, across the board, our freshman team was solid,” she said, of a team that went undefeated over the course of the campaign. “Our JV was also very balanced.” One weapon Mason brings to the fight is the fact she’s left-handed, which gives her a distinct advantage – especially playing on the right side of the net, as this allows her to strike with a spike more quickly as the ball doesn’t have as far to travel from the setters before Mason can power it home. Mason said so far despite the setters having to adjust to a southpaw up front, the connections have been solid. “It rarely happens when the ball has been on the wrong side,” she said. “Really, anywhere close is good – then I can either hit it down the line or cross-court.” Mason said she believes she’s improved markedly since her freshman season last year, but with the increased competition level she’s now facing at the varsity level, she’s being put to the test like never before. “Last year, we crushed other freshman teams, but this season, it’s a whole other level for me,” she said. “The girls are bigger, stronger and they see the court much better – it’s much more intense.” Peterson added the fact her
See MASON, Page 8
Thursday, August 26, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page 7
SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTOS
Senior Eliza Homorodi has steadily improved her game during her four years in the Panthers’ Senior Will Snell returns a shot during Liberty Hill’s district-opener against Rouse. tennis program.
Crossing the gender line
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Patrick Fay held a tennis ball in his left hand poised to fire a serve across the net with doubles’ partner Ethan Wukasch at the ready near the net, while the opposing duo was eagerly anticipating what was about to unfold. Only across the net was a pair of female Panthers in sisters Ellis and India Young, which made the matchup a battle of the sexes under the sun on this day. According to Liberty Hill head coach Sherry Rhoden, the co-ed battles in practice are a way to help her determine the strengths and weaknesses of her players when faced with unfamiliar opposition – partic-
Co-ed practice matches sharpen skills
ularly for her Lady Panthers. “One of the reasons we do this is to get the higher-end girls used to playing against guys,” said Rhoden. “So, they can get used to faster balls being hit at them.” Senior Eliza Homorodi enjoys the challenge of finding herself pitted up against some of her squad’s big bombers, she said. “I like it because it gives me a chance to play against everyone on our team – not just the girls,” said Homorodi. “It’s just a change of pace because girls don’t hit the ball as hard.” Playing against a more powerful opponent goes against the grain of her preferred playing style, as Homorodi is more inclined to expertly place the
ball as opposed to blasting it past someone, she said. “Finesse works much better for me,” said Homorodi. “As long as you can always get the ball in the right spot.” However, sometimes during a match, strategy must be altered based on what is and isn’t effective against a particular foe, she said. “Sometimes, if you’re playing someone who can’t return hard shots, you have to change your game plan,” said Homorodi. “It’s something I’ve learned over time.” Fellow senior Will Snell also likes the prospect of playing female members of the team, as it helps keep him well-conditioned for not only his exploits on the court – but also
the diamond, as a member of Liberty Hill’s varsity baseball team – as there are definite similarities between the two different kinds of balls he lines up in his sights. “For me, it’s all about being able to read the spin of the ball,” said Snell, who plays second base, shortstop and pitches for the Panthers. “Like in baseball when you can see if it’s a fastball or a curveball, for example and the hand-eye coordination is the same.” Snell began playing competitive tennis in eighth grade when some of his friends took up the game and has since become more and more of an aficionado – although he said he was attracted to the sport after watching high-level matches.
“I started watching on TV and thought it was cool,” he said. “With tennis, I feel like I have more control over what happens.” Rhoden said the intrasquad matches between girls and boys also works in reverse as far as the velocity part of the game is concerned. “Some of our players struggle against opponents who hit the ball slower,” she said. “They’ll get impatient and think that’s not how tennis is supposed to be played as far as having to watch the ball for that long – then they get frustrated and it’s an endless cycle.” Now that the fall season has started, the Panthers are able to play matches as opposed to the nonstop practice routine
that has been in place over the opening few weeks of the season, which is a welcome change for Homorodi, she said. “It’s better because it gets us playing against different people and some who might be better than we are,” said Homorodi. “Even though practice matters just as much.” So, is there one male teammate she particularly dreads playing against in practice? “Definitely, Joseph Sherman,” she said, of the Panthers’ No. 1 boys’ singles’ player. “Because he’s so good and hits the ball so hard – but I know it makes me better.”
