Houston Area 4th of July Fireworks Events

HOUSTON—The 4th of July means fireworks across the U.S. and Houston is no exception.

There are dozens of celebrations in our area, but the largest is the Freedom over Texas festival this weekend. It is presented by Shell.

The free event is at Eleanor Tinsley Park. This year, organizers are honoring Houston’s military heroes and the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Country singer, Texas native Clay Walker will be the main act. He will take the stage at 8 p.m. Right after that at 9:30, fireworks will light the sky.

If you’re thinking about heading there you should know about some road that will be closed.

On Thursday, a couple of lanes along Allen Parkway were closed. They include roads between Taft Street and downtown.

Also, starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Allen Parkway will be completely closed to traffic.

If you’re in The Woodlands, there are several events where you can celebrate.

First there is the Star-Spangled Salute which is being held Friday night at the Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion.

You’ll hear patriotic music presented by the Houston Symphony.

Friday at 9 a.m. you can see the South Montgomery Parade which runs through The Woodlands Town Center and Market Street.

Finally, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. you can head to the Red, Hot and Blue Festival and Fireworks Extravaganza at Town Green Park and Waterway Square.

There’s also a lot to celebrate in Fort Bend County Saturday, July 4 th.

In Sugar Land, the festivities include The Red White and Blue Fest at Oyster Creek Park. Those events begin Saturday and run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The city of Stafford and the Fort Bend Symphony will celebrate by treating the public to a free patriotic concert.

Freedom Rings 2009 will be held at the Stafford Centre and starts at 5 p.m.

In Missouri City, the public is being treated to a July 4 celebration at Buffalo Run Park.

The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. and the fireworks blare into the night sky at 9.

Chevy Freedom Over Texas Fireworks
Location: Eleanor Tinsley Park
website: www.chevysfreedomovertexas.com
This is by far the largest celebration in the city of Houston, and the fireworks display is one of the biggest in the state. Montgomery Gentry will headline. The festival starts at 4 p.m. with performances by local acts. If you don't feel like braving the crowds, you don't have to miss our on the fun; just tune in to ABC13 from the solitude of your couch.

The Houston Symphony 4th of July Celebration
Location: Miller Outdoor Theatre, Herman Park
Led by principal pops conductor Michael Krajewski. Enjoy an All-American salute to commemorate Independence Day, and end the evening with fireworks presented by the Miller Theatre Advisory Board.

Sam Houston Race Park
website: www.shrp.com
The park celebrates Independence Day with special family-friendly activities and a spectacular fireworks display.

Firecracker Hotbox
Location: Gulf Greyhound Park
website: www.gulfgreyhound.com
Come see some of the nation's hottest greyhounds compete.

Kemah Boardwalk
website: www.kemahboardwalk.com
The 4th of July fireworks launch at 9:30 p.m.

SplashTown Fireworks Spectacular
website: www.splashtownpark.com
The park sends up the explosives after dusk.

Fire destroys Galveston seawall condos

By Chris Paschenko
The Daily News

Published June 4, 2009
GALVESTON — At least 60 units of a Galveston resort were gutted Wednesday by fire, which was started accidentally by welding contractors who were renovating the complex damaged by Hurricane Ike, fire officials said.

Firefighters were called at 2:19 p.m. to Maravilla Resort Condominiums, 9520 Seawall Blvd., and found fire spreading between the second and third floor.

“It was the workers out there doing welding and cutting,” Fire Chief Mike Varela Sr. said of Fire Marshal Gilbert Robinson’s determination. The contractors had a city permit for renovations and were employing a fire watch, Varela said.

Galveston firefighter Gary Vasquez suffered from heat exhaustion and was taken by ground ambulance to Mainland Medical Center in Texas City and released, Varela said.

A medical crew treated some of the contractors at the scene, but they weren’t taken to a hospital, Varela said.

The blaze began in the rear of the complex, working its way toward the seawall side of the structure. About 120 firefighters, including those from Jamaica Beach, Santa Fe, Hitchcock, La Marque and Texas City were called to the island and helped evacuate about 30 or 40 people from the building. They also fought the blaze and manned fire stations here. There were no further injuries, Varela said.

Firefighters focused their attack at the center of the complex, where Varela said a fire break helped them control the blaze about 5:30 p.m.

Much of the upper units of the three-story complex were gutted, and many more sustained smoke and water damage, Varela said.

Lloyd W. Rinderer, an assistant city manager for Galveston, said he lost his condo of six years to the blaze. Rinderer, who is also treasurer of the condo’s homeowner’s association, said he would reside on his boat at The Galveston Yacht Club, just as he did not long after the storm.

“We were a month from completing Hurricane Ike repairs,” Rinderer said of the Sept. 13 storm’s damaging effects. “There were 164 units and there were about 10 people who were actually living there.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Breaking News: Galveston Condo Fire

Massive fire destroys dozens of beachfront condos in Galveston
06:50 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 3, 2009

By Michelle Homer / 11 News
GALVESTON -- Every firefighter in Galveston battled a huge 5-alarm fire on the island's West End Wednesday afternoon. The blaze at the beachfront Miravilla Resort Condominiums burned out of control for several hours.

The fire broke out around 2:15 p.m. and Galveston fire crews were on the scene minutes later.

Even off-duty Galveston firefighters were called in to help battle the blaze.

They also brought in help from surrounding communities including Jamaica Beach, Texas City, La Marque and Santa Fe.

When Air 11 first arrived, the flames were confined to one corner of the complex.

