I know, by looking at the images above you have to be saying to yourself, what the hell is Joe talking about?
Well, this Transfer Station is on Waller Road surrounded by residential homes and farm land. They're open 5 days a week with the exception of Tuesday's and Thursday's. It's a peaceful kind of place with wonderful employees who pretty much know everyone on a first name basis.
This morning I was alarmed by a friend who shared a story with me in which I just couldn't believe, until I started making some phone calls. My friend informed me that this Transfer Station would start swinging the gates on Tuesday's and Thursday's in the very near future as the WCDC, (Wicomico County Detention Center) will be creating a Shooting Range for their employees.
Now mind you Folks, not only are the neighbors completely unaware of what's going on, I contacted the County Council President and County Executive this morning and both individuals had absolutely no clue what was going on. It didn't take long before I got a call back from the County Executive's Office telling me that I was right, WCDC is in fact planning on doing this, yet they had NO CLUE 15 minutes earlier.
As you can see from the photos, there are residential neighborhoods not 100 yards from this Transfer Station with some very decent homes, (not that this should matter) and NO ONE has been informed.
Now I'm all about shooting guns and I'm also all about being allowed to do whatever the County Zoning states you can do. However, this was planned underhandedly and I should state that Mr. Robert Parkhurst who is employed with WCDC lives in one of the homes shown above in my photos, right across the street. Hmmmmmmmm?
Many of us who live very close to this Transfer Station own horses, (probably close to 100 horses) and all of this shooting would simply scare the crap out of them. Yeah, they might get used to it after a while but if the horses can hear it, so can we!
The idea they are planning this without any warning to the neighbors is just flat out wrong. Do you think our local government should be allowed to make such moves without even running an ad to let taxpayers know?
UPDATE: I just received a call from Jim Fineran who stated it's not a done deal and they're looking into it. I was informed that the Shooting Range would be in use on Tuesday's and Thursday's, the days the Transfer Station is closed.
I was also told that all three agencies, SPD, WCSO & WCDC should only use ONE Range. The Sheriff's Department had a deal worked out years ago when Dykes was Chief of the SPD where they, (WCSO) provided the Instructor for all agencies and they could have use of the Range. Once Webster came on board with the SPD that arrangement went away. The WCSO then used a piece of property actually owned by Frank Hastings, (the Instructor) to practice at but now it's my understanding that he has since retired and the WCSO is using ECI.
I personally believe Chief Webster should step up to the plate and offer the Range they currently own to ACT like a BROTHER and allow ALL agencies to work out of one facility. I'm confident once this Internal Affairs man is gone the City will make proper agreements with every one else to do so. In the mean time we'll just have to see how selfish Webster and Mayor Ireton continue to act until something is resolved.
Once again this is an exclusive story brought to you by Salisbury News. While I expect others to dig into it from this point forward, we're doing our best to deliver you news no one else is willing to provide, again, unless it's handed to them from this Blog.
40 comments:
What I can not believe is that something of this magnitude could happen without the approval of the county executive and council. Who made this decision and on what authority? Since when did the WCDC start carring weapons anyway? ECI has a target range that could be used for this purpose if in fact it is needed at all.
I live on Waller Rd. and I can hear the practice range on Naylor Mill (probably around 2mi.) now. But, they have to practice somewhere. It is for our public safety. It is always easy to say not in my backyard.
The city has a shooting and practice range within 3/4 of a mile from the detention center. WCDC used to use this range. Why not now? Salisbury Gun Club on Dagsboro road could be used also. These are just two alternatives. Where does the Sherriffs Dept. go to practice? What is the reason that WCDC needs a seperate range.
Good point about the horses Joe, but there are lots of horses near Winter Place Park and no one cares about them.I have to drug my horses during bike week to keep them calm.
Absolutely NOT. Why not use the dump in Parsonsburg if they want to shoot. Its out in the open not surrounded by homes.
Let them shoot where they want. Some of you people are never happy about anything. The glass is always half empty. If there was a situation where a WCDC employee were to use a firearm and something went wrong due to training then you people would be jumping down their throats about why they didn't have proper training. As long as they can shoot and hit the person they are aiming at they can shoot next to my house as far as I care. Let these people do their jobs, and get the training that they need. Now the process to get this started should have involved all the parties involved...ie...the residents and Pollitt...etc!
There is a shooting range on Nanticoke Road that is free to law enforcement officers. Our government at work again , not informing the public.
RICK STOP THIS, its uncalled for.let them keep using the range off Naylor Mill road.They also use ECI range and that worked well.Get the expenses for doing this and compare to wha it cost to use the other facilities. Dam it Rick you need a liason at WCDC and not the Head of Household pumping you full of BS.
People around here have lost their minds.
Good job Joe! Much as I disagree with 90% of the political stuff on this blog this is the kind of reporting that gets me reading everyday. Also, the history stuff.
leave our dump alone. Is this really a democratic country we live in?
Why not use the range in Delmar I believe it is on Dagsboro Rd. I never see anyone there.
easy fix...just use a range thats already established..there are several in the area...stop wasting money on stupid stuff....how hard can that be to understand????
now its time for these people,who think this stupid stuff up,to go back to whats important your job
oh and btw,there is another range not mentioned at the DNR office on mt olive road that the the state has and the tax payers have already paid for....
