# island lake



## deputy (Feb 2, 2002)

if you guys cared you go to the meetings like some of have been, the anti's are in full swing with soob stories of babies lead etc,,, and they are packing the halls, if you think the clays range being closed down is the end your wrong, not until they get the whole thing shut down period, we keep showingn up in small numbers verses them packing it in. get out a be heard or no whinning when its closed and your looking for a place to zero in


----------



## kingfishcam (Jul 16, 2002)

I would have to second Deputy. I personally am not a user of this range, but sounds like many that frequent this site are.
Deputy, maybe you could forward meeting dates to this site? Might help with attendance!

The club I belong to did battle with the neighbors, they lost. We are still shooting USPSA matches, high powered rifles, etc. The neighbors on one side of the club can hit our clubhouse with a baseball, so I don't know what leg the anti's around Island Lake have to stand on.


----------



## Sawcat (Apr 5, 2003)

This is the first I have heard of any of this! Please post dates and times of meetings, I can't think of a better place for a meet and greet.


----------



## drwink (Oct 15, 2003)

DITTO - Post it hear & I'll be there


----------



## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

Is this the meeting? 
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61849


----------



## deputy (Feb 2, 2002)

yes it is


----------



## Barbara (Mar 4, 2004)

There is a meeting of the Natural Resource Commision in Lansing tomorrow. This one is very important. A lot of the other side will be there. 

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/nrcmaragenda04_84818_7.pdf

I've attended the last 3 meetings..2 at Brighton and 1 at Green Oak and the other side gets a little nastier each time..last night, they drug in 4 large bags of garbage that they got out of the dumpster at the range (garbage? in a dumpter? Who'd have thought.) Then they proceeded to tell the township board that there was enough lead in those bags to contaminate some huge amount of water..the guy was spouting numbers faster than I could write..but it boils down to twisting the information to fit the facts..there is no shooting over water, where lead would be a problem, and from the way the range bermed, I can't see any possiblity of it finding its way into water at all.

Please, try to attend these meetings if you can..the one tomorrow is critical.


----------



## deputy (Feb 2, 2002)

Welcome barbara, guys i invited barb here to keep us informed barb is one the most activve activist i know in the state michigan, from gun to hunting rights she is on top of it al. thanks barb keep us posted! l


----------



## Barbara (Mar 4, 2004)

Thanks, Steve. 

Here are reports from the last two..we got ourselves smeared last night. From John Johnson:

Tuesday's meeting:



> I think Barb meant 1.5 HOURS away! She drove THREE HOURS to attend this meeting, folks. Please try and make the Green Oak meeting if you can tonight at 7:00 p.m.
> The anti's brought in no less than 4 very large clear trash bags full of empty shell and cartridge boxes they fished out of the dumpsters at the Island Lake range and set them in front of the Brighton Twsp board members. One of dumpster divers, a Mr. Dobie, (or Mr. Dopey as Mike Hurley thought it might be) proceeded to explain how he calculated that each box represented X amount of lead and that X amount of lead, extrapolated by the power of Y was being sent onto the range each day. He gave some figure....5 million metric tons a day or something.....and how one ounce of lead will poison 10 million
> gallons of water.....that seemed to impress the township bobbleheads. Point is, ranges are routinely cleared of the lead with the top soil and replaced with new fill.
> Mr. D. and his merry band must have realized that the "noise issue" won't fly, so now they are appoaching it from a lead poisoning angle.
> ...


Wednesday's report (I wasn't at that one.)



> Pitiful showing! Mike Hurley and me......that's it for our side. And about 8 anti's with brats running around.
> The damn meeting went on until about 9:40 before the issue came up. They all paraded up there, more vehement than ever. Brought in all the dumpster bags and the chart. Now not only is the lead a problem, by the clay pigeons are toxic. One woman started getting emotional saying the noise causes her and her husband to fight all the time, then she became hysterical and pleaded with them to shut down the range while sobbing uncontrollably.
> 
> Mike told them that the ranges are cleared of the lead and soil regularly and if they were so concerned about lead, why did the guy go dumpster diving and bring lead into the twsp hall?
> ...


----------



## Barbara (Mar 4, 2004)

To clarify, I don't believe the other side can legally shut down the range or they would have by now..but the range is owned by the DNR and if they decide its more hassle than its worth, they may well do it. Part of the range is run by a private concessionaire, which is helpful, but public perception is going to play a big role in this.

