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2020

Volume 33, Issue 42

www.LHIndependent.com

City rejects Canady eligibility challenge

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The City of Liberty Hill unequivocally defended Council member Kathy Canady last week when questions were raised surrounding her residency status and eligibility to serve on the Liberty Hill City Council.

And City Attorney Tad Cleaves said no one has come forward to challenge Canady’s eligibility to either hold office or run again.

“If someone challenges the facts in the Application or Council Member Canady’s candidacy, the City will deal with the situation at that time,” Cleaves wrote in his response to The Independent on the issue. The same is true if her eligibility to serve is challenged.”

But it took only three hours Tuesday morning for the City to reject a complaint.

Former employee and Director of Planning Sally McFeron filed a complaint with the City by e-mail Tuesday morning.

In the complaint, McFeron wrote:

News@LHIndependent.com

Council set for final budget, tax rate vote

“Cathy L. Canady signed a sworn financial affidavit, ‘Designation of Homestead and Affidavit of Nonhomestead’, as recorded in the Williamson County Official Records, document number 2019048500 on 06/03/2019 stating her Homestead Property was located at 402 S. Boundary Street, Burnet, Texas 78641.

“In the sworn affidavit referenced above and in the recorded instrument, ‘Deed of Trust,’ document number 2019048504 on 06/03/2019, the financial documents specifically state that the ‘Affiant does not now and does not intend ever to reside on, use in any manner or claim Affiant’s Nonhomesteded Property as a business or residence homestead.’

“Furthermore, the property located at 1100 Loop 332 is an auto repair garage in the C-2 Zoning District of the City of Liberty Hill. Any residential use of the commercial property in this district is explicitly

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The Liberty Hill City Council is set to vote Monday on a 33 percent budget increase, and a 4-cent tax rate reduction.

Prior to the meeting the Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. for residents who would like to pose questions or comments about the proposed budget.

The personnel increases that characterized last year’s budget have carried on as a theme in this year’s proposal. The proposed budget, presented to the Council in early August, includes nine new positions above what was approved last September. That approved budget added 18 positions to a staff that previously totaled 37. If approved, the City will have 63 total positions, and a general fund budget of $5.68 million, an increase of 33 percent over the current budget of $4.24 million.

Staffing comparisons While it is rarely possible to compare apples to apples when looking at one city’s budget versus another, The Independent compiled data on the budgets and staffing for three other area cities to compare to Liberty Hill’s proposal.

Burnet, Taylor and Hutto are each considerably larger in population and geographic area than Liberty Hill.

In a comparison of total City employees – including the police department – Burnet’s 62 comparable positions is one shy of Liberty Hill’s proposed 63 despite a population and geographic area nearly triple the size of Liberty Hill. Across the board, Burnet’s salaries total roughly $6.5 million, but that includes fire department, golf course, parks department and airport personnel. When those departments are subtracted, the Burnet budgeted payroll is roughly $2.86 million compared to Liberty Hill’s $3.7 million.

While Taylor (16,982 estimated population) and Hutto (25,367

See CHALLENGE, Page 4

See BUDGET, Page 4

September 10, 2020 | 50 Cents

BUDGET TO BUDGET LIBERTY HILL Population: 1,905 (2017) Geography: 1.91 square miles Total employees: 63 Total salaries: $3.7 million Total police officers: 18 Police budget: $2 million Current tax rate: $0.454908 (proposed) Current taxable values: $346 million Total general fund budget: $5.68 million BURNET Population: 6,355 (2017) Geography: 6.83 square miles Total employees: 62 comparable Total salaries: $2.86 million Total police staffing: 18 Police budget: $2.5 million Current tax rate: $0.6231 Current taxable values: $413 million Total general fund budget: $12.1 million

TAYLOR Population: 16,982 (2017) Geography: 13.5 square miles Total employees: 117 comparable Total salaries: $6.1 million comparable Total police staffing: 29 Police budget: $3.9 million Current tax rate: $0.8092 Current taxable values: $1.2 billion Total general fund budget: $14.8 million HUTTO Population: 25,367 (2017) Geography: 7.76 square miles Total employees: 107 comparable Total salaries: $6.3 million Total police staffing: 43 Police budget: $5.88 million Current tax rate: $0.6138 Current taxable values: $2.1 billion Total general fund budget: $17.17 million

SOURCES: City of Burnet, City of Taylor, City of Hutto, City of Liberty Hill

McCullough wins Outstanding Young Ag Teacher award

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Liberty Hill High School Ag teacher Callie McCullough may be fairly new to the classroom, but her work with students makes her appear as a seasoned veteran. For her hard work and dedication, she has been named the Agriculture Teacher Association of Texas’ Outstanding Young Ag Teacher of the Year. The award honors outstanding performance in the first five years of a teacher’s career.

“I was very excited,” she said. “It was amazing to be recognized at the state level by the Agriculture Teacher Association of Texas,” said McCullough. “It is rewarding to know that I am on the right

path in my career. Winning this award is a great validation of what I have achieved within my first five years of teaching.”

Agriculture runs deep in McCullough’s family. She is the fifth generation raised on her family’s cow-calf operation in Robertson and Leon counties.

For the young Ag instructor, working with animals is second nature. With a father who ranches full-time and a mother who is a retired educator of 29 years, McCullough has the tools and skills needed to succeed in her field.

“My background around cattle, the ranching way of life along with a mother as an educator equipped me to be the agriculture science teacher that

LHISD receives letter from ACLU regarding student dress code

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liberty Hill ISD Superintendent Steve Snell was surprised late last week – as were leaders in nearly 500 other school districts across the state – with a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union regarding school dress codes.

“This is a form letter they sent to many superintendents,” Snell said of the letter received Sept. 2. “They’re basically touting their victory in Barbers Hill. Dress code has been argued for 50 years and we’ve come a long way.”

The letter addresses a case involving Barbers Hill ISD where the school district told senior De’Andre Arnold he had to cut his hair to graduate.

While the letter clams a victory, interpretations vary, and Snell said the particular issue ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent

does not pertain to LHISD. “In that form letter they’re not identifying any specific issues in our dress code or even accusing us of being discriminating,” Snell said. “Even the case they won in Barbers Hill, we don’t have that particular provision in our dress code.”

The district did receive feedback from its legal counsel – Walsh Gallegos Treviño Russo & Kyle P.C. – on the letter.

“It is important to understand that the decision cited by the ACLU isn’t ‘final,’ but rather a preliminary ruling on whether the District could enforce the dress code while the lawsuit is on-going. Right now, it is only binding on Barbers Hill ISD, but the case may be a signal that a change is underway in how courts review these types of cases.

“In the Barbers Hill case, the federal court held that the student was ‘substantially likely’ to be successful with his claim of sex discrimination. Citing

See CODE, Page 10

I am today,” she said. “Growing up, I participated in 4-H and FFA showing swine, broilers, market steers, commercial heifers at the Robertson County Fair, and Commercial Steers at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.”

McCullough is a graduate of Texas A&M University with an Animal Science and Agricultural Communications and Journalism degree. While teaching full time in her previous district, McCullough earned a Master of Agriculture degree in Agricultural Development.

With a love for agriculture and digging deep into the many aspects of the field,

See McCULLOUGH, Page 4

Callie McCullough is the recipient of the Agriculture Teacher Association of Texas’ Outstanding Young Ag Teacher of the Year award. (Courtesy Photo)

COUNTY CONSTABLE - PCT. 2

Anderson aims to create safer community

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Running on the Republican ticket for Williamson County Pct. 2 Constable, Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Jeff Anderson hopes to bring together almost 30 years of law enforcement and military experience in that role.

“I’m the right candidate because I feel like my strongest qualification is my leadership experience,” said Anderson. “I hold a master peace officer’s license and master corrections officer license and training certificate. I’m also a graduate of Sam Houston State Leadership Command College and the Law Enforcement Middle-Management Institute of Texas. I’m a graduate of the FBI Law enforcement executive development and the Air Force Senior Leadership Academy.”

Spending a large portion of his career in the Travis County Sheriff’s office, Anderson has managed multi-

Republican Jeff Anderson, a law enforcement veteran of 29 years and Air Force reserve for 27 years, hopes to cultivate a safe community as the new constable for Pct. 2. ple departments and divisions.

“At Travis County Sheriff’s Office, I was a patrol sergeant, training program coordinator in both our east and west commands. I supervised DWI step programs, was the drug recognition expert coordinator,” he said. “I supervised the criminal investigations division, supervised the special operations motor and traffic division, and was involved in policy writing.

In my time there, I also served

See ANDERSON, Page 8

Tijerina prepares for constable election

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Running as a Democrat, Robert Tijerina, a law enforcement veteran of 23 years, is hoping to sway the minds of the Williamson County community to head to the polls Nov. 3 and elect him in as the new Pct. 2 Constable -- a job held since 2011 by the retiring Rick Coffman.

Tijerina was born a Texan and raised in the south Texas city of Raymondville before relocating to Hobbs, New Mexico, after his father’s passing at age 11. After attending Blinn Junior College with an athletic scholarship for cross country and New Mexico Junior College, Tijerina returned to Texas to start a family and begin his law enforcement career.

He began his career, working in the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, where he befriended his current opponent, Jeff Anderson, who retired from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.

A veteran of 23 years in law enforcement, Democrat Robert Tijerina wants to implement new initiatives to help with increased county growth.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for about 23 years, I started working with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, and that’s where I met my opponent in this race, we worked together there,” Tijerina said. “About 11 years ago, I went ahead and started working at the constable’s office, and I’ve been doing constable work ever since.”

The Democratic candidate decided to run for constable after encouragement from Coffman.

See TIJERINA, Page 8

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Aug 31-Sept 6, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 481 incidents resulting in four cases, 44 citations, 71 warnings and no arrests.

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Weekly Highlights: - On Aug. 31 at approximately 3:52 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Aug. 31 at approximately 4:40 PM, officers responded to US 183 for an accident.

- On Aug. 31 at approximately 8:52 PM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Emergency Services District #4.

- On Aug. 31 at approximately 9:15 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident.

- On Sept. 1 at approximately 10:07 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 1 at approximately 1:56 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident.

- On Sept. 1 at approximately 10:31 PM, officers responded

to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident.

- On Sept. 2 at approximately 7:31 AM, officers responded to Cross Creek Road to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 2 at approximately 1:16 PM, officers responded to CR 279 for suspicious activity.