PANTHER OF THE WEEK
Reluctant runner finds success on trails Panthers senior was persuaded by parents
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Jacob Russell initially took up the sport of cross country, it wasn’t of his own volition. “My mom forced me to go to practice,” said Russell, of mother Reagan’s powers of persuasion. “She knew I was pretty good at running.” Since that fateful day as a seventh-grader, Russell has blossomed into one of the Panthers’ strongest runners and now as a senior, is one of Liberty Hill’s leaders on the trails. But, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, after Russell’s initial introduction to his new athletic endeavor, it took quite awhile to warm up to the idea, he said. “Actually, I didn’t start to like it until ninth grade,” said Russell. At least at the beginning during his first two years of running, rising early in the morning wasn’t required – which helped a bit. “In junior high, they had practice after school,” he said. “I was still mad because I had
to run five miles a day, but pretty soon I started to like it.” Once Russell’s resistance receded, he began to embrace the sport he now calls his own and long ago left other activities such as football, baseball and soccer behind – although there is one athletic vice he continued to pursue. “I still play basketball,” said Russell. “A lot of my friends like Walker Weems, Cayden Branch and Kaleb Baker play and (assistant cross country and JV basketball) Coach (Blake) Boren and I get along well.” Liberty Hill head cross country coach Kim Holt is squarely behind Russell as far as his hardwood habits are concerned. “I don’t think you should ever get in the way of a kid competing,” she said. “Jacob’s very competitive.” Russell usually plays one of the two guard positions on the court, but is always open to whatever is required of him, he said. “Mostly, I just play defense,”
said Russell, whose older brother, JC, also played hoops for the Panthers before graduating with the Class of 2020. “Really, I just try to be as annoying to the other team as possible.” Speaking of siblings, one of Russell’s favorite hobbies when not running or studying is to hunker down in front of his PlayStation 5 before taking his brother on in a virtual sports setting. “We’ll play NCAA Football 14,” he said. “My brother is attending LSU, which we both always want to be in the game, so we usually just switch off between them and Alabama.” So, who would usually come out of the video game tussle with the upper hand? Russell chose to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights on that one. “I don’t remember most of the games,” said Russell, with a grin. Russell added his quiet persona will often give others the wrong idea about him. “I don’t really talk a lot in
class or anything,” he said. “So, people might think I’m aloof, but I think I’m actually pretty friendly.” In the spring, Russell – like most of his cross country teammates – also competes in track, running the 800 and 1600 meters, but said he prefers the shorter distance. “I really like the 800,” said Russell. “It’s a dead sprint for two laps and I like the challenge of getting better.” Russell – who has applied to Abilene Christian University with the intention of studying for a career in information systems, said he doesn’t know where his Purple-and-Gold athletic path would’ve taken him if not for motherly insistence five years ago. “Honestly, I have no idea what I’d be doing,” he said. “I probably still would’ve run track and maybe kept playing football.” Seems as if Mom still knows best.
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Usually, when the Panthers hit the gridiron under the lights on a Friday night, we take up a position in the luxurious press box at Panther Stadium, which provides a panoramic view of not only the action on the field, but the entire surrounding area. However, that’s when there’s a game. Last Thursday, Liberty Hill hosted Boerne in its second of two preseason scrimmages before the curtain goes up on the 2021 season against Ellison this week. For these occasions we eschew the air-conditioned climes of the catbird’s seat and venture down onto the sidelines. Scrimmages are a bit odd in that it’s live competition against a real opponent, but it’s
still little more than practice – only against unfamiliar faces. Coaches are allowed on the field during play in order to get a closer look at their team from a perspective not usually available. Even being a few yards closer to the action compared to the customary spot on the sidelines can provide further insight into what goes right and wrong once the ball is snapped. Seems as if the Panthers have just as much trouble lining up other teams for scrimmages as they do in filling out their non-district schedule every year, because even in practice, nobody wants to face the famed Slot-T offense. However, just as Hays was game the previous week, Boerne decided to make the trip for the occasion, which took place on an early evening during which the heat index exceeded the century mark, making it more challenging for everyone involved.
Toughens ‘em up. Along with the additional sights, being on the field means all the sounds usually muffled by crowd noise and the plate-glass windows of the press box can be heard loud and clear. Coaches losing their religion over a missed block or tackle and perhaps a thrown hat or two are common occurrences, along with little get-togethers featuring particular units of the team with their respective position coaches after a series of plays unfolds – which at this point in a young season more resemble come-to-Jesus meetings than anything else. One other thing to note concerning the aesthetics of the atmosphere are the numbers on the players’ jerseys. As game uniforms are saved for when the contests count, some players are wearing their usual numbers, while many others are not, which is when it comes in handy to be able to recognize ballers by other
characteristics. For example, No. 34, who had several strong runs, caught a long pass and another for a touchdown was none other than sophomore running back Noah Long, who usually sports No. 21. Big No. 8 wreaking havoc along the line and blowing up ballcarriers in opposing backfields? Senior Lloyd Johnson, Jr., who normally rocks No. 17, at your service. Definitely says something about a player when you can instantly tell who it is just by watching them play. Senior linebacker Andon Thomas was also doing his usual sideline-to-sideline blanket defensive coverage despite being in disguise. Usually, during such shindigs, quarterbacks wear red jerseys as a warning to not hit or tackle the sacred signal-callers. However, due to the fact the Panthers’ quarterbacks are just as much a part of the Pur-
ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO
Jacob Russell only took up cross country after being forced to attend his first practice in seventh grade by his mother, but now is a senior stalwart on the squad.
Gridiron dress rehearsal offers unique view ple-and-Gold run game as the backs, senior Will Szewczyk and sophomore Joe Pitchford wore the same white as their teammates, while the Greyhounds’ men under center were adorned in the scarlet shirts – meaning they could be hit like any other player on the field. Except for when one of them dropped back to pass (?!), which happened on a handful of occasions as the sun began its slow decent in the western sky. One last thing. Anyone who’s ever been in
a locker room after a game knows the familiar odor of competition, whether it be in victory or defeat. Well, take that and put it outside on a steamy summer evening and what you get is an allout olfactory assault that will clear one’s head in a hurry. Just don’t get caught downwind. All in all, it’s an enjoyable experience, but once a year is probably enough, so we believe we’ll once again take up our usual perch this week when the ball kicks off for real. Exactly how we like it.
