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2021
Volume 34, Issue 50
www.LHIndependent.com
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Take a step back in time at Pioneer Day celebration
Santa Rita developer proposes new subdivision
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer A new 1,000-lot subdivision for Liberty Hill was proposed by Santa Rita Ranch owner and developer Ed Horne at the most recent City Council meeting on Oct. 27. The subdivision, called El Dorado, would be a 333-acre development on the west side of Santa Rita Ranch, just north of Santa Rita South, said Horne. The new subdivision would be a sister community to the Santa Rita development, which is why he proposed to Council to have El Dorado operate under the same development agreement created for Santa Rita in 2005. “In that agreement, El Dorado would operate under the [Williamson County] guidelines just like Santa Rita, and we would also
See COUNCIL, Page 7
LHISD pays Chapman for consulting on land purchase
By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer The Liberty Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a real estate consulting agreement for $200,000 at their Oct. 18 meeting. The consulting agreement was discussed during executive session and approved unanimously without public discussion. The Independent recently obtained the agreement through an open records request. The agreement is between Bill Chapman, owner of Chapman Property Investments and a former president of the City of Liberty Hill’s Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors, and the school district for consultation on land acquisition for future school sites. The agreement is specifically for work Chapman did over the last year and a half to help LHISD acquire 95.611 acres near US Highway 183 and County Road 258. The agreement called it a “potential site for the new high school.” “We would not have that land were it not for Bill
See CHAPMAN, Page 4 ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
November 4, 2021 | 50 Cents
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
Pastor Michele Lott (right) and Pam Turner (left), event coordinator for Pioneer Day, stand next to one of the recently restored stained glass windows inside the Cross Tracks Church chapel. The Nov. 14 event will show the community what Liberty Hill was like in the late 1800s, when the chapel was first built.
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Cross Tracks Church will look a lot different on Nov. 14 when the entire campus is transported back to the late 1800s for a Pioneer Day celebration to commemorate one of Williamson County’s oldest chapels. Pam Turner, Cross Tracks Church member and coordinator for the event, said the United Methodist community has been trying to celebrate their chapel turning 150 years old since early 2020, but it has been postponed twice due to the pandemic. Finally—now that the chapel is 151 years old—the celebration is happening this month. Pastor Michele Lott said the event has grown to be much larger than originally planned, which is one of the few times she has been grateful for COVID, because it’s allowed for the celebration to take on a
life of its own and offer a lot to the community of Liberty Hill. “We are doing this Pioneer Day in conjunction with the Williamson Museum,” Turner said. “They will be with us in every aspect of the day. They will be bringing a pioneer encampment area with a couple of characters that will share stories, like a medicine man. They will also have guns and artifacts from the late 1800s.” Texas storyteller Donna Ingham—who Turner said has been named the best liar in Texas seven times—will be telling her tales from inside the chapel. The east wing of the chapel will be transformed into a schoolhouse from the late 1800s. “The chapel served as the original schoolhouse in Liberty Hill,” Turner said. “We will have a teacher there telling the rules from the 1870s, and children will write on slates and use quills as well.”
In the west wing of the chapel, local historian Gary Spivey, who is also the longest living member of Cross Tracks Church, will be telling stories of Liberty Hill’s history. An 1870s chuckwagon is also coming from Walburg with a cowboy who will be sharing everything from his chuckwagon with attendees. “We also have a lace maker, a spinner and a hand quilter coming,” Turner said. “The quilter will be bringing several antique quilts to show.” The Liberty Hill Public Library will also be at the event, overseeing a couple of family-friendly crafts for attendees to make. “Part of our church’s history includes one of our founding members churning butter for her pledge to a missionary group, so because of that, we will have a butter churner
See PIONEER, Page 4
Operation Liberty Hill extends deadline to apply for Angel Tree program
By KRISTEN MERIWETHER Staff Writer As the calendar turns to November many kids are already busy circling toy catalogs, carefully picking out their favorite items to put on their list for Santa. But for families less fortunate, November is when the stress of not being able to afford toys to put under the tree is just beginning. Operation Liberty Hill will once again be helping local families in need with its Angel Tree program and will serve as the pickup location for Blue Santa donations. “The stress that these families are under to provide for their kids on a daily basis is difficult enough. But then when Christmas comes along, or a birthday, they don’t have the resources to make those special days for the kids,” said Operation Liberty Hill Executive Director Susan Baker. “I know
that this Angel Tree program helps their holidays to be less stressful so the kids don’t feel different from the other kids.” The Angel Tree program is available to families that live in the Liberty Hill Independent School District. If a child is home-schooled, or not quite school-aged, they would still be eligible, as long as they are not receiving Christmas aid from another program. Operation Liberty Hill recently extended the deadline to Nov. 12 to sign up to be a recipient of a donation. Families in need can apply through a counselor at any of the LHISD schools or directly at Operation Liberty Hill. Jamie Etzkorn, a local attorney and volunteer organizer of Angel Tree, said they keep all names of those asking for help anonymous. “We don’t want anyone to ever feel negative because
Blue Santa in front of the Liberty Hill Police Department in December 2020.
See ANGEL, Page 4 (LHPD Courtesy Photo)
Veterans Day event to honor City’s oldest veteran
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer This Veterans Day, the City of Liberty Hill will be honoring the community’s oldest veteran, 97-year-old Dale Bates, at its annual Nov. 11 event. Katie Amsler, communications director for the City, said honoring the oldest veteran in Liberty Hill is something new to the event. “Mr. Bates is going to have a special chair and will sit at the front during the event, and we are going to gift him the flag that is flying at Veterans Park right now,” she said. “We will lower it and present it to him, and then raise a new flag.”
Bates was born in January 1924 in Oregon and grew up to follow in his father’s footsteps by enlisting in the Army-Air Force in October 1942. After training as a gunner, he was sent to the Pacific theater as part of the 90th Bomb Group. He also flew a few missions with the 22nd Bomb Group and as a gunnery instructor. He flew 47 missions total during his military career and was awarded several medals for his service in World War II, including a service medal, American theater service medal, and a good conduct medal. Bates joined the Army-Air Force Reserves at the end of
his WWII tour. He retired as a major in the Reserves in 1984. Bates will turn 98 in January 2022. The annual event is meant to honor all of Liberty Hill’s veterans, and the community is invited to participate. Demetrice Gonzalez, Economic Development Corporation director and veteran, will emcee the event, and Liberty Hill resident Sar Fleming will sing the National Anthem. Coffee, donated by Perky Beans, will be served, and Pastor Derrick Norris from Andice Baptist Church will Dale Bates is the oldest veteran in Liberty Hill and will be honored during the City’s annual Veterans Day event on Nov. 11 at See VETERANS, Page 4 Veterans Memorial Park. (Courtesy Photo)