El Paintball en Popayán, Colombia

Historia - Los Inicios del Paintball en Popayán - Colombia

Semi Auto- homemade gun version

Semi Auto

Basically it is a fancy barrel sealing tee valve. The exhaust valve used is a homemade version of McMaster part number 4622K57. In the forward position, the input holes are connected with holes going to the chamber. In the back position, the input holes are isolated and the holes going to the chamber are exhausted to atmosphere. That means input flow is cut off in the same motion that exhaust the pilot chamber. The piston has a built in one way valve for a quick fill without harming performance. If I had a high flow air source available I could get up to .25" input flow, but currently flow is limited by the quick connect fitting. The stock can be pushed into the chamber when the gun is not in use, and I tried my best to give it a fancy paintjob. (3 days ago, waiting 7 days is impossible). I can get about 2 shots off per second. Faster ROF could probably be obtained with an electric 3 way valve instead of the slide valve, but I wanted to stay away from electronics.

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Taking Paintball To The Extreme

Kyle Pylinski of Norwich shoots from his belly on the speedball course at Mayhood's Extreme Paintball Park in Norwich. The paintballs are held in the plastic hopper on top of the marker gun.

Norwich site runs 3 fields on 132 acres
BY CHARLES ERICKSON
Correspondent



NORWICH -- Watching a game of paintball from the shelter of a pickup parked on a hillside above the playing field is like observing a football game from a press box.

From on high, the spectator sees things moments before the competitors do -- like when a masked man clad in black rose up from behind a bush and pumped multiple rounds at another player, similarly masked, but wearing a plaid shirt.

The sight of the "marker" recoiling arrived in the cab before the pap-pap-pap sound of the discharge, and none of the rounds was visible. Jumping out of the way of a paintball capsule is about as easy as dancing through a hail of bullets.

The plaid player knew he'd been hit but not where. He looked left and right to check for spatters of yellow and, seeing some on his marker, raised the gunlike implement over his head and exited the field.

"He's done," said Mike Mayhood, driver of the truck and owner of Mayhood's Extreme Paintball Park, which opened here in May. "He has to leave the course."

Crestfallen, the player walked away from the war zone and waited for the game to conclude. He stood silently, as verbal clues to paintless teammates are not allowed.

The paintball fields -- there are three now -- sit on 132 acres Mayhood purchased for the new home of Mayhood's Sporting Goods, which is moving less than a mile down state Route 12 to a larger building that will include an indoor archery range. The store's grand opening is scheduled for next month.

Mayhood began thinking about opening a paintball facility in 2003, but he didn't want to begin operations until he could locate the fields and the store on a single property.

He recruited two young men, Adam Kearley, 20, and Tom Votaw, 19, to help him manage the paintball side of the business. Both have been playing it for nearly 10 years.

Paintball became popular in the early 1980s, about a decade after some people decided to have fun with the markers farmers and timber ranchers used to place identifying marks on trees and cattle from a distance. The paint balls are propelled through the air by blasts of carbon dioxide gas.

The activity never went away, but like the music and dress and other cultural phenomena from two decades ago, widespread interest in paintball has been rekindled.

"Nine million people in the U.S. play it," said Votaw. "There are more Web sites for paintball than skateboarding."

The existing paintball fields occupy just seven acres. There is plenty of room for expansion, and Mayhood hopes players will come by the thousands if he can establish some tournaments at Extreme Paintball Park.

After he began planning the fields, including ordering the netting screens that act as walls on portions of the courses, Mayhood had difficulty obtaining liability insurance. A company agreed to write him a policy only after he and Kearley went to Tennessee and attended various paintball safety courses.

The insurance policy has put a number of restrictions on the Norwich paintball park. A referee on the field watches every game; masks covering the eyes, ears and mouth must be worn at all times; and there are no ladders or trees to climb.

"There are no steps at all," Mayhood said. "They're more dangerous than paintballs, according to our insurance company."

The "speedball" course, populated with blue plastic barrels and an inflatable cushion called a bunker, is the smallest course and typically hosts the shortest games: five minutes or less. There are more places to hide and natural cover on the larger woods and brush courses, where 20 minutes can pass before a player becomes the last person unmarked by paint.

Much like league bowlers and billiards players, serious paintballers have their own equipment. They arrive with markers and masks, and pay only a fee for using the fields. But most people use Mayhood's gear.

One of Extreme Paintball Park's most popular packages costs $25 and includes the rental of a marker, a CO2 canister, the field rental fee and a hopper filled with 200 rounds.

"If you're kind of conservative on paint, you can play all day," Mayhood said.

There doesn't seem to be a typical paintballer. Customers have ranged in age from the minimum 10 years up to people in their 60s. Men outnumber women, but a surprising number of females do engage in the gunplay.

