LH INDEPENDENT 9-30-21

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2021

Volume 34, Issue 45

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September 30, 2021 | 50 Cents

Council approves City budget

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The Liberty Hill City Council adopted a budget and set a tax rate with minimal changes from last fiscal year.

“Because of what happened with the prior treasurer, as well as not having the [2020] audit completed, we are sticking to last year’s budget for now,” said Council member Chris Pezold, referencing the August termination of former treasurer Becky Wilkins. “We all are going to have to be hawks on this and be ready to amend the budget any time as we get information coming in.

This is a highly irregular situation. We don’t have the audit done from last year and don’t have the paperwork to understand exactly where we are compared to last year. At this point we cannot have a full picture of where we are going at all.”

Interim Finance Director Misti Hancock said this is why she decided to keep the City’s budget flat at $5.6 million for the general revenue fund.

“There are some lines that we’ll need to adjust, but we’re going into this knowing where we are with leadership’s understanding and knowing where Council’s opinion is,” she said. “This is a conservative approach to move forward, and hopefully before the end of the calendar year—after we come back to you with a complete audit in October—that will allow us to go through and have more time to dig into some of these details as well as educate you all. Some of the [City’s finances] are so muddled that you have to look at the vendors and what they’re providing to even understand the accounts.”

Hancock said while the 2021-2022 budget estimates general fund revenue of $6.9

See BUDGET, Page 4

STACY COALE PHOTO

Panthers celebrate Homecoming

Nominees to the 2021 Homecoming Court are (front row, from left) seniors Dylan Lewis, Alyssa Lee, Bailey Becker, Brooke Becker, Lloyd Johnson, Andon Thomas, Jack Coker and Cole Jefferson. Second row are juniors Macy Stringer, Kaitlyn Brooks, Briley Judd, Paige Ketchum, Ty Maldonado, Jackson Harrison, Colin Brandt, and Gunter Daniels. Sophomores in the third row are Madison Parker, Alexandria (Lexi) Tucker, Noah Long, Ben Carter, Kenny Gabrielson, Colton Gavit. Not pictured are Allison Parker and Elise Eckford. Freshmen in back are Lily Jameson, Mehkayla Mulski, Makenzy Staton, Carter Jefferson, Brayden Cox, Daniel (Will) Duckworth and Kendrick Hicks. Not pictured is Brooklyn Foster. The Homecoming Queen and King will be presented at Friday’s football game.

Grass & Roots group helping property owners clean up Liberty Hill

Members of the community volunteered their time during Liberty Hill’s fall clean up day on Sept.

25 as part of the code enforcement department’s new program, Grass & Roots. The program is a volunteer coalition that aims to help city residents avoid code violations.

(Photo Courtesy City of Liberty Hill)

Bring the family to National Night Out on Oct. 5

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer A true sense of community is the overall goal of the annual National Night Out event coming up next week in Liberty Hill.

Julie Sullivan, administrative assistant for the Liberty Hill Police Department, said the event is a way for people to get to know their neighbors, ©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent

first responders, community resources and to have a good time.

At this year’s event, on Tuesday, Oct. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Liberty Hill Middle School parking lot, there will be a bounce house, petting zoo, free hot dogs, drinks and ice cream, and involvement from the local first responders.

“We will have all our police vehicles there, and the Liberty Hill Independent School District will have their vehicles there as well,” Sullivan said.

“The Liberty Hill Fire Department will be there, and we also

plan on having the Star Flight helicopter there. This is especially good for children. They can see the vehicles up close and meet all the first responders in a more casual setting. It demystifies it all for them.”

This year, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office will also be in attendance, as well as several community organizations, such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, Liberty Hill Public Library and Operation Liberty Hill.

“We also have the Flying Disc Dogs coming, and they do all

kinds of cool tricks with frisbees,” Sullivan said. “We will also have Courage Cheer, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, Valor Martial Arts, Texas

See NIGHT OUT, Page 3 (RIGHT) The last National Night Out event, held in October 2019, brought out hundreds of people to meet with local first responders. The LHPD hopes this year’s event will bring even more people to get to know police, fire and EMS personnel.

(Photo Courtesy LHPD

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer A new volunteer coalition, called Grass & Roots, has officially kicked off in Liberty Hill city limits to help residents avoid code enforcement violations.

Joey Wray, who has been the City’s code enforcement officer since June, saw an immediate need for a volunteer coalition to assist with code enforcement when he came to Liberty Hill. Wray worked in code enforcement in Marble Falls before coming to Liberty Hill, and after a major flood in 2018 brought dozens of community members out to help with the cleanup, he got an idea.

“I was talking with a local volunteer group and thought,

‘What if we treat everyday like the 2018 flood?’ he said. “We could have outreaches and help people in need daily versus just during an emergency.

We got that going and it was really successful. It’s easy to bring problems to people but if you don’t have some form of resolution in mind, it can be tough for them. When I came here, I thought it would be good for Liberty Hill, too.”

Wray added that as the code enforcement officer, the last thing he wants to do is fine somebody for violating the code. Open storage, debris and junk, as well as tall grass and overgrown bushes and trees are the main violations Wray sees around town.

See GRASS, Page 4

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Tired of fumbling for your wallet?

Thursday, September 30, 2021

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

Quilt Guild meets Oct. 5

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The next meeting of the Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild will is at 10am Oct. 5 via Zoom. Eleanor Levie will present “Rock Your Quilting”, a trunk show that showcases different ways to inject originality and unique style into

your quilting. Contact president@ctquiltguild.org if you would like to be a visitor. Our associated workshop on Oct. 6 is “Weave A Quilt With Me.” For more information, visit our website.

Garden Club meets Oct. 12 The Oct. 12 program wel-

comes Maeve Bassett from the San Antonio Botanical Gardens and an “Ethnobotanist”.

Meetings are in-person at the Cowboy Church; 9:30am social, 10am meeting. Visit our website for more information or write to gardenclublibertyhill@gmail.com.

Williamson County is hosting its annual Learn to Fish Day from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon on Oct. 9, in the Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, located at 3005 CR 175, Leander.

Children of all ages will be able to spend time learning various fishing tips and techniques from local experts. The Learn to Fish Day event is free and open to the public.

All activities are in preparation for the day’s objective -- to catch and release a fish.

Angler hopefuls will be guided through learning stations that emphasize the use of basic tackle, appropriate bait selection, knot tying, boat casting,

conservation ethics, and general outdoor/water safety.

Additional activities such as “backyard bass” will also help participants hone their fishing skills.

Please allow at least an hour or more to fully enjoy the event. We recommend an early arrival to gain the most from the program. Fishing poles and tackle will be provided so please leave personal fishing gear at home. Loose, comfortable clothing, a hat or visor, and shoes other than flip flops are suggested. The use of insect repellent is advised along with sun block.

Commissioner Cynthia Long hopes the event will inspire

families to spend quality time with children discovering the outdoors and engaging in the lifetime recreational activity of fishing.

No pre-registration is necessary. Upon arrival at the park, all participants are asked to stop at the registration table to pick up materials needed for the stations.

Williamson County’s Learn to Fish Day is funded through the donations of private individuals and corporations.

For more information, contact the Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department at 512-943-1920 or the Commissioner’s office at 512260-4280.

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Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

Week of Sept. 20-26, 2021 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 611 incidents resulting in nine cases, 85 citations, 62 warnings and four arrests.

OCTOBER 5TH | 6:00-8:00PM LIBERTY HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is a national crimeprevention awareness event that is celebrated in Texas on the first Tuesday in October. Locally, we celebrate our police and neighbors with a community event at Liberty Hill Middle School.

Get to know your neighbors, Liberty Hill Police Department, LHISD Police Department, emergency personnel, and volunteers!

WWW.EXPERIENCELHTX.COM/NATIONAL-NIGHT-OUT

Join us for lots of fun!!

• LIVE MUSIC • TUG-OF-WAR • PETTING ZOO • BOUNCE HOUSE

• HOT DOGS • ICE CREAM • FLYING DISC DOGS • EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATIONS

3RD ANNUAL BENNY BOYD PULLIN’ FOR THE COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR COMPETITION $1000 PRIZE Each team must represent a local non-profit organization (example: school organizations, booster clubs, FFA chapters, cheerleaders, band, church groups, veterans groups, etc)

Weekly Highlights: - On Sept. 20 at approximately 7:10 AM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for school zone enforcement.

- On Sept. 20 at approximately 1:28 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident.

- On Sept. 20 at approximately 4:15 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 20 at approximately 11:26 PM, officers responded to the 600 block of US 183 for a welfare concern.

- On Sept. 21 at approximately 2:13 AM, officers responded to the 700 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 21 at approximately 9:38 AM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 21 at approximately 11:27 AM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an animal bite.

- On Sept. 21 at approximately 3:35 PM, officers responded to Hillcrest Lane for an animal cruelty complaint.

- On Sept. 21 at approximately 7:43 PM, officers arrested a male adult with outstanding felony warrants, as the result of a traffic stop on the 11000 block of W. SH 29.

- On Sept. 21 at approximately 10:56 PM, officers responded to the Green Egret Way for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 22 at approximately

4:09 AM, officers responded to Barrington Drive for a disturbance.

- On Sept. 22 at approximately 8:40 AM, officers responded to CR 266 for loose livestock.

- On Sept. 22 at approximately 9:10 AM, officers responded to Barrington Drive for a disturbance.

- On Sept. 22 at approximately 6:58 PM, officers responded to Bevers Road for a suspicious vehicle.

- On Sept. 22 at approximately 10:48 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 23 at approximately 2:48 AM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a disturbance.

- On Sept. 23 at approximately 7:11 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of US 183 and Larkspur for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 23 at approximately 7:55AM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 23 at approximately 2:46 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of US 183 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 23 at approximately 8:28PM, officers responded to CR 200 for suspicious activity.

- On Sept. 23 at approximately 10:39 PM, officers responded to the 12000 W. SH 29 for suspicious activity.

- On Sept. 24 at approximately 10:56 AM, officers responded to Hummingbird Lane for an animal complaint.

