LH Independent, 1-23-2020 by The Liberty Hill Independent

2020

Volume 33, Issue 9

www.LHIndependent.com

News@LHIndependent.com

January 23, 2020 | 50 Cents

LHISD Trustees name Kline principal at Santa Rita Elementary

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liberty Hill ISD named its newest principal Tuesday to lead its newest campus. Kristine Kline will be the first principal at Santa Rita Elementary, set to open next Fall, after approval of the LHISD Board of Trustees. Superintendent Steve Snell said Kline met all of the qualifications he was seeking in a new principal. “(Kristy Kline) rose to the top just based on all of her quality skills and experience, her success as a principal in many districts and we felt she had the ability of accomplishing the task of opening up a new campus, which is a heavy lift,” he said. “But also the task of learning our culture, bringing teachers into a high-performance elementary culture, relating to the parents, and we just thought it was an overall home run hire.” Snell was pleased with the overwhelming interest in the position as the district went through the hiring process. “There was a lot of interest in this job,” he said. “We had current sitting principals apply from the Dallas area, the San Antonio area, all over Central Texas, then we had lots of assistant principals applying as well.” The district chose 10 to vet for the position, and the committee interviewed five before selecting Kline. Kline has been an elementary

KRISTINE KLINE Santa Rita Elementary Principal principal for 14 years, spending the last four as Principal at Leander ISD’s Laura Welch Bush Elementary. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Tarleton State University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Texas State University. Prior to becoming a principal, she taught preschool, second and fourth grades. Kline and her husband have ﬁve children and three grandchildren. The task of opening a new campus comes with some different duties than most principals face, but Snell believes Kline is up to the challenge. “There’s a little bit of heavy lifting there because obviously the new principal will be involved in the construction process from now on

See LHISD, Page A4

Going up?

WCESD#4 begins discussion on need for new equipment

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor For Williamson County Emergency Services District #4 (ESD), growth and expansion have been the primary focus for a number of years. Station #2 is open, land has been purchased for a third station, a new engine is now in service, and the ESD has consistently been adding ﬁreﬁghters. The discussion Monday turned to the growing need of a ladder truck to meet changing service demands. “We are already hearing talk about apartments and we already know we are getting some big box stuff coming to our area,” said ESD Chief Anthony Lincoln. “We have a 24foot extension ladder. That’s the tallest ladder we’ve got.” A ladder truck will likely cost the ESD between $1 million and $1.5 million, compared to the engine brought into service last year at $680,000. “We’re at a point in time where we need to run as an engine ladder combination,” Lincoln said. “The truck would have 500 gallons of water on it so it can be an engine or a ladder. It has a 35-foot ground ladder on it plus the ladder on top is 107 feet.” There is also a year lead-time to order the truck and take delivery, which means planning as far in advance as possible is ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent

critical. “That’s why we’re looking now, because it’s a year to build it,” Lincoln said. The ladder truck being considered is shorter than the traditional truck, which means it will ﬁt in the two current stations with 50foot bays and 12-foot doors. There was no speciﬁc timetable discussed at Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting for planning and the purchase of a ladder truck. “We’re moving forward getting prices and putting spec sheets together,” Lincoln said. “It’s quite a job to get all that stuff together before you can come up with a price. It will be an ongoing discussion for us and somewhere down the road we will have to decide what we want to do.” New appointment The ESD welcomed a new face to the Board Monday, as Commissioner Chuck Walker replaced outgoing Commissioner Jeffrey Roemer. Commissioner Keith Bright was reappointed to the Board. Walker is a Registered Professional Surveyor who has lived in Pct. 2 of Williamson County since 1983 and currently resides in Liberty Hill. In 2003, he served on the Cedar Park Mayor’s Task Force on Development. Walker is a graduate of both Leadership Cedar Park and Leadership Leander and

See ESD#4, Page A4

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO

Captain Daniel Bursch (center) poses for a photo with the students of Liberty Hill Junior High following his visit to the campus.

Astronaut sends LHJH imaginations into orbit

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Excitement and chatter ﬂoated through the air as the students at Liberty Hill Junior High ﬁlled gym bleachers, preparing to welcome a visitor from space. No, not a little green man, but NASA astronaut Captain Daniel Bursch. Bursch spoke with the students about his experiences during his more than 200 days spent in orbit just outside of Earth’s atmosphere, about 200 miles above the planet.

“We go 17,500 miles per hour to exit the atmosphere,” Bursch explained to students. “If you’re trying to go that fast in the atmosphere, basically the spacecraft will burn up, so we get out of the atmosphere, and it turns out you don’t have to make it that far out.” Students listened intently – with interest clear in their eyes – as Bursch explained what the launch experience was like and the weightlessness of space. “You go through this violent

launch, a lot of shaking, and in eight and half minutes the engines go off and instantly everything ﬂoats,” he said. “It’s a weird experience. We don’t have a simulator that can simulate the entire launch just bits and pieces of it.” Before becoming an astronaut, Bursch served in the Navy as a navigator, reaching the rank of captain. “When it came time to select what part of the Navy I wanted to go in, a lot of people forget the Navy ﬂies, and

so I went into Naval aviation,” said Bursch. “My eyes weren’t good enough to be a pilot, so I became a navigator instead.” Although he didn’t begin to seriously consider being an astronaut until much later, the interest in space was with the captain from the moment he witnessed the first moon landing. “My first memory as far as being interested was when we first landed on the moon in

See BURSCH, Page A4

Liberty Hill Intermediate named one to watch

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor A new distinction will make sure Liberty Hill Intermediate School is known throughout Texas and even across the country as the campus has been named a “Texas School to Watch”. The honor comes from the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) and followed a rigorous application process that included an application, many interviews and a campus visit. “It required an extensive, 27-page application that my leadership team ﬁlled out all by themselves,” said Principal Josh Curtis. “One of the stipulations was that it had to be

ﬁlled out by teachers and other leaders minus the principal. I sat down with the leadership team and asked them if they were interested in doing it because it was going to require a lot of work outside of school time to do it.” The answer was a resounding “yes”, according to Curtis, and the long journey to the honor had begun. Fast forward to January and the district and campus are elated by the distinction. “This is a community award,” Curtis said. “This isn’t just about Liberty Hill Intermediate. This is the community, this is the students, this is the PTO, the parents and the school board. This is what happens when people come together and education is prom-

The Independent honored by peers

The Independent received the Texas Press Association’s (TPA) highest honor Saturday, when the newspaper was announced as a Sweepstakes winner in the 2019 Texas Better Newspaper Contest. The newspaper association representing more than 400 paid circulation publications in Texas, TPA annually honors newspapers across nine divisions for their work in 14 categories. The Independent placed among the top three in nine of those categories, including ﬁrst place in four – Sports Coverage, Editorial, Feature Writing, and Feature Photo. “The team we have at The Independent is dedicated to publishing a newspaper we can be

proud of each week, believing that in turn it will be one our readers can be proud of,” said Owner and Publisher Shelly Wilkison. “Each member of our staff brings something special to our business, which allows us to reach milestones like these.” To win the Sweepstakes award, a newspaper must score the highest point total in its division, with points awarded for top three ﬁnishes in each category. The Independent earned 675 total points to win in its division, and scored the fourth highest total among all newspapers competing behind only the Galveston County Daily News, Victoria Advocate and

See AWARDS, Page A5

inent and we’re pushing how we want it to be talking about collaboration and engaging lessons. This means Liberty Hill Intermediate and Liberty Hill are viewed by the state as a public school that is doing what’s right for kids and for learning.” The continued recognition and validation of the school’s direction and efforts is something Curtis puts squarely on his staff. “Everything we have accomplished as an intermediate school, from a globally-recognized PLC campus to now this is 100 percent because of the staff,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud to work alongside them because they make – and the students make – my job more enjoyable every day.”

SPORTS

The application, which included a survey ﬁlled out by all staff on campus, was due Oct. 15. The survey was intended to gauge understanding and agreement across the campus about the goals and objectives of the school. “You had to score 85 percent or higher on every category it was asking about, meaning basically that most of our staff had to agree about what we’re doing on campus,” Curtis said. “They all took it separately and they had to match. We got the surveys back and we were at 88 percent, which is great.” The next step was a campus visit the Thursday and Friday before Thanksgiving, which included TASSP ofﬁcials and

See INTERMEDIATE, Page A4

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, November 15, 2018 Section B Page 1

PANTHERS IN THE PLAYOFFS LHHS eyes best football title opportunity since mid-2000s

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor Every year, teams that are supposed to go deep in the playoffs make surprising exits much earlier than expected, and every year, there are teams that surprise people on the other end of the spectrum, creating Cinderella stories by beating teams nobody thought they could beat. What’s the difference between those teams? “Kids that aren’t tired of playing,” Liberty Hill Head Coach Jeff Walker said. “That’s num-

ber one. Sometimes, this time of year, like today wasn’t much fun outside. It was something like 30 degrees and the wind is blowing 100 miles an hour. It’s real easy to be satisﬁed. ‘We made it to the playoffs. If we go out, at least we made the playoffs. We got our playoff shirt.’ Some want to go play basketball. They’d rather be in the gym, especially when the weather’s like it is right now. You have some kids whose ﬁrst sport is basketball and they’re out there not having fun, because it’s cold and

nasty. Then you have some where it’s just been a long season. It’s been since Aug. 6 and they’re just ready to go do something else, so they don’t bring the energy or the effort to the game, and if you do that with people like Bay City, you turn your stuff in. You’ll regret it down the road, but at the time, it’s the easiest way.” As the community has witnessed ﬁrsthand, however, that’s not the Panther way. Starting senior running back

See TITLE, Page B3

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

RACHEL VIATOR GRAPHIC

The road to the playoffs

Panthers enjoy season of highlights, challenges

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor The Panthers dealt with a variety of challenges through the regular season, including bigger schools, high-powered passing attacks, a two-week stretch between games, rivalries and tense district opponents. But each week Liberty Hill found a way, outscoring opponents by nearly 200 points, and losing only once – by a point in overtime – without changing what the Panthers are all about, averaging a 39-point margin of victory over eight wins.

vs. Leander Glenn (W) 49-21 The Panthers’ first football game of the season was a bit of a question mark, considering it was Leander Glenn’s first “official” varsity football team as part of a district. Although they’re a 5A school, the class of 2019 is Glenn’s first senior class, giving Liberty Hill a huge advantage when it comes to experience. Since then, Glenn has proven to be a legitimate opponent, winning their district at the 5A level and going 6-2 since the loss to the Panthers. Per usual, the Panthers wore the Grizzlies down with their Slot-T offense, and the Grizzlies’ lack

of experience put them at a huge disadvantage. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they lost starting fullback, Jakob Schoﬁeld, for the entire season after he tore his ACL during the matchup with the Grizzlies. @ Hutto (L) 52-51 (OT) Just two games into the season, Liberty Hill faced arguably their most daunting opponent in years. The high-octane Hutto Hippos, led by UCLA-commit Chase Grifﬁn, were a heavy favorite in the game, and for good reason.

See HIGHLIGHTS, Page B4

Running back Trey Seward (#20) gets airborne while ﬁnding a crease in the Canyon Lake defense. The Panthers’ win over Canyon Lake sealed their undefeated district championship, giving them a 5-0 record in district and 8-1 record, overall.

Liberty Hill faces ‘dangerous’ Bay City in ﬁrst round

By KEITH SPARKS Sports Editor The entire objective of the playoff seeding system is to give those teams with the oneseed an earned advantage, allowing them the opportunity to play the fourth-place team in another district. According to Head Coach Jeff Walker, however, the Panthers got the short end of the stick for their ﬁrst-round matchup with Bay City. “Very, very, very dangerous offensively,” Walker said of Bay City. “Probably as dangerous as we’ve seen all year. Quarterback scrambles really well and can eat up yards fast. He’s the real deal. He doesn’t probably throw it as well as the Hutto kid, but he runs way

better.” Bay City’s senior quarterback, Dylan Davidson (#2), is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback whose athleticism could give the Panthers nightmares. According to Walker, he’s capable of scrambling for 20-plus yards at any given moment. “The scariest thing about them, by far, is their quarterback on the scramble,” Walker said. “He ran for 161 yards against El Campo, and I bet 120 of them were him scrambling. Any time you get him where he has to scramble, he goes. It’s scary. It can be third and 17 and he can go for 25 in a hurry. He’s done it all year. Every team we’ve seen them play, he’s done that multiple

times. You think, ‘How are they letting him out of the pocket?’ He just ﬁnds a crease and goes.” While Davidson will be priority number one for the Panther defense, he isn’t the only weapon on the Blackcats’ offense. Walker said junior running back RJ Mitchell (#22) is one of the best the Panthers have seen all season, and senior wide receiver James Carter (#9) is capable of catching a 50-plus-yard bomb and taking it to the house. “Great running back that could be the best one we’ve seen, too,” Walker said. “He’s a big kid, and they have a good receiver, so they like to

See BAY CITY, Page B3

Ability to adjust helps Panthers succeed

Hart recognized for service to Liberty Hill athletics

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Dr. Rob Hart (center), whose retirement becomes ofﬁcial on Dec. 31, was presented with a signed football in recognition of his efforts to improve not only the Panther football facilities, but athletics as a whole at Liberty Hill. From left, Hart was joined by former head football coach and athletic director Jerry Vance, LHISD Board President Clay Cole, former trustee Anthony Stephens, Hart’s wife, Penny, and daughter, Shelby Hart Dudgeon.