Pictures of the range are available here:
http://www.firearmsalliance.org/IslandLakePhotos.htm
or http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/islandlake


----------



## drwink (Oct 15, 2003)

If you can post when the next meeting is I will be there, I work in Brighton just need more than an hours notice like deputy posted last night.


----------



## Barbara (Mar 4, 2004)

Well, folks, even though I don't know most of you, I hope you won't mind me venting a little.

Today's meeting: 15 die-hard people who want to shut down a range. And me. Now, its all very comforting that I'm right and they aren't, but some companionship in being right would be good, too. These people mean to shut this place down and they aren't backing down and me continually annoying them on my own is just egging them on. And as one of the commissioners said tonight "government is run by those who show up." If that's the case, we're all in for some trouble. 

On the happier side: a good share of the commissioners were very nice. I thought one was going to smash his head on the table when one of the opposition announced her truly stunning realization that most of the sound comes from the muzzle of the gun..to quote: "most people don't realize it, but the most sound comes out of the muzzle of the gun which is pointed towards the sky." Well, um..okeeeedoke. There were other nuggets of wisdom, such as women don't understand how peopl can shoot guns and stuff and of course, the bags of garbage were drug back in. 

The township meetings are the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month for Brighton Twp. and the 1st and 3 Wednesdays for Green Oak Twp. The next DNR meeting is the April 1 at the Lansing Center. Check www.michigan.gov/dnr was we get closer to confirm times and dates. If you want on the agenda to speak, email Teresa Gloden.


----------



## GoneFishin (Jan 11, 2001)

Barbara,

I have shot at the range and think it is a great SC range and 5 - stand range, I do know that Island Lake has a membership and is run buy private individuals. I can't help wonder where these people and their attorneys are while their club is being attacked. I can't imagine my home club being attacked like that without the membership defending it.


----------



## drwink (Oct 15, 2003)

I don't think so Gone Fishin, we are talking State Land, DNR operation here.


----------



## Barbara (Mar 4, 2004)

It's owned by the DNR but part of it is leased to a private individual. For some reason, they have asked him to keep a low profile. One of this employees, Don Hughes, has been working hard and has collected abou 4,000 signatures in support of the range.


----------



## FishinJoe (Dec 8, 2003)

Now I know I am just a youngin (21), but me and my friends go there on a regularly(at least once a week). If there is anything I can do to help this great place out let me know, we would be more than happy to do it. Man, with all this talk bout the range i might have to go shoot a round of sporting clays tomorrow.


----------



## FishinJoe (Dec 8, 2003)

O yea, one more thing. I was talking to one of the pullers at the range Sunday and he said that those houses are on the other side of 96. I just think those people are nuts.


----------



## Barbara (Mar 4, 2004)

As I know that some folks are reading this thread and making silly threats about it, I'd like to clarify some things.

1.) You can't sue someone for saying something that's true. You apparently know less about the law than you know about chemistry. 

2.) Attacking me personally is a sign of weakness in your argument. Rather than telling untruths, you may want to study the issue at hand. I've done a lot of reading on the issue itself over the last month and you're twisting facts to fit your position, and not even doing it well. Telling a crowd of people that you don't know what something means but that it sounds scary is not a good debate method. Work on that, ok? 

3.) Telling people you dislike me does not upset me. My goal is not to win your approval. My goal is to save this range. 

4.) Your threats and dislike of me will not persuade me to stand down. I promise. 

See you next week. Have a nice day. 

(to other forum members..sorry to make this my little soap box. Just ignore it. Those for whom this was intended will get the message. Bobbleheads, indeed.)


----------



## deputy (Feb 2, 2002)

Yes it was quite funny that the woman who seam's to be heading up this little crusade is reading this site since she quoted all the things john had said and blammed you Barb. or it could have been her spouse either way, we had a better turn out this time but i still didnt see as many as i would have liked! but then again like i said. IF YOU DONT COME OUT AND SPEAK I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU CRYING ABOUT IT AT A LATER TIME WHEN IT GETS SHUT DOWN. 10 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED GUYS! TO SPEAK OR SHOW SUPPORT AT THE START OF THE MEETING'S. Barb good job as always.


----------



## mkls0 (Mar 17, 2004)

Well we can only hope she come here and see she is wrong.
Hay maybe she like to go shooting some time ???


----------

