Viewpoint on Langley Bell 4-H Center sale

Rick,
My name is Ken Meharg. I am an agricultural educator that retired from the Escambia County School District in 2010 after spending 30 years educating the youth of Escambia County. Although I have no strong feelings, one way or the other, concerning the possible sale of the Langley Bell 4-H Center, I do have strong feelings for the youth of Escambia County, especially those that are part of the FFA and 4-H. I spent 52 years of my life as a resident of Escambia County and will always consider it home, no matter where my address may be. It has been heart wrenching to watch the division that these events have caused within our community and I can only hope that events will unfold that heal those most affected, the youth. I have written a letter that expresses some of my feelings concerning this topic, and since you seem to be one of those individuals that people in our community turn to for information, I felt that it was important that you be able to read it. Thanks, Ken

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As someone recently commented concerning the possible sale of the Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union, “Country ain’t Country no more”. The ever present growth within Escambia County has been hard on those of us that can remember a much slower paced way of life in our beloved home town. What were once pine plantations, cattle pastures, soybean, corn, and cotton fields now host upscale subdivisions, shopping centers, stop lights, convenience stores/gas stations, fast food restaurants, and overcrowded highways; changes that many of us, including myself, find almost unbearable at times.

The battle cry that is now being heard far and wide within our county is “Remember when”. Well, I can remember; When Mr. Ralph Godwin actually ran Tate High School, regardless of what the “Garden Street Crowd” had to say; Sitting at a rickety old table, white sand littering the concrete floor, eating the best fried mullet on the Gulf Coast at the original Rusty’s Fish Camp on Gulf Beach Hwy, all the time marveling, as only a youngster can do, at the collection of tin cans hung from the rafters in an effort to catch the rainwater that came from the holes in the old tin roof during the frequent afternoon thunder showers; When Van Pelt’s dairy occupied a good portion of what is now referred to as Car City; Attending the Pensacola Interstate Fair Steer Show & Sale when it was run by authentic, politically incorrect, straight to the point and honest to a fault Escambia County cattlemen and the community still supported it like the big deal it was: Looking forward to each Monday, the day that the Robertsdale Livestock Auction was conducted, hogs in the morning and cattle after lunch, and the opportunity for a young boy to eat a greasy, griddle fried hamburger, purchased from the dusty old concession stand, as my grandfather and I walked the catwalks that hung precariously from the ceiling, all in an effort to see what appeared, at least to a 5 year old, to be acres of penned cattle housed in this ancient facility . All of these are very fond memories, but memories they are and certainly things that neither I, nor anyone else, are likely to ever see again in our area.

With all of that having been said, the facts are very evident; Most of Escambia County and the surrounding area can no longer be viewed as a true rural community and, much to the distain of many within the area, it is a sure bet that growth and urbanization will continue its well organized assault upon the relatively few rural enclaves that do remain. The possible change that is on the horizon for the 4-H program in Escambia County is just another cog in what is often referred to as the “wheel of progress” and the final outcome to this saga will be determined by the wisdom of those adults and youth within our community that will weigh the benefits of potential job growth and additional ad valorem taxes against the benefits of a youth program that has, over the course of many years, played a major role in the building of not only a host of influential community leaders, but also a multitude of solid citizens within our county. Now is a critical time for 4-H in our county; a time when this program finds itself caught between the remnants of a rural community that seems to only want to “remember when” and a fast growing urban community that doesn’t recognize the importance of the role that this program has played in the development of past and present leaders within our community. It is surely a time that could ultimately define the role that this organization will play in the development of our future community leaders and it is my hope and prayer that the adults, and youth, that have been given this task will have the foresight and maturity to meet the challenge that 4-H now finds itself facing in Escambia County.

There exists one known fact amongst all of this; We can all be assured that whether the Langley Bell 4-H Center is sold to Navy Federal or not, change in our community is still inevitable and those of us who remember the “good old days”, as well as those that trumpet the virtues of progress, will eventually have to open our minds to not only our past, but to the changes lurking on the horizon; in doing this we as a community will hopefully find the common ground that will allow two very important ideals to co-exist within the county we all call home; future progress and the cherished values of our rural past.