A new outlook for Westford's East Boston Camps

These "friends" are shilling for the East Boston Social centers return for free use of the camps as in years past. In the past they conned some town officials to disallow public access to the prime areas for 9 weeks for gratis

I hope the taxpayers are paying attention

Do you really think anyone is going to give you money to rent the camps?
Why would they pay you when there are places to go for free. It does not look good trying to extort money from a charity organization.

Why don't they camp at Boston Harbor or out at Deer Island???????

OK Kevin. Why don't you pony up with some money so that so-called charity can rent a camp somewhere?

Why extort money from taxpayers to support a charity?

Freedom wrote:

Why don't they camp at Boston Harbor or out at Deer Island???????

Because they still perceive that the camps rightly belong to them.

The town of Westford bought the property known as East Boston Camps. The East Boston Social Center never owned the property. The Hyams Foundation owned it and allowed East Boston Social Center to use them. Once Westford bought the property, East Boston Social Center got hostile towards the town and anyone who wanted access to the property. They could not run the camps without tax payer funding, so they are out and good riddance to them. If they ever want to get back in, they will have to go through the RFP process. Something they were unable to do in the past. Legal precedence has been set. Thats the way it is. So East Boston Social Center can go dry their tears and try to extort charity from somebody else.

George wrote:

<quoted text>
Because they still perceive that the camps rightly belong to them.

That perception would be dead wrong.

2FNBD

If it wasn't for those camps, I probably would have become a drug dealer or a gang banger.

Westford is rich. They had no problem buying the land. But now that it is public they don't want to let anyone from EBC to stay there or use the boats like they did in the past. The town needs to fix the rotting buildings and get the camps open. It shouldn't be a problem, the town has paid a caretaker for a while and they have money for repairs. Let the children continue to camp there like they've been doing for 70 years.

When all give, all gain.

Saved Me wrote:

If it wasn't for those camps, I probably would have become a drug dealer or a gang banger.
Westford is rich. They had no problem buying the land. But now that it is public they don't want to let anyone from EBC to stay there or use the boats like they did in the past. The town needs to fix the rotting buildings and get the camps open. It shouldn't be a problem, the town has paid a caretaker for a while and they have money for repairs. Let the children continue to camp there like they've been doing for 70 years.
When all give, all gain.

The people in Westford are not "rich". Most families are supported by two hard working parents.

The "Non Profit" agency running EBC was the real issue. If you want the camping to continue (as most of us do), I would recommend aligning to a reputable non-profit like Boy Scouts or Girls Scouts of America.

Lets tell the truth on this.

The Town bought the property to prevent any large scale development,and to preserve a beautiful vista.

When the town bought the property the former "Au gratis" tenants, East Boston Social Centers, had neglected the upkeep of the camps.
Thats why the camps are in such disrepair. What you see today is years of abuse and neglect from past campers

The property is open to the public to enjoy,and is NOT, as George's above post,states is NOT the perceived playground for the former campers!!

Keep in mind that the rich town of Westford is not a charitable organization. Why do think this rich town should spend much money so people like you could be saved from becoming a criminal?

'All pay,all enjoy'

To Saved Me in beautiful downtown Lawrence,
When all give, all gain.
What exactly are you giving forth for this effort? I know that every quarter when I pay my taxes, a % of this goes to all of the expenses that the taxpayers of Westford are asked to support.
I really don't want to hear what your opinion is on this matter unless you are contributing toward the cost of this former boondoggle for you and yours.
And, no I don't want to hear that you are raking up leaves or some other such nonsense.
Cold hard cash. That's what it's all about baby!

Rich Hard Working Penny from my IPHONE while I'm driving around in my Lexus

Saved Me wrote:

If it wasn't for those camps, I probably would have become a drug dealer or a gang banger.
Westford is rich. They had no problem buying the land. But now that it is public they don't want to let anyone from EBC to stay there or use the boats like they did in the past. The town needs to fix the rotting buildings and get the camps open. It shouldn't be a problem, the town has paid a caretaker for a while and they have money for repairs. Let the children continue to camp there like they've been doing for 70 years.
When all give, all gain.

What are you giving, exactly?

First of all, I think you are selling yourself and your family (I hope you have one)short. I would bet that there are former campers who are either doing time, done time, and/or have developed drug problems. The difference in who recovers from their mistakes and who doesn't is usually a function of that person's own character and that of their family and friends around them, not because of a couple of weeks a year feeding mosquitos in the woods.

In any event, if you want to use the Westford Woods facilities, you can apply and pay for it just like anyone else. The town's Conservation Commission has decided, though, that you cannot use the boats. That is unfortunate, as many of us would like to use them.

Then there is the issue of ownership. The Hyams folks sold you out. They wanted the money more than the land and your EBSC camps. Now owned by the town of Westford, there are restrictions imposed by law and restrictions imposed by politics and policy. Basically, the rule of thumb is:what's in the best interests of the owners, in this case, the taxpayers of Westford.

This may help: Suppose I sold you my car. You paid me your hard earned money, and took possession. Then, the very next day, my cousin showed up on your front porch, demanding the keys and the exclusive use of the car for the entire summer. His story is that I let him use the car every summer for years, so you need to do the same. I am pretty sure you wouldn't want to do that.

By the way, there ARE some wealthy people in Westford, you probably drove by some very nice houses on the way to camps, and probably have met a few rich "do-gooders" associated with the camps. Not only is this irrelevant, but it is not a very accurate portrait of the town. THere are LOTS of people struggling in Westford, and LOTS struggling to pay their taxes.

And, finaly, you cannot feel too great about yourself if you are looking for other people to pay for your or your children's vacations. Forcing other folks to provide for you only demeans you and your community.

