Help save our fields at Helen Mccall!!

Ashley thanks for your post.

We run the club soccer program here in South Walton and also use Helen McCall Park. We currently cram 120 players onto the one soccer field, ages 7-13. Much like you, we are in dire need of more space and simply better kept facilities.

There are no lights on the field we use and have been told by the county that soccer cannot practice on any fields with lights at Helen McCall. That doesn't sound right to us?? So, we had to go out and rent our own mobile lighting system at $900 a month. This hurts....We're a 501c3 with a very limited budget.

Plus there is a mosquito control ditch that runs the entire length of this field with no safety fencing or barrier in site...snakes, insects, trash, muck and who knows what else. Kids have fallen in numerous times trying to retrieve balls, It's a mess.

We just returned from a tournament in Perdido Bay (Southwest Escambia Sportsplex). Amazing, well-maintained fields and solid partnership between the county and local youth sport clubs. This is a model that works.

We happen to think tennis courts are a good thing, but they should be built in a place where it doesn't take away from the already strapped green space for youth sports.

Ashley, Walk down to the soccer field on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday and we'll sign your petition. I do think this petition effort should include some viable options provided to the county as far as how/where to put in tennis courts.

Thanks for raising the awareness

Dynamo,

I raised the issue of the lack of fencing around Helen McCall several years ago with the commissioners and on here. Never heard anything from Cindy Meadows. Everyone on here said putting up a fence would be a detriment to the wildlife and parents should crawl in to get the balls if I was so worried. Hopefully, other people will get better results than I.

Fencing has been approved by the BCC. The Mosquito Director and I met with Commissioner Meadows to express safety concerns after the new fields were built.

On Tuesday Commissioner Meadows told me that Brad Alford had been instructed to get the fencing installed ASAP as she had secured the funding.

Fencing has been approved by the BCC. The Mosquito Director and I met with Commissioner Meadows to express safety concerns after the new fields were built.

On Tuesday Commissioner Meadows told me that Brad Alford had been instructed to get the fencing installed ASAP as she had secured the funding.

Bob, Thanks for your continued support on making our parks a better place to play!

Ashley thanks for your post.

We run the club soccer program here in South Walton and also use Helen McCall Park. We currently cram 120 players onto the one soccer field, ages 7-13. Much like you, we are in dire need of more space and simply better kept facilities.

There are no lights on the field we use and have been told by the county that soccer cannot practice on any fields with lights at Helen McCall. That doesn't sound right to us?? So, we had to go out and rent our own mobile lighting system at $900 a month. This hurts....We're a 501c3 with a very limited budget.

Plus there is a mosquito control ditch that runs the entire length of this field with no safety fencing or barrier in site...snakes, insects, trash, muck and who knows what else. Kids have fallen in numerous times trying to retrieve balls, It's a mess.

We just returned from a tournament in Perdido Bay (Southwest Escambia Sportsplex). Amazing, well-maintained fields and solid partnership between the county and local youth sport clubs. This is a model that works.

We happen to think tennis courts are a good thing, but they should be built in a place where it doesn't take away from the already strapped green space for youth sports.

Ashley, Walk down to the soccer field on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday and we'll sign your petition. I do think this petition effort should include some viable options provided to the county as far as how/where to put in tennis courts.

Thanks for raising the awareness

Thank you very much!! This seems to be a constant battle that we fight. My question is..if there is money to build the tennis courts that are not wanted by the majority of people using this facility now then why can't they use that money to fix what we already have. The soccer field needs lighting as does the tee ball field. Our game football field has holes all in it, the score board doesn't work correctly and the 2 portable bathrooms that are down there for hundreds of people to use on game days are absolutely disgusting!! If the new complex was already built and commissioner meadows wanted to add tennis courts then by all means please do. I'm not against tennis but I am against taking away the opportunity for the children to play/practice football like they always have on their field. We had opening day yesterday and if there were tennis courts where they are planned the whole day would have been a disaster! ! During the week the field is practiced on but on game day every team uses this field to warm up on before the game and it's also used as additional parking because there is not adequate parking available. I would really like to know who's bright idea this was to put in tennis courts in the middle of football season and why weren't any of us notified of this instead of hearing about it thru the grapevine?!?! I know about 250 people that have signed the petition in the last 3 days that would have loved to be aware of this before it was put out for bid with a scheduled groundbreaking in novemember!!!

When Ben and I met with Commissioner Meadows concerning the fencing of the mosquito ditch (should have been done when the fields were built) Larry Jones and Mark Davis were there as well.

