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2021
Volume 34, Issue 33
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
July 8, 2021 | 50 Cents
Sundance Ranch honors WW II vet on Independence Day
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Staff Writer On July 4, Dale Bates found himself looking up at an Independence Day fireworks display in his home neighborhood of Sundance Ranch. But, his surroundings were quite different – albeit just as explosive, but much more dangerous – nearly 70 years ago as a young airman in the U.S. Army Air Corps when the Oregon native was assigned to the Pacific theater during World War II. For his efforts, Bates – who later retired as a major in the reserve – was honored at a ceremony in his new hometown at Sundance Ranch’s annual 4th of July celebration. Duty called during Bates’ freshman year at Williamette
University in Salem, Oregon, in 1941, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor – and he wasn’t even 18 years old yet, he said. “I was still only 17 and a half,” said Bates, who volunteered for service. “For us college students, the Army Air Corps gave us a choice of being a pilot, navigator or bombardier.” Only one problem for him, he said. “They asked me if I had ever stuttered,” said Bates. “So, I said, ‘Well, I’m not stuttering right now.’” Apparently, that wasn’t good enough of an answer, so Bates was assigned to gunnery school at a variety of stateside locations from Lincoln, Nebraska to Springfield, Missou-
ri to San Antonio to Denver to Harlingen, Texas and finally Ft. Myers, Florida, before he was ready for overseas action. Following a stint in the 5th Air Force with the 22nd Bomb Group, Bates was moved to the 90th Bomb Group, where he was a gunner on B-24 Liberator crews, flying 47 combat missions during his 18 months in theater over places such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan. Bates rose to the enlisted rank of staff sergeant during his 32 months in uniform, then returned safely home to Oregon – in a roundabout way, albeit. “First, I went to Manila, where I boarded a troop ship,” he said. “But, we ran directly
See BATES, Page 4
SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO
Dale Bates, a World War II veteran who flew 47 combat missions as a B-24 gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps, was honored during a July 4th celebration at Sundance Ranch.
LHISD librarians hit the road to distribute free books this summer
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Earlier this year, the Liberty Hill ISD Education Foundation awarded 15 different grants to teachers across the Liberty Hill Independent School District totaling nearly $13,000. One of those grants was awarded to Jolie Jennings, librarian at Bill Burden Elementary, and Lauren Claymon, librarian at Liberty Hill High School, to fund a summer mobile library program. They were awarded $670, which was used to purchase two WiFi hot spots as well as the use of a district van to transport the boxes of books around Liberty Hill. In their grant, the librarians said “the ‘summer slide’ is real—students who do not practice skills learned in school over the summer can lose the progress they made during the school year. Students from low-income households are disproportionately affected by the summer slide. Partnering with the Liberty Hill Public Library, we will visit apartment complexes and other locations to distribute books, STEM kits
BUSINESS
and provide WiFi.” Jennings said she first started thinking about the program last summer when the pandemic was in full swing. “I did book deliveries to kids who went to Bill Burden, and we had a great response and it was really fun,” she said. “At the time that was something that was necessary, to have contactless book deliveries. This summer, I wanted to actually have contact with people and open it up to everyone in the district.” And that’s how the idea for the mobile library was born. “I had seen other school districts do bookmobiles and things like that, so we looked at where we could go that would have the greatest number of children in one place,” Jennings added. “We decided to have five different days over the summer that we’d go to two apartment complexes and Operation Liberty Hill to pass RACHEL MADISON PHOTO From left, incoming LHISD second graders Lily Hawley out books.” The first three dates for the and Jude Brown, along with her mom, Holly Brown, browse mobile library occurred in through books during the LHISD libraries’ mobile library July 29 at San Gabriel Crossing Apartments. Two more dates in July See BOOKS, Page 4 are set for the mobile library on July 13 and 27.
ENTERTAINMENT
Keeping local theatre alive
Leander production company re-organizing
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Staff Writer LEANDER -- On a hot, humid evening just off Hero Way in Leander, a Shakespearean drama was unfolding beneath the treetops at Smooth Village, as the Way Off Broadway Community Players rehearsed a scene from their upcoming production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Oberon, King of the Fairies, is wooing his queen, Titania, in a scene set on the concrete stage of the outdoor venue where the play will be performed, under the watchful eye of director Bethany Watkin, who is
See THEATRE, Page 4 ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO
Oberon (Michael Costilla) and Titania (Beth Anderson) lead cast members onstage during a rehearsal of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which is being presented by Way Off Broadway Community Players at Smooth Village in Leander July 9-11 and July 16-18.
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
Nancy Herrera, Tricia Zeimetz and Gabriel Herrera are the brains behind The Kitchen Table in Bertram, a new eatery that serves a variety of curated foods like charcuterie boards, pastries, deli sandwiches and macaroons.
The Kitchen Table offers curated menu of coffees, pastries, charcuterie
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer BERTRAM—What do charcuterie boards and cupcakes have in common? It turns out, there’s quite a lot, especially at The Kitchen Table in Bertram. The Kitchen Table, which opened on Vaughan Street on June 23, is a combination of two different businesses with a similar goal: to bring good quality food to the local community. The first business, Reach for the Sky Bakery, is headed up by Gabriel and Nancy Herrera, and the second business, Board Me, is owned by Tricia Zeimetz. Together, the two businesses make up The Kitchen Table. The Herreras both have an extensive background in culinary arts, as well as hospitality. Both attended culinary school, earned degrees in hotel and restaurant management, and spent years working in the Disney college internship program. When
the pandemic hit, Disney employees were furloughed, which brought the Herreras back to Texas. During college they had dabbled in their own business, making and selling bread and the like. They decided they were ready to dive in and start their own business once again, this time going for it full time. That’s when Reach for the Sky Bakery was born. The Herreras bought a home in Bertram and as they were trying to grow their business locally, they went to a vendor event in Bertram where they met Zeimetz, the creator of charcuterie board business Board Me. Zeimetz started Board Me about a year and a half ago after spending most of her working life behind a desk. She was ready to do something different and had always enjoyed entertaining and catering. One day she woke up with the thought of
See KITCHEN, Page 4