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2020

Volume 33, Issue 23

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April 30, 2020 | 50 Cents

Liberty Hill businesses take unique approaches to reopening

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer When Gov. Greg Abbott announced some businesses could start reopening as early as Friday, Texans across the state took various approaches to the decision. Some businesses have decided to open their doors ﬁrst thing Friday morning, while others are taking a more cautious approach and not opening until next week or even later. Similar reactions have been the case from businesses in Liberty Hill. Retail stores, restaurants, churches, malls and movie theaters all made the cut to reopen, with some stipulations, mainly that they always must remain at 25 percent or less capacity. Renee O’Dell, owner of Pep and Punch, said starting Friday, her store will be open regular business hours.

“Our main goal with reopening is to make sure our customers and employees are safe and comfortable, so we will still be providing our shopping platform on social media,” she said. “We are also still going to have curbside pick up. Some people aren’t ready to emerge, and that’s completely okay.” O’Dell added that she will be monitoring capacity in her store to make sure it doesn’t go over 25 percent, but because her shop is a boutique, she isn’t concerned about that becoming an issue like it might at a big box retailer. “If we feel like we have enough people in the store, we’ll ask other customers coming in to wait outside for a few minutes,” she said. Sanitization will also be a top priority, O’Dell said, adding that they will be cleaning door

See LOCAL, Page 8

State announces plan to reopen businesses

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Many businesses closed for weeks due to a variety of orders across the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic got the green light Monday to plan for reopening. The announcement by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Monday – which was identiﬁed as Phase One of the plan – will allow all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls to reopen Friday, May 1, with certain restrictions. The primary restriction is they limit capacity to 25 percent of the total listed occupancy, as well as follow a prescribed list of health protocols for businesses, employees and customers spelled out in “The Governor’s Report to Open Texas.” Abbott also emphasized that the new directives would apply across the state.

“This order that opens up businesses in Texas supersedes all local orders,” he said. Locally, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said he supports the decision. “I agree with the Governor,” he said. “We’re being really thoughtful in what we’re reopening. Any restaurant that I’ve been into, having 25 percent of the space occupied, is not a lot of space. That gives the room for people to expand out. I think that was thought through really well.” But along with the focus on getting businesses up and running again, Gravell said the need for precautions remains. “Our businesses need to thrive, and it’s going to take some time for all of us to feel the right level of comfort,” Gravell said. “I have to admit to you that when I leave

See STATE, Page 5

Boomers donates safety equipment to City staff

Representatives from the City of Liberty Hill accepted the donation April 23 of 1,000 face masks, 10,000 pairs of gloves, and several cases of hand sanitizer to the City from the staff at Boomers Convenience Store. Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order allowing businesses in Liberty Hill to open Friday doesn’t require masks, but it does stress safe distancing practices. All city employees, many of whom were working from home, have been directed to return to work Monday. (Courtesy Photo)

LHISD outlines new campus boundary plan

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor With construction ahead of schedule and the planned opening of the new Santa Rita Elementary just over three months away, Liberty Hill ISD is focusing on rounding out a staff and narrowing down which students will ﬁll those classrooms in the fall. The district wants to balance out the student population

on each campus as much as possible, but with one eye on where future growth is coming. “We deﬁnitely don’t want to overcrowd our buildings and we want to stay ahead of the curve,” Superintendent Steve Snell said of the decision process on attendance zones. “Looking at the schools we have and looking at future campuses, we want to make

sure we have space for our kids. Secondly, we want to limit the amount of movement a single family might have.” With that one eye on future growth patterns, the plan is to open Santa Rita Elementary with about 400 students in August. “Looking at the high-density areas, if you take just the neighborhoods of Santa Rita South, Santa Rita North,

MorningStar and Cross Creek Ranch, if we just used those neighborhoods to open Santa Rita Elementary, that would start us off – kindergarten through fourth grade – at just under 400 students,” Snell said. The student population will grow quickly, and opening with that smaller number has

See BOUNDARIES, Page 6

Council changes direction on wastewater plant

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Following months of discussion in executive session, the Liberty Hill City Council voted Monday to change equipment suppliers for the wastewater plant expansion nearly a year after a bid was awarded for construction. Mayor Rick Hall called for a motion upon returning from closed session Monday.

Keeping lines of communication open Ballard honored as LHHS Teacher of the Year

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Thirty-four years ago, Tammy Ballard had a decision to make. What would she choose as a profession? Ballard decided to pursue a career in education and it has turned out to be a blessing not only for thousands of students who have frequented her classrooms over the years, but has also provided a great deal of personal gratification. “I enjoy working with kids and I knew I wanted to help students learn, grow and gain confidence,” said Ballard. “I felt it would be a fulfilling career to guide young people to become confident adults. I was right – it has been the very best decision I have made in my Tammy Ballard named Teacher of the Year at Liblife.” erty Hill High School. (Courtesy Photo) For her continuing educational efforts, Ballard has or is much more than an indi- with my fellow teachers. I am inspired every day by my stubeen named Liberty Hill High vidual award. “I am humbled by such an dents and my peers.” School Teacher of the Year. Ballard currently teaches ProAccording to Ballard, the hon- honor,” said Ballard, who has taught in Liberty Hill for 21 fessional Communications, a years. “I feel privileged to subject that enables her to give ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent watch these kids grow into her students a gift that will their potential as they learn enhance their lives long after to speak in front of me, their their classroom days are done. peers and other adults. This is See BALLARD, Page 4 an honor I share with them and

“I will entertain a motion on Item B, to allow the Mayor and our engineer to work with Mike Cunningham on the redesign process for the Southfork Wastewater Treatment Plant with a new provider for equipment.” Council member Steve McIntosh followed by saying he would make the motion, and the Council voted unanimously in support of the

change. The change means the City will now use equipment from Suez Environment, rather than from Microdyn MBR, which supplied the equipment for the most recent expansion. The wastewater plant opened in 2018 uses Microdyn equipment and technology, and the extension, approved for construction with a bid awarded in June 2019, was also going

to use the same equipment and technology. Hall told The Independent that past issues with the Microdyn equipment led to the decision. “We just had a lot of concerns with that plant and its day-to-day operations,” Hall said of the plant which opened in 2018. “It’s cost the City a

See COUNCIL, Page 6

New testing opportunities available in WilCo

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The ability to test for the COVID-19 virus has been one of the primary hurdles for government agencies at the local and state level for some time, but new public options for testing are now becoming more available throughout the state and in Williamson County. County Judge Bill Gravell said Tuesday that about 3,800 tests have been conducted in the county to date between public and private testing operations. He added that currently the County has 2,000 additional test kits and Commissioners voted Tuesday to purchase 3,500 more test kits. “Our goal in totality is (to conduct) 6,000 tests, and I’m unsure how long it will take us to get to that, but I’m really grateful that we’re moving in that direction,” Gravell said. Thursday, April 30, area residents will have a new way to be tested for the virus. Williamson County and the Williamson County and Cit-

ies Health District (WCCHD) will offer a public testing site to create another opportunity for county residents to get a COVID-19 test. The site is for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms; however, this test does not require a visit with a physician and is free of charge. Individuals must ﬁrst take an online assessment based on screening criteria from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “We are offering this new testing option for our county residents who do not have the ability to visit with their personal doctor or go to another testing site to be tested,” said Gravell. The online assessment tool was available starting Wednesay by going to http://www. wcchd.org/COVID-19/testing.php. The ﬁrst tests were conducted starting April 30. Individuals are expected to receive test results in a few days depending upon lab capacity. “We already have individ-

uals scheduled for Thursday and Friday and there are a lot of folks responding,” Gravell said. People who are eligible for the test will be given an appointment time and location. Tests are available through a drive-thru system and are by appointment only. Appointments will be available Monday through Friday from 9-11 a.m. To bolster the local testing effort, County Commissioners entered into an agreement with an undisclosed company this week for testing services. The County is not releasing the name of the contractor, hoping to avoid people going directly to the locations seeking tests. “We signed an agreement with a private company that has offered to provide testing for Williamson County at three or four different locations and they’ve offered to do that free of charge,” Gravell said. “We would provide the testing kits and the

See TESTS, Page 3

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, April 30, 2020

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Week of April 20-26, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 233 incidents resulting in seven cases, two citations, seven warnings and no arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On April 20 at approximately 9:27 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious vehicle. - On April 20 at approximately 5:01 PM, officers responded to CR 279 to assist a citizen. - On April 20 at approximately 12:03 AM, officers responded to CR 279 for a disturbance. - On April 21 at approximately 12:26 PM, officers responded to the 100 block of Loop 332 for a stray animal complaint. - On April 21 at approximately 1:38 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a stray animal complaint. - On April 22 at approximately 1:54 PM, officers responded to Carl Ship Drive for a fraud complaint.

Operation Liberty Hill hosts yard sale this week

Operation Liberty Hill is having a “By Donation Yard Sale” at the thrift store Thursday from noon 5 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Items will be brought out of the store and sold outside in front of the store by donation. Customers decide what they want to donate for each item. Social distancing and masks will be required and cash, checks or credit cards will be

Coupon necessary for discount at time of purchase. Some restrictions apply. Coupon not valid on some items. See store for details. Expires 05/14/20.