- On Sept. 2 at approximately 7:29 PM, officers responded to Capstone Road to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 3 at approximately 1:15 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Sept. 3 at approximately 4:34 PM, officers responded to Ancellotta Way for a citizen assist.

- On Sept. 3 at approximately 9:57 PM, officers responded to Ronald Reagan to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 4 at approximately 1:36 AM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 4 at approximately 7:19 AM, officers responded to US 183 and W. SH 29 for

an accident.

- On Sept. 4 at approximately 7:50 AM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Sept. 4 at approximately 5:00PM, officers responded to Syrah Court for suspicious activity.

- On Sept. 5 at approximately 10:19 AM, officers respond to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Sept. 5, at approximately 2:01 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for a suspicious incident.

- On Sept. 5 at approximately 10:37 PM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident.

- On Sept. 6 at approximately 5:16 AM, officers responded to the 700 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 6 at approximately 12:07 PM, officers responded to officers responded to W. SH 29 and RM 1869 for an accident.

- On Sept. 6, at approximately 7:49 PM, officers responded to Stubblefield Lane for an agency assist.

LHHS grad earns Army honor

Leah Hanstein graduated from Liberty Hill High School in May 2020. She enlisted in the U.S. Army and began Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, SC on June 1, 2020, assigned to Delta Company, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry.

She graduated Basic Combat Training on August 13, 2020 and was awarded the Delta Company Soldier of the Cycle.

Private First Class Hanstein was also awarded a Coin of Excellence by the Commanding General of Fort Jackson.

PFC Hanstein now begins 12 months of Advanced Individual Training.

Hanstein said she joined the military “because it’s something I always wanted to do, my father being a former Marine and having served in the Israeli Army, and my sister currently serves in the active duty Army. Yes, the U.S. Army is what I thought it would be.

Growing up in a predominately military family, I was raised in a similar environment. I look forward to Advanced Individual Training and getting opportunities to travel.”

Hanstein is the daughter of Joe and Mai Hanstein of Liberty Hill.

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Thursday, September 10, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

EDITORIAL:

Shouldn’t we expect more?

Liberty Hill appears to be suffering from low expectations.

Are you expected to complete legal forms accurately and honestly? Are you expected to abide by the ordinances and policies established by the City?

If you have employees, are you expected to lead them, and counsel them? Are you expected to communicate with them on problems and corrective actions?

Are you expected to treat people around you with courtesy and civility? Are you expected to be truthful in your response to questions? Are you expected to share information about the services you provide your customers?

It’s likely you answered each of those questions with a yes. These are baseline expectations. So why don’t we have those expectations for our City leadership?

Aside from a few rousing declarations on social media that “something should change”, the leadership in the City of Liberty Hill has remained free to conduct business as usual, with no pressure, few questions and certainly no demand for better from the City’s residents.

The Liberty Hill City Council would certainly demand that you be respectful, professional, honest and abide by the ordinances and policies of the City.

First it was accusations about Mayor

Rick Hall’s alleged poor management and questionable behavior.

These were met with what has become the standard response of “Those came from disgruntled employees.”

But was Barbara Zwernemann a disgruntled employee in 2018 when she filed a written complaint, corroborated by a fellow employee about Hall? Has the City Council done anything but sign off on surprise terminations of employees that previously had no marks against them in their jobs?

Then it was questions about how Council member Steve McIntosh engages with members of other city boards and how he represents the City when he is away from the dais.

Hall’s response was that it was taken care of, but the others involved in the altercations have said there was no sch resolution, the issue was simply allowed to go away.

Now we learn that an appointed Council member – who has not received a single vote and will be soon in for her first full term in November without any votes – lived for more than 15 months in a business you as a citizen of Liberty Hill would not be allowed to reside in.

Kathy Canady, by her own admission falsified a loan document that said she had

a residence in Burnet and said she would not live in the business she sought the loan for.

Liberty Hill is growing, and should be growing up, but from the outside looking in, it doesn’t look much like the polished leadership you would expect from a City that is becoming more professional.

Our Council members – including the Mayor – are about to enjoy paid positions.

Is this what we are really willing to pay for?

Remember, this is the same Council that out of the blue inserted compensation for themselves into the budget last year and then decided to ask for the community’s support to allow them to serve three-year terms instead of two. Have they earned either of those?

Perhaps we should be embarrassed by these actions from our Council, but we should undoubtedly be embarrassed by our own acceptance of it and the window into our City’s leadership people in surrounding communities have.

These problems don’t get resolved simply because The Independent writes about them. All the newspaper can do is uncover, inform and explain, but it is up to the people this Council represents to expect more and demand it.

Thou Shalt Not Lie...unless it makes you money or you have a really good political reason

By WILT CUTTER Columnist Now Mama Cutter would wash your mouth out for cussing and we didn’t have that fruit flavored soap.

It was a bar of whatever the cheapest stuff they had on sale.

But eventually, you could get the taste out of your mouth.

But lying? Lord help you!

You’d pray for the soap. She’d whip your tail with a switch, a leather belt, her shoe or whatever God himself sanctioned.

There was no appeal to the Supreme Court and you couldn’t Tweet out and walk back the lie the way politicians do.

She once whipped my sister for sneaking out to hang out with friends. Then she found out she lied about who she was with and she whipped her again. Watching all this didn’t just fill my soul with fear of Mama because she’d bring Jesus into the whole whipping, too. She’d be quoting scripture and asking if you wanted to burn in hell for being a liar?

But Mama wasn’t going to raise a liar in her house. It

would have reflected badly on the good Christian raising.

If you told a lie at school you brought public disgrace on her and Jesus and since she stood in for Jesus most days you could expect a whipping.

Lying had categories with those old time folks. There was the flat-out bald-faced lie.

Then there was hedging, just not telling the whole truth, sometimes this would just be a failure of memory or a different priority of importance.

Then there was the sin of omission where you left out a critical piece of incriminating evidence. Didn’t matter, it was all still lying, you still got your tail whipped but sometimes she added on a few extra licks for the aggravated cases.

I learned early to leave the fibbing to others. My punishments came from refusing to do something in a timely way or smarting off at somebody.

One of my all-time worst summers was when Mama taught my class at the Vacation Bible School. Not only did I hear it all over again, but she would give us real live examples and we’d all have to respond aloud.

What if you could withhold

the truth and charge someone more money for something that was inferior in some way?

That’s lying, we would say.

And when you actually put the money in your pocket? That’s stealing, we would all say out loud.

One day we’d been given a treat and got to go down to the old store that used to be down at the highway. One of our neighbors was with us.

We didn’t have much money to spend, but we all got something and my mother opened her coin purse and paid. In the back seat on the way home the neighbor produced a pocket full of gum and offered us some. I remembered that I didn’t see that on the counter so I asked Mama if she’d paid for his gum. She said she didn’t see any gum. He allowed as to gum only cost two for a penny. The car slowed to a stop.

Mama was very careful what she said next…this wasn’t a Cutter kid. There on the side of the road I heard one of the clearest definitions of truth and property that I’ve ever heard in my life. She could have been speaking to the London School of Economics or the U.S. Supreme Court.

“If you’ll tell a lie to get a penny, you’ll definitely lie when it’s a million dollars!”

She made a U-turn in that old Chevy and we drove back to the store. The old man who owned it was sitting outside and smiled when we drove up. He stood and asked Mama if we’d forgotten something.

She allowed that we had forgotten something. And she ordered our little friend to take the walk of shame inside and pay. She carefully unfolded a dollar. The store owner opened his mouth with a smile to say something but then he saw Mama’s face. He held the door for our sobbing young neighbor who walked in, paid and brought back the change.

Mama never told him it was okay, not to worry about it or to please stop crying.

Two things stick out in my mind 60 years later. First, the deliberate path to honesty and reparation. And second, I didn’t know the Cutters actually had a dollar.

Both my parents believed some folks were natural born liars, like addicted to lying someway. Those folks were a

See CUTTER, Page 4

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Shin Oak Ridge Bulletin Board Send news to: News@LHIndependent.com

JG Fisk Chapter meets Sept. 12

The Judge Greenleaf Fisk Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas will hold its first meeting of the year on Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. at the Cross Tracks Methodist Church in Liberty Hill.

The church will be sanitized, and we will be wearing masks. Social distancing will be observed.

The program will feature Wayne Courreges speaking on the topic of The Texas Navy.

Wayne is a native Texan, former marine and graduate of UTA. Wayne has served as a volunteer in many organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Wounded Warriors and the Veterans Hospital at Temple.

He is President of the Moses Austin Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, Brigade Commander for the State of Texas and National Color Guard Commander of the General Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge. He is President of the General Societies for the War of 1812 and the Colonial Wars for

the State of Texas. Wayne is presently Command Officer of the Edwin Moore Squadron, Texas Navy Association, homeport Austin.

Membership in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas is open to any woman of lineal descent from an ancestor who lived during the period of the Republic (1836-1846).

Associate memberships are also available to women who are interested in Texas history of this period. Associate dues are $25 per year.

For more information, please contact Chapter Registrar Joyce Parsons at jnparsons1112@gmail.com, or president, Mariann Laughlin at truetexaswomen@gmail. com.

Johns/Mitchell Reunion set Sept. 12

The Johns/Mitchell families will hold a reunion Sept. 12 at the Hopewell Cemetery.

The all-day event will feature a barbecue lunch provided by the families.

The Hopewell Cemetery is located on CR 285, which intersects with CR 1869 twice.

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Page 4

CHALLENGE

prohibited by the Unified Development Code Section 4.12.02 adopted by Ordinance 09-O-02, adopted by the City of Liberty Hill on January 28, 2009.

“I respectfully submit this challenge to her eligibility as placement on the May 2, 2020 (postponed to November 3rd, 2020) ballot for Placement 2 of the City Council,” McFeron wrote in the complaint.

But only a few hours later, the City responded in an e-mail from City Secretary Nancy

CUTTER

Continued from Page 1

Sawyer dismissing the complaint.

“I am unable to disqualify Kathy Canady from the General Election Ballot set for November 3, 2020 as your complaints do not constitute valid reason(s) to do so,” the e-mail read, before going on to explain that the Homestead Affidavit is not a public record and does not prove Canady is disqualified, and that her residence is listed as 1100 Loop 332.

When asked last week about

Continued from Page 3

special kind of evil.