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Page 8
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Hair leads Liberty Hill to win over Pflugerville
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In a matchup of namesakes, Liberty Hill’s Lady Panthers defeated the visiting variety from Pflugerville by a score of 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-14) as senior middle blocker Ailie Hair pounded home nine kills to go with five aces and three blocks. “Ailie really played a complete match tonight,” said Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson. “But, really, we swung well in all positions.” Hair certainly came out swinging, collecting four kills in the opening set, as the home side jumped out to a quick 5-0 early advantage, while outside hitters Kealy Dirner and Maddi Rowley both powered home a pair of kills apiece. The second stanza saw much of the same, with Hair hammering kills on three consecutive Lady Panthers points midway through the set, but then it was her service game which stole the spotlight, as she delivered back-to-back aces to help Liberty Hill build a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, as Rowley had four kills and closed the set with a block. After Pflugerville won the opening two points of the third set, Gigi Mason hit a winner, which was followed by another from Morgan Poulain before Hair once again stepped back to the service line, duplicating her earlier effort by producing
back-to-back aces, the first of which was hit with such force, it deflected off a Pflugerville player and landed halfway up the stands on the visiting side. Senior Reese Williams made her season debut in her return from a broken hand and collected a kill late in the match, while Hair and Rowley closed out the contest with another impressive series of kills, blocks and aces. Fittingly enough, it was Hair who served yet another ace for the match-winner. Rowley co-led the Lady Panthers with nine kills, while Dirner added eight to the cause. Emma Parsons supplied 15 assists, with Carson Glenn adding 14 on the evening and Haley Kuhlmann had 14 digs to go with 13 by Rowley in the victory. Hair attributed her success on the night to her ability to see the play unfold and react accordingly. “Being able to read the block was big for me,” she said. “If I can see it while the play is going on, I can change the direction of my shots – that’s the big difference for me this season – having better ball control and being smarter.” Senior outside hitter Emma Becker missed her 13th straight match with an ankle injury suffered at the Westwood Showcase tournament two weeks ago, which meant
CROSS COUNTRY BRIEFS Ladies prevail at season opener Liberty Hill’s girls’ cross country squad got the new season off with a rousing start with a team victory at the Temple Invitational. All five point-scorers for the Lady Panthers finished in the top 20, as freshman Avery Frank led the way with a second-place finish in a time of 19:23, while freshman Laney McCarn crossed the finish line eighth in 20:40 and fellow rookie runner Nina Burnett was 12th in 20:57.9. Junior Natalie Roth was 18th in 21:34 and sophomore Avery Holland posted a 22nd-place result in 21:45.7. Also finishing for Liberty Hill were Nanci Sanchez (28th, 22:35.20), Eimilie Taylor (36th, 22:56.3), Ashley Price (38th, 23:06.6), Emma Hiebner (53rd, 23:42.5) and Daisy Anaya (61st, 24:18.1) Liberty Hill head coach Kim Holt was pleased with the result – especially the fact so many of her first-year runners spurred on the victory. “I was pretty surprised with how our three freshmen contributed,” she said. “Especially seeing how it was the first time they competed at the threemile distance. I was really happy to see how well they did.” Liberty Hill’s 52 points easily outdistanced second-place
Hendrickson, who scored 95. Harker Heights’ Ella Perry won the race in a time of 18:50.4. While the girls were busy stealing the show, Liberty Hill’s boys finished a strong second with 81 points to winners Stony Point, who posted 62 in a field of 17 teams. Ryan McCarn was the highest-placed Panthers runner in 11th with a time of 16:49.4, while fellow junior Brandon Escobar finished 14th in 16:58.5, sophomore Caden Glenn was 16th in 17:04.4, senior Greg Miller was 19th in 17:09.1 and senior Jacob Russell finished 21st in 17:22.8. Also finishing for Liberty Hill were Cayden Branch (22nd, 17:25.4), Christopher Higginbotham (30th, 17:46.7) and Jack Roth (62nd, 18:51.6). Liam Donohoe of Anderson was first in a time of 15:59.8. Holt holds high hopes for the squad down the line, she said. “I think our boys have a shot to win district,” said Holt. “Ryan (McCarn) has improved a lot after being injured and with Brandon (Escobar) and Jacob (Russell), they’re going to be competitive.” Liberty Hill will next compete at the Vista Ridge Invitational in Cedar Park on Aug. 27.
TENNIS BRIEFS Panthers blow away Rouse in district opener
Liberty Hill’s tennis team couldn’t have been much more dominant than it was in the district opener against Rouse, as the Panthers defeated the Raiders by an 18-1 score. Girls’ singles saw No. 1 Ellis Young lose 3-6, 0-6, while No. 2 India Young won 6-2, 6-0, No. 3 Sophie Sherman won 6-1, 6-0, No. 4 Jennifer Merrill won 6-1, 6-1, No. 5 Ella Bodnar won 6-1, 6-0 and No. 6 Peyton Buckley won 6-0, 6-0. In boys’ singles, No. 1 Joseph Sherman won 6-0, 6-2, No. 2 Patrick Fay won 6-0, 6-1, No. 3 Ethan Wukasch won 6-2 ,60, No. 4 Colin Garner won 6-2, 6-3, No. 5 Will Gray won 6-4, 6-1 and No. 6 Michael Evans won 4-6, 6-3, 10-3. Girls’ doubles had No. 1 Ellis Young and India Young (6-3, 6-3), No. 2 Buckley/Merrill (62, 6-0) and No. 3 Ava Ortega
and Eliza Homorodi (6-0, 6-0) all winning their matches. Boys’ doubles No. 1 Fay/Wukasch (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 Gray/ Garner (6-4, 6-2) and No. 3 Tyler Williams and Will Snell (3-6, 6-2, 10-5) all won. In mixed doubles, No. 1 Sophie Sherman and Joseph Sherman won 6-2, 6-1. Defeat at Vandegrift The Panthers traveled to Class 6A Vandegrift and had a rough outing against a strong Vipers team in dropping all but five of the 27 matches contested. Winners included No. 1 Ellis Young (8-4) and No. 4 Merrill (8-5) in girls’ singles and No. 4 Garner in boys’ singles. In girls’ doubles, No. 1 Ellis Young and India Young won, 8-4 and in mixed doubles, Sophie Sherman and Joseph Sherman prevailed by a 9-7 score.
