VETERANS DAY
SALE
25% OFF
Nov. 11-13 Must present coupon at time of purchase. Curbside pickup available. Delivery not included.
2021
Volume 34, Issue 51
LHISD opens discussion to tackle childhood anxiety
By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Reporter Anxiety is a normal human emotion. It’s the butterflies we feel prior to giving a speech to a large group. Or the rapid heartbeat we experience when up to bat with the game on the line. The reactions are part of our autonomic nervous system, a series of primal responses designed to protect us when we are in danger. This system is the reason you don’t have to think about slamming on the brakes when a deer jumps out in front of the car. You simply do it. But what may start as a normal response to external stress can blossom into bigger problems. Instead of pre-speech butterflies, it becomes waking up in the middle of the night, mind racing, unable to go back to sleep. Or instead of being nervous about a big match, it’s forfeiting it completely as tennis star Mardy Fish did prior to a fourth round match in the 2012 U.S. Open. Fish was later diagnosed with extreme anxiety disorder, something that is becoming more common. And it’s not just professional athletes with millions on the line. Research is showing childhood anxiety has been increasing steadily since 2007. According to the National Institute of Health, nearly one in three adolescents aged 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. A survey conducted by the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative showed anxiety disorders in children and teens increased by 20% between 2007 and 2012. For kids, who are just learning to manage and control their emotions, the increased anxiety can be a lot to deal with. For parents, who just want the best for their child, it can be terrifying. To help parents tackle the challenges that high stress and anxiety in children can bring to the household, the Liberty Hill Independent School District Counselor Connection hosted its first PAWsitive Parenting Session on Oct. 27. Missy Whitsett, a counselor at Santa Rita Middle School, funded the talk through a grant from the LHISD Education Foundation. Whitsett
See ANXIETY, Page 9 ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
November 11, 2021 | 50 Cents
Pezold donates acreage to City Council votes to slow speed on SH 29 of Liberty Hill for new park
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer A nine-acre tract of land along the South San Gabriel River has been donated to the City of Liberty Hill for a new park by City Council member Chris Pezold. The donation of the park, located at 900 Stubblefield Lane, was unanimously accepted during a special called meeting in October, with the exception of Pezold who recused himself. While running for office earlier this year, Pezold sold most of the land he owned within the city limits to prevent any conflicts of interest, but said he had the wherewithal to donate this piece of property, which has been a long time coming. “I’ve been wanting this land to be a park for years, all the way back to when Connie Fuller was mayor,” Pezold told The Independent last week. “I’ve talked about it with the last few mayors, and it’s finally happenCity Council member Chris Pezold stands along the banks of ing.” the San Gabriel River on Stubblefield Lane. Pezold recently donated more than nine acres surrounding the river to the City of See PARK, Page 8 Liberty Hill to be used as a park. (Courtesy Photo)
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The City Council voted last week to reduce the speed limit on State Highway 29 from 55 MPH to 50 MPH between CR 200 and Seward Junction (US Hwy 183), based on a traffic study conducted by Texas Department of Transportation. Based on the study, that section of highway was the only area the speed limit could be reduced for now. Council directed staff to look into extending the speed limit reduction farther west along SH 29 to the high school. City Administrator Lacie Hale said TXDOT plans to do another traffic study after all the lights scheduled for SH 29 are installed, such as the light currently under construction at CR 214 and SH 29. “[The study] will be more accurate when they get all the lights installed,” she said. “There will eventually be seven lights between CR 200 and Seward Junction. Once
we get those completed, it will by nature slow down traffic. At that time TXDOT will come out and do another traffic study to evaluate what the speed is with all that traffic being mitigated with those lights and will potentially lower the speed limit even more.” Once new signage is installed in that area, the new speed limit will be in effect. During the meeting, the Council also discussed the 27 living unit equivalent (LUE) payments that were put on hold for Main Street Social by the City Council in July to study how many LUEs the food hall is actually using. Hale said so far, the City has collected three months of water consumption data showing Main Street Social is currently using five LUEs per month. She said the City would like to continue the data collection until Jan. 1, 2022, because during the last three months,
See COUNCIL, Page 9
Residents ready to battle County on I2 Corridor project
By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer About 75 Liberty Hill area residents packed Main Street Social Nov. 3 to discuss the local impacts of the Corridor I2 Project. Williamson County is currently conducting a Planning and Right-of-Way Preservation Study for a new 7.3-mile expressway that would run east/west between U.S. Highway 183 and the Burnet County line, and a 4.1-mile north/ south connector between the new expressway and State Highway 29. The study, funded by the voter-approved 2019 Road Bond, is part of the County’s Long-Range Transportation Plan that aims to plan and preserve right-of-way for future roadway projects as the county grows. In mid-October, the County mailed 63 letters to directly impacted property owners on the east/west segment requesting to meet with landowners,
discuss the project and learn about the properties. A total of 65 parcels would be affected on the east/west segment and an additional 17 parcels on the north/south segment, according to the County. Landowners on the north/south segment have not yet been contacted. Travis Redding and his wife Kerry own property in the northwest portion of the county near the Burnet County line. As currently drawn, their property would be the junction for the north/south connector. They received one of the letters last month and at their meeting with the County found out the proposed expressway would run directly through their new horse barn on their property. “They want to put a highway right through our dream property,” Kerry said. The Reddings purchased the property in 2018, with Travis, a homebuilder, creating the design and building it himself. Construction was complete in
Nearly 75 area residents pack County I2 Corridor project. 2019. The couple organized the community meeting at Main Street Social on Wednesday night to speak with other landowners, but were surprised at the large turnout.
KRISTEN MERIWETHER PHOTO
Main Street Social on Nov. 3, 2021 to discuss the Williamson “I’m seriously blown away that this many people showed up,” Kerry said. “If that doesn’t tell you how important this whole thing is, I don’t know what would.” Travis unpacked the pro-
posed project as residents took notes, asked questions and shared stories from past county projects. Some asked why the County wasn’t choosing
See CORRIDOR, Page 8
LHHS Band climbs within .6 points of advancing to State
By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer The Liberty Hill High School competitive marching band season came to an end on Oct. 23 with the band coming within 0.6 points of advancing to the State UIL competition. This is the first year for new Band Director Shawn Murphy, who took the band the furtherest it has been in over a decade. “I’m super proud of the kids Members of the Liberty Hill High School Marching Band perform their program “All of us 4 for what they were able to Hymn” during regional competition on Oct. 23. (Courtesy Photo) achieve,” Murphy said Mon-
day. “I think having a show dedicated to someone so important to the school and to the community really helped motivate the kids and it just rallied support around us.” The band’s marching show was called “All of us 4 Hymn,” a tribute to Liberty Hill head football coach Jeff Walker who passed away in December 2020 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Walker, who was 52 when he passed, was a beloved
See BAND, Page 7