Article:

Suffolk Life - January 17 2001

County Skeet Range Will Stay Open ~ Owner Sites Excellent Safety Record

A popular trap and skeet range in the Town of Brookhaven will remain open, despite one residents plea for the facility to be shut down. The Suffolk County Trap and Skeet Range in Yaphank was the scene of an accident involving an employee who was hit when a shot allegedly hit the tower and penetrated his skull.Frederic J. Grau, now 22, was working at the tower releasing targets when he was struck on August 13,1995. According to Grau's mother, Janet, the range management did not call police or medics. When he was shot, they never called the police department or ambulance, they called me and told me there was an accident and to pick him up, Grau said. They couldn't tell us who shot the gun because they didn't keep records, so by the time we took him to the hospital, the shooters left and couldn't be identified.

When the buckshot hit between his eyes and went into his skull, thank God it went inside the eye socket, Grau said. It just missed his left eye. The lead buckshot lodged in the mid forehead and right lateral canthus region, according to doctor reports, and were surgically removed from Grau,s skull at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital. They put him on Worker's Compensation and paid for his medical bills, Grau stated, but for my son, it was a traumatic experience. Grau also claims the owner at the time did not require employees to wear required safety gear. Safety glasses were never issued and they told workers they could wear sun glasses,she said. Range owner Charlie Marino, who was manager of the range at the time of Grau's accident, denounced Grau's claims of not following safety guidelines. I don't know what the previous owner's policies involving safety glasses were, but I require all pullers, trappers and employees to wear any and all required safety equipment, Marino said, and for those who have refused to wear them, I have fired them on the spot. I understand that the employee was not wearing safety glasses at the time.Marino underscored that his employees receive proper training. All my employees receive instruction by NRA-certified instructors, he said.

Marino also reported that when he took ownership of the range, he had the tower removed. Marino said his first order of business when reporting accidents is to call police. Since I took over in January 1996 there have been no injuries, Marino said. While Grau wants the range shut down, Marino says that is not happening. I feel the range is at risk for personal safety as well as environmental issues because of lead (released) from the bullets into the air, Grau explained. From a quality of life standpoint, Grau claims she can hear shots being fired from the range, which is about two miles from her residence. We live one block off the expressway, and can hear the shooting clearly over the traffic, she said.

In response, Marino told Suffolk Life: We have an excellent safety record, and we're not closing the range down at all.