Archery Park no longer allows... archery
The city's Archery Park may need a name change. How about No-Archery Park? Tom Draper and his bowhunting friends have practiced archery at the park for more than 20 years, and he was surprised recently when he found a sign that cited a city ordinance prohibiting firearms — including bows and arrows.
"Several archers that I've talked to are kind of in disbelief," Draper said. "For all these years it's been there for the public to use. ... It was so convenient. And there was the camaraderie. During peak time it wasn't uncommon to have seven or eight guys down there."
The park is next to the Eau Claire River, and the city had developed earthen berms and even an archery tower for deer hunters to practice shooting from a platform.
Wooded hillsides helped provide barriers to arrows flying out of the park, but it wasn't enough, according to Parks Superintendent Phil Johnson.
The park was closed to archery in September after a neighbor complained of finding an arrow in his yard, Johnson said. It was the latest of several similar complaints from neighbors over 15 years or more, he said.
"Everybody's been most gracious about it up to this point, but the person has a legitimate concern," Johnson said.
"It's kind of interesting that at Archery Park you can't have archery anymore, but the fact remains that we have had a chronic problem with neighbors finding arrows in their yards."
Draper said he would like the city to appoint a committee of neighbors, archers and city representatives to review the situation.
"I would be really encouraged if there were some way that the city and a group of archers could form some kind of coalition where we could work at it and where we could police it," he said.
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Information from: Leader-Telegram, http://www.leadertelegram.com/
The city's Archery Park may need a name change. How about No-Archery Park? Tom Draper and his bowhunting friends have practiced archery at the park for more than 20 years, and he was surprised recently when he found a sign that cited a city ordinance prohibiting firearms — including bows and arrows.
"Several archers that I've talked to are kind of in disbelief," Draper said. "For all these years it's been there for the public to use. ... It was so convenient. And there was the camaraderie. During peak time it wasn't uncommon to have seven or eight guys down there."
The park is next to the Eau Claire River, and the city had developed earthen berms and even an archery tower for deer hunters to practice shooting from a platform.
Wooded hillsides helped provide barriers to arrows flying out of the park, but it wasn't enough, according to Parks Superintendent Phil Johnson.
The park was closed to archery in September after a neighbor complained of finding an arrow in his yard, Johnson said. It was the latest of several similar complaints from neighbors over 15 years or more, he said.
"Everybody's been most gracious about it up to this point, but the person has a legitimate concern," Johnson said.
"It's kind of interesting that at Archery Park you can't have archery anymore, but the fact remains that we have had a chronic problem with neighbors finding arrows in their yards."
Draper said he would like the city to appoint a committee of neighbors, archers and city representatives to review the situation.
"I would be really encouraged if there were some way that the city and a group of archers could form some kind of coalition where we could work at it and where we could police it," he said.
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Information from: Leader-Telegram, http://www.leadertelegram.com/