My dad used to vote for the Sheriff simply because the man told him the truth about something. Politicians needed to give you the bad news. They needed to look you in the eye and own whatever the issue was. I remember a politician once told my dad he had lowered Williamson County taxes.

Daddy said, “now you’re just plain old lying. My taxes have never gone down in my life. As long as I’m breathing in and out my taxes have been going up. So, next time you see me maybe you should just tell me what you did with the damned money.”

Business dealings fit right into this scenario. Lying was first cousins to all the other deadly sins. My daddy didn’t want to raise somebody that was lazy or wouldn’t work hard. A lazy man that wouldn’t provide for his family fit right into his idea of wrongness.

He hated a thief worse than a drunk. He’d ask you what if

you sold someone something without telling them if there was something wrong with it?

Hiding something deficient? If you misled someone for money that just about made you the sorriest person in the world.

That was lying and stealing both! He’d tell you that you’d have a bad reputation and that was about as bad a curse as a working man could have. You treated people fairly and honestly because that’s the way you’d want to be treated. That was the Lord’s way, that was the Cutter family way and that was the way things were done out on the Shin Oak Ridge. It was the Liberty Hill way.

Telling the truth, it’s still the right way to live.

Wilt Cutter is the only man in the Free World whose name is his profession. Wilt’s typewriter hates injustice. He is a man who finds beauty in the people and the naturally occurring poetry of the Shin Oak Ridge of Texas.

MCCULLOUGH Continued from Page 1 McCullough cherishes the opportunity she has to teach this field to future generations and instill lessons of hard work in them.

“I have the privilege to teach agriculture, something that I have such a passion for and to share that passion and love with my students,” she said.

“I am very proud to be able to set an example for my students that hard work, dedication, and being passionate about what you do leads to success.”

Many people continue to drift further and further from the United States’ agricultural roots. For McCullough, that’s the great challenge of what she does, showing her students how much agriculture plays a part in different aspects of everyday life.

“I believe that it is important that all children understand the significant role that agriculture plays in our society,” she said. “It is so cool to see a student gain knowledge and skills within agriculture or to see a student’s face light up or be shocked by the realization that agriculture plays a part in everything that we do. The challenge in teaching agriculture in today’s society is that the average American is now at least three generations removed from the farm.”

McCullough looks at the future and sees a difficult task on the horizon, providing food for a population that keeps growing. The young instructor feels it’s part of her job to get the next generation ready to help

P

F

take effect, and the monthly $1,000 salary for Council members Kathy Canady and Tony DeYoung will begin as neither were opposed in their bid for reelection.

Salaries for the administrative department increased more than $200,000, even after the planning department, City Council and property maintenance departments were separated out.

Salaries for the police department are up $103,560 over the current budget and are projected to increase $327,326 over actual expenditures this year.

Fifteen of the City’s employees fall under the wastewater and water funds, totaling $813,500 in salary expenses.

About a third of the property tax rate is for debt service.

The Interest and Sinking (I&S) – or debt service – portion of the total proposed tax rate of $0.454559 is $0.145096.

The debt service included in the proposed budget is $647,075, and that stems from two outstanding tax notes.

Increased bond or tax note debt would, in future budget years, increase the I&S rate, reducing the amount of the property taxes raised that could go to general fund expenses such as salaries and operations.

On the enterprise fund side, the City currently has two sewer, three water and three wastewater bonds.

Among the new equipment items listed for the upcoming year is a postage machine with an envelop stuffer, allowing the City to streamline mailings.

The police department will be getting radio upgrades and weapons upgrades.

The Council approved the financing of a new dump truck for the City at its last meeting.

There is nothing budgeted under capital improvements for the upcoming year, but that doesn’t mean the City can’t take on new projects.

This past year, the Council met its CIP needs by transferring money from the reserve fund, and the proposed budget shows a transfer to capital

projects of $3.29 million in the current year, with at least some of that being pulled from the reserve fund.

Any capital projects added for the upcoming year, which would include the swim center and downtown intersection of Loop 332 and CR 279, would have to be covered primarily through the issuance of new bonds.

In the discussion of handling capital improvement projects in the future, Wilkins indicated that bonds should be issued for particular projects, again indicating that previously the City was not handling projects this way, but when tax notes were issued in previous years they were issued for specific projects.

A recent look at the City’s projects by the Council showed there was little remaining in funds to address projects, with the final $710,319 said to be available likely going toward the planned community center approved in July, at an estimated cost of $750,000.

Any bonds issued next year would likely not impact the I&S tax rate until the 20212022 budget. The current tax notes are in year four of their seven-year payment plan.

Issuing bonds for future projects would be a decision made by the Council.

The Council said that perhaps as revenue streams grow – sales tax in particular – in coming years that the city might be able to divert more funds to the reserve account.

There is no plan to add to the reserve fund currently.

But last year that is exactly what the Council voted to do in taking money from the reserve fund to cover capital projects.

Rather than putting more into the reserve fund, which was at approximately $2.7 million at the end of the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the Council voted on a new policy that only holds four months worth of reserve which last year totaled $1.06 million. The remainder of the reserve was redirected to cover other expenses in the current year.

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tax rolls and increased property values will generate about $1.4 million in local property taxes next year, compared to just over $1.1 million in the current year. Liberty Hill Finance Director Becky Wilkins said the current rate – if it were adopted – would have generated $2.2 million in the upcoming year.

The current Liberty Hill property tax rate is $0.490187 per $100 valuation. Under the current rate, a home valued at $250,000 would pay $1,225 in property taxes. Under the proposed rate, a home valued at $250,000 would pay about $1,137.

The tax rate, though, doesn’t take into account fluctuating property values. The anticipated total tax levy on all properties will increase about $300,000, and the average homestead taxable value increased about $6,500.

In a survey of 16 random properties on the Liberty Hill tax roll, 14 increased in value this year an average of $8,500.

The highest property value increase among those researched was $19,000.

Budget details Across all funds (general and enterprise funds), salaries are projected at $3.68 million -up $486,971 over the current budgeted salaries.

Not only is that total considerably higher than the current budget, the actual salary expense for the City this year was much lower due to staffing changes and unfilled positions. While not an exact annual expense, a list of City personnel by position and salary acquired by The Independent through an open records request in May showed the total annual salary of all City employees on the payroll at that time was $2.88 million.

The $100,000 in salaries approved last year for the Mayor and Council members was again included in the new budget. None of those costs were realized in the current budget due to the delay of the May election. After the November election, the $40,000 salary for the mayor’s position will

LHISD began its own reporting last week.

The dashboard can be found on the district’s Return to Learn webpage, along with a new form for after-hours COVID-19 case reporting for the community.

Snell said case reports in the area show potentially good signs.

“If we can assume (the numbers) are valid, it looks good,” he said.

“The infection rate has been at or below 5 percent for eight days now, the seven day rolling average is below five. The cases are dropping. We’re just not totally ready to trust those yet and even the County says they get frustrated with the data.”

Confirmed cases in the county Tuesday were slightly higher than recent averages, but there were only 143 new cases in the last week. There were eight fatalities in the week.

Statewide, the positivity rate remained under 10 percent with just under 30,000 new cases. The fatality rate remained high with 1,017 for the week bringing the state total to 13,553.

TRACTOR SUPPLY LIBERTY HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MAIN STREET SOCIAL RYS ABOVE QUICK SERVICE NUTRITION GARAGE TEXAS MALTED GRAINS HONEY HOLE PARKER’S LO GROCERY O FELLOWSHIP P CHURCH 33 AGAPE JAVA DANA’S INDIGO VETERANS 2 ( M 869 HAIR SALON PARK A Y. 1 IN HW HELL OR ST B HIGH WATER .)

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Liberty Hill ISD reported 12 cases of COVID-19 leading into the start of school – through summer activities and staff work days.

But according to the district’s reporting online, only two new cases have been reported in the last week.

Currently, there are three active cases with one student confirmed positive at Liberty Hill Elementary and one at the Intermediate campus and one staff member at the Junior High. The other 11 reported cases in the district since July are recovered.

Superintendent Steve Snell said things have been going smoothly overall, and the protocols in place for reporting and tracking cases seem to be working well.

“What’s cumbersome is the contact tracing,” Snell said. “That is proving to take about three hours per case. TEA has us reporting weekly and I think they will just use the data to monitor the situation, monitor protocols and make sure they are working.”

The requirement to report to the state through Texas Education Agency begins this week, but

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estimated population) have considerably more residents and geographic area, their police department staffing and budget is far less per capita than Liberty Hill’s. Hutto has a staff of 43 in the department with a budget of $5.88 million, Taylor has a department of 29 with a $3.9 million budget.

The Liberty Hill Police Department has 18 employees and a $2 million budget.

Taylor and Hutto do have the economies of scale Liberty Hill does not, but per capita, Liberty Hill has one department employee for every 105 residents, while Taylor has one for every 589 residents and Hutto has one for every 604 residents. Burnet has 18 total in its department, according to staffing data provided by the City of Burnet, which includes three positions identified as school resource officers. Burnet has one department employee for every 353 residents.

The three cities have between three and six times the geographic area to patrol as Liberty Hill.

Tax rate While Liberty Hill’s increase in expenses is dramatic, it does not include a tax rate increase.

The proposed tax rate of $0.454559 per $100 valuation is a rate reduction.

While the City touted the rate reduction, under new rules set by the Legislature, it is not a decision truly in the hands of the Council.

Due to changes mandated by Senate Bill 2, passed during the 2019 legislative session, allowable revenue increases for Texas cities has been cut by more than 50 percent. The new proposed rate is the highest rate allowed by law without voter approval.

“Senate Bill 2 also caps the amount of revenue that you can increase with new property taxes at 3.5 percent,” said City Attorney Tad Cleaves.

“The old rollback rate was capped at 8 percent, so your revenue could increase year to year without having voter approval of a new tax rate.”

It is projected that even with the lower rate, the expanded

LHISD sees 2 COVID cases in first week

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office, the date the appointment is made.”

Cleaves went on to write that Canady currently resides in Liberty Hill, though not at the 1100 Loop 332 address, but did not provide a current address.

The City response last week concluded that Canady “has lived in Liberty Hill for nearly four decades” and said “there is no reason to doubt that her intention, while both serving the City and running for office, is to ‘reside’ in Liberty Hill for purposes of qualification under the Election Code.”

