- April 18, 2024
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+ Internet cafés are harmless, not harmful
Dear Editor:
I am writing about your story, “City wants Internet cafés to fold.”
I visit Neptune’s Internet & Sweepstakes on Palm Coast Parkway three to four times a week. I do not go to Allied Vest, Lucky Day Sweepstakes or any other. I have patronized this business since it opened. I have met a good number of people and always have a good time. You can have a soda, coffee, ice-cold water and a few snacks. Once in a while, a customer will spring for a couple of pizzas at Pizza Hut.
An Internet café resolution being considered by the City Council states that the cafés have been the sites of burglaries and robberies. I have not heard of any holdups or burglaries at Neptune’s or any other café in Palm Coast. Why would the city attorney approve a resolution to be considered by the City Council with such a gross inaccuracy? This is not Seminole County.
I suggest the powers that be visit Neptune’s. You have 10 to 30 people ages 50-plus sitting there, having a good time, sipping soda. Some win, some lose. I have not seen any evidence of people plotting burglaries or mugging a winning customer.
Palm Coast has bigger problems than crime at Internet cafés. Maybe a little attention to the European Village complex would be more in keeping with the function of city government, rather than all the “crime” at Internet cafés.
Lynn J. Stote
Palm Coast
+ Free market should drive Internet cafés
Dear Editor:
In your article titled “City wants Internet cafés to fold,” it becomes obvious that the city of Palm Coast may not want or need the Internet cafés that are gambling establishments. If the City Council believes that we should not have them it must be from a consensus of public input. Otherwise, the City Council takes on the role of a “nanny,” much as Washington has been as it has tried to cram things down America’s throat for the last few years.
Whatever happened to the free-market solution to this supposed problem?
If Internet cafés are not wanted or needed, they will die a natural death or at least only a few will survive. I hope the City Council tempers its decision on all issues with the knowledge of what the people of Palm Coast want. Barring that, they are doing a disservice to our citizens and usurping the people’s will with their own power.
I come from 35-plus years in Reno, Nev., and know all too well the horrific impact gaming has on a community. It destroys marriages, breaks up families, causes fights that sometimes end up in shootings, bankruptcies and generally offers little of redeeming value to a community. And that’s not to mention it causes problems.
But, it is the free-market system or manifest public opinion that must be the determining factor in how this is dealt with.
Scott Adie
Palm Coast
+ No economic development needed in Flagler County
Dear Editor:
I continue to read newspaper articles regarding meetings and utterances about “economic development” of Flagler County. It seems most of the articles are driven by quotes by either Enterprise Flagler the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates, and seem to be oriented toward “industrial development.”
Discussions seem to be laying the groundwork for funding “yet to be defined” initiatives. There did not appear to be any recommendations for the source of that funding. Ultimately, I suppose that funding will be sought by a referendum for a dedicated 1/4- or 1/2-mill property tax for maybe five to 10 years .... and will be fully, actively and energetically supported by county and city politicos and the allied business associations. (I cannot help but wonder how much money Enterprise Flagler and the chamber will contribute?)
The latest summit discussions included an estimated investment of $6.5 million to accomplish the outlined goals. I suspect none of the participants can truly and fully agree, define or list those goals, much less the detailed steps and cost of the steps to accomplish the goals, whatever they are deemed or thought to be.
At this point, can or will anyone in authority define the long-range (five to 10 years) vision of Flagler County that is to result from the economic development initiatives? Where, exactly, do the economic development advocates suggest we are headed?
I submit Flagler County — Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach, the Hammock, etc. — was originally envisioned and continues to be a growing retirement destination. To force fit industrial development will serve to destroy that very desirable attribute.
Why does Enterprise Flagler and the Chamber of Commerce seem bent on altering that fine image? I suspect political support for industrial development is based on the prospect of increased tax revenue to do with as the politicos deem to be required. Bigger is always better, right?
As an aside, why is there no summit participant (or group of participants) offering or giving voice to alternatives that differ from the obvious purpose and intention of the summit?
Actually, the “summit” seems to be simply a highly publicized way of convincing our population of what local politicos and business advocates are feeding themselves, to the exclusion of what I feel our county and city population may want.
Is industrial development the end-all and be-all for the future of Flagler County and Palm Coast? Why must we have a grand scheme for economic/industrial development?
Economic development has and will continue to happen over time without any development initiatives. It would seem local politicos should place their emphasis and focus on controlling growth, not expediting it.
Bruce B. Hardy
Palm Coast
SEVENTH-GRADE WISDOM
Editor’s Note: The following letters were submitted by Lori Scarpa’s seventh-graders at Indian Trails Middle Schools. To submit letters to the editor, email them to [email protected]. The Palm Coast Observer reserves the right to edit for space.
+ Kudos to Colin Milbrandt
Dear Editor:
I read the article, “Belle Terre students raise $3,586 for heart health.” I think it is amazing how one kid raised $295 from the Jump Rope for the Heart fundraiser all by himself. Belle Terre Elementary should reward Colin Milbrandt and all of the students if they haven’t already. Good job, Belle Terre.
Tyler Conklin
+ Take pride in Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
The best article was “Athletes advance,” by Andrew O’Brien. I think it is important to be healthy athletically and academically to get a scholarship to any college you prefer. I also think this article is great because we have pride about Palm Coast and raising healthy and educated kids.
You could go into more specific detail about their best career stats or seasons. You could also put their freshman and senior stats compared to see how much they improved. Maybe even put more in here about their first game in college so people can see how Palm Coast is doing at coach sports.
Mathew Crogan
+ Mayan field trip will help
Dear Editor:
I liked the article, “Mayan event OK’d for $10,000” because my relatives are from Guatemala, and they will like money being given to a spectacle of Mayan culture. I also like this article because it will help students in school get a better experience of what Mayan culture on a trip instead of a classroom.
Bret Caffacus
+ Way to go, Relay women!
Dear Editor:
I liked your article on Relay for Life. I thought Mary Wildstein, Mary Quinci-Suwinski and Mary-Jane Graham should be honored for putting up a great effort for helping cancer patients fight longer.
Michael Pontarelli
+ Hatching chickens is fun
Dear Editor:
I like the story about Imagine School first-graders hatching chickens. At Indian Trails Middle School, science teacher Dana Hausen got some eggs and an incubator and hatched chickens, too. I like how another school hatched chickens successfully. It must have been exciting for them because I know how little kids like animals a lot.
Paul Dykes
+ Mother is cancer survivor
Dear Editor:
I was happy with the Relay for Life story. I do know cancer never sleeps, seeing that I had to watch my mother go through it. She is a survivor, and I’m relieved.
One thing I wish is that there was more information ahead of time because I would have helped out.
Tiffany Denero
+ Mother is cancer survivor
Dear Editor:
The best topic in the newspaper is the one with the Belle Terre student, Colin Milbrandt, who is in kindergarten and rasied $295 for Jump Rope for the Heart.
I know when I was little, about his age, I did this sort of stuff, but I could never get over $60, and it always made me mad. But yes, I top my hat to Colin Milbrandt!
McNicholas Isaiah
