27 October 2008
Tequesta’s Tanah Keeta Open to Debate
Posted by admin under: camps .
No, I’m not speaking a foreign language. I’m just looking at a story by George Andreassi in Vero Beach, Florida. On other issues of Boy Scout camps that are near houses that were built after the establishment of the camp, I’ve pretty much sided with the BSA. On this one, there seems to be some room for debate since the camp wasn’t operating for a while. However, the residents had to know that it might pick up again in the future. While I think the camp definitely should be operating for the benefit of the Scouts and community, the future of the rifle range seems a little more murky.
Longtime civic activist Marge Ketter can rattle off a number of reasons why she opposes the plans for the renovation of Boy Scout Camp Tanah Keeta, most related a proposal to move the camp’s two shooting ranges closer to nearby houses.
“I’m concerned with the stray bullets and the noise too,” Ketter said. “Quality of life includes safety and absence of a lot of noise pollution.”
…
Mark Mathes, a land planner working on the renovation plans, said the shooting ranges are an important aspect of the camp because they enable scouts to learn firearm safety.
The ranges have been operated safely in accordance with Boy Scout regulations for decades, Mathes said. And the ranges will be operated in the future in a way to minimize the noise from gunshots.
“We’ve done now two shooting tests,” Mathes said. “And both shooting tests, one done in 2004 and the other done just in 2007, demonstrate that the methods in which the Boy Scouts shoot their guns 99 percent of the time do not generate noise pollution at the property line.”
The upgrades are sorely needed at the half-century-old camp, Mathes said. And some of the new campsites and facilities are being built to accommodate Cub Scouts and their parents.
Might as well click over to read the very good story fairly detailing both sides of this issue.
Update: Although the website link seems to be down right now, George has posted an update that indicates that the changes proposed for the Boy Scout camp have been approved.
Update: One of the nearby residents isn’t happy about that including a thinly veiled reference to bribery.
More than 100 letters of opposition from North Passage homeowners were disregarded to appease an ambitious executive director and a room full of mostly adult scouters, and perhaps payback for campaign contributions from some with ties to the Scout organization.
Possibly Related Posts:- Anti-Boy Scouts NIMBY
- Time to Move to Grundy County
- New, Yes, New BSA Camp
- BSA: Shooting Day
- Trading in Your Dad’s Old Camp
