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2020

Volume 33, Issue 30

www.LHIndependent.com

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June 18, 2020 | 50 Cents

LHISD employees will receive 1% pay increase

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Last budget cycle, thanks to an infusion of funds from the Texas Legislature, Liberty Hill ISD and districts across the state were able to give sizable raises to teachers. In Liberty Hill, teachers received raises between four and seven percent, and all other staff received a three percent raise. Fast forward to today and prospects look much leaner for all school districts across Texas. The LHISD Board of Trustees was faced with that reality Monday, voting to approve a one-percent increase for staff from the market midpoint. The across the board raise is expected to increase the district’s payroll by $345,235. “I’m very happy with the work of Rosanna Guerrero, our CFO,” said Superintendent Steve Snell. “She has been very diligent so we can maximize teacher compensation as much as possible. But I’m disappointed that there’s just not more funding available to compensate our teachers. “Last year, the Texas Legislature made huge steps with House Bill 3 and all teachers got between a ﬁve percent and seven percent raise, and although that’s a great raise

ROYCE GRAETER Liberty Hill Police Chief

Graeter focused on serving community

ALEX RUBIO PHOTOS

About 150 people met in Liberty Hill last Saturday for a peaceful protest sharing their view that black lives matter.

In peaceful Liberty Hill protest, group afﬁrms black lives matter

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer At the corner of State Highway 29 and Loop 332, a crowd of about 150 people knelt for eight and a half minutes June 13 to remember the death of George Floyd. Leading up to that, protesters supporting the views of Black Lives Matter lined the highway, holding signs as drivers passed. The crowd raised their ﬁsts in solidarity, shared prayers, and talked about why they felt the need to be involved on a hot Saturday in Liberty Hill. Protest organizer and Liberty Hill resident Angie Bare sees this as an essential time in the

The Liberty Hill ISD Education Foundation hopes to raise $5,000 toward to its year-end goal of $50,000.

Foundation will provide support, opportunities for innovative education

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The Liberty Hill ISD Education Foundation is the youngest charity taking part in this year’s Day of Giving. Founded last December, the organization’s goal is to raise money to help teachers and students experience new and innovative ways of teaching and learning.

“The mission is to partner with the community to help promote and inspire teaching and help innovative educational solutions that are outside the normal for what an operational budget in a school district would look like,” said Foundation President John Newberg. “We do

See FOUNDATION, Page 8

country, and she wanted Liberty Hill to be part of the conversation. “This is happening all over the country and in other countries,” said Bare. “We just wanted to provide a safe space for the people in Liberty Hill who stand in agreement to have a voice and join the movement.” Understanding the area, Bare was aware that her beliefs may not line up with the overall community, but the protest organizer hoped to open the door to different ideas. “I do understand that this may not be the predominant

See PROTEST, Page 10

See GRAETER, Page 8

Editor’s Note: This edition features the ﬁnal installment in a series on the charitable organizations selected to participate in the Day of Giving on June 26. Learn more and contribute at www. LHIndependent.com/liberty-hill-day-of-giving.

OLH seeks boost from Day of Giving

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Operation Liberty Hill is one of the most well-known organizations in Liberty Hill. The charity helps those in need through its thrift store and food pantry. Executive Director Susan Baker may have retired, but she knew there would be another chapter in her career. “I retired from the City of

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor There are dozens of responsibilities that come with the role of police chief in any city, but for newly-appointed Liberty Hill Chief Royce Graeter the most important of those is a good relationship with the community. Building and maintaining those relationships depends on trust and communication. “People should expect everybody to be kind and helpful and I’d like for the community to know all of our ofﬁcers are approachable,” Graeter said. “Don’t ever second guess walking up to an ofﬁcer and striking up a conversation.” The best way Graeter knows how to serve the community is to be in tune with the concerns and needs of residents. “We just want more and more community engagement and participation from the community,” he said. “If they have something on their mind they want to come talk to us about the door is open. We’re going to be out there honestly and ethically policing the community.” Graeter, who grew up in the Burnet area, is a Master Texas

Austin human resources and didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said. “I thought I would probably put all my photos in photo albums and clean out my closets and plant a garden, but that only took six months.” While attending church, Baker couldn’t help but notice people that didn’t have rides to the

See OPERATION, Page 4

L4 Cares works to help military, seniors and children who need aid by providing clothing, food, furniture and school supplies from various retailers. (Courtesy Photo)

L4 Cares serves ‘the least, the last, the lost, the lonely’

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer L4 Cares is an organization that focuses on caring for military members, seniors, and children. The charity focuses on helping “the least, the last, the lost, and the lonely.” “We focus on four segments of the population that can get looked over by other larger nonproﬁt organizations,” said L4 Cares founder Kendra Cofer. “It’s a focus on

our military, including active duty and veterans. We’ve partnered with the VA in Temple to support 15 of their current programs.” After working in the corporate world for 30 years, Cofer decided it was time to exit. Creating a nonproﬁt wasn’t part of the plan to start. Still, after working with several charities, Cofer knew it was

See L4 CARES, Page 8

Page 2

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Our caring, professional staff is focused on keeping your family healthy. And like you, we live in Liberty Hill and are working to make a difference in our hometown. From coaching youth sports teams, sponsoring community events and contributing to local causes, your hometown pediatric clinic is investing in Liberty Hill.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Garden Club installs ofﬁcers

The Liberty Hill Garden Club elected and installed its 2020-2021 ofﬁcers on May 12. The club is on hiatus for summer and will resume on Sept. 8. From left, are Jeanette Roache, President; Joyce Hoffman, 1st VP Membership; Penny Villanueva, 2nd VP Programs, Michele Stanﬁeld, Secretary; Lynn Waller, Treasurer; Carolyn Rivers, Chaplain; Sheryl Farley, Historian; and Vicci Conway, Parliamentarian. (Courtesy Photo)

PEC members reelect Pataki, elect Ekrut, Cox

JOHNSON CITY — Results of the 2020 PEC Board of Directors election are in. PEC members in districts 2, 3, and 4 reelected Emily Pataki, and elected Mark Ekrut and Travis Cox to serve on the cooperative’s board of directors. PEC

received the election results from Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS), a third-party administrator who handles the election ballots. District 2 reelected Pataki to continue representing them, Ekrut will represent district 3, and Cox will represent district 4. Pataki has served the cooperative since 2014. Pataki and Ekrut will serve a three-year

term, and because the District 4 election was held to ﬁll a vacancy, Cox will serve twoyears. There was a total of 17,570 votes cast across all districts according to the results from SBS. Additionally, members could voluntarily sign up for the Power of Change on this year’s ballot. To meet safety and health con-

cerns, the 2020 PEC Annual Meeting is closed to member and public attendance, and will be held June 19 immediately before the June board of directors’ meeting. Members are encouraged to check pec. coop/annual-meeting to watch a video recording of the annual meeting which will be posted online once available.

Liberty Hill Police Blotter Prepared by Liberty Hill Police Department

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Week of June 8-14, 2020 The Liberty Hill Police Department responded to or self-initiated a total of 359 incidents resulting in eight cases, 24 citations, 51 warnings and no arrests. Weekly Highlights: - On June 8 at approximately 12:10 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an animal bite. - On June 8 at approximately 12:27 PM, officers responded to the 10000 block of W. SH 29 for a burglary of a building. - On June 8 at approximately 6:06 PM, officers responded to Deserti Road for an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle complaint. - On June 9 at approximately 11:02 AM, officers responded to Bryson Bend of a fraud complaint.

- On June 9 at approximately 11:03 PM, officers responded to Independence Ave for a suspicious incident. - On June 9 at approximately 11:43 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident. - On June 10 at approximately 12:03 PM, officers responded to Ancellotta Way for a 911 silent call. - On June 10 at approximately 1:09 PM, officers responded to Independence Ave for a 911 silent call. - On June 10 at approximately 4:59PM, officers responded to US 183 for a traffic hazard. - On June 11 at approximately 1:46 AM, officers responded to the 15000 block of W. SH 29 for a suspicious incident. - On June 11 at approximately 2:11 AM, officers responded to the 100 block of US 183 for a

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suspicious incident. - On June 11 at approximately 10:05 AM, officers responded to the 2000 block of RM 1869 for property damage. - On June 11 at approximately 2:13 PM, officers responded to the 16000 block of W. SH 29 for a traffic hazard. - On June 11 at approximately 2:32 PM, officers responded to Majestic Way to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. - On 6/12/20, at approximately 12:39 AM, officers responded to Bryson Bend for a burglary in progress. - On June 12 at approximately 5:36 AM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for a robbery in progress. - On June 12 at approximately 12:42 PM, officers responded to the 4000 block of RM 1869, to assist the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, with an accident. - On June 12 at approximately 6:15 PM, officers responded to the 14000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On June 13 at approximately 12:00 PM, officers responded to 10000 block of W. SH 29 for protest coverage. - On June 14 at approximately 2:13 AM, officers responded to Independence Ave for a disturbance. - On June 14 at approximately 3:05 PM, officers responded to the 13000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On June 14 at approximately 9:34 PM, officers responded to the 11000 block of W. SH 29 for an accident. - On June 14 at approximately 10:05 PM, officers responded to Matthews Circle for an animal bite.

