Letter from Rube Powell Regarding Balboa Park Field Range Targets, 1977

Rube Powell ARCHERY
136 BROADWAY CHULA VISTA CALIFORNIA 92010

September 26, 1977

PHONES: BUS: 422-3118 RES: 420-0759

Mr. Jack Krasnovich
Recreation Superintendent
Conference Building
Balboa Park
San Diego California 92101

Re: Condition of target butts on Balboa Park field range

Dear Mr. Krasnovich,

The San Diego Archers who have maintained the field archery range in Balboa Park for many years find the new permanent target butts completely unusable. The filler material contains rocks and debris which are extremely damaging to arrows. This condition is contrary to the specifications for the filler material which was to consist of sand and/or dirt screened to a degree which would ensure no damage to the archers’ equipment.

As a result of this problem, the San Diego Archers have been unable to hold their regularly scheduled tournaments; in fact, there has been no shoot on the range since March 1977 when the King Arthur’s Day Annual was held and the club placed straw bales throughout the entire range for the one-day shoot.

You doubtless can perceive that this situation is a severe detriment to the club’s welfare and membership. What has always been the best, most beautiful, and challenging field range in California has become a source of frustration and embarrassment to not only the club members but to the general public for whom the club maintained a fine recreation facility free of charge for so many years.

When we learned that the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Diego had allotted the funds for construction of the permanent butts, the restrooms, and the storage building, our joy knew no bounds. It was truly a dream come true. Everyone keenly anticipated shooting the fine new range with butts that wouldn’t need replacing every few months and wouldn’t “leak” arrows. It was a crushing blow, a bitter disappointment when we discovered the rocks and that the original design of the target structures had been altered which would require much adjustment and installation of protective material by the San Diego Archers.

The club membership has fallen alarmingly. The San Diego Archers is one of the oldest field archery clubs in the United States, going back to 1935. My wife Mary and I, as well as our now-grown children, are Life Members of both the San Diego Archers and the National Field Archery Association having joined in 1950 when the range was located in Gold Gulch. We have many fond memories of hundreds and hundreds of pleasant weekends spent shooting on the range in Balboa Park.

Archery equipment has become very sophisticated and expensive. The aluminum arrows cost around $65 per dozen; so you can understand why an archer gets so upset when an arrow is ruined by one of those rocks hidden in the filler material. We respectfully submit that this faulty material be brought up to specification so that the City’s investment in this outstanding recreation facility not be lost.

The Balboa Park field range is a great asset to the community. It has been used and admired by thousands of people. Its terrain and location are ideal, and it has always been a source of pride to every club member. The hours and hours many of us have spent working to keep it in good condition were donated willingly to the City as well as to the sport.

We earnestly solicit your assistance in getting the range back into shoot-ability. It is as though some of us were standing helplessly by watching an old friend die. It means a tremendous lot to hundreds of archers in San Diego and surrounding areas.

Your concern and interest in this matter are much appreciated, and all the members pledge their cooperation in helping remedy this most unfortunate situation.

If you need further information, call me at 422-3118 from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or at home – 420-0759. Or call the club secretary Betty Stirling at (work) 583-9656 or (home) 298-9243.

We certainly want to get the range back into shooting condition.

Sincerely,

Reuben A. “Rube” Powell
(Hall of Champions
Hall of Fame)

C.c. SDA Secretary