On the evening of July 26, in response to the complaints of several citizens regarding the sound of gunfire from the Mount Adams Fish & Game Association Gun Club, the city sponsored a public forum to discuss the issue.
Mayor Linda Jones opened the meeting, held at the Park Center, by explaining the purpose of the event.
"This is a forum to reach possible compromises to issues discussed before the City Council," Jones said. "I don't expect things to be resolved tonight, but this is a first discussion to resolve issues where we can."
In attendance were all five members of the board of the Mount Adams Fish & Game Association, and about 70 citizens. Most of those in attendance were there in support of the Gun Club.
Susan Benedict, who lives near the gun range and has expressed increasing concern about the noise level, offered her perspective of why the facility has become a problem for her.
"We're here to talk about what is going on, trying to be good neighbors," Benedict said. "I've lived there for 11 years and never complained, but it's gotten much louder lately. My windows shake. Let's be good neighbors. I can't sleep."
Benedict suggested limiting the shooting range to specific times.
"I just want to have a schedule so we know when we can be in our yards," Benedict said.
Daren Kenoyer, president of the Mount Adams Fish & Game Association, said the board would be glad to consider specific times for the gun range to be open, and he asked for suggestions from those who have been unhappy with the sound of gunfire.
"We will consider setting times as a board. If you'd like to suggest times, we will listen to suggestions and take them into consideration," Kenoyer said.
Benedict suggested opening the range on Tuesdays from 1 p.m.- 6 p.m., on Thursdays from 1 p.m.- 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m.- 7 p.m.
Kenoyer wrote down Benedict's proposal and agreed to discuss it at the Gun Club's next board meeting, set for Aug. 11.
Bonnie Neal, another resident who wants to see limits on the Gun Club's operations, suggested that most Sunday shooting be halted.
"I think just one Sunday a month is enough, and it should be limited to guns that do not drive us crazy," Neal said. "But during hunting season, hunters should be allowed to go there anytime in that season and sight in rifles."
"I'm to understand I'm going to tell 100 members they can come down only once a week?" Kenoyer responded.
Mayor Jones asked if the hours of 8 a.m. - 7p.m. every day were reasonable.
"The answer is no," said Bonnie Neal.
One citizen at the meeting suggested closing the range every day at the official sundown time, as opposed to a certain hour.
"It's not clock time that's relevant, it's sun time," he explained.
Gun Club member Dick Ohnemus asked if the city has a standard of decibel levels to determine what constitutes "excessive noise."
"Has it been tested in these neighborhoods [where sound is an issue]?" Ohnemus asked. "Are we as loud as a lawnmower across the street?"
Benedict said it was much louder than a lawnmower.
"I would encourage all of you to go out there. The valley acts like a huge amphitheater," Benedict said. "It shakes windows, and there is a significant change in the sound on top of hill. It very much accelerates as it comes uphill."
Ohnemus replied that he had gone to the neighborhood to see if the sound was as loud as some have alleged.
"In fact we have gone there to listen, and truthfully at times I can't even hear the shooting until I headed down the road toward the club," Ohnemus explained.
Ohnemus said he had asked people at the nearby baseball field if they could hear the guns and if it bothered them, but no one had complained.
"It's very subjective," Kenoyer explained. "I'm not sure where to go with this."
"We have lived there for 30 years, and never had a complaint until August of last year," said Maryann Stembridge, who lives at the park site.
Penny White Morris said Benedict needed to consider both sides of the issue more objectively.
"You speak about being a good neighbor -- you need to be a good neighbor too," Morris said to her.
"Penny, I hear high-powered weapons every day," Benedict said. "I've been writing the Gun Club since March and no one has gotten back to me since then."
Stembridge replied that the board has responded to several recent letters regarding the complaints.
"To say we have not responded is untrue," she said.
Another citizen suggested restricting magnum loads, because they tend to be louder.
"If you start limiting what we can do there, you might as well shut us off," replied a Gun Club member. "It's kind of an emotional point. Everyone in this club has magnum shells, what are we going to do -- throw them in the creek?"
Kenoyer added that reports of automatic weapons being fired are simply untrue.
"We're not licensed for automatic weapons and would not condone or allow that," Kenoyer said.
Benedict said she objected to trapshooting at the range, which she contended was something new at the site.
However, Kenoyer and other members pointed out that the FFA has been trapshooting there for a long time.
Benedict said she did not believe that was true.
"Thank you for calling me a liar," Kenoyer responded.
At that point, Mayor Jones called for the meeting to be adjourned.
After the meeting, Joe Camp, the senior board member of the Mount Adams Fish & Game Association, said the ideas discussed would be addressed.
"There is nothing really concrete yet," Camp said. "We have to run it by the membership of the club, too. We're putting out feelers to see what the members want. They can give suggestions to the board, and the board will act on it."
Camp said he does not believe any of the activity at the site has gotten louder, but he said there has been more activity there in recent months.
"Before, there were no weekly scheduled shoots, and we have two a week now that are sanctioned by the club," Camp said.
According to Camp, there have not been many incidences of non-members using the shooting range.
"In the past, there were a lot of non-members coming down. We're putting a curb on that now," Camp said. "Now that Owen (Stembridge) has retired, he's down there almost all the time now, and that helps us."
Camp also pointed out that the club has increased its membership by about 80 people over the past year or so, and there are approximately 100 members currently. Ironically, Camp said the complaints by citizens about the sound of gunfire sparked more interest, resulting in more members joining the Gun Club.
Camp added that the club plans to sponsor the FFA trapshooting team this year, by providing clays and shells for the group. FFA members from Columbia High School use the Gun Club to practice for competition held in Lind or Moses Lake each year. Gun Club officials pointed out that the trapshooting practices have gone on since 1972.
In an upcoming community benefit, the Gun Club plans two fundraisers with proceeds going to Skyline Hospital to help toward the purchase of new X-ray equipment. For more information on these fundraising events, contact Buddy Walker at 493-4685, or Daren Kenoyer at 493-1869.
Susan Benedict could not be reached for comment about last week's Park Center meeting as of press time.
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