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NEWS

Range open for shooting

Williams Sportsmans' Club to hold inaugural practical shooting match Aug. 29 at local range

WILLIAMS - Gun owners will have a chance to test their shooting skills when the Williams Sportsmans' Club (WSC) hosts its first shooting match

at the city of Williams Shooting Range.

The Practical Pistol shooting match will be held Saturday Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. and will be a fundraiser for the newly formed outdoor club.

Jay Redfeather, WSC founding member, said competitors will use full power handguns. Those new to the sport will also have the opportunity to

step up to the firing line without competing against more seasoned competitors.

"There will be six stages and then there will be a learning, fun stage," Redfeather said. "If you've never done it before, you can go and learn

how it's done. It's just for fun. If people are interested, they can come see how it is done and shoot it."

The stages will be provided and set up by six shooting clubs from across the state. Redfeather said the clubs' participation in the event has

been a big part of making the event a reality.

"They are kind of sponsoring us," he said. "They're bringing their own targets and everything. They'll set up their own stages. Each stage will

be different. It's going to be kind of neat how it is set up."

Event fees are $25 to enter the match as a non-member, $20 for WSC members, and $15 for active duty military personnel and law

enforcement personnel in duty gear.

Mike Phillips, shooting match director, said a required one-hour meeting for match participants new to practical shooting will begin at 8 a.m.

across from the check-in area at the shooting range. All participants must attend a shooting meeting at 9:30 a.m.

"While experience shooting practical pistol type matches is recommended, it is not required for participation," Phillips said. "Basic experience

and competency with a handgun is required along with attending the 'new shooters' orientation and bringing enough spare magazines or speed

loaders to complete a course of fire up to 30 plus rounds. For the new people, we really need to give them some basic information so when

they walk up to the firing line, they'll know what to expect."

For a complete list of match regulations visit the WSC website at www.williamssportsmansclub.org

Pre-registration will take place at Wild West Junction, 321 E. Route 66, from 7 a.m.-8:30 a.m.

Money raised at the shoot will help the WSC continue to develop the shooting range and pay for insurance to cover future shooting events.

"We still need to build our shade structures and get our target stands built," Redfeather said. "Finish paying for the connex box."

The club currently has 42 members. Redfeather said he is encouraged by the progress the club has made in a short amount of time.

"It's growing and things are moving along," he said. "It's becoming a club."

As a non-club member volunteer, for each day you volunteer, the range will provide a free day of range time to be redeemed whenever you

We ask that you complete at least one day of on-the-job training (OJT) to allow you the opportunity to become familiar with our range, the

We offer a FREE two hour Range Officer class every few months that goes into detail on the operations of the range and a review of our

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has awarded the Clark County Shooting Park its prestigious Five Star Rating for shooting

ranges, making it among only 17 ranges across the country to have been awarded this rating.

 

"We are so proud to be part of such an elite group of shooting ranges,” Don Turner, shooting park manager said. “This is validation that our

dedication to shooter safety, customer service and excellence continues to gain notice by professional shooters. We will continue to work hard

to keep this a safe, secure environment for professional shooters and families to come to.”

 

The park was awarded the honor after NSSF determined that the park either met or exceeded established criteria for a five star facility.  In

order to receive a five star rating, a range must demonstrate excellence in all aspects of management and operations, appearance, customer

service, amenities, customer development and community relations.

 

The shooting park is located at 11357 N. Decatur Blvd., about five miles north of the 215 Beltway. The park is open for public shooting

Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Special event shooting can be scheduled seven days a week. 

 

The facility features the following venues:

§               A shotgun center with 80 full service RV sites, 24 combination trap and skeet fields with a pro shop, cafeteria; and 20 and 12 gauge

shotgun rentals. A new five stand course is under construction and will be opening soon.

§               A practice archery range.

§               A 60-point public rifle and pistol range with a classroom, pro shop, convenience store and .22 rifle and pistol rentals; and

§               Hunter education, firearms safety and archery courses offered by the Nevada Department of Wildlife and other groups.

 

For more information please visit our web page at www.accessclarkcounty.com/shootlasvegas

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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability.  With

jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 14th-largest county and

provides extensive regional services to more than 2 million citizens and 40 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 7th-busiest airport,

air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The county also provides municipal

services that are traditionally provided by cities to almost 900,000 residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and

other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.

Phoenix could take museum land next week under settlement

by Betty Reid - Aug. 27, 2010 05:33 PM

The Arizona Republic

Phoenix could take possession of land that houses the Pioneer Living History Museum as soon as Tuesday, according to a proposed settlement

between the city and the company that recently bought the property in far north Phoenix.

