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2020

Volume 33, Issue 47

City Council names Hale Administrator By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor As quickly and mysteriously as the issue of hiring a new city administrator disappeared in March, it materialized this week. And in only a few minutes of discussion, the long-standing question of whether Liberty Hill needed an administrator was answered with a unanimous yes. In a surprise move, Council members Kathy Canady and Liz Rundzieher added an item to the Oct. 13 City Council agenda to consider promoting Lacie Hale to the position. After only a few moments of discussion the motion passed by a 4-0 vote – with Council member Gram Lankford absent – and Hale was named the new administrator. Canady said she believed it was time that the position be ﬁlled and that Hale was the right candidate. “It is nothing about anything against Rick (Hall) or the job he has done,” she said. “I just think it has evolved and it is time to bring back (that position).” Rundzieher echoed Canady’s endorsement of Hale. “Lacie is very well qualiﬁed to be the City Administrator,” she said. “I stand behind her 100 percent.” Canady also pointed to Hale being from Liberty Hill as a plus. “I know you’re not supposed to say she’s home grown, but I think it does

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October 15, 2020 | 50 Cents

Early voting begins in Liberty Hill

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer With the beginning of early voting for the Nov. 3 General Election, many folks showed their eagerness to make their choices on the lengthy ballot. The Liberty Hill community started the ﬁrst day of early voting at the Liberty Hill Municipal Court with a strong showing. By 12 Noon, a line formed with a relatively short wait time for early voters. “I wanted to make sure to beat the crowds, ensure the process was fair and get my vote in early,” said Liberty Hill resident Marisa Perez. “The line was pretty quick, maybe about 10 to 15 minutes.” The short wait time is a result of a quick, efﬁcient, and streamlined process. “You just go in, it’s very organized, and you present

your identiﬁcation or voter’s registration card,” said Perez. “They direct you to the voting machine, you cast the ballot according to the instructions, and then you submit your paper ballot.” Perez, a lifelong voter, believes the 2020 election is a pivotal one for the future of the country. “I’ve always voted, and I take that as a privilege as an American, and I would hope that other people do as well. I think this is an important election, probably one of the most important of our time. That was my reason for voting today,” she said. “I think there’s a lot at stake. There’s a pandemic going on. I believe it hasn’t been handled as well as it could have been. I want

Political expenses, contributions continue

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor A number of signs have popped up around town, advocating for Proposition 1 on the Liberty Hill ballot. But initially when they appeared over the weekend there was a mystery about how those signs were funded. At the bottom of the large road signs the paid for disclaimer read “Liz Rundzieher PAC”. But after a search with the Texas Ethics Commission and inquiries with the City of Liberty Hill regarding ﬁling for the PAC or the state-required campaign ﬁnance reports it was learned no such political action committee exists. According to Rundzieher, she originally planned to create a political committee with the intent of supporting the proposition – which is to extend Liberty Hill City Council terms from two years

ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO

According to Williamson County Elections Department, 1,316 ballots were cast at the Liberty Hill Municipal Court on the ﬁrst day of early voting Tuesday. Voters may cast ballots early in person See VOTING, Page 4 through Oct. 30 at the court building, 2801 RM 1869.

to three years – but found out through a discussion with City Attorney Tad Cleaves that she could do the signs as a private citizen. “I paid for them myself,” she told The Independent. “It was strictly forgetful after seven months that it was on there.” But she ordered the signs seven months ago, when the election was set for May, and had Liz Rundzieher PAC printed on them because at that time forming the PAC was her intent. “I had already ordered the signs with the word PAC on them,” Rundzieher said. “When we went and got them the other day down at Digitex I forgot the word PAC was on there and (Wednesday) morning it will be off.” Rundzieher was one of the council members who voted in favor of placing the issue

See REPORTS, Page 4

Community prepares for safe Halloween festivities

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer As Halloween season kicks into overdrive, the Liberty Hill community is preparing to celebrate the ghoulish holiday with tricks and treats of all kinds, from the traditional to the unique. Many are still trick or treating, but with safety precautions and social distancing in mind, others are doing hayrides, and some are even camping. Two events in the area that people are taking part in are the Grace Alive Harvest Festival and the Cross Tracks Church Trunk or Treat. Liberty Hill resident Nancy Richard-Wilk and fellow members of her neighborhood are planning a golf cart gathering and chili cook-off with trunk or treat. “The adults got together and discussed it. We decided what would be best for all ages in-

volved. Especially since Halloween is on a Saturday this year and everyone seems to be very interested in celebrating,” said Wilk. “Clearly, we all need something to celebrate. We think just doing something normal is going to be the best part of the afternoon, dressing up and running around. Plus, the adults will also be participating, and it will be more of a celebration and party atmosphere.” Others are adjusting their traditional plans in ways they never expected to and ﬁnding creative new methods of celebrating. Amanda Crossland of the Liberty Parke neighborhood is organizing a neighborhood decoration contest with various prizes. “I asked the Liberty Parke community on our Facebook group if they would like to do a contest. There were a lot of yes responses. Some people

are decorating but not trick or treating. I also mentioned prizes, and that got the buzz going,” said Crossland. “There are numerous small business owners in Liberty Parke, so I have asked them to donate something for our prizes. First place will have a basket valued at $50, second-place will have $25, and third is $10. It could go up depending on the feedback.” Many in Liberty Parke’s community will also do the traditional trick or treating but with different methods to reduce COVID risks. “I am going to be setting up a spooky table with wipes and sanitizer,” said Crossland. “Other families are doing things like putting candy on sticks, like taped to them and putting them in their yards.” Evin Law is ﬁnding a middle

See HALLOWEEN, Page 4

LIBERTY HILL VOTES 2020

Branigan makes pitch for Mayor’s seat

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

LHHS Homecoming Queen and King

Liberty Hill High School celebrated Homecoming 2020 last Friday and crowned senior Chloe Foster as Homecoming Queen and senior Trey Seward as Homecoming King. The Panthers defeated Crockett High School 76-0. See more in Sports, Page 6.

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liz Branigan says she chose to challenge Rick Hall for the mayor’s seat because she is passionate about Liberty Hill. A 40-year resident of the community, she has many memories of how it once was and believes she knows how it needs to be. “My late husband and I moved here, we raised our children here,” she said. “We played in community leagues. My daughter and I played for the Liberty Hill Angels at one time. That was in the 80s.” That experience led her to join the Liberty Hill Parks Board, which she serves on today, and also led to three terms on the Liberty Hill City Council. She lost to current Council member Gram Lankford in the May 2019 election.

But it has all been experience that has led her to this place. “This has taught me a lot about the workings of government,” she said. “I know how to run a city. I hope you understand when I tell you my heart is here.” She is quick to draw a stark contrast to Hall on two issues that loom large in the Nov. 3 election – council member terms and salaries. The next mayor, according to the budget passed by the Council in September, will receive a $40,000 salary. She opposes having a paid mayor in Liberty Hill and said she would decline the salary. “When I was on the Council I didn’t take anything,” Branigan said. “Forty thousand dollars for a city of 2,433 people? Round Rock’s mayor makes $12,000 a year. Cedar Park

and Leander’s mayors don’t make anything. Georgetown’s mayor makes $20,000. These cities that are several times larger than us have mayors that either volunteer or have a much less salary. “I didn’t go into city politics to make a proﬁt, and I will not accept the $40,000,” she added. She does support the idea of a small stipend for the council members, but with a caveat as she is not convinced the work is always put in to justify it. “In return for the stipend I’m going to expect them to do their homework and to know what they’re talking about,” she said. On the ballot proposition to extend council member term limits from the current two years to three, Branigan doesn’t see a need for the

ELIZABETH BRANIGAN Candidate for Mayor change. “This is not a burning issue, but I don’t think we need to do it at this time,” she said. “It’s possibly more efﬁcient but I can’t see any reason to make this change. If somebody doesn’t work out we can get rid

See BRANIGAN, Page 3

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, October 15, 2020

OBITUARY Anna ‘Lou’ Holder

Anna “Lou” Cantrell Holder of Liberty Hill passed away Monday, October 12th. She was born in Leander, Texas to Henry and Vina Cantrell on April 6, 1933. She married Pryor Holder on June 20, 1956. Lou is best remembered for early days at the food bank and thrift store. She was past president and member of the Over the Hill Gang, where she enjoyed dominoes and cards

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with friends. Lou was known for her homemade pot holders and oil painting. Visitation will be held at The Gabriels Funeral Chapel Thursday, October 15th, from 6-8 p.m. Her celebration of life will be held at Cross Tracks Church Friday, October 16th, at 2 p.m. In lieu of ﬂowers, donations can be made to Operation Liberty Hill.

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Elizabeth (Liz) Branigan RN, CEN, CCRN • RN and Unit Supervisor for 30 years in the medical field • VERIFIED College degree and stable work history managing a 12-person, 50-bed hospital unit

• 2 year Mayor elected by 15 votes over his opponent (129 total votes)

• Council Member/Mayor Pro-Tem (6 yrs) Parks and Rec Board Member (10 yrs)

• City budget INCREASE of 77% in 2 years

• Fiscally responsible city budget (2018-2019)

• $5.68 Million General Fund Budget Staff INCREASE from 37 to 64 employees, $1.06 Million in Reserves (emergency) $0.00 for Infrastructure

• $3.2 Million General Fund Budget Staff of 37 $2.7 Million in reserves (emergency) $3,385,0000.00 for Infrastructure

• Advocated his own $40,000 Mayor Salary, Personal vehicle paid for by the taxpayers of Liberty Hill

• Rejects taking Mayor Salary, Owns and paid for her own vehicle

• PERSONAL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Home Foreclosure, Bankruptcies Federal Tax Liens

• PERSONAL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 40 Year Liberty Hill Citizen & Homeowner 40 Year Taxpayer Personally financially secure

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OPINION Throwback Thursday Memories of past Halloween celebrations

By JAMES WEAR Columnist I guess it remains to be seen how COVID-19 will impact Halloween 2020…in a year when many faces have remained covered in public. I’m not quite sure what the appropriate Halloween mask might be, and then there’s the matter of trick-or-treating. This could well be the most difficult weekend yet for Americans since the pandemic began. Back in 1987, when The Independent launched publication, Halloween was a very big deal in Liberty Hill, big enough that the newspaper’s first lead story promoted the upcoming Halloween Carnival that was being sponsored by the Liberty Hill PTA. Ina Berry, who served as director of the event that year, wrote the article. The event was a huge success as I recall, and included games for all ages as well as a costume contest, and perhaps the highlight of the evening, the Miss Pumpkin Pageant with various male faculty members vying for the crown. Assistant coach Larry Fulcher, who has since passed on, was named winner of the contest by a panel of judges, and he and other contestants were featured on the front page of more than one publication the following weeks. The pageant did not stir up any controversy, nor did the fact that many of those who entered the costume contest came in blackface. Less than two years later,

Branigan

JAMES WEAR PHOTOS

(TOP) Retired Florence teacher Ann Cantwell made quite a splash at the 1987 Florence Halloween Carnival when she and a few other faculty members chose to costume themselves as the “Raisenettes” and entered the gym dancing to “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” (ABOVE) The late Larry Fulcher, who was a beloved coach at Liberty Hill schools during the 1980s, was named Miss Pumpkin at the 1987 Liberty Hill PTA Halloween Carnival that was chaired by former Liberty Hill resident Ina Berry (at left).

Continued from Page 1

of them in two years. People who are successful can rerun in two years.” While she did not specifically note anything she’d change in the current budget, she believes it has grown too fast in recent years. “The current budget is 77 percent higher than two years ago,” she said. “I have studied this entire budget and there is not a dime in this for infrastructure or for capital improvements. There was money at one time for capital improvements, but that money has disappeared.” A large part of that increased budget is in personnel, and though Branigan believes changes can be made, she said the increase in the police department has been good for the City so far. “I have met and talked on several occasions with (Police) Chief (Royce) Graeter and I think we will meet again,” Branigan said. “I think with the City growing in the manner it is now we are justified in the expansion that has been done in our police department. In the future I think we need to be careful on how we expand.” Other staffing areas would get a closer look.

Hale

however, the PTA took another approach to the event and instead of dubbing it a Halloween Carnival, instead chose to dub it as the fall festival. This came after several reports of Satanic cults in the Williamson County area, and if I remember correctly, an officer with the Round Rock Police Department spoke to the PTA membership prior to the event and expressed concerns that he and others shared about the cults and alleged devil worshiping. Reports of mutilated livestock found in ranchers’ fields may well have fueled the concerns. Neighboring Florence also traditionally held a Halloween carnival, and I recall back in the early 1970s when our eighth grade class sponsored a balloon toss as a fundraiser. Back in those days $30 represented a lot of money for a class to earn and we were quite pleased with ourselves for the couple of hours or so we devoted to our endeavor. Even the small community of Andice held a carnival one year, and while the event was an overall success, one feature raised the eyebrows of some of the more conservative members of the community. One classroom served as a spook house complete with chainsaw (that had the chain removed) and a screaming “victim” who appeared to have lost a leg at the hands of a “mad doctor/ nurse.” A few parents made perhaps the unfortunate choice of allowing their younger children to go through the spook house and yes, there were some complaints because of the violence depicted.

