OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2001

As we close out the year 2001, it is a time for reflection, taking stock of our accomplishments and failures, and making plans for the coming year. We are saddened by the events of September 11, and our resolve is to do all in our power to prevent it from happening again. Our president has asked for our support and our prayers on his behalf as he leads this Country on a path to shutting down terrorism wherever it may exist. Each of us should be committed to pursuing our President’s desires to the fullest extent possible..

I remind you of our annual meeting of members which will take place on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at which time we will be electing three trustees to serve three year terms. We hope to see as many of you there as possible. It will be held at the Bountiful, Utah City library, 702 South Main Street, commencing at 6:30 p.m. Our annual members banquet will be held at the Chuck-A-Rama, 802 E. 400 S., Salt Lake City, Utah, commencing at 6:30 p.m. We hope each of you will make arrangements to attend.

The smallbore season is just commencing. Doug Retzlaff will again oversee a series of both postal air rifle and a smallbore matches. Please contact him if you are interested in participating. Craig Johnson is and will continue conducting an air rifle training program at the Hendricksen range for any interested juniors and seniors. It is held each Wednesday night. Likewise, Donna Warnock is holding a series of smallbore and air rifle matches at the Springville Community Center commencing in January and continuing through April 2002. It is important that each junior air rifle and smallbore participant note the junior Olympic qualification match at the end of January. If your son or daughter would like the opportunity to represent the State of Utah at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in late March, this is a must do event. I also draw your attention to the weekly practice sessions held each Monday and Friday at the University of Utah NROTC range.

We are always looking for opportunities to bring both smallbore and air rifle programs closer to each of you. Please be on the look out for opportunities and places where such activities can be conducted and contact our smallbore and range development chairmen with any information you have on where such activities can be conducted in your communities.

We are making every effort to reopen the old Wendover military shooting ranges. The target carriers are slowly being rehabilitated on the high power range. Ten are fully functional with five needing additional work. Over the winter, we will be fabricating number boards to identify each firing point and trying to arrange for equipment to move dirt for the firing lines. We hope to be able to conduct matches on this range before the summer is over. Additional work needs to be done on the pistol and smallbore ranges, and silhouette and benchrest ranges need to be planned and developed. There is plenty of land to put in these ranges at the Wendover site, but we need input from each of you on what is needed and desired. If you are interested in these disciplines, please contact Leonard Wojcik, our range development chairman.

Target carriers need to be fabricated for the range in Green River. Any assistance you can render Pat Bailey on this project I am sure would be much appreciated. The range has been surveyed and staked in Cedar City. We will be posting on our Web site a site plan showing what is presently being proposed. Steven Platt, the Iron County engineer, welcomes all of your thoughts and ideas. Remember, this is the future site of marksmanship portion of the annual Utah Summer Games.

The Uintah County Commissioners have filed an application for a new range site on approximately 3,000 acres north of the highway between La Point and Maeser. If the BLM approves the application, this will be a much needed multi discipline shooting complex.

There will be public hearings, and each of you need to send in your comments. It will take a lot of effort to convince the BLM that a new range site is needed.

Do not forget the up coming 2002 Legislative session about to commence. Several bill files have been opened to further restrict your firearms rights. Please check the Utah Legislature Web site for daily updates, and contact your legislator with your comments. Your comments to your legislators opposing these bills are all that keeps them from passage.

Again, please send your e-mail addresses to Darlene Benard, our membership secretary.

I hope all of you will enjoy the holiday season with your family and loved ones, and wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

Woody