"We've had everybody here from country people to inner-city people," Votaw said.

The mention of paintball can bring a skeptical look to the faces of those who've never tried the game. Scampering about clad like a knight and trying to pelt others with paint can seem like a silly activity.

But Mayhood has seen dozens of people quickly change their minds about paintball.

Just after his fields were opened, Mayhood required every employee in his sporting goods store to be cross-trained as a paintball referee. On days when the paintball park is unexpectedly busy, store workers might be needed to come up and help run the facility.

All employees were also made to don a mask, grab a marker and play a game of paintball. Some were reluctant to participate. One middle-aged worker told his boss he'd accept any task and work any hours, but he wanted nothing to do with paintball.

The man finally relented and left for his training. It was expected that he'd be gone for no more than 60 minutes -- or the absolute minimum required to learn and play a game.

"After about three hours, I came up on the hill looking for him," Mayhood said.

The man, Mayhood discovered, had been transformed into a paintball fan. He was smiling and walking around, pointing here and there, and giving ideas about where new paintball fields could be built and how existing ones could be expanded.

"He didn't want to come back to the store," Mayhood said. "He was all pumped up and excited."

Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball

I'll play any obscure game out there. If it's offbeat and a little out of the ordinary, I'll be all over it. Yep, whether it's a music mixing title like MTV Music Generator, or a casino game like Bicycle Casino, I am caught playing non-mainstream games whenever I can. So when I first heard about a paintball game coming to the Xbox , I was intrigued to say the least. Being the first game I would ever play of this “sport,” and one of the only in it's genre, I can say that I was a bit anxious to check out this title; and with a name like Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball , you just know it has got to be good.

After beating the Halo 2 campaign mode and logging countless hours on Xbox Live, I yearned for something new. That fateful day of November 9th came and went with much excitement, but what I needed now was an unanticipated title to thrill me where duel-wielding SMG's no longer applied, and one-hit kills ruled the realm. I was ridiculed by my fellow Xbox-Live teammates with such a purchase; but then again, these guys proclaim “Master Chief” to be their messiah. Would I prove them wrong and uncover a good game? After all, a paintball videogame has just got entertainment value written all over it, right?

Since this “Tournament Paintball ,” you compete in tournaments to progress through the game. Unfortunately for the gamer, this is the only way you can play the game offline. You can choose between the actual campaign mode, which is simply a collection of tournaments that get progressively harder throughout the game, or you can choose smaller brackets in “arcade” mode. Either way, if you can't utilize the system link or Live support, don't call your friends over to play paintball on your Xbox as this title is only single player when using one console.

Game variations include the obligatory “Elimination” or deathmatch mode, and two versions of “Capture the Flag,” one with one flag in the center and one with a flag at either team's starting point. Controlling your opponent on the playing field is decently easy to learn, and with a tutorial to start off the game, you will quickly become familiar with how to crouch, crawl, as well as other maneuvers that will greatly help you throughout some of the harder tournament brackets where stealth and strategy become essential in order to achieve victory.

To those unacquainted, paintball calls for one-shot kills. If you get shot once, you're out of the game, only to walk onto the sidelines with a paintball bruise on your body. But developer WXP (known for their horrendous rendition of LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring game back in 2001) implemented a system in which you will actually be able to cheat… that's right kids, leave your Action Replays aside for this one. If you get hit, you will have a chance to wipe off the paint or have the paintball take a “bounce,” meaning it did not break on you. For this to happen, a pendulum-like device will pop up on top of your screen. To walk away clean, you need to stop the indicator at a specific spot. If you fail to do so, you will be eliminated. Also, hitting various penalization points on the scale will eliminate 1 or 3 other teammates along with you! It most certainly makes you choose between the risk of getting caught and returning to the game untouched. If you wipe off the paint successfully and get another chance, the next time you get shot will be increasingly difficult to stop the indicator at the right spot. I found this to be a nice loophole around the rule of getting hit and being eliminated.

The campaign mode is pretty moot as far as depth goes. It's pretty much a straight-up paintball game that allows you to control what teammates you select going into matches (that's right, there's no flying solo here, but rather playing on a team). As you complete matches, you will earn points to purchase various paintball guns, barrels, helmets, clothing, etc. Sadly, besides purchasing better guns, there is little other reward to putting your time and effort into this game offline. I've found that purchasing better equipment made virtually no improvement to my performance, making the whole process of buying better gear pretty much unnecessary; it seems more like a failed attempt to look like a deeper game than it actually is.

