Archive for December, 2008

Frisco’s oldest park is about to get a facelift, but the final product is yet to be determined.

About 20 downtown Frisco residents gathered at the Parks and Recreation administration offices Monday night to discuss the fate of Youth Center Park, a 4-acre neighborhood park near Main Street and North County Road.

The park features a baseball field, a basketball court, playground area, and picnic tables, but two major amenities will soon be removed. Earlier this year the City Council voted to close the municipal pool, and the former community theater building is expected to be demolished early next year.
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By Ann Marie Shambaugh December 8, 2008

If there’s one issue that makes Frisco ISD Superintendent Rick Reedy toss and turn at night, it’s rezoning. At Monday night’s regular school board meeting, he got to face the issue twice.

Reedy said rezoning is the most difficult issue to handle because a large number of parents weigh in with different opinions about an emotionally-charged issue that affects students for years. In FISD, it’s an issue that must be addressed frequently.

The board approved a rezoning plan for Heritage High School that is slightly different than the plan proposed at last month’s meeting. The new option keeps all areas zoned for Ogle Elementary School at Liberty High School and most of Elliott Elementary at Heritage High School.

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The Salvation Army Angel Tree will be at Collin Creek Mall, at North Central Expressway and West Plano Parkway, through Sunday. The tree is decorated with numbered tags with information about individuals in need this Christmas, including children from newborn to 12 and senior citizens. 214-637-8100; or www.collincreekmall.com or 972-422-1070.

Holiday Magic Puppet Show, presented by the Allen Public Library at 305 Century Parkway, is a free 30-minute family program based on picture books, at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday. 214-509-4900.

Holiday Movie, hosted by the Allen Public Library at 305 Century Parkway, presents White Christmas at 7 p.m. Tuesday. 214-509-4900.

Holiday Lights at Frisco Fire Safety Town, 8601 Gary Burns Drive, will be open 6 to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday and Dec. 19 to 23. Walk through miniature buildings decorated for the season and see Santa in person inside a mini-fire station. Visit www.FriscoMerry MainStreet.com.

Frisco’s Frosty 5K & Merry Mile leaves from Simpson Plaza at City Hall, 6101 Frisco Square Blvd. The Merry Mile starts at 9 a.m. Saturday; Frosty 5K starts immediately after. Registration costs $25. Visit www.FriscoMerry MainStreet.com.

Santa Skate will be 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Dr Pepper StarCenter, 2601 Avenue of the Stars. Ice skate with Santa Claus, Frosty and Rudolph. Tickets cost $10 and includes skate rental, a hot dog, chips and a drink.

Broadway Dance Center presents The Nutcracker at 2 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Granville Arts Center, 300 N. Fifth St. Tickets cost $10 and are available at the dance center, 3420 Broadway Blvd. 972-840-6015.

Chamberlain Performing Arts presents Bug Tussle Holiday Pageant Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the McKinney Performing Arts Center, 111 N. Tennessee St. Tickets cost $7:50 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Visit www.mckinneyperforming artscenter.org.

Pet Nights with Santa at Town East Mall, Town East Boulevard and East Interstate 635, let pet owners get pictures of Santa with their cats and dogs 6 to 9 p.m. Monday. Owners can also choose costumes for their pets. Animals must be on a leash or in a carrier. www.towneastmall.com; 972-270-2363.

Plano Civic Chorus presents its Christmas concert, Rejoice!, at 8 p.m. Saturday at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway. www.planocivicchorus.org; 972-606-5220.

Lone Star Wind Orchestra presents its holiday concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway. Tickets cost $15. www.lonestarwind orchestra.com; 214-738-4956.

The Manhattan Transfer will perform at 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive. Tickets cost $30 to $55. www.eisemanncenter.com.

An Open Space Goal Identification Workshop, hosted by Rockwall County, the Trust for Public Land and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, will be open to the general public to provide an opportunity to learn about the ongoing Rockwall County Conservation Visioning Project and provide input for open space goal identification. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Rockwall County Public Library, 1215 E. Yellow Jacket Lane.

Operation Rowlett Reindeer, presented by First Christian Church at 7301 Miller Road, allows needy area families to give Christmas wish lists for their children. The church needs donations to help meet these needs, including new unwrapped toys, canned goods and funds. 972-475-3559.

By Ann Marie Shambaugh and Danny Gallagher, Staff Writers
December 5, 2008 

Frisco residents have good reason to feel safe this holiday season. A national crime ranking recently released names Frisco as the second safest city in Texas and the 16th safest city in the country.

CQ Press conducted a study of crime statistics of the 385 cities with populations of 75,000 people or more. Frisco wasn’t the only Collin County city ranked on the list. Allen ranked as the safest city in the state and ninth in the country, Plano ranked third in the state and 51st in the nation, McKinney placed fourth in the state and 60th nationwide, and Lewisville fifth in the state and 62nd in the nation, according to the report.
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18th ANNUAL FRISCO MERRY MAIN STREET HAPPENS DECEMBER 6; FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE AVAILABLE FROM STALEY MIDDLE SCHOOL TO FRISCO SQUARE

(December 5, 2008) Thousands of twinkling lights, more than a dozen family-friendly activities, three stages of holiday music from Frisco I.S.D. choirs, and one jolly guest from the North Pole - it all adds up to a festive night of fun in Simpson Plaza at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center at Frisco Square. The 18th Annual Merry Main Street is an hour longer this year with the celebration starting at 5 p.m. and ending at

9 p. m.

For a complete list of Merry Main Street activities, go online to www.FriscoMerryMainStreet.com. You will also find a list of performance times for the Frisco Elementary School choirs and a map of the where each of the stages and activities is located.Free shuttle service will be available again this year from the east parking lot at Staley Middle School, located at 6927 Stadium Ln. School buses will travel round-trip from the Staley lot to Main Street across from Frisco Square beginning at 4 p.m. Shuttle service will continue until the event is over at 9 p.m.

Free parking is also available at Pizza Hut Park parking lots across Main Street from Frisco Square. The parking lot behind Frisco City Hall will be closed to vehicles. Coleman Blvd. and Frisco Square Blvd. will be closed to traffic.

Source: City of Frisco

According an April 2008 article on DallasNews.com, the growth in Frisco has slowed, but its quick growth has earned it the spot of the 12th Dallas suburb to top the 100,000 population mark. In only eight years, the Frisco population has nearly tripled

2008 Estimated Population: 100,000
2000 Estimated Population: 33,714

Frisco joins a short list of North Texas cities that have reached 100,000 residents, according to Jan. 1, 2007, population estimates, the most recent figures available:

Local DFW City Population Comparison

City Population

Dallas 1,280,500
Fort Worth 686,850
Arlington 364,300
Plano 255,700
Garland 224,750
Irving 205,600
Grand Prairie 161,550
Mesquite 136,750
Carrollton 120,150
McKinney 112,000
Denton 105,550
Frisco 100,000*

* Estimate as of April 24, 2008
SOURCES: City of Frisco, North Central Texas Council of Governments