I wholeheartedly agree with the statement (from Andy Hobbs’ article “Ideas to build momentum in city’s economy,” June 8) that the gun ranges will be the safest spots in Federal Way and that they will be a benefit to our city’s economy.

As a NRA range safety officer and a member of the safety committee for the Armed Defense Training Association (a local gun club), safety is my number one concern when it comes to handling and operating firearms.

I strongly feel that by having access to a local range, the average gun owners in Federal Way will be able to practice their skills in a very safe environment. From what I understand, there will also be classrooms and workshops at these ranges where gun owners will have the opportunity to receive instructions on how to properly handle firearms in a responsible way.

So by having a gun range (or two) here in our great city, the city as a whole will be a much safer place. In addition to the benefits these ranges will have to the safety of our community, they will also give gun owners a reason to stay and play (I mean practice their skills).

As a member of ADTA, my group and I travel once a month to Tacoma and quarterly to Bellevue to sharpen our skills at the ranges in these cities. In order to use these facilities, a good size fee is paid, and often times we stop afterward to grab a bite to eat, benefiting those cities’ pocketbooks instead of Federal Way’s.

I’m anxiously awaiting the grand opening of these ranges so I can stay and play.

April Hiatt, Federal Way