, n o s a e s s i h t ! s k r c e u h l t n d a o o P ’ G n i t h Fig GOOD LUCK T H I S S E AS O N, F I G HT I N ’ PA N-
2021
Volume 34, Issue 44
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September 23, 2021 | 50 Cents
Parents share concerns about masks, bus safety, books
By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer School trustees listened as parents expressed their concerns Monday about the district’s protocol on wearing masks, bus safety, library books, and the dress code. However, officials followed their policy of not engaging with speakers during the public comments. Trustees heard from three members of the public. Cindy Hauser addressed the board about literature and COVID mandates. “We chose this district because it’s more traditional and conservative, and we want that for our children,” she said. “We’ve seen right here, neighboring school districts where the school board allowed pedophilia in the school library. Forever changing children because they can’t unread what they read. I can assure you that this community will not
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO
LHISD Trustees (left) listened as awards were presented to students, teachers and staff members during their regular meeting Monday. Part of the meeting was held outside for extra precaution, but the Board reconvened indoors for their regular business and to hear comments from parents concerned about the district’s policy on masks, bus safety, and books available in libraries. tolerate this type of literature. Every parent here deserves the right to see what is going on in our schools’ buildings at all times. Your faculty desperately needs and deserves to have
volunteers in your buildings.” Hauser praised the school for not mandating mask-wearing but asked them to go further by not encouraging employees to wear them.
“I can see that for a school district trying to please everyone and hoping to create the best scenario for students and faculty, highly suggesting facemasks is an understand-
Last week push to donate coats to Operation Liberty Hill
By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer Although temperatures remain warm, Operation Liberty Hill and the Liberty Hill Independent School District Police Department hope those in the community will start thinking about winter and donate coats for those in need. Coat donations will be accepted through Sept. 30 at barrels posted at each campus. “We usually just blast it on social media, and we usually wait until later in the fall,” said Operation Liberty Hill Executive Director Susan Baker. “So many things start happening in October, November, and December. We wanted to start something we could do right now to prepare for then. It might be 100 degrees today, but in eight weeks, we’re going to be wearing coats.” LHISD Police Chief Sharif Mezayek said his department wanted to team up with OLH to help the community with the coat drive as they do with food drives. “We feel there are a lot of
people that need our help right now,” he said. “With the pandemic and them being out of work, people are trying to get caught up.” Last year OLH was able to provide about 200 coats for children. Baker hopes the partnership with LHISD will allow them to serve a more significant part of the need in the community. “There are so many kids that need coats,” she said. “Not just heavy coats, but a light jacket. We’re hoping this will really bring a lot of coats for the kids. I’d like to see at least 1,000 (coats). It would be great if we could get 1,000 coats.” Mezayek believes the community is always eager to help and hopes they will accomplish the set goal. “Liberty Hill is a very tightknit community, and I think that is what makes it special,” he said. “It’s always important to keep in mind that we need to help each other out. It makes a better community.” CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO Baker said OLH serves about Operation Liberty Hill Executive Director Susan Baker shows off a Panther jacket to promote a coat drive in the school district See COATS, Page 4 to help those in need.
Local fabricator teaches his craft online
By CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT Staff Writer When Liberty Hill fabricator Joe Pieczynski recorded himself untangling a wolf spider by removing fuzz from each one of its legs one fateful morning, he never dreamed he would be viewed millions of times around the world. His YouTube ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
channel has racked up over 26 million views. “I had a buffer out in the shop that puts out a lot of cotton fiber,” he said. “One of these three-inch-long wolf spiders walked through and got all tangled up. He looked like a little fuzzy snowman just walking across the floor, and I felt bad. I didn’t want to see him die. I leaned down on the floor with a sharp piece of steel and some tweezers. When I pulled the stuff off his first foot, he stood
See ONLINE, Page 3
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO
It took Liberty Hill YouTube celebrity Joe Pieczynski seven months and 30 videos to complete a scaled down 1890s engine lathe. His videos have about 26 million views worldwide.
able way to think,” she said. “You’re doing what is right. However, it is a harassing way of communicating and using your power in a threatening manner. A decision to continue
to suggest mask-wearing from a position of power does a few things. It makes your staff feel as if they need to comply to please you and remain in good standing with their superiors. It also confuses our children and creates fear.” Antonio Cañas addressed bus training requirements while referencing a traffic accident involving a school bus near Lively Ranch neighborhood. “I would like to know what kind of involvement and influence the district has when it comes to (traffic) lights … in communities like the one where I live,” he said. “We need a light. My kids need a light, and you guys know we need a light. Also, I want to know what the procedure is for bus drivers. Most companies have a no left-turn policy for intersections that don’t have a light.”
See LHISD, Page 3
Construction causes damage at Central Park
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer Damage left behind after a large water connection was installed at Central Park for the Butler Farms subdivision are set to be mitigated by developer MA Partners following a unanimous vote from the City’s Parks & Recreation Board Thursday. “A large water connection was placed at Central Park and lots of equipment was moved through there,” said Mayor Liz Branigan. “The soil was compacted, trees were damaged, and there’s now a large unsightly cement box there. I was surprised because this is obviously a park and not an appropriate place to put this connection.” Branigan added that because heavy equipment was driven across the park enough times, it formed a road through the center. “Unless we encourage the grass to grow there again, there will be a permanent eroded area,” she said. “It also looks like the trees above were hacked with a machete to cut off limbs to allow the digging equipment to go through, and they were not treated right.” Wyatt Henderson, of MA Partners, said it wasn’t his company’s choice to put the water connection box in the park, but he agreed his organization is responsible for the damages. “We were told to put [the connection box] there,” he said. “I like to say we follow the rules very well. We don’t decide where things go, that’s the city engineers that tell us where to put things. I will say how it was put in; we do have some responsibility for that. Obviously, we want to make sure it’s done right. We want to be good neighbors and we are willing to fix this because
we feel it’s the right thing to do.” In their proposal, MA Partners said they would pay $59,000 for tree care, oak wilt prevention, root fertilization and aeration, and more for the next three years, to get the damaged trees back to a healthy state and to make sure they remain healthy, said City Administrator Lacie Hale. The developer also said they would pay an additional $25,000 for aesthetics at the park to be repaired and improved, including upgrading the path, shrubbery and turf and installing an irrigation system. “Because annual tree care is proposed for three years, that means that for three years the City doesn’t have to take into consideration the tree care and pruning of trees in Central Park because it’ll be taken care of,” Hale said. “This will be a savings in the Parks budget.” Hale added that MA Partners has also agreed to put up a bond equal to $200 per caliper inch in case any of the trees in the park do end up with oak wilt. “They brought this bond forth as a way to mitigate those damages and protect the trees,” she said. “The bond is for two years.” Branigan said she didn’t want the Council to decide on the proposal without input from the Parks Board because of its involvement with Central Park for the last several years. The Parks Board unanimously approved the proposal to be presented to the Council at a future meeting so that repairs can begin Also at the Parks Board meeting, Hale said a bid for the Liberty Hill swim center, to be constructed at City
See PARKS, Page 4