By LANCE CATCHINGS Sports Writer After surprising many teams around the state last season by advancing to the state quarterfinals, Liberty Hill Head Coach Jeff Walker, his staff and players knew teams would mark them on the calendar this season. What the Panthers did not know was that the starting 22 they marched on the field on Aug. 31 against Leander Glenn would hardly be the same team that will take on Bay City Friday night in the bi-district playoff round. Injuries have plagued the Panthers all season, forcing them to use eight different combinations in the backfield through nine games. “I did not really think this is the exact team we would have headed into the playoffs, because of our injury issue,” Walker said. “Every time we

turn around, someone is hurt and can’t play. At one time, we had seven different backﬁelds play in seven different games. We moved a center to fullback and then a guard to fullback. We have a center that is hurt now and will have to move our fullback back to center. It has been one of those years that has been crazy for us. I was not expecting all the injuries that we have had this season.” At the 4A level, a few injuries to vital players can quickly turn a team’s season upside down, but not at Liberty Hill. Walker and his staff maintain the same high expectations, no matter who is in the game or out of it. “Other than the injuries, we are where we thought we would be,” Walker said. “Our expectations are always to be undefeated and win a State

See ADJUSTMENTS, Page B3

The Independent’s sports coverage won First Place in Division 8 in the Texas Press Association’s Texas Better Newspaper Contest. Awards were announced last weekend at the professional association’s annual convention in Galveston. One of the newspaper’s awarded entries in this category included the Sports section at left from November 2018.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, January 23, 2020

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

Public Meetings

The following are standing open meetings that are subject to change within the guidelines set forth by the Texas Open Meetings Act. For the most current meeting postings, and meeting agendas, visit the respective websites. - Liberty Hill City Council, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at City Council Chamber, 2801 RR 1869. libertyhilltx.gov/agendacenter - Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees, 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, at LHISD Administration Bldg., 301 Forrest Street. libertyhill.txed.net

Jan. 31 is deadline for property tax payments

GEORGETOWN – Williamson County Tax Assessor/Collector Larry Gaddes reminds

property owners that 2019 property taxes must be paid in full by Jan. 31 to avoid accruing penalties and interest. The most common payment options include: • Mail payments to 904 S. Main St., Georgetown, TX, 78626. • In person at any location, make a same day appointment at www.wilco.org/taxoffice/ appointment. • Payments can be made by searching for your property online at www.wilco.org/ propertytax. Credit card and e-checks are accepted but incur additional vendor fees. • Payments made by check can be placed in drop boxes located outside of the Round Rock and Taylor offices, to the right of the entrance door at the Georgetown tax office or in the Cedar Park drive-thru. For a full list of payment

choices go to www.wilco.org/ propertytax and click on PAYMENT OPTIONS. Taxpayers are strongly encouraged to avoid the rush and pay before Jan. 31. However, if they wait until the last day, taxpayers are urged to either pay online through the tax office website, pay in person at the nearest tax office, or request a postmark from a post office clerk for payment sent by mail. Placing payments in a USPS drop box does not guarantee the same day postmark and using a bank’s online bill pay could delay payment, both of which could result in additional penalties and interest. For answers to many questions about property taxes, visit the County Tax Assessor-Collector’s website at www.wilco.org/propertytax, email proptax@wilco.org or call 512-943-1601.

Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets Feb. 4

The Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild meets Feb. 4. The program is “Quilts in our Lives” trunk show by the Material Girls Bee. Material Girls is one of the oldest bees in our guild, with very talented members. Come see some of the exquisite work they’ve created over the years. The next workshop is Feb. 5 “Stack ’n Whack”. Come learn how to make these amazing, mesmerizing kaleidoscope patterns. These quilts are as fun to make as they are to look at. Member and non-member pricing available. Visit www. ctquiltguild.org for more information on the guild and other programs/workshops.

OBITUARIES Scott Alan Schmidt

Scott Alan Schmidt, 52, of Liberty Hill passed away on January 11, 2020. Scott was born to Doyle and Reta (Meador) Katz on April 5, 1967 in Temple, Texas. He became a life-long, avid outdoorsman, hunter and ﬁsherman from a young age. During his early years, Scott attended Del Mar College and Temple Junior College and became a Maintenance Tech IV. He was employed by Texas State Preservation Board in Austin. Angie Kirk came into Scott’s life and they were married on June 24, 2000 in Mountain Park, Oklahoma. They are the proud parents of two wonderful

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daughters, Leah and Emma. Scott was preceded in death by his dad, Doyle Schmidt; maternal grandparents, Lem and Hilma Meador; paternal grandparents, Ed and Edna Schmidt. Those left to cherish Scott’s memory are his wife, Angie Schmidt of Liberty Hill, Texas; daughters, Leah Schmidt Keene and her husband, Brady of Liberty Hill and Emma Schmidt of Liberty Hill; grandchildren: Allison, Kasen, Raylie, and Rycen Keene; mother, Reta Katz of Georgetown; brother, Mike Schmidt of Austin; father and mother-in-law, Spud and Charlotte Kirk; sister-in-law, Carmen McCorkle;

the Chapel of Ramsey Funeral Home. Scott was laid to rest at Liberty Hill Cemetery following the funeral service. You may share a message or memory in the online memorial guestbook at www.RamseyFuneral.com.

Bryan Wilson Farr

Bryan “Tommy” Wilson Farr of Liberty Hill, TX went to be with God on January 18, 2020 at the age of 76. He was born on September 29, 1943 in Llano, TX to parents, Clarence Walton Farr and Hazel Laverne Wooten-Farr. He is survived by his wife of 53 years Anita Jewel Pearson Farr; children Kevin Thomas Farr, Vickie Jewel Davis and husband Matthew of Morgan Hill, CA, and “Bryan” Tommy Farr, Jr. and wife Susan of Liberty Hill, TX; granddaughter Marcia Jewel Farr of Liberty Hill, TX; sisters Brenda Kratz of Vincent, AL and Balenda McNair of Meadowlakes, TX; sister-in-law Wanda Pearson; nieces Tammi Pearson and Shelly Kane; nephew Joshua Penny; and many other beloved family members and friends. He had fond memories of his childhood, raised and nurtured

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nephew, Lawson McCorkle; niece, Kirklyn McCorkle. Honored Pallbearers were the following gentlemen: Pete Castilleja, Greg Taylor, Jerry Floyd, Clint Hawes, Terry Young and Dave Brigner. Honorary Pallbearers were Jesse Truax, Rocky Sowell and Chris Fly. Memorial donations may be made to the National Wild Turkey Federation - NWTF at www.NWTF.org. A time of visitation with family and friends was held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 16th at Ramsey Funeral Home. The funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 17th, 2020 in

by his mom, stepfather, grandparents and many uncles and aunts. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family playing games, fishing, camping, golfing, gardening, and traveling. He proudly served in the U.S. Army and went on to have a long and fulfilling career of over 45 years in utility construction, eventually retiring from MasTec North America in 2013. The family would like to thank the caregivers at Christopher House in Austin, TX and Starwood Manor in Cedar Park, TX who provided him with exceptional care and abundant love as he transitioned through the last phase of his earthly life. Visitation will be available Friday, January 24, 2020, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m, at Beck Funeral Home, Cedar Park, Texas. Funeral services

to be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Beck Funeral Home, 1700 Whitestone, Cedar Park TX, followed by graveside services at Liberty Hill Cemetery. Arrangements under the direction of Beck Funeral Home, 1700 E. Whitestone, Cedar Park, Texas 78613 (512) 2591610. On-line guest registry at www.beckchapels.com.

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Thursday, January 23, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

EDITORIAL:

Accountability missing from City leadership

On Jan. 2, The Independent e-mailed seven different information requests under the Freedom of Information Act to the City of Liberty Hill. A response to those requests was due within 10 business days (Jan. 16). On Jan. 21, the first response arrived, including a handful of items that either did not provide a complete answer to the requests, or did not answer them at all. As was the case with requests made to the City in September 2019, the current effort to make the public’s information public when requested may be considered minimal at best, and intentionally nonexistent at worst. Where is the accountability for the community’s information? Isn’t it agreed by everyone – from the elected City Council to the residents in the city limits – that information held by City leaders is information that belongs to the people they serve? Following a back and forth over legal specifics and cost estimates in September, The Independent met with Mayor Rick Hall who attempted to explain the confusion and a few points on why the City had not simply sent the requested information. Hall said the requests would be answered, and that we should work on better communication and transparency going forward. Fast forward to the current requests and here we are again with little responsiveness. The Independent contacted Hall by email Jan. 17 to let him know that we had not received a response to the requests and the deadline had passed. He did not respond. Are communication and transparency important? This information belongs to the public. It is not the information held by City leaders to dole out as they see fit, deciding which information and when it should be shared with requesters. Did The Independent request something that shouldn’t be public? A copy of the final approved City budget for the current fiscal year? What was provided was a copy of the original proposed budget from July, which had been provided at the budget presentation nearly two months before the final document was approved. The missing final budget is also missing (as of press time Wednesday) from the City’s website, a place where cities are legally required to publish their budget. A request was also made for correspondence between Council members and staff regarding the budget process and discussions about the spending plan. This was to include memorandums, letters, emails, text messages or any other form of communication where the budget was the discussion. The response from the City included copies of three City meeting agendas and copies of the minutes from a pair of meetings. Is this supposed to demonstrate the extent of budget talks as the budget was formulated over more than two months? Why is this information important? It is important because there was never public discussion of the budget that projected considerably more revenues and lined out more expenditures than previous years. It added many new positions and included new compensation for the City Council. How do these major expenses make their way into an official budget without some form of discussion?

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It is possible a portion of the information requested by the newspaper might be considered cumbersome or time-consuming to gather. In such a case, the City has the right to charge a fee for such work and to explain any necessary delays in making the information available. To date, no such explanation has been provided. Of the seven requests, only one response satisfied the specific request -- a copy of the Employee Handbook. Three of the requests were not responded to at all by press time Wednesday, and three others were incomplete or not pertinent to the original request. This is now a legal issue, and the next step for The Independent is to contact the Texas Attorney General’s Office to determine the next step in obtaining this information. As has been cited numerous times in a variety of requests for information, Section 552 of Texas Government Code is very clear on the issue of public information. “Sec. 552.001. POLICY; CONSTRUCTION. (a) Under the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government that adheres to the principle that government is the servant and not the master of the people, it is the policy of this state that each person is entitled, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. The provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed to implement this policy.” There is a prescribed way to request such information. There are a few narrowly defined exceptions to what information is public. There is a well-defined period of time a governmental body has to respond to the request, and an appeals procedure the government must follow if it seeks to withhold the information from the public. The legal response period for the City of Liberty Hill to the Jan. 2 requests was 10 business days. It was 12 business days later before any information was provided. In September, the City managed to take the entire 10 days to respond, choosing to respond with questions of clarification rather than providing any of the requested data. Even with the 10 days, the code reminds officials that prompt response is the spirit of the law. “An officer for public information of a governmental body shall promptly produce public information for inspection, duplication, or both on application by any person to the officer. In this subsection, ‘promptly’ means as soon as possible under the circumstances, that is, within a reasonable time, without delay.” A city can’t claim any level of transparency and accessibility when the only version of information available is the limited version an elected official chooses to talk about. These are not secret documents. The disclosure of them does no harm to anyone. But the choice to not disclose them, or make obtaining them difficult, does a great disservice to the community and should raise questions about why such information is being guarded or not easy to pull together for a curious public.

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The renaissance of DIY is rooted in self-reliance, saving money, ﬁnding fulﬁllment, but is connected to something much bigger

By WILT CUTTER Columnist Young people are on a sociological dig and uncovering for themselves a world from just a generation or two back covered in the dust of necessity and independence. A short time ago in America there weren’t miles of box stores, strips of repetition of services along the highway, lines of people waiting for takeout or mega-churches. In place of giant grocery store chains were people growing food, creating the things they needed and trading and bartering with neighbors for the rest. I’m not trying to make this sound better than now, it’s just the way it was. Not everyone owned everything they needed. Specialized tools were sometimes loaned, borrowed or services traded. I’m not telling you about a book I once read or a movie I sat through. I’m telling you what I saw. Being raised by older parents who had themselves survived the Great Depression as little children, my life was shaped by their views. My kids have actually seen me herd cows across a creek, up a hill and through a gate using only a straw hat, take pieces of metal from a salvage yard and bolt them onto a pickup truck

and drive down the road, tow vehicles without calling a tow truck, change the oil, patch a ﬂat tire, cut down trees, bake a pie and sew on a button. They watched all these actions with the solemnity of seeing a Smithsonian display of ancient man. Young people are moving us in a renaissance toward reducing the giant, glutted footprint that has come from extreme wealth, gluttony and excess. Hotels are being forced to openly compete against the Air B&B business, which was “Rooms for Rent” many years ago. Vegetable gardens are springing up in big cities and along balconies of apartment buildings. YouTube has videos of how to do most basic auto repair. Young people are learning from one another and they are hungry to be shown the basics of self-reliance and how to accomplish the same thing without paying out lots of money. This giant philosophical, political and economic sea change is tied to something very explainable -- necessity. Past generations of Americans have been able to not only hope for a world of betterment, they’ve been able to count on it. Peace on our mainland, unbridled economic success and educational opportunities have allowed us to dream of Mars and beyond. The America of 1980 worried less about leaving someone out than making

sure we made a profit out of every single action. Even our economic downturns were temporary. Fuel and money to burn. For the first time in our history we see data where young people will not be paid more than their parents. We’ve never seen a generation weighted down by education debt only to see earnings stagnant. The push to do things on the cheap is just flat out necessary. Passing on how-to information isn’t just for fun viewing. Putting off marriage, home ownership and being a parent isn’t a cool, social trend. It’s economic. During this renaissance look for lots of changes. Beliefs will be challenged by a generation that sees itself stuck with less built-in economic hope. Politics will definitely change as a generation is forced to look at things practically. Interdependence will emerge as young people find that cooperativeness cost less than combat. As they dust off the lessons learned by generations long past they will find their own brand of calm faith. They will find out what and whom they can trust. And as they dig out from generations of those wanting more and more, let’s hope they settle on the non-tangible forms of wealth as touted by the Reverend Al Green: Love and happiness.

Four incumbents have filed for a place on the May 2 ballot in the Liberty Hill City Council and Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees elections. All three incumbents – Mayor Rick Hall, Place 3 Council member Kathy Canady and Place 1 Council member Tony DeYoung – have filed in the Council race. Canady and DeYoung were both appointed in 2019 to finish unexpired terms. Only Place 1 incumbent Clint

Stephenson has filed for reelection in the school board race. Place 2 is currently held by Board President Clay Cole who has yet to announce his intention. Candidates interested in seeking one of the five positions must file by 5 p.m., Feb. 14. The three positions on the Council will be the first to receive compensation as discussed and voted on by the Council. The Council members will each receive $12,000

annually, while the Mayor will receive a $40,000 annual salary. The Council is expected to approve a ballot measure for the May election asking voters to extend terms of ofﬁce from two years to three. All candidates for city and school district races will be invited to participate in The Independent’s Candidate Forum in April.