So, sign up to use the facilities, pay like anyone else, and check out the camps that are being held by other organizations, and, get angry if you must at Hyams, not the new owners.

To all of you so called know it alls from Westford,and a like.
Calling a great Non-Profit (get it "Non")like the Social Center an extortionist,or not reputable is a joke.
I am willing to bet all of you Out of Towners own some of our worst buildings,and laugh at us all the way to the bank.Also known as slumlords.
Most of you also prabably work in Boston,so our money is good but our kids are trash.What a bunch of losers !
It is the town of Westford that will lose in the end ,as all it takes is CA$$$$$$$$H to make your local politicians allow development.Also known as Tax revenue,and you will end up with a mall,housing,or a Walmart,and BOOM there goes your township.
Ill take Eastie over a town that looks down on innocent kids every day.
Now to those talking about some of our kids being possible drug dealers,or criminals.
Its kids from towns like yours who sell,and do more drugs than inner city kids.
After all,they don't have to work,or apply for student loans,all they have to do is call mommy,or daddy for all the cash they need.
Nuff Said
Eastie Rules

I was a camper and counselor at East Boston Camps.....it was a great organazation untill politics became involved.....my camping and counselor experiences shaped my life and who I am...I find it very disturbing that "townie" feels it is in such dispear from years of neglect and abuse from past campers....have you ever voluntered to go there paint or clean, because I am a past camper and counselor and I have painted,cleaned and scrubbed toilets..... I have never neglected or abused the grounds in any way,shape or form.....and yes I feel John Kelly of the Social Centers screwed the town of Westford and the campers and lovers of East Boston Camps...it is just said there is so much debate and politics and due to so many of you who are angry about your tax money and your towns that great kids from neglected homes whether it be from East Boston,Chelsea,Westford are not able to enjoy these grounds to camp as it used to be........

Also some of you may want to look into anger managment......

also I had campers from Westford..... overnight campers at that and they went the whole summer all 8 weeks and they would rather have been there then any other camp or activity around Westford.....as I said in my earlier post due to politics and the Social Centers neglect(yes I do agree the Social Centers are at fault also) the camp is no longer the one I remember and loved and it sucks that my children will never enjoy the camp as much as I did. When I was a camper I was able to go to any camp I wanted money was not an issue, I always chose East Boston Camps....

"And, finaly, you cannot feel too great about yourself if you are looking for other people to pay for your or your children's vacations. Forcing other folks to provide for you only demeans you and your community."

I also want to clear something up.Campers from East Boston,Chelsea wherever we came from, paid to go to camp. My Mother when I was a camper from 84-88 paid $300 per party so it was not "free". So I wish you all would direct your issues toward the Social Centers not the parents or campers.....some of you are blameing the wrong parties. Maybe you should look a little deeper into the way the camp was run from 1937 -2007....before you accuse us of getting free vacations , my parents have a lovely vacation home in North Conway with indoor pool,sauna and arcade that I can pitch atent in the parlor and camp any time,but they PAID for me to go to good old EBC, because it was a GREAT place.....

I am sure it was a great time for all the campers. I am sure it was well run for the campers. I am also sure that there were several people enjoying the camp for NOTHING this past weekend. That's the free ride I was addressing.

Additional facts: Someone was stealing electricity for the camps for decades. Someone let the wiring rot to the point that anyone who sent their kids there should have been very concerned. Also, the EBSC signed a lease agreement in bad faith, knowing full well they had no intention of living up to key parts of that agreement (this resulted in a couple of ugly confrontations with Westford citizens that enraged much of the town, by the way). Why is it in the best interests of the new owners to pay for upgrading the facility so they can be preventing from using it for most of the summer?

But, here's the overriding fact:
It's over. Hyams sold you out. The new owners are under different rules. Get over it, move on with your memories.

If you want to use the camps, pay for it like anyone else. It's a beautiful place. If you want to your kids to enjoy the camp experience, sign them up to whatever program is offered. Let's stop bitching about it and grow up.

Joe whoever you are from Eastie,
The Hyams Foundation sold you, EBSC and all your eastie friends down the river (or Keys Brook if you even know where that is). They are the philanthropic organization. Not Westford. The land will not be developed because it is now under a conservation restriction. It is open to the public,(sadly that includes you guys from eastie) and is not subject to the exclusive use that your freind John Kelley insisted on having. If you want to get mad at someone because you have lost yet another handout on the public sectors dime, get mad at Kelley. He is the one who got confrontational and made threats towards the people of Westford. He is the one who came before the new owners of EBC with a chip on his shoulder and the opinion that the town of Westford somehow owes the people of East Boston free vacations every summer. He is the one who knowing and blatantly violated the lease agreement that EBSC had wit the town. He is the one who behaved as though the tax payers of Westford owe your kids a free summer camp. He is the one who was ultimately responsible for the thugs running around guised as "camp councelors" causing confrontations with anybody they thought was encroaching on their exclusive use area. The Hyams Foundation, East Boston Social Centers, John Kelley, the "councelors" and more than a few EBC alumni are to blame for your inability to monopolize what is now P-U-B-L-I-C P-R-O-P-E-R-T-Y. Get over it. Move on. The current demographics in East Boston is made up of families who don't send their kids to summer camp. Thats why the Hyams Foundation unloaded it in the first place. Perhaps you should have looked to your mommy and daddy a bit more and they might have taught you that the world does not owe you anything. Hopefuly its not too late to get your kids set up with a summer job so the can get used to pulling their own load rather than look to others to support them. What example are you going to lead them by? The one with his hand out or the one who takes responsibility for himself and has the initiative to improve his life without leaning on people he (you) never met and know nothing about.