I say let them practice on a few streets in salisbury. Targets-anyone wearing dark hoodies, dark blue or black jeans and standing on the side of the road.
I agree with 12:03!
In the vein of doing more with less, why spend money to setup a range when others less to no cost alternatives are available.
Could the WCDC be assessed a useage fee, similar to the one I have to pay to use the county facility?
Wicomico County has the highest piggy-back tax rate in the state, and I have to pay to dump my trash?
has anyone read the sign?
"Wedenesday"???
should be Wednesday.
there you go again our govt working hard for us to lie decieve and cover up....im so sick and tired......why to go to not let us know things again.....your are so crooked and corrupt you make us sick! again i say vote em all out!
YEAH 12:03, now you're talking.
In all seriousness, I agree there are plenty of established ranges in the area that have all of the safety features in place. It's not about who's neighborhood it is about safety.
You all are seeing it once again.....we have to have MORE, MORE, MORE.
Instead of utilizing existing facilities.
If the county would offer the city some type of contract that would help with the care and clean up of the range it would be be far cheaper than building and securing land for a new range. I think the city has a great facility and years ago the county and the city worked well together on that issue.
The problem was over Frank Hastings and Dykes. There was a falling out over an issue and hastings was not allowed to run the counties end of the deal. It was cheaper for the county to then use hastings range wich was in Worcester County by the way. Hastings was making Sgt. pay working 20 days a year. Hmmm. The public was not aware of this. I think it was a behind closed doors decision. It was cheaper to keep him if you will. If the council had looked at the amount of pay given to hastings over seven years they could have built a state of the art shooting facility.
The land out by the old D.R.I.L.L. would have been a great place. The tranfer station on Mt. Herman Rd. would be a great place as well.
This is typical consideration given by the county council over the years to law enforement and corrections. The only people crapped harder is the people of county roads.
The Land fill guys gave themselves a raise LOl.
We need to wipe the council clean in the next election. There have been years of nepatism and Good ole Boy B.S. We need people who actually want a better county to live and work in. There are to many with an agenda regarding realestate ventures behind the scene.
As long as it is County owned property already then who care if they move the dirt into a burm and shoot at it....I am sure the employee mentioned would also use this range...
12:20, first thing I noticed. Those heading this new operation must've also approved the sign. Duuuh.
You expect anyone to believe that the WCDC needs two days a week to practice with their weapons. That is just rediculous. They only need to qualify once a year. No one has said how many officers or even allowed to carry a weapon. Generally only a small fraction are authorized to carry a weapon and that is only under certain circustances. There is no need for this range and it's unbelievable that Pollitt and the council knew nothing about it. Is this the trasparancy that we are still receiving?
I live in the development in the picture. I have 2 young kids and ther are alot of young kids around. I do not want my kids hearing gunshots like that. It is nice and quite out here I would like it to stay that way. Dosen't there have to be some sort of public notice posted for the use of the land and a hearing so that the public can voice thier opinion. If so I would like to know so I can attend and have my voice heard. I will start a petition if I have to.
In the spring and summer I try to cut down on energy cost by keeping the windows open and I don't want my litte ones trying to take a nap but the can't on tuesdays and thursdays or anyother days because of gunshots across the street. Reguardless if it is "for training" or not! Let me come by there houses on thier days off or after they have worked the night shift and I will make all kids of racket and see how they like it!
7:28
What do you do in deer season? Are you going to start a petition against that next?
I know of a few neighborhoods that I'd LOVE to see them target practice in!!!
Maybe we could save money by reducing the number of days allowed for practice to one, rather than two. We all need to make sacrifices....
Hey 9:08. I hunt! and there is a big difference between a shot here and there and one after the other untill the clip is empty.
8:22
That's right, and I will take a practice range any day. I have both near me. The range starts up and you know what is going on, and that it is safe. The random deer shots always scare the heck out of me. You are not expecting it, and you don't know what direction they are shooting, etc.
9:08 PM
3:10 learn what you talk about before you talk, we only get to shoot once a year now. and for the other ranges.. we would have to rent them, or the BIG city Chief wont let us little correctional officers use the range. and the private range on dagsboro, that would have to cost the county money to rent the range because its a club. the DNR range is out of commision. ECI yea, thats a good range, lets load up, go 20 miles and let the tax payers pay for the gas.. this range is costing little if any money to the taxpayers. but wait, why do we need guns anyway, we dont do anything but keep what the police and the public put and want in jails. its a fact no one likes jails, not all are bad officers, some try hard to do the right thing and hear cry babies on the blog demanding we shouldnt get training..well if your out and about, and see an inmate walking with a officer(with a gun) wouldnt you want the officer to be proficient with the weapon? that is what i would want if i were a citizen. if the count would of done things right in the first place all LE C/O officers should use a main shooting range.
most of the WCDC employees, you
don't want to put a gun in their
hands
so much for any shooting range
leave the guns for the real police
outside of WCDC
The sign has got one thing right
This place (WCDC) is a DUMP
This place is a Landfill
Where they burry officers
to make compost, like a chicken
farm does with chickens
it Stinks like SHHHHt, so it must be SHHHHt
they also Recycle officers here
but, who would want to come back ??
THE WORST HELL HOLE ON
D E L M A R V A
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