“I really think we need to go line by line through the budget and do cost value analysis to see what can be consolidated,” Branigan said. “Possibly some of these positions can be made part time.” A long-time advocate of the swim center project, Branigan also thinks the City has lost sight of the community’s wishes when it comes to prioritizing capital projects. “I think that our capital projects should be led by our citizens’ needs in the community,” she said. “We have currently no money for capital projects, they have to be financed through tax notes. I think with the current state of the city’s finances we have to be very, very careful and seek citizen input on their priorities. After some open meetings and some surveys we can start to prioritize what our capital improvements should be.” Before the surprise decision Tuesday to promote Chief Operating Officer Lacie Hale to City Administrator, Branigan had taken issue with the dismissal of former administrator Greg Boatright and Hall’s assumption of those duties. “I am not going to be so arrogant as to feel I can imper-

Continued from Page 1

make a difference when you have skin in the game and education and experience in city government,” Canady said. Council member Steve McIntosh said he supported Hale or the position, only asking to be sure that all qualifications were met according to the original job posting. Human Resources Director Becky Wilkins assured McIntosh there was no outstanding issue. Hall remained silent before and after the vote, as did Council member Tony DeYoung. Hale was hired in March as Chief Operating Officer, when the Council decided not to fill the Administrator post and leave management in the hands of Mayor Rick Hall. Hale, a graduate of Liberty Hill High School, is a graduate of Ashford University and is expected to earn a master’s degree in Public Administration this fall. She most recently served as

city secretary in Hutto from May 2019 until coming to Liberty Hill. Before that she served as City Secretary for the City of West Lake Hills from December 2013 to May 2019. Despite the issue not being hinted at publicly prior to the meeting agenda being posted Oct. 9, City Secretary Nancy Sawyer read five submitted public comments supporting the selection of Hale – each nearly identical in word and message to the last – from residents Jeanette Whitehead, Glen and Glenda Gavin, Larry Allman, Brandon Wammack, and Diane Williams. “Dear Mayor and Council, I see on the agenda for this week’s meeting an item to return the city administrator’s position back as an employee of the city. I would like to say that I support this item and I hope the Council chooses to support this item. I believe this

sonate a City Administrator,” Branigan said. “I think the first thing I want to do is hire a qualified, competent City Administrator. For example, the capital improvement projects that have been done have all had enormous overruns. When I was on Council we didn’t have that problem. Our City Administrator was familiar with construction and we knew through him what was a reasonable cost and when our bids were awarded we had reasonable expectations.” Despite her issues with how the current administration operates and the decisions made, Branigan is not simply nostalgic for the way things were in years past. “We were not perfect,” she said. “We made some mistakes and there were places where we could have improved and I’m very much aware of that. But I’m now very disappointed to see how far down the City has fallen in only two years.” Communication is one thing she believes is better in some ways. “The one thing I’m seeing done better by this administration are the community updates,” she said. “I don’t

think I would do them the same way they are currently being done, but I think the citizens two years ago did not feel as included as they should have felt. I think we’ll continue the community updates but instead of a canned presentation we’ll have question and answer sessions and time for citizens’ comments.” And on the issues of ethics, favoritism and concerns about personal interests, Branigan looked back on the history of Liberty Hill, and pointed out that her opponent seems more closely tied to developers. “For years this was a working class community and almost all of our citizens followed construction trades. My son is a local developer,” she said. “I try to maintain a distance between family and the city. In the past allegations that were made about the City favoring certain members of the construction community were found to be fraudulent. These things do not happen. I favor friendly relations with developers and all of our suppliers and members of the community. As for developers having undue influence, I’m not the one that has accepted large donations from developers.”

is a very important step for many reasons. The Mayor and Council have specific duties and I think it needs to be separate from the day to day duties. I think this leads to better service for the entire community and more accountability for those needs being met. It is my understanding this current position held in this manner was only to be this way for a temporary time. I think the time has come for those duties to transition back to the City Administrator’s position. I think it is time for the day to day job of the City Administrator to be put back in the hands of a City Administrator and the Mayor and Council to go back to being Mayor and Council,” wrote Whitehead. When asked why this item was brought to the Council now, Canady said she’d been thinking about it for a while. “I just finally had time to sit down, do a little home-

work and it’s on the agenda,” Canady said. “This is not anything against the Mayor, it’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while.” When the Council forced former City Administrator Greg Boatright out in August 2019, Hall pledged the City would begin the search for a new administrator, but the process stalled, and in October of that year the Council voted to give Hall temporary administrator duties. Those duties became permanent when Hale was hired as COO rather than hiring an administrator. The new assignment for Hale does not include a salary increase. She is currently making $120,000 annually, after a $29,000 pay raise over the summer. After the meeting, when asked about how the

See COUNCIL, Page 5

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, October 15, 2020 Page 3

EDITORIAL:

Extended terms, new council salaries create unsavory combination

Congratulations, you have been appointed to what may turn out to be a reasonably lucrative volunteer community service position before long. Your role is to head a nonprofit board that provides a number of community services, establishing policy and direction for the staff of the organization. You have a job, but before long you realize that being paid to run this nonprofit is what truly appeals to you. Over time you work to build a board that supports your goals for how this organization should be structured. You remove the day-to-day manager of the organization and convince the board to place those duties in your hands – just temporarily – while you work out the new leadership plan. But as this reorganization is going on, the board comes up with a plan to compensate you with a full-time salary for all the extra work you are doing, a plan that will also reward the rest of the board members with a small salary as well. It was a public service, but you’ve earned it, right? Of course you’ve earned it. In fact, everything is coming together so well, you decide you’d like to be guaranteed that board role a bit longer, so you ask the community to support extending your terms an extra year rather than having to earn the position again every two years. The board approves. It all makes perfect sense – for you. But in reality, is that how employment works? Is that how public service works? Do we hire people – or elect them – to come in and create their own salaries or contracts? Three members of the Liberty Hill City Council – Mayor Rick Hall and Council members Kathy Canady and Tony DeYoung – are weeks away from drawing a salary from your taxes. They voted to approve that as part of the budget. If you approve Proposition 1 -- extending Council terms from two years to three years -- you will be tacking on another year to their time in office and guaranteeing the three of them a combined $192,000 in personal income over the next three years for what was recently a volunteer public service role. These three individuals have received a combined 72 votes in City elections. While some part of that is circumstance and voter apathy, the fact remains that there is no voter mandate to justify such rewards. Both Canady and DeYoung were appointed to the Council and did not draw an opponent for this election. Hall earned 72 votes in his 15-vote victory in 2018. That’s $2,666 in salary per vote cast for the three of them should Hall be reelected and the terms extended. Does it seem right? Does it seem like public service at its best? Does it make sense that the Liberty Hill City Council has morphed into a body of salaried individuals with longer terms in office only one election removed from when service on the City Council was considered just that – community service? At least one current Council member – Liz Rundzieher – has taken it upon herself to purchase signs encouraging voters to support the proposition. It was supposed to be a Political Action Committee, now it’s not, but the signs say it is. Either way, someone who stands to gain financially by the measure she voted to put on the ballot is spending money to implore you to support that measure. Are you in support of a Council that is trying to work itself into a longer contract and more pay? If passing a City Charter is so high on the list of tasks to prepare Liberty Hill to be a “grown up” City, then perhaps measures like extended terms and council salaries should be part of that charter rather than sources of immediate job and financial security for the current officeholders. When you go to the polls, remember that extended term limits are not as simple as whether someone serves one more year. There is a cost to taxpayers in real dollars. Your City Council has told you the work it does has earned itself a salary. Has it? You might not have a say in the salary of your Council employees, but you can decide how long that contract is good for.

The Liberty Hill Independent YOUR AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987 ~~ A Publication of Texas Independent News Corp. ~~

(512) 778-5577 Send Email: news@lhindependent.com www.LHIndependent.com www.LibertyHillLiving.com PO Box 1235 921 Loop 332 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 The Liberty Hill Independent is published every Thursday at 921 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, TX 78642. Periodical Postage Paid at Liberty Hill, Texas. Publication #018932 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Liberty Hill Independent, PO Box 1235, Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Shelly Wilkison - Publisher Mike Eddleman - Managing Editor Stacy Coale - Advertising Scott Akanewich - Sports DEADLINE Noon Monday prior to Thursday publication SUBSCRIPTIONS $25 per year in Williamson County, $29 per year in Texas outside of Williamson County,

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Northline project announces first retail anchor

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer LEANDER -- The Northline development, currently under construction along US Highway 183 and 183A in Leander, has announced its first retail anchor tenant: The HUB. The Leander location will be The HUB’s second in the nation. The first is located in Seaside, Fla. The HUB is an indoor-outdoor venue where visitors can gather to eat, drink, shop, see movies, listen to live music and watch sports. While the Leander location of The HUB will have the same amenities as the Florida location, the final design and architecture will be unique to Northline. “The HUB encapsulates everything Northline represents,” said Alex Tynberg, owner and developer of Northline. “It’s a premium destination where

parents can get together for a drink and let their kids run free. I had the opportunity to visit the original location, and with a concert on stage and children dancing on the turf, I absolutely loved the vibe. I’m beyond excited to bring this exciting amenity to Leander.” The HUB at Northline will feature restaurants, bars and shops, all surrounding a central lawn and patio area with covered picnic tables and lounge furniture, according to a press release. The venue will offer an event stage and a covered pavilion with an LED jumbotron and will be programmed with daily events. “The proof is in the numbers,” said Brad Zeitlin, co-founder and owner of The HUB. “It’s astounding how quickly Leander is growing. There’s clearly a need for this type of venue for the community, where the

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PUBLIC NOTICES 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. (10/29)

LEGAL NOTICES ORDER OF PUBLICATION Commonwealth of Virginia VA. CODE 8.01-316 Case No. JJ008994-01-00 Bristol Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court - Juvenile Division Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Degooyer, Anevay Sakari. Bristol VA DSS /v. Degooyer, Julien. The object of this suit is to: Locate Julien Degooyer, father for the purposes of foster care proceedings. It is ordered that Degooyer, Julien appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before 10/15/2020 at 9:30 a.m. Date: 09/03/2020 Clerk: L. Pritchard, dep. (10/29p) ORDER OF PUBLICATION Commonwealth of Virginia VA. CODE 8.01-316 Case No. JJ008818-07-00 Bristol Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court - Juvenile Division Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Degooyer, Raven Nevaeh Kyler. Bristol VA DSS /v. Degooyer, Julien. The object of this suit is to: Terminate residual parental rights of the said Julien Degooyer, father, including but not limited to the right of visitation, right to determine religious affiliation, responsibility for support and consent to adoption. As well as the approval of permanent entrustment signed by the mother, Windy Kern. It is ordered that Degooyer, Julien appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before 01/20/2021 at 1:30 p.m. Date: 09/29/2020 Clerk: L. Pritchard, dep. (10/29p)

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everyday focus is simply quality time spent with family and friends. We look forward to bringing our concept to Northline.” Tynberg said The HUB will be an asset to all Williamson County residents, including those who live in Liberty Hill. “Northline is located less than five miles from Liberty Hill, meaning that residents are extremely close to a premier entertainment district, right here in Williamson County,” he said. “The HUB’s unique concept offers a family-friendly place for neighbors to gather, enjoy food and beverages, catch a movie, or listen to a concert, all in one convenient location.” In addition to landing The HUB, Northline has also added medical office space to its commercial uses in conjunction with the adjacent St. David’s Hospital complex. Upon completion, Northline will be Leander’s new downtown district. Situated on 115 acres, it will bring a variety of restaurants, retail, residential, offices, healthcare, hotels, civic and public gathering spaces and

more to the area. The project is being developed by Northline Leander Development Company (NLDC) and Lincoln Property Company. Construction on the project has been underway since the groundbreaking in early 2020, and the first vertical developments are slated for 2021. Full buildout of Northline is expected to be completed in the next 10 to 12 years. “Leander and Williamson County continue to grow at an astounding rate, with no signs The Northline development’s first major tenant will be The of slowing down,” Tynberg HUB, an indoor-outdoor entertainment venue that will offer evsaid. “Even amid this growth, erything from live music to movies. (Courtesy Photos) our community has lacked a true downtown until now. Northline’s vision has always been to create a walkable, central destination, and with The HUB as our first anchor tenant, we’ve made a major step forward in achieving that vision. The HUB’s tremendous success at its flagship 30A location makes this announcement all the more exciting, and we look forward to welcoming the Liberty Hill community to join us at Northline.” For more information, visit www.northlineleander.com.

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Week of Oct. 4-11, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 318 incidents resulting in six cases, 25 citations, 52 warnings and one arrest. Weekly Highlights: - On Oct. 5 at approximately 6:48 AM, officers responded to CR 282 and CR 284 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office with an accident. - On Oct. 5 at approximately 11:48 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 5 at approximately 2:46 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 6 at approximately 10:47 AM, officers responded to CR 201 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for a disturbance.

Reports on the ballot.

Continued from Page 1

Candidate finance reports Both Mayoral candidates – Rick Hall and Liz Branigan – filed finance reports due 30 days prior to the election, showing much lighter fundraising since their July reports. Hall brought in an additional $1,850 from four donors

Halloween ground that allows her kids to enjoy the fun of trick or treating without the risks of COVID. Law will be taking the kids out to walk around in costumes to see the decorations, but will buy their own candy. “My middle daughter is 11, and this will probably be her last year wanting to trick or treat, so I didn’t want to give that up,” said Law. “We love walking around looking at decorations and seeing all the littles in their cute costumes, that’s the fun part. The candy is a bonus. I can buy all the candy we want at Walmart. I sort of came up with this plan on the fly and told them like it was a done deal, and they thought it sounded cool so, we’re going with it.” Leigh Anne Roberts and her family are taking extra precautions to stay safe. They are

Voting

Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

- On Oct. 6 at approximately 12:35 PM, officers responded to Lark Street for a disturbance. - On Oct. 6 at approximately 10:50 PM, officers responded to the 400 block of Loop 332 for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 7 at approximately 1:04 AM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 7 at approximately 9:51 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of US 183 to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On Oct. 7 at approximately 12:04 PM, officers responded to the intersection of US 183 and W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 7 at approximately 10:27 PM, officers responded to Deserti Drive for suspicious activity. - On Oct. 8 at approximately 11:21 AM, officers responded

– Timothy Hanie ($1,000), San Gabriel Ridge Properties ($500), Gordan Griffin Jr. ($250) and John D. or Rachel Austin ($100). Branigan had three contributions totaling $190 from former Mayor Connie Fuller ($100), Paula D’Osorgua ($50) and Carol Lucio ($40). Hall’s total contributions total

11:04 AM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On Oct. 10 at approximately 12:35 PM, officers responded to the intersection of W. SH 29 and CR 214 for an accident. - On Oct. 10 at approximately 2:17 PM, officers responded to the 1000 block of Loop 332 for an accident. - On Oct. 11 at approximately 10:11 AM, officers responded to Bailey Lane for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 11 at approximately 11:31 PM, officers responded to Championship Drive for a suspicious incident. - On Oct. 11 at approximately 11:41 PM, officers arrested a male adult for driving while intoxicated as the result of a traffic stop on the 13000 block of W. SH 29.

$11,600, while Branigan has raised $1,380. Recent expenditures for Branigan were at Digitex Printing for signs and door hangers totaling $917. Since late July, Hall spent $6,139, with $5,750 of that going to Fidelis Publishing, which is the parent company for the Jarrell-based Liberty

Hill Digest magazine and Advocate NewsTX political magazine. The funds purchased four ads. The other expenses include $348 at Skydive Spaceland as part of a Children’s Advocacy Fundraiser, and $40 at Winkley’s for campaign supplies.