Hair has stepped up not only her physical game in Becker’s absence, but her emotional one, as well, she said. “Emma’s always the one who communicates the most on the court and she still does in huddles and from the bench, but it’s not the same,” said Hair. “So, I know I need to step up and be more vocal on the court in providing leadership.” Peterson added the Lady Panthers’ squad depth has allowed her team to overcome the loss of Becker by going 9-4 while the senior has been out of the lineup. “We’ve always had the ability and talent to be able to seize the occasion,” she said. “We know we have players who can step up and help fill that gap.” Liberty Hill (16-6) will next play at the Texas Showdown at Smithson Valley this weekend before returning home to host Copperas Cove on Aug. 31. Lady Panthers finish second at Glen Rose tourney Last weekend, the Lady Panthers traveled north to the Glen Rose tournament and returned home with seven wins in the eight matches they played over the course of the two-day competition. On the opening day of the event, Liberty Hill played four matches, sweeping the quartet of contests and first up were familiar Class 4A foes Fredericksburg, whom the Pur-
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
Maddi Rowley (#11) plays a shot while Lady Panthers teammates Bailey Becker (#6), Carson Glenn (#16), Peyton Lillienthal (#3) and Haley Kuhlmann (#22) back up the play during a 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-14) home victory over Pflugerville. ple-and-Gold dispatched by a score of 2-0 (25-21, 25-17). Maddi Rowley led with nine kills to go with five from Gigi Mason, as Emma Parsons and Haley Kuhlmann contributed 14 assists and 15 digs, respectively. Ailie Hair served three aces and added a pair of blocks. Crowley was the second opponent of the day, with Liberty Hill picking up another win at the expense of the Class 5A Eagles by a 2-0 (25-23, 25-20) scoreline. Rowley had seven kills, while Carson Glenn racked up 10 assists in the match. Next up, the Lady Panthers faced Class 3A Ponder and emerged with a 2-0 (25-16, 25-23) win against the Lions.
Gandy
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Mason
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also want to keep part of the yard as an outdoor area with a picnic table for my team to be able to sit outside. I would also love for the picket fence around the home to be gone so that we can have some additional parking.” All of the outbuildings on the property will be torn down or sold, except for maybe one the Gandys call the “Model T barn.” “It’s original to the house, but it needs a new roof and we’re not sure it can be moved without falling down,” she said. “We like that one and the charm of it and want to keep it, but the rest will be gone. We’re definitely going to have to have another dumpster when we tear down the outbuildings.” On the inside, Amy Gandy plans to paint every room herself, followed by updating the flooring—except for the couple of rooms that still have the original floors—and modernizing the plumbing. The two bedrooms in the home will
roster is filled with talent top to bottom makes it much easier to navigate the early-season schedule and can even handle when a starter is lost to injury, as is the case with Becker’s current situation. “Even before Emma got hurt, we had already said everybody was going to get a lot of touches,” she said. “But, we can fill out our depth at a moment’s notice and everybody’s
Long
serve as offices for her team and the kitchen will be the break room, while the main living area will serve as a conference room and seating area for clients. Lining up the contractors for all the work that needs to be done has been challenging, Amy Gandy said, because each one has to be scheduled in the right order. “We had to wait eight weeks to get the foundation work done, so we had to schedule the painters after that, but we also had to get the central air company scheduled in between then so we could get rid of the window AC units and not be dying in the house while we are all trying to work. It’s been a lot just getting everyone scheduled on the calendar.” While they’re focusing on big changes at 111 Grange, the Gandys haven’t left 109 Grange behind. In fact, before they do any additional work to it, they’ve got plans to use it in its current state. For two
done a good job of handling it. Especially in August, which is grueling with all the matches we play – it gives people a break and helps keep them fresh – it’s a blessing to be in this position.” While Mason undergoes her on-the-job training, Peterson said it’s important for the young hitter to remain hard-hitting in her approach despite the occasional hic-
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had to learn I wasn’t going to be the main guy,” he said. “I looked at those guys and realized they were on a whole other level.” Of course, that was then and this is now, which means Long will be leaned on to provide the kind of leadership and steady play he saw his Panthers predecessors possess when he was still an understudy, which could pose the potential for the weight to be too much for a sophomore to bear – but not for him, he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s pressure,” said Long. “I look at it more as an opportunity to go out there and show what I can do, which is to run the football.” Long said one of the aspects of his game he needs to work on further is his ability to quickly read what unfolds
before him when the ball is snapped. “You have to train yourself how to read the blocks,” he said. “Also, I need to go with the flow and have the discipline to understand when to fight for that extra yard.” With an entirely new starting offensive unit this season – including himself – Long said the cohesiveness required to run smoothly has already progressed by leaps and bounds. “It’s been a work in progress,” he said. “But, we’re very close now to where we need to be – especially compared to the beginning of summer. We’re becoming a well-oiled machine.” One change for Long from last season is the position he’ll line up in, as he’s been moved from tailback to halfback – although in the Panthers’ Slot-T
Hair had six kills, while Parsons collected 21 assists and three blocks to go with 10 digs by Kuhlmann in the victory. Closing out the first day was a 2-1 (25-20, 16-25, 25-22) victory over Class 3A Henrietta, as Rowley collected 12 kills to go along with 10 by Hair, while Parsons had 21 assists, Kuhlmann 11 assists, Kylie Hutchinson three aces and Morgan Poulain two blocks. On Saturday, the Lady Panthers were in the Gold bracket as a result of their perfect 4-0 record on Friday and first up was a contest against Class 2A Blum and defeated the Bobcats, 2-0 (25-19, 25-21). Hair led with 10 kills, while Mason added seven and Glenn had 14 assists and Kuhlmann
16 digs in the win. Following that victory was another, over Class 4A Godley by a score of 2-0 (25-13, 2523), as Hair pounded 12 kills, while Parsons added 22 assists and Kuhlmann nine digs in the contest. Finally, in the championship match, Liberty Hill faced Class 3A Lorena, who they had defeated in three sets a week earlier at the Westwood Showcase. However, the rematch proved to much as the Lady Panthers fell to the Leopards, 2-0 (2325, 21-25). Hair led with seven kills, while Parsons had 15 assists and Kuhlmann 15 digs in the loss to finish second overall in the tournament.