It's hard to sit here and compare a paintball game to any other first person shooter. But unfortunately, it is. I can't tell you if Greg Hastings and Master Chief got into a fight, who would win (well, maybe I could), but what I can say is that this game suffers from a few quirks here and there, to make what was supposed to be a pleasant surprise, into an annoyance. Sure, there are no rocket launchers like in some other FPS's; this is not to be expected in a paintball title. In fact, I think that since the critics did not know what to expect is why this game has been receiving surprisingly positive press. I've done my research and have found out that you can actually play paintball and use paint grenades. Heck, I found a website that offered paintball mortars! Imagine if this were an unlockable weapon, it would have kicked the replay value up a notch. To some, this may be a weak point to make, but to the outside gamer that does not know a thing about paintball , this may be a particular point of interest. After all, once I heard they made paintball grenades, I immediately wished for them to be supplied in the game, I was sorely disappointed when I found out they were not.

After being let down with the offline version of the game, I headed onto Xbox Live. With most titles, a good portion of the fun to be had can be found online. Playing offline, and using patience and strategy to achieve victory got me nowhere on Live as I got destroyed by a bunch of 13 year olds running around aimlessly. If I hear the phrase: “You got OWNED” by a prepubescent boy one more time while getting shot in the face by a paintball , I'm using this game as a frisbee, or a beverage coaster.

The offline AI became increasingly challenging as the game progressed, so I figured that I would be evenly-matched when taking this game online. But the AI played nothing like ordinary human beings. As mentioned, all the strategy that was supposed to be implemented in a game of paintball is completely thrown out the window, as I found myself getting rushed and surrounded within a matter of seconds. I guess I really can't fault WXP games for this one, but it certainly annihilates any fun to be had while playing online. Though for the most part, connection to this game on Live was pretty sufficient as I honestly experienced minimal lag, even when a game would load up with the maximum of 14 players.

The graphics were nothing to write home about. A few lighting affects seemed to be overused during some “dawn” and “dusk” playing times. It may be an attempt to seem realistic, but only ends up being annoying; though I'd being lying if I told you this game looked bad. I found a decent frame rate with little slowdown, this was a breathe of fresh air since some of the biggest titles these days are flooded with this problem.

What I found to be a nice feature that most third parties don't go out of their way to offer is the addition of “custom soundtracks.” Since this title was “Xbox Exclusive,” I bet they figured to take advantage of this feature. It's seamless addition into the game works great with such short matches, as you will find your tracks continuing from where they left off when you play the next bracket in the tournament. I appreciated this addition by WXP. While the sound effects are nothing extraordinary, the music already supplied in the game is surprisingly decent; but this still won't stop me from pumping up my own tracks.

Looking back on this purchase, I'm thankful that I picked it up on sale for a mere $20, while other gamers that spend $40 for the same game will not be as lucky. The game even gloats that you can play with real-life pros like Chris Lasoya, Nicky Cuba , and Keely Watson; like you and I would have any clue who these people were. But I do take note that they at least tried to make this the most realistic paintball game out there; even with the wall to wall promotion and licensing of countless paintball companies plastered over every inch of this game. I will say that it was an interesting spin to play, but it could not hold my attention long enough to really enjoy it. My excitement was diminished after a good 20 minutes or so, and the tactics I was looking to learn from this title did not transpire when playing Halo 2. And in the end, my comrades over on Xbox Live were still there to ridicule me of my purchase, so I am here to inform you not to make the same mistake I have. Stay away from this one unless you are in dire need of an on-demand paintball experience.

Medical examiner testifies about violent attack

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) -- The Des Moines County medical examiner who did the autopsy on Michael Harper Junior says he had never seen a body so mutilated.

Doctor Eugenio Torres says the 17-year-old Burlington teen died from a combination of strangulation and stab wounds in February 2004.

Two of his friends are accused in his death. William Lucas Junior and Brent Saner are charged with first-degree murder. Lucas is on trial this week. Saner's trial is set for next month.

In his autopsy report, Torres says Harper was strangled with enough force to break his neck and stabbed or slashed 111 times all across the body.

Prosecutors say Lucas and Saner killed Harper because he planned to tell police about their role in stealing a paintball gun during a garage burglary.

The defense says Lucas doesn't have the capacity to form the intent to commit the crime. They're attempting to pin most of the blame on Saner.

Commission recommends rezoning for paintball facility

By ADAM MORRIS, Courier Staff Writer

WATERLOO --- A popular paintball facility that had been operating illegally for five years north of Elk Run Heights on land not deemed for that use got a nod of approval Thursday from the county Planning and Zoning Commission despite outcry from neighbors.

The commission voted 4-2, with one member absent, to recommend the county Board of Supervisors approve a rezoning of the land.

The rezoning, which would allow PowerStation Paintball on South Elk Run Road to operate legally, would change zoning from agricultural to limited agricultural.

The commission's recommendation included conditions intended to calm neighbors who complain the facility is too noisy and worry that stray paint balls would injure people on their property.