- On April 22 at approximately 2:48 PM, officers responded to Grange Street for an unauthorized use of a vehicle complaint. - On April 22 at approximately 10:42 PM, officers responded to Rusk Bluff Avenue for a suspicious vehicle complaint. - On April 23 at approximately 1:16 AM, officers responded to Brady Creek Cove to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On April 23 at approximately 4:25 AM, officers responded to Bold Sundown to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On April 23 at approximately 10:46 AM, officers responded to 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a burglary of a vehicle complaint. - On April 23 at approximately 4:06 PM, officers responded to Dolcetto Drive for a property damage complaint. - On April 24 at approximately 6:15 PM, officers responded to the Deserti Road for a distur-

bance. - On April 25 at approximately 3:31 AM, officers responded to Quarterhorse Court to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On April 25 at approximately 4:35 PM, officers responded to Hillcrest Lane for a harassment complaint. - On April 25 at approximately 4:48 PM, officers responded to Russell Street for an assault complaint. - On April 25 at approximately 9:26 PM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for a suspicious incident. - On April 26 at approximately 2:34AM, officers responded to Lola Drive for a suspicious incident. - On April 26 at approximately 4:13 AM, officers responded to Church Street for a harassment complaint. - On April 26 at approximately 6:43 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

accepted. In the course of preparing for the fundraiser sale, OLH reported that a large number of items – suitcases, golf clubs, George Foreman Grill, bathing suits – were stolen overnight Tuesday. If anyone has any information on the incident please call OLH at (512) 778-4175.

tary donations are needed, but the following items may also be donated: disinfectant spray, Lysol or Clorox Wipes, hand sanitizer, masks & masks with respirators, family-sized canned ravioli, canned pasta sauce, canned black beans, canned pork & beans, canned Sloppy Joe sauce, small plastic jars of jelly, small plastic jars of mayonnaise, bread, cheese, dried pinto beans. Monetary donations can be made at operationlh.org and by mailing a check to Operation Liberty Hill, PO Box 1081, Liberty Hill, TX 78642.

Food pantry accepting donations

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Thursday, April 30, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Since time doesn’t matter anymore

By WILT CUTTER Columnist You woke up this morning or you wouldn’t be reading The Independent. That’s real good, the waking up part. Maybe you didn’t know Neil Armstrong walked on the moon the day I was born. But he did and Mama always said that was special. She remembered Daddy walking into the hospital room, taking off his straw hat, kissing her on the forehead and holding me while they watched Walter Cronkite tell the story. Some of us, myself included, have had a rough time with the sudden change we’ve been handed. For the past 30 years I’ve divided my life into 15-minute blocks of success. Even on vacation. Some of us have let this world lure us into a false religion of time. I’ve learned to cram more and more work into the days and nights that make up my life. I’ve learned to talk on the phone all the way to and from the commute to my ofﬁce. I’ve

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learned to check email on my wristwatch. My grandmother never had a watch and the old clock in her house stopped if you didn’t open up the front and do that mysterious winding. Sometimes my mama would drive up, go in the house where she was raised just to wind that clock and sometimes she would sound exasperated as she went into the kitchen and turned the page on the calendar with the scenic pictures with the name of the funeral home that hung by the door. She would put her hands on her hips and say, “Mama, the clock’s stopped and you’re not even on the right month.” Sometimes my grandmother would just laugh. She’d point up in the sky to the position of the sun and bet me she could get within 10 minutes of my mama’s watch. She would say chickens are the only clock you need. They crow when it’s time for breakfast and they go to bed at the same time every night. I had great respect for the smell of a fresh tomato and the plant it grew on. I understood that slow, sing-song, old lady talk was prose, a literal poem

Continued from Page 1

personal protection equipment for that. My hope is by Friday or Monday at the latest we can have as many as four different testing sites here in Williamson County.” In addition to these new testing options in Williamson County, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) have launched an online COVID-19 test collection map to help Texans locate test sites within their community. The interactive map displays detailed information on public and private mobile, walk-in,

and drive-thru test collection sites around the state. A search feature allows Texans to locate test collection sites near them and includes important details such as contact information and hours of operation for each location. “This mapping tool will help Texans locate test collection sites in their communities and it is part of our commitment to expanding COVID-19 testing throughout Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “By using this map, Texans will have access to pertinent information on a variety of test collection options that will help fulﬁll

about life that was connected to people in the cemetery and beyond. I loved to listen to the story of the day I was born. It took hours to tell. And she would suddenly have a recollection of a small piece of information that could be added, like a stitch to one of her quilts. Time passed by slower then. Family and neighbors didn’t telephone ﬁrst, they just made food and brought it over. They sat out on the porch and talked about the new baby and how I would still be a young man at the turn of the next century. “Lord willing.” That’s the way they talked back then. Lord willing was a hope, a wish, a prayer said in a soft sing song that alerted the listener that the decision was not yours. By the time I got old enough to remember, there was still some of that porch sitting and talking still being done. Some of the Cutters didn’t get a phone until the 1960s. People still wrote letters on sheets of paper. In cursive handwriting. People waited patiently for weeks for a reply to their correspondence. Getting a letter in return was like Christmas.

testing needs in communities across the Lone Star State.” Over 340 test collection sites are currently listed on the map and additional locations will be added as more sites are identiﬁed across the state. Texans can submit updated information about a test collection site or suggest additional sites by ﬁlling out an online form. DSHS and TDEM will then verify the information and update the map accordingly. The test collection map is accessible through the Texas.gov COVID-19 resource page.

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The strange envelope, the news from faraway places in the strange handwriting. Letters were passed around. After reading a long letter my grandmother would sometimes produce a handkerchief from a mysterious pocket and wipe her eyes in love and remembrance of the writer. But meanwhile, a conversation with my grandfather took days. I’ve seen my daddy ask him a question, propose a solution to a problem and my grandfather would nod. This was some sort of tribal dialect that he’d heard and he’d think about it. These two men carried on with these head nods, grunts, clearing of throats and staring off across the pasture for days. Days without another actual word about the

issue. Then, magically, as if receiving an unction from another realm, my grandfather would suddenly say he’d been studying about what had been discussed and he’d have an opinion. Sometimes it was deﬁnitive and he would offer a summation that would end in a family edict. Sometimes he’d shake his head and tell you why something might not work out and how he’d have to do some more thinking on it. Either way, it was settled, for then. The last few days have caused me to think about these folks. It’s caused me to ruminate about their casual approach to living out the same amount of time in their day that I’ve somehow barely managed in mine. The lost art of conversa-

Page 3

tion. The respect of listening. The value of the ensuing silence when there was nothing more that could be said. Between Zoom meetings it’s been real quiet. I’ve learned to like the sound a shovel makes as it tears and rents the earth in preparation for growing something simple. I’ve been giving others the last word. Especially if they needed that. I’ve been scribbling down remembrances that would not have been possible had there not have been a global crisis. And I made biscuits and cornbread without a recipe. Watching with wonder as my ﬁngers took things and turned them into other things. I did not set a timer. The smell told me when it was time to look.

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Page 4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Students ﬁnd podcast success in trying times

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer With a first podcast episode under their belt and available for the masses, upon reflection, the road from point A to point B for the Liberty Hill Junior High chapter of All Girls Considered proved to be one with significant obstacles. But from the creation of questions to the formatting of the podcast, seventh graders Monique Achumuma and Gabby Vargas stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. “We have to give props to both Monique and Gabby; they created all of the questions,” said AGC sponsor Katie Ann Prescott. “They sat down and talked through what the process would look like. They came in and practiced beforehand. They did an excellent job of preparing and put in a lot of effort,” For their first guest, the girls reached out to Shantelle Brannon, the first female Emergency Management deputy director in Williamson County. “Gabby and I were having some trouble finding someone to interview, and Mrs. Prescott recommended Mrs. Brannon to us,” said Achumuma. “We

BALLARD

agreed right away because she sounded like an amazing person.” Avoiding the route of a traditional question and answer interview, the girls – under the guidance of Prescott – felt that creating a relaxed, conversational atmosphere was the ideal way to approach the podcast. “The interview is straightforward because it was them sitting down, having a conversation, and showing interest in Ms. Brannon’s life,” Prescott said. “Once you do that, it opens a person up, and they’re more willing to share. We wanted it to be a conversation between the girls.” During the interview, the girls dove into Brannon’s career and discussed the path to her current position. Listeners will learn that before emergency management Brannon had a background in sports marketing, working for Louisiana State University. It wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005 that Brannon decided to put her skills to greater use and begin a career in emergency management. “Although it (Hurricane Ka-