Canady admitted last week to filing the sworn affidavit on which she made false statements. Despite her sworn statement on the affidavit, she told The Independent she never held residency in Burnet, and said until recently she was residing in her business at 1100 Loop 332.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

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take on these future challenges.

“Teaching the next agriculture innovator, sales associate, research scientist, veterinarian, or possibly an agriculture science teacher is an exciting challenge to me,” she said.

“We will soon have to find new ways to feed 10 billion people - and that is going to be a huge task. So, giving today’s students the background in an educational setting to help our society to get there is very important to me.”

With a bright future in a growing community like Liberty Hill, McCullough is part of a program that continues to grow to meet demand. The young instructor is proud to be one of the instructors helping to create outstanding citizens.

“As we continue to grow as a community, I hope to accomplish the same growth within the Agriculture Science Department, and we are well on our way,” she said. “This school year, we have added an Agriculture Science teacher and FFA advisor at both the high school and junior high because of the increasing number of students who want to be in our courses. This has been a true blessing, and we cannot thank the LHISD Administration enough for allowing this positive growth. Ms. Tori Davis at the high school and Ms. Abigail Flint at the junior high will be instrumental in the continued success put worth by Mr. Ricky Prescott and myself in the classroom and beyond.”

the question of residency in relation to Canady’s eligibility to serve on the Council, Cleaves wrote to The Independent that “‘Residency’ or the idea of ‘residence’ or ‘residential’ has different meanings depending on the legal context. The meaning of ‘residential’ in a zoning context is inapplicable to the ‘residency’ requirement for a person to serve in public office under the Texas Election Code. It is the understanding of the City that Council Member Canady has resided within Liberty Hill during her entire term and continues to reside within Liberty Hill as required by the Texas Election Code.”

According to Texas Election Code, to be eligible for public office, a person must “have resided continuously in the state for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six months immediately preceding the following date: for an appointee to an

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Thursday, September 10, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 5

BUSINESS

HOMETOWN FLAVORS

Marine veteran finds balance in the kitchen

RACHEL MADISON PHOTO

A second building is nearing completion at Liberty Meadows Plaza, where the original building currently houses a donut shop, cigar shop and urgent care facility. The second building will have 5,000 square feet of retail/flex space and should be completed within the next month.

SH 29 becoming home to myriad of new businesses, retail centers

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Commercial development across Liberty Hill continues to move full speed ahead, particularly along the State Highway 29 corridor thanks to its visibility to thousands of motorists per day.

On the Highway About a mile west of Ronald Reagan Boulevard on the south side of the highway, construction has begun again at Vista at 29, a mixed-use project that plans to bring retail, restaurants and office space to the area.

Ground was broken and pad sites were put in place for two 20,000-square-foot buildings earlier this year, but due to the coronavirus, construction halted for several months. In early September, contractors began working on the project once again.

Ryan Perry, vice president and broker with Asterra, said he estimates a delivery date of

January 2021 on the project.

“We stopped for a while during the height of COVID, but now we are filling the property with tenants and buyers, including retailers and offices,” he said. “Vista at 29 will provide tremendous visibility in one of the fastest growing areas in the entire Austin region. We have leases signed with a pediatric dentist, a general dentist, an insurance organization, a mortgage broker and a liquor store.”

Perry added that he’s actively working to land a coffee shop, a yogurt shop, a pizza restaurant, a dermatologist and other professional office users.

“I am also looking for additional medical and professional and retail users,” he said. “Those who have already signed leases will start work and renovations in January and move in and be up and going by March or April

of 2021.”

Heading into Liberty Hill, on the north side of the highway next to Meridell Achievement Center, is the nearly-completed Higginbotham Brothers project. The store, which will provide locals with hardware, lumber and lawn and garden wares, is completed and merchandise is being moved in.

Jerrod Worsham, owner of Jimmy Jacobs Construction, said his company will be wrapped up with their work on the project this week. The store is set to have a grand opening in mid-October.

“Everything is looking good,” Worsham said.

“They’ve hired their manager and they are stocking shelves and getting ready. It turned out great. It was another successful project for us.”

Another project breaking ground in the next couple of months on the north side

See BUSINESS, Page 9

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$10/week for Minimum 30 Words Additional Words $0.20 Deadline 12 Noon Tuesdays NEWS@LHINDEPENDENT.COM SALES CAR COLLECTOR’S ESTATE SALE September 15th-19th, 9am5pm (each day). 101 RR 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642. Auto Parts (Classic, Vintage, New, Old, Lots of Makes and Models) / Auto Repair Shop Equipment / Furniture / Misc. Items ***All Prices OBO*** (9/17p) YARD SALE. Saturday-Sunday, 9am - 3pm. 501 Blessing Ranch Road, Liberty Hill.

Tools, china cabinet, boots, vintage clock, saddle, ladders, housewares.

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EMPLOYMENT HOMETOWN WATERING HOLE is how accepting applications for servers/waitstaff positions. Experience preferred but will train the right person. Must be over 18 years old, have servsafe food handlers certification, have reliable transportation, and pass drug test. Nights and weekends a must. Pay begins at $7.25 an hour plus tips. Apply in person or email htwateringhole@gmail.com.

(9/24) DAVIS TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE is hiring experienced full-time mechanic - ASE Certification helpful but not necessary. Also hiring full-time tire technician, will train. Call JD Davis 512-778-6810.

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SERVICES SELL YOUR UNIQUE home made or grown items locally!

The Market At Indian Mound Ranch is currently accepting Vendors for the 2020 Season.

Saturday’s 9-1 weather permitting. $20 space fee. 12805 SH 29 W. Send email to imr1873@ gmail.com for details.

PUBLIC NOTICES ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS City of Liberty Hill Separate sealed bids for City of Liberty Hill Downtown Bike & Ped Loop Project (CSJ: 0151-08-010) for City of Liberty Hill will be received by

the City Project Manager at 926 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 until 3:00 PM, September, 30th, 2020 and then publicly opened and read aloud shortly thereafter at the same location, on the same day. Please include a flash drive of all bid documents in the submittal package.

The information for Bidders, Form of Bid, Form of Contract, Plans Specifications, and Forms of Bid Bond, Performance and Payment Bond, and other contract documents may be examined at the following: Bowman Consulting Group, Ltd. 1120 S Capital of Texas Hwy, Building 3, Suite 220, Austin, Texas 78746.

Copies of the bidding documents can be obtained electronically online from CivCast (www.civcastusa.com). Questions will be received only in writing at mhernandez@bowmanconsulting.com until September 23rd, 2020 and will be answered on September 25th, 2020.

There will be a non-mandatory pre-bid conference held at 9:00 AM CST on September 16th, 2020 online at https:// bowmanconsulting.zoom. us/j/91386218347.

There is railroad ROW work required for this project; therefore, the contractor is required to submit their Permit Application (RE3), Certificate of Insurance, Roadway Workerin-Charge (RWIC/RE3) Request and RWIC Fees for the actual construction of the path.

The contractor can access Capital Metropolitan “online application system” to submit and become familiar with their process. Please make the check payable to Cap Metro and send it along with a copy of the Permit Application to Cap Metro, Attn: Accounts Receivable, P. O. Box 6308, Austin, Texas 78762-6308.

Prior to any work, the contractors will need to contact Cap Metro’s Courtlin Boakes at 512.770.8663 to arrange for “Roadway Worker Protection Training”. The virtual training is offered the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.

The federally determined prevailing (Davis-Bacon and Related Acts) wage rate, as issued by the Texas Department of Transportation and contained in the contract documents, must be paid on this project.

Each bidder must deposit

with his bid, security in the minimum amount of 5% of the greatest amount of bid. The bid bond and surety’s power of attorney must both carry the date of the bid opening.

No bidder may withdraw his bid within 60 days after the actual date of the opening thereof.

The owner reserves the right to waive any informalities or to reject any or all bids.

(9/24) BID PROPOSAL: Manhole located at the intersection of County Road 213 and HWY 29, on the Texas Materials property, needs to be fully replaced while it is in service.

Manhole measurements are approximately 36’’ wide X 30’ deep. Another manhole that is located north of work being performed on County Road 213 needs to be replaced while in service as well. Will need to meet 2- 3 days prior to the bid start date, to look at the project. To set up a time and date please call Brian Paul Wastewater Superintendent at the City of Liberty Hill (254) 226-0094.

(9/10) MISSING PROPERTY If you believe the police department may have a found item that belongs to you, you can call the Property Division directly at 512-548-5530 or email at ekrause@libertyhilltx.gov. When contacting the Property Division, describe the item(s) you are looking for, in detail, and we will let you know if we have it. If we do, we will make arrangements to get it back to you.

(9/24)

LEGAL NOTICE

Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage Permit (BG) and a Food and Beverage Certificate (FB) by An Thinh LLC dba An Thinh Restaurant to be located at 2082 US 183, Unit 150, Liberty Hill, Williamson, Texas. Owner of said Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) is Thu Thi Nguyen.

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer With deep roots in Indian culture and an upbringing surrounded by a deep tradition of cooking, Liberty Hill resident and Marine Corps veteran Rahul Sharma shares a dish that is both simple and rich in flavor.

For Sharma, cooking allows him to balance the various stresses the veteran has to balance in his life. Along with being a father to three young girls, Sharma is also attending college for his bachelor’s in project management and minor in engineering. Because of his East Indian background, the kitchen serves as almost a therapeutic place.

“I try to find a lot of middle ground to deal with the stresses of being a father, being a full-time student, and having some of the mental issues that are associated with PTSD,” said Sharma. “I see what I can do to channel myself, and I’ve always had a passion for cooking. Growing up in an East Indian household watching grandma, mom, and dad cook.

Being born in India, I saw the entire village come together and cook. Food is a great universal combiner; it brings people together.”

Sharma’s slow-cooked crockpot chicken started its life as a dish his wife Stephanie brought to the table. Seeing room for improvement, Sharma added his own simple twists to add a more robust flavor to the dish.

“It was one of those recipes that my wife had and was like, ‘Yeah, my mom used to do this chicken, and it’s an easy chicken taco recipe,’ so we tried it and it came out a little bland,” Sharma said. “I have a flair for adding spices, a pinch of this and a dash of that.”

Taking one of his own homemade recipes and getting creative with what was in the pantry, Sharma added some of his flair to the basic dish.

