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REMINDER The Range is closed
Times reflected on this calendar are subject to change |
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Club News
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This section will be where news gets moved from the front page and will be in order of most recent to oldest.
All current members are receiving a copy of this newsletter by USPS
Our next full Membership meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 5th at the Menke Funeral Home.
at 12420 North 103rd Avenue.
The November Newsletter will be mailed to all Members that were in good standing as of our closure in April.
Prior Members who had not yet renewed for 2007 along with anyone having general interest will also be welcomed.
Our search for a new location continues and some preliminary headway has been made in identifying prospective locations.
There continues to be discussion with the City of Surprise as well as others.
Our current progress and a status report will be relayed and discussed in the upcoming meeting. We will also be having very important discussions concerning the cleanup of our old range and our circumstances pending with Maricopa County. It is very important that all Members attend this very important meeting.
We will be discussing very important issues that may well determine our courses of action as well as our continued existence as a private organization.
I am hoping EVERY current Member as well as all other interested parties will be able to attend!
John Gray, President
Membership Meeting: October 1st, 2007 7:00 PM
All current members are receiving a copy of this newsletter by USPS
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It has been a very hot summer in the Valley and hopefully our “cooling off” period will be here very shortly. Our next full Membership meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 1st at the Menke Funeral Home. Their facility is located on the southwest corner of 103rd Avenue and Coggins Street, one block south of Grand Avenue, at 12420 North 103rd Avenue. The October Newsletter has been mailed to all Members that were in good standing as of our closure in April. Prior Members who had not yet renewed for 2007 along with anyone having general interest will also be welcomed.
Our search for a new location has continued since our Club’s closure and some preliminary headway has been made in identifying prospective locations. There has also been discussion with the City of Surprise. Our current progress and a status report will be relayed and discussed in the upcoming meeting and we will also address the establishment of a nominating committee for our upcoming elections in January.
I am hoping EVERY current Member as well as other interested parties will be able to attend!
John Gray
We did receive a written notice from our previous landlords to make the board aware that nobody is to be on the property since the lease is expired. Apparently some members approached a work crew from Flood on the property this past week and offered information as well as requesting to be allowed to mine lead. We want to make everyone perfectly aware that anyone on the property without prior express written consent from flood control will be considered as trespassers and dealt with accordingly by Flood Control.
The Surprise Sportsman’s Club (formerly the Peoria Rod and Gun Club) has enjoyed a long and varied history of around fifty years spanning several generations. Our long history has unfortunately and at least temporarily been derailed having been forced to close the facility as of April 10, 2007 at 12:00 noon coinciding with the expiration of our lease. Our recent concentrated effort to negotiate an extended use of our location has been unsuccessful.
Information has been provided by the Maricopa County Flood Control District indicating that the target date submitted for the Sheriff’s range closure will be January 2, 2008 with a firm plan in place to build two new ranges in the Buckeye area south of Interstate 10 that will be utilized by the Maricopa County Sheriff along with a new public facility.
Our Club’s current top priority is to find a suitable location to re-establish our facility. This process will be extensive as we investigate every possibility. There are many approaches to this effort and we have established a special committee that is dedicated solely to this endeavor. Our web site will continue to be updated with information and news as it becomes available. Please visit this site periodically to stay current on our status. Our Club will strive to continue moving forward in locating a place for, and building a new facility.
Our next membership meeting would normally be on May 7th, the first Monday in May. This would also be the last normally scheduled meeting until September since we do not conduct meetings during the summer months. A location for our next meeting has not yet been solidified and there may not be enough new information available by May 7th to justify conducting a full meeting.
Please stay informed on when and where our next meeting will be held by checking this web site.
John Gray, President
We have had yet another incredibly busy month during March, having continued our extensive cleanup effort disposing of nearly all of the monster pile of junk behind the 100 yard rifle range and also removing the awning material from the old Trap range. The buildings have been cleaned out of all the accumulated junk and what is left needs transferred to our storage containers or new work shop building so we can begin the process of removing the buildings. Great headway has been made and the property is looking a whole lot better. We removed over 1,000 tires and there are more tires and sheet metal walls buried in the old pistol berms. These additional tires and junk await the mining of lead from these berms when we will need to participate in removing these items during the mining process.
