This past week two hand carved wooden signs situated on each end of Mary Cummings Park were stolen. It is hard to imagine that this is a simple act of vandalism since the signs were not individual targets but were joint actions stolen within hours of each other. Sign and posts were uprooted an nothing but holes left.
This act may be the proverbial straw that has broken the camel's back in terms of legal action regarding the park. It is not the sum of $3500 dollars for the costs of the signs that is the catalyst. It is the fact that a dedicated group of volunteers has taken the time, effort and expense to do the one overt act of recognition of this woman's magnificent philanthropic act that the City of Boston has been unwilling or unable to do for the past 50 years. That simple act of recognition is now sullied and spat upon by someone whose agenda does not match that of the donor.
No, Boston has not met the terms of the bequest that Mrs. Cummings made. They have been to busy looting the trust money as well as thinking of ways to sell or exploit the property in a way that would result in maximizing the yield into Boston's coffers.
Burlington as a town and a collection of weak kneed politicians over the years has enabled Boston's malfeasance by refusing to confront the issue. The excuse has always been not to anger the big city. Even now, Burlington officials are "waiting to hear" from Boston regarding their plans for the property.
We already know what their plans are by virtue of a prepared Cy Pres filing from 20 years ago that details how the property would be sold and the profits distributed. The activities of these nefarious characters can be viewed here.
http://cummingspark.org/documents/Cummings_Estate-AG_scans_03_08_2006/
This situation is not a complicated one. The 218 plus acres was left with specific instructions for Boston to carry out. The city was to act in trust for the beneficiaries who are the people of Boston who Mrs. Cummings envisioned as being in the entire region.
Boston has performed none of the provisions of the trust over 70 years and has amply demonstrated that they should be removed as trustees of the property. A little over two years ago I appeared before the Burlington Board of Selectmen in executive session accompanied by then Mayor of Woburn John Curran and with Warren Cummings, a direct descendant of the family.
At that meeting we proposed a simple strategy designed take a legal action by the City of Woburn, the Cummings family and the Town of Burlington that would request the Attorney General and the courts to replace Boston as the trustees of the park with Burlington, Woburn and the Cummings family replacing it. Finally, a responsible action would be taken.
What was the result? I don't know because we were not even given the courtesy of a thank you note. Weeks of preparation and an hour long presentation with a neighboring chief executive were met with blank faces.
Well it doesn't matter now because a small group of dedicated individuals who actually give a damn about the bequest of a great woman are going to do something on their own.