- On Sept. 24 at approximately 12:33 PM, officers responded to Prosecco Path for an animal complaint.

- On Sept. 24 at approximately 1:40 PM, officers responded to Declaration Ave for a disturbance, resulting in the arrest of a male adult for criminal tres-

passing.

- On Sept. 24 at approximately 3:01 PM, officers responded to Green Egret Way for a welfare concern.

- On Sept. 24 at approximately 5:05 PM, officers responded to Nita Cove for a criminal mischief complaint.

- On Sept. 24 at approximately 10:42 PM, officers responded to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity.

- On Sept. 25 at approximately 2:02 AM, officers responded to Indian Oaks to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 25 at approximately 9:24 AM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 25 at approximately 1:47 PM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 25 at approximately 3:15 PM, officers responded to Spotted Rail Ridge for a welfare concern, resulting in the arrest of a male adult for driving while intoxicated.

- On Sept. 25 at approximately 6:43 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard.

- On Sept. 26 at approximately 1:27 AM, officers arrested a male adult for driving while intoxicated, as the result of a traffic stop.

-On Sept. 26 at approximately 7:15 PM, officers responded to Drystone Trail to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

- On Sept. 26 at approximately 7:53PM, officers responded to Stonewall and Milstone to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.

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Thursday, September 30, 2021

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

NIGHT OUT Continued from Page 1

Honey Hole and some local church groups at the event.”

The event will also feature live music and the third annual “Pulling for the Community” tug-of-war competition. Teams of six are invited to sign up and compete for a $1,000 prize for their nonprofit organization, Sullivan said.

Because the event wasn’t held last year due to the pandemic, Sullivan is expecting a larger turnout next week.

She added that because of this, National Night Out will also serve as a kick-off for the LHPD’s Blue Santa program.

“We are still playing catch up this year, and our neighbors really need our help, so we are going to kick off Blue Santa at the event to get everyone aware,” she said. “Following the event, we will put bins out at local businesses across town for people to donate items.

There is a big need for the tween and teen-age groups.

Everything that is collected will be donated to Operation Liberty Hill for Christmas.”

The bins will be out from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30, and can be found at the following Liberty Hill locations: Agape BBQ, Auto Zone, Benny Boyd’s, Blinded by the Light, Classic Bank, Dahlia Cafe, Dairy Queen, Dollar General, Higginbotham Brothers, Jardin Corona, Liberty Hill City Hall, Liberty Hill Eye Associates, Liberty Hill High School, Liberty Hill Storage, Margarita’s, McCoy’s, Mojo’s Coffee, Prosperity Bank, Subway, Texas Honey Hole, Tractor Supply and Veribank.

LHPD Community Engagement Officer David Joiner said National Night Out is one of his favorites because it allows local first responders to visit with the public.

“National Night Out is a great opportunity to meet people and let them know we care about the community,” Joiner said. “As you grow in any city you want to do your best to maintain meeting people and letting them know you care, so we are very excited about it. We want to make a difference in people’s lives. We’re not just about pulling people over; we are about being proactive in touching people’s lives.”

Page 3

Throwback Thursday Facebook proving to be valuable site for historical information

By JAMES WEAR Columnist There’s many of us, myself included, who tend to poke fun at social media websites such as Facebook, and at first glance, it’s easy to see why: too often posts revolve around politics and the information often offered up about various individuals often is slanted if not downright incorrect, and even if opinions shared can be backed up by factual information, there’s often anger fueling the posts.

Other folks often share posts that include language or images that many find offensive and while many of us older ones are a bit stunned we shouldn’t be surprised as television, even network broadcasts, offer up scenes and language that not too many years back would not have made it past the censors.

Despite all the negative things that can be said about social media, there’s a lot of good things happening. If one can’t make it out to a Liberty Hill football game, The Independent sports staff is on the scene

and posts updates throughout the contest. The paper also shares the latest on what’s happening in the community, with city government, the school district, and more.

My favorite pages, however, are those dedicated to historical events, and there’s several to be found. “Old Houses, Country Photography” is among the groups dedicated to sharing photographs and memories from days gone by, and there’s an astonishing number of photos posted on this page.

Another page, “You Know You Grew Up in Liberty Hill, Texas, If You Remember” is interesting, with persons from all ages sharing thoughts and photos to this group. Many of them often comment they are sad to see the community in which they grew up in disappearing as the city and school continues to grow.

Both “Old Florence, Texas” and “Old Georgetown, Texas” have interesting pictures and observations of the past. Liberty Hill residents may find the Georgetown page interesting as many Liberty Hill students attended Georgetown schools back in the early 1970s after Liberty Hill High School closed.

“Historic Texas Paper, Ephemera, Documents, Tick-

Legendary cowboy Bill Pickett is among those individuals to be found on Facebook pages dealing with Texas history. Pickett, born near Liberty Hill and raised in Williamson County, went on to achieve fame nationwide for his rodeo skills. (Courtesy Photo) ets, Letters & Letterheads” and was mentioned. Pickett was Rogers and Tom Mix on some “Antique Texas History Col- featured in this column some of the finer points of being a lectors” are two others sites I five years ago and for those cowboy.

If you haven’t, take a few recommend. If one is interest- who may have missed that or ed in farming and ranching, are new to the community and minutes and visit some of there’s “Texas Cotton Histo- still learning about Liberty these pages we’ve mentioned ry” and “Texas Windmill and Hill’s early days, Bill gained today and I think you’ll find Well History,” to name just a nationwide fame for devel- there’s a wealth of Liberty oping a technique known as Hill, Williamson County and couple.

Often one can find informa- “bulldogging” when wres- Texas history of which you’ve tion on these sites about Lib- tling steers. He went on to star probably never been exposed. erty Hill’s pioneers. For exam- in rodeos across the United ple, just recently Bill Pickett States and instructed both Roy

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GRASS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 1

“The goal is to help make Liberty Hill safer and a more beautiful place to live by everybody doing what they can,” he said.

“I know there are elderly here and people who physically can’t do things. That’s how this group can help.”

Wray worked with City Communications Director Katie Amsler to form the Grass & Roots program.

“The first thing we did was brainstorm and identify community members who might be interested in volunteering,” Amsler said. “We predominantly focused on churches, landscapers, and community organizations who have access to networks of volunteers. We

reached out to 28 people and had 14 show up to our first brainstorming session. We explained what we wanted to do with the program and had a really good response.”

The name Grass & Roots came from the idea that the coalition is a grassroots effort where people are coming together to help fulfill a need, as well as the roots of Liberty Hill serving as a network of people who step up when asked, Amsler said.

Amsler added that the Community Resource Center will eventually be the hub for the program, but for now the goal is to get the program running smoothly before handing it

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over to the CRC. “The database we are building will serve as one giant volunteer database, and the CRC will be able to combine it with their transportation voucher program,” Amsler said. “In the database volunteers will be able to list what they can do, whether it’s electrical, plumbing, construction or roofing. We’re not limiting it. If we have landscaping companies who want to donate time, we’ll take it and tweak things as we go.”

The official kickoff of the coalition was Sept. 25 during the community’s fall clean-up day. Wray identified two properties in Liberty Hill where the homeowner needed extra help to get things up to code.

“That was our trial run, and now we can sit down and talk about what worked and what we need to change, and then we can open it up to the whole community,” Amsler said. “We will roll this out to the community in October and will start actively seeking as many volunteers as we can get. People can volunteer as individuals or a group, whoever wants to volunteer together.”

Wray, who received a Hometown Hero award from Mayor Liz Branigan at a recent City Council meeting for spearheading the group, said education is a huge part of the Grass & Roots program, because there are a lot of people who don’t know what the code violations are, such as the 12-inch height restriction on grass.

“As the town grows, we have a responsibility to make sure everyone is safe,” he said. “If everything in code enforcement is approached from a public health and safety standpoint, we can take a proactive role with it. We want to get out, talk to people and educate them, and if they need it, assist them with what they need done.”

For more information or to volunteer, visit www.experiencelhtx.com/grass-roots.

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OBITUARY

Kathleen Ann Burnop

Kathleen Ann Burnop was called to her heavenly home on September 25, 2021 at the age of 71.

She was a loving sister, wife, mother, and grandmother.

Kathleen was an amazing woman who freely gave her love, wisdom, and encouragement to all around her. She made friends everywhere she went and related to everyone with thoughtful conversation.

Kathleen was a devoted Christian and loved Jesus with all of her heart.

Kathleen was born on August 8, 1950 in Austin, Texas to Herbert Emil Sander and Doris Adeline Richter Sander. On May 9, 1970, Kathleen married the love of her life James William Burnop. They settled in Georgetown, Texas in 1992.

She is survived by her children, Scott Alan Burnop and wife Audrey Rae Benitz and Alison Elaine Jalufka and husband Brian Scott. She has three grandchildren, Caleb Henry Jalufka, Daniel James Jalufka, and Elliott Grace Jalufka, two

BUDGET

cause it includes capital projects that won’t be part of next year,” Hancock said. “It will be important as we go into the coming months to work on that to make sure we can operate at the level needed and support the services the City needs to provide.”

The sewer fund was lowered from $1 million to $755,000, and the water fund was lowered from $1.8 million to $1.7 million. The administration budget was lowered from $1.8 million to $1.7 million; the city council budget was lowered from $161,036 to $130,530; and the municipal court budget was lowered from $318,000 to $313,149. Property maintenance was lowered from $307,200 to $282,902, and the parks budget remained the same at $132,500.

The police department’s budget increased slightly from $2.07 million to $2.08 million; the events budget increased from $187,084 to $191,420; and development services increased from $685,050 to $795,522.

The Council also unanimously approved the budget for the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation.

Hancock had set the budget for the same as the previous year, at $458.500. The budget was approved after the Council decided to remove a $20,000 line item for office space, which the EDC does not need, as director Matt Powell works from

home.

Lastly, the Council adopted a property tax rate of $0.454559 per $100 property valuation, which is unchanged from last year. This rate raises revenue by 30.6 percent over the previous year, and means taxes on a home valued at $100,000 will increase by about $64.44.

