Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Eagle Creek Park Pistol (& Archery) Range Update

From Indy Parks, via the Mayor's Action Center:
"Thank you for your interest in the Eagle Creek Shooting Range. We are in transition currently and are eager to have it open to the public again as soon as possible. That will most likely be in the next couple of weeks. Please check the Pistol Range voicemail at 327-7296 for updated information about a specific timeline once one is confirmed."

At this writing, the message is still, "Closed until further notice due to unforeseen* circumstances but we're going to re-open soon."

* "Unforeseen" as in, "Oops, somehow we forgot to budget for the staff." Yeah, who saw that coming?

Time will tell if the promised re-opening is genuine or merely honeyed words while Mayor Ballard's administration tries to squirm out of re-opening the range to the public. --Even though public access was part of the deal that got outside funding for the range, which functions as an IMPD range the rest of the time.

Updates:
The topic is under discussion at INGO's forum; the rumor mill runs hot and cold, with some guys saying Indy Parks is unofficially not going to open it, others hearing the Park Director talking informally about wanting to open the range back up ASAP.

I think it's time the City started hearing from polite, interested, concerned gun-owners. Here's the home page for the Mayor's Action Center; ask them why Eagle Creek Park Pistol Range isn't open to the public. Here's a contact page where you can ask Mayor Ballard why Eagle Creek Park Pistol Range is closed. Please use the links. Please share these links!

7 comments:

  1. Serious question: Why don't they staff it with volunteers?

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  2. Most of them are, as I understand it, but there are a couple of (part-time) employees who actually run the public range. --Or there were.

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  3. Given that IMPD shares the range, is it possible they are trying to find a qualified bar tender to staff the range?

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  4. Heh.

    Tam and I signed up at Marion County Fish & Game tonight. They have two new bays (in addition to the existing 100-yard-wide main range) and for $100 a year, unlimited shootage time. Very big crowd, mostly new members, and they say last month was similar. Quite a few were former Eagle Creek Range customers.

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  5. From the INGO forum:

    After what had happened there, I'd prefer to get a refund for my pre-paid card, I don't think I'll be visiting there any longer. (user misconfig)

    What's up with that?

    WV: 'kryste' eleison!

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  6. They sold discount cards -- ten visit and (I think) and "unlimited" one. When the range failed to open, those of us who had either one were left holding a useless card.

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  7. My inner skeptic coming out, but...Could it be that maybe some kind of political scam deal was worked out between MCFG and the city to where Indy Parks made it purposely impossible for local shooters to use the Eagle Creek range, thus pretty much forcing any local shooters to join MCFG?

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