The New Eastcoast Arms Collector’s Associates’ Gun Show planned for this summer at the Clinton Arena has been cancelled.
Kirkland Town Supervisor Bob Meelan made the announcement at their town board meeting April 25, telling the audience it was not the town but NEACA who ended the plans for the show.
Meelan reviewed the contract with NEACA and found they had not sent in a security plan, their certificate of insurance nor their deposit as required. He sent a registered letter to NEACA requesting those items, he said.
For some reason, the NEACA sent a reply to the arena rather than the town officials, Meelan said, so he again contacted them April 17, via another registered letter. He said he wanted to make sure there would be adequate security around the arena during the duration of the show.
With no security plan received, Meelan then made one for the use of two uniformed officers inside the arena and one outside, 24 hours a day for the length of the show. The cost - on the low end - would be $8,300, and the responsibility of NEACA, he said.
Meelan then received word back the show was no longer affordable to run and NEACA would be cancelling it. He followed that up with an official acknowledgement email that NEACA was indeed pulling the plug, rather than the town itself making the decision.
For the previous three semi-monthly town board meetings, opponents and proponents had filled the meeting room at the Town Hall to voice their concerns over the hosting the gun show at the arena.
First, opponents questioned the proximity of the show to the school. Later they found criticisms in posts they found objectionable on NEACA head David Petronis’ Internet blog “Dave’s World.”
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