As adopted, the new budget raises more revenue from property taxes than the previous year’s budget by an amount of $744,266 -- a 40.79 percent increase. The property tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is $460,768.

Council member Tony DeYoung asked Hancock to look at what revenues would be if the City changed its tax rate to $0.41, $0.43 and $0.44.

Hancock said while the City could live with those options, the most conservative approach was to leave the tax rate unchanged from the previous year. This decision passed 4-1, with Council member Kathy Canady opposed.

Canady said she thought the citizens should be given a break by lowering the tax rate one percent to $0.44, but the rest of the Council felt no changes should be made because so much of the City’s finances, like the audit and the budget, are still up in the air.

Public hearings were held for both the budget and tax rate, but no one from the community spoke.

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The EDC Board approved the creation of a Shop Local campaign at its meeting on Sept.

22, which will be rolled out to shoppers in Liberty Hill by Black Friday.

Matt Powell, executive director of the EDC, said he will create signage that can be used in any business that is collecting sales tax within the city’s limits, so that shoppers will know when their sales taxes

are staying local. The slogan for the campaign will be “What you spend here, stays here,” he added.

Director Demetrice Gonzalez suggested adding QR codes to the signage, so that shoppers can use their phone to learn where Liberty Hill’s local businesses are. Powell said he would add the code to the design.

Powell also gave the Board an update on sales tax revenues for the last two months.

In August, sales tax revenue was $270,104 -- a 38 percent increase over August 2020.

“This is an all-time record for a month,” Powell said. “It’s the highest it’s ever been.”

In September, revenue was $239,000 -- a 34 percent increase over September 2020.

“I still think it’s a little out of the question to have a $300,000 month this year, but I would fully anticipate we will have at least one of those in 2022,” Powell said.

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Richter Sander.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, September 29 at The Gabriels Funeral Chapel in Georgetown from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Services will be at her home church of Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church on Thursday, September 30 at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be given to the Liberty Hill Public Library to purchase children’s books so that Kathleen’s love of reading to children can live on.

million, she still wants the budget to remain at $5.6 million.

“I updated the sales tax (revenue) increase to 15 percent, which is very conservative,” she said. “From 2020 to 2021, sales tax grew 24.2 percent.

With new businesses coming to the city as sales tax generators, we will have the opportunity to improve on that number as we see revenues come in.”

Hancock added that the conservative budget will also allow for approximately $1.3 million to remain in the fund balance.

“I’m basically placing it into a savings account and not appropriating that to spend,” she said. “The City should be keeping 20 to 25 percent in the fund balance at all times to operate on. The last audited financial statements we have for now are from 2019, so I’m not comfortable telling you that we’ve done that, but my guess is we will be close to 20 percent, or at least 15 percent. Moving forward we will be proposing that we meet all fiscal responsibilities and have those funds dedicated as required by policy.”

The street maintenance fund remains the same at $173,500, while the wastewater fund was cut slightly from $5.9 million to $5.4 million.

“I am worried about wastewater, because it’s significantly below what was expended this year, but part of that is be-

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sisters, Nancy Jane Burnop and husband Wayne and Betty Jean Gilbert and husband Bob, and her dog Lucy.

Kathleen was a homemaker who lovingly took care of her two children. She worked at various careers from being a secretary for a children’s singer to leading children’s storytime at the Georgetown Public Library. After retiring, she affectionately provided child care for her three grandchildren and loved them with her whole heart. Kathleen was an avid reader and enjoyed creating things through sewing and crafting.

In July of 2021, Kathleen was diagnosed with a terminal illness called amyloidosis. This disease caused severe heart failure. Kathleen was a fighter and worked hard to regain her strength. She died peacefully in the night from heart complications. Her heart is pumping hard now in heaven.

Kathleen is preceded in death by her parents, Herbert Emil Sander and Doris Adeline

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SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, September 30, 2021 Page 5

Injury provides different perspective

Senior contributing while sidelined

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Emma Becker rose up to attack a volleyball like she had thousands of times before, only to come down on a teammate’s foot and roll her right ankle, initially the Liberty Hill senior assumed she had suffered a sprain that would certainly only keep the outside hitter on the sidelines for a limited amount of time.

Except for one small detail.

“When I came down, it popped,” said Becker. “So, I knew it wasn’t good.”

Once team trainers arrived to take a look at Becker’s ankle, she was already in quite a bit of discomfort, but it quickly became more, she said.

“One of the trainers pressed on a certain part of my ankle,” said Becker. “On a scale of one to 10, I’d have to say the pain at that point was close to 10, but it was the pop that scared me more.”

At the time, the Lady Panthers

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Emma Becker is still at the center of what the Lady Panthers are doing despite an ankle injury which required surgery and ended her senior season. were playing at the prestigious Westwood Showcase tournament during their preseason schedule in the ramp-up to the district campaign and further

medical attention was needed, so a trip to a local hospital was in order.

“We went to the closest emergency room and got x-rays to

see if any bones were broken,” said Becker. “But, that wasn’t the case, so I thought it was just a high ankle sprain.”

After a week had passed, the

pain had slightly subsided, but there was still something wrong, so the next step was to visit another doctor for an MRI to perhaps uncover something

the x-rays had failed to reveal and the next day, Becker finally had her diagnosis – a pair of ruptured ligaments – which in turn, prompted a big decision.

“Either I could not get surgery and be back on the court in a couple of weeks,” said Becker.

“Or I could get it and miss the rest of the season, but then be ready for college.”

Becker elected to undergo the procedure and since has realized she made the correct choice.

“I could’ve come back this season, but I wouldn’t have been the same player,” she said. “Also, waiting until after the season to have the surgery would’ve messed up next year, so I know I made the right decision.”

Becker has already committed to play next season at West Texas A&M, a Division II school in Canyon, on the outskirts of Amarillo, so she has kept her future team in the loop during the entire process and has received nothing but a favorable response, she said.

“They’ve been really supportive of me through the whole

See BECKER, Page 9

Living up to the standard Panthers linebacker latest in long line

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Aaron Brewer steps onto the field at Panther Stadium on a Friday night, he has a legacy to live up to.

As the youngest of three brothers who have all passed through the Liberty Hill football program, Brewer definitely has a standard to live up to following brothers Brady (Class of 2020) and Jack (Class of 2016) as members of the Purple-and-Gold.

So far, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior linebacker is living up to expectations after making the varsity squad for the first time as a sophomore – which both his brothers also did.

Despite trying to break out of the shadows cast by his siblings, head coach Kent Walker said he tells Brewer to only worry about one thing.

“I always tell him to just take care of what he can do,” he said. “Be the best version of Aaron you can possibly be.”

Brewer is certainly taking Walker’s advice to heart, as he is currently second on the team ALEX RUBIO PHOTO in tackles through the first five Senior Aaron Brewer (#3) is the youngest of three brothers who have all played for the Panthers’ games of the season, racking up 36 in all, an average of 7.2 football team.

per contest from his strongside spot in the Panthers’ 3-4 defense.

According to Brewer, having the wingspan his rangy frame provides comes in handy whether he’s at his usual linebacker spot or rushing the passer.

“As a linebacker, you can imagine how hard it is for a quarterback to throw over me,” said Brewer. “As a defensive lineman, it helps a lot because you can extend your arms and hold off blockers.”

Walker said Brewer is valuable due to his athleticism and versatility.

“Aaron’s a guy who can do a lot of different things out on the field,” he said. “We might move him around a little bit this year because he’s a big, physical kid, but he also has good speed, which makes him a good pass rusher.”

Brewer has been recruited

by Army, Air Force, Navy and New Mexico – all Division I programs, but doesn’t yet know where his allegiance will lie come next season, he said.

“I still haven’t decided which one fits me best,” said Brewer.

Walker said when younger

siblings follow older ones into the same program, it can prove challenging.

“I think it puts a little pressure on,” he said. “But, really only if the older ones had success.”

To that end, Brady certainly did, as the former Panthers defensive back is currently playing at Division I Sam Houston State, but Walker said Aaron can certainly follow in his brother’s footsteps.

“Aaron has the potential and ability to continue playing football for a long time,” he said. “The sky’s the limit for him and he continues to get better.”

One thing all three brothers have in common is a rather mellow personality, said Brewer.

“We’re all like that,” he said.

“I’m not really an excitable guy.”

In fact, Brewer added he sometimes needs to remind himself to stay focused when on the field.

“I need to be a little more intense in my mentality sometimes,” he said. “It’s a big thing I’ve been thinking about.”

See BREWER, Page 9

Appreciating the subtleties Tennis players thrive in team atmosphere

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When Ella Bodnar is on a tennis court, it might as well be a chess board.

“I just like the strategic and technical aspect of tennis,” she said. “I feel like there aren’t many people out there who appreciate it like I do.”

Bodnar uses her mind just as much as her body in dispatching opponents in a variety of ways, which makes the game that much more intriguing.

“There are so many different factors when you play a match,” said Bodnar. “You have to know your opponent, how or where you want to hit against them and not a single point or game is ever the same.”

However, Bodnar said she never has any preconceived notions heading into a match, but keeps eyes open for what may reveal chinks in her enemy’s armor once the first ball is hit.

“I never really go into a match with any kind of strategy,” she said. “Sure, I have a general approach overall, but then you try to target specific spots where their weaknesses are.”

Senior Jon Kiger has been part of Liberty Hill’s tennis program all four years of his high school existence after trading his bat and glove for a racket once he reached the

prep level.

“I just wanted to try something new,” said Kiger. “People in baseball tended to be so emotional – kids would go back to the dugout and cry after they struck out.”

So, Kiger sought a more serene setting to pursue his athletic endeavors and found exactly that on the purple courts the Panthers call home.

“I never really thought about playing any other sport,” he said, of his choice to hit groundstrokes instead of ground balls. “Tennis is just really fun.”

Head coach Sherry Rhoden said Kiger likes to be at the center of whatever is going on at a given time.

“Jon keeps everybody laughing all the time,” she said. “He always has something positive to say and is constantly finding a way to help – this is our family when we’re on the court.”

