Military shoot to lay down arms Expo’s size leads to safety concerns

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Organizers of the Northeast Military Firearms Shoot and Expo are calling it quits on an event that has drawn thousands of people to the Penquis region each of the past seven years.

Barry Sturk, president of the Hiram Maxim Historical Society and organizer of the military shoot and exposition, confirmed this week that the July shoot was the last the society will hold. The society is named for the Sangerville native who invented the machine gun in 1883.

“The event has grown so drastically that safety has become a very big issue,” Sturk said. “My worst nightmare is someone getting seriously hurt.”

There have been some mishaps over the years stemming from the shoot in the town’s gravel pit, which included an errant bullet allegedly from the shoot that struck a house the first year of the event. The fact that there have been minor mishaps every year for the past four years is cause for concern, Sturk said.

With so many people and all the machines, there’s more of a chance for something to go awry and cause serious injury, Sturk said. A 13-year-old child was killed at a similar event held in Kentucky, he said.

Rising insurance costs also contributed to the decision, Sturk admitted.

Safety has always been an issue for Sturk, who kept a tight rein on the events. Visitors had to strictly adhere to safety rules and if they did not, they were escorted from the premises by members of the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department.

Although it has been a great success, Dover-Foxcroft Police Chief Dennis Dyer said it was often difficult to get enough officers to police the event.

“It grew so much over seven years, but we didn’t expect it to grow this big,” he said. “We’re a small town with a small police department and we had a hard time finding people to work it.”

Dyer said the event pumped money into the region’s economy. In fact, local motels and campgrounds were booked in anticipation of the event next year, he said. Dyer said Sturk told him the decision to end the event was not in any way influenced by anti-gun groups.

Sturk praised the Police Department and town officials, saying they did everything possible to make the shoot successful. “The town of Dover-Foxcroft has been outstanding in their support and we have never considered going elsewhere,” he said.

Town Manager Owen Pratt said Monday that the military shoot was a help to the region economically. “In some respects, it’s disappointing, but the safety of everyone at the event is the prime concern,” the town official said. It is the type of event that carries a certain risk, he said.

Little opposition was shown by residents about the annual event. And those few families who lived in the immediate area of the gravel pit received overnight stays at their favorite motels to avoid the noise, courtesy of the society.

Even still, Sturk said he found it hard to inconvenience people. “This is supposed to be a good time, not an inconvenience for anybody.”