"I have a great deal of empathy for the neighbors," said Peter Beck, chairman of the commission, who cast the deciding vote in favor of approval. "I've played the game, and I even have one of those welts" from a paint ball.

The conditions for the paintball facility's owners include limiting hours of operation to dawn to dusk, creating a 100-foot buffer area where no play can occur, and clearly mark all property boundaries.

Dennis Halverson and Andrew Lusson, who own the facility, said they've already begun similar efforts and would give up plans to hold paintball sessions after dark.

However, the owners disagreed that stray paint balls would be dangerous, saying the projectiles already would have been reduced to a safe speed if they reached a neighbor's land. The two also said they feel their facility, which operates mostly on the weekends and is closed during winter, generates less noise than nearby trains, roads and a neighboring shooting range.

"We don't compare to the noise that already exists there," Halverson said.

The final rezoning decision lies with county supervisors.

Halverson and Lusson opened the facility on South Elk Run Road between Dubuque Road and Independence Avenue about five years ago, but it wasn't until last fall that the county or the two men realized the land was not properly zoned. The rezoning was discussed at the commission's December meeting but tabled because Halverson and Lusson were not present.

Fines can be issued on a daily basis for zoning offenses, but none were issued in this instance because the property owners demonstrated they wanted to correct the problem, said Shane Graham, an associate county planner.

Neighbors remain concerned.

"This is primarily a residential area where there's a certain quality of life," said John Huff III, one of seven neighbors who wrote letters urging the commission recommend denial of the rezoning. Huff was one of about a dozen neighbors and their supporters who attended the meeting, though few others spoke.

"I don't think a paintball facility -- even if it's regulated -- fits into the quality of life of that neighborhood," he said.

In other business, the commission unanimously recommended denial of rezoning that would have allowed a one- to 23-lot subdivision northwest of Cedar Falls. The commission said there was not a satisfactory plan in place for the subdivision near North Union and West Cedar-Wapsi roads. More than a dozen neighbors showed up in protest of the proposed development.

Adam Morris can be contacted at (319) 291-1461 or mailto:adam.morris@wcfcourier.com.

Oldham County Officials Give Nod To Indoor Gun, Paintball Range

By Justin Wilfon

(CRESTWOOD, Ky., January 20th, 2005, 5:30 p.m.) -- A debate has been raging in Oldham County about a proposed paintball and gun range in Crestwood. Some say it will be unsafe and too loud, while others say it would be a welcome addition. On Thursday, the Oldham County Board of Adjustments approved the firing range. WAVE 3's Justin Wilfon was there.

It's a relic of Crestwood's past, but now it will also be a part of the future. "It's going to be brilliant," said owner Barry Laws. "It's beautiful.You need this."

The California real-estate broker purchased the old champs skating rink just two days ago. If all goes as planned, it will be an indoor firing and paintball range by the end of the year.

"Oldham county needs this type of range," Laws said. "They don't have it. There's nothing within a 35-mile radius."

He took his plan to the Oldham County Board of Adjustments Thursday. He was met with plenty of questions, primarily about noise and safety.

Sometimes Laws didn't have the answers.

"I'm not trying to avoid what you're asking," Laws told one person in the audience.

Others have concerns as well -- mostly people who live close to the proposed range, many of whom signed a petition opposing it.

"I'm concerned primarily about the safety, quite frankly," said Rob Hansen, "but also about the noise," said Rob Hansen. "I mean that's a secondary issue to me."

But Laws says the firing range will be state-of-the-art, with the latest noise-trapping technology.
"My experience with other indoor ranges is that in the parking lot outside, you hear next to nothing, so I think from just an experience point of view, I have no concerns whatsoever."

He also says those with guns will be closely monitored, and says the ammunition fired inside will pose no risk to people outside.

Laws says the range will actually make Oldham County safer. ""It's a firearm safety center is what it's going to turn out to be."

The Oldham County Board of Adjustments approved the firing range by a vote of three to one.
That means construction should begin soon, but those opposing the range say they may appeal the board's decision.

Police arrest 4 teens on burglary counts

By Sarah Myrick

The Stuart New

Posted January 22 2005

PORT ST. LUCIE · Police arrested four teenagers in one of the largest car burglary rings in city history and said more arrests could be possible.

Police said Scott Matthew Lindenberg, 19, and three other teens, ages 14 and 15, confessed to breaking into about 30 cars in central Port St. Lucie during a four-hour period beginning late Wednesday. The others are not being identified because they are juveniles.

The teens are being charged with burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief in eight of the cases, but police expect to add more charges later.

Port St. Lucie detective T.J. Scherle said the teens would drive along streets and shoot out car windows with a BB gun or paintball gun, and if no alarm sounded three of them would quickly steal valuables.