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OPINION

EDITORIAL: Caution is paramount There was a hope when Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to allow Texas businesses to begin opening May 1 in phases. The hope was that our communities were past the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and we could blend the goals of nursing our economy and our ill neighbors back to health. We have seen mixed results over the six weeks since, but in the last week have been reminded that the threat of the virus is far from over. No matter how you look at COVID-19 statistics in Texas you ﬁnd cause for concern. Pick an angle, decide to look at straight numbers, percentages, days or months and it all comes out the same -- demonstrating that the anticipated risk of higher infection numbers proved true. We should not narrow our focus of concern so much that we only worry about how many people are in the hospital. Politically it was a challenge, and leaders in Texas chose to peg that statistic as the most important one in determining the suitability of a decision to go back to work, to restaurants and shopping. The idea was that as long as our hospitals were not overrun we would be ﬁne. We haven’t found the peak of that infamous curve, with numbers in Texas and

Williamson County increasing daily. Two months ago, it was all about flattening the curve. Today, it is all about not filling the hospitals. But not filling the hospitals will not be good enough as fatalities rise and everyone goes to work or school every day with a chance to return home to their family with the virus. It took until May 19 for Williamson County to report its 500th confirmed case, but only 28 more days to double that number. The number of active cases in Texas and Williamson County have never been higher. There is not yet a downward trend. Numbers in Liberty Hill continue to be low in comparison with 22 total cases and 10 recovered, but when Winkley’s General Store announced on social media Monday that an employee was confirmed positive for coronavirus and the store was closed, we were all reminded that there is no magical solution to avoiding this virus. Winkley’s did what was right for employees and its customers both, sharing the news with the community and informing the public of its plans to close temporarily for professional disinfecting and preparation to be able to reopen. The staff at Winkley’s wore masks, en-

forced social distancing and hand-sanitizing for everyone, yet the virus struck just the same. Sometimes even the best measures are not enough. Hopefully soon we can again pick up the items we need at Winkley’s, but as we venture out we should heed the warning of this situation and recognize that the economically and emotionally difficult sacrifices we all made through March and April are the surest way to avoid the uncontrolled spread of this virus. If we are going to push on toward a return to “normal” in hopes of restoring the economy and beginning school on time in August, we must balance that effort with continued vigilance and caution. It is true we can’t very well never leave home. But we can lean toward staying home when we don’t need to be out. We can avoid crowds, wear masks and remember the importance of social distancing. These are small sacrifices we can all make for each other, and all make to speed us through and past this crisis. We can continue to embrace the little inconveniences of COVID-19 now, or we can be forced later to live through the big ones that will surely come from a careless, cavalier approach today.

VIEWPOINT

Since when is it threatening to ‘matter’?

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Imagine if when b l a c k Americans rallied behind the cause of bringing attention to a string of deaths at the hands of police and neighborhood vigilantes they had settled on the moniker “blacks are the superior race.” Maybe they could have called the movement “blacks before whites” or “black lives ﬁrst.” Offensive? But black Americans set the expectations much lower when choosing a message and simply called the movement Black Lives Matter. It is simple really. To matter is the most basic request. It implies a margin of importance, a life of equal importance among others at most. It is not remotely superior or exclusive and only the most creative paranoia can twist it into something threatening. We should have been shocked and embarrassed at the reality that “Black Lives Matter” was how low these frustrated Americans were willing to set the bar. Imagine if you had to tell someone you “matter”. But many Americans couldn’t even bear that simple title, immediately growing defensive and rabid in their disdain for an activism they clearly chose not to understand. But if you are white, you just don’t get it. You can’t. I don’t understand it because

I don’t experience it, but that doesn’t mean that I am not aware or concerned. It doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge it is real or worth addressing. Human beings are uniquely equipped to be empathetic and aware, but we must choose those over fear and division. Many across the country have rallied against the Black Lives Matter movement because of that inclination toward fear and division. Is it really offensive to say they “matter”? There are not a limited number of lives that can matter. Yours, mine, theirs and those people over there can all matter equally, so we shouldn’t fear that a recognition that Black Lives Matter leaves anyone suddenly on the outside looking in. But for many blacks in this country they have reasons – and data – to make the argument that it seems like black lives don’t matter as much. White lives have mattered in this country for nearly 250 years. Whites made a point for 150-plus years that their lives and freedoms undoubtedly mattered more than any others. Even if we point to the slow creep toward equality – dating back to the freeing of the slaves in 1863, continuing through the ﬁght for civil rights in the 1960s and carrying into the violence protested against today – we can hardly say we have acted like All Lives Matter very much in our history. Why is it we can’t let black Americans have a slogan that doesn’t include white people?

Are we so fearful of someone of a different skin tone, or so invested in the ridiculous stereotypes of our fellow human beings, that agreeing they “matter” without the caveat that we do, too, is too much to swallow? I have two adult daughters and three grandchildren who are biracial. When we made recent plans to spend a family weekend at a rental in Castroville, the first question one of our daughters asked was, “Is it a racist place?” My first thought was “why would you ask that?” But I had to remind myself that I have never once experienced the racism they face and fear. The longer I am in their lives the more I am aware of how racist – overtly or subtly – so many in our country can be. I cannot tell anyone what it is like for someone to make negative assumptions about me based on the color of my skin. I cannot explain to these young women why I never have to worry about being shot by a police officer, or think about being discriminated against because of someone’s perception of my race. I haven’t experienced these discriminations, but that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize them. In agreeing that Black Lives Matter we don’t have to discuss the subtle racism of access to education or employment discrimination. We can just talk about names, including Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Philando Castile, Fred-

die Gray, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. All dead. All unarmed. All killed by a police ofﬁcer or citizen that took justice into their own hands. It should sadden us all that black protests in America have gone from seeking the right to sit at the front of the bus, eat in the same restaurant or attend the same school as whites to simply wanting the country to recognize their lives matter. But that’s where we are, and Saturday that message came to Liberty Hill. Some of the loudest pre-protest reaction to a planned Black Lives Matter event in Liberty Hill proved to be a textbook example of racism and wishful thinking about a cause many people choose not to understand or just won’t accept. You’d have thought Liberty Hill needed to raise the drawbridge, ﬁll the moat and prepare for the siege of sieges Saturday. A protest in support of Black Lives Matter was coming and, according to many wringing their hands online, law and order and civility in this generally quiet little town was apparently going to disintegrate in a coup led jointly by left-wing agitators and angry minorities. The good news, though, turned out to be that the only troublemakers were the ones on social media who “shared” their racism and intolerance by spreading rumors and

See VIEWPOINT, Page 6

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, June 18, 2020 Page 3

The Shin Oak Ridge is the safest place to be during a revolution

By WILT CUTTER Columnist Sometimes it’s easy to become misdirected during times of great change. Especially if that change is fraught with bits of chaos and intentional acts of violent anarchy. But it’s at times like these that we should breathe deep and keep our eyes on the prize. Watching the news and seeing some of our fellow Americans march in protest with grievances against their government should remind us of our original goals of making sure everyone felt comfortable enough to tell us what they think is wrong, work to change what they don’t like, and continue to be proud of who they are and where they are if we don’t all agree. Or even when they fail to get exactly what they wanted. That is the promise of democracy, tolerance and ultimately, freedom. Seeing our own local police officers standing by with a watchful eye and protecting those who were here last Saturday at the Black Lives Matter protest was an example of how government works when it protects the interest of those with a beef against the way things are. And then, guess what? Those citizens who were so frustrated with the status quo, with the way things were going had their say. They held up signs, they shouted slogans, they raised their fists in solidarity, they took a knee, they drew attention to their cause and they went back to their homes. The Liberty Hill protesters didn’t misunderstand that those in uniform were sworn to protect their constitutionally protected speech. Professional law enforcement officers are unlike politicians. They officially do not have political opinions. It’s their duty to benignly protect and serve. And even though the Liberty Hill protesters were actually

protesting the action of the police, they were sophisticated enough to understand their local cops were there to protect them. Let that simmer in your brain for a bit. For those who passed by and honked in support, they also were participating in free speech, political action and the highest of constitutionally protected behavior. For those who drove by and raised the middle finger, shook their fist and rolled down their window and called the protesters names… that too, is protected. The Liberty Hill protesters may be remembered for what they knelt for, but they will also be remembered for what they didn’t do. Nobody came downtown and broke any windows or assaulted anyone. Nobody spray painted buildings or monuments. Nobody hurled homemade bombs or set fire to the police station. That’s because they understood the difference between exacting revenge and making their voices heard. Because the protesters practiced the real art of self-expression and political speech the local police were able to actually do their jobs. And also because those who disagreed with the protesters or believed their issues to not be truly warranted also behaved in a civilized way, it became a conflict of ideas, not of violence. Real patriots know the high price of freedom isn’t to protect those who agree with you, vote like you, worship like you or look like you. That would be much easier. The magic of this country is the opposite: to protect the great experiment of self-government and self-expression. The idea of tolerance isn’t some weak-kneed idea from the ivory towers of philosophers. No, it’s the powerful practice of owing your fellow citizens the golden rule of Americanism. The children of Liberty Hill were the recipients of a great civics lesson last Saturday. And we handled it like Champions.