“I’ve been toying with a salsa recipe. One morning I woke up and took two chicken breasts, threw them in the crockpot, and I made what I call my poblano bomb, and I put about 6 ounces of that in with the chicken breast,” Sharma said.

“I took some chicken bouillon and boiled that down and added that, too. I asked myself what else sounds good in here, and I looked in the pantry. I found a can of pinto beans and red beans and threw them in there and chopped up a red onion.

Being Indian, we put onion in everything. I just let it simmer, and the final product came out pretty good and has been one of our staples.”

The appeal of the dish lies in its simplicity and versatility.

There’s a variety of ways to eat it, and it isn’t restrained to just chicken, substitutions like pork or beef pot roast work as a substitute.

“It’s really easy, and it helps people trying to meal prep be-

Marine Corps veteran Rahul Sharma is sharing his own simple crockpot chicken dish with the Liberty Hill community. The veteran is aspiring to get his own homemade salsa start up off the ground. (Courtesy Photos)

cause it’s a nice light meal and gives you so much versatility,” said Sharma. “You can take the shredded chicken out and put it in a tortilla and have a taco, you can put it in a lettuce cup if you’re trying to save your calories. Along with the chicken, you also get the beans marinated and have the flavor of the chicken and roasted poblano salsa. I’ve done pork instead of the chicken and taken the beans out, so it makes it green chili pork.”

One of, if not the most essential ingredients in the dish, is the salsa that is mixed in with the chicken and veggies. While Sharma says that you can use any salsa you enjoy – storebought or homemade – he uses his own Poblano Bomb.

Alongside his fatherly duties and full-time schooling, Sharma is also trying to get his own homemade salsa startup off the ground. The name of his salsa brand is Bomb’s Away, as a tribute to his marine background.

Developing his own salsa has served as a way to find a focus for Sharma. Working to get the word out has helped the veteran adjust to civilian life.

“Obviously I have other things in my life that I care passionately about, but this is something I can create on my own and share. That’s what it

comes down to, being able to help somebody else out. It’s a great unifier and path into a conversation with complete strangers, which I’ve been kind of doing with the grassroots marketing I’ve been doing in Liberty Hill,” he said.

“I’m passing out free samples. I go to the Beer Market to have dinner with the family, and I’ll talk to the owners and say, ‘Hey what do you guys do here, I’m starting my own stuff, and this is what I’ve created. Let me bring you a sample,’ This allows me to have a conversation, which is huge for veterans because they don’t know how to have that civilian lifestyle.”

It was after a significant amount of positive feedback that Sharma decided he would begin his salsa startup. For the veteran, this is an opportunity to show his children what it means to strive for success.

“What I’m trying to do is the East Indian flare meets the Texas barbecue,” said Sharma.

“I’ve been doing a little marketing and having people try it. I buy longhorn meat from a lady who raises and harvests her own meat up here, and I shared it and asked for her honest opinion. With everybody I’ve given it to, the

See FLAVORS, Page 9

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SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, September 10, 2020 Page 6

Panthers officially begin practice with many questions, challenges

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Many questions face Liberty Hill head football coach Jeff Walker as he, his staff, and his players begin prepping for a season like no other.

However, on the morning of Sept. 7 – Labor Day, ironically – the Panthers were finally allowed out of their collective cage to get back to work with the first official day of practice.

Suddenly, all the concerns that lie directly in front of the Purple-and-Gold seemed to fade away – at least for the moment – as coaches and players were simply glad to be back out on the field, said Walker.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “But, we need to find out a whole lot more about our kids.”

According to UIL bylaws, the Panthers are allowed to don helmets for the first two days of practice, then can add shoulder pads for the next three days, before finally being cleared to be Liberty Hill’s varsity football team works out on the first official day of practice Monday. in full pads – which also means kicking the ball off for real on to the usual four contests be- ing to be big for us,” he said.

Only adding to the intensifull contact for the first time Sept. 25 at Panther Stadium fore the Panthers are thrown against Class 6A Killeen Elli- into district play in Class 5A ty of the build-up is the fact this fall. for the first time in school his- Walker is currently missing So, the occasion marked only son. the beginning of what will be Certainly, a sense of urgen- tory with a home game against seven players – all starters who are quarantined for 14 uncharted territory for Walker cy is needed with the short- Crockett on Oct. 9.

That means there is much days due to COVID-19 reand his squad, as they will have er-than-usual run-up to the only a single scrimmage – at season-opener – along with work to be done in a very short strictions – something that is simply a fact of life at the mohome against New Braunfels the fact there are only two amount of time, said Walker.

“The next few weeks are go- ment, said Walker.

Canyon on Sept. 18, before non-league games compared

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

“Unfortunately, I think this is something we’re going to have to continue to deal with,” he said. “But, we’re all in the same boat as far as other teams are concerned.”

Of the 14 players, only one was a confirmed COVID-19 case, with the others being quarantined due to contact

tracing procedures.

As far as Xs and Os go, Walker said one side of the ball usually takes a bit more time to come together at this time of the year.

“Usually, the offense takes longer,” he said, after putting his players through the paces on the opening day. “I wasn’t happy with our offense today.

I don’t know if it was because it was the first practice and it was at seven in the morning or what. But, we’ll get through it.”

Walker added his players have taken the new obstacles of the current conditions in stride as they gear up for the new season.

“Our kids are doing well,” he said. “But, we haven’t had a full team in weeks, so we’ve had to move people around and plug them in where we need them.”

An additional aspect of the Panthers’ progression that must be tracked is helmet-shoulder pads-full pads protocol, which must be implemented individually as opposed to the collective group.

For example, a player who begins practice on a later day than his teammates must still go through the five days of light

See FOOTBALL, Page 8

Ready or not?

Big jump for volleyballers from JV to Varsity creates coaches with conundrums

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Each and every volleyball player who steps onto the court for the Lady Panthers has gone through a rigorous vetting process – one which has lasted for years, in fact – to determine when the time is right for them to make their debut for the varsity squad.

Only after a lengthy breakdown of a player’s mental and physical acumen by the coaching staff is it decided if they should play alongside the big girls or get more seasoning on junior varsity.

According to Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson, it’s not always as cut and dry a decision as it sometimes seems on the surface.

“Mostly it really depends on what a player needs more time doing,” said Peterson.

“Some young players need a lot of reps during practice, while others simply need to see court time during matches.

We try to get all of our players a lot of reps in both, but with the quality of competition we have within our own team, it’s tough sometimes.”

Perhaps a particular player has the skill set needed to compete at the varsity level, but needs actual playing time to further hone those skills – something that won’t necessarily happen if there are two or even three veterans ahead of one on the depth chart.

As a result, Peterson and her

staff are faced with a dilemma.

Is it more beneficial for a player to be on the varsity and be able to practice with and against the program’s best players day in and day out despite limited playing time during matches or should the player continue on as a starter on the JV and gain valuable match time, albeit against inferior competition?

Junior outside hitter Maddi Rowley is an example of this very situation, said Peterson.

“Maddi wasn’t a starter for us last season, but she got a lot of playing time,” she said, of Rowley, who found herself behind seniors Ashley Nelson and Emily Huppee and junior Kindsee Escamilla at her position. “We’re very lucky in we always have a lot of players who are ready to move up.”

With that being the case, players compete fiercely to fill the available places on the roster, said Peterson.

“For us, it’s a competition every day,” she said. “All the girls compete and in doing so, make each other better, so whoever gets that spot is going to be much better off for it – a kid on the JV has to really push and challenge to get on the varsity.”

Peterson, along with junior varsity head coach Wayne Munger and freshman head coach Kristen Brewer, regularly conduct evaluations of which players are doing what as to how it relates to possibly

moving up the talent ladder, she said.

“Every year is different,” said Peterson. “As coaches, we all have decisions to make. We talk every day about how practice went and bounce ideas off each other. Some players need a faster pace of play in order to be challenged and further develop, while others just need to be on the court.”

As a result, difficult decisions can sometimes leave unhappy campers around the volleyball fire – in which case Peterson hopes each player can gain an understanding of their particular situation and move forward in a productive manner – not only for their own betterment, but also for the program’s sake.

“We really try to be completely honest with all of our players,” she said. “We can’t make everyone happy, but we try to make it clear for them to see where they’re fitting in. If we get a kid who never gets on the floor and gripes about it, that can affect the entire team because at that point that player is saying they’re more important then the team. Nobody wants to sit on the bench, but ultimately, they have to buy in and be better because of it.”

Peterson said many times, she will present a plan to a player, then let the individual decide what’s best in order to get that all-important buy-in.

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

See VOLLEYBALL, Page 8 Maddi Rowley (#11) made the jump from JV to varsity last season and made critical contributions to the Lady Panthers’ success.

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Thursday, September 10, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Page 7

LHINDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s cross country squad will open its season at Cedar Park on Sept. 12, with the girls and freshman boys having to race five kilometers as the Panthers will be competing as a Class 5A school for the first time in school history.

Going the extra mile

Girls will run farther during Class 5A races this season

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Imagine arriving at the twomile mark of a cross country course, expecting to see the finish line beckoning after pushing one’s mind and body through yet another crucible of pain and suffering in the never-ending battle against the clock.

Only instead of the race ending – guess what? – you still have another entire mile to go before finally being able to collapse to the ground in utter exhaustion, only to be helped back to the team tent to recover from the ordeal.

That’s exactly what the girls on the Liberty Hill cross coun-

try squad will face this season as the jump in competition to Class 5A means the Lady Panthers will be running five kilometers instead of only three on race day, equaling roughly a little more than an additional mile.

As a result, the Panthers’ girls have been running time trials at the new distance since preseason workouts began in order to acclimate themselves to having to go the extra mile – in a quite literal sense.

So far, so good, said Liberty Hill head coach Kim Holt.

“We’ve had them running the full distance,” she said.

“They’ve been doing well, which I knew they could.”

One Panther runner who is already familiar with the longer distance is senior Ayanna Donwerth, who transferred to Liberty Hill last year after having competed at nearby Leander High School – which was already a Class 5A school – her freshman and sophomore years.

Donwerth actually likes the more lengthy stretch between the start and finish lines, she said.

“I prefer the longer distance,” said Donwerth. “I can go out fast for the first mile, then settle into my pace. Even with the extra mile this year, I don’t feel like it’s messed with my running rhythm at all.”

Great to be back in Pantherville

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor The last time we set foot on the campus of Liberty Hill High School for an athletic event was on the evening of March 10 when the Panthers baseball team hosted Hutto in a 5-3 defeat.