The teens were stopped by a St. Lucie County sheriff's deputy. Scherle is looking for two other suspects who might have been involved.

He said the teens -- two of whom are on probation -- had been involved with burglaries in the past. One of the teens is under investigation in a series of home and business burglaries in December and two others are being investigated for other car burglaries, he said.

Paintballers shoot for top prize

Paintballers prepare to go to battle at the Kick'n 2005 Paintball Tournament. The payoff is more than $10,000 in prizes.

Christina Dicken / News-Leader

A paintball competitor takes aim at his opponent during the tournament. The event began with 42 teams.

Christina Dicken / News-Leader

Paintball shooters take cover behind inflatables during the Kick'n 2005 Paintball Tournament at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds.

Christina Dicken / News-Leader

Paintballers shoot for top prize

Kick'n 2005 Paintball Tournament includes all ages, sizes

By Amos Bridges

News-Leader Staff

As he watched from the bleachers at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds indoor arena, Drew Summers admitted he has a way to go before he could compete with the paintball players on the other side of the green safety net.

"It's a hobby, so far," said the 13-year-old, who started paintballing about two years ago. His parents bought him his first CO2-powered paintball gun, called a marker, this Christmas.

The Kick'n 2005 Paintball Tournament, sponsored by Springfield Paintball, was the first tournament he'd been to, Drew said Saturday.

While the Springfield teen looked on, five-person squads of amateur and novice players battled it out on the arena floor. Inflatable obstacles provided cover as each team sought to capture a central flag, or simply eliminate the opposition with a well-placed splatter of white paint.

The top five-person teams left from a field of 42 will compete in today's finals for more than $10,000 in prizes.

While he prefers outdoor courses to the indoor set-up at the arena, Drew said both styles of play highlight the sport's allure:

"It's intense — you really have to think on your feet," Drew said, as the rapid, staccato sound of the opposing teams' markers filled the air.

And the pain of being smacked with a paint-filled projectile travelling at 280-feet-per-second?

"It hurts sometimes," he admitted, but tolerance builds fast. "I've been shot a lot."

Drew's father, David Summers, said he's happy his son has found a hobby that, unlike the ever-popular video games, involves physical activity.

"It's good to get him out of the house, and out from in front of the TV," he said.

While David Summers said he has yet to try paintball himself, he may need to watch out — Patrick McLaughlan Sr., a member of Team Hotshot, credited his 16-year-old son with getting him hooked on the sport.

"He wanted me to buy him a $100 paintball gun," the elder McLaughlan said. Before spending the money, he decided to try it out for himself. Now, the duo compete on the team with other Oklahoma players, wielding markers that cost 10 times as much as that original purchase.

Ranked as the third most popular extreme sport — after inline skating and skateboarding — paintball has grown rapidly in the last decade, said Steve Alsup, co-owner of Springfield Paintball, started in 1991. His son and partner Mike Alsup is the tournament's organizer.

Professional players now compete on a national level, he said, and many colleges and universities field teams, as well.

One reason for the popularity is that almost anyone can play and excel, Alsup said. Size, age and physical condition take a back seat to clear thinking and grace under fire.

"It's got its own demands that it places on a person, and a lot of that's nerve," Alsup said.

And while tournament-level gear can cost as much as $2,000, a novice player can purchase a beginner-level marker and other basic equipment for as little as $100, he said.

"It's about like fishing or golf — any price range you want, you can be there," he said.

Alsup said the Springfield tournament, in its sixth year, is a way to promote the family's other business — their own brand of Kick'n Paintballs.

With the increased popularity of the sport, heightened demand and production has made the rainbow-colored ammunition more affordable, he said. While a box of 2,000 paintballs once retailed for $125 to $150, the same box now costs just S30 to $45.

Consequently, players are more willing to shoot, and — with semi-automatic markers that can fire as many as 20 balls per second — shoot often, he said. "Last year, we sold every paintball we could make."

Cops: Robbery suspect caught

A man who allegedly robbed a Highland Avenue packy with a paintball gun yesterday was caught by police after he slammed his getaway car into a telephone pole.

Michael Mitrano, whose name and address were not available at presstime yesterday, is being charged with armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and recklessly operating a vehicle after police say he went in O'Brian's Liquors with a paintball gun that looked like a shotgun and demanded money.

Police said they received a report of the hold-up at the liquor store at 158 Highland Ave., near the Central Street intersection, shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday.

At the time the call came in, Police Sergeant Bernard Cotter was traveling westbound on Highland Avenue and spotted a gray car that could have been involved in the incident, said Police Captain John O'Connor.

"One of our officers happened by just after it occurred," O'Connor said.