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Williamson County sees increase OPERATION in mail-in ballot requests

By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer As Williamson county prepares for the Democrat runoff election July 14 and the November General Election, worry over the COVID-19 pandemic is leading to an increase in requests for mail-in ballots. “I think we have seen an increase in ballots by mail with just one party having a primary runoff,” said Williamson County Elections Administrator Chris Davis. “Given that it’s just one party having the primary runoff and we’re at 5,200 requests for ballot by mail, (we already have) more than we’ve had for any single-party runoff in the past.” To request a mail-in ballot in Texas, a citizen must “be 65 years or older; be disabled; be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or be conﬁned in jail, but otherwise eligible.” COVID-19 isn’t considered a valid excuse. “If someone thinks they have a disability and puts that in the application, we will accept that,” said Davis. “We’ve received a couple of applications where an applicant has created their box that said coronavirus or COVID-19 and checked that box. We’ve had to reject those because that’s not one of the accepted excuses for ballot by mail.” If someone believes they have a disability, it falls totally on them to determine that and whether they should check the disability box on the application. “If voters deem themselves

as having a disability, the State Supreme Court has said that it falls within the voter’s purview, and only the voter’s purview, to determine whether they have a disability or not,” said Davis. “We don’t have the authority to question anyone with the excuses they put on their application for ballot by mail. If one were to put disability there, then we take them at their word.” With an increase in the number of ballots requested during the current runoff election, questions about how the general election will be affected are floating through Davis’ mind. “We’re interested in seeing what kind of a tail this has going into November,” he said. “If we’re going to continue to see an increase in requests for ballot by mail. If we do, we’re working on plans for how to handle that.” The first step in tackling that increased number of ballots is people to process them. With COVID-19, working in an enclosed space becomes a dangerous situation. To offset the risk, workers will need more significant amounts of space to social distance. “When ballots come in, and we have to process them, we’re looking at having more physical space for our early voting ballot board, the teams of folks that do the signature comparisons and processing of ballots,” said Davis. “We’re looking at having more people to do that, have them socially distanced, and give them more space.” The biggest concern for Da-

vis as November approaches is not knowing how many more mail-in ballots will be coming in. “We’re looking at different options to handle a much higher volume because when I look at 2018 or 2016, we had 10,000-12,000 voters that voted by mail and that’s five to six percent of all voters,” he said. “If that doubled to 12 percent or quadrupled to 20 percent it’s an order of magnitude more work that we’ve got to plan for, so finding ways to work smartly and to automate are things we’re doing for November.” The processing of mail-in ballots begins midway through early voting. Hoping to avoid being overwhelmed, Davis and the county elections office have asked if they can start the process sooner. They’ve also asked the secretary of state’s office if they can approve signatures remotely. “We’ve asked the secretary of state’s office if current election law allows ballot board members to review and approve signatures online or remotely. They’ve said it’s an interesting notion, and they’re researching that,” said Davis. “That’s another thing we’re asking from the state, allowing us to begin processing return ballots earlier in the early voting period, perhaps before it begins because of this time.” The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the July 14 runoff election is July 2, and the deadline for the general election is Oct. 23.

doctor or grocery store. She took it upon herself to provide rides and, at one point, was doing it almost 40 hours a week. “I noticed we had to go from a food pantry to a clothes closet, maybe health and human services and another place to apply for food stamps. I thought it was just crazy,” Baker said. “Shortly after, I started volunteering at the local food bank. Before long, the woman running the pantry sent me an e-mail and asked me to pray that someone could take over the pantry. So, Karen and I did that and turned it into Operation Liberty Hill just a couple of weeks later.” The doors to the food pantry opened in 2012, and the charity has only grown since then, adding a thrift store in 2015. “We went from an 800-square-foot house handing out food three times a week to an 8,000-square-foot facility now,” said Baker. “We’re already busting at the seams now.” For the 2020 Day of Giving, the food pantry’s goal is to raise $8,000 for its Summer Snack program and the Laces for Liberty Hill program. The Summer Snack program aims to help children who may not have meals available outside of school during the summer. “This year, the money is going to our summer snack program since there isn’t a summer lunch program in the district,” said Baker. “We also do Laces for Liberty Hill, which provides athletic shoes for kids who need them. Anything we don’t

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Continued from Page 1

ANDREA BROWN PHOTO

Operation Liberty Hill hopes to raise $8,000 to help fund the summer snack program and support the pantry after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the thrift store.

spend on snacks goes to that.” Operation Liberty Hill is familiar with the Day of Giving and has seen higher donations because of their involvement in the past. “The Day of Giving gives us a lot more visibility,” said Baker. “Many of the people who donate during the Day of Giving end up donating more during the year.” Citizens in the community and surrounding areas can donate money or food items the organization is looking for to include in the healthy snack packs. “We’re going to provide a

complete list of foods we put into the healthy snack packs, and people can donate speciﬁc items if they want to help that way,” said Baker. “Our goal is to make sure every child has a meal during the summer months.” Operation Liberty Hill needs the community during the Day of Giving more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary shutdown of the thrift store, the primary source of funding for the services OLH offers and created an increased need for help around the area.

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Thursday, June 18, 2020

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Hurdles remain over public information

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The impasse between the City of Liberty Hill and The Independent over multiple requests for information under the Texas Public Information Act has been addressed through a number of conversations intended to resolve the issue, but hurdles remain in obtaining documents relating to a number of requests made in the public interest. Primary among those is the newspaperâ€™s effort to obtain police patrol vehicle dash camera and ofďŹ cer body camera footage from an incident involving a high-speed chase where Mayor Rick Hall was a passenger during a ride along. Through its attorney, The Independent this week submitted a second request for patrol unit video and is awaiting a response from the City. When the footage was initially requested March 2, the City appealed for an exception to disclosure to the Texas Attorney General 10 days later â€“ the last day allowed to respond according to the Texas Public Information Act. In early May, Hall said a ruling was expected on the issue by May 25. But in e-mail correspondence dated May 21, Liberty Hill Chief Operating OfďŹ cer Lacie Hale informed The Independent that the City had no responsive documents to the request. In the correspondence, Hale said the request for a ruling from the AG was made in error and was being withdrawn. â€œThat was done inaccurately because somebody didnâ€™t understand the question and they just appealed the circumstance and not the actual footage,â€? Hall explained after the e-mail was sent. â€œYou can appeal that to the AG. We will have to turn over the body cam footage to the AG in the right date range, then they would have to make a ruling on it at that point. I canâ€™t tell you what day it is {the date of the incident}, thatâ€™s not right for me to tell you what day it is.â€? Hall does not deny the video exists, and the issue was

discussed previously in two different interviews regarding outstanding FOI requests, once in April and once in May. In talking through a list of requests in April, Hall said, â€œI know there is one for dash cam footage. Did you get that back from our lawyer that it is still an active case?â€? Hall went on to say the request had been appealed to the AG because it remained under investigation. â€œItâ€™s still an open case that theyâ€™re trying to get him arrested so they have all the evidence. It is a joint effort because it is across two counties,â€? he said. He also asked what speciďŹ cally The Independent was looking for in its request for the video. During a May 5 phone interview, with Hale and City Attorney Tad Cleaves present, Hall again mentioned the appeal to the AG regarding the speciďŹ c video, never seeking veriďŹ cation or clarity about which video speciďŹ cally the newspaper was seeking. â€œWeâ€™re waiting on a response back from the AG, weâ€™re expecting to have that sometime around May 25,â€? Hall said at that time. â€œThat is still a current, active case right now and because the person involved that was riding the motorcycle has not been apprehended.â€? But after the e-mail was received from Hale last week, Hall clariďŹ ed the Cityâ€™s response, citing incorrect dates on the request, not that it was an open criminal case. â€œThe key to it is, and this is why Lacie put in the bottom of that e-mail, when youâ€™re asking for body cams, it did not exist in the months that you asked for,â€? Hall said, again verifying that the footage does exist. â€œThe timeframe you asked for, it did not exist in that timeframe. I know it sounds like weâ€™re being difďŹ cult, but this is part of the process that the City has failed in a long time of not providing public information by the law.â€? Revenue, expense reports On May 20, The Indepen-

