The Land that was once Camp Alton

[Danny Lewin]

Hello Fellow Altonites. What I am about to say is just my opinion, and I would love to hear what you all think. Being part of the Camp Alton family, may I suggest something? I don't know about the rest of you, but all of these images on the website of the developments that have infested the land on which our beloved camp once stood are doing nothing but twising the knife even deeper into my heart. I don't know if it's because it's Monday, July 7th, and there is no reason or excuse why campers shouldn't be assembling for music night as I type this email, or that I can't stand to see enormous modernistic bull$*#@ mansions sit where I used to hit that bell with a butter knife and say grace before joining my fellow Altonites for meals, but I would love to see these images discarded from the website. It truly makes me sick to my stomach to see what has happened to the most special place on this earth. These images do nothing but add fuel to the bitter feelings I have had for the past 10 years. I love this website. I love what it has done to keep all of us together, as well as keep the memories and stories alive, but for the love of God, get rid of those images of current day because that's not Camp Alton. What it is is a giant steaming pile of tragic poo. In fact, I wish backed up septic tanks upon all of those gwakin' houses! Again, this is just my opinion.



dannyboylew@aol.com

[Allan Goodman]

Danny,
You echo my sentiments completely. The Camp Alton Website (which I have just discovered) brings back some of the greatest and fondest memories from my youth. During Labor Day weekend in 1989 I was in Boston (from my home in San Diego) and rented a car to drive up to try to find Camp Alton. I noted the large number of condominiums, etc, which dominated the formerly pristine Lake, and by some miracle found Camp Alton. The Camp owner (a descendent of the "Chief"} gave me a personal tour that I shall treasure for the rest of my life. I revived many wonderful memories during that tour. Now I know that some sixth sense made me make that trip in 1989. Through this wonderful "web page" I received the sad news that Camp Alton was destroyed in 1992. The magnificent memories that I have from 1944-1948 will never be erased. Please do not polute them with pictures of the "filth" that now occupies "our" campsite.

Do us all a favor, and don't make us suffer, through those ghastly pictures, more than we do already,by knowing that lucky young people will no longer be able to enjoy and profit from Camp Alton as we did.

Thanks for the great work in putting this wonderful website together.

Allan H. Goodman, 1944-48

San Diego, Calif.


acegood@aol.com

[Dan "Spike&q]

I too went to what was Camp just the day before the last reunion dinner while I was up in NH for Bike week...sad very sad indeed...but when you look out at the shore line across the watter the spirit is still there...

I too was disheartened but at the same time I now I can't live in the past...and it was THE PEOPLE that made camp special...running with Uncle Marky, watching Stew Shankman get dead legs from Matt Borkow and Andy Roberts, or watching in awe as Tom Kitt play any Billy Joel song on the old upright piano in the upper-camp lodge...

but to take down those pictures I don't think is gunna solve your "pain" .
Just my 2 shekels.
But what we do need is more reunions!!!

In fact I think we should tell the ownner that his new house is posessed by the spirit of the masked wrestler and decklin and that unless he allows us to hold our reunions there his house will have really bad fung shui! <IMG SRC="http://www.campalton.com/smilies/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":)">


altaholic@hotmail.com

[Danny Lewin]

Hey Spike, it's not going to solve my "pain", but it is sure going to help. Now, go find that turtle.

[Tony Gillott]

Just a thought but maybe,
All current pics of the once hallowed ground could carry a 'Health Warning'
'The Surgeon General advises you that viewing these pics could seriously damage your well being. Any severe pains to be treated with large portions of pizza, take away chinese, strawberry frappes, ice cream and brownies'



tonygillott@yahoo.co.uk

[KenWarshaw]

Several months back, I posted a message after my wife and I made a trip down Roberts Cove Road and "couldn't find Camp anywhere". While I think we all agree that OUR Clay Point was exponentially better than current Clay Point, I think about it often and have come to peace with it. I was angry when I saw the new mansions; I thought that some developer (and Peter for selling out) had TAKEN Alton away from me. But after dwelling on it for some time, I realized that even if Alton was still here today, for me, it only exists in my head, and on this website, and in reunions (which I will go to someday soon), and in the many photographs I have in my album.

I am 33 years old, I have a wife and a job that I can't leave for the summer, so Camp in not an option anymore. So the actual existence of Camp is a moot point. Though any time I feel inclined, I can close my eyes and picture the A-Field, the Rec Hall, Music Night, Uncle Markie trying relentlessly to get me to go to services, or playing on-stage with the Alton Bros.

Camp is not gone. And as long as you cherish it like it seems that you do, like all of us do, it can't ever go away.

I'm usually not one for cheesy song lyrics, but I was listening to something the other day that might be appropriate for this post...

"Time it was, and what a time it was, it was a time of innocence, a time of confidences. Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph, preserve your memories, they're all that's left you."

