(PENSACOLA) --- Credit where it was due was given to 12-year Pensacola Councilwoman Sheri Myers today at the Carpenter's Creek ceremony.
While many officials will lead you to believe the project is all about them, it's not. It's Myers and Laurie Murphy who made today possible at 725 East Olive Rd.
While I will note the usual pomp and circumstance event, which included Representative Michelle Salzman and Escambia County Commissioners' Public Information Officer Kaycee Lagarde directing everyone around to get in their seats, the real story is the one Myers and native Dale Monks tell.
(Photo: Classic Pomp and Circumstance for county event March 19)
Monks pulled over to the side of the road to see why the gathering when OpGov.News got the real story, always the goal for this reporter. Monks remembers Carpenters Creek from back in the day, as he would put it, saying Myers was "the head honcho" back then when it came to the creek.
But Monk goes even further back first.
"I knew the people who owned the Cedar House property back when I was a kid," Monks said. "I used to hunt and fish with all the old guys at Carpenters Creek; they would actually put a boat in the water here by the road, all the way to the interstate."
The now beautiful property was once "just a back lot full of cars," Monks said, noting the owner had a filler station up the road.
(Photo: Carpenter's Creek Headwaters Nature Trail)
"He towed a lot of vehicles, and all this was tires and junk cars," Monk said, adding he recalls when Myers would come onto the property, searching around.
Myers admits the same, recalling passing the property many times, wondering what would come of the tire-filled section of her district. She saw some hope—a hope she shared with Lori Murphy, who is the head of Emerald Coastkeeper.
"I had been working on Carpenter Creek preservation for the last 23 years, so when I met Lori, I knew we were just a match made in heaven," Myers said, noting Murphy sponsored many creek cleanups.
(Photo: Resident David Reeves, who used to cleanup the creek, and Sheri Myers)
As the story has it, Myers would not give up.
"I went looking for the headwaters, and I was driving across that bridge over there one day, and I saw a for sale sign, and I stopped, and I am going to get her on the phone," Myers said. "I said, 'I think I found the headwaters to Carpenter Creek, and it was the best find I had ever made."
The duo found out the property was not cheap.
"Somehow we had to find 120,000 dollars, and we had sixty days to do it," Myers said, noting she considered mortgaging her home to purchase. "It was one battle after another, believe me."
(Photo: Laurie Murphy with Sheri Myers, the women who made the day possible)
Both creek activists feared a developer would purchase the property, planning to buy it themselves if necessary. We were afraid of a developer leaving the land treeless like across the street, Myers said, pointing to a commercial property scarce of greenery.
"All the subdivisions down the street are treeless," Myers said.
The timing was ideal, with former Commissioner Grover Robinson holding a town hall meeting, where Myers presented an idea to save the property.
"Grover was selecting projects for restoration and already selected Carpenter Creek, and Lori came out and took a video of this, and we went there, and everyone looked at the video and said we have got to have this," Myers said, adding officials noted how some of the property would be perfect for stormwater management.
After all those years, Myers walked the grounds this afternoon.
(Photo: Carpenter's Creek Headwaters Nature Trail)
"This is the first time I have been out here, and it is staggering. I would have never dreamed that they would be able to make a boardwalk through all of this property," Myers said. "It's just incredible to be able to walk across the headwaters."
She is right. The small section of a major roadway is a slice of heaven, especially at the headwater, home to many species.
"To see all those turtles and all the other life forms," Myers said.
(Photo: Carpenter's Creek Headwaters Nature Trail)
When asked about so many officials present for photo opportunities, she answered with grace.
"The main thing I feel good about is that we were able to save this," Myers said. "It's not about me, it's not about Lori or any person, it's about these beautiful headwaters."
(Photo: Representative Michelle Salzman and others show up for self-serving photo shoots as seen here)
Doing the right thing, Commissioner Lumon May assured Myers was noticed first among others, personally thanking her and Murphy before officials present for helping a piece of land that "God provided and man contaminated."
(Photo: Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May giving credit where credit is due to Sheri Myers at ceremony)
The best part of the ceremony was before a list of officials' names was spewed on and on, when Myers said, pointing to a bee, "It's about that."
(Photo: 12-year Pensacola Councilwoman Sheri Myers reads nature trail signage on a property she discovered)
"At least if I die, I can die knowing I accomplished something," Myers said.
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