dent requested â€œCity of Liberty Hill Monthly Revenue and Expense Reports (audited or unaudited) from January 2019 to April 2020â€?, but in a June 4 e-mail from Hale she wrote, â€œThe City has no responsive documents to this request.â€? Hall later wrote in a text message that â€œThe request you made is for reports that used to be created by the former Finance Director. Becky (Wilkins) only runs ďŹ nance reports from Encode for a ďŹ nance statement to the council. If that is what youâ€™re looking for, request a monthly Finance Statement and we will send you.â€? But the reports requested were previously provided to the Council monthly, even as recently as 2018, and the City continues to use the same Encode software as before. The Independent has ďŹ led a complaint with the AG over the issue, challenging the Cityâ€™s claim that the information does not exist and seeking to force the City to provide this essential information about revenue and expenses. Grievance While the City provided a copy of its own investigative report â€“ on the 10th and last day allowed to respond â€“ regarding the grievance ďŹ led by former police chief Maverick Campbell, Liberty Hill submitted a request for a ruling from the Texas Attorney General (AG) seeking to withhold release of the grievance itself, requested by The Independent April 30. The City Council chose not to take action on the grievance and the City considers the matter closed.

therefore directed the City to provide the responsive documents. The letter addressed to the City states: â€œAlthough you raise exceptions to disclosure, because the city has not submitted the requested information for our review, we have no basis for ďŹ nding any of the information at issue excepted from disclosure. Thus we have no choice but to order the requested information released pursuant to section 552.302.â€? The City has yet to respond to the AG letter or provide the requested information to The Independent as directed by the AG. The original request, made

by the newspaper on Feb. 19 was for: â€œA list of all security devices purchased and installed by the City at City Hall to include locks, key card access devices, alarms, cameras, monitors, etc. The company or companies contracted with for these devices as well as installation of the equipment. A cost breakdown by item for these devices including installation costs.â€? Liberty Hill ďŹ led for exception with the AG on March 4.

Meeting packets Effective with the June 8 City Council meeting, the City made The Independent aware that the regular meeting agen-

Page 5

da packets provided to Council members would only be made available to the newspaper following an ofďŹ cial request under the Texas Public Information Act. The newspaper ďŹ rst asked for the meeting materials on Friday prior to the Monday meeting, but was informed less than two hours before meeting time of the change. The meeting packets, containing the background details of each agenda item, are public information and are provided to Council and Board members at all City meetings and have always been provided to The Independent automatically.

Operation Liberty Hill changes distribution process

As the number of COVID-19 cases increases in Williamson County, Operation Liberty Hill is taking certain steps to increase the safe distribution of food items from its food pantry on Tuesdays and Security devices Thursdays. To provide clients more food choices, OLH is discontinuing the pre-packaged baskets it Liberty Hill requested an has been distributing since March and allowing clients to shop inside one family at a time. Clients exception from the AG to the in line will receive a number and may wait their turn in their vehicles or in shady areas. No children release of documents relating under age 10 will be permitted inside to avoid youngsters touching everything. OLH volunteers will to security devices purchased take the grocery list of families with children and do the shopping for them. Masks are required of for and installed at City Hall all visitors, and an associate will take the temperature of everyone entering the pantry. There will last Fall. But a response from also be a special distribution of selected toiletries not normally available at the pantry, courtesy of a the AG dated May 7 indicated community grant from United Healthcare. Liberty Hill licensed sales agent Steve Tatro (at right in that the City had not produced the photo above) delivered the much-needed items to the food pantry this week. Operation Liberty the required explanation and Hill is located at 1401 US 183, Leander 78641. For more information, call 512-778-4175. documentation justifying the (Courtesy Photo) request for exception and

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

OBITUARY Joyce Burden Joyce Gaynell Boone Burden went to be with the Lord on June 16, 2020, while a patient at the Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Round Rock, Texas. Joyce was born in Crocket, Texas on June 27, 1928 and was pre-deceased by her husband William G. Burden, parents Forest M. Boone and Lillian Claire Gustine, and sister Marion, and twin siblings Doris and Morris. Joyce is survived by her children Emily Adney and husband Kenneth of Burnet, and Bill Burden and wife Lori of Round Mountain. She is also survived by ﬁve grandchildren; Billy Stohler, Rebecca Wedel and husband Derek and children Jasmine and Jesse, Jamie Moser and husband Josh, Jennifer Bailey and husband Parker, and Julie Burden and ﬁance, Wayne Svetlik. She is also survived by one great-grandchild, Brooks Moser, the joy of her later life. After graduating valedictorian from Crockett High School, Joyce also graduated valedictorian from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. There she met future husband Bill Burden, just home from WWII. Joyce and Bill located in the Rio Grande Valley where, professionally, her passion for reading blossomed into her calling as a teacher and research librarian. She felt that if children just had books, they were never lonely. Throughout her career she built professional and private libraries for her school and her church, and lastly, enriched the library at Country Oaks Assisted Living Center in Burnet by personally buying and donating books, and collaborating with the Burnet County Library System for starting a book club. Upon their retirement to the Hill Country, Joyce and Bill became heavily involved in the Liberty Hill community, becoming charter members of the Liberty Hill Lions Club, where she received the prestigious Melvin G. Jones award for community service from the International Lions Club. She and Bill were also charter

members of the Liberty Hill Foundation, which built the Liberty Hill Foundation Park. Joyce was the sole woman solicited to serve on the Liberty Hill Incorporation Committee, which set the town boundaries and promoted the election for incorporation of the city, that effort being successful. Joyce was a consummate homemaker, gardener, entertainer, and fun-loving mom to her family, particularly at all holidays. She especially loved the beach and ﬁshing. She was proud of her exquisite needlework and crocheted animals for the grandkids. She was a proud cancer survivor. Her highly active mental and physical pursuits and dedication to home life served as a role model for her subsequent generations. She loved being Nana to her grandchildren, and they loved their Nana. The family would like to recognize the support of her many close friends and wonderful caregivers at Country Oaks at Hamilton Creek. A private graveside service will be provided by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home of Burnet for internment in Liberty Hill Cemetery. In lieu of ﬂowers, donations may be made to the Bill Burden Elementary School Library at 315 Stonewall Parkway, Liberty Hill. Please offer condolences at www.clementswilcoxburnet.com.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

COVID-19 threat not going away

By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liberty Hill has been reminded in an up close and personal way recently that the threat of COVID-19 infection has not gone away and the need for safety protocols and precautions remains. Winkley’s General Store in Liberty Hill announced on social media Sunday that one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19 and the business has been temporarily closed. The store’s post read: “(The employee was) last at the store on Wednesday, June 10. They were not out in the general shopping area and did not come into contact with any customers. We have hired The Steam Team to conduct professional disinfecting for the whole store and will reopen as soon as possible.” At press time Wednesday, no more information was available as to when Winkley’s would reopen. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Liberty Hill have doubled since June 1, from 11 to 22. Ten of those have been reported as recovered. In Williamson County, confirmed cases have gone from 816 on May 1 – the first day businesses in Texas began