Incumbents ﬁle for local races

Letters to the Editor Send Letters to News@LHIndependent.com

Operation Christmas Child Dear Editor: I am writing to thank Liberty Hill residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Because of the generosity of donors in Liberty Hill and across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, collected more than 8.9 million shoebox gifts in 2019. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2019, the ministry is now sending 10,569,405 shoebox

gifts to children worldwide. Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items—Liberty Hill volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 178 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories since 1993.

It’s not too late for people to make a difference. Though drop-off locations serving Liberty Hill are closed until November 16-23, 2020, information about year-round volunteer opportunities can also be found at samaritanspurse. org/occ or by calling 817-5952230. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this global project—many who do so year after year. Dana Williams Operation Christmas Child Boone, NC

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Liberty Hill Police Blotter

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department Week of Jan. 13-19, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 314 incidents resulting in eight cases, 16 citations, 54 warnings and four arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On Jan. 13 at approximately 11:10 AM, officers responded to CR 266 to assist the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office to arrest a male adult with an outstanding felony warrant. - On Jan. 13 at approximately 12:21 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance. - On Jan. 13 at approximately 1:53 PM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for a theft complaint. - On Jan. 15 at approximately 3:49 AM, officers responded to Ancellotta Way for a noise complaint. - On Jan. 15 at approximately 7:17 AM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Jan. 15 at approximately 12:40 PM, officers responded to the intersection of W. SH 29 and US 183 for an accident. - On Jan. 15 at approximately 2:26 PM, officers arrested a

ESD#4

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served as President of the Leander Chamber of Commerce in 2006-2007. The Board also elected ofﬁcers for the new year, keeping Dan Clark as President, James Baker as Vice President, James Crabtree as Secretary and Bright as Treasurer. Walker will be Assistant Treasurer. Sold Shortly after retiring a 40foot by 12-foot mobile home and metal shed purchased in 2018 to serve as the temporary Station #2, the ESD has sold both items, recouping nearly

LHISD

juvenile with an outstanding warrant. - On Jan. 16 at approximately 9:00 AM, officers responded to CR 266 to assist the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office to arrest a male adult with an outstanding felony warrant. - On Jan. 16 at approximately 11:36 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Jan. 17 at approximately 9:22 AM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W SH 29 for a theft complaint. - On Jan. 18 at approximately 12:23 PM, officers responded to 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Jan. 18 at approximately 1:42 PM, officers arrested a male adult with an outstanding warrant as the result of a traffic stop on the 100 block of US 183. - On Jan. 19 at approximately 2:17 AM, officers responded to US 183 and W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Jan. 19 at approximately 1:53 PM, officers responded to Oak Creek Road to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office with an alarm call.

what was originally spent on the items. The two items sold at auction for $17,850 after originally being purchased for $23,300. Call volume up With 2019 wrapped up, Lincoln said the ESD saw a 21.33 percent increase in incident responses from 2018 to last year. The department responded to 1,928 incidents last year, compared to 1,598 in 2018. The total per year had gone up just over 100 incidents per year from 2015 to 2018 before jumping 339 last year.

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out, but it is just a matter of working with the district to fill up a campus,” he said. “We’re going to have four great campuses.” The expectation is that the district will need about 30 new classroom teachers to staff the new campus or fill in on other campuses for teachers that move to the new Santa Rita Elementary, said Snell. New hires and resignations The Board approved five new hires including Kline at Tuesday’s meeting. The new hires are Brianna Grier (Teacher) Bill Burden, Mark Kizer (Teacher) Junior High, Heather

Makare (Teacher) Junior High, and Vicky Penny, who transitioned to Diagnostician. The board also accepted the resignations of Liberty Hill ISD CFO Jennifer Hanna, and Director of Special Education Compliance Elyse Liebermann. New bus The transportation department will be getting a new special needs bus at a cost of $106,924. The new bus will join the eight special needs buses already in the district. It is the ﬁrst one purchased since 2012.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

EDC approves pair of grants

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation continues to add to the growing list of area businesses taking advantage of a variety of grant opportunities. At its Jan. 16 meeting, the EDC unanimously approved – pending City Council approval – its ﬁrst demolition grant, a program that helps with the cost of removing old structures from commercial property. The grant can cover up to 50 percent of the cost or up to $5,000 for structure removal. “I’m excited about this, it’s our ﬁrst application for the demolition grant program,” said EDC Executive Director Lance Dean. “This is where Red Brick Java was located. The property has been purchased and the actual house is going to be moved, but there’s a lot of out buildings

BURSCH

on that property as well they are looking to demolish and get rid of.” The property is located at 13951 W. SH 29 and the request from Hilltop 29 Properties LLC and Tritex Fitness LLC is for half of the $7,500 total cost of the demolition portion of the project. If approved by the Council the property owners will be reimbursed $3,750 upon completion of the project. The other grant approved by the EDC, which will be considered next by the City Council, was a Downtown Sign and Facade Grant for San Gabriel Realty at 3103 RR 1869. “They are looking at expanding the parking lot they have now,” said Dean. “The crushed granite parking lot they have they want to expand and that is one of the things that can be done with the downtown sign and fa-

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1969,” said Bursch. “I happened to be 12 years old at summer camp listening on the radio. I remember thinking it would be so cool to do one day, but didn’t think about it until after I was out of college.” It was during his time with the Navy’s test pilot school when the captain became interested in applying to the space program. Bursch began applying to the space program in 1984 and was accepted six years later in 1990. A point the captain stressed throughout the presentation was that almost anyone can become an astronaut. “The basic requirement to be an astronaut is to have a college degree and three years of experience in that degree,” said Bursch. “NASA prefers science and technology and engineering majors, but I did ﬂy with a NASA pilot that was an English major.” During his time as an active astronaut, Bursch traveled to the International Space Station four times, each time on a primary mission. “On my ﬁrst mission, we had

a communication satellite we deployed from out of the cargo bay of the space shuttle,” he said. “Most of the time in the space shuttle, you’ll be talking to the ground almost every minute, updating them constantly.” Another requirement for the captain before heading into orbit was to learn Russian. Knowing Russian was required because each mission Bursch went on was a joint effort by both the American and Russian space programs. Bursch shared photos from space of San Francisco Bay, an active volcano in South America, and Mount Everest. The captain said that the most breathtaking aspect of being in orbit was the view that was right outside his window. While the reward was worth the risk for Bursch, he stressed just how easily things could go wrong, mentioning the infamous 2003 Columbia space shuttle incident. “We lost the Columbia when it reentered because it had a piece of debris from its orange tank come off and strike the wing, that’s all it takes,”

INTERMEDIATE other Central Texas school administrators. “They sat down with us and interviewed us, then from there they went into every classroom across the entire campus,” Curtis said. “They looked for innovative education, things we are doing that is cutting edge above and beyond what other schools are doing, and just observed the teachers with students. Then there was a 10-person parent committee they interviewed and a 10-person student com-

Liberty Hill EDC Executive Director Lance Dean presents a sign grant check to Renato Hajmeli of Liberty Hill Beer Market upon completion of the business’ new sign on SH 29. (Courtesy Photo) cade grant program.” or $1,622.50, if approved by The cost of the project is es- the Council. timated at $3,245 according to Dean recently presented a the application, to level and sign grant reimbursement spread crushed granite on the check for $3,217.19 to Liberty additional parking area. The Hill Beer Market upon comgrant from the EDC will be for pletion of their new sign on 50 percent of the project cost, SH 29.

he said. After overcoming the danger of leaving the atmosphere, the threat of space debris becomes an issue, as evidence of small impacts is noticeable on the outside of the ISS. “You know how the front of the car can get dent marks? That’s what it looks like outside the space station because we have micro-meteorites that hit the station,” he said. “It is a problem, and a lot of people think if we put too much junk up there, we won’t be able to leave the atmosphere eventually.” After every extended trip out of the atmosphere, Bursch says that adjusting to gravity proves to be the most challenging aspect of returning to the ground. He described for students the feeling of moving after losing bone and muscle density in orbit, sharing that every movement from standing up to raising his arms feels like an intense workout. “My arms felt like they weighed 20 pounds each,” he said. “After being weightless for so long it felt like my arms

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mittee.” Only 45 schools in Texas earned the designation. The school will receive an award March 2 at Making Middle School Matter Symposium in Austin, then it will be on to Washington DC where the campus will be recognized nationally. “We’re supposed to put together a presentation and send it to TASSP and they will send it to the national board and they will let us know whether we were chosen to

present, but we will be honored no matter what,” Curtis said. “This means through what we’re doing here we’re becoming champions for students, which is what our ultimate goal is.” Curtis is proud of the honor and said it is a chance to share what his teachers and administrators do every day on a larger stage. “I think we all get into this business to do what’s best for kids every day and if what we’re doing is viewed on a

were doing curls. Eventually, after time your body gets used to it.” Along with the loss of bone and muscle density comes the feeling of being off-balance, a result of the inner ear – responsible for equilibrium – not sensing gravity. “Your inner ear doesn’t sense gravity anymore,” said Bursch. “It doesn’t sense up or down. When you come back down, it’s like your brain doesn’t know what happened. Suddenly your brain is getting all these signals from your inner ear, and a lot of people get sick to their stomach.” As the presentation neared its end, the experienced space traveler shared a few ﬁnal words with the students. “It’s great when you have a vision and know what you want to do today,” said Bursch. “But don’t be afraid to make changes, and if you don’t have anything yet, have a passion yet; eventually, it’ll come. When it does, set your sights on that goal and go for it.”

state and national level as what’s best for kids then that’s awesome,” he said. “If what we’re doing can be spread to other places and educate more kids then that to me is setting the bar and that’s what we want to do.”

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Thursday, January 23, 2020

AWARDS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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Wise County Messenger. “To win a Sweepstakes award is something special because it demonstrates that our well-rounded approach to publishing a strong newspaper in every aspect of journalism – from writing, photography, design and advertising – is being reafﬁrmed,” Wilkison said. In the Editorial category, The Independent won for a pair of opinion pieces, “Civic Responsibility Goes Beyond Pitchforks and Torches” and “Why should the mayor, council be paid?”. The win for sports coverage included two full sports sections, where judges considered photography, writing and design as well as the variety of coverage. A pair of stories – one on Florence sculptor Bob Ragan

and a second on artist Hank Waddell – won the feature writing category. Photographer Alex Rubio took the top spot in Feature Photos for work at the Whimsy & Wonder Festival and Independence Day Spectacular. The Independent also place second in Headline Writing, and third in Advertising, Column Writing, News Writing, and Page Design. This year’s contest covered issues published between January 2018 and September 2019 and was judged by the Wisconsin Press Association. While the recognition among other journalists is special, knowing the newspaper is a valued part of the Liberty Hill community is most important. “We believe strongly in our mission of service to Liberty

OPINION If it’s fake, it’s not news

By WILT CUTTER Columnist There used to be a game that kids would play, sometimes it’s still used in university small group communication classes. They sit in a row or circle and whisper something to their neighbor and it gets repeated until the last person stands up and shouts out what they were told -- or think they were told. Most of the time the end and the beginning statements are far apart in meaning and fact. The interesting part about that game is that kids are mostly honest and don’t have a hidden agenda. There is no inherent reason for them to misinterpret or reinvent the message. There is generally no real malice between small children and yet, the message almost always changes due to haste, secrecy and no real consequence if the truth is lost. The point of the game is that a message carried far enough from its source loses it reliability. As children we are taught not to repeat something bad about someone because we didn’t witness it, or repeat things we don’t understand because it winds up being told as someone else’s truth. There is a major difference between innocent blabbering and the lies of the adults. Grownup lies are best categorized in three main groups. 1. Both exaggeration and diminishment are mostly still intended as innocent. “White lies” as they were called back in the day. We let our loved ones off the hook with: “No, it

doesn’t make your booty look bigger.” 2. Willful ignorance is deciding not to seek the truth or know the facts and intentionally deciding to allow our world view become presented as truth. In many ways this is far more dangerous than straight out lying because most every one of us has some street creds with someone somewhere. And to intentionally and sometimes lazily allow our blather to become gifted to someone as real is a true and original sin. Just as wrong as lying through your teeth. 3. And finally, the bald-faced lie. Doesn’t matter the reason. It’s just not true. You tell it intentionally to create an outcome. My mama said you’d burn in hell faster for that than you would all your other human frailties. Cheating, stealing, lying and fuzzy math are all the same thing. It’s lying. Prohibited. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Back in the last century someone started a rumor that the world was on fire. Americans latched onto this with great fervor. The story was told that all the great cities of Europe were already destroyed. In fact, the fire was so great that it had jumped the Atlantic and since God his own self was in charge of this disaster it would surely stop off in New York City and visit those sinners first. But you were not immune. It was coming for your children and your corn crop. This lie was repeated from rural pulpits all over this great land. Great revivals broke out and tithing increased. Now, of course people knew better. It was a lie. Ships were sailing between continents and

of course there were fires occasionally but somehow the earth remained. Before a lie can really take hold it needs a fertile place to incubate and develop. In this era it’s the removal of actual standards. Now something is not true just because someone Tweets out “fake news”. Science is being attacked. People decide not to vaccinate their children in spite of massive medical evidence of the lifesaving benefits. There are now active movements in social media questioning whether or not the earth is round. So it’s no wonder that the yardstick for facts has been so severely damaged. As a nation we used to pride ourselves in knowing, of searching for truth. Of agreeing that there was a standard of proof. A universal agreement that certain things could be actually known. The distance between here and the moon. Whether or not Hawaii is in the United States. We agreed that there was such a thing as a greater good. Knowledge was part of that greater good and we were all better for finding that common denominator known as the facts. In fact, we were so hell bent on separating fact from opinion back in the day that we actually labeled them as such. Real newspapers still do that. So, if you read The Independent, you knew that the City of Liberty Hill never intended or had any authority to involuntarily annex Sundance Ranch. The world was not on fire. Wilt Cutter says he is the only human whose name is his profession. Wilt describes himself as a reading man and says the best things in life are free.