Continued from Page 1

“What I teach allows me a unique opportunity to get to know students as they work towards their personal goals in communication,” she said. “This is a course that beneﬁts all students in their lives after high school, in college, career and community service. I love seeing them grow into young adults while they learn about a wide variety of important subjects.” Students are students, says Ballard, and have the same needs regardless of how old they may be. “I’ve taught middle school and high school, so I can only speak to those two levels,” she said. “But, I think connections with children across the board is what great teachers do and what all children need, whether they’re four-year olds counting on their ﬁngers or high school seniors speaking

conﬁdently in front of judges at a UIL state competition.” However, the learning environment has changed signiﬁcantly over the course of her career, she said. “The classroom has changed tremendously. From teaching styles, to assessments, to technology, to evaluations – I have evolved as a teacher as well as the profession keeps evolving,” said Ballard. “What has remained constant is my desire to give students the best of my time, my expertise and my support as a fellow learner and mentor.” Ballard added if there is a single moment that encompasses both the professional highs and emotional lows a teacher experiences, it’s when each of her students walks across a stage and is handed a diploma. “The best and worst things about being a teacher are the

trina) did not directly devastate Baton Rouge, which is where I’m from, it devastated the state. That’s how I got into it,” said Brannon. “In 2005, during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, I had this genuine thing in me that wants to help. Seeing the impact of the disaster on our campus because we had a medical special needs shelter, seeing that made me want to help.” Seeing the exciting and unusual path that Brannon took left Achumuma with a different perspective on her future and one that she hopes listeners learn as well. “I hope that listeners learn that you don’t have to know exactly what you want to do in the future,” she said. “With Mrs. Brannon, she mentioned that she wouldn’t imagine herself in emergency management as a child.” The girls recorded the podcast the day before Spring Break began. While discussing day-to-day operations of her career, the timely topic of the COVID-19 pandemic also made its way into the discussion. “She predicted it. She predicted how bad it was going to

same – watching students graduate,” she said. “The best aspect is saying goodbye and watching them graduate and go into the world as young adults and the worst aspect is saying goodbye and watching them leave, knowing how much I will miss them.” So, what kind of advice would she give to one of her students who is considering going down the same career path she chose all those years ago? “Education is a lot of hard work and an ever-changing business – be ﬂexible. Understand teaching is the most rewarding and taxing career you will ever have,” said Ballard. “You must be passionate about the work and your subject and you must be prepared every single day.”

7th graders Monique Achumuma and Gabby Vargas as they prepare to host their ﬁrst episode of the All Girls Considered Podcast. (Courtesy Photo) get before it happened,” said Prescott. “She talked about what the next steps were going to look like for COVID-19 before we even got there. Now we’re living what she predicted, and it’s interesting and ominous.” Because of COVID-19 and the inability to meet in person, the process of editing created another obstacle for the trio. The solution was to reach out to another student with the skills to edit for them. “The biggest struggle was ﬁguring out how to edit it when we’re not together,” said Prescott. “We didn’t have access to the girls like we would when we were in school. What happened was I talked to one of our girls, who is an eighth grader (Madelena Flores). I asked her if I could send the podcast, and she could go in and listen and mark the different edit points.” The coordination between Prescott, Achumuma, and Vargas during the editing process was tricky. Still, the trio, along with the help of Flores, pulled it off. “We needed three people to listen to it in three different lo-

cations at three different times. We had to agree on what needs to be adjusted and then have Madelena go in and make those changes,” said Prescott. “In the end, that’s what happened.” Aside from the technical issues, the girls overcame an issue that Prescott saw early on when preparing for the interview. “I think they overcame some of their fears and anxieties about sitting down and talking with a stranger,” she said, “This is something they care about and are extremely invested in. They wanted it to go well and be successful. I think that was something they had to overcome.” Achumuma said the challenge of the podcast for her was containing herself during the interview. “The hardest part for me was controlling myself. I was excited, energetic, and nervous at the same time,” Achumuma said. “I tried to stay calm and not interrupt Mrs. Brannon while she was talking.” As the sponsor for AGC, Prescott is proud of the work the girls have accomplished in

the face of adversity. “These girls want to be successful; they want to learn about other women who have come before them,” she said. “I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of that they are more than willing to put in the work, the time and the energy it takes to make this success. Even though the odds were stacked against them that this would even come out since the pandemic hit.” Now that she has her first podcast under her belt, Achumuma is ready to continue her efforts to help inspire other girls. “I feel like I could do a thousand more. It was a fun process, and since this was our first episode, we can improve on our future ones,” said Achumuma. “I think that other girls can learn a lot from Mrs. Brannon. And maybe this podcast will inspire them to find something that they enjoy doing.” The first episode of AGC Podcast was posted April 22 and can be downloaded on various platforms including Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

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emergency management I wear my mask everywhere, and even though we haven’t mandated that in Williamson County I would just urge folks to wear a mask. It’s good for you and it’s good for others.” When asked if he would be going to sit down in restaurants or visit retail establishments, Gravell said he was going to be cautious. “I want to patronize and support our local businesses, but I think like most Texans, we’re going to support, but we’re kind of going to tip our toe in the water in that effort,” he said. The Governor’s report addresses many different types of businesses, with many of the same general guidelines for each, but, for example, restrictions on restaurants planning to reopen their dining rooms include having no tables with more than six people, no condiments or cutlery left on the table and use of disposable menus. If Phase One is successful in containing the spread of the virus then occupancy levels could move to 50 percent. Abbott emphasized that the guidelines and planning was based on consultation with medical professionals. “This is consistent with CDC guidelines, and based on advice from infectious disease specialists we will open Texas businesses in phases,” he said. “If we can contain the spread of COVID-19 during that time period, we can move to Phase Two as early as May 18. Phase Two will allow us to open more businesses and allow those open in Phase One to expand their operations. We need to see two weeks of data to conﬁrm no ﬂare up of COVID-19.” In addition to retail establishments, the new guidelines allow all museums and libraries to open under the same 25 percent capacity guidelines

and churches can expand with social distancing practices in place. Sports with no more than four participants at a time are allowed with safe distancing, with Abbott citing golf and tennis as examples. Healthcare professionals in previously closed local offices are allowed to return to work with few restrictions, though hospitals remain required to reserve 50 percent of capacity for COVID-19 patients. “Doctors, nurses and dentists need to get back to work, but even more importantly, patients need to get in to see those doctors, nurses and dentists,” Abbott said. When asked about enforcing occupancy levels under Phase One of the plan, Abbott said $1,000 fines and 180 days in jail were the potential penalties to violating his executive orders. He said primary enforcement would happen at the local and regulatory levels. Gravell said he did not see enforcement to be an issue based on how county residents and businesses responded to earlier orders. “We’ve not arrested anyone and we’ve not fined anyone,” he said. “Williamson County has complied really well. It is my suspicion that with the new rules the county is going to continue to comply. We all want to get our businesses back open, but we’re still in the middle of an emergency and we have to protect lives.” In Liberty Hill, Mayor Rick Hall said the City would rely heavily on businesses and customers complying on their own, in part due to the strain on resources. “One of the things (the Governor) did say in his order is that DPS would conduct random checks to ensure compliance,” he said. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know that our staffing is at the level it needs to be for our police department to do

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the virus has already shown to be problematic in some places. “There’s a reason all businesses in Texas can’t open all at once,” Abbott said. “We’ve already seen precautionary tales of what can happen when things reopen. There have been reports that China is now having new outbreaks. Singapore is having a second wave that’s bigger than its first wave. There’s coronavirus expansion in places like Hong Kong and Japan. The deal is, it’s a fact that it is hard to get rid of this virus because it’s so contagious.” Two important pieces to the new plan rolled out Monday are continued testing and contact tracing for new cases of the virus. “A core part of opening up safely is having an effective testing and tracing process,” Abbott said. “A process that can quickly identify any flare ups in COVID-19. We have already developed a robust testing and tracing program to help identify others that may have been infected.” The first phase of the contact tracing plan is completed, with the State having mobilized 1,157 contact tracers, and developing an application and establishing a statewide call center. “(The contact tracers) will deploy the contract tracing application statewide and deploy the COVID-19 contact tracing call center,” Abbott said. “Phase Three of the program will use the month of May to build a team of 4,000 contact tracers.” The tracers will have four critical tasks in Abbott’s plan to control the spread of COVID-19. “They test for those who may be affected,” he said. “They then help isolate those who test positive. Then they try and locate everyone who has been in contact with the infected person. Then they work