Several companies have been contacted to begin the process of lead mining and removal. We have received a verbal commitment from “Tri-City Mining” to arrive towards the end of April to again mine the old shotgun field along with the McMicken Dam berm and beyond, where shot had previously left the property. Another local company, “Spray Systems Environmental” has met with us and inspected the property on the west end, specifically targeting the old pistol berms, and have a pending contract in hand to mine lead in four of these berms. I have had initial discussions with a third company, “Lead Reclamation Services” based out of California which does range cleanup and lead mining all over the country. We have discussed the possibility for them to do an entire range cleanup process (after we discontinue shooting at some point in the future) for a more comprehensive “end of the line” process. They mostly specialize in Skeet and Trap fields and mined rifle and pistol berms for many years. They recently did a cleanup on the Ben Avery Trap and Skeet fields. We have not determined if there will be a large enough lead content for their involvement, however we are learning a great deal in talking with these types of firms.
On Friday, March 16th, I delivered to our Landlord a formal proposal for a lease extension detailing a monthly rate we can afford to pay along with an outline of what we would commit to accomplish in the cleanup effort. This proposal indicated that we would remove a MINIMUM of 100,000 pounds of lead from the property. A copy of the pending contract for mining the old pistol berms was included. I asked for a formal written response by Friday, March 23rd so we will have a firm and final answer whether we need to pack up our equipment and vacate the property by April 10th, or be afforded to stay until the Sheriff’s range closes. If we are permitted to stay, we have made a written commitment to participate in the cleanup of the property to the extent that our additional time and financial resources will allow, and we have committed to exhaust our resources to accomplish what we can.
Our web site continues to be updated with information and news. Everyone is encouraged to visit our site periodically to stay current on our status. It has become our main tool for communications and updated information and is constantly being updated with important information and schedules. We have been asked by Flood Control to be closed beginning around April 23rd while they do some extensive work in the area. They have requested that we stay closed until notified they have completed their work. A time frame has not yet been determined; however, it could be for a period of weeks and we hope to schedule lead mining during that period. I will determine whether we can operate on weekends during that period. Please stay informed by accessing the web site and checking our schedules.
“Practical Pistol” continues with a “bang” (no pun intended). We have had many participants in this program and having a great time. It is every Tuesday afternoon at 1:00, and on the last Saturday morning of the month. Saturday, March 24th at 9:00 am will be our first Saturday morning activity. Please come out to check out the fun! Your participation or even just observation is welcome, and remember, the range is closed to pistol and rifle activities during those times.
Our Club has now reached the critical point where we will have firm answers on our continued usage of the property. We will have those answers in time for our next membership meeting on Monday, April 2nd at 7:00 pm. Please plan on attending this meeting. We will be deciding on our immediate and longer term plans and we need all the input, ideas and suggestion everyone can collectively create!
I am hoping EVERY member can attend what could be our last formal membership meeting depending on what we hear from our Landlord. To have a voice for our future, YOU WILL NEED TO BE THERE!
John Gray
“Message from the President” (as of February 16, 2007)
We have had an extremely busy month during February already having begun an extensive cleanup effort of our range on numerous fronts. It began with our normally scheduled work day on Saturday the 10th and was immediately followed by an extensive FOUR DAY work weekend from the 16th – 19th. Over 400 passenger size tires were hauled from the property on Thursday the 15th with many more “piles” created over the long weekend. Another several hundred tires were scheduled to be picked up and should be removed by this reading. Numerous buildings were cleaned out, piles upon piles of junk disposed of in dumpsters, old and unused pistol side berms cleaned out having contained more tires, asphalt, concrete, and sheet metal, and then the dirt leveled into lower areas of the range. Our property looks substantially better in a very short time! We have also contacted parties to schedule the mining of lead from the old shotgun range and berms that are no longer used. Pictures of our progress have been taken and are being submitted to our Landlord so they will readily see we have already begun.
Our objective is to meet the request of our Landlord by committing to clean up the property to the degree possible and with the time available. We have been told that if we can show sincere and significant progress in making a substantial contribution and effort toward this goal, and submit a written plan to do so by March 15th, they are willing to work with us to extend our lease through the time when the Sheriff’s range actually closes. That date is not yet known but is expected to be at least from ten months to a year from now. Additional time will serve the purposes of having extended usage of our range and gaining valuable time to search for a new site and to negotiate a long term arrangement for our future.
Our web site is continuing to be updated regularly with new information. The “Club News” section in the upper left corner has a chronology of information from the most recent to the oldest so everyone can catch up on history as well as keep current on what’s happening. Beth Shotwell and Judy Sakuta have done an absolutely outstanding job with the face lift of our site and should be gratefully congratulated for all of their hard work and effort.
Also in February, we began a new “Practical Pistol” program which meets every Tuesday afternoon at 1:00. There were about ten initial participants on the first day, February 6th for an extensive “Orientation” to the sport headed by Eugene Neigoff and Milt Everett. On Tuesday the 17th, the first live shoot was held also with about ten participants, and all had a great time. Many had never seen defensive pistol training of this nature and learned things very new and FUN. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate, or even just to come out and watch! Please come out to see something new and exciting!