Recently, junior Cash Terry received his varsity letter jacket during a ceremony after practice and Kiger – who happens to be his doubles partner – was in the middle of the reveling in order to congratulate his teammate.

“When you get a letter jacket, it’s a celebration of your accomplishments,” said Kiger, who has also earned his as a result of playing on the Panthers’ varsity for an entire season.

“But, you also have memories with your friends from everything you accomplish.”

Liberty Hill’s recent district victory over rival Cedar Park was a watershed event for the team, as they had been defeated by the Timberwolves by the same 10-9 score in last season’s fixture and the fact the win came on the heels of a home loss to Georgetown SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTOS made it all the more gratifying, (ABOVE) Junior Ella Bodnar appreciates the strategic side of tennis as far as outsmarting opsaid Bodnar. ponents. (BELOW) Senior Jon Kiger enjoys the relaxed atmosphere tennis provides, while still “It was really important bebeing competitive. cause we need to move up for the playoffs,” she said. “We worked really hard all week to get ready.”

Bodnar added the fact the victory came on Cedar Park’s home court didn’t necessarily hold any extra meaning for her and her teammates, but it perhaps sent a message to the opposition.

“In tennis, I don’t think home court is really a big deal,” she said. “But, if you can beat a team on their courts, it can be a little intimidating.”

Rhoden said the home defeat court, but this time we battled accounted for all of the vic- good this year.”

In order to eventually have to Georgetown previous to the them four-and-a-half hours. tories in the team score and Cedar Park match didn’t have There were longer points as Bodnar’s singles match the ability to match Georgeas much of an emotional and and several tie-breakers and was one of the last ones to be town, Bodnar said the Panthers psychological impact on her don’t forget we’re competing played, she was too immersed just need to stay the course team as the one-sided score against a team which has more to realize at the time what was they’re presently on. resources than we do as far as happening on the scoreboard, “I think we just need to keep may have indicated. building the program,” she “I don’t think our players were building players from the sixth she said.

“I didn’t know, but everybody said. “Get as many kids playnecessarily disappointed,” she grade up.”

Oddly enough, in the Cedar else did,” said Bodnar. “I guess ing in the summer as possible.” said. “Last year against them, we spent much less time on the Park match, the Panthers’ girls our girls’ team is just really

Page 6

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Panthers hosting Travis for Homecoming Liberty Hill is 1-0 in district play

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor It’s difficult to imagine Liberty Hill having a more one-sided game than last week’s 62-0 thrashing of Crockett in the district opener.

However, when Travis comes calling on the Purple-and-Gold this week, it could prove to be an even more lopsided result for the home side.

The Rebels have played only two games thus far this season due to injuries and illness and suffered a 42-8 setback at the hands of Marble Falls last week in their league opener – this after having lost to Jarrell by a 70-0 score in their only other contest.

Liberty Hill won the reverse fixture last season, 86-0, at Burger Stadium and prospects for the visitors don’t look any better this time around.

Panthers head coach Kent Walker, though, is – as usual, more concerned with what his squad will do under the lights than the opposition.

“We’re treating this game as we’ve always done,” he said.

“So, we keep practicing with a

purpose.”

Noah Long leads Liberty Hill with 685 yards rushing on 93 carries and nine touchdowns this season in averaging 137 yards per game, while junior fullback Logan Dyer is second with 259 yards on 48 attempts and senior Grady Flinn is third with 208 yards on 21 carries.

Interestingly, the Panthers have only completed a pair of passes this season – both to junior Gavin Salinas for touchdowns – but neither was thrown by starting quarterback Will Szewczyk, as Joe Pitchford and Reese Vickers have done the honors.

On defense, senior linebacker Andon Thomas continues to lead the way, with a squad-best 65 stops on the season, including 11 tackles in the win over Crockett.

Hollis Brady kept up his strong play on the defensive line, adding a sack against the Cougars, along with Wyatt Sprinkle and Carlos Garth, who also bagged one apiece, while senior Drake Torno leads the team with four sacks on the season.

Against Crockett, many of the Panthers’ starters saw much of the second half from the sidelines as the score got increasingly out of hand, with even a handful of junior varsity players seeing action in the fourth quarter after being called up to the varsity for that very purpose.

Even so, Walker said he never goes into a game with any kind of preconceived plan of how he will handle player rotation in the event of a blowout.

“I wait until I can get a feel for what’s happening on the field,” he said. “Then, I’ll realize we don’t need this guy or that guy in the game anymore.”

Walker said regardless of the level of competition across the line of scrimmage, there are still ways he can gauge his team to determine if they’re at peak performance.

“I look at the speed at which we’re playing,” he said.

“Things like if we’re holding our blocks longer or reading and reacting to the play faster and not making all the little mistakes.”

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Logan Dyer (#12) breaks free for yardage during Liberty Hill’s 62-0 road victory over Crockett.

Rowley, Hair lead win over Cedar Park

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor CEDAR PARK -- Last season, Liberty Hill’s dramatic, five-set road victory against new district rivals Cedar Park was the Lady Panthers’ official coming-out party as a Class 5A squad – a match that saw the upstart visitors win the opening two sets, before losing the next two and eventually prevailing in a five-set thriller.

So, it should be no surprise after beginning this season’s district campaign with a 4-1 mark – with the only defeat coming at the hands of No. 4 Rouse – head coach Gretchen Peterson’s side would once again provide another memorable victory in the same building in beating the Timberwolves, 3-1 (21-25, 26-24,

25-21, 29-27).

The only difference this time around was the match only required four sets to be decided, as Liberty Hill stormed back to win three consecutive stanzas after dropping the first.

Senior middle blocker Ailie Hair said victory over Cedar Park in yet another hotly-contested match will only fuel the fire between the two teams.

“I think there’s a certain chemistry when we play them,” said Hair, who had 11 kills, seven blocks and three aces on the evening. “We really want to beat them and they really want to beat us.”

At the outset, it looked as if the hosts would get their way in the first set, which saw the Lady Panthers a bit lethargic despite the fact they remained

within striking distance of the Timberwolves throughout.

Hair hammered a pair of kills early on before Maddi Rowley and Morgan Poulain each picked up a pair, but Cedar Park eventually outlasted the visitors in claiming the set victory.

According to Peterson, her club’s sluggish start to the match is indicative of how they’ve come out on several occasions this season, with the reason why remaining a mystery.

“We definitely need to get out of that trend,” said Peterson. “I don’t know why it’s happening.”

In the second set, Gigi Mason made her first appearance

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Emma Parsons (#10) and Ailie Hair (#19) go up for a block during the Lady Panthers’ 3-1 (21See CEDAR PARK, Page 9 25, 26-24, 25-21, 29-27) away district victory over Cedar Park.

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PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Being a good teammate Senior volleyballer loves to lead

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor On any given Wednesday evening during the month of September, one entering the main gym at Liberty Hill High School would find countless volleyballs being bandied about by young, aspiring Lady Panthers under the instruction of the current crop of Purpleand-Gold protagonists.

At the center of this beehive of activity is Reese Williams, who is orchestrating much of what is busily going on all around her as she offers tips and advice for those who someday dream to be in her place as a member of Liberty Hill’s varsity volleyball squad.

According to Lady Panthers head coach Gretchen Peterson, Williams is truly in her element in such an environment.

“Reese doesn’t know a stranger,” said Peterson, of the senior outside hitter. “She’s a very good ambassador for our school.”

However, Williams is much more than just a figurehead for what the Lady Panthers are all about – she backs up words with action.

Like when called upon in the third set of Liberty Hill’s recent rugged road match against Glenn to help seal the deal and responded with three kills in the final stanza, as she and her teammates secured the victory.

For the first two sets of the match against the Grizzlies, Williams found herself on the bench in her role of super-sub, but that didn’t mean she didn’t glean just as much enjoyment from the proceedings as if she had been out on the court herself, she said.

“I’m always feeding off my teammates’ success,” said Williams. “I love it when (senior middle blocker) Ailie (Hair) or (senior outside hitter) Maddi (Rowley) get a big hit and I can keep myself motivated.”

This way, when the time comes and her number is called, Williams is ready.

“I think I’ve proven to Coach Peterson she can lean on me to get the job done,” she said.

Peterson backed up that claim with assurance and not only about Williams, but the Lady Panthers’ entire bench contingent.

“I wish people could see how hard all our players work in practice every day and Reese is no different,” she said.

“Which is why we trust them to be out there and they deserve to have a part – Reese is a real team player.”

Peterson added there’s a particular degree of difficulty – mentally and physically – in being ready to provide a spark off the bench at the drop of a hat on a moment’s notice – but something Williams has harnessed to her own and the team’s benefit.

“It’s not an easy thing to do,” she said. “But, Reese allows everyone else to play confident and relaxed because she has great maturity, is super-outgoing and one of those kids who is very authentic – what you see is what you get and she has a great heart.”

Williams – who debuted on the varsity last season as a junior – first picked up a volleyball in third grade, but it wasn’t the only one she threw or kicked around initially, she said.

“Oh, no, I played t-ball, soccer and basketball,” said Wil-

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill senior Reese Williams (#17) wears her number as a tribute to her father and is very passionate about family, which makes her an excellent leader and teammate. liams. “But, there was way too much running in soccer and basketball.”

So, after briefly dabbling in other athletic activities, Williams chose to singly pursue volleyball once she reached seventh grade at Liberty Hill Middle School and has stuck with the sport ever since.

“I just like hitting the ball as hard as I can,” she said.

Williams hit a stumbling block – literally and figuratively, that is – this past summer when she broke a bone in her left hand while training during the annual Panther Athletic Conditioning.

“I was jumping up onto an agility box and hit it with my hand on the way up,” said Williams. “Broke a metacarpal.”

The unfortunate mishap

meant Williams got a late start to her senior season and wasn’t able to play in the preseason tournaments that were back on again this season after having been wiped out last year by the pandemic, meaning she was unable to get touches on the ball along with her teammates in anticipation of the district

See WILLIAMS, Page 9

Dismal district deeply depressing

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor We sure got spoiled the first f o u r games of the Panthers’ football season, as with the exception of the 62-6 Week 2 demolition of Del Valle, we had three closely-contested, hard-fought contests to enjoy.