Cotter followed the car, but hadn't even activated the siren on his police cruiser when Mitrano turned right onto Willow Avenue and then took a sharp left turn onto Morrison Avenue.

Mitrano then lost control of the Nissan Altima he was driving, drove onto the sidewalk and drove straight into a telephone pole in front of 120 Morrison Ave. near Davis Square, O'Connor said. Both front-seat airbags deployed in the Altima, and Mitrano appeared to be uninjured.

When Cotter exited his cruiser and approached the Altima, Mitrano was "going for a knife in his pocket," O'Connor said.

Cotter pulled Mitrano out of the car and handcuffed him, O'Connor said.

Another police officer responding to the armed robbery call, Detective Ross O'Meara, ran his police cruiser into a parked car on Highland Avenue near Cedar Street while attempting to dodge a taxi cab that pulled out in front of him, O'Connor said.

O'Meara was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital via ambulance for lacerations on his head, O'Connor said.

Police found the paintball gun that looked like a shotgun in Mitrano's car. They also found cigarettes and money that had been reported stolen from O'Brian's Liquors.

Employees from the liquor store arrived at the scene of the crash on Morrison Avenue and positively identified Mitrano as the culprit, O'Connor said.

Mitrano was placed in a prisoner wagon and booked at the Somerville Police Station at 11 a.m.

Paintball and gun range proposed in Crestwood

Oldham County planners will consider tomorrow whether a California man can turn a former Crestwood roller rink into an indoor paintball and firearms range.

Several residents and firearm enthusiasts have written letters supporting Barry Laws' plan, saying there's no comparable facility in the area. But dozens of others have expressed concerns about safety and the noise the range could bring.

Laws, a real estate broker in Los Angeles, must obtain a conditional-use permit and variances from the county Board of Adjustments before renovating the former Champ's roller rink behind the Crestwood Station shopping center. The building is zoned for general business.

If Laws gets approval, he said he hopes to open the range in about nine months.

Some residents, including Harold Boroughs of Centerfield, said the community needs an indoor range.

Boroughs, 75, said it would save him a drive to Clark State Forest in Indiana, where he goes for target shooting. He said it's usually muddy there, and he has to wade through a creek to tend to his targets.

Boroughs said he has been involved in shooting sports most of his life. "I think it would be a boon to all of us."

Kathryn Temple, who lives behind the former roller rink, said an indoor paintball facility would save her house from being pummeled with colored pellets. She said children have played paintball in a nearby field, and her house was hit with paint last summer. The paint has since washed away, but her siding was dented.

"It's good for them to have a safe, contained area to shoot," Temple said.

But Kay Powell, who also lives behind the proposed range, said Laws can't guarantee that accidents won't happen.

Powell said she agrees shooters have a right to their guns and that they need a place to shoot them, but she doesn't want that place to be her back yard. She is circulating a petition against the proposed location, and 97 people had signed it as of yesterday morning, she said.

"If it's in a less-populated area," Powell said, she would support Laws' idea. "We're in Oldham County — let's face it, there are more rural areas to put this in."

Laws said Powell's objection to the location is unfair, saying, "They bought into an area that is zoned for exactly the kind of business I'm opening here."

He said the range is going to be renovated in accordance with industry standards developed by the National Rifle Association. He said his plans include noise reduction and a backstop designed to catch up to .50-caliber rounds.

The range also would rent guns, but Laws said patrons would be given rental guns only when they enter the range and wouldn't be permitted to carry them in open areas of the facility or outside the building.

"It's going to be a very controlled environment," he said.

Laws, who plans to move to Louisville this spring, is certified by the California Department of Justice in handgun-safety training. He said he would conduct all classes and private instruction at the Crestwood range.

He said he sees only positives coming from his venture — giving shooters a safe place to practice, providing potential customers for Crestwood Station and offering safety programs for youth and adults.

Trial begins in teen's slaying

BURLINGTON, Iowa Testimony is under way in the first-degree murder trial of one of two men accused of killing a teenager in Burlington last year.

Nineteen-year-old William Lucas Junior is charged in the death of 17-year-old Michael Harper Junior in February 2004. Also charged is 19-year-old Brent Saner.

In opening statements today, prosecutors said Lucas and Saner lured Harper into a wooded area near downtown Burlington, where they beat and strangled him and stabbed him 111 times.

Assistant Des Moines County Attorney Ty Rogers says Lucas and Saner planned the attack after believing Harper had told police about their role in stealing a paintball gun.

In Rogers' words, the killing was "as brutal as it gets."

The defense reserved making opening statement until it begins its case.

