OBSERVER Photo by Gene Pauszek From left: Members of the Northern Chautauqua Rifle and Pistol Club Shane and Janice West, Robert Whittmore, Steve Roach, Jim Carr, Dave Gifford and Bob Pecuch invite prospective new members to checkout their facility.

Readers of the OBSERVER may have noticed the advertisement that has appeared several times in the last week. The ad is focusing on recruiting new members in the Northern Chautauqua Rifle and Pistol Club that is located on the corner of Porter Avenue and Liberty Street. The club was not always at that location.

Just after WW II the club was originally located in the basement of what is now the Pucci Building in downtown Fredonia. Club members George Privateer, Vernet Robson, Wait Noble, Bob Woods, Chuck Peterson and other members found out they would have to relocate, so they opted on a permanent location, where the club currently resides. Like many of the local clubs in our area, materials and donations came from former industries including Niagara Mowhawk and Allegheny Ludlum.

Even though some of the industries have come and gone, the club has a solid foundation, including its membership, which at times included over 200 active members. The club has a partitioned lounge and meeting area, restrooms, a kitchen and a 10 point firing range, with distances up to 50 feet. The backstop of the range can handle rimfire and mid range center fire hand gun ammunition. The entire club is well-lighted, heated and ventilated for year round use. In addition, the club is proud of its untarnished safety record. To gain access to the club 24 hours a day, each member is furnished with an access key.

To become a member is a three step process. A — Initial completion and approval of a club application, B — Initial or annual payment of club dues or fees. C — Complete the club safety and range rule orientation session. If you are interested in seeing the club and members in action, the best time would be Saturday mornings before noon. It would be a good idea to call club Secretary James Marzullo at 934-4178 to ease you through the process. Note that all club members help clean up and maintain the facility. It’s a good system that works.

The club’s objective is to encourage organized shooting activities by club members and the public. They offer a safe, secure and private facility that can be educational for the novice and challenging for the seasoned pro. After the unpopular SAFE Act went into effect, legal hand gun permits and sales sky-rocketed, and owners need a place to use their hand guns. The Northern Chautauqua Rifle and Pistol Club is a great choice to consider. Many of the members are successful business people, law enforcement, professionals and citizens of all walks of life. Be sure you have a valid pistol license. The club is open year round. Give them a call.

Calendar: There will be a free trapping course at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. For information, call Gary Dudek at 366-3397.

The next meeting of the Southtowns Walleye Association will be Sept. 20. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and will feature guest speakers Rich Davenport and Jeff Jondle on the topic of the Sturgeon Point Marina. The SWA is located at 5895 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg and meetings are open to the public. They feature kitchen facilities and a bar for refreshments.

Free Monday night fly tying instruction will resume on Monday at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club, located at Mullet Street in Dunkirk. Classes are for all levels of fly tying, but especially for beginners. No equipment is necessary. All participants get to keep their productions. Classes are from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The classes are open to the public. Sometimes they even have homemade cookies!

The Children of the Stream Youth Fly Fishing Program will be starting its 18th year of providing weekly free fly tying and fly fishing classes to both youths and adults in our area. Note that classes will switch from Wednesday evenings from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. to Tuesday evenings at the Costello Community Room (P84) in the new addition to the Rockefeller Arts Center at SUNY Fredonia. You do not need any prior experience to attend these classes, and the course is geared towards ages 10 and older. For more information contact Alberto Rey at 410-7003 or alberto@albertorey.com.

There will be a gun show at the Astabula County Fairgrounds located at the County Expo Center Building, 127 North Elm Street, Jefferson, OH, 44047. Show is on Oct. 27-28, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Next show is on Nov. 17 and 18 at the Hickory Post VFW located at 5550 East state Street. Us Route 62 East of PA. — West of Mercer on 62, Hermitage, PA, 16148. Same show times.

On Dec. 8 and 9, a gun show at Harbor Creek Fire Dept. Social Hall, located at 7275 Buffalo Road, US Route 20 located between North East, PA and Harbor Creek, PA. For details or information, contact Larry Spicer at 716-792-9972 or go to LRgunshows@gmail.com.

If your club or organization is holding a hunter safety training/trapping course or a turkey shoot or any other outdoors event, and would like to see it posted in the calendar, send information to the OBSERVER, 10 East Second Street, Dunkirk, NY 14048, or call the sports department at 366-3000 ext. 5 after 6 p.m.

Note: If you have a big game fishing or trapping success story you would like to share, call 366-1772, or 467-2079 and leave a name, phone number and a time you can be reached. You can also call 366-3000, ext. 5, after 6 p.m. or email sports@observertoday.com.