Continued from Page 1

hosting an intimate Halloween party with her best friend’s family. “As a teacher, I feel like I need to be the safest I can. I have barely gone out since school got out for Spring Break. With two kids in school, and myself teaching, many of our family members cannot hang out with us, due to being high risk,” said Roberts. “I want to also make sure we don’t inadvertently spread anything by trick or treating like we would traditionally. The only family we have consistently hung out with throughout this crazy time is my best friend’s, so our kids could have some socialization. Therefore, we decided to have our own thematic party at their house. The kids still have fun, they get treats, but just doing it differently.” With the kids unaware of the party plans, Roberts hopes

Continued from Page 1

to secure a good future for my kids, and I want to protect my rights.” Christina Smith, a Liberty Hill resident and educator at Vista Ridge High School in Leander, believes this is not just an exercise of her civic duty but it serves as a teaching moment, too. “Being an educator, I think it’s important for me to set an example for my students,” said Smith. “I’m going to keep it as bipartisan as I can, but I also want to say that you have a voice and a right to vote. You must make sure you use that because not everyone has that opportunity.” Smith encourages the unsat-

to the 12000 block of W. SH 29 for a fraud complaint. - On Oct. 8 at approximately 5:14 PM, officers responded to the 600 block of Loop 332 for a dangerous animal. - On Oct. 8 at approximately 11:42PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for suspicious activity. - On Oct. 9 at approximately 11:18 AM, officers responded to the 300 block of Loop 332 for a citizen assist. - On Oct. 9 at approximately 4:04 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On Oct. 10 at approximately 2:45 AM, officers respond to Hillcrest Lane for an assault complaint. - On Oct. 10 at approximately 3:41 AM, officers responded to Freedom Park Avenue for a criminal mischief complaint. - On Oct. 10 at approximately

isfied to participate and make their voices heard instead of staying on the sidelines. “I think this is an important election. I think every election is an important election because it allows you to voice your concerns and voice what you want taken care of,” she said. “If not, people can sit back and complain all they want, but if you didn’t vote, then what’s the point of complaining. You don’t have that right.” Early voter Victoria Tanner echoed Smith’s idea and believes participation helps create a reason for citizens to care. “We also feel very strongly

they enjoy all of the planned activities. “We plan on having them make their own candy apples after they bob for them in individual tubs,” Roberts said. “We are making an obstacle course through the backyard and up the playscape with candy stops to fill up their buckets. We will have a dance party with creepy music. I think we may decorate our own pizzas, too, to look like jack-o-lanterns. It will be a big surprise.” Amber Box isn’t a stranger to having to get creative with her family’s Halloween celebration because of her son’s life-threatening allergy condition. This year Box is taking extra precautions because of COVID. “Usually, we try to work around it by either going to fall festivals or having a sleepover with friends, but with COVID,

we had to get more creative,” said Box. “We just moved to our first house in Liberty Hill, so we had more room to make a fun space for the kids for the first time. We just decided to get crafty and come up with our own personal fall festival at home.” Like Roberts, Box has various activities planned for the kids to enjoy and properly experience the spooky season. “Mostly, we are trying to do some traditional fall festival type games mixed with some family favorites,” said Box. “We’ll do pin the spider on the web, mummy bowling, mask craft station, Tic Tac Boo, pop the balloon, scavenger hunt, and more. We will probably end the evening with pizza and a movie.”

about voting. We wanted to make sure our vote was counted,” Victoria Tanner said. “I think participating in the democratic process is super important to feel invested in our country and because it’s our civic duty to have our say and be able to affect the direction of our country.” Jordan Tanner, Victoria’s husband, suggested that anyone voting in this year’s election do their due diligence and educate themselves before casting a ballot. “We try to do our research when it comes to the presidential candidates, we watch the debates, and we read up on their policies,” he said. “For

the local candidates, we try to do the same. I recommend doing research and understanding who the people on the ballot are and what they stand for. Try and decide on going in.” On the first day of early voting, 1,316 ballots were cast in Liberty Hill and 24,453 countywide. Williamson County voters can vote early at the Municipal Court from Oct. 13 through Oct. 30 or at any of the other 18 polling locations across the county. More information can be found regarding polling locations, times and sample ballots at www.wilco.org.

Thursday, October 15, 2020

COUNCIL

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Continued from Page 3

promotion might change the management structure for employees, Hall suggested the change would not have an impact. “State law already says the municipal ofﬁcers report to the mayor and the remaining employees report to the city administrator,” he said. Community Center approved A bid was awarded to Jimmy Jacobs Construction Tuesday for the renovation of the former County barn near the intersection of RM 1869 and Loop 332, but the City needs to secure a funding source for the project, despite a plan in July to use more than $700,000 in remaining bond funds. The Council heard estimates for the project ranging from $500,000 with potential grant funds to help cover costs in January, to a higher projection in July of $750,000 with no grant possibilities, the approved bid Tuesday was considerably higher at $858,643. The City received four bids, the one from Jimmy Jacobs Construction being the lowest by more than $200,000. When the Council gave the go-ahead to the project to go out for bid in July, there was $710,319 in remaining bond funds that were said to be earmarked for the project, but Tuesday, Wilkins, who also serves as Finance Director for the City, said those funds are no longer available. “There should be enough CIP funds left to cover the projects that took the place of the roundabout, which were the streets and the parking lot,” she said. “After that we’re looking at going the route to borrow money.”

Council member Tony DeYoung asked about the funds previously planned for the community center and Wilkins said those were spent. “We did (have the funds) before the bills started coming in for the parking lot,” she responded. Instead, Wilkins suggested the Community Center and Swim Center projects could be bonded together late this year at $2.375 million. “Once you guys approve going out for the tax note there will be a speciﬁc budget for each one of these projects in that with a contingency so if one of the projects was going a little over you guys are going to have to decide whether you’re going to cut something from the project or you’re going to use that contingency money,” Wilkins said. “We have to make sure we have enough money to do these projects but we’re not going to mix other things in or start another project and take this money and put it (elsewhere).” Wastewater Plant cost increase The Council approved Change Order No. 7 for the wastewater plant expansion, tacking on an additional $810,105 to the project that has already well surpassed its original budget. The most recent addition brought the projected cost to more than $12.5 million -- nearly $3 million over the original bid award. The original change approved in April was for the City to use equipment from Suez Environment, rather than from Microdyn MBR that supplied the equipment for the most recent expansion. The wastewater plant opened in 2018 and

uses Microdyn equipment and technology, and the extension was also going to use the same equipment and technology. The equipment, which was set to cost the City $2.2 million through Microdyn, will cost $2.6 million from Suez, the new supplier, adding on $400,000 to the project cost at that time. The equipment cost is separate from the bid award approved for Cunningham Constructors & Associates, Inc., of Georgetown to build the plant. The change in May was with construction company building the expansion, in the amount of $1.35 million. Development agreement The Council unanimously approved a development and 380 incentive agreement with 1941

Page 5

LTD, for the development of about 285 acres located east and west of Ronald Reagan and north of SH 29. The agreements will eventually bring the land – currently in the Liberty Hill ETJ – into the city limits. The incentive agreement will reimburse developers 50 percent of all sales tax revenues generated by the development for a period of 10 years. The new agreement will supersede a previous agreement Hall said dates back to 2005. “It was initially set for a 20year period, which would have ended in 2025, and they came to us to add an initial 10 years,” he said. “That agreement was sales and ad valorem tax versus this agreement which is only sales tax.”

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, October 15, 2020 Page 6

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Each member of the Liberty Hill offensive line must be smart enough to read each play and quick enough to execute properly.

Getting it done up front Panthers’ offensive line smart, quick

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor In order to be on the Liberty Hill offensive line, a player must have a couple things more than any other. “They need to buy into what we’re selling and be able to understand what we do,” said Panthers head coach Jeff Walker, of the young men who patrol the trenches for the Purple-and-Gold. “Also, they have to be team players because it takes all 11 of us to get it done out there.” Ideally, coaches prefer linemen who are big and physical, but considering there aren’t many 6-foot-5, 285-pound athletes locally for Walker and his staff to choose from, they make due just ﬁne with what they have. “We have the best players Liberty Hill has to offer,” he said. “Sure, we’d like to have

kids who are big and fast, but that’s the great thing about our offense.” Walker is speaking of the Slot-T, which his team runs to near perfection and is nearly unstoppable when ﬁring on all cylinders – regardless of the size of the players who man the line on either side. “Both of our guards are 170 pounds,” he said. “But, they’re pretty fast and they’re selﬂess.” Intelligence is also a critical component for being a Panther lineman and not only of the gridiron, Xs and Os variety, said Walker. “There’s really a lot to know,” he said. “You need to have smart players to run our offense and I think most or all of our guys get good grades in the classroom.” In fact, Panthers offensive linemen have a distinct set

of “rules” to play by, which impacts what unfolds on each and every snap of the ball. Walker then provided an example. “Our players will go up to the line when we call an 8-hole reverse,” he said. “If you’re unblocked at the line, you slide over and block the linebacker unless we run a different stunt.” Got all that? This is a situation that plays itself out countless times over the course of a contest and is an assessment which must be made quickly and efﬁciently for the offense to run smoothly. It’s certainly not an easy proposition. “All of this needs to happen in seconds,” said Walker. “Also, the defense could be moving, too.”

See LINEMEN, Page 12

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Maddi Rowley (#11) has developed into one of the Lady Panthers’ most versatile players, equally adept at playing on either the front or back row.

Lady Panthers’ hitter properly channels passion

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Maddi Rowley simply can’t keep quiet. Whenever the Liberty Hill junior outside hitter/defensive specialist is on the court, her Lady Panthers volleyball teammates are deﬁnitely going to know she’s there – and will certainly hear from her. Constantly. “If I don’t ever shut up, it keeps me super-focused,” said Rowley. “It really helps me stay engaged and into the match.” According to Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson, Rowley is exactly the kind of court general she likes to have

out there in the heat of battle to help call the shots. “Maddi reads the court so well,” said Peterson. “She’s talking to her hitters constantly and it’s good to have that constant voice which is so valuable just as much as a physical presence. If Maddi’s quiet, then I know we’re off our game, but she does a really good job of keeping everyone tuned in and she’s always vocal in a good way.” Rowley has always had this approach to the game, but this season she’s in more of a position to do so as a starter, compared to being a bench player last year – something that gives her even greater motiva-

tion to not only keep talking, but to also walk the walk, she said. “Last season, I had Ashley Nelson and Emily Huppee, who were both seniors, in front of me at my position,” said Rowley. “It was an honor for me to be able to play with them, but now that I’m a starter, it makes not only matches, but practices a lot more fun.” Her newfound status comes along with plenty of playing time, especially as a six-rotation piece to the Lady Panthers’ puzzle, said Peterson. “Maddi’s a special player,” she said. “We’ve always

See HITTER, Page 12

Picking proper footwear propels Panthers

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Cross country runners don’t need much equipment to compete in their chosen athletic endeavor, but to say a good pair of shoes is a must for those who traverse the trails is an absolute given. Just ask Natalie Roth. In fact, the Liberty Hill sophomore is the only member of the varsity squad who wears the same shoes she trains in all week on race day – as opposed to lighter-weight shoes with spikes for added grip on rugged terrain. The reason for the resistance is really quite simple, she said. “It’s not that I don’t like spikes,” said Roth. “But, it’s just that I know these ones so well.” Roth is speaking of the Brooks models she’s been wearing for the past four years, ever since she took up cross country in seventh grade. Well, almost from the beginning. “Actually, I started off wearing Nikes,” she said. “But, I found out the tread on the bottom was wearing out pretty fast and when that happens, I have ankle pain.”

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Liberty Hill sophomore Natalie Roth (#711) prefers to wear regular running shoes during races instead of racing spikes, such as Panthers teammates Angela Mena (#709) and Emma Hiebner (#707).

No worries, though, as older brother, fellow cross country runner and Liberty Hill Class of 2018 alum Nick turned her on to her current kicks, which she’s worn ever since. According to head coach Kim

Holt, going from trainers to spikes is somewhat like a batter having a weighted doughnut on a bat while warming up in the on-deck circle, then shedding it when it’s time to go up to the plate.

“Running shoes tend to be big and bulky,” said Holt. “Which is why we try to get our kids to wear the spikes.” Holt added when runners arrive on the high school trail-running scene, the need

for the right footwear can be magniﬁed by a variety of factors. “Sometimes, with the increased mileage we have them run once they get to high school, we’ll have some kids

come out and complain about shin splints,” she said. “We also had a freshman whose knees were hurting, but after she got a new pair of shoes, it’s gone away.” Which brings up another good point in the constant conundrum for the perfect combination of comfort and performance. When to retire the current pair and replace them with a new one – something that can certainly cause consternation among even the coolest customers – but, nevertheless a situation that must be eventually faced, said Roth. “Usually, when I go into a store to buy shoes, I’ll narrow it down by price range and go from there,” she said, of a shopping process which usually takes 20-30 minutes. “After that, I’ll ﬁnd a style which suits my needs, then another four or ﬁve which are similar and start trying them on.” However, even if she believes she’s homed in on a particular pair, there remains one more litmus test to determine if they are truly the ones for her. “I’ll run a few laps around the

See SHOES, Page 12

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Thursday, October 15, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Panthers pound Crockett, 76-0

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Nice, tidy little evening at the office for Trey Seward on Friday night at Panther Stadium. In addition to rushing for 136 yards on six carries and scoring three touchdowns, the Liberty Hill senior halfback was also named Homecoming King at halftime before helping his teammates demolish Crockett by a score of 76-0. If there was ever any doubt about the outcome of the contest, it might’ve been in the few moments after the visitors from Austin stepped off their bus upon arrival, but that was about it, as the Panthers thoroughly outclassed the Cougars from the outset. “Like most of us coaches, I hate games like this,” said Liberty Hill head coach Jeff Walker. “You never want to win like this and we’re not in the business of embarrassing anybody out here. For a coach who cares about kids, you just want to go over to the other team, give them a hug and tell them everything’s going to be okay.” For one to have an idea of how one-sided this affair was, consider a few numbers. Liberty Hill ran six offensive plays the entire first quarter, yet still led, 34-0 after the opening period of play and Crockett picked up only one first down the entire game. After the Panthers’ defense had forced a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, a bad snap on the punt attempt allowed senior defensive lineman Blake Wilson to recover the ball on the Crockett 2-yard line, where Seward scored his first six points of the night seconds later to all but decide the game all of 39 seconds into the contest. Harsh? Not considering only 1:53 elapsed off the clock before

Page 7

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Liberty Hill senior Trey Seward (#20) lays out for a 22-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Charlie Calabretta during the Panthers’ 76-0 home victory over Crockett on Oct. 9. Seward again found pay dirt in the form of a 19-yard run and a 13-0 lead. But, only 29 seconds after that on the Cougars’ ﬁrst play from scrimmage on the ensuing possession, senior defensive back Preston Shephard stepped in front of a Crockett pass and returned it 19 yards for another score and it was 20-0. Crockett quarterback Michael Newton again tried his luck from the pocket on the Cougars’ next offensive play and was once again intercepted,

this time by Carter Hudson, who returned the ball inside the Crockett red zone, only for it to be called back due to a Panthers’ personal foul on the return, which pushed the Purple-and-Gold all the way back to their own 38. No, worries, though. Blake Simpson banged for eight yards on ﬁrst down, then took it the distance for a 30yard scoring run on second down, only for it to be called back after a holding penalty was assessed on the offense. Again, no problem.