 

The city had started condemnation proceedings against a private landowner that outbid the city at a July 15 state land auction for 92 acres at

3901 W. Pioneer Road. A hearing had been scheduled for Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Courtto hear the city's reasons for acquiring

the land through eminent domain.

Instead, the settlement between the city and Great Western Historical, LLC, requires the following:

• Phoenix must agree to the settlement by Wednesday.

• The city must pay $3.5 million plus interest to Great Western Historical by Friday.

Toni Maccarone, Phoenix spokesperson, said the Phoenix City Council plans to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday to consider the settlement.

Pioneer Living History Museum has been operating since the 1960s and is designed to preserve the history and heritage of Arizona's early

settlers. The museum is operated by the Pioneer Arizona Foundation, which had supported the city's efforts to buy the state land.

Phoenix had agreed to pay $3.2 million for the land, but Great Western Historical, owned by Eric and Steve Roles, outbid the city by $10,000.

The Roleses operate the Pioneer RV Resort north of the museum.

Group raising money to buy guns for Pinal County Sheriff

by Lindsey Collom - Aug. 5, 2010 02:31 PM

The Arizona Republic

The Pinal County Justice Foundation is raising money to give deputies a better match against criminal firepower.

The volunteer group wants to equip sworn members of the Pinal County Sheriff's Office with semiautomatic rifles and is asking the public for

donations. An estimated 150 to 200 rifles are needed. Sheriff Paul Babeu said the county can't absorb the cost of these weapons - about $1,000

each - but that "the need is clear." "We want to never be in a position for my deputies to be outgunned," Babeu said. "We have one deputy per

1,000 citizens in unincorporated areas. We want to make sure deputies are safe and able to meet any threat with equal or greater force."

Sheriff's officials say high-risk encounters are on the rise, with deputies engaging in high-speed vehicle pursuits and desert shootouts with drug

and human smugglers.

Almost daily on talk shows and cable news programs, Babeu talks about the threats deputies encounter in a drug- and human-smuggling corridor

in western Pinal County, which is the area where Deputy Louie Puroll was wounded in a gunfight with suspected drug runners April 30.

Puroll was armed with various handguns and an M-16 rifle, one of 40 demilitarized weapons utilized by the Sheriff's Office, when he was

wounded by bullets from an AK-47. Weeks later, Babeu said AK-47 rounds were recovered from the bodies of two suspected drug smugglers

found dead in the same desert area.

Most deputies are armed with .40 or .45 caliber handguns and a shotgun. Babeu said deputies with rifles either have been issued demilitarized

weapons or have purchased their own. Semiautomatic rifles rival the speed and accuracy of handguns and shotguns, allowing the shooter to fire

from a greater distance. Handguns are best when targets are within 25 yards, whereas rifles can be used to make precision shots from 100 to

200 yards away, law enforcement officials say.

Police agencies across the country began to arm patrol officers with rifles in the late '90s after Los Angeles police were outgunned in a bank

robbery. The first officers to respond to the scene found themselves ill-prepared for what turned out to be a 40-minute gun battle with two men

in body armor firing AK-47s. The suspects were killed in the shootout, and more than a dozen people, including police officers were injured. The

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Tempe, Mesa and Glendale issue rifles to some of its ranks while allowing others to

use their own, as long as the weapon is approved and the employee meets certification and training standards. For example, Phoenix police

requires rifle bearers to take an initial 40-hour course, practice monthly and participate in quarterly evaluations,  all of which take place at the

Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix.

Phoenix is close to meeting its goal of 300 rifles on patrol, but officers are not allowed to purchase their own rifles for on-duty use. The Pinal

County Sheriff's Office is in talks with Red River Arms, Inc., of Colona, Ill., to borrow 50 semiautomatic rifles with intent to purchase. Steve Mayer,

a Red River Arms sales manager, said the intent is to get the weapons in the hands of deputies as quickly as possible. "They kind of found

themselves between a rock and a hard place," Mayer said. "We're more than willing to work with them."

Babeu says he wants to purchase local in light of recent boycotts from opponents of Arizona's new immigration law. A Sheriff's Office statement

said they will buy from Sun Devil Manufacturing in Mesa. Even if the weapons were immediately available, it could be weeks before deputies can

use them in the field. Various testing and training is required to carry the firearm. Training classes are conducted by Sheriff's Office personnel

certified by The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.

"If a deputy couldn't pass that class, guess what? They won't get a weapon," Babeu added.

Donations can be made online at www.pinalcountyjusticefoundation.org 

or by mail to Pinal County Justice Foundation, Inc., 6832 S. Kings 

Ranch Road #2-16, Gold Canyon, Ariz., 85218.