Little did we know at the time it would be nearly six months before we would return for sports activity.

Yet, there we were on a recent Thursday afternoon, rolling up the driveway into the small parking lot outside the field house to witness something that was indeed a sight for very sore eyes.

Panthers playing sports.

First thing we noticed was a group of Lady Panthers soccer players having a kick about on one of the auxiliary fields adjacent to Panther Stadium, which was certainly soul-soothing, to say the least.

Last time we saw them was on the same day in March when the Purple-and-Gold dispatched rivals Burnet by a 13-0 scoreline, before their state title dream went up in smoke, along with the rest of spring sports.

After parking the ol’ Mustang, the first familiar, friendly face we encountered was that of Panthers soccer player Rhett Hofmann, who was cooling off in the driver’s seat of his truck after a workout on a warm, late summer, central Texas afternoon while conversing with a teammate.

“What’s up, bro?” was my greeting.

Lasted all of about 15 seconds, but the lad mentioned something about having a hard time adjusting to how things were now with school being back under the pandemic-induced guidelines and we can’t say we blame the young man for having reservations.

The first stop was the field at Panther Stadium, where members of the cross country and track squads were being put through the paces by head coaches Kim Holt and Susie Kemper.

We interviewed senior cross country runner Ayanna Donwerth, which was our first in-person visit with a Liberty Hill athlete since early spring, talking about expectations for the new season, personal and team goals and why on Earth someone chooses to put themselves through the pain and suffering of being an endurance athlete.

Shortly after the runners left the field, it was time for the football team to take over the gridiron, where they engaged in non-contact drills, as the first day of official, helmetsand-pads practice was still a few days away.

A kickoff drill was being run with various players receiving and running back the ball at one end of the field, while footballs were thrown around at the other.

The usual intensity wasn’t in the air, but one could feel a sense of enjoyment on the part of the participants for just having the opportunity to be there – and that’s fine. After all, there’s plenty of time to really get after it once the regular-season opener on Sept.

25 at home against Killeen Ellison moves closer.

The last stop on our Purpleand-Gold reunion tour was the gym, where the volleyball team was working out, along with the tennis squad, before the latter headed out to the courts.

On the way in, the Lady Panthers varsity basketball team was streaming out after finishing off a workout, with twin guards Regan and Madison Walker flashing past almost too fast to greet them, while Baylee Laird came walking down the hall with a fresh ice pack strapped to her right shoulder.

Laird always takes the time to stop and say hello for a moment or two and it’s always appreciated. One thing for sure – nobody shows more grit and determination on a basketball court than this young lady and it was good to see her gearing up for her senior season of hardwood battle.

Following quick visits with junior varsity and freshman volleyball coaches Wayne Munger and Kristen Brewer,

we met up with head varsity coach Gretchen Peterson.

As we sat across a table in the corridor between the main and auxiliary gyms, it was like we were picking up right where we left off, many months earlier – with the exception that we were talking to one another through masks.

Peterson is one of our favorite residents of Pantherville for her always effervescent, positive outlook on life in general – something that seems to be in very short supply these days.

“So, has the UIL told you that you have to coach wearing a hazmat suit and standing on your head, yet?” was our first question, a reference to an earlier quote from the veteran bench boss on her willingness to do exactly that if that was what was required for her to coach and for her players to play.

“No, not yet” was the response.

Which brings us to our final point.

Whoever said, “You can’t go home again” was right on the money.

Sure, one can physically return to a particular place, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the picture will be the same as before.

So, there we were – back in Panther Country – finally, after six months of sports bubble life and it should’ve been more enjoyable.

But, for whatever reason, it wasn’t – or at least as much as we expected going in.

Perhaps it will take some time to readjust once again to how things are now compared to before.

All we know was it was very good to be back in the house of Panthers athletics after a six-month, forced hiatus.

One of Peterson’s favorite mantras is how we must simply live in the moment and just enjoy what we have for as long as we have it, without worrying about what might have been, should have been or could have been.

None of that matters as we move forward.

Well said, Coach.

Couldn’t have said it better.

One thing Donwerth won’t have this season compared to last is a rival among the girls to push her in both training and races, as Zaila Smith, who burst onto the scene last year as a freshman, finishing fourth at the state championships, has transferred to another school, meaning if Donwerth wants worthy competition, she must cross the gender line and run with the boys’ squad during practice – something she isn’t always thrilled with, but understands the concept of, she said.

“Honestly, I’d prefer not to,” said Donwerth, of training with her male counterparts. “I feel like I’d rather run with the

other girls and help build that bond we need to have.”

Speaking of team chemistry, Donwerth had the idea to host a team bonding event for her and her teammates in order to further the chemistry which the sport of cross country is so well known for and as a senior, was glad to take up the mantle of leadership left behind by the likes of graduated seniors such as Madison Sears and Lindsee Miller from last year’s team, she said.

“I feel like I have to get them together and let them know even though we’re all competitive with one another, we can still be a fun team,” said Donwerth, who has recently tak-

en up jiu-jitsu as a hobby. “It helps me get my mind off running and be able to release any anger or stress I might have built up from maybe not doing as well in training as I think I should on a given week.”

Returning to the distance theme, Holt said it’s always good to get the first meet of the season out of the way in order to gain a more accurate gauge on her runners – especially this year with the increased mileage for not only the girls, but the freshman boys, as well – who have also moved up to five kilometers for the first time.

See RUNNERS, Page 8

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Ashleigh Dubbs, far right, celebrates a point with Lady Panthers teammates Emma Becker, far left, Kindsee Escamilla (#2), Lilli Wilkins (#12) and Haley Kuhlmann (#21) during a match last season.

Golden State native settles in well in the Lone Star State

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Ashleigh Dubbs was a young soccer player chasing balls around Southern California fields in her native Orange County, the furthest thing from her mind was pursuing an entirely different sport in an entirely different part of the country.

So, when she and her family relocated to central Texas right before her freshman year of high school – a move that was precipitated by her father’s business as a real estate developer – she wasn’t pleased.

“I wasn’t very happy about it,” said Dubbs, a senior outside hitter for the Lady Panthers volleyball team. “But, once I settled in, it was fine.”

However, it wasn’t an overnight experience, she said.

“I would say it probably took about a year, until right before my sophomore year – I really wasn’t ready for it,” said Dubbs. “California and Texas are very different places – it was a really hard change for me.”

Of course, there were certain stereotypes that needed to be broken down when it came to

interacting with her new Texas neighbors, she said.

“When some people hear you’re from California, they automatically think you’re from L.A. and you know celebrities,” said Dubbs. “Also, there are those people who think you’re going to ruin their state.”

Don’t California my Texas, indeed.

So, just like that, gone were the glorious beaches and the rolling canyons near her hometown of Irvine and laid out in front of her were the windswept plains and plateaus of her new home.

But, the postcard views of the Pacific weren’t all that disappeared.

Shortly after her arrival in Liberty Hill, Dubbs forsook her beloved soccer for another sport she had only just taken up a few years earlier as a seventh-grader.

“I played soccer for the majority of my life,” said Dubbs, a midfielder who also participated in lacrosse, basketball and swimming earlier on in her athletic existence. “But, once I tried volleyball, it was really fun.”

Not to mention, there were a few aspects of her newfound pursuit that were especially enticing.

“Volleyball didn’t involve so much running like soccer,” she joked. “Also, it’s a really good way to take your anger out on the ball and get rid of tension.”

Dubbs stands 5-foot-10-and-a half these days and provides the Lady Panthers with a formidable presence at the net – something that Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson is well aware and very appreciative of.

“Ashleigh’s super-strong and very fit – she’s so skilled,” said Peterson. “As a player, she really has a lot to offer and can do it all.”

Just don’t ask her for directions, she said.

“Last year, we were meeting at Liberty Hill Intermediate for an assembly,” said Peterson.

“Ashleigh and Lilli (Wilkins) ended up being late after going to the wrong school first.”

Explanation, please?

“We had the directions,” said Dubbs, who along with Wilkins, has an affinity for

See DUBBS, Page 9

Page 8

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Working smart, not hard

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Shot placement, knowing equipment crucial to winning tennis

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Countless times over the course of a tennis match, a player is faced with a split-second decision.

As their opponent’s shot approaches, a quick assessment must be made in the blink of an eye as far as how the ball will be returned.

Many things flash through the player’s mind at the moment of truth, but the most important factor, which will go the furthest toward the return being a winner or not, is a rather basic element.

“Control is always key,” said Liberty Hill head coach Sherry Rhoden. “Players can hit with all the power in the world, but without control, there’s no point. We’ve worked on control and consistency drills since the first day of practice.

Players who have the most court time and experience become smarter players. They learn to work smarter and not harder as far as hitting with power. It’s so fun when players have this ‘ah-ha’ moment and hit that perfectly-placed shot away from their opponents -- the smile on their face is priceless. I’m constantly repeating myself when I say, ‘hit it where they aren’t.’ Tennis is a game of keep away.”

But, it isn’t about simply hit-

Tijerina

Continued from Page 1

“Initially our constable came to me and explained that he was looking at retirement, and he would retire,” said Tijerina. “He’s the one who told me I should run, he said, ‘Robert I think you should run for constable; I think you’d make a very good constable,’ That was probably a little over a year and a half ago.”

After five years in Williamson County, Tijerina feels now is the right time and believes he can bring some change that would improve the office and its effectiveness.

“I currently work at the office in Pct. 2. I’ve been here for about five years, and I understand what the office is about, and I’ve experienced it now for some time,” he said.

“I considered it, and it fits now at the right time. There are some things that I’d like to do that are a little bit different, and at this point, I felt like I can do some good.”

Tijerina has several ideas for new initiatives that he would like to see implemented if he wins. One of them focuses on coordinating with other agencies to take care of the elderly in the community.

“One of the things I want to do is a senior services program,” he said. “I want to be able to get together with different agencies in the area and create an initiative where we can do wellness checks on senior citizens.”

Increasing the accessibility of the Constable’s Office to the community is another major focus for Tijerina. Adjusting business hours to better match up with the average Williamson County resident is the first step. Followed by increased social media presence.

“I would increase the business hours in our precinct because most people work 8-5.

Football

contact before being cleared for full contact, which creates a conundrum for coaches.

“COVID has made that much more difficult,” said Walker.

