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By DAVE KONOPKI [email protected]
Wednesday, December 18, 2002     Page: 9A

When it comes to the sport of archery, everyone can have a good time, says
Paul Krum. And the Hazleton Archery Club president should know – he’s been
involved in the sport as a competitor and hunter for more than five decades.
   
“We get people at the club from all walks of life,” said Krum, 61. “We’ve
had doctors, attorneys, students and all types of business people learn how to
shoot. We even had a priest from Hazleton come to one of the classes. The
sport is a lot of fun for everyone.”
    The club hosts several archery classes for beginners and the next class is
being prepared for late January or early February, said Krum. There is no
charge for the 3-4-week class, which is open to the public. There will also be
a free youth league open to children ages 8-17 each Friday night beginning in
January. The archery club, which is located in Freeland, provides all
necessary equipment for the class and the youth league.
   
Krum says there’s a big difference between his club – which has a lot of
members from the Wyoming Valley area – and similar ones in the area.
   
“It’s the Hazleton Archery Club, not the Hazleton Hunting Club,” said Krum,
who began learning the sport at age 10. “We don’t promote the sport of
hunting. We’re here to promote the sport of archery. It’s an Olympic sport,
just like baseball and basketball. If any of the kids who take our class want
to take up hunting, it’s up to them and their parents.”
   
Nadine Shickora began taking archery lessons more than seven years ago. The
West Hazleton eighth-grader says the sport is a great way to relieve the
pressures of everyday life – even for a 13-year-old.
   
“It frees my mind,” said Shickora, whose father owns Cy’s Custom Archery
and Taxidermy in Hazleton. “I do it as a way to relax and rewind. I love it.
It takes away stress.”
   
Although he doesn’t make any money from teaching the classes, Krum says he
receives a different kind of reward.
   
“It’s amazing to see the difference in the kids after three or four weeks,”
he said. “We teach basic archery. (The students) are usually nervous at first.
Most of them have never shot an arrow or even pulled back a bow. When you see
the smiles on their faces, you know they’re having a great time.
   
“We know most of them won’t compete in a state tournament or compete in the
Olympics. But we hope the class leads to bigger and better things. The future
of the sport is built around the young people.”
   
Thirteen-year-old Kyle Medash never picked up a bow and arrow before
participating in a recent class, which concluded in November. Now, the
Freeland resident is hooked.
   
“I really liked it. I had a real good time,” said Medash, who used the
club’s equipment, but hopes to have his own bow in the next few weeks. “I like
to hunt and I’ve never gone hunting during bow season. It’s something I’ve
always wanted to do.”
   
The 48-year-old club has a 28-target outdoor shooting facility, including a
3-D range, open during warm weather. The indoor range is open 12 months a year
and can accommodate up to 39 shooters.
   
“We try to make it fun for everyone,” said Krum. “Most of the indoor
shooting is done on paper targets, but we put (fake) animals up to show what
it’s like to shoot outdoors. Sometimes we even put a little bit of powder in
balloons so it looks like smoke when the balloon pops. The sport of archery is
fun and we want everyone here to have a good time.”
   
For more information about the archery class or the youth program,
including directions and possible starting dates, call Krum at 788-3223, Ron
Marconi at 474-6213 or Cy Shickora at 929-3311.