Our Club has many irons in the fire that will bring a lot of new information to be presented at our upcoming membership meeting on March 5th. I hope EVERY member will be attending to participate in what will be one of our most important meetings.
John Gray
John has been so very busy working on behalf of the club, so I am filling in with this update for the time being.
We decided to rent a large front end loader again (like we used on the pistol berms a month or two ago) to do MAJOR work to the old berms, level out dirt that wasn't shot into and get the rest of the tires out. We have HUNDREDS of tires pulled out of the berms now and piled for pickup on Tuesday the 13th at 1:00 for a cost of $1.00 each, they do the loading. This is a great deal.
If you haven’t noticed we have some big piles of old junk from over the years out behind the berms. While the weather is nice we need to get busy with this clean up.
We will be having a FOUR DAY work weekend Friday the 16th thru Monday the 19th of February. We request the help of every member, past and present. We are also going to rent two large dumpsters to throw anything and everything into and have it hauled away. Willie will have the loader and dumpsters there on Friday the 16th. Mark Grubbs is off work Friday 16th - Monday 19th (4 days) and has agreed to come out and run the loader. We need more helpers like him who give there all. Trap is on Sunday & Monday mornings so we might take a break in the AM for that. We will update the calendar as we know more.
In keeping with our commitment to promptly disclose accurate and complete information, the following is our known lease status as of the above date. In a letter dated December 21, 2006 from Maricopa County Flood Control District, the Club received a formal written "Termination of Lease" effective April 10, 2007 at 12:00 PM. The letter also stated that the "Club shall have all personal property removed and all environmental issues concluded. Any personal property remaining after this time will become property of Flood Control District." This letter was read at our January 8th Membership meeting.
Our expiring ten year lease signed and dated in June 1997 states "If LESSEE abandons the demised premises or is dispossessed by process of law, title to any personal property left on the demised premises thirty (30) days after such abandonment or dispossession shall be deemed to have been transferred to LESSOR and LESSOR shall have the right to remove and to dispose of such property without liability". Club personal property would therefore need removed by noon April 10, 2007 in order to completely insure not being exposed to forfeiture.
A meeting was held January 24, 2007 attended by eight representatives from Flood Control along with three Officers from the Club and proved fruitful to establish our current situation and the exploration for additional usage of the property beyond lease expiration. It is an absolute that the Club must vacate the premises at the earliest upon lease expiration, or at the latest upon closure of the Sheriff's range. Closure of the Sheriff's range is anticipated at the earliest in December of 2007, or sometime after that upon completion of a new range now approved to be built in Buckeye. At this time, Flood Control anticipated completion of the Sheriff’s new range as early as December 2007, but no later than Spring of 2008, however, as in any project there could be unforeseen delays. We are told that the design phase has been budgeted at $720,491, and the entire project at $14,700,000, and that the project will move forward. In no event will the Club be permitted usage of the property one day beyond the Sheriff's range closure.
The Club was offered the possibility to extend the lease on a month-to-month basis at a monthly rental rate not yet determined. The rental rate would not be less than $2,500, and most likely substantially higher since there is statutory requirement to receive "fair market value" at appraised values existing at the time of extension. Additionally, there are specific conditions placed upon any willingness to extend. Flood Control's displeasure for the Club's lack of prior response was immediately shared, as the Club had not responded to their repeated requests to deliver a formal written "Exit and Cleanup Plan" for their review. Any offer of extension is contingent upon the immediate deliverance of these documents, and that the documents contain specific commitment by the Club to clean the property of all lead and other potential hazardous materials deposited on the property by the Club. The total area to be cleaned also required inclusion of designated areas on and immediately beyond the McMicken Dam berm at the west and northwest corner of the property. Only with written acceptance of this responsibility by the Club would there be a willingness to extend the lease, and any such extension would be only until the Sheriff's range actually closed.
They stated that the Sheriff's range already has an "Exit and Cleanup Plan" in process and that Maricopa County will be providing and funding the cleanup effort on the Sheriff's range. It is Flood Control's expectation that the responsibility and funding for cleanup on Club property (and somewhat beyond) is the sole responsibility of the Club. It was clearly expressed by the Club that the resources and funding to achieve complete cleanup did not exist at this time, recognizing that cleanup costs could be between $750,000 and $1,750,000 based upon the engineering studies that Flood Control had previously done. Copies of four different engineering studies detailing the scope and potential cost of cleanup were delivered to the Club for their review and use in February of 2006, however, it is apparent that only a limited number of Club members knew that these studies were done or even existed.
