Escambia Group Meets With State Leaders About Langley Bell 4-H Center Replacement

March 21, 2013

A delegation of concerned citizens from Escambia County met with several elected officials this week to discuss a replacement for the Langley Bell 4-H Center, which was sold to Navy Federal Credit Union.

“I think we made good progress toward getting what the kids deserved,” Jacob Gilmore said after meeting with Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam. Other members of the Escambia County group met with Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ingram, Senate President Don Gaetz and Rep. Doug Broxson.

Pictured: (L-R) Brett Ward, Angus Brewton, Gayle Brewton, Ag Commissioner Adam Putnam, Jacob Gilmore, George Carpenter, Martha Carpenter and Mike Godwin. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

10 Responses to “Escambia Group Meets With State Leaders About Langley Bell 4-H Center Replacement”

  1. Izzy kent on August 30th, 2013 8:14 am

    U con not replace the Langley bell center!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Friend on April 6th, 2013 6:45 pm

    It is nice to see somebody stepping up and listeing to the children. This is the support Iwe have been looking for. I can’t wait to share this with my children. Perhaps their faith will be restored.

  3. Debra Gilmore on March 22nd, 2013 1:14 am

    Keep up the good work! The children of Escambia County deserve more than a couple of acres at the back of the existing property on Stefani Road. I would agree when I was in 4-H Stefani was in the country but then again it has been 40 years and alot has changed. I can’t imagine the folks living around the Stefani Road site wanting the extension office to allow the 4-Her’s to house their hogs on the site, as they were allowed to do at the Langley Bell 4-H center. Many children have the desire to learn about agriculture but without a facility such as Langley Bell Center will never be given the opportunity. The children made the right decision for the good of the county to sell the existing facility, now the Extension office and IFAS and the County officials need to step up and do what is right for the children.

  4. Kay Campbell on March 21st, 2013 10:11 pm

    I would like to thank each and everyone of you for fighting for what’s right for these kids. We all know that Stefani road is not the answer for the 4-H…..and the people pushing for this should be ashamed. Twenty acres is a slap in the face…..your going to push them to sell and then cram them on a twenty acre parcel in a residential neighborhood. Shame on you Escambia County! If I can do anything to help make this wrong right , count me in!! Again , thanks to you all!!!

  5. friend on March 21st, 2013 1:40 pm

    Thanks to everyone who met with state officials yesterday on behalf of the youth in 4-H. Thanks to those members of the Task Force who support 4-H 100% and are trying their very best to do what is right by the 4-Hers as well (even though their hands have been somewhat tied by Extension & IFAS). It seems that the
    4-H families & task force members are constantly fighting an uphill battle to get something comparable to the Langley Bell 4-H Center (which they were convinced to sell by organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.) And the 4-Hers cannot depend on the majority of the 4-H Foundation Members to support their wishes – as the people who serve on this board seem to have been hand-picked by the powers that be without any input from 4-H leaders/families. The answer to replacing the Langley Bell Center is NOT the new “office” building that is going to be built on Stefani Road. Hopefully, Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ingram, Senate President Don Gaetz, Rep. Doug Broxson and Adam Putnam (who is a former 4-Her.) will be able help Escambia County 4-Hers out.

  6. Mike Godwin on March 21st, 2013 1:22 pm

    Hope the group did some good in Tallahassee! Thanks David Lamb if you were here you would have been in Tallahassee supporting 4-H. Give me a call.

  7. bill on March 21st, 2013 12:08 pm

    Roy is right. The kids were promised a larger tract of land if they agreed to the sell and they should get it.

  8. Bob on March 21st, 2013 8:47 am

    It is a proven fact in Escambia County, any excess funds left lying around soon gets gobbled up by some political group. Now it is time to step up and be a man, give those kids what they were promised and lets get on with business of the day.

  9. David Lamb on March 21st, 2013 8:05 am

    This is great news! Meeting with state officials to pass on our concerns is fantastic. The stonewalling by IFAS needs to stop. Nopw a change in leadership in Escambia Extension is the next best thing to happen!
    Thanks to Mike Godwiin, Angus, George , Brett, and Jacob and their wives for all the time and energy spent on Escambia 4H. Would love to see Escambia 4H back to its days of being one of the best in Florida. Mike remembers those days! Went to a lot of events with Mike Godwin! You look older , Mike! Dont crash any planes!

  10. Walnut Hill Roy on March 21st, 2013 7:24 am

    I really want to see the kids get a big piece of land to replace Langley Bell, not just the piece at the Extension Center on Stefani Road. This selection process seems to be dragging out too long.