PALM COAST
Observer
WHO’S NEXT?
Councilman Bill McGuire is resigning. Who should take his place?
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 7, NO. 29
FREE
PAGE 4
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016
Is it really worth it? High stakes, high rewards: Nothing better describes America’s favorite sport. JEFF DAWSEY SPORTS EDITOR
W
illiam Warren, a local youth sports coach and father of four, will not allow his athletic son, Jacob, to play football. He says, “With so many alternatives to tackle football for children, I can’t see the value of letting them line up and crash into each other for an hour every week (not even including practices). Putting concussions aside (which alone is a qualified reason), the amount of broken bones and knee and ankle injuries is simply too much to ignore. I can see letting young men play after reaching puberty, when they are building muscle mass, but anything before can be substituted with many other sports.” Michelle Mott, mother of three football kids, allows her sons to play the game, saying, “Football is dangerous, but so are other sports. Getting the
“I think the good far outweighs the bad, but the bad is bad. We’re talking about a brain, not a pinky toe.” TROY COKE, Seabreeze head football coach
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Mainland’s Kevin McCrary hits Mackenzy Wagner just under the chin and uses his body to sack him to the ground.
GERONIMO!
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 3
REMEMBERING FRANK MEEKER
STRONG START:
New rowing club wins medals
PAGE 13
IS POKEMON GO UNSAFE?
Players’ behavior can look suspicious or threatening, one letter writer says.
SEE PAGE 6 IFLAGLER
The local virtual school wins awards. But who uses it, and what’s it like to attend?
SEE PAGE 20
HIGH TIMES AT THE ‘KIDS ‘N KOPS’ EVENT PAGE 17
Officials honored County Commissioner Frank Meeker with a special tribute at a commission meeting Aug. 1. Meeker died July 22 after a battle with cancer. READ MORE ON PAGE 5