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Re-opening of the Suffolk County Trap and Skeet Range
UPDATE!!
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Just
recently I attended the Suffolk County Parks and Cultural
Affairs Committee which oversees the operation of the
Suffolk County Trap & Skeet Range. A part of the agenda
on December 15th, 2004 was a budget request by County
Executive Steve Levy for $450,000.00 through the Presiding
Officer of the County Legislature, Legislator Joseph
T. Caracappa number IR-2244A for the Suffolk
County Trap & Skeet Range. I was surprised to see no
other sportsmen's organizations present to make sure
this proposal was moved out of committee favorably to
the full legislature. No matter, I was able to speak
to most of the legislators on the committee, the Parks
Department Commissioner, Mr. Ronald F. Foley and Deputy
County Executive, Mr. Zwirn. We were all on the same
page, anxious to get this money appropriated for the
range remediation and upgrade so it could be opened
quickly.
The reason it was important to get this appropriation
now was because if it was not acted on before the end
of this year we would need to start the budget process
all over again delaying the opening of the range for
another year or two. I am glad to report this budget
item was reported out of committee favorably with 5
in favor, none opposed and one abstention, that
being Legislator O'Leary.
On December 21st, 2004 the full Suffolk Legislature
took up the bill IR-2244A and after much discussion
it was passed, 17 in favor, none opposed and one
abstention, that being Legislator O'Leary, who is
the legislator for the district in which the range is
located. Again I was surprised no other sportsmen's
organizations were in attendance to help advance this
bill. However, Bill Raab and James Kelly, members of
the SAFE Board of Directors and me, made a number of
comments on the record and in private conversations
with the various legislators so they would know all
the reasons why this project needs to move forward.
By the vote you could say we were successful.
It only remains to be seen how quickly the Parks Department
gets out a Request For Proposal (RFP) to possible vendors
to take over the daily operation of the range. Any one
interested should contact the Suffolk County Parks
Department at; Suffolk County Department of Parks and
Recreation and Conservation, P.O. Box 144 Montauk Highway,
Oakdale NY 11796, phone number; 631-854-4949, fax number;
631-854-4978. We continue the need to be vigilant
on this issue and regular phone calls and letters to
the Suffolk County Parks Department requesting update
information on the progress of the re-opening of the
Suffolk County Trap & Skeet Range is perfectly in order
and acceptable. Even those of you who do not live in
Suffolk County but use the range are entitled to an
answer of how soon will I be able to resume my shooting
sport at this range? Also, a thank you letter or phone
call to the County Executive's office and the County
Legislators would be appreciated. You can find all the
names and addresses and phone numbers
here.
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Re-opening
of the Suffolk County Trap and Skeet Range
Stalled by County Government
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I
have personally spoken to County Executive Steve Levy,
Deputy County Executive Paul Sabatino, County Legislators,
Cameron Alden, Angie Carpenter, Jon Cooper, Michael Caracciolo,
Jay Schneiderman, Vivian Viloria-Fisher, Daniel Losquadro,
Brian Foley, William Lindsay, David Bishop, Peter O'Leary,
Ricardo Montano, Elie Mystal and Presiding Officer of
the County Legislature, Joseph Caracappa in the past
couple of weeks regarding the reopening of the Suffolk
County Trap & Skeet Range. Everybody but one has agreed
that this is and should be a top priority of the County.
If that were in fact true, why isn't it open now and bringing
in much needed cash flow to the county?
Like many others I believed that all of the requirements
for and objections about the reopening the Suffolk
County Trap & Skeet Range had been met and as of the
end of 2003 there would be definite movement in doing
just that. Also, along with many others interested in
seeing this Range reopen I attended every meeting of the
Parks & Recreation Committee and every meeting of the
full Suffolk County Legislature. The end result was an
almost unanimous support for and vote by the Suffolk County
Legislature for reopening this Range and exempting it
from the low noise level standards adopted a number of
years ago.
I commend the Suffolk County Legislature not only for
voting to exempt this Range from these unrealistically
low noise standards but for allocating all necessary funds
to do what ever remedial work would be necessary to reopen
this range as soon as possible. Because of this I find
no fault with the County Legislature with one exception
and that is "oversight". They have failed to make
sure their mandate and their desire to reopen this profitable
facility has in fact occurred in a timely fashion. I am
now being told by people in the County Executives office,
specifically Mr. Paul Sabatino, Chief Deputy County Executive,
and a fellow by the name of Terry as well as the Parks
Commissioner that the range will not reopen until 2005.
This is completely UNACCEPTABLE and OUTRAGEOUS.
It is the only profitable facility that Suffolk County
owns and it is enjoyed by thousands of resident tax payers
as well as many non-resident Trap & Skeet Shooters from
other counties. It does so mainly because there is no
such type shooting facility available to the public in
either Nassau County or New York City (all 5 boroughs).
The longer the delay in reopening the Range the more costly
it will become. As a tax paying voter in Suffolk County
I don't want the added expense (because I pay for it).
I want this issue resolved NOW! It must and should
be the 1st PRIORITY of the Suffolk County Parks Department.
It has been more than 6 months already since everything
was approved to proceed.
While we have no real authority to request or demand this
become the 1st PRIORITY of the Parks Department,
we must all contact Mr. Ron Foley, Suffolk County Parks
Commissioner at 631-854-4984 urging in the strongest
terms, without being rude, to make the Suffolk County
Trap & Skeet Range its first priority.
This range which was once run by county personal and I
see no reason why it couldn't be again, at least until
such time as there is a vendor to take over the operations
of the facility. Even if that means the range will be
open on a limited basis, it is better than not being open
at all. However, this would require the County Parks Department
to put out a Request For Proposal (RFP) so a vendor
can be found…something it has not done. The County could
also allow a vendor to operate this range while upgrades
or required maintenance is performed. Any and all upgrades
or improvements to the range can be made while it is open
and generating revenue to the County. After all, I continue
to live in my home while major renovations are being done
with no danger to the inhabitants or visitors.
When you call the Parks Department you will probably be
told there are other factors such as; a Brookhaven Town
noise ordnance which in my opinion has no affect on County
owned property or an EPA requirement for cleanup of lead
shot. This EPA requirement has always been the case and
it has been routinely done by every vendor operating the
range. It just happens to be a requirement that creates
additional profit for the range and again, it can be done
on the days the range is normally closed.
The one person who needs to be contacted most urgently,
even by those who don't live in Suffolk County, is the
County Executive, Mr. Steve Levy. He appointed
the current Suffolk County Parks Department Commissioner.
He is the one who has the authority to request (demand)
that the reopening of the Range be the top priority item
on the list of things to do by the Parks Department. After
all, the Commissioner serves at the pleasure of the County
Executive. The address, telephone and fax number for the
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is; P.O.
Box 6100, Hauppauge, NY 11788. Phone is; 631-853-4000,
fax is; 631-853-4818.
Don't overlook the County Legislators; they are involved
in this process. They too need to be contacted to request
this Range be reopened as soon as possible. When contacting
your County legislator you should ask the same thing;
what's the delay? Why hasn't a Request For Proposal (RFP)
been published so a possible new vendor can come in and
get the range up and running? Only the County Executives
office or the County Legislators can answer this question.
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