The bench trial, before District Judge John Linn, is expected to last into next week.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Cereal Killerz, a new paintball film classic

Die neue DVD von Monkey with a Gun, Cereal Killerz, ist jetzt offiziell erhätlich. Dazu haben die Produzenten auch eine Pressemitteilung veröffentlicht, welche wir Euch nicht vorenthalten möchten. PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Bonnie DeMenge
Phone: (760) 942-1620
Email: bonnie@monkey-with-a-gun.com
Website: www.monkey-with-a-gun.com

Press Release: Cereal Killerz, a new paintball film classic released on DVD!

Cardiff by the Sea, CA – Tuesday, January 18, 2004: Monkey with a Gun, the new production company headed by Patrick Spohrer, the director of PUSH and Sunday Drivers, is pleased to announce after a year-and-a-half in the making their new film Cereal Killerz is now available on DVD. They began shipping it last week to stores across the USA, Canada, and Germany, which means it is probably at a store near you. Once again, Patrick has directed a film that is setting record sales from pre-orders and rave reviews from viewers. The film is destined to become this year's hottest selling paintball DVD.

Cereal Killerz highlights specific prominent individuals in paintball in a way no other paintball film has been able to capture in the past. “We have hand picked some of the best tournament players in the world and some of the best mentors in the sport to feature in the film,” says Bonnie DeMenge, the Director of Marketing for Monkey with a Gun. “We have this amazing group consisting of Chris LaSoya from Infamous, Rocky Knuth from the Naughty Dogs, Bob Long the Captain of Bob's Long's Ironmen, Oliver Lang and Alex Fraige from Dynasty, Davey Williamson and Matty Marshall from XSV, Fred Halmone from the Ton Tons, Ron Kilbourne the Captain of the Bushwackers, and Max Lundqvist from Joy Division, together in one film. This crew truly gives paintball the recognition it deserves as an extreme sport.”



Patrick is extremely pleased with his newest creation. Evidently, those who have already purchased the film are too. One player, “Legitkid,” posts on PbNation.com, “ [this is] not a movie, but a piece of art…the type of quality that you see in a 5 star high budget movie.” “Insaneplayer” posts, “I have to say this movie has got some of the best footage I have seen.” Perhaps this is due to the fact that Patrick spends weeks, merely color correcting every shot of the 65-minute film. This is just one example of the attention to detail in this project.

A tremendous amount of effort was put into making this film unique among the previous films in the paintball community. You will notice this from the moment you pick up the DVD. The impressive packaging sets it apart from the rest. A DVD case with a printed slipcover was selected. The slipcover pulls off to reveal the equally notable packaging inside, a foldout case decorated with hand-drawings of each of the ten players featured in the film.

“The players are incredible. When you follow players like Oliver Lang, Alex Fraige, Chris LaSoya, Matty Marshall and others that are at the top of their game and you film them for a whole year, you can bet there is going to be some unreal footage there,” says Bonnie. “Mix these player's talent with Patrick's filming and editing ability and you're in for a treat.” Get a taste of this, by checking out a trailer of the film on the Monkey with a Gun website, www.monkey-with-a-gun.com .

“We had a tremendous amount of assistance in the production of this film. We are very grateful for the support of National Paintball Supply, JT USA, Worr Game Products, WDP, and Smart Parts in the production of Cereal Killerz. The music labels we worked with were also very generous in providing us with tons of great music to use in the film. Interscope Records, Vagrant Records, Jade Tree, and Bay Root Productions had the perfect mix of songs to collaborate with the players segments. Our goal was to pick songs that actually matched the player's personality,” continues Bonnie. To handle the numerous emails and posts asking about the sound tract Monkey with a Gun has set up a link from their homepage www.monkey-with-a-gun.com to iTunes where many of the songs from Cereal Killerz are available to purchase.

Amazing players, amazing action, amazing cinematography, accompanied by an amazing soundtrack makes up Cereal Killerz. Own it now on DVD!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For more information on Monkey with a Gun or the Cereal Killerz DVD please go to the firm's website at www.monkey-with-a-gun.com or contact:

Bonnie DeMenge
Director of Marketing
Monkey with a Gun
2033 San Elijo Ave, Suite 270
Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007
(760) 942-1620 Tel

Nhance Paintball opens online store

Nhance Paintball is proud to announce the grand opening of the first online store completely dedicated to tournament-style players.

NHANCE Paintball is the first online paintball store completely committed to tournament-style ballers. Our sole purpose is to offer a complete selection of the best high-end equipment available. You won’t find any newbie gear at our store. Instead we’re stocked full of the paintball guns the pro players actually use like Intimidators, DM5s, Shockers, Impulses, and Cockers.

We are also pleased to announce we are the exclusive online distributor of Ill Gear & Pro Paintball Statistics Products!

We are running a special promotion for the grand opening taking place this week (January 18th – January 25th)

Place an order at www.nhancepaintball.com and the first 100 orders over $65.00 will receive a $15.00 gift card for future orders.

