Cleland's staying busy

Cleland's Outdoor World continues to rebuild and expand its offerings in new temporary quarters across Airport Highway from the site of its well-known Swanton store, which was destroyed in a fire July 5.

The current hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday for walk-ins, with special hours by appointment by calling 419-865-4713.

"This is a much smaller building than we are used to, but it will give us the ability to serve our customers," said Chad Cleland, one of the family owners.

"We will be recording claims for customers who may have had layaways, special orders, consignments, or items in for repair during the fire." Some 1,200 firearms were ruined in the blaze.

"We have some inventory for sale and more is arriving daily," Cleland said. "We are currently set up with more distributors and manufacturers than we ever have been, so we can special-order almost any product quickly."

He added that the family is putting special emphasis on the upcoming deer seasons and already is tuning, repairing, and setting up bows for archery season, which begins the end of September.

Cleland has begun personal handgun training sessions and can provide same for groups.

In addition a gunsmithing department is up and running for repairs.

"While going through our records, I learned a neat fact," he added. "In the last 43 years Gary [Cleland] and his gunsmiths have repaired and/or built approximately 35,000 firearms. Starting in September we are going to showcase one of these firearms a week."

The first in the series will be a custom BSA/Martini Cadet single-shot training rifle, chambered in .218 Bee, scaled down and built for Theresa Cleland by her husband, Gary.

U.S. Army Specialist Sherri Gallagher of the army marksmanship unit at Fort Benning, Ga., has won the coveted title of national high-power rifle champion at the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry.

Gallagher fired a 2396-161X out of a possible 2400 to beat nine-time champion Carl Bernosky of Ashland, Pa., who fired a 2395-140X. Third place went to Stephen Culpepper of Sharpsburg, Ga., who fired 2382-121X. The X-score refers to tie-breaking, center-shot bull's-yes. The championship fielded 430 shooters.

U.S. Marine Corps Reservist Sergeant Eric Swearingen, a 2001 graduate of Toledo Christian and now stationed at El Cajon, Calif., won the national service rifle championship at 2381-103X out of 2400. He also was awarded the high marine and high reservist titles and Coast Guard trophy.

Second among 285 shooters was U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Tyrel Cooper of Fort Benning and the AMU who fired 2377-108X and was awarded the high regular service title. Third went to the AMU's Sergeant First Class Grant Singley at 2372-121X.

The national long-range high-power title went to John Whidden of Nashville, Ga., who fired a 1243-75X to lead 326 shooters. Second went to the AMU's Staff Sergeant Brandon Keith Green at 1240-60X and third went to Michelle Gallagher of Prescott, ASrix., at 1238-70X.

Marksman Kevin Nevius of Gibsonburg, was high Palma rifle winner and high master at 1236-52X.

The annual Matches at Camp Perry, begun in early July, concluded last week with the long-range firing.

• The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment is seeking reports of trumpeter swans during August and September for a continent-wide census that to determine the population size and distribution of these, the largest waterfowl in North America.

The trumpeter swan's recovery represents an success in endangered species recovery. Historically, trumpeter swans nested in wetlands across much of the continental United States, including Michigan. By 1885, unregulated shooting and wetland destruction had eliminated the population from the state. By 1900, the species was considered extinct. Decades later, two previously unknown populations were discovered in the Rocky Mountains and Alaska.

Efforts to restore the species to Michigan began in the late 1980s. By 2004, 655 trumpeter swans were counted during the late-summer survey.

Ohio also has a trumpeter restoration program, with about 70 pairs currently spread mainly across the northern half of the state.

Although the Michigan population is doing well, the trumpeter remains protected as a state threatened species because of the young age of the population and its somewhat limited distribution within the state.

Both trumpeter swans and mute swans occur in Michigan and Ohio. Mute swans, which are not native and can be quite aggressive as well as destructive to wetland systems, will not be counted. Observers should familiarize themselves with the

differences between the two species.

Photos and additional information can be found online at michigan.gov/dnre.

Reports online can be filed at michigan.gov/wildlife under Report Wildlife Observations or by calling 517-373-1263. Only observations made after Aug. 15 should be reported.

Contact Steve Pollick at:

spollick@theblade.com

or 419-724-6068.