VIEWPOINT

trying to minimize the point of what was billed as – and proved to be – a peaceful protest. Those ridiculously paranoid, hateful and fearful comments were only seen by 28,000 people on Facebook, so maybe our embarrassing secret is still safe. We all harbor racist notions that we must fight, whether we are white, black, Asian, Hispanic or any other recognizably different group of people. If we don’t fight them, the only option left is to justify and accept them. To fight them we have to be aware of those weaknesses, resist them and not let them guide our reaction to people who are dif-

opening after a nearly sixweek period of limited service and shutdowns – to 1,734 as of Tuesday evening. The number of active cases in the county – which is the conﬁrmed total minus reported recoveries and fatalities – is also climbing daily and was at 393 Tuesday. Of the 1,021 total cases in Williamson County since the ﬁrst were announced in midMarch, 49 percent of them have come since June 1. Travis County has seen a recent spike in cases to a total of 4,771 -- the fourth highest total for a county in Texas behind Harris, Dallas and Tarrant counties. Among Texas’ 254 counties, 237 have now had at least one COVID-19 case, with 17 of those reporting more than 1,000. Increases across the state have prompted mayors in many larger cities to request authority from Gov. Greg Abbott to tighten restrictions and enforce precautions locally. When Abbott announced the phased plan to reopen Texas businesses and loosen stay home restrictions, his executive order prevented local authorities from issuing more restrictive regulations. On Tuesday, Abbott addressed the rising number of

hospitalizations, which surpassed 2,500 for the ﬁrst time, and the new single-day high of 2,622 new conﬁrmed cases in the state. He attributed the large number of new cases to a large number of tests out of an assisted living center in Collin County and added that Hays County was another example of a large single-day increase. Abbott said masks are necessary in preventing the spread of coronavirus, although he emphasized local governments can’t use their authority on those violating social distancing guidelines. “Putting people in jail, however, is the wrong approach,” he said. He recommended that people stay home, which he says is especially true for those with an underlying health condition or who are 65 and older, but added that precautions taken by recently open businesses can be effective in slowing the spread of the virus. “Businesses have learned safe strategies both for their employees as well as their customers to make sure that they’re preventing the spread of COVID-19,” he said. He said Texas doesn’t have

Continued from Page 3 ferent. I’m positive that those who didn’t want the “riff-raff” that comes with a Black Lives Matter protest don’t approve of kneeling at sporting events either. Basically any response someone has to see or acknowledge that might make them uncomfortable is intrusive and unacceptable. That was a large part of the pre-protest protest on The Independent’s Facebook page late last week. There was going to be violence and mayhem because, well, that’s what people have been told would happen. There was no intent to consider the message or assume

the best about people, attempting to suspend the negative stereotypes of those who protest. Shared among those against a local protest were old, tired, reaching statistical anecdotes in an effort to explain away the problems blacks face today as simply black problems. For every twisted anecdote, though, there is an unarmed dead black man who should be alive. They said racism is not a problem here so a protest wasn’t necessary here, but their reaction before anyone even showed up proved otherwise. They tried to remind readers that “all lives matter”

to choose between either returning jobs or protecting health care. Addressing the question of hospital bed availability as more Texans are hospitalized for COVID-19, Dr. John Zerwas said there are 14,993 total beds available in Texas out of the state’s 54,844 beds. Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said state ofﬁcials expected this increase in patients, but added, “We are seeing it occurring at a manageable level. The possibility that things could ﬂare up again and produce a resurgence of COVID-19 is still very real.” In the Austin region, which includes Williamson County, 28 percent of the area’s 3,250 beds are available. When asked about schools returning in the fall, Abbott says he anticipates an announcement this week or next on the upcoming school year. “It is my expectation to see students return to schools in a classroom setting – able to interact with teachers as well as able to interact with other students,” he said.

in an ironic effort to shame blacks for not being inclusive. The next time a cause so basic as verifying that the lives of a particular group of people matter comes to Liberty Hill maybe everyone can address that basic request with the most basic support. Let’s not be so quick to narrowly stereotype those in a protest as being destructive or trouble-makers. Prove that Black Lives Matter to you and perhaps you won’t have to feel so uncomfortable when someone decides to share their message and struggle in our town.

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SPORTS

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT Thursday, June 18, 2020 Page 7

Boys’ hoops squad boasted plenty of plaudits in final season

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor You know a basketball player when you see one. During Liberty Hill High School’s commencement for the Class of 2020, Carson Perkins strode up to the podium to receive his high school diploma just like his 281 classmates did. However, his choice of footwear gave him away. A pair of classic red-blackand-white Air Jordans signified what we already knew. Perkins can play basketball. Just ask boys’ head Coach Barry Boren. “Carson is probably the most accomplished player I have ever coached regarding his high school career,” said Boren. “The thing I like best about Carson is he really, really loves basketball – he’s a gym rat, will continue his career and I wish him the best. Carson definitely progressed as a player – as well as a leader – over the course of four years.” Perkins was a four-year starter, was named All-State twice, All-Region three times and All-District all four years of his time in Purple-and-Gold and saved his best for last during his senior season when he led Liberty Hill in scoring (18.8 points per game), assists (5) and free-throw percentage (89.8). In addition, Perkins is an Honor Student, was the MVP of District 27-4A, Second-team All-Centex, Academic All-District, THSCA Academic All-State and TABC Academic All-State. But, the flashy point guard certainly wasn’t the only senior who came to play this past season, as he was joined by seven others on the roster in a squad that was heavy on experience, talent and desire. Perhaps no other Panther had as big of an impact on the campaign – literally and figurative-

ly – than Walker Baty, as the overpowering post man provided plenty of punch down low after he joined Boren’s club at the conclusion of football season. Baty averaged 13.6 points per game along with a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per contest, but, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound center brought much more than just numbers, said Boren. “‘Big Walk’ really had a significant season as a senior,” he said, of Baty who garnered First Team All-District and All-Region status. “We didn’t get him as a player until our season was well underway, but we became a better team once he arrived. He was our inside presence at both ends of the floor, leading us in rebounding while scoring in double figures.” Boren also praised his big man for simply being on the court when his athletic future at the college level was already secured, as Baty had committed to play Division I football at the University of Texas-San Antonio. “As a standout football player, Walker didn’t have to play his senior year,” he said. “But, basketball and his teammates and coaches meant enough to him that he returned. In my opinion, he was stellar. What I like best about Walker – other than his obvious athletic skill – is his big heart. When he finds someone or something he cares about, he cares deeply.” Baty also received the Panthers’ Team Award for Best Defender and was co-MVP of the team along with Perkins. If the Panthers had a player who personified hard work and dedication, it was Kaleb Bannon, who led the squad in 3-point shooting percentage at 43.6 among those with at least 100 attempts from beyond the arc. Bannon was a three-year varsity letterman and two-year

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Carson Perkins (#4) was one of eight Liberty Hill seniors who played a critical role for the Panthers this past season. starter, who made First Team All-District both his junior and senior years in addition to being Academic All-District his senior year, but it was his undying work ethic that endeared him to Boren, he said. “Kaleb was one of the physically strongest players on our varsity – he’s a worker,” said Boren, “He’s already joined the work force, has a full-time job and is buying a house with his brother. Kaleb will do well in life because of his work ethic – he epitomizes what I think of when I hear the phrase ‘strong and silent.’ He doesn’t say much -- rather he lets his actions speak and I’ll miss him for all of that.” Cole Ondrasek filled the Panthers’ void in the middle until Baty’s return from the grid-

Panther catcher will play baseball at McMurry

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor The gear a catcher wears when he takes his customary position behind home plate has often been referred to as “the tools of ignorance.” However, for Dillon Pogue, the mask, chest protector and shinguards he dons are a symbol of something quite to the contrary – knowledge. In fact, Pogue has learned so much from his final two seasons of backstopping the Panthers, the Liberty Hill graduate will continue to toil at his craft at McMurry University in Abilene after committing to the War Hawks, where he will compete at the NCAA Division III level. Pogue is quite enthusiastic – as well as thankful – for the chance to play the game he loves at the next level, he said. “The opportunity to play college baseball is a huge blessing,” said Pogue, who hit .295 with eight runs batted in over 15 games during his senior season, which was cut short by the global pandemic. “I’m extremely excited about it because it’s something I have always dreamed of as a kid.” Pogue said the reason he chose McMurry was the overall feeling he got from his visit – including getting to know head coach John Byington, whom he will play under. “When I went on my visit to McMurry, I liked everything about it,” he said. “I liked the head baseball coach and the strength and conditioning coach, as well as the campus – it really felt like home for me.” According to Liberty Hill head Coach Steve Hutcherson, Pogue increased his stock with college coaches as he improved his skills behind the plate. “Catching is a premium position and when you can receive well and throw very well like Dillon, it’s no surprise colleges took notice,” said Hutcherson. In additions, the strides he made – especially over the past