New voting equipment to provide paper trail

By APRIL S. KELLEY Staff Writer Williamson County Elections Administrator Christopher J. Davis said there will be numerous open houses in the area to give voters in Williamson County the opportunity to try out their newest voting equipment. Davis said it is a two-piece voting system. “Voters in our county are accustomed to making their selections and casting their ballot on one piece of equipment and walking away,” he said. Davis said the machines Williamson County had prior to their $4.4 million investment in the new voting equipment were old. “We had them for a good 20 or 30 years,” Davis said. “It was harder to maintain them and to ﬁnd media and accessories for them. They were just starting to show their wear and tear. So, like a lot of other counties in the area, we started looking at some newer options, and we

APRIL S. KELLEY PHOTO

Williamson County Elections Administrator Christopher J. Davis shows how the DS200 machine works. thought this was the best option.” The new equipment, which consists of two machines – The Express Vote and the DS200 – are made by Elections Systems & Software (ES&S), the same vendor that provided the previous equipment. Davis said the older equipment was the iVotronics, which were paperless machines where a voter would touch the screen and their selections would be recorded on a medium. Then the media data would be recorded at the end of election day. “There are similarities between the new and old equipment,” Davis said. “The Express Vote machine is a touch screen, but

the voter is also given a blank voting sheet, which the voter slides into the machines. After the voter ﬁnishes all voting questions, they will be taken to a review screen, where they can review their selections. If needed, they can go back, prior to printing out their voting card. Once they are happy with their selections, then they can print out their card copies with their selections and insert those into the DS200 machine, where their vote will be cast and counted.” The card copy of a voter’s selections should never be called a receipt, Davis said, as it does

See VOTING, Page 10

EDITORIAL: Civic responsibility goes beyond

(ABOVE & BELOW) The Independent won First Place for Feature Photo for these two photos by Photographer Alex Rubio of Liberty Hill. The photo above was taken at Whimsy & Wonder in May 2019, and the photo below at the Independence Day Spectacular in July 2019.

(LEFT) The Independent took First Place in Editorial Writing for a series of entries like this one “Civic responsibility goes beyond pitchforks and torches”. Contest judges, who were professional journalists from Wisconsin Press Association, had this to say about The Independent’s entires: “Editorials do a very good job of holding the city council and area residents responsible for their actions, calling for each group to do a better job.”

pitchforks and torches

More than 75 area residents showed up at the City Council meeting Monday eager to make their voices heard. They were heard. And while both groups present probably went home happy and satisfied they had shown the City of Liberty Hill how the First Amendment works, most should sharpen their sense of civic responsibility beyond the ability to show up, point fingers and threaten legal action. Standing up and slinging uninformed accusations while demanding representation without taxation takes some of the luster from the appeal to everyone’s sense of community and demonstrates just how uninvolved people have become. Petitioning the government for change – or a lack of change – is as American as it gets, but what’s always been assumed is that petitioners should be informed participants in the process. A number of times Monday, residents showed that was just not the case. The last of 10 area residents who chastised the Council over its annexation plans used the canceled roundabout project as evidence that city management and staff are not able to manage money or projects effectively, much less annexation. One gentleman let the current Council off the hook for the roundabout, saying it was before their time, and praised Mayor Rick Hall and the Council for its leadership. But the fact is the Mayor and new Council are the ones who put a stop to the roundabout project in May. The group being praised was the group that decided that the City could walk away after already making a $400,000 investment. City staff developed the roundabout project over the course of a year and the previous Council approved that plan, as well as the nearly $400,000 spent before the May cancellation. But those facts didn’t stop the rant as the gentleman worked to prove how incompetent the City is. The other angry group of residents showed up to fight

Hill and appreciate the support we receive from the community,” Wilkison said. “We are growing alongside the community, and that enables us to improve on how we report on and bring news to our readers. The outpouring of congratulations from the community over this accomplishment is something each one of us takes to heart.” In addition to the newspaper every week, The Independent is expanding its digital presence through its website and social media. Look for more video reporting and staff-produced podcasts coming soon as the paper looks for new ways to bring news to the community.

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, July 25, 2019 Page 3

a new road planned through their Sundance Ranch neighborhood. They claimed backroom discussions, hidden agendas, poor planning and a lack of communication from the City led to this threat to their rights and property, then followed up with their own promises of a ﬁght. The problem is there was no new road plan recently unveiled. There is no imminent road to be built through the middle of Sundance Ranch. The road in question is a conceptual proposal as part of a long-range master transportation plan passed by the City Council more than a year ago. The map in question dates back to at least April of 2018. The plan was not hatched in a dark alley and it was not developed in a vacuum. It was discussed at multiple meetings and community input was sought throughout the process of developing the plan. But last weekend a resident found a map no one had bothered to be concerned about before and it created a wave of emotional anger and assumptions. The reaction was uninformed, with one resident going so far as to scrutinize a plan for a shared use path from downtown to City Park, just south of Sundance Ranch, believing it was associated with the road plan in question. The irony of the suspect line of questioning during a separate hearing is that the planned shared use path would not impact those residents at all – not their property or their tax bill – but would allow them to walk downtown from their neighborhood, perhaps to visit Veterans Park, see the refurbished Fowler Building or play in the splash pad, all built on someone else’s dime. To a degree, the local government works for everyone in the community, even those outside its incorporated limits. But even if the tax burden is not shared, the burden of being engaged and informed should be. Residents can’t claim they are not told when the local government takes action on something. They can admit

they didn’t bother to pay attention, say they didn’t feel they had time to participate, or that they just didn’t care until it was at their doorstep, but claiming they were not told is like sleeping through geometry class then blaming the teacher for not being able to solve a proof. It is a claim as old as posted public meetings and not particular to Liberty Hill. These meetings are two Mondays per month. Other meetings as called are posted. The Independent is at every one of those meetings and reporting weekly on City business. Ten minutes a week thumbing through the newspaper would have clariﬁed the fate of the roundabout. It would have helped people understand the long-range transportation plan, and explained the long-discussed desire to build a shared-use path from City Park to downtown. The City of Liberty Hill and the new City Council don’t have it all ﬁgured out and the road to the future has been rocky lately. But how many people are really paying attention and caring about what happens from one meeting to the next? There’s a good chance that the meetings for the remainder of 2019 won’t draw as many residents combined as Monday’s did. Why not? A budget will be set soon and road priorities will be discussed. Will you be there? Building a great community is a proactive task, not one where the population tunes it out until a decision has been made then descends on the decision-makers to question their competency or cast doubt on their intent. Over and over Monday evening, residents stood at the podium and referred to the Liberty Hill area as a community, imploring neighbors inside and outside the city limits to come together and embrace one another and hear one another. But here’s the catch, to truly be one community everyone has to participate in the process and understand the challenges, the needs and the plans intended to improve that community as a whole.

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Nelson, Huppee named to all-tourney team

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Four years ago, head Coach Gretchen Peterson began taking her Liberty Hill volleyball squad to the Westwood Showcase tournament in Austin, but never before had the Lady Panthers succeeded as they did last weekend. Liberty Hill ﬁnished fourth in the Gold Bracket, highlighted by Ashley Nelson and Emily Huppee being named to the all-tournament team following sparkling performances by both. According to Peterson, there were positives all around. “It’s still really early, so we have plenty to work on, but I think we took big strides in the right direction,” said Peterson. “That has to be our goal each day, we need to be a little bit better than the day before and I feel the girls did that this weekend.”

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The Lady Panthers feature a blend of experienced varsity players and newcomers who are already contributing, said Peterson. “We have a number of returners that gained great experience last year, plus they have a year of playing together under their belts,” she said. “The new additions to the team are a great compliment to those experienced returners. We are also an athletic group of players this year and they have put in a ton of work in the offseason.” The squad opened the tourney on Thursday at McNeil High School with a match against South San Antonio, which they lost by a score of 2-1 (25-20, 13-25, 25-20). Emma Becker had eight kills and 15 assists, while Nelson contributed six kills. Haley Kuhlmann led with eight digs and Ashleigh Dubbs added four blocks.

The Lady Panthers quickly rebounded from defeat in the opener to down Brewer 2-0 (25-12, 25-22), as Nelson had eight kills, Emma Parsons 10 assists, Kuhlmann five digs and Kinsee Escamilla and Ailie Hair each blocked four shots. In Thursday’s final match of the day, Liberty Hill was once again victorious with a 2-0 (2514, 25-18) success against St. Stephen’s. Escamilla and Nelson each had five kills, Becker nine assists, Nelson three digs and Hair four blocks. Getting contributions up and down the entire roster is what makes playing at an event such as the Westwood Showcase invaluable and bodes well as they continue to get ready for district play, with players such as Nelson, Escamilla and Hair leading the front line, said

See VOLLEYBALL, Page B4

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

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Event arms LHISD parents with tools to keep kids safe online

Added value

Appraisals are out, upward trend continues

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Staff Writer Appraisal notices have been mailed to Williamson County property owners, kicking off the annual head-scratching and handwringing over ever-increasing values. While the increase across the county is less than last year – roughly 8 percent in 2017 compared to 6 percent this year – Liberty Hill area residents are seeing a more substantial hike. For those considering filing a protest, a May 15 deadline has been set by the Texas Legislature this year, earlier than the May 31 deadline in previous years. Williamson County Chief Appraiser Alvin Lankford said the increases are not about punishing residents with more taxes, but about supply and demand. Values are chosen specifically using market transactions, according to Lankford, and in Williamson County’s low-supply, high-demand market, that means increased values. There were 7,200 new homes built in Williamson County in the last year, but homes are not sitting on the market long. “If you were to turn off the spigot today and not put another home on the market, it would take less than two months to sell everything out there,” Lankford said. “A balanced market is about six months of inventory.” The appraisal district determines values by looking at the cost, the age and sales in the area as a starting point. “The base valuation for a home is cost minus depreciation,” Lankford said. “Then that number is

See APPRAISALS, Page 4

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Parents, police officers and Liberty Hill Independent School District staff attended a Parent Empowerment Event last Thursday evening that gave parents tips and tools on keeping their children safe online, particularly when it comes to social media. A panel of three experts in the field each spoke during the event, titled “Keeping Your Kids Safe: Social Media’s Impact on Our Youth,” and covered everything from the apps children and teens are currently using to what parents can do to moniKATHY CANADY PHOTO tor their kids’ internet and social Parents heard from presenters last Thursday on how to keep students safe online during the school district’s Parmedia usage. ent Empowerment Event. Offering information about potentially dangerous apps and how to monitor students’ The event was hosted by LHISD, online activity, were, from left, Steven McIntosh, Officer Kimberly Bustos and Amy Callaway.

the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce, The Independent and the Liberty Hill Police Department. The presenters included Amy Callaway, outreach coordinator for The Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center; Steve McIntosh, a retired sergeant from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Centennial, Colo., where he worked with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force among other duties; and Kimberly Bustos, LHPD reserve officer, private investigator and former employee of the Texas Attorney General, where she served as a captain and Internet Crimes Against Children commander.

See CYBERBULLYING, Page 10

A personal touch

Sculptor proud of opportunity to honor local veterans

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Staff Writer Standing on a floor covered in the dusty backstory of stone given new life, Bob Ragan digs, chisel in hand, until he frees that life. It is both a command of the stone – kneeling over it, chisel pounding at its edges – and a partnership, as his arms precisely guide the not so delicate tool across the well-defined fingers as they slowly reach out more with each pass. Ragan will soon be bringing life to the centerpiece memorial in Liberty Hill’s Veterans Park -- a kneeling soldier to honor all who have served. His plan is in its infancy, only beginning the drawings to be presented to the city council for consideration in May, but he has spent a lot of time contemplating what he hopes to create. “From the time I start doing the drawings, to going to the city council with them, it is going to evolve,”

Ragan said. “I would like to do something that is emotional. Something that would be moving. You see so many kneeling soldiers, and I would like for it to be something a little different.” Ragan has opinions on war, many of them shaped by his own experience in Vietnam, and while he finds himself in opposition to war in most cases today, he separates that from his support and admiration for service members. “I don’t want a kneeling statue that depicts defeat,” Ragan said of the sculpture. “But I would like to have something that is battle weary, and just emotional.” Reaching the veterans who will visit his work, leaving them with a sense of something real, is critical to Ragan. “I know you can’t bullshit these veterans,” he said. “They want something that’s real, something that evokes some kind of reaction

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By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Last season, Kyle Harrison ran wild over opposing defenses to the tune of 2,872 yards and 40 touchdowns while fellow senior ballcarrier Shane Gonzales added another 1,103 out of the Liberty Hill backﬁeld. But, the Panthers running game wasn’t restricted to only those two. In fact, the Purple and Gold set a new all-conferences, Texas state record with 7,417 yards rushing. Do the math and that’s a robust 494.5 yards per game. A lot of offense to replace for Panthers head Coach Jeff Walker, as he readies his squad for the upcoming season with one eye on returning to the Class 4A championship game. So, this season a lot more of the offensive burden will

fall on the shoulders of senior quarterback Jacob Cearley, who ran for 737 yards last fall with a second-best 18 touchdowns along with new No. 1 running back Blake Simpson, who piled up 662 yards and eight scores. No worries, said Walker. “The offense we run is a proven system,” he said. “You plug in young men who are willing to work.” For Walker, it’s all about the speed at which his offense runs, which makes all the difference. “We want to always play like our hair’s on ﬁre,” he said. “We preach we need all 11 guys to be at full speed.” Cearley is certainly ready for the challenge. “I don’t feel pressure, but I know I have to step up,” he said. “Our goal is to score every time we have the ball.”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill senior quarterback Jacob Cearley (#11) rolls out and looks downﬁeld for a receiver during practice this week. The Panthers’ signal-caller realizes in order for the offense to operate at peak efﬁciency, everything must run smoothly with no room for error. “Every single day in practice, we run every play we have, so during games it comes natural,” said Cearley. “As for me,

I just do what I’m supposed to do.” Much like Cearley stepped up last season starting for the ﬁrst time, so Simpson will be required to do the same this year as a junior, but it’s something he believes he’s ready for. “I’ve just worked really hard

and not missed any reps in practice,” said Simpson. “I want to challenge Kyle’s records.” Walker knows he has lightning in a bottle with Simpson, or perhaps thunder, he said. “I get nervous talking about this young man because he’s

got so much potential and I don’t want to put any extra pressure on him,” said Walker. “We call him ‘Crazy Legs’ because he’s all over the place with his running style.” Never was Simpson’s

( L E F T ) The newspaper took First Place in Page Design, which included Sports pages like the partial page pictured here.