No longer.

You see, the district schedule is once again upon us and with it comes a cacophony of catastrophe – for Liberty Hill’s opponents, that is.

Exhibit No. 1 of this evidence was the glorified practice we witnessed at Burger Stadium in Austin last week, as the Panthers manhandled Crockett by a score of 62-0 in a game that could easily have been 102-0.

Whether or not the scoreboard at venerable Burger will accommodate a basketball score is another matter, but there was no need to test its numerical nimbleness, after all, as the visitors kept the score somewhat respectable after beating the Cougars, 760, last season.

By the way, Crockett High School happens to be named after Davy Crockett himself – although technically, it’s known as “David Crockett High School,” which makes no sense because we’re pretty sure only his mother ever called him by his full first name.

An interesting aside is when the school first opened its doors to students back in 1968, actor Fess Parker, who portrayed Crockett in Disney’s 1950s Hollywood production of the famous frontiersman and his exploits, actually attended the school’s first-ever pep rally.

Parker is still with us at age 85, but wasn’t in attendance at the game, although the Cougars could’ve certainly used something – anything – to be at least a bit more competitive.

In fact, the home team was so inept, we’re pretty sure the King of the Wild Frontier and his rag-tag band of militiamen would’ve put up a better fight.

At least they have muskets.

But, no, instead we were all forced to witness yet another slaughter the likes of

which we’ve unfortunately become quite accustomed to since Liberty Hill moved up to Class 5A Division II last season.

Speaking of the whole Division I, Division II thing – which only exists in football, by the way – that concept is the only thing that keeps the Panthers’ gridiron gladiators from competing against the same schools all the other Liberty Hill teams do across the sports spectrum – in other words, local rivals in nearby towns like Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park.

Supposedly, there is more of a disparity in fielding football teams compared to other sports, which is what precipitates the supposed need for a dividing line between bigger and smaller Class 5A schools.

On the surface, it makes sense, but we’re not so sure.

For example, Cedar Park, Georgetown and Leander are all Division I programs, while Glenn, Rouse and East View are all Division II. So, the latter three are already in the same boat as the Panthers and is there any reason to believe Liberty Hill wouldn’t be competitive against the former trio?

Oh, wait.

The Panthers already defeated Georgetown this season in a compelling contest that had all the makings of a next-door neighbor rivalry, which can only flourish and grow stronger with each passing year.

Kind of like the feuds the Panthers used to have with the likes of Burnet and Lampasas in their previous football existence and wasn’t that great?

You can bet the ranch, the farm and your bottom dollar, those kinds of rivalries will never happen with the group of sorry, sad-sack squads the Purple-and-Gold find themselves up against these days.

But, with common sense no longer being common, it would make too much sense for the Panthers to be grouped in with the surrounding Class 5A schools mentioned above.

As a result, we’re left to only hope when district realignment comes to fruition early next year, we’ll have an upgrade in that department.

But, until then – at least for the next five games until the playoffs begin, we can look forward to more of the same as we saw against Crockett.

With or without Davy.

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ABBY GLENN PHOTOS

(LEFT) Greg Miller is taking his role as a senior seriously in helping lead Liberty Hill’s cross country team toward a berth at the state championships. (ABOVE) Senior Payton Stephenson is working to keep her spot on the Panthers’ varsity squad after moving up from the JV team.

Moving up the ranks Cross country runners push one another

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Payton Stephenson is a senior on Liberty Hill’s cross country team, but her status as an upperclassman doesn’t guarantee her a spot on the varsity squad.

In the Panthers’ ranks, time means everything, as far as where one ends up in the pecking order at the starting line.

A junior varsity runner can post a better time than one of his or her counterparts on the varsity and suddenly fine themselves switching places with them from one race to the next.

Earlier this season, Stephenson found herself competing for the JV, but got her chance to run with the big girls when a spot opened due to a varsity runner’s illness and so there she was on the starting line with her teammates among 250 runners at the Islander Splash in Corpus Christi.

Stephenson finished in the middle of the pack and now has her sights set on keeping her place in the Lady Panthers’ lineup.

“I want to stay on the varsity,” she said. “I try to PR (set a personal record) every race and not be the last Liberty Hill runner.”

Fellow senior Greg Miller is also coming on strong down the stretch, posting a 32ndplace finish in a field of 263 runners in Corpus Christi and is looking forward to helping what has been a solid Panthers team continue to build on its success at the end of the season’s big races.

“I think we have good momentum now,” said Miller, of the boys’ second-place team finish. “We’re disappointed we lost to Round Rock, but overall it was a huge confidence builder.”

Only seven runners on each side of the gender line will be able to compete at the district meet, which means Stephenson must remain focused to be one of them when the starting gun goes off.

“It’s a lot of pressure and I normally have a lot of anxiety,” she said. “But, I want to be able to score points for my team.”

If lineage counts for anything, Stephenson should have an edge in that department, she said.

“My mom has always been a runner and I have a body just like hers,” said Stephenson, of mother Amber, who is a veteran marathoner. “I’ve always been surrounded by running.”

Stephenson said she especially enjoyed the journey to Corpus Christi due to the nostalgic nature of the event for her.

“I got to go there my freshman year,” she said. “This time, we did a lot of the same things we got to then, so it was very sentimental after I experienced it at regionals and hopefully this wasn’t the last time.”

Of course, a return visit to the Gulf Coast city is contingent on her and her teammates’ upcoming performance at the district meet, from which only the top three squads will advance and earn a trip south, but Stephenson is confident.

“I think we can go all the way,” she said. “We have a lot of freshman runners with a lot of talent and speed, but it won’t be an easy feat.”

Miller said the parity on the boys’ side is what will drive them toward the season’s ultimate finish line.

“We’re very close-knit during races and push each other at practice,” he said. “We don’t just assume (senior) Jacob (Russell) is always going to be our first runner – we’re always thinking ‘why can’t I beat him this week?’”

Liberty Hill head coach Kim Holt said the team’s recent defeat to rivals Georgetown – at the Panthers’ home meet, no less – served as a reminder to remain vigilant.

“I think everybody needs a wake-up call,” she said.

“Georgetown’s guys were only seconds in front of our kids, but they’ve come back and done well.”

Miller said he and his teammates were surprised at Georgetown’s strong showing in their only matchup with the Eagles this season.

“I think we were caught offguard by them,” he said. “Last season, they didn’t even make it out of district, so we’ve been more focused on teams like Marble Falls, Leander and Cedar Park as our main competition, so it was an eye-opener for us to ready for other teams.”

As a senior on the squad, Miller takes it upon himself to make sure his teammates keep their eyes on the prize – an at-

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tribute he attributes to former teammates who showed him the way as an underclassman and particularly a graduated senior off last year’s team, he said.

“I look at how a guy like Cade Johnson led our team,” said Miller. “He kept everybody focused, but also knew when it was time to goof around and when to be serious.”

Next up for the Panthers is the McNeil Invitational at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, which is where the state meet is held annually, which means another preview of a venue they will hopefully return to at season’s end.

“It’s going to be good for us because it’s a refresher,” said Miller. “We can get a feel for how to race, when to push and so forth.”

Stephenson has already experienced the course and knows what lies ahead for her and her teammates.

“McNeil is daunting,” she said. “It’s a very diverse course with all different kinds of terrain including sections with gravel and concrete.”

Miller wants to make sure the Panthers can ride the wave which they picked up in Corpus Christi all the way in to the shore in the form of a state championships appearance.

“We really need to use the momentum we got down there,” he said. “So, we need to go to McNeil and just focus on having a strong race.”

Page 8

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

CROSS COUNTRY BRIEFS Boys win at McNeil Invitational

Liberty Hill’s boys’ cross country squad continued an excellent season thus far with a team victory at the McNeil Invitational at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

All five of the Panthers’ point-scoring runners finished in the top 22 in a field of 192 competitors in racking up a score of 68 points to easily outdistance Highland Park’s 98.

Individually, senior Jacob Russell scored a fourth-place finish in a time of 17:05.20 as Liberty Hill’s top performer in the race.

Ryan McCarn (14th, 17:28.90), Brandon Escobar

(15th, 17:31.90), Greg Miller (19th, 17:37.60) and Caden Glenn (22nd, 17:44.30) rounded out the Panthers’ top five.

Other Liberty Hill finishers included Cayden Branch (28th, 17:58.40), Nicholas Hogge (47th, 18:33.80), Christopher Higginbotham (64th, 18:54.90), Chay Luna (81st, 19:17.20) and Brandon Colicher (87th, 19:25.00).

East View’s Antonio Pena won the event in 16:44.70.

On the girls’ side, Avery Frank continued her run of top-five finishes on the season with a third-place result in 20:01.70.

Eimilie Taylor (42nd, 22:38.20), Emma Hiebner (62nd, 23:06.80), Avery Hol-

SWIMMING BRIEFS Panthers open season in swimming pool

Liberty Hill opened the swim season with a meet against Leander and Vista Ridge and had a pair of winners in the girls’ individual events and one on the boys’ side.

On the girls’ side, Victoria Phegley won a pair of events in winning the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 1:03.13 and the 100-yard freestyle in 59.66.

Zaria Avestruz won the 100yard backstroke in 1:08.33 and was second in the 200-yard in-

dividual medley with a time of 2:32.95.

Addison Gonzales placed second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:15.22 and fifth in the 100- yard backstroke in 1:12.46.

Presli Jensen was fifth in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:15.47, while Avery Frank placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:33.59 and Nebraska Patnaude finished sixth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:27.39.

Grace Pringle was third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:26.97), Madelyn Edwards was sixth

in the 200-yard individual medley (2:44.99) and Brooke Becker placed third in the 100yard breaststroke (1:26.41).

For the boys, Cooper Hardy won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:54.67 and finished second in the 100-yard freestyle (52.51), which were both school records.

