From the Inside Out

The countdown to the holiday has begun! Before you know it, the 4th of July will be here, and it will be time to scope out a place to watch the local fireworks shows and parades. Many festivals and firework celebrations start on Friday, which means you can celebrate twice. After all, what’s better than one fireworks show? Answer: two fireworks shows!

If you’re in Collin County, here is the list of the events near you:

Southfork Ranch: America’s Tea Party, 4th of July Fireworks Celebration

McKinney: Red, White and Boom

Heritage Park: Sachse’s Red, White & Blue Blast

Frisco Square: Frisco Freedom Fest

For those of you who want to watch one of the hometown parades, I highly recommend the McKinney 4th of July parade. Gary and I will be participating in it this year, representing the McKinney Repertory Theatre and promoting our upcoming show, Hartburn Hotel. So, come out and see us — then buy tickets for the show which opens the following weekend (July 10)!

The parade begins at Old Wysong Parking Lot (corner of Hunt St. and N. Tennessee St.) across from the McKinney Public Library in Historic Downtown McKinney on July 4 at 10:30 a.m. Download the parade route here.

After the parade, you can stick around to check out the local car show, Veteran’s Salute and 14th annual ice cream contest.

Experts are suggesting that 2008 will be a record year for voter turnout. Some are even predicting that it may surpass the 64 percent mark from 1960. A record 213 million people are eligible to vote this year, and if early voting is a good indicator of election day turnout, this could be the election in which we see the largest number of voters in the history of our country.

It’s truly a historic year. In addition to record voter turnout, we will have either (1) the first black President or (2) the first female VP. The great thing is that you have a say in what happens. All you have to do is show up and mark your ballot.

Google has made it easy to find your voting location this year. They have introduced a handy 2008 Voter Map. No matter where you live, you can type in your address and Google Maps will show you exactly where you need to go on Nov. 4th. And if you’re using a mobile phone, you can check out the mobile version at m.google.com/elections.

If you choose to vote early, you can refer to the specific Election Information websites for the county in which you live. For those in Collin County, you can find the early voting locations here.

I prefer early voting — it allows you to skip the election day crowds and hassles. But it doesn’t matter when or where you go…just go. Don’t let others make this decision for you. Let you voice be heard on this historic election day.

I woke up at 4:30 am today and caught the early flight out of San Jose.  After a 3 hour plane ride, I finally made it back to Dallas.  On the way home, I witnessed remnants of the destruction caused by the powerful storms which struck earlier this week. The most notable was a large billboard near the airport that had been completely blown down — amazing. 

As I rolled through my neighborhood, I saw many damaged trees and destroyed fences.  According to the National Weather Service, an EF-1 tornado occurred in Collin County affecting northwest sections of Allen and southern sections of McKinney. Winds were estimated at 90 to 95 mph.  The tornado touched down near the intersection of North Custer Road and Hedgcoxe Road in Allen.  It lifted near the intersection of Highway 75 and Highway 121 in McKinney. The average width of the tornado was approximately two tenths of a mile.

In Allen, structural damage occurred to approximately 50 homes with several suffering loss of portions of the roof. A total of 300 residences reported some type of damage on the property, including downed trees and fences. Many power poles and power lines were downed. Insured losses in Allen are estimated to reach $5 million.

More info:  http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/April0910/april0910.htm

Here are the pictures Gary took yesterday.