weekends in October, it will be transformed into a haunted house for the community to enjoy. Approval from the City of Liberty Hill was just received, she said, and she’s excited to start planning all the spooks and scares. “We will have people go in the front door and maze through the house and out the back door,” she said. “I told Mike that while the house is already scary looking, we should make it scary and use it in its current condition.” Gandy plans to get the Liberty Hill High School theater department involved as actors for the house, and instead of charging admission, she will be asking attendees to donate canned food items for Operation Liberty Hill. “We are also hoping to have time blocks that you can reserve your slot so you don’t have to stand in line and wait for hours,” she said. “I think it’ll be fun for the city and the kids. It’s just going to be our way of giving back and
having something fun for the community.” Amy Gandy said they are still working on their final plans for 109 Grange, which is why no other work is being done to it for now. “We are still working on the final version of it and also deciding whether we are keeping it residential or trying to zone it for commercial. It’s a huge jump when you take a property to full-on commercial because it can never be reverted. We are leaning more toward keeping it residential because this area is already zoned for bed and breakfasts, and turning the house into a bed and breakfast is the ultimate goal. I saw the charm in it immediately when I came to see it, so that’s the plan. We’re getting closer to jumping off and getting going on that.” Ultimately, Amy Gandy said she can’t wait until October, because that’s when all the work currently underway will be able to be seen.
coughs underclassmen are bound to experience as they slowly get accustomed to varsity life. “Gigi’s still working on her timing, so she’s had some matches where she’s really gotten going and others where she’s made some errors,” she said. “But, we want her to stay confident and aggressive.” In the meantime, Mason will continue to grow into a more
experienced and effective player – even if it’s all happening a bit sooner than she expected. “My teammates have helped me a lot,” she said. “They know what the game is all about and I know all this will make me better in the long term.”
offense, it’s more semantics than anything. “The position itself really isn’t that different,” said Long, who checks in at 5-foot10 and 175 pounds. “Only as a halfback, sometimes I’m the lead blocker and have to do some headhunting.” Walker said he wasn’t too familiar with Long before he arrived on the high school campus last season, but word had gotten back to him about his game. “I didn’t see him, but I heard about how good he was and that we had a kid at the junior high who was pretty special,” he said. “It seemed like every time Noah touched the ball, something explosive would happen.” Long said a watershed moment for him was a long kickoff return he had in last
season’s second game against Del Valle – a 71-yard sprint he almost brought all the way back before being caught inside the 10-yard line. “I realized I could do this,” he said. “I knew I belonged.” However, despite his rapid rise through the ranks, Long said he’s still a bit surprised when he looks around at where he currently resides in his football existence. “Two years ago, I never would’ve saw this,” he said. “I’m blessed and thankful to be here.” But, not without plenty of help and support along the way, that is. “I think about all the people and the relationships I’ve already formed,” said Long. “I don’t know where I’d be without them.”