See FOOTBALL, Page B6

Blazing a trail

Sears, Diaz ready to lead

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Madison Sears was never interested in being a distance runner. Only problem was she ended up being really good at it. “I never really wanted to do it,” Sears said. “I hadn’t ever focused on distance and didn’t think it was my thing. In fact, I wanted to be a sprinter. But, I continued to keep getting better.” So when did the Liberty Hill senior realize she had found her calling on the trails? “My freshman year, we had a meet in Cedar Park and Coach (Kim) Holt had said it was pretty much a make-or-break

race as far as if you were going to make the varsity,” Sears said. “I ended up cutting a minute off my time and moved up to varsity.” Sears also played basketball earlier on in her athletic career, but upon her arrival on the high school campus, she quickly realized she would be best served running without dribbling a ball. Along the way, she discovered an aspect of the sport that she has since found to be one of the most gratifying aspects of her young life. “Mostly, it’s the people,” she said. “We’re like a family – we

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Madison Sears has developed a passion for running over the course of her career. As a senior, Sears is ready to help lead the team

See CROSS COUNTRY, Page B4 into another successful season.

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and that’s what I’m trying to deliver. I want people to look at it and think it’s a beautiful statue, too. Artistically, I want it to be special.” It also has to be real, while making sure it creates a presence. “I work a lot on detail, the equipment he is carrying and everything, and make sure everything is right on,” Ragan said. “It will be five-foot, then placed on a pedestal. I thought with it kneeling it would look puny, so it will be larger than life. When you stand in front of it, you will be

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See SCULPTURE, Page 11 (RIGHT) Bob Ragan works on the intricate details of the fingers on one of the pieces in his shop. The sculptor from Florence was commissioned by the City of Liberty Hill to create the kneeling soldier statue for the entrance to Veterans Park downtown. MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO

Wheels THE INDEPENDENT SPORTS (ABOVE) The Independent won First Place in Feature Writing turning LHHS rallies for Mike on CR 200 Eddleman’s story on Florence sculptor Bob Ragan in to beat changes April 2018. Ragan created the sculpture of the veteran in LiberLampasas, rolls Glenn ty Hill’s Veterans Memorial Park. By MIKE EDDLEMAN Staff Writer Work should begin this summer on a pair of projects to provide long-awaited traffic relief for County Road 200. While the goal is to eventually widen CR 200 to four lanes, the work will be done in phases, based on available funds from county bond packages. The work expected to begin soon – the widening of the road at the intersection of Bold Sundown, and the makeover of the intersection of CR 200 and State Highway 29 –

By LANCE CATCHINGS Sports Writer The Liberty Hill varsity baseball team shut out Leander Glenn in their second-to-last district game of the season 5-0 Tuesday night. Leander Glenn came in fighting for a postseason berth, but the Panthers quickly put that thought to bed. Head Coach Michael Kristan said before the game they would get Glenn’s best effort. “Leander Glenn had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive tonight,” Kristan said. “We knew we would get everything they had. We had to take care of our position, our spot in the lineup and our responsibility. That meant having quality at bats at the plate and throwing strikes as

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Liberty Hill’s Kory Schmidt (#14) makes a play at first base. After Tuesday’s victory over Leander Glenn, the Panthers have won four district games in a row.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Sweet Taste of Success

Liberty Hill Intermediate School recently recognized the Sweet Taste of Success students for the third six weeks grading period. Those honored for their achievements include Madison Price, Caroline Shelton, Kaycee Mouser, Elizabeth Bolanos Bonilla, Charis Brooks, Madison Simpson, Mia DeWitt, Bailey Moskowitz, Vanessa Quansah, Olivia Mundell, Jax Caldwell, Paul Figioli, Charlotte Dietrich, Adalynn Swindler, Avery Carlton, Sydney Weast, Holland Miller, Constance Ramirez, Jaxon Brown, Bella Nicholson, Miguel Fajardo Nicolas, Mackenzie Olson, Preston Beneﬁeld, Juan Martinez-Avilez, Audrey Richardson, Jenna Roblee, Carlos Estrada, Nicolas Padilla, Kaylee Testone, Kane Milam, Ellyse Dyer, Gavin Meuse, Megan Edwards, Sydney Weast, Gabriel Graf, and Savannah Haney. (Courtesy Photo)

LHJH prepares students with computer tech courses

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Teachers at Liberty Hill Junior High are providing students with new classes meant to prepare them to enter a real world that relies heavily on technology. “They just did web page development, so they were learning a lot of HTML,” said computer science teacher Bonnie Reichert. “One of the classes is getting ready to do game design so that involves different languages like Java Script.” The classes rely heavily on the use of the website Code. org “a nonproﬁt dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and under-represented minorities.” “It’s a free program and anybody that wants to learn to code can code with this program,” she said. With an easy to navigate program such as Code.org available for free, students with limited knowledge of coding can explore the website and learn at their own pace. “It’s all different levels so

kids know that when they go in, they think to themselves ‘Okay I know nothing about coding, I can go to this particular application and it’s going to take me through step-bystep,’” said Reichert. Students already familiar with coding can use the site to sharpen their skills and work independently from the school. “We have kids that are already coding, seventh and eighth graders that are already coding on their own,” said Reichert. “They know they can go to this program and be more independent with it.” A major step the school is taking to help students along is the introduction of career technology education courses. “We’re introducing the career technology courses younger and younger,” said Reichert. “A school district such as Liberty Hill can offer the principle courses at the seventh and eighth-grade level for students to get high school credit.” These classes help students interested in a career in tech

to develop a foundation they can build on. “It sets them up with a pathway if they’re interested in digital media and video design,” said Reichert. Reichert understands that because her students are young, they may not be proﬁcient in coding or web design but believes that her classes will prepare students for high school and college, where they’ll be exposed to more advanced lessons. “I won’t say any of them will be proﬁcient at this level,” she said. “When they go to high school, if they want to get into web design, they’ll be ready because they know the application. They will know the program, but they’ll also know the process.” Educating students about computer technology has become essential in their development, going hand-in-hand with college prep. “We used to say, ‘We’ll get them ready to go to college,’” said Reichert. “That’s not the case anymore, we’re going to get them ready to go into the real world.”

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Student joins campaign to ﬁght blood cancers

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Research shows that every three minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and every nine minutes, someone dies from it. Liberty Hill High School student A.J. Mikeska is working to help lower those statistics by raising funds and awareness for Leukemia research and the fight against blood cancers. Mikeska was nominated for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Student of the Year Campaign, a seven-week challenge where high school students nominated by the organization’s Board of Trustees or a school official are tasked with raising money and awareness for blood cancer research. “I’m competing for a scholarship, and I need to raise the most amount of money that I can in a seven-week time frame. If you raise the most amount of money, you earn a $2,500 scholarship,” said Mikeska. The scholarship applies to any school Mikeska chooses to attend. If the Liberty Hill student falls short of the top spot, he can still earn a letter of recommendation for raising at least $1,000. Mikeska is the only student participating from Liberty Hill. It was Mikeska’s mother, Sherry Fagan, who was first approached by Ingrid Haller – a member of the LLS campaign – about A.J. taking part in the program. “She (Haller) approached me and said, ‘I’ve seen A.J. grow up, I’ve seen how involved he is, and he’s a good student with good things going for him. I want to nominate him,’” said

Liberty Hill High School freshman and candidate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Student of the Year AJ Mikeska is working to raise funds for cancer research. Fagan. “We sat down with a couple of the ladies on the committee, and they accepted him.” Mikeska, who was already looking for a way to get involved with a charity, jumped on the opportunity to get involved with the challenge. “I really didn’t know where to start, but I know I wanted to help people,” said Mikeska. “My mom brought it up to me, and I thought it was a great opportunity.” On a personal level, Mikeska believes this will help him develop a variety of necessary skills to navigate the world moving forward. “I hope to develop professional skills that I will be able to utilize in the future,” said Mikeska. “Skills like communication and networking, project management and marketing and presentation skills.” Mikeska’s ultimate goal is to raise $15,000. The LHHS student is appealing to the local business of Liberty Hill as well

as members of the surrounding community for donations to help reach that goal. Developing a strategy to raise funds proved to be the most challenging aspect of things. Mikeska, with the help of LLS, has developed a website for donations, accepting any and all amounts people can afford to give. As part of his strategy, Mikeska also developed a letter of appeal to present to local businesses in town. “We had to find the easiest path to get it done, and it was pretty difficult cause I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said. “Every little thing helps. It can be a dollar or five dollars, as long as you’re just trying to help and make it better for people who need medication and treatment.” To donate to the campaign, community members have until Feb. 28 and can go to https:// events.lls.org/ctx/austinsoy20/ amikeskahmo or reach Mikeska at ajmikeska@hotmail.com.

ly?’ He’s my driving force; this is the time when I get to be as involved as I can in his life because soon, he’ll be gone.” Seeing their children devote themselves wholly to robotics and seeing how motivated they’ve become pulls at the heartstrings of the organized mothers. For booster club president Kimberly Webb, the growth in her daughter is a driving motivation to help fund her passion. “To see her in her third year and how she’s grown in that position, how she’s taken it and made it her own, pushes me to help the organization,” said Webb. “They’re helping my child ﬁnd a focus on something.” Through her engagement with the robotics club, Webb’s daughter is walking down a career path she enjoys. “In the beginning, she wanted to be an engineer, and that was it,” said Webb. “Now she wants to be a mechanical engineer, and I think she’s looking at minoring in robotics. Just seeing this is why I’m even more passionate about it.” What the members of the club hope will result from their coming together is a greater spotlight and more support of the various academic clubs throughout the district. Beyond ﬁnancial support, the

club wants to shine a light on the students’ work. “We want to give credit to those kids that compete, that work hard, and that do everything after, before and during school for their clubs,” said Villanueva. “Their work says a lot about their character.” The club is still in the process of filing paperwork required to receive an employer identification number (EIN), which can take up to three months. As a separate entity from the school, the club must have the EIN. According to Parentbooster. org, incorporating the booster club allows “the booster group, its officers, and members to generally have greater credibility and control over the group’s activities and operations.” Once the paperwork is complete and they become an official booster, the next move for the group is to seek sponsorships from local businesses within the Liberty Hill community. Villanueva made it clear the search for support is one they’re more than ready to take on. “We’re going to try everybody in town,” said Villanueva. “We’re going to figure it out somehow.”

LHHS mothers focus on boosting academics

SU B M ISSIO N D EAD L IN E: F EB . 6, 2020

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer When Alexa Villanueva’s son Isaac approached her with a question of why his robotics club struggles to receive financial support and his cross country and track and field teams seem to be well funded, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Villanueva and a group of mothers in the Liberty Hill school district are banding together to support the high school robotics team and raise awareness of the need for financial support for academics. “That’s what we’re trying to do, shed light on the academics,” said Alexa Villanueva, treasurer of the new booster club. “Sports are great, they’re phenomenal, but there’s more to a school than just sports.” Newly appointed vice president of the club Toshia McKeon found herself face-to-face with the same question. McKeon’s son, Sean, approached her with a similar query. It was all McKeon needed to throw her hat into the mix with Villanueva. “My son is a freshman who started with Mrs. Reichert in junior high, and he loves it,” said McKeon. “He came to me and was like, ‘Mom, how can we get sponsorships because we need more help financial-

SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, January 23, 2020 Section B Page 1

Building a proper foundation Lady Panthers rely on fundamental skills for hoops success

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In order for any basketball team to succeed and win games, it must have a solid foundation upon which to build victories. All of that begins and ends with fundamental skills that provide the platform from which to launch more complex systems that will ultimately lead to winning. The Lady Panthers are certainly no different in their approach. According to head Coach Chris Lange, one of the most important is ball movement. “We don’t want any spectators out on the court,” said Lange. “We can’t have players spending too much time in one spot – we need to be constantly moving and setting screens, which helps the ﬂow of everybody.” Jessica Holliday is the point guard and knows the importance of being proﬁcient in the basics. “Without fundamentals, you can’t play,” she said. “For me, as a point guard, dribbling is the most important thing.” Holliday takes one of the most basic basketball skills and breaks it down to a science in order to make herself a better player. “I’ll work on my left and right

hands instead of only focusing on my dominant hand,” she said. “When I was younger, my dad would have me dribble with both hands.” The 5-foot-7 junior guard is also adept at shooting and said that’s also something she must constantly maintain to ensure her shots will fall. “Shooting form is very important for me,” said Holliday. “My shot always changes depending on whether or not my wrist is straight, so I always need to work on it.” Sophomore center Emma Hubbard ﬁnds herself on the interior under the basket most of the time, which means boxing out for rebounds is one of her most valuable assets, she said. “I’ve already gotten better at it from last year,” she said. “I don’t think about getting pushed.” For her, it’s a pretty simple concept, which is constantly reinforced by Lange, said Hubbard. “Coach is always telling us to go butt to gut when we’re boxing out,” she said. “If you box out effectively, you can get rebounds, over-the-back calls and you can jump higher.” Holliday said proper technique is critical in limiting the opposition offensively. “Boxing out is important be-

cause we always want to limit their shots to one each time down the court,” she said. “People are always focused on post players when it comes to this, but as a guard if you block out well on long rebounds, it can lead to fast-break points.” Lange concurred. “If you’re blocking out properly, you automatically give yourself a chance to win any rebound,” he said. Of course, as a point guard, Holliday’s primary objective is to pass the ball to open teammates as they work their respective ways around the court to get open looks at the basket. “Passes are everything,” she said. “You have to ﬁnd the open man instead of always trying to dribble through three people – especially against a zone defense.” But, movement must have a distinct purpose, said Holliday. “It can’t just be movement,” she said. “When your passes are clean and crisp, you can ﬁnd the open person much easier.” Hubbard said another aspect of fundamentals is knowing the offense and where teammates will be at various times during games and that it’s only the result of hard work and hours put in on the practice