On the following play, senior quarterback Charlie Calabretta found wideout Andrew Hunter wide open for a 32-yard touchdown pass and a 27-0 advantage. Following another feeble three-and-out by the Cougars, it was senior fullback Eric De La Cruz’s turn to get on the score sheet, with a powerful 50-yard run during which he muscled his way through the Crockett line before outracing the Cougars’ secondary to the end zone once he broke into the clear on the way to 34-0 at

the end of the ﬁrst quarter. In the second quarter, after Simpson had run his second score of the night in from 11 yards out, Calabretta once again dropped back and lofted a ball which was slightly overthrown to the left corner of the end zone, which Seward caught up to, then laid out and made a fully-extended catch for a 22-yard scoring strike. Calabretta already has four touchdown passes in the ﬁrst three games of the current campaign and considering the Panthers as a team only con-

PANTHER R GAMES FOR OCT. 15

nected through the air twice all last season, is this something we might see more of as the year unfolds? “We know Charlie can throw it and we know we have kids who can catch it,” said Walker. Crockett mustered its only ﬁrst down of the entire game with under a minute to play in the ﬁrst half on its own 12yard line, only for even that brief bright spot to go horribly wrong on the next play when Lloyd Johnson sacked Newton,

See CROCKETT, Page 9

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Liberty Hill closes out regular season with victory

Liberty Hill’s tennis team closed out the district schedule Oct. 13 with a 13-6 away victory against Marble Falls. In girls’ singles, the Panthers swept all six matches, including No. 1 Ellis Young winning by a score of 6-0, 6-0 and No. 2 Sophie Sherman prevailing, 6-0, 6-1, while No. 3 Peyton Buckley also won, 6-1, 6-1. Also winning were No. 4 Mackenzie Coleman (6-1, 6-1), No. 5 Madi Sudekum (64, 6-1) and No. 6 Ava Ortega (6-1, 6-2). Abigail Gates and Eliza Homorodi (8-0) both won practice matches. On the boys’ singles side, No. 1 Joseph Sherman won, 6-1, 6-0, while No. 3 Colin Garner (6-4, 6-4) and No. 7 Tyler Williams (6-2, 6-1) also won. Losing their matches were No. 2 Patrick Fay (2-6, 4-6), No. 4 Ethan Wukasch (4-6,

4-6), No. 5 Will Gray (3-6, 3-6) and No. 6 Will Snell (3-6, 6-2, 6-10). The No. 1 girls’ doubles duo of Sherman/Young won 6-1, 6-1, along with No. 2 Ortega/ Coleman (6-3, 6-0) and No. 3 Homorodi/Gates (6-0, 6-2). In boys’ doubles, No. 1 Fay/ Sherman lost 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, while No. 2 Wukasch/Zach Kizer won, 6-3, 6-1 and No. 3 Gray/Snell were defeated, 0-6, 7-5 (7-10). No. 1 mixed doubles pair Beckley/Garner won their match, 6-0, 6-0. Next up for Liberty Hill will be a rematch with Marble Falls in the opening round of the district playoffs at home on Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m. Where they will be the No. 3 seed against the No. 6 Mustangs.

Panthers lose close district match to Cedar Park

After winning the opening four matches in district play, Liberty Hill has run into back-

to-back defeats in losing to Cedar Park by a score of 10-9 at home on Oct. 9 after losing to Georgetown in its previous outing. In girls’ singles, No. 1 Young won 6-0, 6-1, along with No. 2 Sherman (6-1, 6-0). No. 3 Buckley lost 6-1, 4-6 (5-10), while No. 4 Coleman (6-1, 6-1), No. 5 Sudekum (61, 6-2) and No. 6 Ortega (6-2, 6-0) all won. On the boys’ singles side, the Panthers lost all six matches, including No. 1 Sherman (1-6, 1-6), No. 2 Fay (7-5, 3-6, (210), No. 3 Garner (1-6, 0-6), No. 4 Wukasch (1-6, 2-6), No. 5 Gray (0-6, 0-6) and No. 6 Snell (1-6, 4-6). Liberty Hill swept all three girls’ doubles matches as No. 1 Young/Sherman (6-3, 6-4), No. 2 Coleman/ Ortega (6-1, 6-1) and No. 3 Gates/Homorodi (6-1, 6-2) all prevailed. In boys’ doubles, No. 1 Fay/ Sherman won their match, 6-4, 6-4, while No. 2 Wukasch/ Kizer (3-6, 3-6) and No. 3

Lady Panthers win three straight

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Emma Becker came alive when her Lady Panthers teammates needed her the most. After a lethargic opening set in its away match against Georgetown on Tuesday evening, the junior setter helped spark Liberty Hill to a 3-1 (2025, 25-19, 25-9, 25-22) district victory over the Eagles. The visitors got off to a slow start in falling behind by as much as six points in the opening set after Kindsee Escamilla had claimed the ﬁrst kill of the evening, but soon righted the ship and rebounded to close the gap before losing 25-20. However, it was Becker whose fuse was lit in the second stanza, collecting three kills to go with the pair she had picked up in the opening set – something she attributed to some heated rivalries across the net being renewed. “I played against them when I was a freshman at Hutto,” said Becker, who led the Lady Panthers with 13 kills on the night. “I also have a history with some of them from club volleyball – I just don’t like them.” One might think volleyball is absent of the kind of vitriol usually displayed during a basketball game, but not so, she said. “Someone might look at me wrong or something,” said Becker. “Tonight, there was all kinds of trash talk at the net. But, that’s okay because when I’m angry, I play a lot better.” But, Becker wasn’t alone in her fury, as teammates Maddi Rowley and Escamilla continued to pile up kills as the Lady Panthers won the second set, 25-19.

The third set was when Liberty Hill really wrested control of the match, as Becker continued her relentless assault on the Eagles’ defense. Following an Escamilla kill to open the set, Becker rained back-to-back bombs, then followed up with a pair of aces before perhaps her finest play of the night, as she went low to dig a spike a few inches off the floor, with the velocity of the shot causing a direct deflection back over the net for a winner. Becker lit up the hosts for five kills, two aces and a block in just the third set alone, as the visitors took it, 25-9. In the fourth set, the Lady Panthers built as much as an 11-7 advantage before Georgetown came back to level the score at 16-16, but Liberty Hill put together a 6-0 run, which brought the proceedings to match point at 24-18 before the Eagles won four straight to once again climb back. Finally, at 24-22, Escamilla finished the match as she had started, hammering a kill to seal the victory. According to Liberty Hill head coach Gretchen Peterson, the slow start to the match by her side was due to a lack of intensity. “We came out flat and were doing a lot of guessing,” said Peterson. “In terms of our blocking, we weren’t making the right adjustments, but once we allowed ourselves to calm down, we started to make things happen.” Concerning Becker’s midmatch offensive explosion, Peterson put it down to the Lady Panthers’ offense getting her the ball at critical times – which wasn’t happening early on.

“The first six sets of the match went to Kindsee (Escamilla),” she said. “Once we started passing better, everybody got more swings and we kept their blockers having to work.” Junior middle blocker Bailey Becker stepped up in the absence of starter Ailie Hair and did a fine job in effectively defending the center of the net, said Peterson. “Bailey did everything we asked her to do,” she said. “But, really everyone on our team contributed, including Ashleigh (Dubbs), who came up big for us.” The victory further propelled the Lady Panthers down the path of district play, which has provided strong resistance all along the way thus far and will only continue, said Peterson. “A win is always awesome,” she said. “But, every match is a chance for us to get better and we’re growing in confidence and starting to play more complete matches.” Becker buys into her coach’s concept completely. “We know playing better teams like this will help make our connections better,” she said. “We’ll be ready for the playoffs.” Escamilla added 12 kills for the Lady Panthers, while Emma Parsons led with 23 assists, as Emma Becker added 15 helpers to go with three aces, two blocks and 16 digs on the match. Haley Kuhlmann collected 10 digs, while Bailey Becker and Escamilla each posted a pair of blocks and Parsons and Dubbs each had a pair of aces. Liberty Hill (9-2, 3-1) will next host Cedar Park on Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 15, 2020

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Will Snell has had a solid season for the Panthers, competing in both singles and doubles. Snell/Gray (3-6, 2-6) both lost. Mixed doubles saw No. 1 Buckley/Garner lose, 4-6, 4-6.

Extra girls’ singles matches were played with No. 7 Gates (8-6) and No. 8 Homorodi (8-

2) both winning.

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Ashleigh Dubbs (#4) and Bailey Becker (#6) rise up over the net to block a shot during the Lady Panthers 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-9, 25-22) away victory against Georgetown on Oct. 13.

Lady Panthers sweep aside Glenn

After back-to-back ﬁve set matches to open district play, the Lady Panthers cruised to a straight-sets home victory over Glenn on Oct. 9 by a score of 3-0 (25-7, 25-15, 25-15). Emma Becker led Liberty Hill with 15 kills on the match and Maddi Rowley added 11, while Emma Parsons collected 20 assists. Unlike the previous two district matches – against Rouse and Leander – which both went the distance and had momentum swings throughout – the contest against the Grizzlies was never really in doubt,as the home side established early dominance. I n fact, the Lady Panthers quickly got out to a 9-1 start, including back-to-back Bailey Becker points to begin the festivities, including a kill and an ace, as the junior middle

blocker continues to contribute in the absence of missing starters. After senior Kindsee Escamilla converted a kill, it was familiar faces Emma Becker and Rowley who got to work on the Glenn defense as the latter sandwiched a pair of winners around consecutive kills by the former, which prompted Glenn to call a timeout. However, it was to no avail, as the Lady Panthers won six of the next seven points on the way to an easy set victory, as Rowley continued to rail on the Lady Grizzlies’ defense, in addition to senior middle blocker Lilli Wilkins, who pounded a kill in the process, as well. In all, Bailey Becker, Emma Becker and Rowley all had four kills in the opening stanza, while Escamilla added three.

Emma Becker added two aces, a block, 14 assists and nine digs, in perhaps the junior setter and reigning district most valuable player’s most complete all-around performance of the season. Rowley served four aces and Haley Kuhlmann led with 17 digs on the match, while Wilkins and Escamilla also picked up a block apiece.

Junior varsity

Liberty Hill’s junior varsity squad also won in straight sets over Glenn, 2-0 (25-22, 2520), as Bailey Lundy had seven kills and Morgan Poulain six in the win. Dara Hawkins had 23 assists, while Poulain served three aces and Paris Hunter a pair. Payton Hanson and Poulain each blocked a shot and Hunter, Poulain and Lundy

See VOLLEYBALL, Page 9

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

From groundstrokes to grammar, Coleman aspires to writing career

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Mackenzie Coleman has grown up with a pair of passions. Tennis and journalism. For the past four years, the Liberty Hill senior has swung a racket for the Panthers’ tennis team, but has also had her eye on something altogether different. “Back in seventh grade, I worked on the yearbook for the ﬁrst time,” said Coleman. “Now, this year, I’m editor.” Not a bad promotion for someone who is only getting started in the wordsmith business and a responsibility that was bestowed upon her by her peers due to a particularly high level of skill and creativity. “Basically, I got picked because I’m good at layout and design,” she said. Something else she has developed quite a touch at is photography – something which has been passed on to her by mother, Laura, who has been a constant wielding a camera on the sidelines at Panthers tennis

matches for years. “I really like sports photography,” said Coleman. “Especially volleyball and basketball because they’re so fast-moving. You can get really good shots of court sports because you’re so close.” In fact, Coleman’s experience from playing sports herself actually helps her know where and when to position herself for the money shot, she said. “I can predict what’s going to happen ahead of time,” said Coleman. “Especially in volleyball at the net for a spike, which is very smooth-looking.” According to Liberty Hill head coach Sherry Rhoden, it’s a pleasure to have a player whose sole focus isn’t strictly on the court. “Mackenzie’s a totally different kid,” said Rhoden. “It’s nice to have someone who is well-rounded.” Rhoden added Coleman is the kind of personality who is perfectly content with not being in the spotlight constantly. “She’s super-quiet and doesn’t

need to be the center of attention,” she said. “I think she’s the opposite of her mom and very much like her dad.” Coleman employs a playing style that falls right in line with her persona, said Rhoden. “Mackenzie doesn’t like to make mistakes, so she usually plays safe,” she said. “But, she’s really consistent, is very coachable and because she has a tennis background, I don’t have to start with the basics.” Rhoden said Coleman is a prime example of how a coach wants a senior to conduct themselves. “As a senior, she’s a real asset because of her leadership skills,” she said. “She’ll always take the initiative when something needs to be done, even if it’s just something like picking balls up during practice – she’ll just step in and do it as if to say to her teammates ‘This is what we expect of you’ – it’s huge and priceless.” As a youngster, Coleman also played softball and ran cross country, but it was tennis that ultimately became her prima-

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Mackenzie Coleman has a passion for both tennis and journalism and plans to pursue a career in the latter while still enjoying the former. ry athletic pursuit for a couple different reasons, she said. “I really loved softball, but seeing how tennis is also in the spring, I couldn’t do both,” said Coleman. “As far as cross country is concerned, I just got tired of waking up at 6 a.m.” Back to her literary aspirations, though. “English is my favorite subject in school – I’ve always liked writing and reading,” she said. “I had trouble early on, but I had a really good teacher in second grade who helped

me a lot.” Coleman said her favorite book is “Red Queen” and the ﬁrst series of books she ever read was the Percy Jackson series, which got her hooked on a particular historic topic. “I found out about Greek mythology and was really fascinated by it,” she said. “I’ve always found it very interesting.” Coleman has also competed in UIL journalism contests and plans to pursue a career in the ﬁeld, with colleges including

the University of Texas, TCU, Texas A&M and Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia on her academic radar. So, considering her passion for both the sport she has grown up playing and the career she aspires to, if Coleman could choose between winning a U.S. Open championship or a Pulitzer Prize, which would it be? “I really love tennis,” she said. “But, deﬁnitely a Pulitzer – it’s the dream of any writer.”

Thursday, October 15, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Good to be back home in Purple-and-Gold

LAURA COLEMAN PHOTO

Colin Garner has dramatically improved his serve-receive since the beginning of the season.