Interest was expressed by the Club for any possible assistance that could be provided by Flood Control to achieve their cleanup requirements, including the possibility for grants, Federal "Superfund" availability, the possibility for utilizing the same contractors that would be working on the Sheriff's range, and any other ways that the Club could be assisted. No commitment was made for Flood Control's ability to assist, but they would pass on any possibilities of which they might become aware.
It was asked what usage Flood Control "needed the land for", and about range property being in a "Flood Zone". That definition was flatly denied, and it was stated that there could be potential to develop the property in the future or even relocate the McMicken Dam berm to the east thus encompassing the property the Club utilized. It was also stated that Flood Control does not know at this time what or how Club property might be utilized in the future, whether it would be utilized in some way by them, or even sold at some point, and that their objective was to have the property free to do with what they might decide at any point in the future.
At the close of the meeting on January 24th, it was requested by the Club for Flood Control to provide a formal written letter addressed to the President of the Club, and delivered prior to February 5th which clearly outlines the requirements for possible extension of the lease. It was explained that their formal letter would be presented to the Membership for their review and consideration, and to determine a direct course of action. The request for this letter was again reiterated in an E-Mail sent to Flood Control on January 25, 2007 and we await receipt.
Our next full Membership meeting is Monday, February 5th at the range club house at 7:00 PM. At that time, these issues will be formally presented for discussion, determination and a course of action. Please plan on attending.
John Gray, President
The information presented here has been reviewed & approved by the Club Officers of Surprise Sportsman’s Club
“MESSAGE FROM YOUR CLUB PRESIDENT”- January, 2007,
Now that our elections are completed and we embark on a very important new year, I would like to thank each and every Member for their highly valued participation, enthusiasm and support for our unique, private Club and the sport we all love and enjoy. Your newly elected Board has already begun working diligently for you in establishing important initial priorities, setting goals and accepting responsibilities. Our number one priority is to obtain a FIRM status concerning our lease expiration in April of this year and work to negotiate extended usage of our current facility in every way possible. There is a meeting scheduled with our landlord on January 24th to discuss this issue and we will be prepared to relay the results of that discussion at our February 5th membership meeting and hopefully post information and updates on our web site.
Another important immediate priority is to significantly improve communications on many fronts. We will be working hard to insure every Member receives the monthly Newsletter and will be re-establishing its insertion on the web site. Our site will be taking on a new look as we enhance it to include new departments, make important announcements and post scheduled events.
We have some difficult times ahead of us, but I have always been a firm believer in “where there is a will, there is a way”. Please know that you clearly have MY will! If it sounds as if I am attempting to “motivate”, then you would be correct. In the coming months the need for ALL of us contributing to secure our future has become imperative.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has approved a contract to begin architectural designs for two new shooting ranges at the Maricopa County Buckeye Hills Park. One range will be a public range and the second will be used by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department.
The Sheriff's Department currently uses a shooting range located at McMicken Dam in the West Valley, northwest of Surprise.
District 4 Supervisor Max Wilson said, “This project assures that our deputies will continue to have a much needed training facility for years to come. At the same time, this new shooting range will be located in an area where encroachment issues will not be a factor.”
Supervisor Wilson noted that the tremendous growth in the Northwest Valley is putting pressure on facilities that were once located in remote areas, but is now getting closer to homes and businesses as development moves west.
Currently the shooting range is located in the McMicken Dam flood control area. This dam serves as protection to Luke Air Force Base and the growing population in the Northwest Valley. Supervisor Wilson added that it is critical to protect the integrity of the dam to assure flood protection for the tens of thousands of people now living in that area. Relocating the shooting range will allow Flood Control District employees to more easily monitor the dam and insure its safety.
The shootings ranges at Buckeyes Hills are consistent with the Sheriff’s Office Master Plan recommendations and will provide for architectural design and construction administration for two shooting ranges. The public and Sheriff’s ranges will feature support building of approximately 10,000 square feet and site development of approximately 120 acres.
The project will include a self sustaining energy supply. It is scheduled for completion by December of this year.
The Board of Supervisors approved the project last August. The design phase is budgeted at $720,491. The cost for the entire project is estimated to be $14,700,000 which includes remediation of the existing Sheriff’ shooting range, at McMicken Dam.
Buckeye Hills Parks is approximately 10 miles south of Buckeye, west of State Route 85.
Deanne Poulos
Press Secretary
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
(602) 506-7232
(602) 506-4125 FAX
(602) 525-3211 CELL
301 W. Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85003
poulosd@mail.maricopa.gov
Thanks,
Laurie Segler
Admin Assistant
Sun City Grand CAM
(623) 546-7473
laurie.segler@scgcam.com
