One component of the Five-Year Strategic Plan (5YSP) is to maintain and improve the Camp facilities. During the past several months, renovations have been completed on both campuses, including repair work on the roof of Emily Dickinson (ED) Hall at Red Hook and expanding the dining hall at Clinton.

Clinton

During the 2018 Spring Board Meeting, Building and Grounds committee co-chair Mike Saratovsky (‘98, ‘99) provided an update on the Clinton renovations. He shared that the dining hall has new floor electrical outlets, that new tiled-carpet will be installed later this spring, and that renovations on the bathrooms in the Main Building have begun (see photos below).

The dining hall has been expanded by removing the wall separating the area formerly referred to as the Anatolia. Opening up this space allows for much-needed natural airflow through cross-windows without having to install further ventilation. Additionally, the larger space and added tiled-carpet flooring will improve the acoustics. The space will be multi-use for additional camper activities, can accommodate all guests for dining on family days and alumni weekends, and can be rented for large off-season events like weddings and retreats. The new floor electrical outlets will also resolve short circuit issues and allow us to use new buffet warming stations that meet updated Health Department recommendations.

The staff restrooms in the west wing of the main building have been upgraded with gender-neutral toilet and shower stalls. The locker room has been expanded to allow for natural airflow from exterior windows, which will help address concerns of inadequate ventilation and condensation, which had deteriorated the previous flooring.

Other changes at Clinton include the construction of a new lean-to, which was built this past summer by campers to replace a broken tent, and converting office space into sleeping rooms. These two rooms have been furnished with bunk beds for CRS staff use, as well as for off-season sleeping areas for retreats. 

More information about the general condition of the Clinton property and recommended upkeep and renovations can be found in the Clinton Facilities Report below.

Red Hook

At Red Hook, improvements have been made to preserve the integrity of the buildings and maintain the landscape. A full roof replacement on ED Hall has stopped leaks. Cameron Rylance, LAJF Facilities Manager, reported in February that “there was no structural damage to the frame or rafters, but the entire plywood deck has to be replaced. They also applied an ice shield on the entire surface.” The Old House porch roof was rebuilt and re-roofed in late February.

Furthermore, the two trees flanking the building that had caused cosmetic damage to the building were removed. During the Spring Board Meeting, the Board of Directors discussed removing the mildew on the siding of the Old House, which was described as “an eye-sore.” LAJF staff received estimates from local contractors last year, however, the estimated cost is approximately $40,000 making the repair prohibitively expensive at this time.

The LAJF Staff encourage you and fellow alumni to visit Camp this season to view the improvements. We invite you to our upcoming events at Camp: Volunteer Weekend (May 19-20), and Alumni Weekend (July 20-22), or to attend Camp as a volunteer counselor, a guest Instructor, or as a visitor who wishes to interact with the Campers. Should you wish to visit Camp, please contact us beforehand to make proper arrangements.

Further readings:

• Red Hook Update blog post (September 2017) - This post explains the preservation efforts and how the property is used during the CRS season.

• CRS Program Highlight: Wilderness/Hiking Trip at Red Hook - Read how the Wilderness Program was modified to utilize the Red Hook campus.

• CRS TIMES: CRS ‘17 Week 7 (girls session week 3) - Campers discuss and reflect upon their Wilderness Trips at Red Hook campus.

• The Five-Year Strategic Plan (in full) - The goal of the Five-year Strategic Plan is to reopen Red Hook and to sustain two simultaneous seven-week programs.

• Red Hook Facilities Evaluation Report (aka the Crawford Report) - An independent report conducted approximately three years ago, which outlined the estimated base repairs needed to make the campus operational back in 2016.

• Clinton Facilities Report - As part of our strategic plan, an independent assessment was conducted to assess the viability and sustainability of the Clinton campus.