We found them to be very concerned with the liability and safety issues and they committed to resolving the fencing issue very quickly.

The money to make all of the changes proposed for Helen McCall were to come from the loan approved to purchase the new land on Hwy 98 East and the new practice fields in Miramar Beach (land is leased from SW Water). That loan has not been secured as the process of acquiring the land has not been completed.

They committed to releasing 300k from reserves to pay for the Helen McCall park projects and then replace the reserves when the loan process is completed.

Cindy has asked that the fencing portion be done first as we requested.

She was great to work with.

When Ben and I met with Commissioner Meadows concerning the fencing of the mosquito ditch (should have been done when the fields were built) Larry Jones and Mark Davis were there as well.

We found them to be very concerned with the liability and safety issues and they committed to resolving the fencing issue very quickly.

The money to make all of the changes proposed for Helen McCall were to come from the loan approved to purchase the new land on Hwy 98 East and the new practice fields in Miramar Beach (land is leased from SW Water). That loan has not been secured as the process of acquiring the land has not been completed.

They committed to releasing 300k from reserves to pay for the Helen McCall park projects and then replace the reserves when the loan process is completed.

Cindy has asked that the fencing portion be done first as we requested.

She was great to work with.

I'm glad she works well with someone. That's certainly not the case most of the time!

Building adequate bathrooms that are up to code should be a priority. As far as where to play actual games, I call football all over South Alabama and North Florida and every other community except Niceville and Walton County uses the school facilities for games. I cannot see why that could not work here as well. In most of these communities the various organizations support each other and work together to help all the kids, from the 5 year olds to the seniors in high school.

I'm glad she works well with someone. That's certainly not the case most of the time!

That's not my experience.

Returns calls, listens and gives her thoughts.

Do we always agree ? No but who does ?

I'm glad she works well with someone. That's certainly not the case most of the time!

This is pure BS!!! Commissioner Meadows has never failed to return my phone call or respond to a request or comment. No, I don't always get the answer I want, but I do get an answer.

This is pure BS!!! Commissioner Meadows has never failed to return my phone call or respond to a request or comment. No, I don't always get the answer I want, but I do get an answer.

No not BS at all!! Just truth from quite a few people that have tried to deal with her.. oh and would you mind telling me if there's any room up her rear where you and Bob Hudson hang out so that maybe others could join and get the" phone calls and response to their requests or comments"!! I did not start this post to have childish nobodies reply with their smart remarks and otherwise useless waste of words. If you would like to help the cause then please do if not BUTT OUT! This is for the children not for someone with nothing else to do but stir the pot!! THANKS!!

So if we don't do the tennis courts then the additional fields that the county is taking a loan out for are unnecessary?

With that last post you haven't exactly inspired the community to jump and support your cause.

I have been in SOWAL for over 30 years and I seem to remember that Cecilia Jones last name was bishop and she taught school when my kids went to bay. I do not agree always with Ms. Meadows but like Mr. Hudson she has always responded to public questions and she seems to be the only one on the BCC who asks detailed questions and explains her position to the public during meetings, although Imfeld is getting better also. So even though I am at odds with her on some things, I appreciate her candor. Ashley, I imagine you are somehow related to cecilia and therefore feel the need to attack meadows. I'm so tired of these petty politics... 4 years of this will lead us nowhere.

I tried to quote ashley, but I haven't got this thing figured out yet.:roll:

I have been in SOWAL for over 30 years and I seem to remember that Cecilia Jones last name was bishop and she taught school when my kids went to bay. I do not agree always with Ms. Meadows but like Mr. Hudson she has always responded to public questions and she seems to be the only one on the BCC who asks detailed questions and explains her position to the public during meetings, although Imfeld is getting better also. So even though I am at odds with her on some things, I appreciate her candor. Ashley, I imagine you are somehow related to cecilia and therefore feel the need to attack meadows. I'm so tired of these petty politics... 4 years of this will lead us nowhere. I tried to quote ashley, but I haven't got this thing figured out yet.:roll:

Did a pretty good job of attacking me as well.

My experience in working with Cindy is exactly as I described earlier which seemed to strike a raw nerve. Just my experience.

LOL

Wow Ashley, you don't really seem to understand the process of winning friends and influencing people.

This is a public message board. All are allowed to speak within the rules of the site. Even people that might not agree with you. Being nasty about things will cause people who agree with you to bail.

Wow Ashley, you don't really seem to understand the process of winning friends and influencing people.

This is a public message board. All are allowed to speak within the rules of the site. Even people that might not agree with you. Being nasty about things will cause people who agree with you to bail.