In the relays, the girls’ 200yard medley team of Avestruz, Becker, Phegley and Edwards was second in 2:05.06, while Pringle, Becker, Edwards and Phegley finished second in the 200-yard freestyle (1:57.08).

Panthers open district tourney with win

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SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

India Young won her No. 1 singles and doubles matches in the Panthers’ 10-0 home win over Glenn in the opening round of the district tournament. won 6-3, 6-2, No. 3 Garner on 8-3, No. 4 Gray lost 6-8, No. 5 Evans lost 1-8, No. 6 Cash Terry lost 2-8, No. 7 Josh Allaire won 8-6, No. 8 Williams won 6-3 and No. 9 Snell won 1-0.

In girls’ doubles, No. 1 I. Young/E. Young won 6-0, 6-0, No. 2 Ortega/Homorodi won 6-0, 6-1 and No. 3 Bodnar/ Merrill won 6-2, 6-1.

In boys’ doubles, No. 1 Fay/ Wukasch won 6-3, 6-3, No. 2 Garner/Gray lost 6-7 (4-7), 1-6, No. 3 Snell/ Williams lost 4-6, 6-4 (6-10) and No. 4 Allaire/Avery lost 6-8.

In mixed doubles, No. 1 Sherman and Evans won 7-5, 6-2 and No. 2 Emma Neeley/ Jon Kiger lost 4-8.

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Thursday, September 30, 2021

land (64th, 23:09.30) and Nanci Sanchez (67th, 23:15.90) completed the Lady Panthers’ top five in securing a sixthplace team finish in a field of 25 teams with 207 points behind winners Highland Park, who posted 81 points.

Also finishing for the Panthers were Laney McCarn (72nd, 23:2020), Ella Egizio (73rd, 23:21.3), Natalie Roth (95th, 23:58.20), Payton Stephenson (98th, 24:07.90) and Ashley Price (117th, 24:29.00).

Amara Hawkins-Quinones of Alamo Heights won the race in a time of 19:37.10.

Liberty Hill will next compete at the Georgetown Invitational at East View on Oct. 2.

TENNIS BRIEFS Liberty Hill opened the district tournament with a convincing 10-0 home victory over Glenn.

In girls’ singles, No. 1 India Young won 6-1, 6-0, No. 2 Ellis Young won 6-0, 6-0, No. 3 Sophie Sherman won 6-2, 6-1, No. 4 Jennifer Merrill won 6-0, 6-0, No. 5 Ella Bodnar won 6-2, 6-0 and No. 6 Peyton Buckley won 4-0, 4-1.

In boys’ singles, No. 1 Joseph Sherman won 6-1, 6-2, No. 2 Patrick Fay 6-0, 6-0, No. 3 Ethan Wukasch won 7-5, 6-3, No. 4 Colin Garner won 6-0, 6-1 and No. 5 Will Gray won 6-1, 6-1.

In girls’ doubles, No. 1 I. Young/E. Young won 6-0, 6-0, No. 2 Buckley/Merrill won 6-0, 6-0 and No. 3 Ava Ortega/ Eliza Homorodi won 6-0, 6-0.

In boys’ doubles, No. 1 Fay/ Wukasch won 6-2, 6-0, No. 2 Garner/Gray won 6-1, 6-1, No. 3 Will Snell/Tyler Williams won 6-0, 6-2.

In mixed doubles, No. 1 S. Sherman/J. Sherman won 6-0, 6-1.

Liberty Hill 17, College Station 8 The Panthers hit the road to College Station and came home with a 17-8 victory.

In girls’ singles, No. 1 I. Young won 6-0, 6-1, No. 2 E. Young won 1-6, 6-0, (10-2), No. 3 Sherman won 6-2, 6-0, No. 4 Merrill won 6-2, 6-1, No. 5 Bodnar won 6-2, 6-1, No. 6 Ortega won 6-2, 6-2 and No. 7 Homorodi won 6-4.

In boys’ singles, No. 1 Fay lost 3-6, 3-6, No. 2 Wukasch

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Liberty Hill, Texas (the “City”), pursuant to Texas Tax Code Sections 311.003 and 311.007 will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 6:30 PM at the Liberty Hill City Council Chambers/Municipal Court at 2801 Ranch Road 1869, Liberty Hill, Texas 78642 for the purpose of considering an amendment to Ordinance No. 18-0-116 adopted by the City Council of the City on December 10, 2018 (the “TIRZ Ordinance”) creating the Reinvestment Zone Number Three, City of Liberty Hill, Texas Butler Farms TIRZ (“Zone No. 3”), which amendment will extend the term of Zone No. 3 to be concurrent with the term of the initial series of public improvement district assessment revenue bonds to be issued by the City to finance certain public improvements within the boundaries of the Butler Farms Public Improvement District and Zone No. 3.

All persons are invited to

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill’s Andon Thomas (#10), Drake Torno (#44) and Hollis Brady (#80) combine for a tackle during the Panthers’ 62-0 away district win over Crockett.

Panthers blow out Cougars in district opener, 62-0

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor AUSTIN -- Junior varsity football players dream of when they’ll get their chance to shine under the Friday night lights as members of the varsity squad.

However, for some young Panthers understudies, they got their first taste of life playing with the big boys in Liberty Hill’s 62-0 district-opening victory over Crockett at Burger Stadium in Austin.

Six different Liberty Hill players scored touchdowns on the evening, but by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, even the varsity backups were cooling their jets on the sidelines, while some of the Purple-and-Gold’s future was on display in the form of several JV players who had been called up for the contest making their varsity debuts.

As a result, there was no scoring in the final period, but for all intents and purposes, the game had long been decided by that point in the proceedings.

However, it was the Cougars who actually chalked up the game’s initial first down, after Crockett had won the coin flip and received the opening kick.

But, the hosts’ good fortune didn’t last long, as on the next play after moving the chains, Liberty Hill nose tackle Drake Torno recovered a fumble at the Crockett 33-yard line and it only took three plays from there for Joe Pitchford to cash in the Cougars’ mistake with a 13-yard touchdown run to open the scoring and give the Panthers a 7-0 lead with only a little over two minutes gone.

After Noah Long got in on the scoring act with a 20yard sprint for a 14-0 lead before even the halfway point of the first quarter, the Panthers’ defense joined the attend the hearing and speak for or against the amendment to the TIRZ Ordinance or the extension of the term of Zone No. 3. Written or oral statements will be considered.

(9/30)

LEGAL NOTICES

early points parade, as Aaron Brewer picked up a fumble on a botched Crockett punt attempt and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown before Torno recovered his second fumble of the night, only this one in the Cougars’ end zone after Colin Brandt had hammered a Crockett ballcarrier on a 3rd-and-10 at the home team’s 15-yard-line and jarred the ball loose.

Walker said it’s gratifying to see his defenders pick up points on the score sheet.

“It’s always a lot of fun for a defensive lineman to get a touchdown,” he said, of Torno’s recovery. “Also, it’s good we got Brewer one, too.”

Just like that, it was 28-0 after only one quarter of play, an advantage the Panthers would extend to 42-0 at the half following another pair of Liberty Hill touchdowns in the second quarter.

Logan Dyer finished off a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive with a three-yard plunge before the Panthers pulled one out of the passing playbook for the second week in a row.

After Pitchford found Gavin Salinas in the end zone on an option pass the previous week against LBJ, once again it was the junior running back on the business end of a scoring strike, only this time it was junior signal-caller Reese Vickers who pulled the trigger after subbing in for senior starter Will Szewczyk on the play with a six-yard connection through the air in the back-right corner of the end zone.

At the outset of the second half, Liberty Hill’s starters weren’t around long, but not before Long scored his second touchdown of the game on a 33-yard run only three plays into the third quarter before Salinas and Pitchford each scored their second of

the night on runs of seven and one yard, respectively, to close out the scoring.

As far as the fourth quarter was concerned, Walker was more than happy to provide those select youngsters a chance to perform on the big stage – even if it did come at the starters’ expense, he said.

“I’m glad we got to get those kids some valuable varsity experience,” he said. “Although it’s tough for our starters to sit out – they didn’t want to sit.

But, I joked with them about running them after the game because we need to stay in shape.”

Long once again led Liberty Hill with 113 yards on seven carries on a relatively light night of work for the sophomore sensation, but the Panthers’ leading rusher was also glad to see some of the younger players who are still his peers get some game action.

“At first, it’s hard to sit out,” he said. “But, then I get to see some of my sophomore buddies out there getting a chance to play.”

Pitchford picked up 56 yards rushing on eight carries with a pair of touchdowns, while Dyer gained 56 yards on six attempts with a touchdown.

Defensively, Andon Thomas led the Panthers with 11 tackles on the night, with Tanner Cearley getting nine and Brandt and Devin Riley eight each.

Liberty Hill (3-2, 1-0) will next host Travis next Friday at 7:30 p.m, but for the time being, it’s mission accomplished for his squad, said Walker.

“I’m proud of our kids – we’re 1-0 in district,” he said.

“I’m proud of the effort.”

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THE PROPERTY IS ADDRESSED AS 8660 HIGHLEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN WAY 29 W, LIBERTY HILL, that the City of Liberty Hill TX 78642. has been asked to review and In accordance with Section approve the following applica- 211.006, Texas Local Government Code, a public heartion(s), to wit: A request for a Zone Map ing on this application will Amendment from the Agri- be conducted by the Planning cultural (AG) zoning classi- and Zoning Commission at fication to the General Com- the Liberty Hill Municipal mercial/Retail (C3) zoning Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Rd classification on the following 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 property: 5.000 ACRES - BEING at 6:30 PM. Upon receiving PART OF THE W. H. MON- a recommendation from the ROE, SURVEY, ABSTRACT Commission, the City CounNO.453 IN WILLIAMSON cil will conduct its own public COUNTY, TEXAS, A PART hearing and take final action OF LAND CONVEYED TO on this matter on Wednesday, THE DIPPREY FAMILY IR- October 27, 2021 at 6:30 PM REVOCABLE TRUST ET at the Liberty Hill Municipal AL, VIA DOCUMENT NO. Courthouse, 2801 Ranch Rd 2011015030 OF THE DEED 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642.