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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lot more money in operating expense over what was anticipated, I would say something in the neighborhood of three quarters of a million dollars more annually than what was budgeted.” The City endured a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) investigation, but previously announced that it had been settled, the City had been cleared of wrongdoing, and the new plant was functioning as prescribed and up to permit level. In a number of Council and community meetings called to hear complaints from property owners downstream from the plant about the quality of the efﬂuent, public works staff and other city staff, as well as engineers that worked on the project defended the plant and its operations, never raising questions previously about the reliability of the Microdyn equipment. In March 2019, Liberty Hill spent $270,000 to replace the 18 Microdyn membrane bioreactor modules at the wastewater treatment plant after they were damaged due to a failed screen intended to keep larger items out of the plant. Due to the nature of the damage to the modules, they were not covered under warranty. The screen failure allowed items through the system that clogged and damaged the membranes. In repairing the screen, gravel, some wire and even a piece of PVC pipe was

found in the screen. But Hall said this week that many issues caused City leadership to seek other options. “That’s one reason why we went to Denver to look at plants. We wanted to look at different types of plants and their membranes, their operating costs, their technology, and the ability meet our parameters for our permit with TCEQ,” Hall said. “We found one and they actually bid on the original plant design. When I pulled all those documents they were less than a half-million dollar difference in cost, and when I visited the plants, their electric cost in plants three or four times bigger than ours is lower than ours. Their water cost is lower than ours and it is all due to the technology they’re using.” The equipment, which was set to cost the City $2.2 million through Microdyn, will cost $2.6 million from Suez, the new supplier. “It will be a little bit more expensive in cost, but the cost of operating – from man hours, chemical costs, water – our analysis of that shows it will offset the increased cost,” Hall said. “Just in the last year alone we have done what they call a deep clean on the membranes I think 11 or 12 times and that’s a very expensive cost. The technology we’re moving to we do that twice a year. Minor stuff like that will more than offset the increased cost of the plant.”

advantages. “Looking at the growth, that helps us with two things,” Snell said. “It helps us financially on our maintenance and operations budget and it also helps us manage growth going forward in reducing the amount of movement families in those neighborhoods would have to make.” The following year the plan is to add fifth grade to the elementary campuses as Liberty Hill Intermediate transitions to a fifth elementary school, and that will impact student numbers on all campuses. “Adding fifth grade the next year Santa Rita would be projected to have 600 students,

and moving forward to the 2022 school year, with the fast growth and houses being built, we would expect to have 750 students,” Snell said. “By the end of 2023, Santa Rita Elementary, with just those neighborhoods, would have close to 900 students.” Under this plan, there will be no moving of students from Santa Rita until it gets to a point where the district has to build another school within that particular attendance boundary. “We’re using growth projections and space in our schools to limit the amount of movement a family might have,” Snell said.

BOUNDARIES

According to Hall, Microdyn could not come up with the right solution to the issues at the plant. “Microdyn tried every way possible, but I really think – and I can’t speak technically to this because it is not my expertise – but I just didn’t feel comfortable, the operators at the plant didn’t feel comfortable with the technology, for the new permit level considering the concerns we’ve had in the past,” he said. “That was one of the main factors that drove us to this. At the end of the day what I told our employees out at the plant, our engineers, Microdyn and Suez, is the City has the permit level we are required to meet by TCEQ and we have to do what we have to do to meet our requirements.” The equipment cost is separate from the bid award approved for Cunningham Constructors & Associates, Inc., of Georgetown to build the plant. The expansion being built by Cunningham will add 1.2 million gallons per day in treatment capacity and at a construction cost of $9.8 million. That cost climbed just over $10 million Monday when the Council voted to approve change orders in the amount of $86,514, in part due to redesign required for the new equipment. “We’re not really changing the technology, we’re buying a different ﬁlter that the water will be ﬁltered through,” Hall said. “There’s not a lot of

Continued from Page 1

If the district were not opening Santa Rita Elementary next fall, Snell said Rancho Sienna Elementary would have over 1,100 students. With the new school opening its doors, the projection is there will be 700 students at Rancho Sienna. “The following year when we add ﬁfth grade they would have 760 and the following year up to 967 and the following year up to 1,200 students,” Snell said. “The amount of growth is tremendous.” When Liberty Hill Intermediate is reopened as a ﬁfth elementary school for the 20212022 school year, it will ease student growth district-wide. “That will help alleviate

Thursday, April 30, 2020

changes that would be needed for the older plant to be retroﬁtted.” The plant brought online in 2018 can treat 800,000 gallons per day. In 2019, the City was forced to bring the original Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) plant purchased from LCRA back online because capacity at the new plant was nearing maximum capacity. When the bid was awarded to Microdyn in June 2019, the Council also approved a professional services agreement with Microdyn for a maximum amount of $130,000 to provide additional training and technical support to City staff for the operation and maintenance of the wastewater plant and expansion. The new changes are not expected to greatly delay the expansion coming online. “It will delay the opening of the plant for a few weeks past what was initially planned, but it is not going to have an impact on the growth of the city,” Hall said. “We will still be ahead of the curve as far as new houses being built and stuff like that.” Having different equipment in different parts of the plant operation is not an issue for Hall, who said down the road the City could decide to retroﬁt the current plant with the Microdyn equipment with the Suez equipment for between $600,000 and $700,000.

Fire Code The City Council voted to allow Williamson County ESD #4 to administer and enforce all regulations regarding fire prevention and mitigation within the city limits, which means the City is agreeing to operate under the 2015 International Fire Code rather than the 2006 code it adopted last. “The way the ordinance is worded, we will adhere to the fire department’s current code, so if they were to change, we wouldn’t have to change our ordinance, it will always reflect their current code,” Hall said. “It really builds a good partnership between us and the fire department because we’ve got to work together on these commercial and residential projects, so this puts the responsibility in the hands of the experts, which is the fire department.” Superseded There was confusion Monday night when the Council voted to extend the local declaration of disaster signed in March by Mayor Rick Hall. Earlier that day, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his plan to begin reopening businesses across the state, allowing the stay home order to expire April 30 while spelling out new rules for businesses that wish to reopen. He also said those new rules would supersede all local declarations. “The bullet points I got from the Governor during the day

stated, or my interpretation of it was, that local authorities would have the same level (of authority) they have always had through this,” Hall said. “Then the actual hard copy declaration he signed and sent out, we didn’t get until the meeting had actually started so I didn’t have time to review it. I looked at it last night and it says local authorities cannot supersede this for any reason.” But that was unclear Monday night as the Council debated the merits of extending the order. “If we say we’re not going to open anything up until June 1 and make it more stringent, then our orders will supersede the Governor’s orders,” Hall said at the meeting. “So we just can’t do anything that is less restrictive. We always have the ability from the county or city level to do stuff more restrictive.” Council members Kathy Canady and Liz Rundzieher advocated for extending the stay home order, citing recent increases in local COVID-19 cases. McIntosh disagreed, but when it came to a vote the Council chose to extend the order to May 11, unaware that it could not do so in light of Abbott’s order. At the time, a meeting was planned for May 4 to reconsider the City’s order, but Hall said Tuesday that meeting would likely not take place because the Council’s decision was not valid.

crowding and growth in Liberty Hill Elementary, Bill Burden, and the northern part of Rancho Sienna might draw toward that school as well,” Snell said. The rate of growth in Liberty Hill ISD remains high, with the 10-year projection showing the district’s student population at 14,000 on the low end and 22,000 on the high end. “By 2024, we are projected to double in growth,” Snell said. “The slow model has us at 8,500 kids and the fastgrowth model has us at 10,000 students. If you fast-forward another ﬁve years they have us doubling again. That is incredible to think about.”

Growth is projected at all ends of the district, but the most growth is projected in the area around the new Santa Rita campus. “The highest density part of this population growth is around Ronald Reagan and Hwy 29 intersection,” Snell said. “If you think about the neighborhoods that currently

feed Rancho Sienna that is our fastest growth in our district and the most dense part of the district. In the north part of Santa Rita, they’re projected to build another 3,500 homes that are in Liberty Hill ISD. Lively Ranch is also a neighborhood that is going to build a lot of houses with 1,000 more houses they’re projecting.”

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, April 30, 2020 Page 7

Vacant diamond leaves bad taste LHHS baseball season left in ashes due to pandemic

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Everything was rounding into fine form for Liberty Hill’s baseball team when the day dawned on March 13, as the Panthers sported a sparkling 12-3 record after having defeated Bridgeland, 4-3, the previous afternoon at the Fort Bend ISD tournament. Senior Ryan Flake was the winning pitcher. Little did the lefty know it was destined to be the final appearance of his high school career. The following afternoon the Panthers were scheduled to face the home team, Fort Bend Austin, but instead they found themselves on the bus headed home after the rest of the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. At first, there was hope for Flake and his teammates to continue the season all of them had worked so hard to get ready for as nobody knew the severity of what was only beginning. After a suspension of all UIL activities, which took effect on

March 19, became a cancellation 28 days later, Flake was floored by the news – not only for himself, but his teammates. “When I found out our season was over, I think I can speak for the whole team by saying it was truly devastating,” said Flake, who had gotten off to a flying start to the season at the plate, batting .395 with team-leading totals of two home runs and 23 runs batted in after 15 games, including a pair of grand slams. “This year’s team was special in so many ways and the fact I’ll never be able to play with those guys again is just indescribable.” Junior shortstop Ryan Leary still has another season to now look forward to, which makes everything a bit less painful, he said. “Being able to come back for another year with the team is a great feeling and has made dealing with the situation easier,” said Leary, who has committed to Texas State. Liberty Hill head coach Steve Hutcherson and his players were forced to come to terms

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Senior Ryan Flake (#21) and his Panthers teammates were off to a 12-3 start when the UIL suspended – and ultimately cancelled – the rest of the season. with the reality that was now laid out before them. “To be honest, when it was just suspended we all tried to remain overly optimistic about the fact we would be able to return to the field,” said Hutcherson. “So, when we got the official cancellation, it hit us all pretty hard because we hadn’t really allowed ourselves to think we would not be finishing the season in some form.” However, Hutcherson credit-

ed his players for their collective response. “They have handled everything like very mature young men and have done really well to see the bigger picture,” he said. “As disappointed as I know they all are, they’ve kept in good spirits and continued to work very hard even though it was all being done individually.” Flake admitted he was remaining optimistic during the suspension he and his team-

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Lady Panthers senior Cheyenne Floyd (#14) and her teammates must move on after their season was cancelled due to the global pandemic.