You are absolutely correct and i sincerely apologize for letting some strike a nerve. I did not post on here to start a typing war or play politics. I frankly do not care about any of the trash talking and back biting that goes along with it which is why I have never posted on here before.

It doesn't matter who I am or am not related to. I posted using my real name because I am my own person with my own views and beliefs and I really thought i could reach out and recieve help from someone here, not to play games and trash talk behind a screen name. I honestly just need help with this cause.

I have absolutely nothing against commissioner meadows other than the fact that in the past my efforts to reach her on issues have not been responded to. If I have offended anyone, again I apologize, I am just very passionate about this cause and feel that it's falling on deaf ears. I do not want this to continue to be drawn out into something negative. That will benefit noone. Certainly not the children I am trying to help.

This is the problem with our county now. Everyone has to take sides. Why can't we just work together on something that is important instead of beating each other up over who you're friends with/related to or voted for. I understand not everyone is going to agree 100% of the time.

But I also understand that not everyone's experiences are the same which is why I let Andy A strike that nerve when he called BS. This will be my last post on this forum as I have learned my lesson the hard way about public forums in Walton county. However I am still in need of help so if anyone would like to help please come by Helen McCall or contact our county commissioner please. Thankyou.

Ashley, I wholeheartedly support your effort in trying to save the fields for the kids. If you can provide some more information about the project, I'd be happy to send a letter to the BCC encouraging them to protect the fields. From what I can understand from previous articles, the tennis courts were in the plan for McCall because new fields will be created when the county builds the new park (using the $10 million line of credit)? Is that right? If so, I think they should hold off on the courts until the new place is built. I just need some more details.

The truth about Helen mcCall.

This is pure BS!!! Commissioner Meadows has never failed to return my phone call or respond to a request or comment. No, I don't always get the answer I want, but I do get an answer.

No not BS at all!! Just truth from quite a few people that have tried to deal with her.. oh and would you mind telling me if there's any room up her rear where you and Bob Hudson hang out so that maybe others could join and get the" phone calls and response to their requests or comments"!! I did not start this post to have childish nobodies reply with their smart remarks and otherwise useless waste of words. If you would like to help the cause then please do if not BUTT OUT! This is for the children not for someone with nothing else to do but stir the pot!! THANKS!!

Ashley,
Please call the county planning Dept and get a copy of the past proposals for Helen McCall park. If you do that, you will see that another pratice field was proposed for the very reason that there were not enough fields to pratice on. When Commissioner Jones was the district 5 representative, she changed the plan to splash pads and spent 250k on it. She then paid her aide extra money to help with the project. So Ashley if you are mad about no pratice fields and your children are upset, they have their grandmother to thank for that. She publicly stated how much her grandkids loved the splash pads. Perspective changes apparently when you grow out of something and need something else. Mrs. Jones was told many times by the parents that practice fields were needed much more than splash pads, but it fell on deaf ears.:boxing:

No not BS at all!! Just truth from quite a few people that have tried to deal with her.. oh and would you mind telling me if there's any room up her rear where you and Bob Hudson hang out so that maybe others could join and get the" phone calls and response to their requests or comments"!! I did not start this post to have childish nobodies reply with their smart remarks and otherwise useless waste of words. If you would like to help the cause then please do if not BUTT OUT! This is for the children not for someone with nothing else to do but stir the pot!! THANKS!!

Let me begin by stating my personal position. The tennis courts should not be built until other practice fields are available at the new recreation site. Those wanting to play tennis can rent courts at the Santa Rosa Golf Club. They are seldom used and availability is good. That said, a word or two about Ashley's comments. I don't cotton well to blanket statements about any of our elected officials, particularly when, for me they are wrong. I seek out information from all our Commissioners when I deem it necessary and am not one to kiss anyone's behind or be up it, either. I feel I have earned the right to ask, suggest or berate any elected official we may have and do so often. I hope I've made myself clear and as far as this board is concerned, it is for opinions and information by all and all are free to comment as to their individual position. At least this is what I've observed. If this assessment is wrong, please tell me. I'm big enough to take it!

Why can't the Boys and Girl Club and School facilities be used by the kids? Ridiculous that our children don't have decent fields to play on!

The Boys and Girls Club fields are used on a regular basis for soccer. They have no lighting so very soon practices and games will have to end by 5 p.m. There are no goal posts for football. There are no bathrooms, only portapotties. I lighting for tennis courts that will seldom be used? Why not lighting for practice and play fields for kids?