Right back at you

Returning serve critical in competitive tennis

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor When a tennis player stands on the baseline awaiting a serve from across the net, he or she must be not only ready to handle the heat that is about to be unleashed their way, but also have a plan of attack in place in order to return the ball to its sender. “Before the serve goes over, you need to know where it’s going to go next,” said head coach Sherry Rhoden. “It’s what really gets the point going.” Colin Garner is the team’s No. 3 boys’ singles player and the junior admitted that very portion of his game needed work heading into this season. “I started off this season not very good in that regard,” said Garner. “I just wasn’t ready for the serve.” Currently, Garner has improved enough to be able to quantify his progression on a 10-point scale. “At the beginning of the season, my serve-receive was probably about a five or six,” he said. “But, now, I think it’s up to about a seven.” According to Garner, one can gauge an opponent’s serve during warm-ups and develop a strategy based on what is observed, which can be ultimately carried over into competition. “After you get a few serves, you can figure it out,” said Garner. “I always try to return the ball on the other player’s weaker side.” As tennis is perhaps the only sport in which opponents warm up against one another, one can use that time constructively in both deciphering an opponent and even engaging in some gamesmanship, said

Crockett

who fumbled the ball only for it to be scooped up by linebacker Andon Thomas and returned 10 yards for yet another Liberty Hill touchdown and a 54-0 lead at halftime. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the entire night was at halftime when Seward was named Homecoming King while remaining on the field for the ceremonies. After the ball kicked off for the second half, it was more of the same. Texas doesn’t have a “mercy rule” on the books, but if both sides agree, the clock can be run once a game gets out of hand – which this certainly was. As a result, the Panthers were only able to score three more touchdowns – a 32-yard run by Simpson and a pair of rushing touchdowns by freshman Noah Long of 16 and 17 yards, which were the first of his varsity high school career over the course of the third and fourth quarters, which provided the final margin. Liberty Hill junior kicker Ethan Minix was one of the busiest players on the field, hit-

Garner. “Sometimes, I’ll hit more forehands because my backhand is actually better,” he said. “But, I’m sure they’re trying to do the same thing to me. With proper placement of the ball, you can gain an advantage if you can consistently hit the ball to the player’s weaker side.” Having to ability to read how much pace will be on the ball is also crucial in formulating a solid game plan, said Garner. “When you can hear a loud smack when they hit the ball, you know it’s going to be a hard serve,” he said. “But, then you don’t have to supply as much power yourself on the return.” Rhoden said the beginning of being to return serves effectively is to begin with a solid start. “Footwork is everything,” she said. “If you have a good foundation under you, your swing will be better.” However, doing exactly that requires the kind of effort some players aren’t always willing to put forth on a regular basis, she said. “It’s human nature, really,” said Rhoden. “Some kids are lazy, but if they’re not going to listen, then why am I even there? You can either hit the corners and try to win or just hit it right down the middle every time and lose.” Garner also plays mixed doubles with partner Peyton Buckley and said when there are a pair of players on each side of the net, the dynamic drastically changes as far as serve-receive is concerned. “In singles, once you serve you go to the middle of the court,” he said. “But, in doubles, you don’t have to move

around as much because you don’t have as much ground to cover.” Rhoden said the difference between returning a serve and a groundstroke is a stark contrast. “With serves, they’re coming in low and hard, as opposed to a shot which is slower and has more spin on it,” she said. “So, on serves, I tell them to get balanced and not back up on the ball because you need to catch it on the rise or you’re not going to be able to return it effectively.” During the Panthers’ 18-1 away defeat in district play to Georgetown on Oct. 6, the Eagles’ serves proved to be too overwhelming for her squad to handle, said Rhoden. “It’s exactly what they did to us,” she said. One Liberty Hill player who did quite well in handling everything the hosts handed him was boys’ singles No. 2 player Patrick Fay, as the sophomore was the only Panther who was able to emerge victorious on the day, in claiming a 2-6, 6-3, (16-14) victory in a match during which Fay duly kept his cool, said Rhoden. “Patrick played without any emotion at all,” she said, of Fay’s poker face throughout. “After the match, his mom even came up to me and asked if he had won because she couldn’t tell.” Garner said there is absolutely one thing which must always be avoided during a match – regardless of how much velocity there is to deal with. “The most embarrassing thing is to get aced,” he said. “Even if all you can do is get a tip of the ball, at least you got close.”

Continued from Page 7 ting 6-of-7 point-after-touchdowns on the evening. As for Walker, he said neither he nor his team really got anything out of the game, save a few items. “Well, it’s a win, first of all,” he said. “We were also able to get all of our seniors in, which was a big thing for us – all these young men show up and work every day, so they deserve to play.” Which means after backup quarterback Will Szewczyk had gotten some reps after Calabretta’s work for the night was done, senior signal-caller Jaret Martinez got in the game, among others. The biggest splash was made by junior Devin Riley, who broke off a 70-yard run down the left sideline late in the proceedings, as the Panthers rushed for 386 yards on the game, along with 54 yards passing. Due to the nature of the game, the Panthers only ran 22 offensive plays on the night, which only provided Walker a sample of how much his players had improved from the sloppiness of the season’s first two games,

but he liked what he was able to see, he said. “Yeah, it was hard to tell,” said Walker. “But, I think they showed more fight this week.” After fumbling four times in each of the season’s first two games, the Panthers fumbled only once against Crockett. One thing he remains worried about is his squad’s fitness level. “We had our twos and threes in there a lot tonight,” he said. “So, I might have them run during practice because their conditioning concerns me.” So, all in all, not exactly a perfect night at Panther Stadium for Walker and his team despite the perfect score on the board, as he knows not every week will be so easy. “We have some teams like McCallum and Marble Falls who could give us a run,” he said. “We’re not going to run over everyone.” Liberty Hill (3-0, 1-0) will next play Travis at Burger Stadium in Austin in a rare Thursday night contest on Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

WWW.LHINDEPENDENT.COM

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Whoever so famously said “ Y o u can’t go h o m e again” never attended a high school homecoming. Last Friday marked Liberty Hill’s annual extravaganza, which featured three of the four fall sports competing all at once with each only a stone’s throw from the other, as football, volleyball and tennis were all played on the pristine campus that is home to all things Purple-and-Gold. So, we decided to make a grand tour around Pantherville and take in as much sports action as we could. First stop on the 2020 Purple-and-Gold Homecoming Sports Tour was the purple courts of the Panthers’ tennis center – which, by the way, is an absolute gem – as the home side hosted Cedar Park. Perhaps the best thing about Liberty Hill finally moving up to Class 5A this year is the ability to establish rivalries with all its closest neighbors, such as Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park. Sure, we’ll miss battling the likes of Burnet and Lampasas, but it certainly won’t be long until the ferocity of those matchups will be infused into the new opponents. One thing that has already made itself perfectly clear is it won’t be easy by any means. On this day, the Panthers’ stringers had all they could handle with the Timberwolves, losing by a score of 10-9 in the team event, which marked the second consecutive district defeat for Liberty Hill after four straight victories to open the league schedule. Rookie head coach Sherry Rhoden has done an outstanding job in her first go-round as a high school coach after a career of being a teaching professional with her own academy, bringing an effervescence and positivity that the program had been lacking under previous leadership. Unlike other sports where spectators sit in grandstands, usually segregated by team allegiance on opposite sides of a field or gym, tennis is very different in that both sets of supporters mingle in a mixing area between the two sets of courts on either side, casually wandering around taking in multiple matches at once with as many as eight being contested simultaneously at any given time. It’s really a rather laid-back atmosphere despite the intensity on the part of the players on the court, which provides a welcome respite from the usual competitive sports environment. One of the most gratifying aspects of the job for us is building relationships with

everyone involved in covering local sports – coaches, players, parents and administrators, alike – which make it a pleasure to visit a venue, be it during practice or games or matches. So, after fraternizing with some of the local tennis folk, we made our way over to the Purple Palace (which is what we’re referring to the gym as henceforth, seeing how it doesn’t have an official name – but, now it does!) for Lady Panthers volleyball against Glenn. A confrontation between a Panther and a Grizzly in the wilderness would probably be a proper tussle, but on this evening, it was no contest, as head coach Gretchen Peterson’s club handily disposed of their guests in dominant straight-sets fashion, by a score of 3-0 (25-7, 25-15, 2515). Liberty Hill moved to 8-2 overall and 2-1 in district action with the result – notable due to the fact it was the Lady Panthers’ first district match out of three which didn’t go the five-sets distance, including a loss to Rouse and a win against Leander. Peterson has made no secret of the fact she and her players are embracing the brave, new world of Class 5A, as matches such as the above-mentioned will go a long way in readying them for the playoffs, as opposed to previous seasons when they’ve blown through the district schedule without being tested before running up against rugged postseason competition. So far, so good. After seeing the first set, it was time to head over to Panther Stadium for the crowning (no pun intended) event of the evening, as the Panthers hosted Crockett for the annual homecoming classic. We joked leading up to the game perhaps Davy Crockett himself and his frontier militia would have a better chance of winning than the football team representing the school that is named after him and we weren’t very far off the mark with our assessment. Eleven touchdowns later and the scoreboard at the north end of the field read 76-0 as the clock ran out. At least Davy and his boys had muskets – not that it probably would’ve done any good anyway against a Liberty Hill offens, which churned out 408 rushing yards on the night, cutting through the Cougars’ defense like a warm blade though butter. But, that wasn’t all. Senior quarterback Charlie Calabretta threw a pair – count ‘em, two! – touchdown passes, one each to Andrew Hunter and Trey Seward and now has four scoring strikes in three games this season. Considering the Panthers’ offense only produced two TD passes all last season, it’s gotten us to wondering what the school record might be for

Page 9

passing scores in a season. At the moment, Calabretta is on pace for 10, which would best Blake Thompson’s total of eight during the 2010 season as the best by any Panthers signal-caller for the past 15 years, as far as our available research tells us. Now we know it’s against head coach Jeff Walker’s religion, DNA and everything else to actually put the ball in the air – in fact, he almost bristles whenever asked about airborne pigskins in his offense – but good things can happen. Like Seward’s picture-perfect catch in the left corner of the end zone on Friday – full extension and completely laid-out – not bad for a halfback who spends most of his time shredding opponents with speedy feet rather than steady hands. But, 136 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns including a highlight-reel reception wasn’t all for Seward, as he was crowned Homecoming King during halftime festivities. Talk about a good day at the office. The most tired player on the entire team might’ve been kicker Ethan Minix, who was called upon for 10 extra points, splitting the uprights on nine of them, although kickoff specialist Konnor Bye recorded the holiest of grails for a kicker by being credited with a tackle. So, you see, there was nary a Panther on the field who had a bad day, as every single senior on the roster also got into the game after the score was out of hand. One thing is still missing, though, from the Panthers’ game-day experience. The big, black, inflatable Panther the players would run through at the beginning of each half, complete with rock-concert-style smoke billowing from within creating a quite menacing effect, indeed. So, Prowler, if you’re out there, please come back! Once the evening had come to its conclusion, we had two victories out of the three which were contested as the taillights of vehicles illuminated the night and everyone headed home happy. See, the thing about being in a one-school town is the synergy that is felt on nights like this when everyone comes together for a common cause regardless of any personal biases – which is the beauty of how sports so eloquently continues to unite people during a time when our country is as divided as ever. Coming from a big high school in a big city, we never got to experience what we do now – some 35 years later – but, you know what they say. Better late than never. Whoever first coined that phrase was right on the money.

MACKENZIE COLEMAN PHOTO

Merrill Madison plays a shot over the net, while Lady Panthers junior varsity teammates Carson Glenn and Madison Hamlin move in on the play.

Volleyball

each picked up two digs in the match.

Flex

Liberty Hill’s flex squad also defeated Glenn, 2-1 (27-29, 25-11, 25-15), as Cecelia Valdovinos led with three kills and three blocks and Kiley Wood had two kills, while Brooke Constantino had seven assists and Hannah Karr three.

Continued from Page 8

Sydney Ballew served four aces and Alexzia Lomas added three.

Freshmen

The Lady Panthers’ freshman squad also prevailed over the Grizzlies, 2-0 (25-18, 25-14). Kealy Dirner led with eight kills and two aces, while Lilly Kostroun had six kills and two aces. Carson Glenn collected 21

assists, as Dirner and McKenna Mayfield had five digs each and McKinley Grimm four. Glenn added a pair of aces and Kostroun blocked a shot. On Oct. 13, the freshmen defeated Georgetown, 2-1 (2225, 25-18, 15-9), as Dirner had nine kills and Gigi Mason eight, while Glenn led in aces (2), blocks (3) and assists (21).

Are we in a better place?

Page 10

In an effort to help readers piece together -- all in one place -- all the changes and questionable incidents that have occurred in city government, The Independent first published in early July a timeline of events for the City of Liberty Hill dating back to the 2018 election. Fast forward nearly five months and the list has grown, with new developments to old stories and new stories that

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

call into question the management of the City and its spending habits. While responses to open records requests have improved since the first timeline was reported in July, overall communication with city officials has all but ended aside from a few minutes at the end of each council meeting for questions relegated to what is on that particular meeting agenda. In all, The Independent has

submitted 42 open records requests since September 2019, with only a few outstanding due to what appears to be efforts to withhold the information. But two of those center on security expenditures at City Hall, which the community knows nothing about, and the monthly financial reports showing revenues and expenses for each month. These two issues symbolize all that is problematic with how Liberty

Hill operates today. There are no interviews, and when the City shares information publicly through other sources there are no dollars explained. An announcement that there is a new community center is great, but it should come with an explanation of what it costs and where the money will come from. Today, there is a new City Administrator, hired out of the blue this week, with little

- 2019 -

Thursday, October 15, 2020

explanation of what has really changed that led to the sudden shift. That’s not to say it is a bad change, but it deserves a detailed explanation, and detailed explanations are in short supply. The timeline that follows pieces together each step taken by Mayor Rick Hall and the City Council that has led city government to where it is today. The lack of public discus-

Roundabout nixed

DeYoung Appointed to Council

(April 2019) One week before the 2019 Liberty Hill municipal election, the Council appointed Tony DeYoung to fill the remainder of the term of Wendell McLeod who had passed away. DeYoung was up for reelection in the current election cycle, but did not draw an

opponent.

(Independent: April 25, 2019)

Powers of the Mayor

(May 2018) On three occasions in the past upon the election of a new mayor, the City Council has passed ordinances “expressing the powers and duties of the mayor and curtailing some of those powers and duties.” The ordinance was adopted with mayors Michelle “Mike” Murphy, Jamie Williamson and Connie Fuller. While it was on the agenda for the first meeting after Mayor Rick Hall’s election, Hall asked that it be moved to after the executive session for consideration. Following an executive session lasting just over an hour, then-Council member Liz Branigan made a motion to adopt the ordinance, but the motion died for lack of a second with no discussion. Hall said he asked for the item to be moved to after the executive session to seek clarification from the city attorney. For four consecutive meetings the issue was placed on the Council agenda, and each time Hall asked that the issue be shifted to executive session, with Hall appearing visibly frustrated at a July 2018 meeting, saying “I would like to table this for review,” he said. “I believe this impacts the core foundation of my duties as mayor according to Texas Government Code, and I’d like to table this to submit to the Attorney General for an opinion.” The issue never came up for a vote and did not appear on the agenda again.

Supervision of police chief

(May 2018) An item on a May 2018 Council agenda, “Discuss and consider change and amendment of employment contract for Chief Maverick Campbell; providing for Chief Campbell to report directly to City Administrator Greg Boatright effective immediately” in an effort to shift that authority away from the Mayor’s position and back to the City Administrator. It had been shifted to the Mayor under Connie Fuller. When the council reached the item on the agenda, Hall asked that the item be moved to after the executive session so it could be discussed. This issue appeared on multiple agendas until it was decided in July 2018 that the police chief would report directly to the City Administrator.

Zwernemann complaint

(September 2018) Former City Secretary Barbara Zwernemann sent a letter to the City Attorney and City Administrator alleging verbally abusive behavior and an angry outburst by Mayor Rick Hall at City Hall. She claimed he was wearing a firearm at the time. The letter was made public in a March 2020 article in The Independent.

City Council election (May 2019)

Current Council members Steve McIntosh and Gram Lankford were elected to the Council, and Liz Rundzieher was reelected. All three were endorsed by Hall, and campaigned together on the need for change and eliminating alleged unethical practices and deals within the City. (Independent: May 9, 2019)

2018

Pezold resignation

(June 2019) Following the election, then-Chair of the Planning & Zoning commission Chris Pezold, a local developer, was identified as one of the individuals Hall and the newly-elected Council members suspected of being involved in unethical dealings regarding City projects. Despite the promise to look into and resolve the issue, after Pezold confronted the Council and resigned from the Commission – challenging members to prove the allegations – the issue was never discussed or investigated further. During one of the June Council meetings where Pezold spoke, Steve McIntosh requested that police get involved after the two men exchanged words outside the building. Police Chief Maverick Campbell verified that there was an incident and there was a request made for police involvement, but that it did not go beyond a discussion outside with Pezold.