Already missing the uniform

Softballers move on after cancelled season

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor On the morning of March 17, Cheyenne Floyd woke up to the news she was dreading – information perhaps deep down the Liberty Hill senior softball player knew was inevitable, but still wishing against hope it wouldn’t come to fruition. Alas, what she had feared was indeed the case. When the UIL officially shut down all activities for the rest of the school year, Floyd and her fellow Lady Panthers had the rug pulled out from under them in the form of their season going by the wayside. Add into the equation she’s a senior who is already signed with McLennan Community College to play next season and the fact her prep softball days are over as a result of the pandemic is even more difficult to deal with, she said. “All of this was certainly unexpected and not how any of us had hoped our season to go. I truly believe this team was something special and we had the ability to go very far,” said Floyd, who was Liber-

ty Hill’s number one starter. “Senior year for all athletes – but especially (college) committed ones – is the last year and time to fine-tune and perfect your practice before we leave for college. I depended on this year to finalize zoning in and continue to grow my confidence within myself and my abilities. Although my summer season is still in the air, I’m looking forward to those tournaments to prepare me for college and moving forward.” Fellow senior and teammate Ashton Dirner, who has committed to play at Angelo State University, was impacted in a similar way and the fact her season has now been cancelled as opposed to only postponed has dealt her a psychological blow as the onfield bonds she had formed over her four years in Purpleand-Gold will never again be the same. “My heart hurts knowing I’ll never get to play with my teammates I’ve grown up playing with,” she said. “The emotions are definitely different now that everything’s

been cancelled. When the season was suspended, I still was excited for it to start up again. Now I’m sad I’ll never get to play in the Liberty Hill uniform again.” Much like Floyd’s predicament, Dirner must still remain ready to begin her college career and is employing a fitness regimen, although there are some things that can’t be replicated, she said. “I’ve been doing my college workouts my college coach sends me, I’ve also been trying to run a mile or two every day and my teammates and I have a group chat we talk on from time to time,” said Dirner. “But, I think it will still impact in a way since I’m not able to do actual live situations and batting. The most I can do right now is batting-tee work and glove drills.” According to Liberty Hill head coach Kristen Brewer, the news, albeit somewhat expected was still a shock to the system once official word came down – something she hasn’t completely grasped the gravity of yet. “The news was a punch to

the gut and currently I think I myself am still processing the impact. We were all holding on to that hope this would end in time for us to have some sort of completion to our season. We knew it wasn’t going to be ‘normal,’ but any type of modification was better than no remaining season at all,” said Brewer. “I completely understand the why behind all of this and I can’t even imagine what kind of pressure and stress those that were in charge of making the call were feeling as no one ‘wants’ this to be the answer. This pandemic is bigger than sports and bigger than us – we all need to heed to the restrictions to be able to get through this and heal together. We all need to focus on our priorities right now and love on our families and make sure we’re taking care of ourselves.” Despite staying in as much contact as possible to help ease the pain of a lost season, there is only so much one can do – which means it’s a pain

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mates would get back on the field – despite the steep odds against it. “When the season was suspended, we all kept believing someday we were going to play again,” he said. “We knew it was a long shot, but we kept our hopes up, so when the season was officially cancelled, it was hard to think it was actually all over just like that.” Leary said at the time, he felt as if losing the season was a

possibility – albeit a surreal one. “Before knowing the season was officially cancelled, there was a sense of hope and it almost felt unrealistic for something like this to happen,” he said. Despite his own experience as a player, Hutcherson can only feel sympathy for his players and the scars that will be left behind despite a

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Mankind is nothing if not flexible. During t h i s no-contact, no-anything period in our history, the sports world has been leading the way as far as how we can still quench our thirst for athletic competition. Take last week’s NFL draft, for example. In what has become a showcase of future football talent, which has evolved into a game-show-like extravaganza on live television that people plan parties around, this year’s event was appreciably absent of the usual glitz and excitement the event is normally immersed in. We said “normally.” Because at the moment, nothing is normal. Or maybe it is. Perhaps watching Bill Belichick pace around his kitchen like a lonely, lost soul (“Tom, where have you gone and how could you have done this to me?!”) is the new normal. But, Bill wasn’t completely alone as he began to contemplate Patriots A.B. (After Brady). His faithful canine companion – an Alaskan Husky named Nike (wonder if Bill was shrewd enough to get an endorsement deal out of a dog’s name? Probably.) was alongside to keep the ol’ ball coach company over the course of the evening. Maybe the new normal is seeing commish Roger Goodell relaxing in a La-Z-Boy wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of khakis while conducting a live interview. We can only hope. One aspect we were definitely gypped out of was the nevergets-old sight of New York Jets fans gathered at a Big Apple watering hole going absolutely mental when their first-round pick is announced by said commissioner. You know, the balding, middle-aged men decked out in jerseys and wearing hard hats with the team logo crying out in anguish. “They picked who?! Forget about it!” Nothing like some serious melodrama to spice up an event. Not quite the same picturing each of them agonizing as they shelter-in-place while sitting in front of webcams. All in all, the draft went well as one after one, newly-minted wealthy ballers were brought

into our lives through the miracle of technology. But, what about when the actual games have to be played? Got it covered. Now, when we think ingenuity, certainly Denmark comes immediately to mind, right? Well, a football (read, soccer, you Yanks) club in the small Scandinavian country situated on the North Sea already has a solution to seeing sporting events while social-distancing. On game day, people will be allowed to roll up to the stadium and watch the behindclosed-doors game broadcast on enormous video boards in the parking lot – you know, like drive-in-movie-style. When sports leagues around the world open back up again, it will certainly be without people in the stands, so this is as good a solution as any for those who don’t want to simply watch on television. Instead, we can all drive in our cars to a stadium only to – watch on television! After all, unless you’re a season-ticket holder, how many live games do you actually go to anyway? No obnoxious people to put up with – unless of course, your mother-in-law happens to live with you -- and beer is a lot cheaper when it’s served from your own fridge than the watered-down version that passes for pilsner at your local ballpark or arena for $8.50 a pop. This is what we need at times like this, people. Solutions. Who knows? Maybe the actual real players will never even get to play anymore. Life will be one, big game of Madden. Or FIFA. Or MLB The Show. Or whatever. Is it really so bad? After all, in this age of super-technology can’t we as human beings feel the same emotional attachment to athletes who are composed not of flesh and blood, but gigabytes and motion-capture sensors? Auto racing would definitely be a lot safer. But, don’t worry. All of the people out there who watch races to see the 27car pileups in Turn 3 will still get their fix of death and destruction – it just won’t be real. Like watching a movie. Nobody ever really gets killed on The Big Screen, but it’s still pretty captivating, isn’t it? So, even if we never get to witness the sports we have such a passion for in person ever again, no worries. Life will go on. Virtually speaking, of course.

See BASEBALL, Page 8

Living the dream in a sports biosphere

Page 8

Healing hands on hold

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Trainers treating athletes with technology

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Melissa Harrington usually spends about 12 hours each day seeing to the needs of Liberty Hill High School athletes in her role as head trainer for the Panthers. But, what happens when you can no longer care for those nursing injuries in the cozy confines of the training room in the main field house on campus? You do the next best thing. Rely on technology. Recently, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harrington has set up an online clinic of sorts, offering injured Panthers correct care through the use of a weekly Zoom meeting on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. According to Harrington, the meeting gives her a chance to monitor the progress of Panthers who are currently on the mend. “We have athletes that are continuing their rehabs from surgeries or serious injuries and wanted to find a way to give them a way to ask questions or demonstrate new rehab exercises athletes have been e-mailed,” said Harrington. “Most importantly, we wanted the community to know we’re here even during this time of social distancing.”