Also Online
Slideshow: Photos from the scene
Video Slideshows Blogs
Within minutes, the fire had spread to dozens of other units. There are 164 units in the complex.

"We went from an offensive to a defensive fire real quick to not put the firefighters in harm's way because the fire was spreading so quickly," said Galveston Fire Chief Mike Varela.

The wind shifted in the middle of the fire, adding to their challenge.

Everyone inside was evacuated safely, according to Galveston officials.

The flames spread quickly through dozens of units at the Miravilla condos.
One firefighter was transported to an area hospital after suffering heat exhaustion.

"His blood pressure was down real low and they were trying to get it stable again," said Varela.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

The first word might have been easy for some junior high students to spell. The second one, not so much.
But on Wednesday, a Pearland seventh-grader made his school proud when he managed to spell both “diabetes” and “nenuphar” correctly, becoming one of 41 semifinalists at the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in Washington, D.C.

Aditya Chemudupaty , who attends Nolan Ryan Junior High School in the Shadow Creek Ranch subdivision of the Alvin school district, was among 293 youths competing. While diabetes may be a common word to some, few people probably know what nenuphar means — it’s a European water lily.

As a result of their feats Wednesday, the Pearland hero and the other semi-finalists from across the country will compete on stage from 9 a.m. to noon today, with the competition being broadcast live on ESPN. His classmates and teachers will be watching, said Principal Deborah Roberson.
It felt “really, really good to get this far,” Aditya said after the semifinalists were announced. But he acknowledged a case of nerves.

“I feel really, really anxious about tomorrow,” he said.
Aditya said he would be practicing all evening the night before the big day.
“I’ll be studying my spelling list with my mom,” he said.
Aditya was calm onstage during the two oral rounds Wednesday, however, speaking clearly and with barely any hesitation between letters. His goals for today: “Concentrate and don’t hurry. Take your time, and watch the clock.”

“Aditya is a very, very good student,” Roberson said Wednesday night. “This is something he’s been working on all year long. He’s just very self-disciplined.

“Part of his routine is he will get up early in the morning and study for an hour or two, then come to school. Then when he gets home from school, after he does his homework, for another hour or two he’ll go back over and practice his spelling.”
The championship finalists will square off for the final round beginning at 7 tonight. That competition will air live on ABC-TV. The champion will win a $30,000 cash prize, a $5,000 scholarship, a $2,500 U.S. Savings Bond and other prizes.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Forecasters to make predictions about 2009 hurricane season

Forecasters to make predictions about 2009 hurricane season

Top federal weather forecasters on Thursday will be announcing their eagerly anticipated predictions for this year's Atlantic hurricane season -- a season likely to be as active as last year.

Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others will make their forecast public at a news conference to be held at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in northern Virginia.

On hand will be Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and Bill Read, NOAA's National Hurricane Center director, along with a host of other federal officials.

Government forecasters were right on the mark with their 2008 predictions -- a very active hurricane season. The numbers: 16 named storms, eight hurricanes, five of them major.

Scientists had projected that the 2008 season would bring 12 to 16 named storms that would grow into six to nine hurricanes, two to five of which would be Category 3 or stronger.

Gerry Bell, NOAA's lead seasonal Atlantic hurricane forecaster, has said the gradual warming of the Atlantic Ocean, combined with an active tropical era of storms that began in 1995, will likely mean busy hurricane seasons in the future.

Florida was spared the worst of last year's hurricane season. Only Tropical Storm Fay struck the region hard.

That was not the case for our Caribbean neighbors. Cuba and Haiti got pounded by a succession of major hurricanes and storms, resulting in heavy damage and lost lives.

Feel free to prepare for storm

By John Lowman
The Facts
Published May 20, 2009

LAKE JACKSON — Emergency planners are preparing themselves for the possibility of another hurricane striking close to home, and they encourage area residents to take advantage of a free opportunity to do the same.

The annual “Perfect Storm” hurricane preparedness seminar will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Lake Jackson Civic Center, Brazoria County Emergency Management Coordinator Kenneth “Doc” Adams said. This year’s event is themed “Lessons Learned from Ike” after Hurricane Ike blasted the area last September, causing billions of dollars in damage from Brazoria County to Sabine Pass.

One of the main focuses is being prepared, Adams said.

“Some of the people who evacuated suffered hardships last year they would not have had to suffer if they’d have read our brochure,” Adams said of a booklet set to be mailed to all county residents. “If they’d have taken a few minutes and looked at it, they would have been much better prepared.”

That is the reason for the seminar, Brazoria County Marine Extension Agent Rich Tillman said.

“We want to protect lives and property,” Tillman said. “Since we’re right on the coast, everybody in Brazoria County is vulnerable to some extent.”

Two of the three 2-1-1 evacuation hubs in the county are moved. The former Alvin location this year will be at Dawson High School in Pearland, while the Angleton hub will be at the Brazoria County Fairgrounds. The West Columbia site remains at the West Columbia Civic Center.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

No flu in Pearland yet

Updated: 05.01.09
The City of Pearland wants to remind all persons living and visiting in our area to take basic health precautions relating to all strains of influenza (flu), including the current H1N1 'Swine' outbreak.

There is currently one confirmed case of H1N1 in the Pearland area - a Ft. Bend County teenager who attends a private school in Harris County, and has fully recovered. No local schools or school districts have been affected.

The Pearland Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor the situation with county, state, & federal coordination, and will keep you informed of any health updates.

Visit www.cityofpearland.com for links to various health authorities currently tracking the H1N1 outbreak."