RECORDS OF WILLIAM- For more information, you SON COUNTY, TEXAS AND may either visit the DevelopIDENTIFIED AS ASSES- ment Services Department at

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(9/30) 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.

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Thursday, September 30, 2021

CEDAR PARK of the night and the sophomore immediately delivered with a kill, which was followed by another from Hair and a block

by Emma Parsons to take an early advantage.

But, that lead was wiped out as Cedar Park went on a run in building one of its own, which grew to as much as 15-11 midway through the set.

However, with Liberty Hill trailing by two points at 15-12, Hair blocked shots on back-toback points right before Rowley pounded a winner, which was followed by a Hair ace to even up the set at 16-16.

From that point, the teams battled back-and-forth until the Timberwolves were one point from going up 2-0 in sets at 24-23 when a call which would’ve done just that was reversed in the Lady Panthers’ favor after it was erroneously determined the visitors had touched the ball four times before returning it back over the net on the decisive point.

Following the reversal, Bailey Becker and Hair both served aces to close out the stanza in swiping the set victory in a sequence which Peter-

BECKER

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 6

son said reversed the fortunes of both teams.

“It was a huge momentum swing,” she said. “Officials have a tough job, but I think it was the right call – although things like that can go either way, so it’s about how you respond.”

Although initially as the third set got underway, it certainly didn’t seem as if Cedar Park had been at all rattled by the chain of events, as they got out to a 7-2 lead early on.

But, it was Rowley who took matters into her own hands at that point by providing a pair of kills and back-to-back aces sandwiched around a pair of blocks and a kill by Becker as the Lady Panthers began to establish a dominance at the net which would ultimately lead to victory.

Brooklyn Escobar served an ace, but the Timberwolves immediately followed with a 5-0 run to go ahead 16-14, but after Rowley had put Liberty Hill back on top at 17-16, it was Hair who closed out the set with a block and another pair of kills.

Hair said as she continued

to heat up, the Cedar Park defense shifted its focal point to shutting her down, which created opportunities for the likes of Becker, Poulain and Mason.

“When the other team is worried about my hitting and shift their double-block to me, it opens up single blocks for my teammates,” she said. “So, it really helped everybody.”

Peterson praised Hair’s defensive prowess throughout the match.

“Defensively was where Ailie really stepped up,” she said.

“She set the block really well and got a lot of points that way, which opened up things for Gigi (Mason), Morgan (Poulain), Emma (Parsons) and Bailey (Becker) to get touches on the ball. Our defense made our offense, which is phenomenal for that to happen.”

However, despite now being down 2-1 in sets, Cedar Park was still undaunted as the fourth set began and it took all Liberty Hill could muster to hold off the hosts.

Hair collected two more kills and an ace at the outset, which was followed by a Rowley kill and a Mason block, but then it

was the Division I-bound Hair who refused to let Liberty Hill lose on this night.

Another pair of blocks for the future Lamar University player was followed by three from Parsons, before Rowley put the Lady Panthers a point away from victory at 24-23.

But, once again, the Timberwolves gamely fought back and actually led 25-24 after a 6-2 run which extended the stanza into extra points.

However, it was Hair who again came to the rescue with yet another pair of kills to seal the deal and in the process send a message to the rest of the district – as well as the Timberwolves, she said.

“This is a big win,” said Hair.

“Because Cedar Park is one of the teams we know is going to be a challenge to beat.”

As the temperature of the match reached a fever-pitch level and the net play got more and more fierce, Hair was able to properly channel her emotions into positive results, said Peterson.

“Ailie recognizes now at times like that she just needs to take a deep breath,” she said.

heavy lifting in picking up the slack at the left-outside hitter position in getting most of the playing time in Becker’s absence.

“I know it’s been pretty stressful for Kealy to have been thrown in there like this,” said Becker. “So, I try to give her the same kind of advice I got when I was in her situation as a young player and tell her all the things I know.”

Such as?

“Making sure she stays out of her own head – which is something I tell all the players,” she said. “Everybody’s going to mess up and make mistakes and people are going to have bad matches.”

Peterson said it’s been a focus for her and her players to consciously move on from Becker’s injury on the court, while continuing to support her rehab effort off it.

“Not having Emma changes how we attack things, but we’re still a very good team,” she said. “There’s no point in playing the ‘what if’ or ‘woe is me’ game – that’s not going to help the situation. Everyone has stepped in and done a really good job.”

All that being said, though, there’s certainly no denying the critical elements and ingre-

dients missing without Becker on the court, said Peterson.

“Emma’s a four-year varsity starter who’s very dynamic and super-athletic,” she said.

“She’s also a six-rotation player who we can trust anywhere on the court.”

Although she’s embracing her role the best she can for the remainder of her final season in Purple-and-Gold, Becker regrets the fact she can’t completely enjoy the experience in the same way she usually would – especially in the wake of last season’s difficulties due to the pandemic, she said.

“It stinks to not be able to go out there and do what I love most during my senior year,” said Becker. “Especially now that we have our big crowds back and not to be able to play for them.”

Becker knows she will return to the court in a relatively short period of time upon her recovery – but that doesn’t make the time between now and then pass any faster, she said.

“All I can do is wait it out, but it feels like it takes forever to get back to normal,” said Becker. “But, I just have to stay positive and know all this will make me a better person and player.”

But, Williams doesn’t stop there with her maternal instincts.

“I’m kind of like our team mom,” she said. “Like when I was injured, I was always going around to everyone asking if they ate or drank enough – things like that. But, we have other players who are like that, too, like (senior defensive specialist) Haley (Kuhlmann) and Maddi and we all have our little part.”

Williams would like to attend Texas A&M next year, but doesn’t yet know what she wants to major in – although she may parlay her people skills into a profession which rewards those who have the gift of communication.

“I really have no idea,” she said. “But, my mom’s a re-

al-estate agent and my dad’s a salesman, so I guess we’ll see.”

Peterson has some idea of what kind of career Williams would thrive in based on her personality, she said.

“I think Reese would be an amazing teacher and coach someday and I’m sure she’s a really good big sister,” said Peterson. “She has a natural ability to take charge and command a room, be able to lead and make everyone feel comfortable.”

Williams does know what she doesn’t like, though.

“Math has too many numbers and English has too many rules,” she said. “But, I do like history because it’s all memorization.”

Continued from Page 5

thing and I’ve been keeping them updated on my progress,” said Becker. “I’m really happy I picked the right school.”

However, until next season when she’s once again fully fit, Becker must continue to manage watching her teammates battle on without her from the sidelines while wearing a walking boot and getting around on crutches, with an estimated three-month rehabilitation to regain full strength.

“It’s really hard because I love the sport so much and seeing other people play makes me want to,” she said.

“But, watching from the bench has allowed me to see the play from a different perspective in learning and studying the game, which will make me a better player.”

Head coach Gretchen Peterson has solidly supported Becker throughout her ordeal and appreciates what she still provides in her new, unplanned role – but also with a tinge of sorrow, she said.

“Emma definitely made the right decision to have the surgery now,” said Peterson.

“This way, she can come back next year confident and ready.

But, it still breaks my heart for her to not have the chance to have the kind of season

WILLIAMS

this year every senior should have.”

Now, when Peterson calls a timeout during matches, Becker is still part of the huddle, but in a different way than before.

“Emma has so much knowledge to pass along,” said Peterson. “ Especially to our younger players.”

So, exactly what kind of wisdom does Becker impart to her teammates when the chips are down?

“It really depends on what kind of match it is and what I can see from the bench,” said Becker. “Sometimes, they can’t hear me on the court from the bench, so then I’ll tell them what I see – but, mostly I just try to bring the same kind of energy to get them to keep playing as hard as they can – it’s important for us to know we all have each other’s backs.”

Peterson said that’s a theme that runs through her entire roster this season.

“Most of all, our girls all want each other to succeed,” she said. “They cheer louder for each other than for themselves.”

The primary beneficiary of Becker’s bad fortune has been sophomore Kealy Dirner, who has done her fair share of

Continued from Page 7

schedule.

“Everybody else was getting to play, unlike last season,” she said. “But, not me.”

With some sideline time on her hands, Williams still found a way to contribute to the cause in helping to deck out the Lady Panthers’ unofficial team mascot, a baby doll named “Mamaz,” which was the brainchild of fellow senior Bailey Becker and became a canvas of creativity among the players as each offered her own unique addition to the plastic-and-rubber infant.

“I’m the one who gave her all her piercings,” said Williams, of the shiny studs which adorn both lobes of the simulated child. “I have mine, too.”

Williams wears number 17 as a tribute to her father who

also wore the digits as a highschool baseball and football player, which is only fitting with her penchant for everything family.

“I have a stepsister who is 23, a stepbrother who is 14, a sister who is 12 ans a brother who is nine,” she said. “My parents got divorced when I was two, then my mom got remarried and her and my stepfather have been together for 14 years.”

As a result of being around a stable of siblings, Williams has found she takes to a leadership role in that context rather naturally – a fact which has earned her a certain moniker, she said.

“I also have about 15 or 20 cousins,” said Williams. “I guess I took to being around them pretty well, so my dad calls me ‘Mother Hen.’”

YOUR LIBERTY HILL HQ FOR PANTHER WEAR!

Page 9

“If all she does is her best, that’s still going to be pretty good.”

Rowley led the Lady Panthers with 15 kills and 21 digs, while Parsons had 28 assists and 13

BREWER

digs, with Mason blocking four shots and Becker adding three aces.

Liberty Hill (31-8, 5-1) hosts Marble Falls on Oct. 1.

Continued from Page 5

However, Brewer does have a physical solution to his psychological quandary.

“I just really bite down as hard as I can on my mouthpiece,” he said. “Then I just feel like I want to kill somebody.”

Brewer has also played basketball growing up, but this year he said he might take a different athletic direction once football season is over.

“I might try soccer and be the goalkeeper,” said Brewer.

“But, I have to keep lifting weights, so I don’t lose muscle mass.”