ALEX RUBIO FILE PHOTO

Dillon Pogue (#15) has learned much in his time behind the plate for the Panthers ans will continue his playing career at McMurry University. year – are still on an upward ited playing time as a junior curve, one that must continue endeared him to both coaches if Pogue is to be a success in and teammates alike. the college game, he said. “Just how he stuck with it “Dillon has made tremendous after not playing as a junior,” improvements, especially he said. “He didn’t complain with his blocking and throw- or pout – he just kept at it and ing,” said Hutcherson. “Both got better over the summer and of those qualities will have to each day in the fall and evensteadily improve as he con- tually became one of our best tinues through college as the players and a great leader.” competition level goes up and Certainly a special breed of the runners get faster.” player is needed to make the But, it’s not only his prow- considerable transition from ess behind the plate, but at it high school to college basethat makes Pogue a complete ball from a talent perspective, player, which will bode well but Pogue also possesses perfor him as the pitching he fac- haps the most important element that differentiates a good es will be a step up in quality. “Dillon has also become a prep player from one who can very good hitter and can han- thrive at the collegiate level, dle the bat versus a high-lev- said Hutcherson. el pitcher,” said Hutcherson. “The difference is typical“Now the challenge will be ly work ethic,” he said. “The more consistency at the plate guys that love working every as the quality of each pitcher day can make it and succeed goes up.” at the next level and Dillon is Hutcherson added Pogue’s resolve after getting only limSee POGUE, Page 8

iron, more-than-capably holding his own under the basket as the Panthers’ starting center, but even after his playing time was reduced, his leadership and enthusiasm remained at a high level, said Boren. “Cole always put our team over himself – he was a positive voice in the locker room, on the bench and on the court,” he said. “What I like best about Cole is his commitment and dedication. Obviously, he had that toward basketball and I felt like he had that toward me personally. I’ve known Cole since he was in the second or third grade and I never envisioned him aligning himself with basketball and me the way he has – I am humble, yet grateful for it.” Ondrasek was co-captain

and was an Honorable Mention All-District player despite coming off the bench. He was Academic All-District, THSCA Academic All-State, TABC Academic All-State, received the Panthers’ Team Award for school spirit and will attend Texas A&M. JC Russell was a member of the Panthers’ “Gold Squad,” a group of players who played a critical role within the team despite limited minutes on the court, something Boren appreciated, he said. “JC will attend LSU this fall,” said Boren, of Russell, who was Academic All-District, THSCA Academic AllState and TABC Academic All-State. “He’s following a family legacy and fulfilling a childhood

dream, as well. I’m happy and proud for JC that he’s willing to leave the safety and familiarity of Liberty Hill and Texas to go pursue something as significant as going out-of-state to school – it speaks to what I like about him so much – that is ‘having no fear.’ He’s always been willing to put himself out there physically, mentally and emotionally -- what a great teammate he’s been.” Caeden Minix transferred to Liberty Hill from Cedar Park before his junior year and was another player who showed desire and dedication despite limited playing time. “Caeden has maintained a job for much of his high school career and has plans to do that

See SENIORS, Page 8

NFL needs to back up talk and give Kaepernick a job

By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor Okay, NFL. With all the big talk recently about h o w much Black Lives Matter and how you’re so all for racial equality and everything, there’s one simple thing you can do to validate all the words and gestures. Give Colin Kaepernick a job. After all, nothing would quite send a real loud-and-clear message to America – and the world – that the caretakers of our so-called new national pastime (although we argue it’s still baseball, but that’s an entirely different mess at the moment and we digress) to bring back the one man who was blackballed from the league for the very same reason he would be brought back into the fold now. Ironic, don’t you think? Here’s a guy who never committed domestic violence against a spouse or children, was never caught with an unregistered gun or using performance-enhancing drugs, never compromised the integrity of the game by betting on it, or any other myriad transgressions his gridiron peers constantly get away with after only a slap on the wrist – if even that – in order to continue to pull down millions of dollars in their respective pursuits of fame and fortune. No, all Kaepernick did was stand (or take a knee, if you will) for what he believed in. Isn’t that usually an admirable thing to do? The NFL certainly didn’t think so and although they would never admit it, the man was banished as organizations tried to have us believe his skills had eroded to the point he no longer had a place

on anyone’s roster. Please. Week after week each fall, we’re subject to watching bums who masquerade as NFL quarterbacks (and receive enormous paychecks as a result) while a guy who’s still only 32 and led his team to a Super Bowl only a few years ago sits on the sidelines waiting for his phone to ring. I’ll admit I was as outraged as anyone when Kaepernick first knelt during the National Anthem all the way back in 2016. As a U.S. Army veteran, I was incensed at the fact this guy would disrespect the very colors I went to war in defense of after we were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, and wrote a column condemning the act during my stint in Wyoming. But, a funny thing happened. As the weeks and months passed and I thought about the entire situation more and more, I slowly began to realize what it was really all about. It wasn’t anti-America or anti-military. What Kaepernick and those who chose to join him were really saying was “We’re not protesting against America – we’re protesting about some of the messed-up stuff that goes on in America.” Guess what I’m saying is initially I was Drew Brees in my estimation before coming to my senses and the epiphany of what the real heart of the entire matter was. So, about a year later, I wrote another column, this one admitting my mistake and explaining my new perspective, while ever since maintaining Kaepernick should be allowed to return from the nether and once again bark out signals at the line-of-scrimmage as an NFL quarterback. Too bad NFL owners don’t feel the same way.

Let’s be honest. What this group of elitists represents is a greedy guild of modern-day slave owners who are far more wealthy than anyone ever needs to be and as a result are allowed to always remain on some kind of holier-than-thou high moral ground as they rake in billions of dollars while the machine they run chews up and spits out players (of whom approximately 75 percent of are black, by the way) with absolutely no remorse whatsoever. Not one of them has come down from his ivory tower during all this – the worst civil unrest this country has witnessed in some 60 years – and spoke out in condemnation of what Kaepernick and his brothers-in-arms have been talking about all along. Shame on them. But, that’s just the problem. They have no shame. Jerry Jones wouldn’t have a collection of Super Bowl rings if it wasn’t for Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen and all of the countless black employees he’s had over the years. Yet, he says nothing. But, let’s not just single out ol’ Jerry. What about his brothers – the 31 other multi-billionaires who have exercised their collective right to remain silent? So American, isn’t it? All hail capitalism – the best economic system known to man – in which it’s great if you’re at the top of the pyramid doing all the capitalizing, but sucks if you’re the one being capitalized on. Tell you what. If someone doesn’t have the courage to step up and sign Kaepernick under the current climate in our country, nobody ever will – and that’s a damned shame. Black Lives Matter? Prove it, NFL.

Page 8

THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Local real estate market remains strong through quarantine

By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The first half of 2020 has been anything but predictable, and even though uncertainty has been at the forefront of most people’s minds, the art of buying and selling homes hasn’t skipped a beat. In fact, according to the Austin MLS, 321 homes have closed within the Liberty Hill Independent School District’s boundaries in the last 90 days. In comparison, in 2019 during those same 90 days, just 259 homes closed. Shelley Clawson, agent at Mallach & Company, said if anything, her business has increased over the last few months. “The spring and summer selling season is always busy no matter what’s going on, but during the corona situation with all the new guidelines and recommendations, I would say there were maybe a couple weeks where there was a lull,” she said. “We began offering virtual showings immediately, and I had a client right away who bought a home based on

that, which was promising to me as an agent.” Amy Gandy, broker associate with Realty Austin, said back in March when the virus hit, traffic in her listings died down, and some of her homes were temporarily taken off the market, but within four to six weeks, things got busier than before, and now she’s having her best year ever. “Once the Governor started opening things back up, the demand was back in full force,” she said. “I was seeing multiple offers on properties. And there were a lot of serious buyers who had already been competing in the market. They saw this as an opportunity to be the only one bidding on a house.” Shane White, owner and broker at RE/MAX Town & Country, said the market did slow down as far as number of transactions and closings, but from a value standpoint, as buyer activity slowed, so did seller activity. “That was good, because we’ve been in a seller’s market for the last four to five years,”

that by providing grants for teachers and classrooms, by providing scholarships for students and providing opportunities for innovative education.” The foundation is a mix of parents, community members and businesses and includes an executive director, president, secretary, four vice presidents, the superintendent and two trustees. “We are still getting off the ground, November of last year is when the certificate of formation was submitted,” said Newberg. “So, we’re very new and still working through the processes of figuring out what this looks like and what a board meeting looks like. We’re all volunteers with regular jobs so we’re still learning how a foundation like this works.”

