Subject: Newsletter #2 from the Liberty Hill River Organization [3 August 2008]

We hope to see everyone at the County' Open House at Liberty Hill High School Monday, August 4th from 6pm - 9pm.

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In this issue:

1) Wear Red: Keep 29 Local
2) Highway 29 Expansion and Park Purchase Options
3) Feedback

1) Remember to Wear Red for the August 4th open house. The idea was started by Pat McKinney of the Keep29Local.COM web site. The idea is to show the county officials that the residents of Liberty Hill are united in their opposition to an interstate highway running through our town.

Wear Red Be polite

On Thursday night, Pat McKinney, JT Cox and I met with Joyce May of the Williamson County Sun to discuss the new united effort to fight the expansion of Highway 29. The headline of this weekend's sun is:

North, south unite to fight 29 expansion

The Liberty Hill Independent picked up on the story, too:

All are asked to unite by wearing red at the Highway 29 Corridor open house Monday night (6-9pm at the high school). It's very interesting to read what folks are saying and how most of them can see it is better to work together rather than to tear Liberty Hill in half.

2) Less than one month after the county voted to pursue the purchase of 865 acres on land near the North San Gabriel (Austin American Statesman, July 9, 2008, "Williamson County takes steps to buy land for biggest park yet"), the've announced that another, larger option has surfaced in the south (Austin American Statesman, August 1, 2008, "New park site for Williamson examined").

I tried to combine five different maps to put all the issues in one picture. It's available at Highway 29 Expansion and Park Options.

I have no editorial spin on this development. I guess it's just interesting times here in Western Williamson County.

3) We got these notes this week:

Date: July 29, 2008 Name: Gary Oldham Address: Round Rock I have a dog in this hunt because I care what happens to our county, to my neighbors in Liberty Hill most of whom I've not met but still care about, to our culture, to our history, and to our tax dollars. I wouldn't want it happening to my property and I don't want it happening to yours. Really, really nice website by the way!

Thanks, Gary!

Date: July 30, 2008 Name: Patty and James Curry Address: RR 1869 The Southern route goes right through our pastures along the San Gabriel River. We had over 10 feet of water in our lower pasture during the June 27, 2007 flood. So, the river rose over 18 feet. But we hope that does not happen for another 500 years.

Let's hope the road doesn't go through your place, Patty.

Date: July 31, 2008 Name: Anita & Tom Moore Address: Showhorse Dr A moderate expansion of the existing SH 29, IN IT'S CURRENT LOCATION, is all that is needed or wanted by Williamson County citizens.

That's the message we'll try to send tomorrow night: widen 29, don't turn it into a tolled interstate.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. See you at the August 4th Open House at Liberty Hill High School.

Please tell your neighbors about the meeting, too. And keep sending in your photos and stories.

--Michael Mauldin, editor

web: LibertyHillRiver.ORG
email: info@libertyhillriver.org
post: PO Box 1150, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
phone: 484-7715