Thursday, August 26, 2021
THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
Page 9
A Santa Rita Middle School celebration
Liberty Hill ISD Trustees were joined by school staff and district administrators to celebrate the opening of Santa Rita Middle School on Aug. 18. Cutting the ceremonial ribbon from left, are Michael Ferguson, Megan Pearson, SRMS Principal Josh Curtis, Anthony Buck, Kathy Major and Kristi Hargrove. CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO
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PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Sale of property to satisfy a landlord’s lien. Sale to be held at American Self Storage-Liberty Hill at 13740 Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 11:00 am. Cleanup deposit required. Contents of storage units sold for cash to highest bidder. Property includes the unit contents of the following tenants: Josh Jones: 1 unit containing furniture, boxes, tools. Kamron Warren: 1 unit containing pallets, cans of sealant. (8/26) DOCUMENT # 01-0B MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 INTERSECTION/ TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT KAUFFMAN LOOP AND SH 29, LIBERTY HILL, TX ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23, hereafter called Owner, is soliciting bid proposals for the construc-
tion of the following project: INTERSECTION/TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT KAUFFMAN LOOP AND SH29, LIBERTY HILL, TX. Bid proposals must be received at the specified issuing office, located at: LandDev Consulting, LLC (LDC), 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150 Austin, Texas 78735. Bid proposals must be clearly marked INTERSECTION/TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT KAUFFMAN LOOP AND SH 29. At the time Bid Documents are obtained, Bidder must provide a working e-mail address, so that they will receive any addenda or clarification issued by the Owner. Any questions regarding the Bid Documents are due at least 48 hours prior to the bid opening. Sealed Bids will be received at LandDev Consulting, LLC (LDC), 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150, Austin, Texas 78735 and then read via telephone conference call. Anyone who want to attend the bid opening must do so by telephone. To join the telephone conference and hear the bids read publicly, call 469-9986043. ALL BIDS ARE DUE PRIOR TO (Austin Time) 2:00 P.M. CST on September 9th, 2021 BIDS WILL BE OPENED AT (Austin time) 2:00 P.M. CST on September 9th, 2021 ALL BIDS NOT RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DATE AND TIME SET FORTH ABOVE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR CONSIDERATION. This project includes traffic signal installation, pedestrian ramps, and median improvements for the Kauffman Loop and SH 29 Intersection Improvement Project. A portion of the work is located within the Texas Department of Transportation right-of-way way and, therefore, Texas Department of Transportation pre-qualification is a requirement for bid eligibility for this project. The overall project will require acceptance from the Texas Department of Transportation as part of a Donation Agreement between
Owner and State. The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: LandDev Consulting, LLC (LDC), 5508 Highway 290 West, Suite 150 Austin, Texas 78735, Keith Parkan, P.E., Senior Project Manager, 512-872-6696, keith. parkan@landdevconsulting. com. Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Procurement Website as described below. Bidding Documents may be viewed and ordered online by registering with the Procurement Website as described at https://www.civcastusa.com/. Prospective Bidders must register with the Procurement Website as a plan holder, even if the Contract Documents are obtained from a plan room or other website. The documents are made available for the sole purpose of obtaining bids for completion of the project and permission to download does not confer a license or grant permission or authorization for any other use. Authorization to download documents includes the right for Bidders to print documents for their sole use, provided they pay all costs associated with printing or reproduction. Printed documents may not be re-sold under any circumstances. All official notifications, addenda, and other documents will be offered only through the Procurement Website. The Procurement Website will be updated periodically with Addenda, lists of interested parties, reports, or other information
relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project. The cost of printed Bidding Documents from the Procurement Website will depend on the number and size of the Drawings and Project Manual, applicable taxes, and shipping method selected by the prospective Bidder. Cost of Bidding Documents and shipping is non-refundable. Upon Issuing Office’s receipt of payment, printed Bidding Documents will be sent via the prospective Bidder’s delivery method of choice; the shipping charge will depend on the shipping method chosen. The date that the Bidding Documents are transmitted by the Issuing Office will be considered the Bidder’s date of receipt of the Bidding Documents. Partial sets of the Bidding Documents will not be available from the Procurement Website. Attention is called to meet requirements for Federal, State, and Related Acts, including wage rates, contained in the contract documents, which must be paid on this project. In addition, the successful bidder must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual identity, gender identity, or national origin. Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Bids and to waive any minor informality in any Bid or solicitation procedure (a minor informality is one that does not affect the competitiveness of the Bid). Owner: MREC MAG Morningstar, LLC on behalf of Wil-
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NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM liamson County Municipal Utility District No. 23 By: Mr. Wyatt Henderson Title: Managing Partner Release Date: September 9, 2021 (8/26) 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. (8/26)
LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Liberty Hill has been asked to review and approve the following application(s), to wit: A request for a Zone Map Amendment from the Multifamily Residential (MF2) and Agricultural (AG) zoning classification to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning classification on the following property:
(512) 778-5577
Approximately 27.192 acres out of the J. Glasscock Survey, abstract number 254, Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas; generally located along the south side of RM 1869, between CR 282 and Barton Drive, and identified as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers R-392551, R-022214, R-022215, R-352448. In accordance with Section 211.006, Texas Local Government Code, a public hearing on this application will be conducted by the Planning and Zoning Commission at the Liberty Hill Municipal Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Road 1869, Liberty Hill, Texas on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 6:30 PM. Upon receiving a recommendation from the Commission, the City Council will conduct its own public hearing and take final action on this matter on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 6:30 PM at the Liberty Hill Municipal Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Road 1869, Liberty Hill, Texas. For more information, you may either visit the Development Services Department at 100 Forrest Street, call (512) 778-5449, or send an email to planning@libertyhilltx.gov. By order of the Development Services Administrative Assistant on August 13, 2021.
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McCoy Agency
325 E State Hwy 29 | Bertram Located between PEC and the Train Depot
Honest, Local & Trusted David & Christa McCoy, Wendy Neill
12780 W Hwy 29, Liberty Hill •29, 512 900-4422 512 900-4422 • 12780 W Hwy Liberty Hill www.farmersagent.com/cmccoy FarmersAgent.com/CMcCoy
WORSHIP GUIDE Andice Baptist Church
Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church Invites You to Worship At Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church, our focus is on the worship of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our worship is traditional and liturgical. The Church is called to lead us to conform our lives to Christ - not to conform the Church to the world. You will not find rock bands, flashing lights or video screens in our services. You will find prayer, scripture and teaching of the Apostolic faith. If you seek to worship Christ as He was worshipped from the earliest days, we invite you to leave the world behind and join us for worship.
