Don't know how to feel about this....county and gun club settle

[Tyler Durden]

yeah, you can read the article here:

http://www.bnd.com/2012/02/29/2078589/gun-club-will-stay-put-near-scott.html

a few years back....heck probably more like 10.... I paid a total of $2,000 for a life membership to that club.  back when the club was  in financial dire straits.... I thought I was doing the club a favor by helping them out financially.

then about two or three years back, a last minute unannounced (at least to me) meeting was held where the membership voted to tack on a $35 or $40 per MONTH! fee to use the range, for everybody, even lifers like me.

I am a member of another range where the membership fee is just $50 a year...and....AND! they have a wholesale dealer's account with Graf's so I get my reloading components at dealer's cost.

so...DUH! no brainer there.....I didn't pay the extra $35/$40 per month for the club I am still a lifer at.

anywhooo...I wouldn't trust our county's leadership any farther than I could throw them.

I wouldn't be surprised if the county re-negs on the agreement.

[tombogan03884]

County leaders had sought close the shooting range, which opened in March 2007, on the grounds it posed a hazard to low-flying military aircraft and therefore jeopardized the air base's future.

The county reached the settlement after a nearly seven-year legal battle in which the county lost nearly every legal round in county court and the 5th District Appellate Court in Mount Vernon. The county spent almost $400,000 on lawyer and consultant fees seeking to shut down the gun club since 2005, county records show.


The County, not the Air Force who's planes allegedly were in danger.

Liberals are like drunks, they ALWAYS have an excuse.

[Tyler Durden]

there is way more to the story, but I believe this golf course subdivision developer was in cahoots....errr...is still in cahoots with county officials to basically rob the gun club of its original location, and again rob it of its second location and reneg on all the construction costs.

[alfsauve]

Yeah, real fishy.   The AF strong armed the county to carry out this legal action?  Right.

And while Scott AFB is the command HQ for AMC (formerly MAC), I was never impressed with it.   They could close it at any time and move the functions to Ramsey, Charleston, or somewhere on the west coast.

[alfsauve]

Had to go look this up in maps.

The club lies off North County Road (aka Lake Rd) about 1/2 mile south of SR 161.   This is located south of SAFB.   There appears to be a single trap range by SR161, but the rifle ranges are further south across from the cement factory.

Looks like a well built facility.   And yes they do shoot in the direction of SAFB but as I measure it, it's over a mile from the 200 yd backstop to the runway.   I'd be more concerned about the folks driving on SR161 than the AFB.

[Sponsor]

[Tyler Durden]

slight thread drift....

when I was in the Air Force, I had this shoe clerk of a job as a command post controller.  We did other things, but our main thing was "flight following".  The Air Force bean counters liked to see the planes take off and land on time, and some planes/missions we had to punch in the take off times and landing times into a computer system called GDSS.  

anywhoooo.....my point being is....I know how little flying goes on, on the weekend in the active duty Air Force, which is like zero.

if there were to ever be any matches out at the club, they would be on the weekend....when there is no flying going on.

and Scott's only flying I am aware of are the C-9's for aeromedical evaction/transport and the C-21's (Leer jets) for transporting all the Generals, I guess.

alfsauve....  yeah, you pretty much got the layout of the area right.

for those following along at home, here is google maps's satellite view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=mascoutah,+IL&hl=en&ll=38.519883,-89.822556&spn=0.006254,0.012778&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.355924,71.191406&hnear=Mascoutah,+St+Clair,+Illinois&t=h&z=17

that road between the range and the concrete plant used to run due north, straight into Highway 161.  the state or township or whoever in their infinite wisdom decided to make the road jog to west/northwest, right behind the back berms.  that new construction was done within the past 3 years.

weird...huh!?

[dipisc]

Hi;

     10-15 years ago,  Dover AFB had a skeet range on base @ 100yds from the 1 runway. Although it faced RT 101/13...If Dover had no problems - whats up with Scott.

     I had to deliver there when I worked for the fed  and thought that was interesting.

[tombogan03884]

North Hampton NH has a skeet range about 100 yards from the Junior High School.
Both have been in place with out problems for decades.

[Pecos Bill]

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, think where this is located. This is in the Peoples Republic of Illinois where they are going to inpose a $25 on every handgun the citizens own renewable every 5 years. I'd bet Scott had very little to do with this and it came from St. Clair Co. Hell the mayor of East St. Louis just ordered all liquor sales to stop in his town at 1 am in spite of state law which allows a later closing time. Remember where this is all located.

Tyler, think they'll go after the indoor range in Belleville next? The bullets might make through the back wall.

Pecos

[twyacht]

There has been a small local movement to harass/close my local gun club, which is in the freakin Everglades, privately owned, not for profit, and Grandfathered in because Papa Dean owned the place as his home and range back in the 60's, and when he died, left it all to his daughter.

Town Council of Southwest Ranches, has now attempted to use EPA regulations (very gun friendly group), NOT....to determine if the grading and expansion of a second range used fill dirt...(which it didn't)....and wants to have an EPA inspector come on the property.

Sharon, the owner attended the meeting, provided a copy of the 4th Amendment and told them without a warrant they can piss up a rope.

It's locked and gated, and unless you want to wade across an alligator, snapping turtle, water moccasin infested moat, they have since backed off, but they are like the anti gun folks,....they just won't freakin stop, and have to be dealt with legally, until its time to utilize good Kentucky Hemp, and the large live oaks around.

To the OP, it is Ill....so who knows the BS the club is getting from "others" in the County, that want them out.