L.I.P.S.A. Newsletter
September 2007
The Long Island Championship: Will be held the weekend of
9/15 -9/16. No other use of the range will be permitted on these
dates. Don’t make a trip for nothing. We will start building props
and setting up stages this weekend. If you find construction in
your favorite pit please go to another pit to shoot. Walls and posts
should not be used as targets or target stands. It should be
unnecessary to remind people of this but unfortunately experience
has taught us otherwise.
Range Officers for the L.I.C.: If you are a club member you will
shoot on Sat. and R.O. on Sun. If you are not experienced we will
place you with a seasoned R.O. Be sure to get your name and
address and shirt size to Joe Procopio. His contact info is in the
Aug. Newsletter.
Thanks: To all of you who are going out of your way to keep the
range clean. Most members are doing a good job, a handful aren’t.
We know who some of them are and they will be surprised when
they are disinvited for next year. The plate rack pit is becoming a
major eye sore. If there is no room in the garbage pail take your
refuse to the front and put it in the dumpster.
This story appeared in the Associated Press. No law suit, you
can be sure it wasn’t in New York. We will not be as lucky. Be
careful.
Stray bullet strikes man a mile away
from target
Army veteran who had never been shot ends streak outside car
dealership
Updated: 6:44 p.m. ET Aug 22, 2007
ELK CITY, Okla. - A bullet fired from a police gun range hit a military veteran as he stood
outside a car dealership almost a mile away, officials said.
“It felt like someone hit me with a ball bat or like a bird struck me in the side,” said Bill
Bolechala, who had served 24 years in the military including a stint in Vietnam without
being wounded.
“I was wiping my left side because it kind of hurt, and when I looked down, I had blood
all over me,” he said.
Bolechala was treated at a hospital after being shot Tuesday and was released later in
the day. He said the doctors left the bullet in his side, between his ribs and hip, but will
remove it if the wound becomes infected.
Elk City Police Chief Bill Putnam said the bullet must have ricocheted off a metal frame
that holds targets at the gun range. The range has a protective berm, but the bullet must
have gone over it, he said.
“It was one of those fluke deals,” Putnam said Wednesday. “I’m glad he wasn’t hurt any
worse than he was. We’ve been using that range for at least 30 years and we’ve never
had a bullet get out of there and cause any damage.”
He said he plans to replace the metal target frames with wooden ones.
Bolechala, a city councilman from nearby Burns Flat, said he has no ill-will toward the
police, who told him they will pay medical bills related to the shooting. He said he has no
plans to sue.
Sept. Matches:
9/15-16: Long Island Championship. Range closed to all other
users.
9/23 High Power Rifle/ .22 Match: Yes sports fans it is time for
our double rifle match. Regular High Power but bring a .22 cal.
rifle also. After H.P. we shoot the .22’s. 60 rds. HP, . 50rds. .22
9/30 Cowboy Action: The East End Regulators ride again.
Frank Fellini, Pres.