(Independent: June 13, 2019)

Mayor’s authority

Canady Appointed

(July 2019) Kathy Canady was appointed by the City Council to fill the vacancy created after the resignation of Ron Rhea. She was appointed to complete the unexpired term. Canady was up for reelection in the current election cycle, but did not draw an opponent.

(Independent: June 13, 2019)

Boatright resigned

Council salaries

(Independent: Sept. 12, 2019)

(Independent: Aug. 15, 2019)

The City Council unanimously approved a ballot measure for voters to decide whether Council terms should be extended to three years or be left at the current two years. Council members began discussing the issue during the August 2019 budget process where they also approved salaries for the Mayor and Council members. If approved in November, the terms would be extended to three years for Council members currently on the ballot – Place 2 Kathy Canady (unopposed), Place 4 Tony DeYoung (unopposed) and Mayor Hall. The other three Council places would be extended following the 2021 election for those spots. (Independent: Jan. 30, 2020) UPDATE: A political committee formed by Councilmember Liz Rundzieher placed large signs days before early voting advocating for passage of Proposition 1. Records on the group or its campaign finance report had not been filed in accordance with state law as of Oct. 13. (See related story Page 1)

EDC Director contract

(March 2020) Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Director Lance Dean was surprised in February when the Board chose not to renew his contract. In a meeting called for the sole purpose of discussing the issue in executive session, the board chose not to renew the contract – which is structured to be renewed annually – based on the desire to make changes to that contract. According to Board President John Johnston, no details of the decision could be shared

Over the course of two months, the City Council moved to place Council members on the Economic Development Corp., Parks & Recreation Board, and Planning & Zoning Commission. Prior to October 2019, there were no Council members serving as voting members of the three boards, but are now represented through four of the 19 total positions. (Independent: Dec. 5, 2019)

Parks Board incident

(February 2020)

New Parks Board member and City Council member Steve McIntosh lashed out at fellow board member Liz Branigan and then Board President Mary Lyn Jones following the meeting when he summoned each individually behind closed doors. The issue arose following tension during the meeting, and Branigan alleged that McIntosh threatened her and told her he would not “tolerate any criticism”. McIntosh did not comment on the incident, but two City employees served as witnesses to the after-meeting incident. (Independent: Feb. 6, 2020)

because the issue was a personnel matter taken up in executive session. The explained intent was to restruc ture the contract and job description, but Dean was never approached with any changes or a new contract, and eventually resigned in March. Dean declined to comment on the issue, but had not expected the renewal of his contract to be an issue. Mayor Rick Hall refused to

(September 2019) As part of the approved 2020-2021 City of Liberty Hill budget, an annual salary of $40,000 was included for the Mayor’s position, and $12,000 annually for each of the five Council members. The new salaries become effective once each position comes up for reelection, meaning the Mayor’s post and those of Place 2 Kathy Canady (unopposed), and Place 4 Tony DeYoung (unopposed) will begin receiving the salaries after the November election.

Board changes (December 2019)

- 2020 -

Council term limit extension (January 2020)

(Independent: July 25, 2019)

Increased budget passed

(September 2019) In a process that included almost no public discussion among the City Council, a budget was passed that included a nearly 30 percent increase in spending and added 18 new City positions to a staff that had been 37 employees.

(August 2019) Following months of tension and efforts to take away his supervisory authority, City Administrator Greg Boatright resigned, saying he was not surprised by the Council’s lack of support and it was not his “first choice” to leave the position.

(May 2019) The Council voted to cancel the downtown roundabout less than two months after a bid was awarded for the project. The City has since moved forward with the connected parking lot project and a new plan for the Loop 332/CR 279 intersection, but it remains unclear if the new plan is more cost-effective than the roundabout. (Independent: May 23, 2019)

(June 2019) By a 3-2 margin, with Council members Liz Rundzieher, Steve McIntosh and Gram Lankford voting for and Ron Rhea and Tony DeYoung voting against, the Liberty Hill Employee Handbook and related ordinances were changed to provide Mayor Rick Hall more supervisory authority. According to the change in the Handbook, the “City Administrator, City Secretary, Municipal Court Administrator, Finance Director, Chief of Police and Code Enforcement Officer shall be directly supervised by the Mayor.” Rhea, and former Planning & Zoning Board Chairman Chris Pezold, both alleged at the meeting the change was an effort to consolidate authority over staff under Hall, with Pezold suggesting during the public comments portion of the meeting that it was an effort by Hall to take a salaried position within the City.

sion during Council meetings over the past 18 months, time spent in executive session, in conjunction with issues over information requests and recent refusals to answer many questions has closed off City government from the public it serves. For more detailed information referenced in this timeline, visit www.LHIndependent. com and search by keywords.

16 Mayor’s behavior questioned

(February 2020) Four different sources, who were either employed by or are affiliated with the City, came forward to share alleged questionable behavior by Mayor Hall, including allegations of public intoxication, vulgar language and belligerent behavior – often while carrying a firearm. The specific incidents cited included the 2019 City Christmas party and the January 2020 City Council retreat. After the report in The Independent a number of City staff members came to their boss’ defense, claiming the allegations were not true. (Independent: March 5, 2020)

Campbell terminated

comment on the decisions of the EDC Board, saying he was unaware of the board’s plan. In May, the Board voted – as did the City Council – to name consultant Matt Powell the interim Executive Director of the EDC.

(March 2020) Following an internal City investigation spanning roughly two weeks, the Liberty Hill City Council voted unanimously to terminate Police Chief Maverick Campbell. There was no discussion in open session by the Council and no other specific reasons given for the termination, but the City made public documentation of its internal investigation into Campbell following an incident between Campbell and his spouse in New Jersey during a professional conference. The incident did not result in any arrest or charges. Campbell and his attorney were never talked to during the investigation, which was conducted by Mayor Rick Hall and CFO and Human Resources Director Becky Wilkins. The Council met in a special called meeting March 1 where they spent more than three hours discussing the issue in closed session, emerging only to call for an investigation into the incident. Council members said at that time the March 1 discussion was the first time they were made aware of the incident, but Campbell and his attorney met with Hall prior to that meeting where he was allegedly pushed to resign by Hall.

(Independent: March 19, 2020)

(Independent: March 12, 2020)

Thursday, October 15, 2020

COO hired (March 2020)

Despite repeated assurances from Mayor Rick Hall over the nearly seven months following the resignation of former City Administrator Greg Boatright that Liberty Hill would hire a new administrator, the decision was made in March to hire Lacie Hale in a Chief Operating Officer position, leaving the City without a staff Administrator position and Mayor Rick Hall as the direct supervisor for much of the City staff. The new job description specified that the COO reports directly to the Mayor and Council. Essential duties for the position include management of capital projects, community relations, department operations and providing assistance in negotiation and enforcement of contracts. Hall did spell out how the new COO position fit into the supervisory structure of the City. “The municipal officers, that are designated by state law – the city secretary, finance director, code enforcement, chief of police, court administrator and emergency management – will continue to report to me,” Hall said. “The director of planning and public works director will report through Lacie and then Lacie will report to me.” (Independent: March 12, 2020)

Zwernemann terminated

(May 2020) City Secretary Barbara Zwernemann was terminated on a unanimous vote by the city Council less than two weeks after being placed on administrative leave. In her motion to terminate Zwernemann, Council member Kathy Canady said, “I would like to make a motion we terminate the employment of Barbara Zwernemann as City Secretary of Liberty Hill effective immediately for failure to maintain the city’s records accurately and in a manner required by state law and city code.” The vote was unanimous, and outside of an additional vote to forward related documentation regarding Zwernemann’s termination to “appropriate law enforcement” there was no other discussion of the decision. In a statement issued on the termination Mayor Rick Hall cited “irregular practices” in the city secretary’s office and began an audit of city records. The statement went on to say, “the City Council terminated the employment of city Secretary Barbara Zwernemann for failure to maintain the city’s records consistently and accurately in the manner required by state law and the city code.” Weeks later, Hall said the issue was turned over to District Attorney Shawn Dick. In March 2020, THE INDEPENDENT reported on the

letter submitted in September 2018 to then-City Administrator Greg Boatright and City Attorney Dottie Palumbo alleging an angry outburst by Hall and evidence of him carrying a gun in City Hall. That letter was written by Zwernemann and was one of two from city employees on the incident. The letter alleged verbally abusive behavior and an angry outburst by Mayor Rick Hall at City Hall. She also claimed he was wearing a firearm at the time. The letter was made public in March 2020 article in THE INDEPENDENT. “Yes, it is true I had a violent encounter against me on Thursday, Sept 13, 2018,” Zwernemann wrote in a statement following her termination. “Because I had no intent to destroy people I worked through it, but it was a serious mistake because as I was told then by a wise council member “he won’t stop this behavior if you don’t stop him.” (Independent: May 28, 2020)

27 Video release

More than four months after the initial request, the City of Liberty Hill made available body cam and dash cam footage from a ride-along where Hall was in the police vehicle with former Officer Jeff Farmer during a high-speed chase into north Austin. While The Independent continues to question whether the entire video has been turned over as requested, the video does show Hall operating the on-board computer terminal, which is against the law. According to Texas Penal Code, Title 7, Chapter 33 (Computer Crimes), “A person commits an offense if the person knowingly accesses a computer, computer network, or computer system without the effective consent of the owner. An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class B misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state jail felony if: (2) the computer, computer network, or computer system is owned by the government or a critical infrastructure facility.” It is the same video Campbell claims Hall attempted to keep private after it was requested by the FBI in connection to an investigation. (Independent: July 9, 2020)

Capital improvement questions

In a late July presentation on current and future capital project expenditures, City Finance Director Becky Wilkins gave an update on what has been expended on projects compared to the original budget, and told Council members the City had $710,319 available left to spend from a $3 million bond and other funds pulled from the reserve fund. The lack of funds was attributed to three things – unanticipated costs, cost overruns, and what a number of Council members characterized as a lack of planning by the past City administration. But none of the projects mentioned had been unexpected, and the cost overruns – on projects like the municipal court remodel – occurred under the current leadership. Despite earmarking the remainder of the available funds for the planned community center, when it came time Oct. 13 to approve that proj-

ect, the Council was told by Wilkins those funds had already been spent on the current downtown projects. The Council approved a bid for the Community Center Oct. 13 at $858,643 and has approved moving forward with four other additional projects with an estimated total cost of nearly $6 million, including the previously approved Swim Center, a new Liberty Parke entrance, improvements at the Loop 332 and CR 279 intersection, and Bailey Lane improvements and potential realignment. These projected costs also do not include the final costs for the downtown improvement projects nearing completion. The initial estimate for the annual bond payment on a 7-year note for the swim center project alone is between $220,000 and $260,000 for a $1.4 million bond. Now the Council will consider a bond for just under $2.4 million for the Community Center and Swim Center. (Independent: July 30, 2020)

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

City Attorney change

Campbell files grievance

(March 2020) The City Council voted to dissolve the professional services agreement with the Bojorquez Law Firm, then hired Tad Cleaves as the City’s full-time legal counsel. Cleaves served as counsel for the City of Liberty Hill as an associate attorney with the Bojorquez firm since last summer, replacing former Bojorquez firm attorney Dottie Palumbo. An item on the executive session portion of a June 2019 Council agenda called for the consideration of “continuation of legal services, including city council evaluation of legal team’s performance, review of duties, and discussion of preferred attorney-client communications.” No action was taken on the item in open session, but following that meeting Cleaves replaced Palumbo as the Bojorquez representative at Council meetings. (Independent: March 26, 2020) (April 2020) A month after his termination, former Liberty Hill Police Chief Maverick Campbell filed a grievance with the City, seeking reinstatement. Campbell’s attorney, Tiger Hanner, said that at no time did the Council speak to Campbell about the incident. Hanner did not receive a response to the grievance until he was informed by the City on April 30 that an independent investigator was being hired. The grievance not only sought reinstatement, but also outlined other alleged issues regarding the conduct of Mayor Rick Hall. “It is also to bring to light the actions of the Mayor and those supporting him,” Hanner said. “From the beginning this has been a personal agenda of the Mayor and not about any action by Chief Campbell. The termination clearly did not meet the legal basis to terminate the contract. We pointed that out and tried to make that clear and they went for it anyway.” While THE INDEPENDENT was made aware of the grievance being filed in April, no information was made available on the details until late in the month. (Independent: May 7, 2020)

Council dismisses Campbell grievance

(May 2020) Outside investigator Bruce Mills, hired by the City of Liberty Hill to investigate the decision to terminate former Police Chief Maverick Campbell as part of the City’s response to a grievance filed by Campbell in April concluded that the City Council was justified in terminating Campbell. “It is my opinion that the City of Liberty Hill followed its policies and procedures in taking the actions that it did to terminate the employment of Maverick Campbell,” Mills said in the report. In light of the report and its conclusion, the City Council did not take any official action on the grievance. Instead, the City issued a statement through Facebook calling the matter closed. The extent of Mills’ investigation did not consider the nearly five-page statement from Campbell included in the grievance, which spells out an extensive list of allegations against Mayor Hall regarding his involvement in the police department and relationship with Campbell. It instead focused on the incident at a conference in New Jersey between Campbell and his spouse that led to local police involvement. No arrests were made and

no charges were filed in the incident. For Campbell, the lengthy statement was critical to the grievance and his request for an investigation. “The reason I included all of the information about the Mayor’s behavior in my grievance was to show the pattern of abuse that I know led to my termination because of threats against my job by the Mayor,” Campbell said. “The incident in New Jersey was simply an excuse and he reacted on emotions instead of facts, making false claims of an arrest when there was no arrest.” Campbell’s statement outlines nearly two years of what he calls increased involvement by Hall in department operations, pressure on certain personnel decisions, excessive ride alongs and other accusations. Many of the comments and allegations in Campbell’s statement echo the allegations reported in THE INDEPENDENT in early March, all of which Hall continues to claim are “absolutely” false. “I can tell you this, that the comments made in there are not valid,” Hall said. “At the initial point some of these comments were made, Becky (Wilkins) spoke to every one of the employees and there was no comments from any of the employees that came remotely close to all that.”

(Independent: June 5, 2020)

New drainage plan?

