2020
Volume 33, Issue 7
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
January 9, 2020 | 50 Cents
Tax lien casts cloud over Mayor Hall
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor According to records f r o m the Williamson County C l e r k ’s O f f i c e , RICK HALL LiberMayor ty Hill Mayor Rick Hall’s home was listed on the January 2020 Notice of Foreclosures in the county. In addition to the foreclosure notice, which had a creation date of Nov. 26, 2019,
further research indicated an IRS tax lien in the amount of $67,240.23. The tax lien date is July 16, 2019, and the tax period date is listed as Dec. 31, 2015-Dec. 31, 2016. The Independent requested a telephone interview with Hall to clarify the information, and while he indicated Wednesday morning he would discuss the matter in an interview, he instead responded hours later to questions with an e-mailed statement. Hall said he was in a meeting throughout the day Wednesday. In his statement, Hall
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The second half of the current school year has barely begun, but Liberty Hill ISD leaders have one eye already on next year’s classes. With months of work already behind the district in its preparation for class offerings for the 2020-2021 school year, it is time for parents and students to meet with school officials to make schedule decisions for next year. Parent meetings begin Jan. 15 with current high school juniors meeting at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. that day in the Performing Arts Center. “The beauty of this is that we’re not only educating our students, but also our parents so the conversations can happen with students and parents before course sheets are due,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Toni Hicks. “They have a whole month where parents and students can talk through course selection and then the course sheets are due
in March.” Current ninth and 10th graders will meet Jan. 22, also at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, and eighth grade students will meet Feb. 19 at the same times and location. “The challenge is we have a limited number of counselors and we are wanting to make sure our counselors at the high school are visiting with all the grades at the high school, but also visiting with eighth graders to make sure they are well-informed in making those choices before they enter freshman year,” Hicks said. Making sure current eighth grade students have all the information makes the transition to high school smoother and gives them more opportunity later to change their mind if needed. “Let’s say you take Principles of Engineering then decide its not where you are headed and you want to
See HALL, Page A6
Students, parents look to next year
See COURSES, Page A6
Organizers planning first County Fair
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer As 2020 begins, the calendar has a new event on the radar as Williamson County is in the early stages of planning for its first county fair. The County is aiming to create an event that best represents the large agricultural communities that comprise it. There are currently several agriculture-focused events throughout the year but no one has put them all together under one banner until now. “We have a couple of really good rodeos, and a livestock show, but the County has never had a true county fair,” said Scott Heselmeyer, president of the Williamson County Fair Association. “I mean in the sense of a big public event where you can come and not only see a rodeo but also go to the carnival and have other experiences.” A lack of a location to call home has played a large part in ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
why the area has never hosted a fair, but with improvements to the Expo Center in Taylor, the opportunity for a large-scale county event is more feasible than ever before. “We haven’t had a facility suited for a large event,” said Heselmeyer. “The County made some great improvements to the Expo Center in the last few years. The last element which allows us to do what we’re going to do is the construction that’s going on now to add another barn facility, concessions stand facility and more restrooms.” With the approval and backing of the Williamson County Commissioners Court, $100,000 will be provided by the County, as what Heselmeyer refers to as seed money covering around half of the first year’s budget. He believes the fair will more than cover its costs. “We’re going to do advertising, fundraising, partnerships and of course there will be revenue from ticket sales,” said Heselmeyer.
See FAIR, Page A2
The interpretive center at River Ranch Park is being funded with a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Grant and will include exhibit, classroom and office space. (Courtesy Graphic)
County begins work on River Ranch Park Interpretive Center
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Williamson County took shovels in hand as officials celebrated one more big step toward the opening of River Ranch Park south of Liberty Hill. The nearly 1,400-acre park is slated to open sometime this summer, and construction has begun on the interpretive center, set to be a key feature of one of the County’s most natural parks. “The closest thing we have to this in our system now is the Berry Springs Park and Preserve, but even still this will be unique to the complement of parks the county offers,” said County Parks Director Russell Fishbeck. “The interpretive center is going to be sort of that nexus to bring people to experience the park before they experience the park. It will be a place to go to learn about the resources on the ground at River Ranch, the river itself, the savannah, the woodland, just the overall natural and cultural experiences you can have at River Ranch. For somebody
who may be new to this area or maybe to outdoor experiences it is a good first stop.” The budget for River Ranch got a boost when the County received a $750,000 grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife to fund the center. The interpretive center will include exhibit, classroom and office space, as well as outdoor space. “The footprint hasn’t changed as far as location or size of the structure,” Fishbeck said. “We’re still looking at the 4,836-square-foot facility that includes both the exhibition space and outdoor porch.” Because the County planned River Ranch as primarily a natural park, the interpretive center creates a good educational opportunity for visitors. “Additionally, it will be a great educational opportunity for us for your regular users as well as our opportunity to bring local school students out there and educate those kids on those cultural and natural resources right here in their backyard,” Fishbeck said. “I think it will be an important
Pct. 2 County Commissioner Cynthia Long speaks at the groundbreaking for the 4,836-square-foot interpretive center slated to be a key feature of River Ranch Park. (Courtesy Photo) opportunity for people to get a glimpse of what is out there on that 1,400 acres.” Exhibits on display in the center are not set, but could include area ranching history, information on the river, or geology of the area as possibilities. “In the parks business, the interpretation is a whole separate
element of the experience,” said former County Parks Director Randy Bell. “The easiest way is to describe it is, if I had a school bus load of kids for 30 minutes, what would I want them to leave knowing about this park?”
See RIVER, Page A6
BUSINESS
Perky Beans serves up drinks, food, friendship
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer When you step into Perky Beans Coffee for the first time, don’t expect to be a stranger for long. You will quickly be greeted by at least one barista, and if you decide to stay a while to work or catch up with friends, the staff will be sure to keep your coffee hot and your belly full. That’s just one way Perky Beans differs from other shops, said Ron Diaz, who co-owns the recently opened shop in North Leander with his wife, Angie. “We want people to come enjoy a better experience than at a regular coffee shop,” he said. “We bring your coffee and your food to you, because we hated that in other places people had to wait around by the counter. It’s a more personal experience. We ask people their names even in the drive thru.” Although Perky Beans is brand new to Texas, it’s been around for a handful of years. Perky Beans started seven years ago in San Diego with a RACHEL MADISON PHOTO coffee truck. “We had a food truck prior Angie and Ron Diaz are the husband and wife team behind recently opened Perky Beans Coffee in North Leander. The couple started their business in San Diego and decided to expand to Texas See PERKY, Page A5 when they moved here in 2019.