See SUCCESS, Page B3

Aaron Russo in his ﬁrst season coaching the Liberty Hill freshmen after having played for head varsity Coach Barry Boren during his high school career. (Courtesy Photo)

Return to the bench Former Panthers players now assistant hoops coaches

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Who says you can’t go home again? Blake Boren and Aaron Russo did. The pair of former Panthers basketball players are back on the same bench where they sat during their respective high school hoops careers as assistant coaches to longtime Liberty Hill head Coach Barry Boren. However, it’s someplace the younger Boren never envisioned himself being back in his Purple-and-Gold playing days. “I never expected to be a coach,” he said. “At the time, I was highly-ranked in school as far as academics and I thought I was going to do anything but coach.” According to Barry Boren, the fact his son wanted to follow in his footsteps was initially met with a bit of skepticism. “In our family, we have people who have money,” he said. “Blake grew up observing the differences between people who had and people who

didn’t.” But, after seeing the many relationships his father had developed over the years and the bonds he had built, Blake decided he wanted the same. “I think he ﬁgured out you can be wealthy in many ways,” said Barry. “He saw all the former players and coaches I had and said, ‘Shoot, I want that in my life.’” While Boren was at the University of Texas, he changed his major multiple times in search of what would fulﬁll him professionally, including pre-business, advertising and sports management, but none of those pushed the proper button. “I was miserable in my business classes,” said Boren, who has coached the Panthers’ junior varsity for the past nine years. “I think I knew all along I wanted to teach.” So, he got a degree in kinesiology. “I wanted to be around kids,” he said. “My ultimate goal was to one day return to Liberty Hill.” It certainly didn’t take long,

(ABOVE) Emma Hubbard (#25) ﬁghts for a scoring chance while surrounded during the Lady Panthers 64-39 home victory against Lampasas on Jan. 14. (BELOW) Dribbling is one of the most important skills for Jessica Holliday (#2), who is a point guard.

as Boren landed a job at Liberty Hill Junior High – although it happened in quite an odd way. “It was a ﬂuke I got the job,” said Boren. “I was hired to be a permanent sub.” During his time there teaching math, he found a calling in helping students achieve, he said. “I was worried about test scores and helped a lot of kids pass the STAR test who were in danger.” While Boren was still in college, he would coach summer leagues until one day the light came on and he was bitten by the coaching bug, he said. “During my junior year of college, I was coaching and during a game, I saw a player take a charge, which I had been instructing him about and said to myself, ‘Wow, he’s out there doing it on his own after I coached him to.’ It was an epiphany.” For Russo, his path was similar in that he didn’t see coaching in his future until he was

See COACHES, Page B6

Mykenna Russo (#3) is known for her ability to test goalkeepers with long-distance shots, which draw defenders out and opens up space to attack.

Playing keep-away

A possession-based game serves Lady Panthers well

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor If one team has the ball, the other side can’t score. Simple as that. Or is it? Liberty Hill’s girls’ soccer squad thrives on having constant control of the ball and therefore dictating the pace of the game, which ultimately gives them the best chance at victory. According to Lady Panthers head Coach Darren Bauer, it’s deﬁnitely an endeavor worth undertaking – even if it requires maximum effort. “How we play isn’t easy – it’s a lot of hard work,” said Bauer. “But, as hard as you’re working to keep the ball, the other team is working even harder to get it back. If you give the other teams fewer opportunities, it will frustrate them.” Bauer may employ different tactics and various formations, but one thing always remains the same. “Even though we run different formations, we always play a possession style,” he said. “As a defender, it’s go-

ing to wear you down.” Emma Stephens is one of the Lady Panthers entrusted to carry out the keep-away in the middle of the park from her midﬁeld position and realizes time is of the essence when it comes to running a possession game. “You have to be able to move the ball around quickly, which gives you more opportunities to attack,” she said. “So, you can get the ball towards goal before the defense takes it away.” Most of the time, Stephens will get the ball with her back to goal, then look to either turn herself or get the ball to an open teammate as quickly as possible when openings appear in the defense. “Moving the defenders quickly is important,” said Stephens. “Sometimes, you have to move out of position to confuse them.” Patience is a virtue in playing this way, she said. “You need a lot of patience, so you don’t lose any chances you might have,” said Stephens. “If you dribble the ball right at a defender and they

step out, you can lay the ball off to the outside.” Cohesion is also critical in successfully executing a possession game, she said. “We all have to work together as a team,” said Stephens. “If we have good chemistry, we can ﬁnd open spaces.” Playing this style is one that takes time and is a system some players aren’t accustomed to, which adds another element to the process of employing it successfully, said Bauer. “A lot of our girls struggled with it at ﬁrst when they were freshmen because they hadn’t played that way with their club teams,” he said. “But, over the past few years they’ve learned well and now enjoy playing that way.” Bauer said there are three basic principles to playing a possession game. “First, you have to keep things simple, second you play the way you face and then take no more than two or three touches before passing the ball,” he said.

See SOCCER, Page B6

Page B2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Passing around the pitch critical to Panther success

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor A soccer ball rolls along the playing surface at Panther Stadium only for its direction to be altered by the swing of a foot. Again and again it happens over the course of 70 minutes and the precision – or lack thereof – it’s done with will largely determine the outcome of the game. Passing. One of the most basic aspects of the sport, but also one that is crucial in helping a team accomplish its objectives. “We ﬁnd it percentage game,” said Liberty Hill head Coach Wayne Munger. “The higher percentage of passes you complete, you’re going to get more chances on goal.” Munger said there are three different ways to generate scoring chances, but there’s no question as to which plan is preferred by the Panthers. “There’s the long ball over the top, which any kind of simple defense can deal with, set pieces and possession-based play – which is the tactic we choose – I think that’s a more skilled and respected method.” As a midﬁelder, sophomore Garrison Clopton sees more than his fair share of passes travel through the part of the

pitch he’s responsible for patrolling and knows when he gets the ball at his boots, he has myriad options. “When I get the ball, I’ll look up to see what the defense is doing,” he said. “If our guy is standing still, they probably want the ball at their feet, so I’ll hit it good and flat.” Pinpoint passing is something that can only be perfected over the course of time, said Clopton. “Sometimes you have to hit the ball a certain way and be able to curve it,” he said. “I’ve played on the right side of midfield all my life, but it’s only in the past couple years, I’ve learned to do it.” Practice might make perfect when it comes to spraying the ball around the field with accuracy, but applying what’s learned on the training ground to game situations is an entirely different proposition, said Clopton. “It’s a little bit harder during games because everything is moving so much faster,” he said. Proper execution and possession during live play is what validates everything that is done on the practice field, said Munger. “When we pass well during a game, it shows we’re working

hard in practice for a reason,” he said. “Having choices of what to do with the ball is a big thing for us – it’s not like football or basketball where there are plays to run – you get the ball and you have to make a choice of what to do.” According to Munger, his players always have the green light to be creative – as long as they remain defensively responsible. “Everyone has a defensive role,” said Munger. “Our players have the freedom to go forward, but we always have to get into our defensive shape and cover for ourselves.” Keeping possession of the ball is perhaps the main ingredient in a winning formula – on both sides of the ball, said Munger. “We want to make the other team work to get the ball,” he said. “Possession is a way to both attack and defend.” Across the global landscape of the game, a shift has gone to teams playing the ball out of the back on goal kicks, as opposed to simply having the goalkeeper boot it past the midﬁeld line, which creates a 50-50 chance of retaining possession. What that means is more passes, with the defense linking up with the midﬁeld before eventually advancing

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Sophomore midfielder Hayden Ersham (#8) plays a ball during the Panthers’ 2-1 victory against Frederickburg at the Wimberley tournament on Jan. 16. into the other team’s half and finally the attacking third of the field. “Really, it depends on how you view the game,” said Munger. “With the midfield being more of a battleground, you can really set yourself apart.” However, moving the ball around simply for the sake of it isn’t good enough, he said. “You can do that, but possession to what end,” said Munger. “You need to possess the

SWIMMING

The Liberty Hill swim team competed Jan. 17 at the district meet in Burnet and picked up fifth-place team finish for both the girls’ and boys’ squads. On the individual side, Victoria Phegley finished third in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:05.94 and fifth in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:04.73, while Cassidy Sudekum was fifth in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:10.57. In the 200-yard medley relay, the quartet of Sudekum, Brooke Becker, Phegley and Rylee Frank was fourth in 2:07.60, while in the 200yard freestyle relay, Phegley, Madelyn Edwards, Sudekum and Becker finished fifth in 1:55.70.

ball with a purpose, which allows for a larger margin of error.” For the Panthers, this kind of approach ﬁts them perfectly, he said. “We know we have different weapons all over the ﬁeld,” said Munger. “But, at the same time, everyone is willing to do what is necessary to be successful.” Having good passing is even more important considering how the Panthers play, said

Clopton. “For us, it’s a big part of the game,” he said. “It’s very beneﬁcial for us in playing how we do.” Munger said precision passing along with a strong possession game is the most effective way to inﬂuence proceedings on the pitch in one’s favor. “You can really control the pace of the game as far as creating choices,” he said. “If you don’t, the defense is making choices for you.”

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Frank, Bailey Becker, Julia Fetterly and Avery Acquard were fifth in 4:53.40. For the boys, Zachary Harbour, Alexander Zapien, Austin Moore and Colton Harbour finished fifth in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:47.40 and the same four swimmers were fifth in the 200-yard medley relay (2:18.82) and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:59.04). Cedar Park won both the girls’ and boys’ team events.

Georgetown Mini Meet on Jan 10 and Jan. 14, respectively. The girls finished second in the four-team field with 39 points behind winners East View, who posted 43. Katy Gibson won the 105-pound weight class with 455 points, while Jena Pina was first in the 123-pound class with 520, Taylor Sims won the 181 division with 730 and Perla Hernandez was first in the 198 class with 620. On the boys’ side, the Panthers finished second with 47 points behind East View’s 54. Class winners included Ismael Jacinto (132-pound, 625 points), James Eckford (148, 875) and Juan Delacruz (165, 945).

POWERLIFTING

The Liberty Hill girls’ and boys’ powerlifting teams each began a new season at the

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO

Mykenna Russo (#3) heads a ball on goal during the Lady Panthers 2-2 home draw against Stephenville on Tuesday.

LHHS settled for a 2-2 result against defending state champions

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Kaylie Fowler was so close. On two separate occasions during Liberty Hill’s home matchup against Stephenville Tuesday night, a shot off her foot rattled the post and stayed out of the net in the Lady Panthers’ 2-2 draw against defending Class 4A champions Stephenville. Fowler, who netted a hat trick earlier in the season in a 6-0 victory against Copperas Cove, was dangerous throughout as she marauded down the ﬂanks with the ball at her feet in unsettling Honeybee defenders. “We knew what Kaylie was capable of when we got her,” said head Coach Darren Bauer. “It’s great to see her work rate and the way she works herself into little pockets of space – she’s really impressive in playing the way she faces – it’s nice to see from a freshman.” Last season, it was Stephenville who crushed the Lady Panthers’ title dreams with a 2-0 victory in the Class 4A championship game, so the Purple-and-Gold were determined to defend their home ground once the ball was kicked off on a blustery, winter night under the lights at Panther Stadium. Emma Stephens was the ﬁrst to test the opposing keeper with a shot on target in the eighth minute. But, it was junior striker Piper Tabor who got the home side on the score sheet in the 10th minute when Abbey Janicek broke straight down the middle of the Honeybees’ defense,

then sent a pass off to the right for a waiting Tabor, who slotted home her fifth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead. Fowler fired her first effort on goal moments later in the 12th minute off another Janicek pass, only for it to be blocked out for a corner, which failed to produce a serious scoring chance. However, after Liberty Hill continued to boss possession, Mykenna Russo launched a laser from 30 yards out which beat a backpedaling Stephenville keeper and a 2-0 advantage. Once again, freshman Fowler threatened when she received a pass from Madi Fuller, sped down the left flank, then cut back to the inside before letting fly with a curling effort which beat the keeper, but caromed off the far post. Janicek was there to pounce on the rebound, but the save was made. Stephenville then showed they weren’t going to go quietly into the night, when senior midfielder Beatris Chavarria took a page from Russo’s book and beat Lady Panthers keeper Sam Carter with a similar effort from outside the area to halve the deficit, leaving the score 2-1 at halftime. Right at the outset of the second half, Fowler hit the post again in the 43rd minute after Alyssa Lee had delivered the ball from a corner kick before Tabor picked up the rebound only for the keeper to smother it and prevent a goal. Stephens sent Fuller in on goal in the 50th minute only to shoot high before the visitors equalized in the 61st min-

ute when senior striker Ciara Johnston headed home a cross to level the score at 2-2. Despite continuing to dominate the run of play throughout, Liberty Hill was unable to produce a game-winner despite several chances. “Well, that’s the game of soccer,” he said of his side’s dominance in the possession game without posting a win. “But, I’m not disappointed in our effort.” As for Russo’s range-ﬁnder in the ﬁrst half, Bauer said he’s been trying to convince her to have a go at goal more often. “We’ve been trying to get Mykenna to shoot more from distance,” he said. “She’s a great passer, but we want her to shoot more.” Despite the dropped points, Bauer was pleased with how his side performed overall. “Our philosophy is it’s great to go undefeated, but it means nothing if you’re not progressing,” he said. “We always want to keep getting better.” Liberty Hill (5-1-3) will next host Cedar Park on Friday at 6:30 p.m. LHHS 2, Weiss 1 On Jan. 17, the Lady Panthers paid a visit to Weiss and came away with a 2-1 victory. Stephens opened the scoring in the 18th minute with her team-leading sixth goal of the season. After the Wolves had equalized in the 30th minute, the game went to the half even a 1-1. However, in the 60th minute, Janicek netted for her fourth of the current campaign, which held up to be the winner.

