Posted on 03/29/2018 8:13:22 AM PDT by RBW in PA
STROUDSBURG — Tim Primrose remembers how old the Stroudsburg High School rifle team’s equipment was even in the 1990s, when he attended Stroudsburg High.
“They were using rifles from the ’70s,” said Primrose, owner of Primrose Landscaping in East Stroudsburg.
When the Stroudsburg School Board recently voted 6-2 against a $4,730 grant offered to update the rifle team’s equipment, because that grant came from the National Rifle Association, Primrose and others expressed disappointment. Viewed by many as opposing gun control, the NRA has been at the center of controversy in the wake of the February fatal mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
“Some people have made a political issue out of the NRA funding school rifle teams, but this has nothing to do with politics,” said Primrose’s stepbrother, Brian Winot, owner of Northeast Site Contractors in East Stroudsburg. “This is about providing our rifle team with the proper equipment they need.”
So, since the school board rejected the NRA grant, Winot and Primrose, along with a group of other Monroe County business owners and residents, as of 8 p.m. Wednesday raised a total of $6,750 in community donations for the rifle team. This amount, which exceeds the rejected NRA grant by $2,020, was presented in a check Wednesday to Stroudsburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Cosmas Curry.
“There were still more people wanting to give when we cut off donations” Wednesday morning, Winot said.
The money will go to buying new single-shot .22 rifles, the same kind used in the Olympics, as well as shooting coats/jackets, spotting coats and ammunition, rifle team coach Mike Qendro said Wednesday evening. The rifles will be regular and junior types, with the latter type being more manageable for shooters smaller in size.
Other rifle team expenses include dues, shooting-range rentals and transportation, Qendro said. What did you think?
When asked if they supported the Stroudsburg school board’s decision to reject NRA funding for the district’s rifle team:
2,200 people said “no”
605 people said “yes”
Approx. 2,900 responded to the Facebook poll. The results were gathered at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday.
Expressing gratitude on the school district’s behalf, Curry said the money will significantly benefit the 21-member rifle team.
“They’ve been using single-shot .22 rifles from 1973,” Curry said. “The substandard condition of those rifles affects the team’s ability to perform effectively during practices and competitions. The new rifles we’ll be able to purchase with this donation will improve our team’s performance.”
Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg school districts have rifle teams while Pocono Mountain and Pleasant Valley school districts do not.
East Stroudsburg recently received annual NRA funding for its rifle team. There was virtually no vocal opposition from the community to this funding at East Stroudsburg’s recent school board meeting.
In contrast, at Stroudsburg’s Monday school board meeting, some residents spoke out against the NRA grant while others spoke in favor of it.
“Unlike East Stroudsburg, I don’t think anyone, outside of people associated with our rifle team, became aware until recently that the team’s equipment is in such poor shape,” said John Jakobsen, one of only two Stroudsburg board members voting in favor of the NRA grant.
Qendro said, “The school district was already spending quite a bit of money to keep us up and running. We’re very appreciative of this, especially given budget issues in these tough economic times. I really couldn’t go to the board and ask for thousands more dollars to purchase new equipment. So, as a team, we needed to step up and do something. This is why, with a parent’s help, we went after the NRA grant.”
Jakobsen said the board would never have turned away the rifle team had concerns about the equipment been made known earlier.
“Because, while some on our board may oppose NRA funding, everyone on our board supports our rifle team,” he said.
Echoing this point, board member Tameko Patterson posted on her Facebook page, “Just to be clear, I voted against the NRA grant, not against our rifle team.”
As well it should be, Winot said.
“Our kids shouldn’t be put in the middle of a political debate,” he said. “I myself became an NRA member after the school board voted Monday, partially because of the board majority’s stance on NRA funding for our students.”
Wednesday’s donation for the rifle team isn’t the first time Winot has led community efforts in financially coming to children’s rescue. He and others recently paid off the lunch debt owed to local school districts by students from poor families.
“No student should have to go without,” he said. Sign up for daily e-mail Wake up to the day’s top news, delivered to your inbox
By tomorrow, Hogg and Kasky will declare all members of the Stroudsburg High School rifle team to be Murderers. I hope they keep their “sh!t” up and continue marginalizing themselves.
The students are now prepared to serve in our military which also learns to use equipment that is in substandard condition. Thank Mattis for the hope that cannibalizing for parts will no longer be the norm.
Well, that's a lie. Just because the leftists want to put the NRA into that position, it does not follow that the NRA IS in that position. Not once has the NRA endorsed murder nor the illegal use of firearms. UnterSturmFuhrer Hogg has tried to put the blame on the NRA but is failing to do so. The NRA, nor its members are taking the bait.
The rifle team and their parents should call Tameko on this. What is it, exactly that you oppose with regard to the NRA? They support responsible firearm use and practice. Is Tameko against that?
Quit lying, Tameko.
You stated that students use ‘sub-standard equipment’ which I can understand when talking about 50 year old .22 rifles.
But what type of equipment do you think that SecDef Mattis should be providing to high school shooting clubs when you said: “Thank Mattis for the hope that cannibalizing for parts will no longer be the norm.”?
My wife recently attended her 50th Highschool reunion.
They toured the old school building, including the now unused shooting range in the school basement.
Hopefully those who voiced their disapproval in the poll are voters who will remember Tameko's action when the next election for her comes around.
“I voted against the NRA grant, not against our rifle team.”
A distinction without a difference. Motives often may be misunderstood, but a noble motive can’t prevent a bad effect.
IT’S WHAT YOU DO - WHAT HAPPENS - THAT COUNTS.
in regards to our military, not students, sorry.
Gotcha, thanks.
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