Farragut Town Hall experiences Pokémon craze
Little, animated monsters called Pokémon popped up on smartphone screens in Farragut’s public places for app users to catch.
The app, called Pokémon Go, a variation of the card and Ninten-do game franchise, puts Pokémon in real-world places for players to find by looking for them on their smartphone screens. The Poké-mon at any particular location can vary from day to day.
At other, real-world locations, called Pokéstops, users can find other game-related objects. In still other real world sites, called gyms, players battle their Poké-mon against each other.
While the Town did not choose the places Pokémon or Pokéstops appear, Sue Stuhl, Farragut Parks and Leisure director, said she was excited about the app’s inclusion of Farragut locations.
Town-owned places serving as Pokéstops included Mayor Bob Leonard Park, Anchor Park, Foun-ders Park at Campbell Station, Town Hall, Farragut Memorial Plaza and Farragut Museum, she said.
“We are thrilled to have people from the community visiting our parks, Town Hall, Memorial Plaza and museum, especially during the heat of the summer when park use tends to be down,” she said.
Pokémon Go has been popular nationwide and in several other countries.
Some accidents have resulted from playing but not in Farragut, Stuhl said. In Encitas, Calif., two players fell from beach cliffs.
while playing the game.
In Auburn, New York, a man crashed his car into a tree while playing. Neither incident resulted in serious injuries. Tech Insider reported on both incidents.
“Participants just need to be aware of their surroundings, but otherwise we don’t see any hazards,” Stuhl said, regarding the potential for injuries to players in Farragut.
She said she was not aware of any accidents related to the game in Farragut.
“So far everyone playing the games have been very courteous, and this hasn’t caused any issues for us,” she said.
She said players should follow the rules posted at the parks and museum.
“It’s great to see so many participants out and walking, and it’s nice to hear about families enjoying the game together. Apparently it has sparked a lot of conversations at the parks among the users. This game has done a lot for the get out and walk movement and introduced a lot of people to what our Town has to offer that they may have not been aware of prior to the game,” Stuhl said.