6570 FM 970 Florence, TX 76527 (254) 793-2557 www.andicebc.org PASTOR Derrick Norris, Senior Pastor Matt Koehler, Associate Pastor of Students & Families SERVICES Sunday Bible Study 9:45am Sunday Worship 11am Wednesday AWANA 6:30pm Sunday Online www.facebook. com/andicebaptist/
Cross Tracks Church
101 Church St. Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 515-0070 www.crosstrackschurchumc.org PASTOR Michele Lott SERVICES Sunday School 9am Sunday Worship 10am Sunday Online https://cross tracks-church.freeonlinechurch. com/live
Fellowship Church
3600 RR 1869 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 515-5579 www.fellowshiplh.com PASTORS Tim McIlhaney, Dan Riemer, Ed Billock & Angel Perez SERVICES Sunday services in person & online! Sunday Worship 8:30am Sunday Bible Study/All ages 10am Sunday Worship 11am www.fellowshiplh.com/hub-sundays www.facebook.com/fellowshiplh/
The Hill Church
111 Holmes Road Liberty Hill, TX 78642 www.fbg.church PASTORS Tim Richardson, Pastor Kendall Ringler, Youth Pastor SERVICES Sunday Worship 10:15am Sunday Online 10:15am www.facebook.com/thehill church.church
512-219-0900
Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities
Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church
5205 County Road 236 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 782-9940 www.annunciationtx.com PASTOR Bp. Irineos Placek SERVICES Vespers, Sat. 6:30pm Divine Liturgy, Sun. 10am Online Services www.facebook. com/annunciationTX/
LifeSprings Christian Church
15611 W. State Hwy 29 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 633-6074 lifespringschristianchurch.org PASTOR Bishop Ronald D. Rhea SERVICES Sunday Bible Study 9am Sunday Worship 10am Sunday Online www.youtube.com/c/ LifeSprings/live
Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church
(LCMS Affiliated) 15725 W. State Hwy 29, Ste.7 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 778-9310 www.missionlibertyhill.com PASTOR Rev. Mike Cofer SERVICES Sunday Bible Study 9 am Sunday Church Worship 10am Sunday Online 10am https://missionlibertyhill.com/ onlineworship/
New Life Church
1015 US-183 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 567-3809 www.newlifechurch.family PASTORS Stephen Behrman, Senior Pastor Kimberly Behrman, Worship Pastor SERVICES Sunday Worship 10am Wednesday Bible Study/Livinit Youth 7pm Sunday Online https://new lifechurch.family/media/livestream
One Chapel Liberty Hill
811 Loop 332 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 729-6200 www.onechapel.com/liberty-hill PASTOR Andrew Fortner SERVICES Sunday Service 10am Indoors with Outdoor Livestream Option Online Service at 10am https://online.onechapel.com
Restoration Church
Meets at Liberty Hill Event Center 14875 W. State Hwy 29 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 (512) 271-1976 www.restorationchurchtx.net PASTOR Mike Kimmons SERVICES Sunday Service 10:30am Online Service on YouTube
Call (512) 778-5577 to include your church in our weekly Worship Guide.
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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT
HOMES AROUND THE HILL Kempner Ranch - 40 acres University Park - Georgetown 2 Homes/Guest House - 4.95 acres Liberty Hill - 76 acres Hidden Creek Estates Hornsby, J - 4.6 acres Bertram Bertram Durham Park Florence Highland Lake Estates - Lago Vista Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Florence Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Durham Park Little Gabriel River Ranch Palmera Ridge Liberty Hill - 17 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Forest Creek Hillcrest Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Luciano Cabasos Spring Meadows - 2 Homes Cantarra Meadows/Pflugerville Buttercup Townhomes Near Downtown Liberty Hill Somerset Ranch Llano Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Saratoga Springs Summerlynn - Leander Palmera Ridge - Leander Flores Iron Oak - 2 acres
820 Panther Creek 2006 E 18th St 1601 CR 256 4060 CR 201 141 Taylor Creek Way 1840 CR 226
6BR/5BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/4BA 3BR/2B - Bardo & Shop 3BR/2BA - Game Room - 1+ acre 4BR/2BA Acreage / Lots / Property for Sale 00 CR 321 San Gabriel River Frontage Lot 2A CR321 San Gabriel River Frontage 500 CR 288 Trees, electric, water Tract 3A N Hwy 195 No restrictions, Ag exempt 20701 Harrison Cv Electricity & water available TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 72, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 73, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 76, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 88, Block 1 Phase III Tract 4B N Hwy 195 No restrictions, Ag exempt Lot 12 Cloudwood Ranch Rd Lots of trees Commercial Property for Sale 100 Bevers No restrictions, water available 110 Bevers No restrictions, water available 118 Bevers No restrictions, water available 126 Bevers No restrictions, water available 129 Bevers No restrictions, water available 145 Bevers No restrictions, water available Under Contract / Pending 550 Shin Oak Lane 420 Iva Bell Lane 2200 Bonavista Way 17600 W State Hwy 29 TBD Yellow Senna Pl 2237 Shark Loop 120 Crestview Dr TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Red Yucca Ct TBD Red Yucca Ct 1540 W Hwy 29 440 CR 277 13500 Kearns Dr 401 Buttercup Creek Blvd 3103 CR 1869 1105 Somerset Meadow 504 E Green St TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Lobeila Bloom Bend TBD Yellow Senna Pl 402 Spring Grove 104 Falcon Lane 2201 Bonavista Way 550 Stadium Dr 232 Oak Hill
San Gabriel River - 3/4 acres Larkspur Stonewall Ranch Jenks Branch Purser Estates Anderson Mill West Stonewall Ranch Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Liberty Hill Burnet Liberty Hill - 2.2 acres
Homes for Sale
121 River Rd 105 Blue Sage 500 Fieldstone 120 Bryson Bend 312 Barrington 1705 Spiderlily 145 Granite Path Lot 22 Cloudwood Ranch Rd 2210 CR 282 709 Rhomberg 140 Shin Oak Lane
Wet weather creek Barn 3BR/2BA 3 Homes & Barn Lot 92, Block 1 Phase III 4BR/2.5BA 3BR/2BA Lot 70, Block 1 Phase III Lot 77, Block 1 Phase III Lot 78, Block 1 Phase III Lot 81, Block 1 Phase III Lot 82, Block 1 Phase III Lot 84, Block 1 Phase III Lot 90, Block 1 Phase III 2BR/1BA 5BR/3.5BA 4BR/2BA, Game Room 2BR/2.5BA Commercial, Mixed Use 4BR/3.5BA 3BR/2BA 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 4BR/2.5BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2BA - 2 car garage Cleared & level 4BR/4BA Sold!
