ORWIGSBURG - A borough businessman has a plan to teach the public how to shoot safely.
Josh Shamonsky, owner of Shakey's Gun Shop, Orwigsburg, wants to lease the borough gun range in West Brunswick Township and use it for firearms instruction and practice.
"It's better to have the education there. People want to learn. If they want to learn, why not teach them the proper way so no one gets hurt while they're shooting," he said Thursday.
Shamonsky said people have been inquiring about the need for a place to practice.
A fee would be charged for instruction or for practicing at the range. The amount has not been determined because the borough council has yet to give its approval. A certified range instructor would be at the site, he said, adding the gun shop would pay, as requested by Shakey's insurance and the borough.
The range could possibly be open one day a week on the weekends.
Shamonsky also said a Breathalyzer will be used on site "to save us from liability. We want to make sure they are sober coming on the range."
It will not measure the exact level of alcohol, he said, just if it is present in the those seeking to use the range.
"I know a lot of different ranges in different states require that," he said.
Borough Manager Mike Lonergan said Monday the issue will be discussed Wednesday at the borough's 7:30 p.m. work session at borough hall.
The gun range is a more than 1-acre site on a former trash dump in West Brunswick Township, Lonergan said Friday.
The borough insurance company said it has no problem with use of the property as long as the borough would be represented by the other insurance company if something were to happen and the borough would be named in legal matter, he said.
The range previously was open for use to the public but that was discontinued.
"The borough recently enacted a policy restricting range use to police officers, borough employees and officers of other departments who rented time on the range," Lonergan said.
He said that within the last two years and was done for liability reasons. Nothing happened at the range but the borough was trying to be proactive, he said.
If the issue advances, then the borough solicitor will draft something outlining responsibilities and rules, Lonergan said.
Council President Buddy Touchinsky said Monday that questions still need to be answered about the possible use of the site.
"Is the land zoned to be used as a public range (or if this isn't considered public, for something other than borough use)? Will our liability insurance provide coverage for this purpose? Is the range configured appropriately and is it large enough for use by a group? If all of those questions are addressed and do not present any problems, then we'll have to revisit our current policy and discuss requirements for any organization or business that would wish to lease the range. I'm sure this would include insurance and having a certified instructor present," he said in an email.
The type of guns that could be used at the range might be dictated by the lease agreement, Shamonsky said.
"Mostly, I imagine it being more for handguns than anything else," he said, adding that is what most people are buying.
Wade Potts, 40, of Leesport, a gun owner who was at the shop to buy bullets, said the effort is on target.
"Sounds good to me," he said, adding more locations to practice and learn how to safely handle guns is important.
He learned to shoot a gun when he was a teenager while hunting with his family. He is currently a member of two guns clubs.
He said he would likely use the range.
Matt Czaplicki, 67, of Schuylkill Haven, thinks the idea has merit.
The gun owner and Vietnam veteran said he practices at a gun range in Pine Grove.
"It can be a dangerous weapon. It is a dangerous weapon," he said.