“But, the players themselves are good about knowing who can do what and when.”

For the second consecutive season, the annual Purple-and-White intra-squad scrimmage – scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12 – has been canceled and replaced with a regular practice – something that was a necessary step in the way of caution with everything happening so fast

Runners

ting a shot in the right place – it’s also about having the ability to decipher the movement of the ball – both off one’s own racket and the opponent’s and getting the ball to do what you want it to in order to neutralize the player across the net, said Rhoden.

“We use two-tone balls so players can ‘see’ the way the ball spins,” she said. “I want them to see what kind of product they’re producing. After players learn top spin, I teach lessons on backspin and we learn when to use these different spins. To teach back spin and drop shots, we play fun games closer to the net to reduce the court size. It’s fun to use targets for back spin production, as well.”

Something that must be determined individually for each player and has a direct impact on how shots will react off rackets is not only the type of string used, but also the tension used in order to marry both factors to the player’s style of play.

“We take our players’ rackets to a professional stringer and she restrings them for us. Some players need a string that gives them more power and pop, while some need a string job to help them with control. For my players who need more control, their strings need to

If we increase the hours to those that better work around regular working folks and maybe even on Saturdays, that would help them to be able to come and do business at the office,” he said. “I’d like to open up the office so that everyone feels included and there’s better access, there’s many different ways that you can do that. I want to utilize social media differently so that people would know what our goals are and what we’re doing so we can help them.”

Tijerina’s goal is to make the public more aware of the office’s services. From his own experience, many in the community are unaware.

“For me, any communication or more communication between us and the public is better,” said Tijerina. “The people that live in this precinct, the more they know, the better. I just call it increased access. From my day to day working experience, I see that they don’t realize that there are things that the constable’s office can do that they may not know about.”

Along with increased community outreach and a focus on the welfare of the elderly in the community, Tijerina hopes to bring focus on environmental crimes and prevention instead of reaction.

“One of the unique things that we do at the Constable’s Office in Williamson County, which is very different from surrounding areas, is we’re tasked with responding to and investigating environmental crimes,” said Tijerina. “Right now, it’s a very reactive type of role we’re playing. People will call and report an environmental crime, and we’ll respond, but what I want to do is take it a step further and be proactive, so our deputies

are out there and looking for these things daily and respond to them.”

When asked why these are his major focuses heading into November, Tijerina says it’s because of the county’s growth, the need to service more and more people as the growth continues.

“One of the things that has truly changed our area is the growth,” said Tijerina. “That brings on whole different issues because this area is growing and it’s growing very fast.

We’ve seen every year over the last five years when we’re asked about the things that we do, and whether they’re increasing or decreasing, it’s never once decreased.”

In a race where both opponents have decided to rely on their strengths rather than point fingers at the opposition, Tijerina believes his familiarity with the constable’s office and how it operates is his strongest trait.

“My opponent is not a bad person, he’s a good man.

You’re not going to hear me saying anything of that nature,” said Tijerina. “But the reason that I believe I’m the best person for the job is because I’ve been doing this job for 11 years as a constable and deputy constable. I’ve been a sergeant, and I know the challenges these offices face, that constable’s offices face. I’ve been here for five years, and I can tell you that if I’m elected, on day one, there won’t be a learning curve for me. I know exactly what we need to do. I believe that some of the initiatives that I would like to begin are things that I have seen and believe will help this community. My entire career has always been about helping people.”

Continued from Page 6 after the late start, he said.

“We don’t want to rush things as much and get anybody hurt,” said Walker. “We have to be as safe as we possibly can under the conditions and do our part.”

Walker decided to require players to wear helmet visors during practice as a safety measure – despite no official mandate from the UIL to do so – but said that experiment wasn’t working out so well initially.

“I thought it would be a good idea, but we had some guys who were having trouble

Continued from Page 7

“For our younger runners, the first race will only be the second time they’ve ever run a 5K,” she said. “But, even though we’re moving up in class, our expectations will remain the same – it’s going to be different and won’t be

be tighter and the players who create their own power like looser strings.”

According to Rhoden, each player must get to know their equipment – as if it’s an extension of themselves – with player and racket becoming as one.

“I prefer to feel the ball more so I tend to have my rackets strung with less tension so it will absorb the shock load and I prefer a thinner-gauge string,” said Rhoden. “It’s a tough job to keep in touch with all the new technology and to make it more complicated, tennis brands like to change the equipment often and use new terminology. But, experienced players know when their tool LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO isn’t working well for them Junior Ellis Young and her Panthers teammates are constantly working on shot power and placeanymore – they get their rack- ment. ets restrung three to five times are to do non-traditional work- she said. “I think most tennis a year and normally know the gender line, she said.

“Our bodies typically are outs. Again, tennis is a life- players in general want more brand of string they like, the type of string they use and the made differently. I talk to the long sport and I want them to power. As a private lessons tension they play best with. In- guys all the time about how learn how to take care of their coach, I get this request all experienced players can’t quite great yoga and stretching is body so they can play for life.” the time. For our players who But, until these addition- need to incorporate more powfeel what their racket should for their flexibility. We talk to be doing for them and don’t the girls about strength train- al methods can be mastered, er, we’re adding strength trainknow what type of string or ing. In general, guys are less Rhoden said simply hitting the ing to our program three times tension they like just yet. It’s a flexible and have more power ball harder than one’s oppo- a week and fine-tuning their and girls have less power, but nent is one way to immediate- technique, while some of our fun learning process.” players are getting more powHowever, the best piece of are more flexible,” said Rho- ly level the playing field.

“We have players who hit er by simply restringing their equipment is the player’s own den. “To make a well-rounded body and how it’s trained ac- team, we incorporate both into with spin and are more apt to rackets for more power and cording to individual needs our team workouts. The more finesse the ball, but I’d say fresher strings.”

– something which presents a they understand about their most of them are still learnunique juxtaposition across the bodies, the more willing they ing this part of the game,”

as easy as it has been in the past.”

Liberty Hill’s first event of the season is at Cedar Park on Sept. 12, and Donwerth is looking forward to finally having a chance to prove herself once again – not only to

breathing and others whose visors fogged up,” he said.

“So, we have some people who are already taking them off.”

But despite all the challenges, spirits up and down the Panthers ranks are high, said Walker.

“Attitudes are good right now,” he said. “We’re in the dog days of summer and it’s been a grind to get to this point without an immediate reward, but we’re ready to get the popcorn poppin’ and get going.”

others, but to herself.

“For me, the first race of the season is important because it gives me a chance to prove I mean what I say,” she said. “I can show myself all the training I’ve done hasn’t been for nothing.”

Anderson

as the Travis County Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Association president and later as vice president. With all that said, I’m a strong, confident a knowledgeable leader.”

Anderson also served in the Air Force and the Reserves.

Anderson saw deployment multiple times, with the latest being in Iraq.

“I spent four and a half years in active duty and 22 and a half years in the reserve,” Anderson said. “I’ve had multiple employments, and when I retired, I was a Senior Master Sergeant. I was responsible for out unit deployment to Kuwait after 9/11. My last deployment was Iraq, and then I retired because I had stage 4 throat cancer.”

Should he win, Anderson’s mission is to create a better relationship with the community through transparency.

“We always have a mission, and one of the things I want to do is work for the community, engaging in transparency from within the organization,” he said.

He wants to use his potential position and power to bring a voice to the voiceless.

“I want to use my voice and position to advocate for those who can’t. I want to advocate for equality, equal opportunity, and the rights of citizens. I want to lead with transparency, experience, and integrity,” Anderson said. “I think that integrity within any organization is paramount. Many people will say that I’m running using the word transparency because there are problems over there, but that’s not the meaning behind that. I want to make sure anybody can call, anybody can come in, anybody can ask questions, and we’ll be transparent about everything.”

Anderson’s plan to become

Continued from Page 1

Volleyball “We want kids who are going to love the game and want to get better,” she said. “We’re never going to force a situation on a kid which is unwanted by the player. We all deserve to be happy, but at some point, we also need to think about the program and that’s fine.”

Usually, preseason tournaments against rugged competition are the proving grounds that can be used to gauge talent in this way, but with the pandemic-shortened schedule this fall, Peterson and her staff will only have a pair of scrimmages to evaluate the roster before the ball goes up for real in the regular-season opener at Copperas Cove on Sept. 15, meaning they need to be right on with their decisions in short order, said Peterson.

“In the early part of the season, you want to be careful, but you also want positions to be challenged when it’s not easy,” she said. “We expect a lot out of all our players.”

more involved with the community starts with an increased presence in schools to educate students on issues like underage drinking and bullying.

“I want to meet with citizen groups to explain to them what we do, empower them to work with us in our community as a whole,” he said. “I want to engage ourselves to increase visibility in schools and talk to schools about teenage underage drinking programs, bullying, and school attendance issues. I want to engage in child safety programs.”

One of the crucial topics Anderson sees discussed and brought up by the community is public safety. He believes a well-trained and equipped office can be the best deterrent to dangerous situations.

“I talk around the precinct to different groups, and what I’m hearing from the voters is these issues of public safety. Active shooter issues,” he said. “People want to know what we can do to keep our community safe from that kind of stuff. My answer to that is to have the best trained and equipped personnel and have people go get educated on what’s going on.”

A focus on helping the elderly avoid scams and placing more attention on registered sex offenders is a big part of Anderson’s mission to create a safer community.

“I want to talk to people in that age group about the scams going on: the phishing and things like that,” Anderson said. “I want to get more involved in compliance checks with registered sex offenders.

I want to create and cultivate a safe community.”

Anderson also wants to improve the response to people who may be facing mental health issues. He believes that incarceration is not the best

way to handle those kinds of situations.

“We need to have a readily available resource for mental health issues, whether it’s drug abuse or somebody needs to be taken to the right service,” he said. “I don’t believe that incarceration is the way to deal with mental health issues. We have too many services out there, private and public that can deal with this.”

Anderson sees a need for more attention on helping identify people who don’t show up for court appearances.

“Talking to other constables and deputy constables and the justice of the peace, we have a county that is densely populated and is growing,” he said.

“The problem they’re seeing is the number of defendants failing to show up for court appearances. When that happens, it disrupts and contributes to additional court actions. We need to help the court system with this growth.”

Acknowledging his friendship with his Democratic opponent, Anderson doesn’t want things to become uncivil and prefers not to disparage him. Instead, he hopes and believes that his resume will be more than enough to sway voters in November.