During the Panthers’ 62-0 victory over Crockett in the district opener, Brewer did something he had never done before in a varsity game – score a touchdown – which he did after scooping up a loose

ball and returning it 15 yards for six points.

At first, though, he said he wasn’t sure exactly what to do upon seeing the ball lying tantalizingly on the ground with nothing between him and the end zone but open field.

“First, I was just going to jump on it,” said Brewer. “But, the ball was sitting up – I’ve recovered a lot of fumbles, but never scored.”

As far as the sibling rivalry is concerned, there’s still one thing Brewer can get up on both his brothers, he said.

“I want a first-place medal,” he said, of the state championship that eluded both Brady and Jack during their Panthers playing days. “Brady has a second-place medal and we were so close last year.”

Live in Historic Downtown Liberty Hill Walk to restaurants, salons, corner grocery and more!

Just minutes to highly acclaimed Liberty Hill Schools.

New 2BR 1BA apartments | Porches + balconies | Privacy + gorgeous scenery Washer/dryer hookups | Green space for kids + pets to play

304 Stubblefield Lane | StubblefieldPark.com

14262 W. State Hwy 29 • Mon-Sat 10-6

CALL TODAY 512-453-6566

Military & First Responders Discount • Locally Owned + Managed

Page 10

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

HOMES AROUND THE HILL Summerlyn West, Leander Grayson, Leander Watson Place, Bertram - 5 acres Home + In-Law House, No HOA - 10 acres Kempner Ranch - 40 acres 2 Homes/Guest House - 4.95 acres Liberty Hill - 76 acres Little Gabriel River Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Florence Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Amiifast Ind Park Bertram - 10 acres Hidden Meadows - 2 acres Sunset Oaks - 3 acres Bertram - 10 acres Durham Park Silver Creek Ranch - 2 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Highland Lake Estates - Lago Vista Hornsby, J - 4.6 acres Liberty Hill - 17 acres Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Mesa Vista Ranch Luciano Cabasos Flores Florence Buttercup Townhomes Durham Park Carriage Oaks - 1 acre Hillcrest Cantarra Meadows/Pflugerville Palmera Ridge - Leander Palmera Ridge - Leander Llano Iron Oak - 2 acres Summerlynn - Leander Near Downtown Liberty Hill University Park - Georgetown San Gabriel River - 3/4 acres Cloudwood Ranch Lot - Briggs Liberty Hill - 2.2 acres

Homes for Sale

164 Green Egret Way 144 Syrah Court 240 Floyds Run 2150 CR 282 820 Panther Creek 1601 CR 256 4060 CR 201

4BR/2.5BA/Office/2 Living 3BR/2.5BA 4BR/3BA 2BR/3BA + 3BR/1BA - Pool 6BR/5BA 4BR/4BA 3BR/2B - Barndominium & Shop Acreage / Lots / Property for Sale 420 Iva Bell Lane Barn TBD Lobella Bloom Bend Lot 91, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 71, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 74, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 75, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 79, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 83, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 85, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 87, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 89, Block 1 Phase III Tract 3A N Hwy 195 No restrictions, Ag exempt TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 72, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 73, Block 1 Phase III TBD Yellow Senna Pl Lot 76, Block 1 Phase III TBD Red Yucca Ct Lot 88, Block 1 Phase III Lot 12 Cloudwood Ranch Rd Lots of trees Commercial Property for Sale 100 Bevers No restrictions, water available 110 Bevers No restrictions, water available 118 Bevers No restrictions, water available 126 Bevers No restrictions, water available 129 Bevers No restrictions, water available 145 Bevers No restrictions, water available Under Contract / Pending CR 321 1103 CR 204 631 CR 269 CR 321 500 CR 288 644 Silver Creek Dr TBD Yellow Senna Pl 20701 Harrison Cv 1840 CR 226 17600 W State Hwy 29 TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Yellow Senna Pl TBD Red Yucca Ct TBD Red Yucca Ct 1540 W Hwy 29 550 Stadium Dr

Tract 4B N Hwy 195 401 Buttercup Creek Blvd 550 Shin Oak Lane 105 Cavalier Lane 120 Crestview Dr 13500 Kearns Dr 2201 Bonavista Way 2200 Bonavista Way 504 E Green St 232 Oak Hill 104 Falcon Lane 3103 CR 1869 2006 E 18th St 121 River Rd Lot 22 Cloudwood Ranch Rd 140 Shin Oak Lane

River front & trees 3BR/2BA 3BR/3BA River front & trees Trees, electric, water 3BR/2BA - Pool Lot 80, Block 1 Phase III Electricity & water available 4BR/2BA 3 Homes & Barn Lot 92, Block 1 Phase III Lot 70, Block 1 Phase III Lot 77, Block 1 Phase III Lot 78, Block 1 Phase III Lot 81, Block 1 Phase III Lot 82, Block 1 Phase III Lot 84, Block 1 Phase III Lot 90, Block 1 Phase III 2BR/1BA Cleared & level Sold!

No restrictions, Ag exempt 2BR/2.5BA Wet weather creek 4BR/4BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/2BA - Game Room 3BR/2BA - 2 car garage 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA 4BR/4BA 4BR/2.5BA - 2 car garage Commercial, Mixed Use 3BR/2BA 3BR/2BA Lots of oaks, backs to creek 3BR/2BA + pool

$ 489,000 $ 375,000 $ 810,000 $ 970,000 $1,200,000 $ 995,000 $1,999,000

2709 sq ft 1482 sq ft 3118 sq ft 3353 total sq ft 4483 sq ft 3112 sq ft 1624 sq ft

Kristen Childers Adrienne Hughes Tammy Wise Sabrina Jordan Cheryl Stephens Cheryl Stephens Tammy Wise

$1,200,000 $ 201,000 $ 203,000 $ 212,000 $ 275,000 $ 229,000 $ 201,000 $ 285,000 $ 404,000 $ 202,000 $ 338,168 $ 219,000 $ 210,000 $ 418,000 $ 248,000 $ 255,000

20 acres 2.01 acres 2.03 acres 2.12 acres 2.75 acres 2.29 acres 2.01 acres 2.85 acres 4.04 acres 2.02 acres 11.3 acres 2.19 acres 2.10 acres 4.18 acres 2.48 acres 7.74 acres

Amy Gandy Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Dax Oglesby Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Tammy Wise Cheryl Stephens

$ $ $ $ $ $

1.05 acres 1.04 acres 1.04 acres 1.05 acres 4.49 acres 3.110 acres

Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White

550,000 460,000 365,000 275,000 980,000 680,000

$ 425,000 10 acres

Shane T. White

$ 500,000 2984 sq ft

Shane T. White

$ 450,000 1641 sq ft $ 425,000 10 acres

$ 225,000 2.19 acres $ 699,000 2306 sq ft

$ 201,000 2.01 acres $

60,000 .394 acres

Thursday, September 30, 2021

SUBSCRIBE 512.778.5577

Sabrina Jordan REALTOR®

512.680.0375 cell sabrinajordan.kwrealty.com RESIDENTIAL, LAND, FARM & RANCH HOMETOWN ROOTS HOMETOWN VALUES

SELLING L LIBERTY HIL FOR 40 YEARS!

BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?

Shane T. White Shane T. White Shane T. White Amy Gandy

Tammy Wise

Dax Oglesby Shane T. White 1800 sq ft Tammy Wise 2.07 acres Tammy Wise 2.03 acres Tammy Wise 2.37 acres Tammy Wise 2.17 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.01 acres Tammy Wise 2.04 acres Tammy Wise 1180 sq ft Shane T. White 1.337 acre Side-Pad Shane T. White

RE/MAX Town & Country 13561 W. Hwy 29, Liberty Hill shanetwhite@remax.net www.ShaneTWhiteTeam.com

$ 379,000 2432 sq ft $1,600,000 $ 207,000 $ 203,000 $ 237,000 $ 217,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 201,000 $ 204,000 $ 250,000 $ 750,000

$ 564,300 20.9 acres

Dax Oglesby

$ 175,000 2 acres

Amy Gandy

$ 275,000 1280 sq ft $ 560,000 2453 sq ft $ 235,000 1568 sq ft $ 420,000 2507 sq ft $ 430,000 1855 sq ft $ 510,000 2100 sq ft

$ 200,000 1671 sq ft $ 765,000 2800 sq ft $ 350,000 2044 sq ft $ 350,000 968 sq ft

$ 315,000 1404 sq ft $ 230,000 1440 sq ft

$ 197,500 4.25 acres $ 430,000 1611 sq ft

512.515.5263

Shane T. White

Amy Gandy Shane T. White Cheryl Stephens Amy Gandy Amy Gandy Sabrina Jordan Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Dax Oglesby Cheryl Stephens Cheryl Stephens Dax Oglesby

LIBERTY HILL’S REAL ESTATE GUIDE Feature your property listings weekly!

(512) 778-5577

San Gabriel

Real Life. Real People. Real Estate.

Realt y Gr oup

Serving Williamson, Burnet and Travis Counties Residential • Farm and Ranch Minerals • Land and Leasing

Is NOW the time to sell your home?

Call us ... We know the answer!

Kristen Childers REALTOR®

REALTOR®

(512) 501 501-0777

Dax Oglesby

Team Realty of Texas | REALTOR®

AustinAndHillCountryRealEstate.com

(512) 635-7529

www.DaxSellsTexas.com daxoglesbysgrhomes@gmail.com

900 Quest Parkway Cedar Park, TX 78613

Love thy neighbor.

“Our family of seasoned professional agents is what makes us unique.

We’re here to help you, whether it’s selling your property or assisting in finding and purchasing the home of your dreams.”

Adrienne Hughes

Cheryl Stephens

512-810-0185

512-417-0026

Broker/Owner

Tammy Wise

Realtor ®, GRI, MRP

3106 Ranch Road 1869 | Liberty Hill, TX 78642 | www.Hughes-and-Company.com

From Waco to New Braunfels, Llano to LaGrange and everywhere in between.

Amy Gandy, Broker/Owner | MCNE, CLHMS 512-589-9005 | amy@agandyandco.com www.agandyandco.com