Ken


kwarshaw@linwoodcom.com

[Rob Stone]

I disagree with Ken's response to Danny-- not being able to attend camp and camp being gone for good have nothing in common. If Alton were still happening, the existence of camp would be far from a moot point for me whether or not I could personally be there. Even after 11 years, I always knew that there would come a time when I couldn't return to camp-- but I also found comfort in the fact that camp would continue on and that new kids would benefit from it and share it's richness, the traditions would live on and I would have felt part of its legacy-- and therefore always connected whether or not I was present. Perhaps Ken and Spike feel differently because they both left camp years before it closed and were able to reconcile this absense long before camp ended.

Danny is right. The photos are tough to look at-- though not as tough as the "Capozio and Rooney" hidden camera tapes: "Boyz Gone Wild!"



rstone29@aol.com

[DDD]

The MonsterMansions pictures are painful to contemplate, I agree. But one need not look at them. When and if the Julian Rodgers Amphitheatre ('The Rocks') are removed - may they never be ! - then that may be too painful to look at. If there is a poll going on, then my preference is for leaving the pictures. They are taken by Altonites and they mean something, they reflect something of our inner states that it may be well to contemplate, even if it starts with anger.

DDD


[url=http://www.copyright.com]All Things Serve the Beam[/url]
ddavis@copyright.com

[Kappy]

I have to agree with Danny and Robbie. Those pictures are not Camp Alton. If other people like them, I guess we don't have to click on them though. I will never forgive, I'm sure all of us have a younger relative who would have greatly benefited from attending Alton.

It really sucks that instead of keeping contact through this site, we could be spending some time at Camp and having a cookout at campcraft tonight. I loved when former counselors like Ramo, Lala, and Rico used to visit. We treated them like royalty, which all of our former counselors were!

i just saw Sammy Sosa hit a home run that went almost as far as the Ol Doc used to hit em, and the one Hans Lespair(spelling) hit on the rec-hall roof.

Hope everyone is well!

Kappy



a.e.kaplan@att.net

[Mitch Ross]

I don't think that there's much more that I can add to the mix.....except that having what camp was and still is to all of us in our mind's eye can overcome any set of pictures.

Putting them into a file, available but not having them shoved into common view sounds like a sensible solution.

Thanks to Gary for your yeoman's work in keeping this site alive and all of you for making a Mamaroneck boychick's life a lot richer.

Hope this finds you well....Baby Baba



mitchelljross@hotmail.com

[Joel Orris]

What are you guys talking about? Can you imagine what those places look like on the inside? The marble entrance ways and gold faucets (not to mention the Farah Fawcetts) (Hey I think I just made my first funny joke!)

Anyhow, if you've ever been in a nice house before yous guys know what I'm talkin' bout.



joris@clint.com

[Robert L. Cohen]

I was fortunate to be able to walk through the Camp in September of l993 when it was still intact. And I came back in the summer of 2001 one evening after the construction people had left for the day, and sat on The Rocks in front of the pavilion. I'm sure I must have been the last camper to have done that.
Yeah, what's happened to the place is vile to say the least. But it's no different than, say, fond memories of drive-in theatres you once went to that have become Home Depots. too many people, too little land, and too much greed. Could the owners of Camp Alton have stayed on to run the place indefinitely...or found people willing to carry on the tradition? If we had only known...maybe taken up a collection among every camper who ever spent a summer there...would it have not made a great vacation place to take your family and spend a week in the same bunk you once slept in??


rcohen@voanews.com

[Duvke]

Kappy, Can someone confirm for me that Hans LeSpare actually hit the Rec Hall roof? From the senior diamond home plate? Sounds awfully suspicious, especially considering the height of the trees between the Rec Hall and right field, and the purported distance to home plate (391 feet, of course).

And for anyone who remembers Erik Mallon, he was going to buy the new big house down at the beach, but he hurt his knee wasn't able to complete the transaction. Cue Rabinovitz and the nose horn.



witkins@cox.net

[Rich Bolnick]

After all of these years (23 or so), I have been reintroduced to camp by a run-in with Jon Kaufman on the streets of Manhattan. Since running into him, I have found the website and I agree, the grounds that were once filled with instruction in the morning and competition in the afternoon are no longer "OUR" Camp Alton. I got this eerie feeling in my stomach when I saw the pictures of the carnage. I now have 3 boys of my own, who would have been perfect for Camp Alton. I have tried to instill in them all that Camp Alton stood for; Competition, Sportmanship, Fun, and Friendship. They are still trying to figure out what the Hell those pieces of wood with numbers and flags are for and why I still have them. They bring me back to a time that can never be replaced. Thank goodness for memories.



richb@clinicaltriallabels.com

[Kappy]

Duvke,

I think the Hans Lespere shot might be similar to Wilt's 100 point night. Lots of people claim they were there, but probably were not. My counselor, I believe, Zwetch was his name, would not get off his butt to take my bunk to the game. That afternoon, everyone was talking about Hans hitting the rec hall. The next counselors game had a huge crowd hoping to see another shot. It did not happen.
Hopefully, someone can confirm Han's Homerun. I was pretty confident he did hit the rechall, but I didn't see it.

Kappy


a.e.kaplan@att.net