Vandals Hit HiHoti

Damage might keep summer camp from opening on time

Bullies with too much time on their hands decided to have a little fun by tearing up a kids' summer camp.

A caretaker discovered  the mess Thursday at Camp Hi Hoti at 444 East St. in Hebron.

"He came down and saw a door open, and as he walked out, he saw the glass broken on the building, and he walked around, he looked inside the building and saw all the glass broken.  All the windows on this lodge building have been destroyed," said Lynn Ford, C.E.O. of Hartford Neighborhood Centers, the organization that runs the camp.

The vandals smashed windows and damaged the walls of the buildings.  Of course, in the tradition of every stupid spree like this, they also sprayed fire extinguishers. And as a grand finale, they dumped a rider mower into a swimming pool.

There is so much damage, camp directors don't know if the place will be able to open this summer.

"These buildings have basically been destroyed for no reason at all. This is going to be detrimental for the kids not to be able to go to camp this summer," said Ford.

"This place has about 75 kids for six weeks in the summer, inner-city kids, that come out and learn about nature's classroom. 

With this type of vandalism, that may not take place this year, so that's unfortunate," added Andrew Tierney, Hebron's Interim Town Manager.

While Tierne tries to add up the cost of this damage, the CT State Police are on the case.  So perhaps the punks who did it can pay up.

Anyone who wants to help make that happen and has information on the vandalism is asked to call State Police Troop K at 860-537-7500.   There is also a toll free line if you're calling from within the state: 800-842-0200. 

Or text in an anonymous tip.  Send "TIP711 (plus your message) to CRIMES (274637)

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