Morgan Jackson (#23) and the Lady Panthers fell short against Salado.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Ladies fall short against Salado

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor The Lady Panthers of Liberty Hill outscored hosts Salado in the second half of their district contest on Friday by a 32-28 margin. However, they couldn’t recover from being outplayed in the opening two quarters and fell short, 62-51. Jessica Holliday led Liberty Hill with 12 points, but it wasn’t enough against the Lady Eagles, who got a gamehigh 19 from senior forward Kaia Philen, who went 12-of13 from the free-throw line after repeatedly driving to the basket and drawing fouls. However, in the ﬁrst quar-

ter, it looked as if neither side could hit the ocean. Avery Harrell hit a free throw to open the game, followed by a pair from Baylee Laird moments later, but those were the only points the Lady Panthers could muster in the opening eight minutes, failing to hit a shot from the ﬂoor until Kenzy Wise did so to open the second period with the visitors trailing, 11-3. Salado exploded for 23 points in the second stanza, as the Lady Eagles continually pressured Liberty Hill, forcing turnovers. Holliday hit a pair of 3-pointers before halftime, but the Lady Panthers found them-

selves down by a score of 34-19. At the outset of the third quarter, it looked as if Liberty Hill would ﬁght its way back into the game, as Laird hit a bucket, followed by a pair from sophomore center Emma Hubbard, who then blocked a Salado shot immediately afterward to give the visitors some much-needed momentum, as they pulled to within nine points at 34-25. But, senior guard Abby Rembert answered with a three for Salado before Hubbard scored again on a nice assist from Brooke Wright, which was

See SALADO, Page B3

Thursday, January 23, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Baylie Laird (#12) enjoys exploring new places and has an interest in forensic science and crime scene investigation.

Adventurous spirit, faith drive Laird

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Once upon a time, Baylee Laird stood off to the side of basketball courts, waving pom-poms and urging on the players as they made their way up and down the floor. She was a cheerleader. However, after awhile, she decided she wanted to step across the lines and be one of the cheered for instead. “Back when I was in sixth grade, I decided to stop cheering,” said Laird. “I didn’t really want to be in that whole scene – it was too girly for me. I wanted more of a competitive sport.” Laird had also played soccer golf, softball and participated in gymnastics as a younger Lady Panther, but when it came time to play with the big girls, there was only one clear choice as to which direction her athletic journey would lead her upon reaching high school. “Basketball was always the sport I was best at and had the most passion for,” she said. “Besides, it runs in my family – it’s always been our sport.” Ever since, Laird has been a terror on the court with the intensity she brings to her shooting guard position and is an integral part of what the Lady Panthers do, said Liberty Hill head Coach Chris Lange. “Baylee brings us a lot of leadership,” he said. “She’s very tough-minded, has a goget-it approach and a positive attitude – she really comes to work. If you need something, she’ll try to give it to you.” One of Laird’s most endearing traits is her selflessness – particularly that of a physical nature, said Lange. “She’ll sacrifice her body for the betterment of the team,” he said, of his 5-foot-5 firebrand. Laird said she’ll use her body to score points when her outside shot isn’t falling. “I’ll start driving more to the basket to draw fouls,” she said. “My mentality is if bigger players can do it, so can I because I’m faster than they are.” Lange said Laird’s tenacity and skill certainly make up for a lack of size. “Baylee’s a great ball-handler and she can penetrate to the basket,” he said. “She has a natural way of finding a way to get the ball in the hoop.” Laird was initially called up to the varsity squad at the end of her freshman season, but then became a fixture last year during her sophomore campaign and this season as a

SUCCESS

junior has cemented her spot alongside point guards Jessica Holliday and Avery Harrell. “When I’m out there, I want to make sure Jessica and Avery can rely on me,” she said. “Playing on varsity is a lot more faster-paced and there’s definitely more pressure.” Off the court and in the classroom, Laird lists speech and communications as her primary interests, both of which mesh with her outgoing personality, she said. “I really like interacting with people,” said Laird. “I’m very social.” Although she still doesn’t know which profession she’ll engage in someday, she certainly gravitates toward a particular line of work. “I like crime scene investigation and forensic science,” said Baird. “There’s always a mystery you have to find out.” Liberty Hill High School offers a class in the latter, one which Laird finds herself fascinated by, she said. “We’ll have labs where we have to learn how a murder happened,” said Laird. “Whether or not drugs were used and what kind and things like where a shard of glass came from along with other evidence and then figure out what’s going on.” Back on the hardwood, Laird and her Lady Panther teammates are off to a flying start to the district season, having already defeated rivals Burnet and Lampasas, which has provided the Purple-and-Gold with a proper push in progressing to the playoffs, she said. “We’ve represented our school well,” said Laird. “It’s a good feeling because it gives us momentum and sets the pace for our game.” At one point during the conversation, junior varsity boys’ player Aaron Brewer walks up alongside and puts a friendly arm around Laird, showing a solidarity between the girls’ and boys’ hoops squads, which she said is a relationship that is mutually beneficial. “We like to watch them play and see how they do things,” said Laird. “At the same time, they encourage us in what we do.” On the bus to away games is where Laird does some of her best work in building bonds with her teammates – even if it means needling someone here or there all in the name of good, clean fun. “I’m the prankster of the team,” said Laird. “I can al-

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court. “We practice enough so I know where I need to be,” she said. “But, I also have to know where everyone else will be during certain plays.” Lange uses “shell drills” to help drive home the fundamental aspects of proper ball movement and said it’s a triedand-true way of making players more responsible. “One team tries to get open and score and the other tries to stop them,” he said. “The defenders keep rotating throughout. You do a lot of talking and it really encourages fundamental basketball – our kids like to play shell.” Footwork is another basic skill, which must be devel-

oped, particularly for those who ﬁnd themselves down low, said Lange. “You can have a post player who is athletic and has good size,” he said. “But, their footwork has to be good.” Lange added one thing that has to be in place for any system to succeed – fundamentals or not – is the belief in what they’re being asked to do. “Players need to feel ownership,” he said. “They have to buy into it, which is why Xs and Os have never really been my strong point as a coach, but rather developing relationships with players so they’re willing to listen – you have to be able to trust your players.” Despite fundamentals be-

ways tell when someone’s in a bad mood, so I try to get them out of it.” Like the time when senior forward Kailey Berzin was a bit grouchy on the way back from a game, said Laird. “Kailey didn’t have a good game,” she said. “On the bus afterward, she was putting on ChapStick and she sang out the word in a way I though was really funny, so now sometimes when I see her, I’ll ask, “What’s wrong? Don’t you have your ChapStick on?’” Lange backed up Laird’s claim to being a clown. “Bailey’s always talking about how we should have a team fish – go catch one and put it in a tank in the locker room,” he said. “When we were at a tournament, we went to Gatti’s and they won a blow-up sheep, which they use as a mascot.” Laird added with all the pressures of varsity basketball, there is a need for someone to add some occasional levity and she’s just the one for the job. “It’s not good whenever we’re all stressed,” she said. “So, I try to make jokes to get all of it off our shoulders.” What if Lange had an entire roster of players like Laird? “We’d be pretty darned good,” he said. “Super-aggressive, selling out and really getting after it. Baylee’s a real competitor.” But, it’s not all basketball for Laird and often her inquisitive side will get the better of her, she said. “I’ll just get in my truck, go pick up (teammate) Kenzy (Wise) and go on random adventures,” said Laird. “I’ll find a road and say, ‘Hmm, I wonder what’s down there.’ One time I found a really cool place called Camp Tejas.” On a somber note, Laird’s father, Cody, passed away in November 2018 when he fell into a diabetic coma while at work – something she’s determined to get through and come out better on the other side for despite the tragedy, she said. “I think usually when something like that happens, it changes a person – they’re negative and depressed,” said Laird. “But, I’ve tried to remain positive, so I can still live the life I was meant to – that I can live through this and everything will be fine. I’m a religious person and I know everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for me.”

ing what they are, Lange said they’re a bit more important in the girls’ game. “I think most girls’ games you watch, you’re going to see more fundamentals,” he said. “Boys tend to have a little more freedom because they’re more athletic.” However, in the girls’ game, employing proper basic skills can propel a team past superior opponents, said Lange. “If you have a team, which is well-coached in fundamentals, it allows you to beat teams you shouldn’t,” he said. “If you’re running the right sets, hitting your screens, rolling and you’re more disciplined, you can beat a better team.”

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Page B3

Rough road trip for us all

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Last F r i d a y, w e headed for Salado for the first girlsboys hoops doubleheader of the season, as both Liberty Hill squads will be paired up with one another for the next few weeks during district play. Our trip was only about 75 miles roundtrip, but it was a rather harrowing one due to the weather, including a thick blanket of fog that enveloped much of Central Texas. Bad enough having to battle the elements, but when you have to constantly be on guard against your fellow motorists, it makes for an even dicier experience. Normally, sticking to main thoroughfares like Highway 29 and Interstate 35 are the way to go, due to the higher-speed nature, but on this occasion, we chose to take the scenic route, which included a jaunt up RR 1869 to Ronald Reagan Boulevard before finally reaching I-35. Going anyplace for the first time can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially when you don’t have an electronic voice telling you which way to go because there’s always the uncertainty of whether or not one made a wrong turn or if you’re still on course. After all, it always looks so simple and straightforward on a map. Now, I’ve spent my fair share of time on California freeways over the years (usually at very slow speeds), so it’s refreshing to be able to drive on one – at least most of the time – with traffic moving at a pretty good pace. But, not when it’s raining, people. I mean, I’m going 65, which is still a pretty good clip, and I still have vehicles of all shapes and sizes flying past me like I’m standing still, leaving a nice rooster tail of spray obscuring my view of the road. Anyway, we finally roll up to Salado High School (without getting lost for even a minute, I might add) only to find the parking lot

5 NUMBERS 5 KEY NUMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Miles round-trip for first hoops girls-boys doubleheader of the season in Salado

Margin of victory for Lady Panthers basketball over Lampasas during 64-39 home victory, which included a 24-0 run in the second quarter

3-pointers by Jessica Holliday in Liberty Hill's win over Lampasas

10 9

Goal difference over four games for boys soccer at Wimberley tournament Players with at least one goal for Lady Panthers soccer on the season

jam-packed, like it was a tournament with multiple teams playing or something. No, just Panthers and Eagles on this night. Salado doesn’t have the biggest gym, but it’s certainly one of the most raucous and with acoustics, which are sketchy at best, it seems as if there are many more people clamoring for the home side. Getting back to the doubleheader element, it’s cool when you can see both teams play in the same place against the same opponent on the same day. More bang for the buck, if you will. So, ﬁrst the Lady Panthers took on the hosts (with an enormous Eagle looking on in the form of a mural on one wall of the gym) and things went poorly for the visitors in the early going ﬁnding themselves down by 15 at the half. Despite the best efforts of the Purple-and-Gold, the Lady Panthers came up short in their quest for victory, so it was up to the boys to save the honor of Pantherville in their contest. Unfortunately, their luck was no better than their female counterparts and a double-defeat was in the cards. We’re pretty sure that hasn’t happened very often, but it did this time. One could only wonder if when Liberty Hill moves up to Class 5A and the competi-

tion becomes more ﬁerce, this could be more of a regular occurrence. We hope not. But, it’s a distinct possibility – going from big to small ﬁsh. As it is, the Panthers have historically taken on bigger schools out of district and have had more than their fair share of success against the big girls and boys. However, at the same time, going up against the likes of Cedar Park will provide a much more rugged challenge than schools like Burnet or Lampasas. What we’re getting at here is there might not be quite as much winning going on as in years past for the Panthers, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and facing tougher opposition in district play can only forge stronger postseason sides. Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, though. Going to Salado wasn’t very fun, seeing the Purple-andGold go down to defeat in between high-speed racing action on wet roads. Hopefully, it wasn’t foreshadowing of what is to come for the Panthers as they move up in class next year. Guess we’ll see.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Regan Walker drove the ball up the court during the Lady Panthers’ 64-39 home win over Lampasas on Jan. 14.

SALADO

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followed by a Baird three, all part of an 11-3 Liberty Hill run, which closed the deficit to 37-30. Holliday and Baird combined for the final five Lady Panthers points of the quarter, but Salado still held a 47-35 lead heading into the fourth. Baird, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury, said she and her team-

mates were unable to completely close the gap on the Lady Eagles despite having opportunities to do so. “We kept trying to ﬁnd momentum,” she said. “But, it was really frustrating because they stopped us from going on any runs.” Liberty Hill managed to keep it close in the ﬁnal period, but could never reel the Lady

Eagles in despite outscoring them in the ﬁnal two quarters. Wise added 10 points and Laird scored nine for the visitors. Liberty Hill (14-14, 2-1) will next travel to Eastside Memorial on Tuesday before returning home to face Taylor on Friday.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Zach Ellis (#4) is congratulated by teammates Garrison Clopton (#6) and Jessie Anaya (#12) after scoring his second goal of the season in the Panthers’ 2-1 win over Fredericksburg at the Wimberley tournament on Jan. 16.

BOYS SOCCER

Liberty Hill’s boys’ soccer squad was on the road at the Wimberley tournament on Jan. 16-18 and went 3-1 in advancing to the championship game, where they were defeated by a score of 3-2 by IDEA Montopolis. Jaron Frye and Kegan Taggart scored for the Panthers, but it wasn’t enough against a physical, skilled Montopolis

side, although the game was there for the taking, said Liberty Hill head Coach Wayne Munger. “We just didn’t take our chances and paid the price later on,” he said. “We were chasing the game and they were pressuring well and having good combinations all over the ﬁeld.” LHHS 6, La Vernia 0 In the tourney opener on

Thursday, six different Panthers found the back of the net in a convincing 6-0 Liberty Hill victory over the Bears. Frye and Gerald Shoetan each had a goal and two assists, while Zach Ellis, Garrison Clopton, Jessie Anaya and Mark Montes all had a goal apiece. “The guys came out ﬂying,” said Munger. “We really played our style of game and

Thursday, January 23, 2020

SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTOS

Kegan Taggart (#11) contested a ball during Liberty Hill’s 3-2 loss to IDEA Montopolis in the championship game. were more and more clinical as the game wore on – it was a good conﬁdence-builder.” LHHS 2, Fredericksburg 1 On a muddy pitch in a driving rainstorm, the Panthers defeated Fredericksburg in their second game of the day on Thursday by a score of 2-1. Ellis and Frye both scored, which was enough to beat the Billies. “We had to battle the el-

ements in that game,” said Munger. “It was a physical game, but we played faster, stretched the ﬁeld and limited their chances.” LHHS 4, Eastside Memorial 0 On Friday, the Panthers defeated Eastside Memorial, 4-0, to advance to Saturday’s championship game, as Frye scored all four Liberty Hill goals, with a pair in each half

for the victory. Frye leads the Panthers with 16 goals on the season. “It was another good showing by us,” said Munger. “We applied steady pressure – it was a complete game.” Liberty Hill (6-4) will next visit Bastrop on Jan. 24 before opening district play at Jarrell on Jan. 28.

