Westford Water Department

Westford Water Department Drinking Water Report Info
The Hyams Foundation The Hyams Foundation website states that Godfrey Hyams grew up in Boston and went to Harvard College. He was a Metallurgist, architect and lender. He was responsible for the growth of the Anaconda Mining Company and the Virginia Railway. He lived in Dorchester with his two sisters, Sarah and Isabel, both of whom were dynamic in social work in Boston. None of the siblings at any point married. In 1927, Godfrey established a beneficent trust, to which the major bit of his estate was given. Smaller award making trusts were set up in his sisters' names. For a long time, the Godfrey M. Hyams Trust and the smaller Sarah A. Hyams Fund had indistinguishable trustees, award making purposes and processes. They were merged in 1993, and were then called the Hyams Foundation, Inc. The Isabel F. Hyams Fund, Inc. offered help for a long time toward the East Boston Social Centers, Inc. In 1996, every one of the three funds became merged. The mission of the Hyams Foundation is "to increase economic and social justice and power within low income individuals in Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts." Its award making guidelines focus on four community priorities: Increased metro engagement, with a special focus on immigrant communities; more reasonable housing, especially for exceptionally low-income families; increased family economic self-sufficiency; and improved opportunities for low-income teens. In the last few years, the Hyams Foundation has disbursed more than $5 million every year, in such diverse areas as after-school programs, voter interest, housing creation, diversity initiatives, work preparing and English as a second language classes. During the 1930s, tuberculosis was an incredible scourge, especially in East Boston. Isabel and Sarah Hyams figured they could help the downtown youngsters by giving a "Fresh Air Camp" in the nation. They procured a private firm to search for just the correct area for this camp. In 1937, they purchased 16 parcels of land between Stony Brook and Keyes Brook in Westford. The land contained the pristine 25-section of land Burge's Pond. Parcels were purchased from the following owners: Oscar Spalding, Allister MacDougall, Charles Hildreth, trustee for Mary Heywood, Eli Burbeck, Alex Fisher estate (formerly of Cummings and Fletcher), the Boston and Maine Railroad, Lapham and Boyd, the Stony Brook Railroad, Frances Fisher, Amelia Brown, Louis Lescard, Hiram and Everett Fernald, Ada Mudge, Edward Fisher, Frank Johnson, and John Hornbrook. Interestingly, the land close to the boggy territory toward the south of Burge's Pond, owned by Mary Heywood, was known as "The Old Growth." The sisters immediately set about having the land for the camp buildings cleared, and the cabins fabricated. The cabins were worked of lumber acquired from the land itself. It is difficult to imagine how this should be possible so rapidly, yet it is said that the camp opened in the same year, 1937. The storm of 1938 hit the region hard, bringing down many trees. Two sawmills were set up on the land, and the lumber was milled in that spot. Since at that point, selective tree cutting has been done about at regular intervals, the last time being during the 1980s. The East Boston Social Centers, Inc has run the camp since 1937. The Hyams Foundation sold the East Boston Camps land to the Town of Westford, in 2005. The East Boston Social Centers, and East Boston Camps The East Boston Social Centers, Inc. was established in 1918. It is a multi-service organization, serving clients from Boston. It provides childcare, after - school programming, programming for at-risk teens, summer day and medium-term camps, dietary support for the old and meeting space for numerous community groups. The Social Centers give programs to more than 1,000 youngsters in their formal programming. Their motto is "When All Give, All Gain." Since East Boston Camps opened, it has been controlled by the East Boston Social Centers. When the camp opened in1937, families paid $2 for a two-week session. Most of the campers' families in those early days were of Italian descent. George Fletcher, overseer at East Boston Camps for 31 years, remembers when he helped his dad at the camp. He remembers that the campers' families would all contribute to the camping background. The mothers would come out right on time and tidy the cabins and make up the cots. The fathers would do necessary repairs to the buildings. A few of the mothers would stay on to be the cooks. There were always a lot of freshly prepared pies and cookies, and lots of nourishment to go around. George affectionately remembers the great cooking he arrived. George's dad, Walter, was guardian at East Boston Camps for 26 years, before George dominated. Walter, and later George, ran the Stoney Brook Farm, a neighborhood dairy farm. They often carried the campers to the farm to see the animals. Arnold Wilder, Westford resident and companion of the Fletcher family, delights in recounting to the story of one of these visits. In the wake of showing the campers the milking process, he said, "That is where your milk comes from. One of the campers made a wry face and answered, "Maybe that is where your milk comes from, yet mine comes from the market!" George remembers that during World War II, the youngsters came via train toward the Westford Depot. An additional mentor was included for these trips. After the war, the youngsters were bused. Initially, there were three camps: one for the 6-9 age gathering of boys and girls, a separate boys camp for ages 10-15, and another girls camp for ages 10-15. There were four two-week sessions in July and August. Approximately 80-125 youngsters would go to every session. There are now seven weeks of camp, one week of day camp, and three two-week sessions of medium-term camp. The one-week day camp, Camp Cielo, serves boys and girls matured 6-14, including youngsters from Westford and surrounding communities. Girls, 8-14 go to Camp Waki, the medium-term camp for girls. And Camp Nashoba, the medium-term camp for boys, serves ages 8-14. As per the East Boston Camps Social Center website, close to multi day and medium-term campers go to each summer. The website states, "East Boston Camps strives to give a safe and upbeat summer for a diverse gathering of kids and help offspring of all cultures to live with and respect one another." They also host a week-long Senior Picnic and Senior Camp. Customarily, they have hosted Westford's fifth grades for an extremely prominent week-long nature day camp, for nothing out of pocket, as a thank-you toward the Westford Community. All who come into contact with the campers and staff at East Boston Camps rave about the cheerful family atmosphere. Many campers return quite a long time after year, and become counselors when they "graduate." George Fletcher tells of many campers for whom their involvement with East Boston Camps has been a groundbreaking occasion. Campers have become doctors, lawyers, and even a Senate President! Senate President Robert Travaglini went to East Boston Camps. His son is now an East Boston Camps counselor. Different campers have married and come back to Westford to purchase homes and raise their families. East Boston Social Centers will keep on running the camp for the 2005 season..