New gun range coming to Stillwater
December 9, 2013
Outdoor Sports will be opening its doors on July 1, 2014. This adds a much needed shooting range to Oak Park Heights, bringing business and revenue to the area. The nearest gun range being in Oakdale, this gives the area a new place to hangout and get guns sited in.
The range will hold two gun ranges, a small gym, a lounge, retail space and a small cafe. Minnesota Outdoor Shooting Sports also will hold an airsoft shooting area for kids and adults who partake in the game of airsoft.
The vote to approve the range was held on Oct. 22 by the Oak Park Heights City Council. The council unanimously voted yes and approved for Minnesota Outdoor Shooting Sports.
“There’s a huge need for education and for a range practice area on the east side of the [Mississippi] River,” Barry Schalkle said in an interview with the Stillwater Gazette. “We’re excited to be in the Stillwater area.”
The new gun range will be located in the old Denny Hecker lot off of Highway 36 and Stillwater Boulevard, putting it between Stillwater Junior High and Stillwater High School. The causing only a small amount of concern by most people.
“One staff member came to me, with some concerns about it,” senior Officer Fred Kropidlowski said. “The city council wouldn’t have approved had they not felt that it was very safe.”
The school does not seem to be expressing any concern and is not changing any of the security protocol for next year. They are adding some more guards next year just for the pure fact of making the school safer. This is a result of the Sandy Hook and Newtown school shooting.
“There’s some security being implemented next year, but it has nothing to do with the range; they’re increasing security at some of the doors,” said Kropidlowski.
Principal Don Johnson he was not aware that there was a gun range going in by the school. After learning more about what the range would consist of and when it was going to be established he expressed no real concerns with it.
“Most of our students who are involved in shooting sports usually have plenty of experience in terms of shooting,” said Johnson.
After talking with both Johnson and Kropidlowki, they expressed little to no concern with the location of the range. They seemed excited to see the new addition to Stillwater and think the citizens will like it as well. The Denny Hecker lot will be taking on a new look next summer and have some new life besides the green weeds growing through the cracks in the pavement.
Charlie Haumersen • Jan 13, 2014 at 3:56 am
Great article! Very thorough with concrete facts that support your quotes. Good research and background information.
Alex Weil • Jan 13, 2014 at 3:37 am
Interesting angle to take, also good use of reputable sources. A few gramatical errors however over all very good job.
Travis Johnson • Jan 12, 2014 at 10:41 pm
I think the fact that there will be a new gun range is an exciting thing. I like the angle you took on how it impacts school security. I personally don’t think it will be an issue, but you never know. I like the quotes you got, from different people. The quotes are well placed throughout your article, which makes the article flow.
Sam Jakupciak • Jan 12, 2014 at 8:32 pm
Good primary sources, using actual figureheads rather than just any average Joe classmate who owns a gun. There did appear to be some grammatical errors and a word or two out of place, definitely double check that before submitting. I liked the last sentence in the conclusion, a bit of positive humor.
Jessica Thomas • Jan 11, 2014 at 5:05 pm
You made good choices when it came to your quotes. They were placed very nicely within the article. There are a few grammar errors that seemed to have been missed in the editing process, but overall this was a very well written article with a lot of useful information and a different way of thinking about the gun range since it is so close to the schools.
Olivia Novotny • Dec 26, 2013 at 7:01 pm
Interesting angle for this article. Most people wouldn’t really think of a new shooting range potentially posing a threat for schools in the area. I think you handled the issue very well. Also, the variety of sources used was impressive.