LOCAL

As athletes are restricted to working out and rehabbing on their own, minor maladies are the most common – but if not handled correctly could be a stumbling block on the road to recovery, she said. “The age group we treat typically develop tendinitis, muscle strains and soreness – especially while working out at home,” said Harrington. “These type of injuries are treated with stretching and speciﬁc muscle-strengthening exercises. We can also make small modiﬁcations to painful exercises. This way athletes can still do all workouts, but without risk of further injury.” Of course, nothing is a substitute for in-person care when it comes to ailments that require it, but an overwhelming majority of the problems Harrington deals with can be handled with the right homework. “Being an athletic trainer, we’re very hands on, but I will tell you a secret – at least 85 percent of injuries can be correctly diagnosed with a detailed medical history, including the mechanism of injury and what activities are painful,” she said. “This form of telehealth will give LHISD athletic trainers the opportunity to sharpen the vital skills of listening to our patients and

Continued from Page 1

handles, restrooms and countertops often and will reduce the amount of contact with customers during the purchase process at the counter. Tami Spearman, owner of Simply Home Decor & More, said for now she is going to keep her doors closed until May 5, when she will reopen with regular business hours. Until then, curbside services are still available, and will remain an option even after she opens. “I will allow customers inside by appointment only so that we can limit the number of people inside and can exercise the safety measures and sterilization procedures we have in place to see what can be done even better once we fully open,” she said. “We will evaluate toward the end of next week to see what feels right moving forward.” Dental offices are included in the businesses allowed to reopen. Dr. Scot O’Donnell of Liberty Hill Orthodontics said his office will be opening May 4 and will be open five days a week initially to serve the backlog of patients who haven’t been able to get an appointment. “Based on measures we’ve taken, we feel comfortable reopening,” O’Donnell said. “Some may see it as extreme, but our initial thought is to err on the side of safety and then dial back from there as we see what happens in Texas.” Specific changes O’Donnell has made to his office include adding an air purifier to the central HVAC system, requiring all employees to wear personal protective equipment, adding barriers and partitions between exam chairs, and limiting the number of people in the office. Office staff will also be screening patients before

they enter the office, and the waiting room will be closed temporarily. “It’s a good idea that the Governor is allowing businesses to move forward, but it puts a heavy responsibility on each individual and what they feel comfortable with,” O’Donnell added. “I’m in favor of reopening and finding creative ways to make businesses safer and help the public feel like we have their best interest in mind.” Restaurants are also on the list of approved businesses to reopen, and while some in Liberty Hill are opening first thing Friday, included Margarita’s, Hell or High Water Brewing and Liberty Hill Beer Market, others are holding off for now, like Malted Grains. Michael Biggs, owner and chef at Malted Grains, said COVID-19 has steered him and fellow owner, Melissa Day, to make big changes at their restaurant. They haven’t decided on a specific date that they will reopen for dine-in services, but their overall concept will be changing completely. “When this all started, we began making family meals, which a lot of customers were happy with,” Biggs said. “It allowed us to produce a lot of food on a limited amount of labor, and it’s kept us in business. We decided to just pull the trigger and change our concept to doing family meals and individual meals to go.” While the to-go meals will be the focus at Malted Grains, Biggs said he plans on reopening the restaurant eventually for lunch services. “We’re hoping the community still sees the to-go meals as a convenience even when things get back to normal,” he added. “We will still have

examining injuries through our knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics.” Harrington said it’s not only Panther athletes who can beneﬁt from the service. “As athletic trainers we typically treat LHISD athletes,” she said. “But, we’re happy to speak with any LHISD student or employee during athletic trainer talks should they have an injury from being physically active at home.” On a personal level, the pandemic has removed the one aspect of the profession that is the most gratifying, said Harrington. “This COVID pandemic has been especially hard on athletic trainers,” she said. “We’re used to working 12-or-morehour days and providing healthcare. Right now, we’re not able to do the one thing we crave to do. This was the ﬁrst time in 25 years I had a spring break. So honestly, we struggle with the time we have on our hands. Like other educators, we just want to get back to being with our students.” For Harrington, the online care is not only important medically, but an extension of the mentality that must prevail at a time like the present. “Honestly, all contact with LHISD students is vital. Our students need to know we care

tables for dine in, and we also want to look at bringing in local products to give us an upscale market feel.” Biggs mentioned products like locally roasted coffees, milled flours, ice cream and cured bacon. Malted Grains will be changing its hours to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday but will still have its weekly bake shop with breads and desserts on Saturdays. Biggs said part of their decision to hold off on reopening is because he isn’t sure how any restaurant can operate on 25 percent capacity. “Restaurants as it is run on a very fine margin,” he said. “It takes a lot of labor to get a restaurant up and running. Most restaurants only make 5 to 10 percent per dollar that’s brought in. From a customer standpoint, sitting down in a restaurant knowing you’re not getting the full experience and a server comes to you with a mask on, is kind of shocking, I think.” While banks have been considered essential businesses throughout the lockdown, their lobbies have been closed to the public. Van Swift, president and CEO of First Texas Bank, said his bank lobbies have been closed for about six weeks. “It was critical that we stayed open, but we were given some leeway to close our lobbies, which is unheard of,” he said. “This bank is 122 years old, and I don’t know that we’ve ever closed our lobbies.” Plans to reopen the various branches’ lobbies are underway, Swift said. Locations with less traffic, like Lampasas, may open sooner than locations with more traffic, like Liberty Hill. “We still aren’t sure when we will open each individual

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Liberty Hill head athletic trainer Melissa Harrington has established an online healthcare service for LHISD athletes, students and employees to ensure proper treatment during the pandemic. and no matter what we have to overcome – we have to ﬁnd the solution and must lead by example,” she said. “We have to ﬁnd ways for them to work out at home and stay on track, so when we’re able to get back

to activities, our athletes can return to the sports they love at a high level. If we can’t ﬁnd a way to continue their progress, we’re not meeting the expectations of the athletic training program or our

community. Those are expectations we hold in the highest regard and strive to provide the best healthcare possible even during a pandemic.”

lobby, but we are discussing it this week,” he said. “My guess would be Monday we will reopen some of the lobbies. We have masks and gloves for our employees, and partitions for employees who work with customers.” While many locations can reopen Friday, others, like salons and gyms, are not part of the order. Gov. Abbott’s plan is to phase these types of businesses in on or around May 18. Courtney Harrison, owner of Salon 29, said it’s been hard to understand the governor’s justiﬁcation for not including salons. “I think he used social distancing as his determining factor, and in our profession, that’s hard to do while doing our jobs adequately,” she said. “However, the way my salon is structured, we are far enough apart that we can work at the same time and be properly distanced. And when it comes to sanitation, we are held to an extremely high standard. We are required to take a four-hour review course on sanitation alone every two years just to renew our licenses.” Harrison added that the sanitation products used in salons is medical grade, and every surface touched by clients is thoroughly cleaned after their

services. “I understand the social distancing aspect, but as far as how it hurts us financially, most salon workers live paycheck to paycheck because we don’t have 401Ks or retirement accounts to dip into at this time,” Harrison said. “My income was basically pulled out from underneath me.” Kayla Witbeck, owner of Radiant Salon & Boutique, said she respects the Governor’s decision, but at the same time, she worries about those who work in her salon, because they are all independent contractors with booth rentals, which means they are unable to file for unemployment. “We have the right to work, and we don’t want to be unemployed or get assistance from the government,” Witbeck said. “We want to be able to take clients, and isn’t that our freedom to do so? If you’re scared of the virus, then that’s your freedom to stay home, but we’re falling through the cracks because there’s no assistance for us.” Witbeck added that it was frustrating to see that places like malls and museums can open, because they are high traffic areas. “I think salons should have been considered way before

malls,” she said. “People at malls are touching items and shopping, so it’s just confusing. We already had extreme sanitation measures in place before this all happened.” Maranda Basey, owner of Flock Fitness, said she wasn’t shocked that gyms weren’t included in the ﬁrst phase of businesses being allowed to reopen. “I knew we would slowly start opening things back up, and I think it’s good,” she said. “We’ll have to downsize classes and have different restrictions, but I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re going to hopefully open up before the end of May.” Basey added that she knows gyms can get sweaty and dirty quickly, so she is working on a plan to keep her gym sanitized, make sure people keep a safe distance from each other while working out, and will continue to offer virtual classes, which she started when she was forced to close. “I know some people won’t feel comfortable coming in, so we’ll do what we can do start slowly getting people back to feeling safe to come in and work out,” she said.

BASEBALL

Continued from Page 7

potential valuable life lesson. “I can’t even imagine having to go through this and that’s what makes me so heartbroken for them -- I feel like it will be several years down the road before the reality of all that has been lost really sets in,” he said. “But, I honestly think they’ll be stronger for it in the long run. They’re learning one of the most valuable lessons any of us could learn and that’s to pour your heart in to your work even if you don’t know the outcome. In this case, they put in the work and only got the reward of 15 games, but their work ethic can carry them through life.” Hutcherson added it seemed as if time was slowed down during the suspension with the anticipation of a decision – one way or the other – which affected him not only as a coach, but a teacher, as well. “As a coach, before we got the ofﬁcial word we would be getting shut down, it seemed like there were about 30 hours in each day because we all just wanted to know a decision on if we would be able to return,” he said. “As a teacher, you just try to put together something the students can still get something out of a lesson while trying to balance that we don’t really know everyone’s household situation and what type of things our students and their parents may be dealing with during this time.” One way players may be affected down the line in the