Runnin’ Panthers lose close one to Eagles

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Liberty Hill came flying out of the gates in the opening eight minutes of its district contest in Salado Friday with the Eagles. However, the hosts quickly turned the tables and held off the Panthers by a final score of 70-62. After the game was even at 3-3 in the early going, senior point guard Carson Perkins scored on a nifty up-and-under reverse layup, triggering a 7-0 Panthers run, which included back-to-back buckets from inside men Walker Baty and Walker Weems and was punctuated by a Perkins andone, which gave Liberty Hill a commanding 16-4 lead. Even after Salado’s Austin Abel hit a three to seemingly end the first quarter, the Panthers quickly inbounded the ball before Perkins drained a shot from half-court to give Liberty Hill a 23-13 advantage. But, the second period featured a reverse of fortune. Salado outscored the Panthers, 22-13, including a 12-0 run, which gave them their first lead of the game at 32-31, then after a Baty basket, scored the final six points of the half, closing the contest to 32-31 in favor of Liberty Hill. According to Liberty Hill head Coach Barry Boren, his club lost focus in the second quarter, allowing the Eagles back into the game. “We started well, but then we got impatient,” said Boren. “Salado hit shots at opportune times and things didn’t go our way.” After the Eagles scored the first two baskets of the third, Baty and Weems continued their inside assault with a pair of buckets, the former leveling

an Eagles defender on his way to the hoop and the Panthers were back up, 40-39. But, time and again, Salado was able to find soft spots on the interior of the Liberty Hill defense, resulting in open looks to the basket and easy lay-ups. Particularly problematic for the Panthers was Eagles senior guard Shane Roche, who poured in a game-high 21 points, many of which were on quick flashes to the basket on the end of pinpoint passes from teammates. Salado led 50-46 after three and as the game entered its final eight minutes, it was there for the taking. The Panthers opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, fueled by back-to-back Weems buckets on the heels of baskets from Perkins and Baty, giving Liberty Hill a 54-50 lead with 6:25 to play. But, the hosts were resolute and answered with a 7-0 run of their own, taking a 56-54 lead with 3:40 left. Liberty Hill closed to within two points at 62-60 with 1:44 remaining on a Weems score, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the way, as the Eagles scored the final six points of the game. Baty led the Panthers with 18 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, while Kadin Knight added 15 and Perkins 14. Boren gave credit to the home side in the aftermath. “They always play well here,” he said of the raucous atmosphere of a sellout crowd. “But, I don’t think they hit some of the shots they did tonight at our place.” The veteran coach added his players may have been worn down in the closing stages of a fourth quarter in which they

Carson Perkins (#4) scored 14 points against Salado.

JV ROUNDUP

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

On Jan. 17, the Liberty Hill girls’ junior varsity defeated Salado, 56-28. Gloria Kostroun led the Lady Panthers with 10 points, while Sophia Stafford and Lucie Drapalova each added eight. The freshmen also won, 42-11, as Abigail Billingsly scored 12 points.

LHJH ROUNDUP

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ALEX RUBIO PHOTOS

Walker Baty (#33) led the Panthers with 18 points in a 70-62 road defeat to Salado in the district opener. were outscored by a 24-16 marLHHS 100, Eastside gin, due to a heavy workload. Memorial 15 “One of the biggest things was Carson Perkins led ﬁve PanI didn’t use any subs the entire thers in double-ﬁgures with 24 second half,” said Boren. “I points in a 100-15 road win just wasn’t feeling good about against Eastside Memorial on them.” Jan. 21. Boren pointed out the fact his Kaleb Bannon scored 16 club came close at the end. points, while Walker Weems “We had a chance to tie late added 14, Cole Ondrasek 11 down by two,” he said. “Which and Walker Baty 10. is why it’s so frustrating.” Liberty Hill (18-7, 1-1) will Despite the defeat, Boren was next host Taylor on Jan. 24 at resilient moving forward. 7:30 p.m. “It’s a long season,” he said. “So, it’s all about who can recover from something like this.”

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

The Lady Panthers of Liberty Hill Junior High visited Forbes Jan. 16 and posted four wins. 8th Grade Purple won, 38-21 Ella Granda 10, Riley Clayton 8, Emily Lilienthal 5, Izzy Amthor 4, Trinity Collins 4,Lilly Koustroun 4, McKinley Grimm 2, Paige Sterling 1 8th Grade Gold won, 40-16 Ella Lewis 10, Jordan Wilson 8, Sydney Ballew 8, Daisy Anaya 6, Abby Swieczkowski 4, Summer Lewis 4 7th Grade Purple won, 36-27 Evelyn Bruce 10, Elayna Hubbard 7, Gabby Mundy 4, Taylor Gaines 4, Clara Justice 4, Annie Witt 3, Ava Kostroun 2, Aubri Ettinger 1, Addison Shifﬂet 1 7th Grade Gold won, 25-24 Avery Daugherty 11, Maryjo Martin 4, Emily Rios 4, Jacque McKinney 2, Shelby Broderick 2, Audrey Weast 2

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Thursday, January 23, 2020

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PUBLIC NOTICES CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TX CDBG SIDEWALKS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT PHASE II IMPROVEMENTS ADVERTISEMENT AND INVITATION FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received by the CITY OF LIBERTY HILL, TEXAS for CDBG Sidewalks Phase II Improvements. The Scope of Work will include: Furnishing and installing and providing all labor and materials required concrete sidewalk, concrete driveways, drainage improvements, pipe culverts, site grading, erosion and sedimentation control, and other items, as more fully described in the Construction Plans and Project Speciﬁcations. Bids must be submitted on the complete project. Bids must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and will be received by the City of Liberty Hill, ATTN: Sally McFeron, 926 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642, until 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, February

11th, 2020, at which time the bids received will be publicly opened and read. Bidding Documents will only be made available electronically. To obtain access to the ﬁles for no charge, please contact Steger Bizzell – bids@ stegerbizzell.com, 1978 S. Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78626, (512) 930-9412. Bids not accompanied by cashier’s check or bid bond will not be considered. BIDS received after the date and time of the bid opening will be returned unopened. After receipt of BIDS, no BID may be withdrawn within ninety (90) days after the date of bid opening. City of Liberty Hill reserves the right to reject any or all BIDS and to waive any informality in BIDS received. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference for this project will be held on Tuesday, February 4th at City Hall, 926 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642

at 10:00 a.m. The project site will be available for inspection by prospective bidders immediately following the pre-bid conference. Representatives of Owner and Engineer will be present to discuss the Project. Bidders are encouraged to attend and participate in the conference. Engineer will transmit to all prospective Bidders of record such Addenda as Engineer considers necessary in response to questions arising at the conference. Oral statements may not be relied upon and will not be binding or legally effective. A bid bond in the amount of 5 percent of the bid issued by an acceptable surety shall be submitted with each bid. A certiﬁed check or bank draft payable to the City of Liberty Hill or negotiable US Government Bonds (as par value) may be submitted in lieu of bid bond. Attention is called to the fact that not less than, the federal

Page B5

CLASSIFIED ADS $10/week for Minimum 30 Words Additional Words $0.20 Deadline Tuesday At Noon

(512) 778-5577 or NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM determined prevailing (Davis- Bacon and Related Acts) wage rate, as issued by the US Department of Labor and contained in the contract documents, must be paid on this project. Small, Minority, and Women-Owned business enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals. “Equal Opportunity in Employment” - All qualiﬁed applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President’s

Executive Order No. 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375, and as supplemented in Department of Labor. All contractors/subcontractors that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation on federal assistance programs may not undertake any activity in part or in full under this project. (2/6)

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COACHES

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page B1

nearing the end of his higher education, he said. “Honestly, it was something that was undeniable, but I didn’t realize it until late in college,” said Russo, who coached and taught at Liberty Hill Junior High for a year before moving to the high school this season and coaches the freshman squad. “I began coaching for Lonestar Basketball Academy in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area doing skills training and I haven’t turned back since.” Russo said simply being on Barry’s staff and seeing everything he puts into his profession provides him with inspiration. “It definitely is a different perspective – I understood Coach Boren was detailed and thorough as a player for him, but to see how methodical and comprehensive he is about everything gives me a greater appreciation for how much he dedicates to this program,” he said. “As for coaching under him, I would say it has benefited me significantly to be a former point guard in his system. It forced me to see the whole picture and be a ‘coach on the court.’ Now, I’ve just picked up where I left off on the other side and it just feels like second nature because of my time as a player under Coach Boren.” As for being on the same staff with another former Panther, Russo believes the senior and junior Borens are the perfect compliment for one another within the Liberty Hill pro-

SOCCER

gram. “Blake also had a hand in coaching in high school. He coached us in select basketball and we had a lot of success,” he said. “Coaching with Blake has been a lot of fun and I’ve learned so much from him. He provides a good balance for the Liberty Hill basketball program. Because of our similar perspectives, there are deﬁnitely unspoken expectations we both carry for the boys in our program.” Blake said his relationship with Barry has changed a bit over the years on a personal level. “Back then, all we would ever talk about was basketball,” he said. “Especially as a player, it was hard to turn basketball off. But, now we can talk about family and the future and all kinds of life things.” So, in what way are father and son different in their respective coaching philosophies? “Dad is deﬁnitely old-school – he yells a lot and has a short fuse as far as mistakes are concerned,” said Blake. “But, for me – especially coaching the JV, I know younger players are going to make more mistakes, so I have to be patient with them.” Russo backed up Blake’s assessment. “With proven results, Coach Boren is old school. He wants things done a certain way and he won’t give up until it’s accomplished. He’s particular about many things and is all about the intricate details -- he has no problem telling you that

Continued from Page B1

In order to acclimate the players to playing this way, drills on the training ground include passing the ball quickly in small areas. “The spaces to operate in games are going to be small,” said Bauer. “So, if you can do it in small spaces, you can do it in bigger areas out on the ﬁeld.” Sounds simple enough. “All you have to do is calm down, be creative and play the game how you see it,” said Stephens. “You have to move

into open spaces, not be lazy and know where you’re going to pass the ball.” When an inferior side is faced with the prospect of playing a possession team, sometimes the optimum strategy is to sit back and defend, making yourself difﬁcult to break down, which cause problems for even the most talented offensive teams. So, in that instance, one must attempt to get the defense to move out on you and open spaces to attack in behind

you’re doing something wrong because he has an expectation of how it should be done and he has a good reason for that. He will push you to your limits to get all he can out of you,” he said. “Things get intense during the game, but after that ﬁnal buzzer rings, you know Coach loves you and will do anything for you. For me, I’ve come to appreciate the details Coach ingrained in us and this has spilled over to my teaching/coaching career. My personality as a teacher and coach calls me to be patient in my approach. I assess all facets of a situation, then respond to meet others where they need to be met. I strive to be careful in how I communicate with my players and students so there is an understanding of what I want to get out of them.” Blake emphasized the importance of shaping not only athletes, but individuals. I think the most gratifying part of it all is getting to see the kids grow and have success,” he said. “It’s not all about just winning basketball games – it’s about developing better young men by the time they’re done here.” But, there’s one thing Barry has passed on to both of his assistants above all, said Blake. “Attention to detail,” he said. “He taught me to be a details guy. Whether it’s planning practice or whatever, to always go into detail because with everything we do, so many little things go into it.” Included in his professional journey is a most personal

where they vacate, said Bauer. “Patience is required in order to move the ball into dangerous spots to get the defense to shift,” he said. “One way of doing that is to take shots from distance.” Junior midﬁelder Mykenna Russo is a long-distance specialist and is exactly the kind of player Bauer needs to tempt defenders to abandon their posts. “When you have someone like Mykenna who can rocket balls from 35 or 40 yards, it’s

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Blake Boren has been an assistant for father Barry for nine seasons, of which one of the high points was winning regionals last season with seniors Cade Cole, Jareck Naylor and Parker McCurdy. (Courtesy Photo) dream father and son were finally able to live out, said Blake. “Since I was 10, my dad and I would go to the state tournament and we always wanted to be there as coaches,” he said. “So, last year when we won regionals, he was the first person I looked for to hug because I knew we were going – it was surreal.” Russo said Barry has established something very special during his time at Liberty Hill – something he’s proud to be a part of. “This may be difficult for someone on the outside to grasp, but those that are or have been a part of the Liberty

Hill basketball program know the value being a part of it. These are the guys you’re with day in and day out working and going to battle with. The bonds that are made in the program are unbreakable and I would still go to battle with the guys I played with,” said Russo. “It’s the culture and rhythm Coach Boren has set for the program. It truly is a family and as much as we work hard together, have had success with and share some difﬁcult times with, we always have a good laugh at the end of the day. The boys in this program grow and it’s truly an honor to see the expectations and the culture still remain the same, which is all

a testament to Coach Boren.” For Blake, he’s simply living out a legacy that manifests itself through the many different students and players he interacts with on a daily basis, he said. “With most of the kids I teach, I also taught their brothers or sisters or went to school with them, said Boren. “My loyalty is to Liberty Hill.” In the end, Blake ended up in the business world after all – just not the one he had envisioned. “Ultimately, this my family business,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I go and learn from someone who’s the best?”

much easier,” he said. “All she needs to do is ﬁnd a small pocket of space.” As the Lady Panthers get ready to embark on district play, they know they will face sides that will attempt to do exactly that in order to neutralize them, so Bauer is making sure his charges are equipped for the task ahead, he said. “We know we’re going to see it and it’s frustrating for the girls,” said Bauer. “But, you SHANNON HOFMANN PHOTO just have to learn how to break Piper Tabor (#13) scored a goal Tuesday in a rematch of last it open.” season’s state championship game against Stephenville.