Tippmann teams up with EMR Paintball Park

By Bob Lanstrum, Tippmann Sports
Jan 18, 2005, 19:00

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Tippmann Sports the premier manufacturer of high-performance paintball markers and accessories, has announced the formation of a promotional partnership with EMR Paintball Park.

Located in New Milford, PA, EMR Paintball is one of the most popular venues for Scenario and Big Game play in the eastern United States. EMR’s 24 fields include the newly-sponsored “Tippmann Town” featuring two streets lined with buildings and lighted for night play. Situated on five acres of prime real estate adjacent to the Castle, Tippmann Town will see dramatic growth with three additional two-story buildings and a set of new, 12 x 64-foot townhouses. “We’re really thrilled about teaming up with Tippmann”, said Michael “BLUE” Hanse, owner and president of EMR. “We’ve been using Tippmann markers for over 15 years, so we feel like we’re part of the family. This sponsorship will help us improve and expand the park, making it even more exciting for the players.”

Tippmann’s hallmark of quality-made products is an integral facet of the partnership, as all of EMR’s rental markers and accessories carry only the Tippmann brand name. This benefits both enthusiasts and first-time players alike, as product performance and reliability are key to maximizing the EMR experience. “From exclusive equipment rental to naming rights on all the buildings in Tippmann Town, this is definitely a win-win for both Tippmann Sports and EMR.”, commented Cheryll Sullivan, Director of Marketing for Tippmann.

Tippmann Sports, LLC is affiliated with Summit Partners, a leading private equity capital firm. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tippmann sells its products throughout the United States, with a growing presence in Europe, Australia and Canada.

E.M.R. Paintball Park is owned and operated by Michael “BLUE” Hanse, his wife Susie “WOB” Hanse, and their son Christopher “DEUCE” Hanse. For more information on EMR’s fine facility and for photos of Tippmann Town, go to www.EMRPAINTBALL.com.

Police Blotter: Man Attacked By Paintball Gang

A man told police he was attacked by five black males wielding paintball guns.

Shannon Vinson said he was walking along the 2700 block of 6th Avenue when a large maroon van pulled up beside him. He said two of the men started shooting at him with paintball guns, and the other three were cheering them on.

He said he was hit three times, including twice in the back and once in the shoulder. He went to Parkridge Hospital for treatment of minor abrasions.

He said he did not recognize any of the assailants.

On Dogwood Drive, Gwen McKinney said she came home to find her rear door unlocked. She found a drawer open and $6,500 missing.

Jeff Partin, of Woodland Street, said one of his neighbors saw a white male and black male pull up near his garage in an older gray four-door vehicle. The black male got out, loaded up his tiller and lawnmower, then they drove away with the items worth $900.

An intruder threw a large rock through the front glass door of Hobbytown USA at Northgate Mall and went straight for a safe inside.

A video showed a white male wearing a black toboggan, black jacket and black pants.

Chris Kennett of the Rossville Boulevard Pizza Hut said he had a delivery to 3116 14th Ave. He said he arrived with the pizza and was met by two black males about 16 years old, who pulled a silver pistol on him. They took the pizza and ran off.

At a video store at Highland Plaza on Hixson Pike, an explosive device went off emitting a green smoke. Ten customers and employees evacuated.

It was found that a fireworks type smoke bomb had been placed in the video drop box.

A similar incident happened at the Krystal on Hunter Road. The fast food restaurant was evacuated as it began to fill up with smoke. Tri Community Volunteer Fire Department sped to the scene.

Firefighters found a large smoke bomb on the roof top air conditioner.

The manager identified one person he said had a fascination with fireworks. His car was searched and numerous bottle rockets, fireworks and wrappers for smoke bombs were found. Also found was a sword with an 18" blade.

The man said he had given a smoke bomb like the one that was found to another individual. He said he asked for it just before the incident happened.

Shameca Burt said she was arguing with her boyfriend, Bruce Lee Woods, when he pulled a pocket knife and took $50 out of her bra while choking her around the neck. She said he then pushed her to the ground while holding the knife to her throat and threatening to kill her.

Warrants were taken out against Woods on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.

Lakisha White of Read Avenue said she had just gotten home from work when her ex-boyfriend put a large black semi-automatic pistol to her head and said, "- - - - -, give me everything."

She said he took a $250 gold necklace off her neck, two $20 bills from her pocket, two gold rings worth $100 and a gold wedding set worth $1,500. She said he then walked calmly to his Buick Regal and drove off.

She said he now has a new girlfriend, and he had been talking about getting back items he had given her.

On Culver Street, Robbie Creech was getting up to go to the bathroom when she slipped and fell to the floor. She was taken to Erlanger North Hospital by EMS.

Robbie Creech is 99.