aftermath of the pandemic is the fact some smaller colleges have already begun eliminating non-revenue sports – of which baseball is one, said Hutcherson. “This will have a huge impact especially for a sport like baseball at small colleges because sports don’t necessarily add to the bottom line ﬁnancially at smaller schools,” he said. “This pandemic is somewhat giving them an excuse to cut all of the things that aren’t proﬁtable for the school.” Flake is still keeping an eye on his future in spite of the fact no more baseball will be played this season. “I work out with my brother every day to stay in shape. We’re fortunate to have some workout equipment at the house to maintain a routine,” he said. “I’m in contact with my teammates every day -they’re my best friends and that’ll never change. With the season being cut short, I still intend on being fully prepared for college ball.” Leary is also taking the necessary steps to keep himself game-ready. “To stay in shape, I’ve been working out at the house and throwing with some of my teammates to keep our arms in shape. The team talks pretty much every day, so we’re all pretty well in touch,” he said. “Since I’m a junior, I’m primarily focused on next year’s baseball season and what this summer has to offer. But, I

think it will affect me as far as how much real baseball is played versus working out at home.” Flake said the pandemic has driven home a point that is often overlooked. “One of the things I’ve learned from this situation is we can’t take anything for granted and to cherish the moments you have with those around you,” he said. Leary agreed. “There is good I see coming out of this situation,” he said. “As a family – mine and I know plenty others – are getting to spend time together they haven’t gotten to spend in a long time. Although the situation is tough, being able to come together as a family has helped us through it.” For Hutcherson, perhaps what’s most missed isn’t the game itself, but the relationships that go on in and around it, he said. “Something like this shows just how precious every moment truly is. We had such a great time with each other this year and when it comes to such an abrupt stop, it puts everything into perspective -- it had nothing to do with the game that made that time so great, it was the people,” said Hutcherson. “I just think when we do get back, whether the team is one of the best in the state or a team that’s struggling, everyone will just appreciate being back out there and using sports as part of the healing process.”

Thursday, April 30, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 9

County COVID-19 case totals jump

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor There were 126 new conﬁrmed COVID-19 cases in Williamson County from April 22-29, in large part due to 50 cases at Trinity Care Center in Round Rock. The County also had three more fatalities, bringing the total to eight. “As County Judge, I am heartbroken for the families and for their loss,” said Judge Bill Gravell. “We are striving to open up our community and our economy and the reality is there are people that are struggling to survive.” Five of the fatalities were from Round Rock, one was from Hutto and two from Georgetown. The announcement of the

cluster of cases at Trinity Care Center came April 25, and Tuesday, the County conﬁrmed there was a similar investigation ongoing at another nursing facility, though Gravell would not identify the name or location. “The health department is currently investigating a cluster at a nursing home in Round Rock, and the numbers that I have here is that there were 50 individuals within that nursing home, some being employees and some being residents, that have tested positive,” Gravell said. “The nursing facility, along with Williamson County and our health district, is working on this.” Health ofﬁcials tested a total of 233 staff and residents at Trinity Care Center.

Liberty Hill Mayor Rick Hall announced four new cases last week, bringing the total to six, but he said three of those patients were reported as recovered. In Texas, 191 people died last week and testing revealed nearly 6,000 new cases of the virus. The number hospitalized in the state has ﬂuctuated over the past seven days between a low of 1,542 and a high of 1,849. The estimate is that more than 12,000 conﬁrmed Texas cases have recovered. CARES Act funds Williamson County has received $93 million in federal funds through the CARES Act. “This is a lot of money,” Gravell said. “It is considerably more than the County has spent in this emergency.

What’s impressive about the CARES Act funds is the County will be able to use those funds to assist other groups, organizations and perhaps even local businesses.” The Commissioners Court will meet Friday morning to discuss how to prioritize use of and distribute the funds and establish policies and procedures. “You will see the County reach out to the different groups and organizations and help them as we can,” Gravell said. “The reality is we have that money in our checking account and that money does not help our people unless we can get it out to them.”

COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS CUMULATIVE CASES & DEATHS Williamson County Cases Williamson County Deaths Texas Cases Texas Deaths U.S. Cases U.S. Deaths

APRIL 8

APRIL 15

APRIL 22

APRIL 29

97 4 9,353 177 395,011 12,754

128 4 15,492 364 605,390 24,582

167 5 21,096 543 802,583 44,575

293 8 27,054 732 981,246* 55,258*

SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION *4/28/20

CASES BY COUNTY

HARRIS 5,986 DALLAS 3,240 TARRANT 2,088 TRAVIS 1,539 BEXAR 1,307 WILLIAMSON 293

146 CASES

152 CASES

CASES BY AGE 0-17 18-40 41-60 Over 60

7 81 120 85

SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES 4/29/20

CASES BY LOCATION IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY

AUSTIN 19 CEDAR PARK 25 GEORGETOWN 33 HUTTO 24 LEANDER 32 ROUND ROCK 129 LIBERTY HILL 6

TESTED IN TEXAS APRIL 8 APRIL 15 APRIL 22 APRIL 29

96,258 151,810 216,783 314,790

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY & CITIES HEALTH DISTRICTS 4/29/20

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Berry Creek (Georgetown) Santa Rita Ranch Ph 1 Dove Meadows Dove Meadows Bear Creek - 7.3 acres Rio Ancho - Cul-de-Sac Lot Stonewall Ranch Georgetown Jenks Branch Stonewall Ranch

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Luciano Cabasas - 2.38 acres

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3 Bldgs - 14 units Pending Contract 4B/2BA 3B/2.5BA 4B/2BA 3B/2.5BA 3B/2BA 3B/2BA 3B/2.5BA 4B/4BA Sold! 6B/4BA 4B/3.5BA 3B/2BA 3B/2BA 3B/2BA Lot 25 3B/2BA 2 Tracts 4B/2BA 5B/3BA

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Page 10

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Viewing Entertainment

AT-HOME BINGING FOR ADULTS

Keeping entertained is paramount to remaining sane during the COVID-19 quarantine, and with the various streaming platforms available from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu to HBO Now, there is plenty to binge on. Here’s my list of 10 recommendations for shows and movies for adults. 1. TIGER KING (Netflix) While the incredibly popular Netflix true-crime docuseries can be difficult to stomach at times, it certainly is a mustwatch. The eight-episode series is centered on the life of Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, A.K.A. Joe Exotic. Using Joe Exotic as an entry point, the series focuses on the tight-knit world of big cat ownership, conservation, and collection. Accusations of animal abuse and exploitation, murder, and multiple cult-like groups create twists and turns that one never sees coming. 2. OZARK (Netflix, 3 Seasons) “Ozark” is a crime drama starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. Full of tension and edge of your seat moments, the story follows Martin Byrde, a financial advisor forced to relocate his family after a money-laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes wrong. To save his life, Byrde cuts a deal with the cartel and sets up a new scheme in the Ozarks of Missouri. With three critically acclaimed seasons in the bank, this is a perfect series for quarantine binging. 3. THE WITCHER (Netflix, 1 Season) For those missing “Game of Thrones”, and needing to dip into the world of fantasy again, “The Witcher” can help fill that gap. The series is an

SOFTBALL

Thursday, April 30, 2020

adaptation of a book series that follows Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a mutated hunter of beasts and princess Ciri, both linked together by a shared destiny. The story focuses on many of the formative stories in the characters’ lives before turning into an exciting and often humorous adventure. “The Witcher” is perfect for those interested in high fantasy and intense action set pieces.

4. BREAKING BAD (Netflix, 5 Seasons) Anyone looking for edge of your seat storytelling, high tension, and complex character study, “Breaking Bad” is the perfect watch – that is if you haven’t seen it. Although it’s been off television for a few years, it’s an excellent option for quarantine binge-watching. The well-known and critically acclaimed, neo-western crime series follows science teacher turned drug lord Walter White and his partner Jesse Pinkman as they navigate the murderous and dangerous world they’ve entered. For those who missed it when it was on the air, or for those simply looking for an excellent series to rewatch, “Breaking Bad” is perfect. 5. BETTER CALL SAUL (Netflix, 4 Seasons) Serving as the prequel series to “Breaking Bad”, “Better Call Saul” shares the same brilliant storytelling and character exploration. The crime drama follows Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) six years before the events of “Breaking Bad” and focuses on his transformation from Jimmy, a flawed individual attempting to do the right thing and stay on the straight and narrow, into Saul Goodman, the crooked and slimy defense lawyer from “Breaking Bad”. With its fifth season just wrapping up on AMC, the first four on Netflix are worth the watch.