In 2018, the City Council approved a master drainage plan developed by K. Friese and Associates. Despite no previous discussion of the extensive, phased plan, the issue was raised at both July council meetings. Hall announced to the Council that he was in discussions with Halff Associates to revisit the City’s drainage improvement needs, and believed he would be able to come back with a more affordable plan to address the issue. In early July, he sharing a one-page synopsis of a refined plan with the Council. The previously approved Phase 2 report was 72 pages with methodology, funding recommendations, maps and a detailed list of 17 identified problem areas. The City invested $22,471 into the study. In the meeting packet on July 27, the Council was given the new proposal that emphasized five steps, including flood risk refinement, conceptual drainage capital improvement project refinement, drainage maintenance, a drainage utility rate study and drainage criteria recommendations. The estimated budget for the five areas to be addressed was $265,000. But in August, when Cindy Englehardt, a representative of Halff Associates, addressed the issue with the Council she was unable to speak specifically in detail on the current or proposed plans. “I was asked to take a high-level look at the prior drainage master plan and provide high-level estimates of what it might take to reevaluate that drainage master plan,” she said. “Until we take a look at it we really don’t know that, and I haven’t been able to take a look at the prior analysis either. I haven’t seen any of the models or anything associated with the prior analysis.” (Independent: Aug. 6, 2020)

Burnet County investigation

Despite Hall threatening legal action against the newspaper, claiming the alleged incident involving former Police Chief Maverick Campbell’s sons was not being investigated at all, the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) contradicted Hall’s claims in late July. The BCSO confirmed July 31 that the incident reported to law enforcement by Campbell is indeed being investigated. “They said they’re not going to investigate it because it’s not accurate,” Hall

Page 11

New intersection planned

(March 2020) Nearly nine months after the Council put plans for a downtown roundabout at the intersection of Loop 332 and CR 279 on the shelf, members began moving forward with an alternative plan to improve the intersection. The basic plan would alter the Loop coming from the east toward CR 279 to create a T-intersection with a three-way stop. Traffic coming into downtown from CR 279 would be able to turn right onto the Loop or continue into downtown after a stop. Drivers entering downtown from the east on Loop 332 will be able to continue right on the Loop with a yield or turn left onto CR 279 after a stop. Traffic leaving downtown will be able to continue south on CR 279 or turn left and continue on the Loop following a stop. To assist with traffic control at the intersection and designate the continued right into downtown from the Loop, a triangular median will be constructed at the intersection. The engineering services will run the City $114,482 for the project, which is estimated to have a total construction price tag for the intersection – without the adjacent parking lot – of $858,081. The City has not yet made available specific cost information for the washateria property parking lot. The City awarded a bid in April 2019 for $1,372,104 for the roundabout and adjacent parking lot project on the washateria property, but that was canceled in May 2019. (Independent: March 12, 2020)

Two more terminations

Hall reacts to grievance

Canady ethics questions

The total number of terminations among City staff reached six over the previous 12 months when former Director of Planning Sally McFeron and Building Inspector Jonny Ubelhor were both fired -- allegedly over issues with the Wetzel Park splash pad project. Neither had previously been counseled or reprimanded regarding job performance. Little was shared publicly about the terminations, though Mayor Hall later admitted he was not familiar with any previous performance reviews for McFeron or Ubelhor. Like Zwernemann and Campbell before them, both McFeron and Ubelhor claimed Hall used intimidation tactics with City staff. (Independent: July 2, 2020)

The Independent made the decision to share details of the allegations made by Campbell in his grievance because the City Council refused to consider them, essentially keeping the details from the public. When the paper published details of the allegations, including details of an incident where Campbell claims Hall used a racial slur toward his two sons at a City event and threatened them, Hall responded with a legal threat against The Independent. In an angry phone call, Hall threatened to sue the paper, then followed up with a letter from an attorney demanding a retraction and apology from the paper. The Independent, through its own legal counsel, countered the demand with a request for proof that the published allegations were false but never received a response. (Independent: July 2, 2020)

The City Council voted 2-1 in September not to consider an ethics complaint filed by Sally McFeron against Council member Kathy Canady. Council members Liz Rundzieher and Steve McIntosh voted not to hold a hearing, while Tony DeYoung voted against the motion. Canady abstained and Gram Langford was absent. The ethics complaint raised a number of concerns over Canady’s residence. Documents acquired by The Independent in August showed that Canady fraudulently signed an affidavit as part of a loan application declaring her homestead in Burnet. The loan document, signed by Canady on May 29, 2019, is a “Designation of Homestead and Affidavit of Nonhomestead” and was part of the paperwork connected to financial dealings regarding her 1100 Loop 332 business, an auto repair garage. On the affidavit Canady claims 402 S. Boundary Street in Burnet as her homestead. The address is a triplex rental property in Burnet. In signing, according to the affidavit, Canady is swearing that: “(She) does not now and does not intend ever to reside on, use in any manner, or claim (her) nonhomestead property as a business or residence homestead.” But in an e-mailed response to questions from The Independent, Canady denied ever residing at the Burnet address, and said she was told

said in early July claiming that’s what he was told when he spoke to them, though he referenced the Burnet Police Department. “I was called and told there was a police investigation about this and because it was at Canyon of the Eagles it was turned over to the LCRA. LCRA said ‘I’m not doing nothing about this.’ There’s no proof this happened. Burnet County police department said they’re not going to investigate it because there’s no proof that it happened.” But in a statement received from BCSO on July 31, Captain Tim Dillard, of the Criminal Investigations Division, said it

“by the title company that it was a formality and that I should give them an address to close.” Despite signing a legal loan document claiming a residence in Burnet, Canady contends she has lived at her business address, 1100 Loop 332, since that time, which also contradicted the sworn affidavit. When Canady filed to run for election to City Council in February, she listed the business address as her residence on the filing form. But that address is zoned C2 - Downtown Commercial, and is not currently eligible for home occupation under the City’s Unified Development Code (UDC). According to the UDC, that zoning category allows for residential use, but the property must be designated a business or residence and is not eligible to serve as both. Neither Canady or the City of Liberty Hill responded that a conditional use permit had been applied for in the 14 months since her Council appointment. Canady’s business is an auto repair garage, and the UDC also specifies under section 4.12.02 that home occupations are prohibited in garages -- one of nine business type prohibitions listed. She said she had been forced out of the garage, alleging a complaint filed with the City. City officials said they had received no complaint. The Independent requested a copy of the code violation notice sent to Canady, but has not received a response to date.

(Independent: Sept. 3, 2020)

would be investigated. “The investigation into these Class C misdemeanor allegations had been suspended for a time while awaiting further information from Mr. Campbell. (Last week) he agreed to provide that information, so the case has become active again. Mr. Hall has provided the names of several potential witnesses who were present at the event where these alleged offenses occurred. We are in the process of scheduling and conducting interviews with these potential witnesses.” There is no update on the current status of the investigation. (Independent: Aug.

13, 2020)

Page 12

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

New city budget

The Liberty Hill City Council approved a new fiscal year budget with a 33 percent spending increase, and a 4-cent tax rate reduction. The new budget includes nine new positions above what was approved last Sep-

Wastewater Plant budget

Regular change orders since the City Council decided in April to switch vendors for the equipment and technology being used in the new wastewater plant expansion have caused the project budget to grow well beyond its original $9.68 million budget. The most recent change order, approved by the Council Oct. 13, added an additional

tember. That approved budget added 18 positions to a staff that previously totaled 37. The City now has 63 total positions, and a general fund budget of $5.68 million -- an increase of 33 percent over the current budget of $4.24 million. The property tax rate of $0.454559 per $100 valua-

tion is a rate reduction, but while the City touted the rate reduction, under new rules set by the Legislature, it is not a decision truly in the hands of the Council. Due to changes mandated by Senate Bill 2, allowable revenue increases for Texas cities was cut by more than 50 percent. The new proposed rate

$810,105 to the project, raising the total amount to near $12.5 million. The original change approved in April was for the City to use equipment from Suez Environment, rather than from Microdyn MBR, which supplied the equipment for the most recent expansion. The wastewater plant, which opened in 2018, uses Microdyn equipment and technology, and the extension was also going to

use the same equipment and technology. The equipment, which was set to cost the City $2.2 million through Microdyn, will cost $2.6 million from Suez, the new supplier, adding on $400,000 to the project cost at that time. The equipment cost is separate from the bid award approved for Cunningham Constructors & Associates, Inc., of Georgetown to build the plant. Then in May, the change was

Campbell lawsuit

After the City Council dismissed his April grievance against the City, former Police Chief Maverick Campbell filed a civil suit Oct. 1 against the City and Mayor Rick Hall. The suit – filed in District Court – is for breach of contract, and seeks more than $290,000 in lost wages as well as other damages. One of the key pieces to Campbell’s challenge is an alleged lack of proper procedure in the termination. “The other basis for the lawsuit is the fact that there is a provision in the Texas Government Code that says you can’t fire a police officer – a law enforcement officer – based on a complaint that’s not in writing, signed and investigated by the department, or in this case the City,” said Campbell’s attorney Kerry O’Brien. “There was nothing of that sort involved here. That’s also a problematic issue for the City in this termination.” The suit stems from the firing of Campbell in March, which was followed by a grievance filed by the former chief in April, a subsequent investigation by the City and a recent unemployment compensation hearing won by Campbell against the City. Liberty Hill officials produced documents representing an investigation of

SHOES

Campbell the day after his termination, but at no time in that process did City officials talk to Campbell or his attorney as part of the investigation. When asked about the validity of the City’s investigation that was conducted at the request of Campbell and his attorney as part of the grievance filed, O’Brien dismissed it, saying the investigation should have taken place prior to the decision to terminate Campbell. The suit also raises questions regarding the termination in light of a three-year contract extension in May 2019, as well as multiple pay increases and a lack of any disciplinary action documented in his file. All along, Campbell has contended that the incident in New Jersey, originally cited by the City as cause for his termination, was used as an excuse to fire him. The long list of allegations Campbell expressed in his grievance are includ-

Continued from Page 6

store,” said Roth. “People will look at me, but I don’t care.” So, there. Of course, perhaps the most critical factor of all is the choice of color – which could make all the difference between victory or defeat on race day. Or not. “Really, I just like neutral colors like black, white or gray,” said Roth. “Anything that looks good with our uniform.” Once the shoe determination is made, the next thing to be tackled is socks, which need to perform as the perfect buffer between foot and shoe – something that Roth has down to a science, she said. “I have some Nike socks and some others which are DryFit,” said Roth. “I like the Nike ones because they’re thinner and let my feet breathe better, although the others have more padding, which is important in case you get a pebble or a rock in your shoe during a race – but usually, I just wear whichever pair is clean.” With one stipulation. “My socks have to be black,” she said.

LINEMEN

Despite the fact she’s completely comfortable with her longtime choice of shoes, the bugaboo of the racing spikes still lurks about in her mind, said Roth. “I’m probably going to look into getting some soon,” she said. “The spikes will give me better grip on some of the courses we’re running on now, with mud and dirt.” Deep down, she knows the switch is more of a psychological battle than one of a tangible nature. “As much as it feels physical,” said Roth. “I know it’s really more of a mental block.” With that being said, she also realizes the transition will not be an overnight process, but rather something of which she must stay the course despite potential initial issues. “I’d deﬁnitely give myself some time to get used to them,” she said. “Even if the ﬁrst race wasn’t good, I would give them a second try.” But, at the end of the day, she is ultimately the only one who can determine what’s best for her feet – and her times .

Continued from Page 6

So, to ensure his linemen can do exactly that – almost without having to go through a conscious thought process time and again, the practice ﬁeld is where all of these things are ingrained in players’ minds, he said. “Exactly why we rep so much in practice,” said Walker. “We want to take all the thinking out of it, so it’s mostly muscle memory.” Another aspect of the Slot-T is the fact players aren’t usually required to take on bigger, stronger players singlehandedly, said Walker. “We almost never ask a player to block one-on-one or straight up,” he said. “Either we’ll have help or we block at good angles, which also helps.” In order to make sure his linemen are mentally ready for the weekly Friday night challenge, each player is given an exam ahead of the game. “We give them a written test every week,” said Walker. For his line to have the upper hand – even against bigger teams – Walker said he always wants his players to be abso-

lutely sure of two things every time they go up to the line of scrimmage. “We want them to know where the ball is going, number one,” he said. “Number two, we need to make sure we know the snap count.” Both of these pieces of knowledge augment the advantage the offense already has over the defense, said Walker. “We know what’s going to happen and they don’t,” he said. “So, we get up to the line and we do it fast.” The center will always break the huddle early and sprint up to the line ahead of his teammates, who follow shortly thereafter before a quick snap of the ball before the defense even has a chance to react to what they’re seeing – until it’s too late. Which is exactly both the idea and the beauty of what the Panthers do. “I like to tell our players we need to get up into the fat guys before they can stand up,” said Walker. “By the time they do, the ball’s already gone.”

Thursday, October 15, 2020

is the highest rate allowed without voter approval. The COVID-19 pandemic gave the Council latitude to keep or raise the previous rate, but without the emergency ability, the rate would have been lowered by mandate without an election. (Independent: Sept. 10, 2020)

with construction company building the expansion, in the amount of $1.35 million. In August, a number of smaller changes orders adding $18,346 to the cost, were passed by the Council. After the May change order, Mayor Rick Hall said he did not believe there would be significant changes to the project going forward. (Independent: Sept. 17, 2020)

ed in the lawsuit filed because O’Brien believes those issues are the real cause for termination and the termination was retaliation for opposing Hall’s demands. In the filing, Campbell has a statement from former City Secretary Barbara Zwernemann – who was terminated in May – alleging that City Human Resources Director Becky Wilkins told her that “she and Hall didn’t want to waste an opportunity to terminate Campbell”, according to the suit. The suit also cites two meetings – one in December and one in February – with two members of the City Council “to discuss his concerns about Hall’s behavior, including Hall’s threats to have Campbell fired. Therefore, Hall and the council members were aware of Campbell’s intentions to file formal criminal complaints before they made the decision to terminate him.” Campbell confirmed that those two Council members who met with him at his home were Liz Rundzieher and Kathy Canady. He also said Canady told him specifically that the issues – including the behavior of public officials at city-sponsored functions – would be placed on a Council agenda for further discussion. Canady has spoken out against Campbell on numerous occasions since the decision was made to terminate him.