The organization aims to reach out to the community to help raise funds for teacher grants as well as scholarships for students. “We’re founded in conjunction with the school district to cultivate some community engagement and involvement to benefit the students and staff with a focus on education,” said Newberg. “It’s going to award funds that we raise to provide things like teacher grants, recognition of student achievements, recognition of teaching excellence.” Part of what the foundation hopes to do includes rewarding teachers for the work they do with students. “Recently our education foundation was able to partner with businesses and give them signs,” said Vice President of Development Mary Lyn

Foundation

Graeter

Pogue

Continued from Page 1 Jones. “We gave them goody

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Peace Officer and has served in Central Texas since 1996. He came to the Liberty Hill Police Department in February of 2017. This is his first job as a police chief. “I was born and raised 20 miles from Liberty Hill, so I’ve been around Liberty Hill my entire life,” he said. “I never moved away. All of my law enforcement experience has been in the area. This is my first department in Williamson County, but I have worked in Burnet and Llano County.” Everything about his background makes Liberty Hill the right fit for him. “That’s why I like the small town of Liberty Hill,” Graeter said. “I know we’re growing and growing fast, but you still

have those people I am very familiar with. It’s not like I’m having to adapt to the area or these type people because it’s all I’ve ever been around.” Public service was something Graeter was called to early in life that he never questioned or wavered from. “I always knew, even when I was a teenager, that I wanted to get into some kind of public safety,” he said. “Initially it was probably going to be the medical field, but I ended up in law enforcement because my dad was in law enforcement.” Even at a young age, the desire to help others defined his path in life. “I just wanted to help people,” he said. “I started out being in the law enforcement

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definitely that type of guy. He enjoys practice and doesn’t just try to get through it, but rather treats it as an opportunity to get better and work on his craft.” But, all that being said, Pogue knows what he’s up against as he moves on with his playing career – on and off the field, he said. “The biggest challenge I think I’ll have in college baseball will be dealing with the higher level of all-around talent,” said Pogue. “I know I’ll be facing better players and teams. Of course, another challenge will be managing schoolwork and baseball all on my own.” In the end, his time in the Purple-and-Gold has properly prepared him for what lies ahead,

Seniors

he said. “Being a part of the Liberty Hill baseball program has helped me grow into not only the player, but the person I am today,” said Pogue. “Coach Hutcherson has been a great mentor and coach for me these past two years and my catching ability has definitely improved the most during my high school career.” One aspect Pogue will perhaps miss most is the ability to share a diamond with those he has strong bonds with, he said. “Some of my favorite high school memories are being able to play alongside my best friends,” said Pogue. “Anytime we were on the field together, we really clicked and came together as a team.”

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while attending community college,” said Boren, of Minix, who will attend Austin Community College. “He was really involved in high school endeavors which assisted others – that’s what I like best about Caeden – he cares for others. I see it in how he responds to his younger siblings, his teammates, his peers and his coaches. He’s a great kid.” Sujit Panday also moved to Liberty Hill from East View High School in Georgetown after having relocated to Texas from New York three years earlier and immediately fit the

he said. “We’ve had anywhere from two to two and a half months supply of inventory, and that stayed the same. The market held really well.” As things began to open in May, activity on the buyer’s side has increased significantly, White said, adding that just last week, his office of six agents put eight properties under contract. “In our area, the number of pending listings, meaning homes under contract, for the last three to four weeks is up 10 percent or more over the same weeks last year,” he said. “The real estate market is not going to see a hit. I think we’re set up to finish the year very strong.” Adrienne Hughes, broker and owner of Hughes & Company Real Estate, said she had some sellers who pulled back because they were afraid to have people walking through their homes, but what that did was reduce inventory and put her into multiple offers on the houses that were left. “The pandemic did cause a deficit in the market,” add-

fabric of Boren’s roster. “Su came in as a senior and blended with our squad,” he said. “He made friends and became part of the group – that says something about him that he was able to do that and it also says something about the group they would allow that to happen. I’ve spent much time in conversation with Sujit and I’ll miss those exchanges, which were always sincere, informational and important to both of us.” Brady Brewer didn’t play a single minute of basketball his senior season after suffering

bags with the help of the businesses and some ice cream. This was just one of our first initiatives.” As a young organization, the foundation hopes that getting involved with the Liberty Hill Day of Giving can give it a boost moving into the next phases of its work. “Our district is growing so fast and there’s things that our teachers and students want to do that our tax dollars can’t support,” said Executive Director Kristy Kercheville. “We’re looking for independent partners and people to come out and help us raise money.” The charity is asking for $5,000 in donations on the Day of Giving, a meaningful step towards the goal of $50,000 for the first year.

and medical explorers. I was in medical explorers first so at 15 years old I would go to the hospital emergency rooms over the weekend and I’d be helping the nurses checking blood pressure and that kind of stuff.” When he added exposure to law enforcement into the mix, it stuck. “Later I got into law enforcement explorers, too, and they put us through a mini academy and taught us a lot about it,” he said. “Then I did criminal justice through high school and on up. I just became very familiar with it, and because my dad was in law enforcement I knew a lot of those guys and got to be friends with everybody.”

L4 Cares

something she was compelled to do. “I had volunteered for another organization that did quite a bit with the military. I just felt like God put in my heart that I needed to do this,” she said. “I woke up from a dream, and it was L4. I had heard a year prior, the least, the last, the lost and the lonely, and six months later, I had that dream.” L4 Cares pairs with retailers – Walmart, J. Crew, and Nike – then creates care packages for groups with the most need. Food, clothing, furniture, and school supplies are distributed regularly. “We pick up a donation from retailers, it could be a pallet or two per week of brand-new items,” said Cofer. “We decide where the need is in the

a knee injury in the Panthers’ fourth football contest of the fall, but despite being out of the lineup, was still an integral part of the Liberty Hill hoops squad. “Even though Brady couldn’t play, I’ve always still counted him as part of our group,” said Boren, of Brewer, who will play football at Sam Houston State University after being named Academic All-District and All-State. “Like Carson, Walker, Kaleb, Cole and JC, I’ve known Brady since he was an elementary student – that was the time all of these

ed Cheryl Stephens, agent at Hughes & Company. “But that was good for sellers and caused buyers to go into multiple offer situations. The sellers that wanted to sell did and they did very well. I did not have to lower one price. All the prices stayed at market value.” Stephens said one reason the real estate market has done so well over the last few months is because interest rates are at an all-time low. Currently, the rate is sitting at approximately 2.75 percent. “People could actually enter into the home market because of the interest rates,” she said. “People who couldn’t buy homes before can now. Just a 1 percent difference is huge. We saw rates dip during COVID, which sparked more interest, and they were already low. We put a lot of first-time home buyers into homes around the area.” Stephens added that lenders are “going crazy” because people are able to move out of their house, get a better rate and buy a bigger house for what they’re paying now, which means people are selling and moving up because they can get more house for less money. Hughes said online shopping for a home has also been a big part of why the market has stayed afloat. “People had time to sit at home and get on our site and start looking at prices, even when they weren’t thinking about buying a home before COVID,” she said. “Being stuck at home prompted them.” Clawson agrees that business has been good over the last few months because people have had more time at home and have realized where they are living isn’t conducive to their lifestyle. “People are saying, ‘We want a bigger backyard,’ or ‘We can’t afford this and we need to downsize,’” she said. “All that comes into play when you have time to think and the world has stopped. There are also people who don’t trust having all their

What he watched in his parents’ years of service also reinforced his decision, remembering their own satisfaction in a career of service. “The pride in the job and his pride in taking care of people, always hearing stories about how he helped here and there, was what I remember from my dad,” Graeter said. “My mom was also, I think it was 17 years, working for the Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center. So she was involved in the same type of stuff, too.” In his 24 years, Graeter said there is not one moment that has shown he made the right choice, but rather a daily effort to help. “There have been so many things over the years,” he said.

RACHEL MADISON PHOTO

Cheryl Stephens and Adrienne Hughes of Hughes & Company Real Estate in Liberty Hill agree that even during the height of the COVID-19 quarantine, the local real estate market was just as strong as before the virus hit. money in a 401k or stock, so they want to have it in something tangible, and what better way than real estate? A home is something that won’t go away and has a great return on investment.” Gandy agreed that people staying home more has given them a chance to think about their circumstances. “My farm and ranch business has really taken off, because a lot of people are looking for more sustainable living— somewhere they can have a garden and chickens,” she said. “I’m doing a lot more land purchases.” Clawson said ultimately, people still want to buy and sell homes—they’re just doing it in a different way now. From not writing physical checks anymore for option money and submitting it through PayPal or Venmo instead, to the inspection where everyone must sign a COVID-19 disclosure beforehand, things are different, she said. “Even the title companies are now doing remote closings, closings in the home, closings outside,” Clawson said. “Real-

tors are not allowed at closings right now. Only people who need to sign are allowed and that’s it.” Technology has been a major factor in the real estate industry staying successful. Office meetings are done virtually, as well as client meetings. Virtual 3D tours have become the norm when it comes to buyers searching for a home. “That was something we only saw rarely before, but now we see it across the board,” Gandy said. “There will be some agents who will go back to traditional open houses, but we’re seeing virtual open houses are just as effective online. A lot of us may not ever go back to traditional open houses.” Hughes said online notaries have also started to be used at closings. “This is something that’s never been done before,” she said. “This is one of the things that’s still old school about real estate, is manually signing that huge stack of documents on closing day. With everything going electronic, you can get

“You deal with and help so many people and if you can go home at the end of every day and know that you helped somebody get through a hard time you win all day long. Most of the people we’re dealing with are in crisis at the point we’re with them.” His focus for the department as the new Chief parallels his focus for the community. “Training and community relationships,” he said of that focus. “Those two things are the critical base. You have to have good training to keep officers safe, you have to have good training to be able to help the community. You have to have those community relations where the community trusts you and understands that

you’re there to help and they feel good about reaching out to you because they know you’re going to help them solve whatever issue they’re having.” The department faces the usual big challenge in Liberty Hill and that is growth. “We just have to make sure we can keep up with the fast-paced growth,” Graeter said. “We know it’s exploding around here whether everybody wants it to or not. It’s just going to happen so we just have to make sure we’re staffed well enough to take care of everybody as we grow.”