“I’ve known him for a lot of years, and he’s a good man.

He’s a good person, and I like to think that we’re friends,” he said. “When you have this kind of a situation, it’s hard to say why am I better than this person, but I go back to my leadership experience and my background. I’ve managed numerous divisions and sections.

When it comes down to it, I think I’m a strong, knowledgeable, and confident leader. I’m not saying I’m a better person than him, but I’m in it to win it.”

Continued from Page 6

At the moment, the Lady Panthers are extremely strong at the setter position, as juniors Emma Becker and Emma Parsons, were named district most valuable player and setter of the year, respectively, last season, which means regardless of how well a young setter on the JV might be doing, it’s certainly going to be difficult to break into the varsity starting lineup for the next two seasons.

Peterson said she likes to have four outside hitters, three middle blockers, two setters and three defensive specialists on her roster, which leaves little room for newcomers to crack the lineup.

In turn, this provides Peterson a chance to take advantage of a player’s skills by possible converting them to a new position, she said.

“For example, if a setter is also a good passer of the ball, we can move her around to different places on the court,” said Peterson. “You might be

fifth in line to be a setter, so we talk to our kids about learning how to play all positions.”

A prime example of this methodology is junior defensive specialist Haley Kuhlmann, who was converted to the position last season as a sophomore – one which she had never played before – and went on to garner district Newcomer of the Year honors in her rookie varsity campaign.

However, Peterson said this brand of success is only possible if the player makes the conscious decision to accept a position change wholeheartedly.

“You have to know what your individual skills are and have the desire to develop them,” she said. “You can’t just sit there and say, ‘Well, I’m an outside hitter and that’s it.’

You have to be well-rounded and have a good understanding of the situation.”

Thursday, September 10, 2020

BUSINESS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 5

of Highway 29 will be a 6,000-square-foot animal hospital, next to Sunny Hill RV Park. That hospital will be owned by Dr. Matthew Brooks of New Hope Animal Hospital in Leander.

On the south side of the highway heading into Liberty Hill are several new and planned projects. The ďŹ rst, an Austin Regional Clinic, is well underway.

Darlene Guynes, director of facilities management for Austin Regional Clinic, said the developer, Huffman Builders, is currently building the shell building at 12779 SH 29 West.

Huffman anticipates building completion by the end of 2020, and ARC will begin ďŹ nish out in early summer of 2021. The 6,400-square-foot clinic, when completed by early fall, will open with family medicine and pediatrics.

Norman Phillips, property manager for Life Long Property Management and associate with Hawkins Family Partners, is close to completion on a new building at 12705 SH 29 West, behind Liberty Meadows Plaza, which houses Care First Walk-in Clinic, Bright Fire Cigars and Donut Palace. “We own the front building and we’re adding the building behind it, which will add 5,000 square feet,â€? he said. “It is a retail/ex capable building on the same lot. Because we have our urgent care there, and Austin Regional Clinic is coming in, we feel like that would be a great corridor for health and

wellness businesses. We are looking for businesses to ďŹ t that mold.â€?

Construction on the project is set to be completed by the end of this month. The glass work is currently being done, and then the ďŹ nal ďŹ nish out inside will complete the project.

Phillips added that he doesn’t have any tenants leased for the building yet, but he has seen some interest from businesses such as a dry cleaner and a coffee shop.

On the other side of Liberty Meadows Plaza, also on the south side of the highway, is the future location for Liberty Hill Pediatrics. Their ofďŹ ce, headed up by Dr. Tiffani Scott, has been in Clark Commons at 101 Jonathan Drive since 2015.

Highway 29 OfďŹ ce Park, on the south side of the highway, is continuing to be leased, said Perry, and is currently approximately 50 percent occupied. “We have a mix of construction companies, therapists, pharmacists and insurance organizations there,â€? Perry said. “Leasing is going well, and we should be full by middle of next year. We started from zero with that property and we had to work our way up.

We are looking for retail and ofďŹ ce tenants who need good visibility, great parking, new ďŹ nish outs, a nice building and an affordable price.â€?

At the Water Tower Center, on the south side of the highway, UPS is opening a store between Texas Taco Kitchen

FLAVORS Continued from Page 5

reaction has been positive, and a lot of them ask me where and how they can buy it. That was the catalyst. I love making it and creating it, but if I can do something that will make my kids proud of me, that’s what it’s all about.

The next step in Sharma’s plan to get Bomb’s Away off the ground is to enter HEB’s Primo’s picks contest in February. If selected, he has the opportunity to have his product distributed state-wide.

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and the Baylor Scott & White therapy group, said Monique Rivera, broker with Asterra.

That store should open within the next three months, she added.

Panther Plaza, on the corner of County Road 200 and SH 29, remains empty. “We are working with a couple of groups that would take about half of the building,� said Phil Morris, assistant vice president at RESOLUT RE. “We’re still in negotiations so we’ll have to see how far we get, but it’s looking promising, at least up until now.�

Jardin Plaza, located next door to Mexican restaurant Jardin Corona at 15395 W. SH 29 on the south side of the highway, is being developed

by JLB Real Estate. Francisco Puebla, co-owner of developer JLB Real Estate and manager of Jardin Corona, said the building will consist of six units total ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet each. Steel framing for the project has now been erected and build out has begun, but the completion date of the project is still unknown.

Another project with highway visibility is the Heritage Ridge retail development, which will be a 10.5-acre project that will include eight commercial spots. It’s located on the south side of the highway as well, next to Liberty Hill Junior High School. That project is being developed by Michael Beevers of Liberty Hill Investments.

Another project slated for Highway 29 is McCoys Building Supply. There will be a 26,000-square-foot retail building and warehouse on 12.5 acres on the south side of the highway and RM 1869.

Off the Highway Just off the highway, heading toward downtown Liberty Hill on Loop 332, is Main Street Social, a food hall with Moonie’s Burgers on board for its agship restaurant. Owner James Prince, of Prince Development, said in another month he will be able to give a detailed schedule of where the project’s status is at and when it will be complete. “It’s all good stuff, but right now we are going to hold off

on saying anything,� he said.

Also near downtown, in the former location of Hobo Junction, work has begun to open a new restaurant, said Phillips said. His company also owns that restaurant. “We were working with the restaurateur to get it reopened, but it didn’t work out,� he said. “So what we’ve done is talked to a couple of other restaurateurs, and we found one we’re excited to work with.�

Farm to Fork, which has a location in Leander, is planning on opening a second location at the former Hobo Junction. “We are working up ďŹ nal plans on that and how it’ll all be done,â€? Phillips said. “We had some delays in getting our permitting done, but we’ve had great meetings with the city [of Liberty Hill] and have gotten the go ahead. They’ve started to do some construction on it, but it’ll be a good couple of months before we can open.â€?

At The Shops at San Gabriel Ridge on Highway 183 in north Leander, a 2,500-square-foot restaurant, called An Thinh, is opening in about three months, and will serve Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines, Rivera said. “The restaurant is coming to the middle of the shopping center,� she added. “An Thinh means ‘peaceful’ in Vietnamese.�

The 183 Highlands Retail Center does not have any additional tenants besides #thesmiledoc, which is now open.

Mason Turner, associate at Turner Commercial Properties, said he is currently working through some letters of intent, but has nothing ofďŹ cial to report at this time.

Overall, from every direction, it’s obvious that Liberty Hill is growing, and with that growth will come more commercial development, Phillips said. “Big things are coming to Liberty Hill,� he said. “With the population growth, there will be a need for more services and more businesses.

We’re seeing the sleepy little town of Liberty Hill turn into a bustling, busy little spot in Williamson County. It’s very exciting to see.�

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DUBBS

Page 9

Continued from Page 7

caffeine. “But, then we saw coffee and decided to stop because we had plenty of time.�

Oops. “We ended up at Bill Burden Elementary instead,� she said. “But, both of us get caffeine withdrawals and really bad headaches if we don’t get enough – we don’t even feel like getting up. Usually, we’ll each have about three jumbo coffees per day.�

According to Peterson, it was certainly no surprise the pair would ďŹ nd themselves in such a predicament. “Someday, the two of them are going to be soccer moms who do everything together,â€? said Peterson. “I can see them living near each other and carrying on mature lives, but still being goofy and silly.

They already have the same nail lady.�

Dubbs aspires to be a med-

ical sales representative and has plans to attend one of three schools next year – Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University or Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.

So, which location doesn’t ďŹ t in this equation? “I went to visit there (Furman) last fall and absolutely love Greenville,â€? she said. “They also have a really good program for what I want to study.â€?

Dubbs said she’s never really considered what her life would be like if she had never left California, but at this point, there’s only one condition under which she would consider returning. “Only if I could afford a big house right on the beach,� she said. “Only way it would happen.�

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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prior U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Court held that the school could justify differential treatment of boys and girls only if there was a very strong reason to do so. Even though the school cited all the usual reasons for these types of dress codes – hygiene, discipline, respect for authority, and a nice, clean cut look – the Court found none of those reasons very compelling. In its ruling,

the Court cited the testimony of several school administrators who did not provide evidence of any disruption or other trouble that long hair on boys had produced,” the legal opinion states.

“There are many school districts with dress codes that have different hair length standards for boys and girls. We expect the ACLU is looking to use this decision to take legal

action under similar circumstances. Regardless of how this case is decided, we can also expect to see it appealed.

We encourage you to take the ACLU’s letter seriously and expect there will be litigation against districts that have a dress code that treats length of hair differently for boys and girls.”

In the fall of 2019, LHISD used a survey to try and get

Thursday, September 10, 2020

cally.

The questions included issues such as respondents’ opinion on the fairness of the current rules, how it represents the person’s values and whether there is any specific part people would like to see changed.

It was as important to Assistant Superintendent Brad Mansfield to get the staff and student perspective as well as the parents.

a better grasp on all the opinions of the LHISD dress code and some general feedback on issues individuals are most concerned about, the district surveyed parents, staff and students on the issue.

The online survey garnered just over 2,000 responses.

Rather than try and address specific issues, the survey was set up to allow respondents to voice their concerns specifi-

“The way we’re going to take this (recent letter) is just a thank you for the letter and use it as a good reminder to always evaluate our policies,” Snell said. “We brought the community together and looked at some things and the general consensus was the dress code is fine, people just wanted more common sense brought to it and that’s what we did.”

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