Continued from Page 7

that never completely subsides, said Brewer. “This has been hard to swallow not only for coaches and parents, but for the girls as well. This is a sport they love and have poured their blood, sweat and tears into. No amount of Zoom meetings, phone calls and texts are going to be able to take that feeling away – though we will not stop doing those. We have cried together and are working on getting through this grieving process together. It hurts because we all care. They care about their teammates and the success we were creating,” she said. “I would like for them to focus on all the positives of the shortened season. All the memories they were able to make with their Panthers softball family both on and off the field. Think about the special team they had created and become and what it took for us to get there together and the accomplishments we made as a team. I would like for them to think about how they took the field each game, not afraid to set and reach their goals and be able to give their all for one another. How they never quit fighting through it all.” Brewer also teaches in ad-

dition to her coaching duties and has had to adjust on both fronts during the outbreak – providing both her players and students alternative methods of what was once taken for granted as everyday activities. “I’m not going to sugar coat it – it’s been tough to experience. Everyone has lost their comforting routine as they know it, having to take on new roles, new normals and just manage the best they can,” she said. “As a coach, we’ve been trying to stay as positive as we can to encourage a glimmer of hope that someday soon we’ll all be together again on the ﬁeld. There have been numerous Zoom meetings and texts to stay in contact and just talk about what they need to do and help answer any questions we can they may have as we all take on the unknown day by day. We’ve sent daily workouts to help keep them moving and to aid in some sort of routine they can use to stay ready as well as be a distraction and take their mind off of what we’re all experiencing.” But, that’s only for on-theﬁeld substitutes, as opposed to the in-the-classroom variety. “As a teacher, we’re managing the transition to this

6. PARASITE (Hulu) Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, “Parasite” is a dark comedy that centers on the members of a poor South Korean family that attempts to infiltrate a wealthy family by pretending to be highly-qualified workers, such as an English tutor. What begins as a lighthearted comedy turns dark and twisted as time goes on. “Parasite” is a mustwatch film. 7. IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (Hulu, 14 Seasons) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has been on the air since 2005 and has built a legacy of over 150 episodes. Essentially a show about nothing in the vein of “Seinfeld”, “It’s Always Sunny” focuses on the many misadventures of the irredeemable and downright despicable gang of Paddy’s Pub, a narcissistic group of friends. Binging on the exploits and various hair-brained schemes of Mac, Charlie, Dennis, Dee, and Frank (Danny DeVito) is the perfect way of getting through quarantine. 8. THE SOPRANOS (HBO NOW, 6 Seasons) A good way to battle the boredom of quarantine is revisiting or experiencing for the first time this modern crime classic. “The Sopranos” revolves around Tony Soprano, a New Jersey-based Italian crime boss and his family. One of the most important shows of the early 2000s, “The Sopranos” helped usher in the current golden age of television. A combination of excellent storytelling, complex character studies and one of the most fascinating casts of characters makes “The Sopranos” a show that must be consumed.

Winter came and went and, except for the ﬁnal two seasons, “Game of Thrones” was an excellent example of the power of HBO’s ability to bring an epic and compelling adventure to life. A permanent mark in pop culture history now is the time to follow the tales of betrayal, love, lust, and sorcery that “Game of Thrones” presents. Watching the game unfold and the players make their moves is a great way to get through COVID-19.

10. VARIOUS 30 FOR 30 DOCUMENTARIES (ESPN+) The 30 for 30 series of documentaries have been around for a few years now and with each new episode, a whole new corner of the sports world is explored in detailed and excellently produced fashion. Covering a wide range of topics and sports, the 30 for 30 documentaries aren’t just fascinating for sports fans, but also those simply interested in out of the box and interesting stories. For me, O.J. Made in America is one of the mustwatch episodes, as well as Doc and Daryl, Nature Boy, Requiem for the Big East and Survive and Advance.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHTS

Movie nights are a classic staple of family bonding. Here are some of my recommendations for the family to enjoy together.

By Anthony Flores, Entertainment Writer

miliar with the popular Minion characters, this is where the phenomenon first began. This movie is one that the entire family can enjoy, regardless of age. NAILED IT (Netflix, 4 Seasons) Moving away from movies, “Nailed It” is a Netflix original cooking show that breaks from the traditional mold. The premise of the show is taking three bakers who aren’t very good at baking and presenting them with two challenges – recreating high-quality deserts as accurately as they can. Hosted by comedian and actress Nicole Byer, “Nailed It” is a charming and funny take on the traditional cooking shows. THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS TRILOGY (Disney+) With the most recent trilogy of Star Wars films wrapping up with Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, now is a good time to either revisit or experience for the first time, the trilogy that gave birth to a global phenomenon that is four decades strong. The epic tale of the Rebellion’s battle against the Galactic Empire, Luke Skywalker’s ascension to becoming a Jedi, and his battles with the powerful Sith Lord Darth Vader are well known and part of our pop culture DNA. Now is a perfect time to hop on the Millennium Falcon and ride alongside Luke, Han, Leia, Chewy, R2, and C-3PO.

9. GAME OF THRONES (HBO NOW)

DESPICABLE ME (Netﬂix) The story of supervillain Felonius Gru (Steve Carell) adopting three young orphan girls to inﬁltrate and best his rival is equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. In his attempt to gain the notoriety he so desperately covets, Gru’s cold exterior melts away as his bond with the girls deepens. For those fa-

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Disney+, 7 Seasons) Taking place between the Star Wars prequel ﬁlms “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”, this series, in its seventh and ﬁnal season. The complex writing, story lines, and high-end action make this an appealing viewing for both children and adults. The story of the series

remote learning style the best we can, although deep in our gut yearning to be back at school in our classrooms faceto-face with all our students,” said Brewer. “It’s difficult to hear some of the students’ struggles as families are trying to adjust. At school, we try our best to make the environment an even playing field to set each child up for success and now we’re trying to recreate that from scratch in a short period of time because we love our students and want to make things as stress-free as possible for them and their families. It’s not something that can be done overnight and just being able to be that extra support and remind everyone to focus on one day at a time. We’re all in this together and we will get through this.” Having the opportunity to continue her playing career in college may provide some solace for Floyd, but she still feels sorrow for the unfinished business that now must be left behind. “Knowing my high school career is over is certainly not easy – lots of tears have been shed recently,” she said. “My season didn’t go exactly as planned with being hurt, so

this certainly was not ideal. Honestly, it hasn’t really set in that I will not be returning to Liberty Hill High School, or put on a Panthers uniform again. Of course it all hurts and I’ve said over and over, ‘its not fair’ and ‘I don’t understand’, but we just have to trust the process and know the future will be brighter.” Brewer said she feels particularly for the seniors, who have been deprived of so many lifelong memories. “They’re going to feel they have missed out on a lot of things this last year of high school and they’re not wrong. Friendships and memories they would have made over this time span, proms, banquets, records that could have been broken, possibly a traditional graduation and life lessons which could’ve been learned,” she said. “This group of seniors has seen a lot of adversity since their existence and if I know one thing about them, it’s this – they have a lot of ﬁght in them and not even a virus will be able to hold them down from coming out of this stronger and putting their mark on the world. I believe this will change and bring some new perspective to things and

they get a little taste early in life to cherish the little things and not take anything for granted. Despite what they’ve been deprived of, I know this will not affect how successful these young ladies will be in life. I do want my seniors to know our season wasn’t supposed to end this way – I’m incredibly proud of them and thankful for all they’ve given to this program and to me. I’m a better person and a better coach because of them.” As for what the world will look like on the other side of the pandemic, Brewer is hesitant to speculate, but imagines a society that will perhaps have a renewed gratitude, she said. “In a world of unknowns that we’re currently in, it’s hard to answer this question,” said Brewer. “I would like to say we would return with a new, refreshed perspective of how lucky we are to be here and get to do what we do. We would find our new ‘normal’, which also includes self-care and reflection, checking in with those you care about more and a have a lot more love to give. I challenge everyone to find a way to thank our healthcare workers, first responders

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follows the Republic and Jedi struggles against the Separatists and Sith. It follows the adventures of Star Wars stalwart Obi-Wan Kenobi, brash and hotheaded Anakin Skywalker, and Skywalker’s Young Apprentice Ahsoka Tano. This choice is one that would best be suited for children who aren’t too young because of the animated violence. THE MANDOLORIAN (Disney+) While “The Mandolorian” slides towards the more mature end of the spectrum in terms of violence, it’s a series that can be enjoyed by the entire family. The story follows Mando, a bounty hunter with the mission to retrieve and deliver a mysterious package. The adventure that ensues is one that draws on many emotions, telling a story that is contained, yet epic in scope. THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART (Hulu) The Sequel to the successful 2014 hit, this follow up remains a charming and fun experience for both children and adults. Taking place five years after the original, the citizens of Bricksburg are dealing with the aftermath of several alien invasions. The movie follows Emmet (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) and Batman (Will Arnett) as they attempt to rebuild their home. CHARLOTTE’S WEB, 1973 (Hulu) “Charlotte’s Web” is a film that does an excellent job of instilling important life lessons for kids. A young piglet named Wilbur befriends fellow farm animals and a wise spider named Charlotte. The story centers on Wilbur’s life as he grows and learns some difficult life lessons.

and all those that are on the front lines every day in this world. We’re all in this together and we’ll overcome and get through this all together. But, most off all, love one another.” Both players said they’re having difﬁculty in ﬁnding the proverbial silver lining as they attempt to move forward. “I honestly don’t see any good coming from this situation,” said Dirner. “It sucks all these kids that are playing sports don’t get to do what they love.” Floyd agreed, but knows sometimes it’s darkest just before dawn. “Honestly, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for me right now, but I know I have to trust in my faith that God has a bigger plan for all of us – the town included,” she said. “Liberty Hill has always been a small, family-like community – we rely on each other for support when times get tough. My family especially has seen the support of this amazing community. I know and believe each and every one of us will get through this and grow together.”

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