The Perry Mayor and City Council opened Monday night’s meeting on a solemn note with the acknowledgement of the death of Jean Dowd, a longtime city employee, swim team coach and the face of the McCreary Community Building.
“Jean was very instrumental in keeping the McCreary up and running,” said Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh. “She brought home a lot of medals and trophies with the swim team and put Perry on the map as a swim center, and she was just a really nice person and will be missed. Our condolences go out the the family in their time of sorrows.”
The council also amended the city code of ordinances, making it “unlawful for a person to discharge rifles, shotguns, revolvers, pistols, guns, BB guns or other firearms of any kind within or into the city limits except by written consent of the council.”
The amendment came in reaction to complaints by a number of Perry residents who live near a shooting range, owned and operated by Caleb Winey of Perry, that straddles the city-county boundary on Perry’s northwest side. An investigation determined that firearms were being discharged on the county portion of Winey’s property and striking targets situated in the city portion.
Winey addressed a letter to the council, claiming that “(a)ll targets and berms have been removed from the portion of the property located within the city limits, and all shooting-related activities have been confined entirely to the Dallas County portion of the property.”
Winey also invited the Perry Police Department “to inspect the property and verify that the berms and targets have been removed from city property,” the letter said.
“It’s been pretty peaceful the last couple of weeks,” said David Crooks, a vocal opponent of the range’s proximity and the nuisance it causes with excessive noise. “He obviously kind of shut his business down or whatever he did.”
Perry City Council member Barb Wolling, in whose ward Winey’s property lies, told Crooks she spoke with Winey about the complaints.
On one occasion when numerous cars were at the gun range, it “happened to have been a family celebration, and so there were quite a few people out there,” Wolling said. “I have met with Caleb since then, and he has assured me that there are no more celebrations coming up.”
Winey’s “goal has always been to act responsibly, safely and in accordance with local laws,” he said in his letter to the council.
“Obviously, he’s trying to offer an olive branch,” Crooks said.