- October 30, 2024
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Friday, March 6, dawned chilly and blustery, but that didn’t put a damper on the spirits of Palm Coast’s dedicated bocce ball players. Bob Zanella and his black Lab, Jaxon, who serves as the group’s unofficial mascot, were the first to arrive at the meet and greet, set up by Parks & Recreation Director, Lauren Johnston and her staff.
“We put so much time and effort into these projects on paper, in the office, and on-site that when the actual construction is finished, it can be easy to just check the box, say done, and move on,” Johnston said. “But getting out into the community and seeing how these projects affect our residents and improve their lives, that’s when the job is done.”
After all was said and done, 17 players came out to chat with Parks & Recreation staff and, of course, play bocce. Players were thrilled with the new courts and all noted the importance of the sunshade and overhead lighting.
In a Facebook Live video, Nick Gennett noted: “There are guys here that have literally waited 12 years for these courts to be redone. With the roof that we’ve got on here now, this becomes an all-weather court, which we didn’t have before. Both in terms of dealing with the rain, but also, we play through the year, so getting through the summer out here and the heat, now that we’ve got this roof, that’s going to be a whole lot easier.”
Discussions out of the way, players quickly began games, breaking up into teams by selecting cards from a deck of regular playing cards. Games are taken seriously, but the atmosphere is convivial and friendly, with everyone giving and receiving equal amounts of ribbing. The group patiently showed Parks & Recreation how to play bocce and invited them to join in the games. Player Manuel Clemente even brought along his grandson Marcello, introducing his beloved pastime to the next generation of players.
Calling themselves the "United Nations of Bocce Ball" this unique group of individuals boasts members from nearly every country in the Western Hemisphere and beyond — Greek, Irish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese just to name a few.
“Three times a week they’re playing. I’m a newcomer,” Gennett said, “only been here two years! But it’s completely spontaneous, just a bunch of guys who enjoy each other’s company. So we get together, play this game, and have a lot of fun.”
— Kimberly Brown, city of Palm Coast
In other news:
Flagler County is asking residents who live east of the Intracoastal Waterway in the unincorporated area to complete a survey about whether or not they would like to have their roadways paved as well as their thoughts about utilities.
The survey is available online: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/53daf574b483418a98448346cf6f3939.
“The results of this survey will help with future planning,” said County Engineer Faith Alkhatib. “We want to get as much input as possible.”
Questions are intended to gauge desire and urgency for a higher level of services. Residents will be required to provide their names and addresses.
A similar survey will be created in the future for residents who live in rural, western Flagler County.
— Julie Murphy, Flagler County