Continued from Page 1 community and donate. We felt that the VA and military was our best bet.” A significant way the organization helps active military members is by helping their families while they are deployed. “We do care packages from the community for families who currently have loved ones who are deployed to let them know that the community cares about them,” said Cofer. “We include activities for the kids like painting pottery, and we do welcome home parades.” Military families are an essential focus for the charity because frequently, the spouses of those deployed have more than one child, which can be overwhelming without

boys started coming to my camps. What I like about Brady is he has always stayed true to who he is. He has a tremendous work ethic, which is what allowed him to rehabilitate and pursue his dream of playing college football. I wouldn’t bet against him because he’s always so determined. No matter what, he is going to be successful.” Boren was unable to attend the graduation ceremony in order to send his seniors off in person, due to health concerns for wife Sue amid the global pandemic, so he did the next

See REAL ESTATE, Page 10

help. “We go in to help when the head of the household is deployed,” said Cofer. “They have kids, and a lot of times it’s like being a single parent, it can be tough.” Beyond the help they provide for veterans and active military, L4 Cares reaches out and aids the families of ill children. The charity often brings costumed superheroes to visit hospitalized children, and can assist families financially, in one case paying for a fully furnished apartment for 90 days. “We focus on families who have a child battling a terminal illness,” said Cofer. “Relationships we’ve built doing this for the last year and a half have made many of the fami-

lies L4 ambassadors.” Despite being a young organization, only in its third year, the charity’s message is spreading through the community. “Through our mission, we are attracting quite a few followers and volunteers, and then we set them loose in the community,” said Cofer. “I would say 95 percent of what we do comes to us from other people. That is what we encourage people to do. Check on your neighbor and see what they need.” For the 2020 Day of Giving, L4 Cares aims to raise $15,000 to buy a van that will make the delivery of goods much easier.

best thing. “The week of graduation, I took posters, certificates and locker equipment, etc., to these seniors’ homes,” said Boren. “I knew I wasn’t going to graduation and it took most of the day to drive to their homes. For me, it was an act of closure. I was invested in them and they in return were invested in me. Isn’t that what being part of a team or group is supposed to be?” Finally, the veteran bench boss began to look ahead to what the immediate future holds for his program in the

midst of challenging times. “This last week, we began to have daily practice with our players for next year – these events were what would have happened in the spring if not for the pandemic,” he said. “It’s been a roller coaster of emotions in connection with all the events that have been and are happening all around our country. I’m anxious – just like everyone else – to regain some sense of normalcy.”

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THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT

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I feel they’re still underpaid. This year, the money’s just not there. I’m just disappointed we can’t do more, and I think the Board would share that thought.” In addition to the one percent, the Board approved a plan that would potentially include future consideration of a one percent, one-time stipend later in the year if the budget allows. The lack of additional funds, along with the unknowns of how the district may be forced to make adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the decision, as well as long-term planning to make sure the district could afford an ever-growing staff. “Because we’re growing so fast we’re going to have to continue to add staff and we just want to add staff appropriately so we don’t strain the budget with the staff we add as well,” Snell said. “We’re roughly at 83 to 84 percent of our funding going to staff salaries.” The Board is expected to approve its ﬁnal district budget in August.

High school price set The planned expansion of Liberty Hill High School, one project in the $98.6 million bond package approved by voters in 2018, has an ofﬁcial price tag. The Board of Trustees approved the guaranteed maximum price for the construction portion of the project at $12,490,132. “We were blessed with this project and our middle school project with a highly competitive bid market,” Snell said. “That keeps the costs down, so they will be able to complete the high school, middle school and the elementary school all on budget. We’re even able to continue to look for more cost savings along the way.” The original estimate of the high school renovations when the bond was proposed was $14.7 million, which included both hard and soft costs. The $12.49 million approved is construction only. Two of the three classroom wings currently at the high school will be expanded, adding 21 classrooms and two ful-

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ly-equipped science labs. The culinary arts addition will be set up with six student stations that include a refrigerator, sink, oven, cooktop, microwave and cabinet storage. Shared dishwashers and a teacher demonstration table will be set up in the middle of the room. There is a dance addition consisting of a dance studio, teacher’s office, storage room, locker rooms for dance and cheer, as well as shared restrooms. The dance studio will have a wood floor with mirrors and dance bars on the wall. The construction type and finishes will match the existing building. Renovations are planned in the Career and Technology Education (CTE) wing to accommodate expansion of existing programs. The renovations will create separate CNA and Pharmacy Tech labs. The existing computer labs will be renovated to become CTE classrooms. The robotics program will move over from its current home in the Fine Arts wing to the CTE wing. The project is expected to be completed in time for the 2021-2022 school year, the same time the new middle school is scheduled to open.

Surveys The district recently sent out surveys to four different community groups – students, parents, staff and the community at large – to gather information and opinions on plans to return to school in the fall. A total of 2,239 responses were received from parents, 450 from staff, and 763 from students. “The response was phenomenal, we were very impressed with the response,” Snell said. “We’re sitting here and planning at 100 miles per hour to open school and make it safe for our kids, but we felt we needed to slow down and ask our community and see what they wanted from us to make sure our plans are in alignment with that.” Among parents, the overwhelming majority favored a return to the traditional model. A hybrid face-to-face and online learning model was the second choice, and less than 10 percent favored an online model for the next academic year. The survey results also listed safety measures, parental concerns for return such as virus spread and considerations such as parent work schedules. “They had a lot of the same concerns that we do,” he said.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

“They want to come back to school, the parents want to send their kids back to school and the teachers want to come back to school, but they just want to be safe.” Students also overwhelmingly favored a return to the classroom and listed social distancing as a primary concern and safety and mental health as items for consideration. Less than 5 percent of the staff that responded said they were extremely anxious about returning, with 53 percent responding with a one or two on a one to ﬁve scale, with one being not anxious about returning. Fifty-two percent said they are comfortable returning to work with another 42 percent saying they are comfortable returning with precautions in place. Snell said the survey results help the district gauge the concerns and feelings of everyone involved, but with so many unknowns he can’t say what the plans for returning will be. “By this time we’d expect to have more information on the virus and we just don’t have it,” he said. “We’re still running with the information we have and looking for direction from the Commissioner (of Education).” He said people will likely be

asked again later to respond to a second survey. “We’ll come back, probably toward the end of July and ask our community the same things and see how the world has changed if any,” he said. “Lately as we’ve opened up, the corona cases have spiked and that’s troublesome because we want to make sure whatever our plans are they don’t make people sick.” The district faces many challenges like social distancing in classrooms and on buses, and protocols for when a student or teacher is conﬁrmed to have the virus. “There are a lot of unknowns, but hopefully with the safety features we will have in place we can keep people healthy,” Snell said. He added that the patience of the community as plans are made is important and appreciated with so many questions left to answer. “We’re going to wait until late July, based on guidance from the state and TEA, to release those ﬁnal plans,” Snell said. “The community can rest assured we are working diligently to make sure we come back to school and our kids are safe.”

REAL ESTATE

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into a queue to see the notary virtually. They’ll look at your ID and watch you electronically sign.” She said these new practices will only be enhanced as times goes on. “We’re seeing a lot of things being streamlined because we’ve been forced into it,” she added. Gandy added that buyers will have to learn to be more ﬂexible because of all the precautions now in place. “We used to try to make it easy to see houses, but now it’s harder to show homes,” she said. “You have to have a lender approval letter and sign a COVID disclosure that says you haven’t been sick or traveled or been around anyone who is sick. However, this new

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process is weeding it out to serious people who are serious about moving.” Stephens has also implemented several precautions for clients when showing homes. Her ﬁrm’s protocols include removing and leaving shoes outside the home; using a disinfectant wipe on the house key and the lockbox after returning the key; touching as few surfaces as possible during the visit; avoiding touching light switches or doors; and not using any restrooms in the home. “We don’t want anybody to feel like they can’t put their house on the market because they’re afraid,” she said. “We want people to know they’ll be protected, and we will keep their homes clean.”

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