2020
Volume 33, Issue 14
www.LHIndependent.com
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February 27, 2020 | 50 Cents
EDC An Olympic feat as Panthers win gold, show growth Executive Director’s future in question By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The future for Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Lance Dean is unclear following a meeting Feb. 20 when the EDC Board voted not to renew his contract. In a meeting called for the sole purpose of discussing the issue in executive session, the Board chose not to renew the contract – which is structured to be renewed annually – based on the desire to make changes to that contract. According to Board President John Johnston, no details of the decision could be shared because the issue was a personnel matter taken up in executive session.
See EDC, Page A5
Parties narrow field Tuesday
Texas voters will narrow a long list of candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and Presidential contests Tuesday to bring a clearer picture to the race for a November win in the general election. In addition to the District 31 U.S. Rep contest, each party has a pair of Pct. 2 Constable candidates to choose from locally. Three candidates – Mike Williams, Christopher Wall and Abhiram Gartapati – are challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. John Carter on the Republican ballot. On the Democrat ballot, Eric Hanke, Donna Imam, Dan Janjigian, Christine Mann and Tammy Young are vying for opportunity to represent their party in the U.S. Rep. race on the November ballot. If no candidate from a party achieves a majority Tuesday the top two vote getters in that party’s primary will enter into a May runoff election. Democrats Robert Tijerina and Greg Papst are facing off in the Constable race, while Jeff Anderson and Renee Harrell are constable candidates on the Republican ballot. Democrats have 11
See ELECTION, Page A4 ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Texas State University’s Jowers Center was the center of the basketball world Saturday for athletes competing in the 2020 Special Olympics. Traveling almost two hours south to compete in the event, the Liberty Hill Panthers secured their fourth gold medal in a row. The team took first place in the 3-on-3 basketball competition. But the victory on the court is only a small part of what this trip and these students are all about. The Panthers were unbeaten, picking up their two victories against the Bastrop Silver Stars and Hutto Hippos. “I thought that Hutto was a challenge, they were our challenge team, but we pulled through,” said Panther Cassidy Sandlin. “It felt good winning and playing basketball in a team effort.” Aside from the glory of taking gold, the victory over the Silver Stars was a redemption win for Walker Raney, who never forgot their first-year loss to the Bastrop team. “Winning was glorious,” said Raney. “Back in the day, we
Kevin Ellet-Graves practicing his jump shot before taking the court at the 2020 Special Olympics, where the Panthers took Gold over the Hutto Hippos and Bastrop Silver Stars. lost against the Silver Stars, highlighting and giving a but we did have a score to set- spotlight to individuals often tle. We were able to prevail.” overlooked and dismissed by The Special Olympics began society. The goal for the volin 1968, continuing to grow unteers, parents, coaches, and in size over the last 50 years, officials involved in dissolving
COURTESY PHOTOS
Cassidy Sandlin playing defense as the Panthers prepared to face Hutto and Bastrop in 3-on-3 competition. the lines of division and usher- athletes and coach of the team, ing in a wave of normalcy and said times have changed since inclusion. they were in school. The vetLiberty Hill Elementary eran educator remembers a School educator Angela Meade, the mother of one of the See OLYMPICS, Page A6
The science of taste
Madrone Mountain aims to please every palate
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor When the front door opens, the aroma gives it all away. The layman says “I found coffee,” but the minds behind Madrone Mountain Coffee are ready to show there’s so much more to know. “Our mission is to connect people with great coffee,” said co-founder Jake Sussman. “Being able to do a custom roast for a restaurant owner or a company owner, to help them tell their story through coffee is what we like to do. “Seeing those light bulbs go off and seeing someone who has never tasted fruit in coffee or never noticed a Kenya could taste like blackberry jam, that’s what excites us.” The aromas, flavors and stories are endless. A good mix of science and passion – blended with an innovative spirit – has the owners of the new coffee roaster just south of the South San Gabriel on County Road 279 ready to share not only their
unique blends, but the deep, flavorful story of their journey. “It is about what story do you want to tell with this coffee,” Sussman says as he slowly pours water over a sample of one of four different coffees to be tasted at this sitting. “What we’d like to do is make people aware there is this kind of coffee out there. I mean good coffee. I think there’s a lot of people used to scooping Folgers in a filter and that’s fine, but there’s a whole world of coffee out there people could discover.” As he pours and slides tasting cups in front of visitors, it is evident this experience is intended to go well beyond sending a coffee lover on their way MIKE EDDLEMAN PHOTO with a good brew. It is intend- Jake Sussman (left) and Alex Noel enjoy nothing more than sharing their love for and knowledge ed to be an experience, where of coffee with customers. the taste, the story and the unPerhaps a buyer simply derstanding go hand-in-hand consumers looking for coffee making his coffee each day. “It to create an entire experience. can find their very own coffee. is very ritualistic to everyone wants the signature Packsad“I like convenience just as who drinks it so to be able to dle blend. Maybe the KenSussman and his partners – Alex Noel and Rob Edwards much as everyone else, but get into it is kind of cool. If yan, Columbian or Ethiopian – have built their new busi- sometimes it’s the ritual, the we can be there like that when options. What Sussman and ness around that premise. It is five minutes each day I can people start their day, that conintended to be a place where zone out,” Sussman said of nection is cool.” See COFFEE, Page A6
Council decides against hiring a city administrator
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor In spite of repeated claims by Mayor Rick Hall over the last six months that a new city administrator would be hired, the Council voted unanimously Monday to hire an assistant administrator instead, sending a clear message that Hall would continue in the management position that has evolved since last May. Council member Kathy Canady made the motion
following a one hour and 19 minute executive session that included discussions of the administrator position as well as other items. “I’d like to make a motion that we look for a assistant city administrator, but we do some change to the name and it be a chief operating officer,” Canady said in her initial motion, to which Hall responded with a question. “And who will that person report to?” Hall asked.
“That person would report to the Mayor,” Canady responded. Hall asked that it also be added to the motion that he and two others be tasked with reviewing all current applications to determine if a fitting candidate could be found before reposting the position. The Council voted unanimously to support the motion, with the only discussion being a comment from Canady about how this move goes “hand in
hand with what we wanted” in relation to expectations set up for the Mayor’s office. No further information was provided regarding the new job description, and the City has not responded to requests from The Independent for copies of the administrator and assistant administrator job descriptions. “We’re aligning the position to grow with the City,” Hall told The Independent Wednesday of the Council decision.
“Based on the Texas statute, the mayor is over the municipal officers in a general law city, and then the city administrator is over the department heads. That’s the way it will continue to be. This position will also be referred to as a municipal officer and report to the mayor.” He added that the plan was to align the management of the city more with the rules for a
See COUNCIL, Page A5