(Independent: Oct. 8, 2020)

Pending wastewater lawsuit

The City of Liberty Hill received notice in September of a potential lawsuit over ongoing complaints about the impact of the wastewater plant’s impact on the South San Gabriel River. If filed, the suit would be brought in federal court by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), representing resident Stephanie Morris who owns property along the South San Gabriel River downstream from the wastewater plant. There is the possibility a settlement could be reached prior to the 60 days passing, but such a settlement, according to what is being sought, will demand considerable change in how the plant is operated. The primary issue is regular algae blooms that choke the South San Gabriel downstream from the plant, but do not typically appear upstream, leading residents to argue that the plant’s effluent is causing the algae. The City has argued in the past that the effluent is not causing the algae – often pointing to development runoff or lawn chemicals making their way into the river as the culprit. The City has also stood behind its stance that it is operating according to its permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Not only is their concern among residents about the current situation, but there is worry that the current expansion plan will create even bigger issues if the permit renewal is granted and the City continues to operate as it is now while increasing the amount of effluent put into the river. If the suit is filed the first order of business will be to seek an injunction. Attorneys also argue that Liberty Hill has had many past issues with its reporting to TCEQ. One example was the alleged miscalculation of an average that measures the chemical content of the effluent produced by the plant. In sampling requirements, attorneys allege the City – which is required to take a certain number of samples per week and month to calculate the daily average – factored in zeros from the days no sample was taken, lowering the numbers on average reported to TCEQ. When asked if they believed the miscalculations to be by mistake or intentional, the attorneys could not say. As far as penalties the City could face, there is a potential fine of up to $55,800 for each violation. “Since there are more than 3,000 violations the potential is a lot,” Johnson said. (Independent: Sept. 17, 2020)

CROSS COUNTRY BRIEFS

Panthers girls, boys both third at Temple

Liberty Hill’s cross country squad hit the road for the Temple Invitational on Oct. 9, with the girls and boys each picking up third-place finishes in their respective team competitions. The girls’ Class 5A-6A field featured 148 runners from 33 schools and was divided into three different races, with the combined results comprising the final overall standings. Liberty Hill senior Ayanna Donwerth won her race in a time of 18:21.70, which was good enough for fourth overall. Freshman Avery Holland was next for the Panthers with a seventh-place finish in 20:39.10, which was 22nd

HITTER

overall, while fellow frosh Angela Mena crossed the line in ninth and 26th, respectively, in 20:53.00. Natalie Roth (14th, 38th, 21:21.70) and Amelia Clancy (16th, 41st, 21:42.30) rounded out the points for the Panthers, who were third with 124 points, behind winners Georgetown (33) and runners-up Cedar Park (90). Also ﬁnishing for Liberty Hill were Emma Hiebner (35th, 77th, 22:41.80), Tyler Goode (42, 84th, 23:14.20) and Daisy Anaya (44th, 84th, 23:16.60). In the boys’ competition – which consisted of 181 runners, sophomore Ryan McCarn was fourth in his race

Continued from Page 6

known she had the talent and ability and now we’re seeing it all fall into place.” For example, when Rowley led Liberty Hill with 15 kills in the Lady Panthers’ 3-2 (2518, 19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 1513) home victory over district opponents Leander on Oct. 2, but also added 22 digs on the day, which illustrates her versatility as she seamlessly transitions from the front row to the back during matches. Currently, Rowley ranks third on the squad with 61 kills and second with 99 digs – one of only two players on the roster, with the other being junior outside hitter Emma Becker – to be in the top three in each category. Peterson said perhaps the most enduring aspect of Rowley is the fact she’s rather understated despite her value to the team. “Maddi’s not super-ﬂashy or anything,” she said. “But, she’s real tough and focused – a real pleasure to watch – especially when she’s swinging well. She’s just really consistent with her digs, blocks and aces, which means she can play all around and is always able to contribute.” When Rowley isn’t creating chaos at the net, she forms a solid back-row partnership with junior defensive specialist Haley Kuhlmann and together the duo provides a pipeline of pinpoint passes for the setters and hitters to capitalize on, said Peterson.

“Maddi and Haley have led us in digs all season,” she said. “They’re involved in just about every play we get kills on.” Rowley was part of a sophomore class last season who were able to grow up together on the varsity and the results carried over into the current campaign have been remarkable, said Peterson. “I think all those sophomores last season were getting to know each other,” she said. “This year, we’re so much more of a solid team because our level of trust got better, which is a result of their maturity.” So, now the likes of Rowley, Becker, setter Emma Parsons and middle blocker Ailie Hair can have even more of an impact, which is something Rowley has definitely taken to heart, she said. “Last year was tough because I knew I had the ability to be playing more,” said Rowley. “But, now after I’ve had the chance to prove it to my coaches and teammates, I know they have faith in me as much as I do in myself. I think last year, I was afraid I was going to let them down.” For Rowley, the difference between then and now is quite simple, she said. “Definitely my confidence,” said Rowley. “I wasn’t a bad player before, but now I can show off what I can do.” Peterson agreed. “Maddi’s only going to con-

and ﬁfth overall in 16:29.20, while teammates Jacob Russell (14th, 28th, 17:02.80), Caden Glenn (16th, 32nd, 17:11.10), Isaiah De La Garza (17th, 33rd, 17:12.50) and Cayden Branch (18th, 38th, 17:18.40) also scored points for the Panthers, whose thirdplace result of 131 points trailed only Belton (64) and Georgetown (117). Other Liberty Hill ﬁnishers included Cade Johnson (19th, 41st, 17:23.10), Toby Rimann (20th, 42nd, 17:24.30), Greg Miller (21st, 45th, 17:24.60), Brandon Colicher (26th, 57th, 17:46.00) and Anthony Barreras (33rd, 78th, 18:28.90). Next up is the Liberty Hill Invitational on Oct. 17 at Lib-

Isaiah De La Garza (#715) helped the boys’ cross country squad to a third-place ﬁnish at the Temple Invitational. erty Hill Junior High School, with the varsity girls’ race at 8 a.m., followed by the varsity boys at 8:30 a.m.

tinue to get better,” she said. “She’s one of those six-rotation players we can really count on.” Rowley attributed part of her improvement to the players she faces during practice every day – her own teammates. “I’ve never seen anyone hit the ball like Emma (Becker),” she said. “Also, (sophomore outside hitter) Kaileigh (Truslow) can see the court so well.” As a result, Rowley ﬁnds herself on the receiving end of net blasts from the pair if she’s up front or bullets heading for the ﬂoor when she’s in the back – both of which are equally challenging to defend. “If someone is hitting the ball 100 miles and hour right at your face, sometimes all you can do is stick out your platform, rely on muscle memory and hope for the best,” she said. “Sometimes when I get a dig off one of them, I’ll say to myself, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize I could do that,’ so I have them to thank for helping to make me better.” Getting digs in volleyball is a close cousin to rebounding in basketball in that it’s not always the biggest, strongest or fastest who wins out, but the one with the most desire, meaning it’s not something for the faint of heart or an activity which can be shied away from – but, that’s right up Rowley’s alley these days. “I feel like defense is a mentality,” she said. “You can

work on your technique all you want, but you need to have the mindset to just go after the ball or you’re not going to get it up – you just have to tell yourself you can do it.” In a sport where positivity is more pronounced than others and congratulation in the form of high fives and fist bumps are given after each and every point – win or lose – Rowley takes pride in her defense even more than her offense – something which provides a positive posture in highlighting the dirty work which must be done to win matches. “Maddi celebrates her defense like most people celebrate offense,” said Peterson. “She really buys into defense, which doesn’t go unnoticed by her teammates. In fact, a perfect dig or an ace can be just as exciting of a play as a kill.” Think an outfielder in baseball rising up and reaching over the wall to rob a batter of a home run and one will understand the thrill of denying the opposition glory can be every bit as gratifying as cashing in oneself. As far as her vocal presence on the court, Rowley said she’s not necessarily concerned with what opponents might think of her cantankerous approach and she hasn’t been on the end of any ill will as a result. “So far, it’s been great,” she said. “I haven’t heard a single negative thing.”

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Thursday, October 15, 2020

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Page 13

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, October 15, 2020

BUSINESS

Mainstay Kitchen cooking in local parking lot

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The Main Street Social food hall isn’t opening for a few more months, but that didn’t stop Jason and Amber Dodge from opening Mainstay Kitchen right outside the hall in a food truck. “The food truck idea is very new for us, but the idea came about this summer,” Amber Dodge said. “We had been in talks to open Mainstay Kitchen in the food hall, and we were just eager to get started. The idea came up to open a food truck so we could get started before the Main Street Social building is ﬁnished.” The Dodges opened their food truck in September and have enjoyed getting acclimated to the area and getting to know the Liberty Hill community. “The opening of Main Street Social is still a few months out, but we will move inside once it’s open,” Jason Dodge said. “We aren’t sure yet what we’ll do with the food truck after we move inside. If we ﬁnd someone who is dedicated and wanting to run a food truck, we might put it somewhere, or we might just use it for catering. We aren’t sure right now, but we’re up for anything.”

The Dodges have a background in hospitality and cooking. Amber Dodge has worked in hospitality in hotels for nearly 20 years, most recently for the Four Seasons in Austin. Jason Dodge began his chef career working for Four Seasons as well, but has spent the last several years working with some of Austin’s best restaurants, like Vespaio Trattoria, Enoteca Vespaio and Péché. Most recently, Jason Dodge was a fire tender at Franklin’s Barbecue, where he learned to smoke briskets under the tutelage of Aaron Franklin. Once the Dodges decided to open Mainstay Kitchen, they went all in. “This is what we’re doing full time now,” Jason Dodge said. “We dove right in when the opportunity came up. Both of us were in a place where we were ready for the next step and to do something different. We were ready to do something on our own, and with our experience, it seemed like a natural fit.” The food truck has a grill and smoker on the outside, and inside, it’s “fully loaded,” with a stove, oven, fryer, cooler and more, Jason Dodge said. Mainstay Kitchen’s menu reflects the utilization of all the

different types of equipment, he added. Amber Dodge said the menu focuses on American staples, like Frito pie, pimento cheese sandwiches and sausage wraps. “That will be a big part of what’s inside once we move in as well,” she added. “We are really keeping with staple items like sandwiches, salads and wraps.” Though they’ve only been open for a short time, Amber Dodge said customers are already ﬁnding favorite meals, like the 10-inch sausage wrap and Italian sandwich. “We are also doing specials every day, and on Friday and Saturday nights, I ﬁre up the grill and do a grill special,” Jason Dodge said. Last week’s special was pork tenderloin with grits and Brussel sprouts, for $15 a plate. Most menu items range from $5 to $10. Customers can take their food to go, or they are welcome to stay and eat at the half a dozen picnic tables located next to the food truck, Jason Dodge added. “We have picnic tables and lights in the trees, and we play music,” he said. “It gives people a chance to hang out and see the place come together.”

Once the Dodges move inside the food hall, they plan to move into a lot of grab-and-go type meals, in addition to what they’re already cooking up. They will also be opening the pizza food stall, called Cosmic Pizza, inside Main Street Social. “We had an opportunity to bring something great to the community, and we are excited to provide good food in a good environment where people can RACHEL MADISON PHOTO get together to have a good Amber and James Dodge, owners of Mainstay Kitchen, stand time and enjoy themselves outside their food truck in the parking lot of the soon-to-open with friends and family,” AmMain Street Social food hall. ber Dodge said. “We’ve had great feedback from people coming by. People are excited we’re here, and they like seeing the building coming along and getting the chance to meet us and for us to meet them before we move in.” Mainstay Kitchen, located in the Main Street Social parking lot at 1651 Loop 332, is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and MEMORIAL FUND Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. For more information or to order online, visit www.mainstaykitchen.com.

the liberty hill high school baseball’s

Liberty Hill & Surrounding Communities

FRIDAY

NOVEMBER 6TH, 2020 Shotgun Start 9:00am Sign In Starts 7:30am 4 Player Scramble

FOR INFORMATION:

Donn Thompson (512) 656-5007 d.thompson72@yahoo.com Steven Hutcherson (361) 771-8444 shutcherson@libertyhill.txed.net

LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

LIBERTY HILL HIGH SCHOOL | LIBERTY HILL JUNIOR HIGH LIBERTY HILL INTERMEDIATE | LIBERTY HILL ELEMENTARY BILL BURDEN ELEMENTARY | RANCHO SIENNA ELEMENTARY SANTA RITA ELEMENTARY

STRATEGIC PLAN ONE MISSION. SIX PILLARS.

Thank You! TO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

Thank you to the group of community members parents, students, school trustees, administration, and campus staff who embarked on a 10 month journey for district-wide strategic planning. Our group was very passionate about the future of Liberty Hill ISD and the type of school district we aspire to become as we manage growth and leverage resources toward the future. The work was grounded in the beliefs set forth by the Board of Trustees, and the strategic plan was built around six pillars.

LHISD VISION Building Champions in Academics, Character and Community.

WE BELIEVE • We believe every child deserves the highest quality education • We believe in the commitment and dedication to educating the whole child • We believe in high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction • We believe in attracting, retaining, and developing an effective and diverse staff • We believe in providing a safe and secure learning environment for students and staff • We believe in a unified community embracing collaborative partnerships with parents strengthens the education process • We believe that a positive culture promotes learning for all stakeholders • We believe that our students should be the basis of all decisions

Board Members Clint Stevenson Kathy Major Megan Parsons Clay Cole David Nix Anthony Buck Vickie Peterson

Funding & Finance Strategic Planning Committee Steve Snell, Rosanna Guerrero Chad Becker Joe Pacheco James Prince David Van Noy Erin Jarrett Megan Parsons Action Team Leaders and Members Candy Tijerina (Action Team Leader) AJ Padilla Brandi Pennington Jason Hardcastle Jori Sitz Justin Zimerman Megan Riggins Rob Baughn Shaleah Hardcastle

Te a c h i n g & L e a r n i n g Strategic Planning Committee Toni Hicks Stefanie Ediger Jon Bever Haley Hudnall Josh Curtis Todd Greenberg Heather Collison Marcy Mueller Jessica Kelm Teresa Rios Action Team Leaders and Members Monica Miller (Action Team Leader) Dawn Hudson (Action Team Leader) Amber Buescher Beth Hart Christina Tucker Dawn Spivey Heather Bortz Heather Wright Hillary Stippick Jamie Etzkorn Katherine McAnally Lauren Claymon Mariah Grazioplene Meredith McMillian Shanda Bates Stephanie Figioli Valerie Zapien

OUR MISSION The mission of Liberty Hill ISD is to build future-ready graduates empowered to be the best version of themselves.

Human Capital

Culture

Strategic Planning Committee Bob Mabry Carrie Eubanks John Newberg Travis Motal Melanie Bowman

Strategic Planning Committee Brad Mansfield Patty Hamilton Woody Sitz Gretchen Peterson Tanya Lambert Kathy Major

Action Team Leaders and Members Meredith Kimbrough (Action Team Leader) Dimitra Becker Elizabeth DeFrancisis Katie Reid Kendall Carter Laurie McDaniel Matthew Gately Stephanie Turek

Communications & Community Relations Strategic Planning Committee Kristy Kercheville Andrea Aragon-Brown Shelley Clawson Ashlie Cobb Michelle Hawley Peyton Lilienthal Gerald Lorance Desiree Wells Reagan Lochte Action Team Leaders and Members Angela Meade (Action Team Leader) Deah Twine (Action Team Leader) Anthony Escobar Becky O'Dell Christina Hobbs Jenny Bolger Kristin Hutcherson Meleia Cox Scott LaGrange Stacy Boatright

Action Team Leaders and Members Kendell Luedtke (Action Team Leader) Alesha Tolbert Bobby Rush Cacie Gates Christina Gamez Dawn Spivey Kasey Faurie Shakeria Green Shellie Brewer

Facilities Strategic Planning Committee Jay Olivier Kevin Dydalewicz Heather Pacheco Clint Stephenson Action Team Leaders and Member Bryan Branch (Action Team Leader) Aleta Brochue Bruce Krueger Clark Stanley Clint Stephenson Daniel Duckworth Day Wright Jennifer Willis John Perrin Kenna Park Sara Dyer Timothy Brewer

Student Committee Travis McAnally Peyton Lilienthal Antonio Paredes Molly Reinhardt