3BR/2BA 3BR/2.5BA 5BR/3BA 4BR/3BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA Lots of oaks, backs to creek Build to suit home site 3BR/1BA 3BR/2BA + pool
$ 990,000 $ 315,000 $ 995,000 $2,250,000 $ 999,999 $ 379,000
4483 sq ft 1404 sq ft 3112 sq ft 1624 sq ft 2943 sq ft 2432 sq ft
Cheryl Stephens Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Shane T. White
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
950,000 250,000 250,000 338,168 60,000 219,000 210,000 418,000 248,000 564,300 255,000
30 acres 15 acres 2.19 acres 11.3 acres .394 acres 2.19 acres 2.10 acres 4.18 acres 2.48 acres 20.9 acres 7.74 acres
Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens
$ $ $ $ $ $
550,000 460,000 365,000 275,000 980,000 680,000
1.05 acres 1.04 acres 1.04 acres 1.05 acres 4.49 acres 3.110 acres
Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White
$ 175,000 2 acres
Amy Gandy
$ 510,000 2100 sq ft
Amy Gandy
$1,500,000 20 acres
$1,600,000 1800 sq ft
$ 207,000 2.07 acres $ 538,000 2627 sq ft
$ 235,000 1568 sq ft
$ 203,000 2.03 acres
Thursday, August 26, 2021
SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577
Sabrina Jordan REALTOR®
512.680.0375 cell sabrinajordan.kwrealty.com RESIDENTIAL, LAND, FARM & RANCH HOMETOWN ROOTS HOMETOWN VALUES
SELLING L LIBERTY HIL FOR 40 YEARS!
BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?
Amy Gandy Tammy Wise Tammy Wise
Shane T. White Shane T. White
Tammy Wise Tammy Wise 2.17 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.04 acres Tammy Wise 1180 sq ft Shane T. White 2950 sq ft Shane T. White 2507 sq ft Cheryl Stephens 1280 sq ft Shane T. White 968 sq ft Dax Oglesby 2739 sq ft Shane T. White 1671 sq ft Sabrina Jordan 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 2 acres Tammy Wise 1704 sq ft Shane T. White 2044 sq ft Dax Oglesby 1855 sq ft Amy Gandy 1.337 acre Side-Pad Shane T. White 2800 sq ft Dax Oglesby
$ 237,000 2.37 acres $ 217,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 204,000 $ 250,000 $ 429,250 $ 420,000 $ 275,000 $ 350,000 $ 800,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 225,000 $ 350,000 $ 430,000 $ 750,000 $ 765,000
$ 230,000 1440 sq ft
Cheryl Stephens
$ 465,000 2806 sq ft
Kristen Childers/Tammy Wise
$ 410,000 2455 sq ft $ 350,000 2554 sq ft $ 355,000 1364 sq ft $ 420,000 1521 sq ft $ 325,000 1577 sq ft
$ 197,500 4.25 acres $ 245,000 2.883 acres $ 252,000 900 sq ft
$ 430,000 1611 sq ft
RE/MAX Town & Country 13561 W. Hwy 29, Liberty Hill shanetwhite@remax.net www.ShaneTWhiteTeam.com
512.515.5263
Kristen Childers Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White
Cheryl Stephens Sabrina Jordan Sabrina Jordan Dax Oglesby
LIBERTY HILL’S REAL ESTATE GUIDE Feature your property listings weekly! (512) 778-5577
Real Life. Real People. Real Estate.
Is NOW the time to sell your home? Call us ... We know the answer! Kristen Childers REALTOR®
Tammy Wise REALTOR®
(512) 501 501-0777 AustinAndHillCountryRealEstate.com
900 Quest Parkway Cedar Park, TX 78613
“Our family of seasoned professional agents is what makes us unique. We’re here to help you, whether it’s selling your property or assisting in finding and purchasing the home of your dreams.”
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
Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing
Dax Oglesby
REALTOR®, RPL daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com
(512) 635-7529
3103 Ranch Road 1869 Liberty Hill
www.DaxSellsTexas.com
From Waco to New Braunfels, Llano to LaGrange and everywhere in between.
Amy Gandy, Broker/Owner | MCNE, CLHMS 512-589-9005 | amy@agandyandco.com www.agandyandco.com