To the Editor:

Now that our house on Chelmsford Street has sold (again), I would like to respond to the Cedar Grove Civic Association, as well as to the articles printed in this paper this past spring regarding the "first" sale of our home and to my neighbors who "crucified" us for "what we had done".

Let me first begin by stating that my wife and I had anguished over the decision of moving from our house in Dorchester. We loved the neighborhood! We always tried to be good neighbors. When I purchased the house, it was arguably one of the worst houses on the street. Over the past 16 years, I turned it into one of the best homes on the street. Once we decided to move, we agreed that we would remain parishioners of Saint Brendan's, as I was both a lector and an usher at the 7:30 Mass on Sunday morning.

We placed our home on the market in March. Having sold real estate for the past 23 years, I knew what price to place on our home. After approximately two weeks, we received our first offer, and a second offer was made shortly thereafter. One of the "Buyers" of the property was an organization called Bay Cove Human Services who informed us that they would use the home for the mentally challenged who would go to work during the day and live in the home at night. We were told that they would be supervised. We thought to ourselves, "What a wonderful Buyer for our home." After some negotiation, we came to an agreement with Bay Cove. The offer and subsequent Purchase and Sale Agreement contained many contingencies but one was "Site Location Approval from the Department of Mental Retardation". The agrement contained absolutely no other language other than that the home would be used for the mentally challenged.

In April, once neighbors found out (through me) that the home was being sold to people not like them, they became outraged. Shortly thereafter, Boston City Councilor Maureen Feeney sent out a flyer indicating that although she was typically in favor of Bay Cove's purchases in neighborhoods, in this case she would support whatever the neighborhood wanted her to do. Well, for those of you who do not know, Maureen Feeney is on the Board of Trustees of Bay Cove. My wife and I were told that the Board of Trustees had approved the purchase of our home. Furthermore, the President of Bay Cove, Stan Connors, informed my wife that they go neighbor to neighbor AFTER (not BEFORE) they purchase property to explain their mission and to inform neighbors to talk to him personally if they have issues with the "group". Wouldn't a Board of Trustee member know protocol? I wonder how all the other civic associations in the city feel about having Bay Cove address the Cedar Grove Civic Association BEFORE they purchased a "group" home. Are certain areas of the city receiving "special" treatment?

I do not blame any neighbor (I would have questioned Bay Cove myself) for being concerned that Bay Cove was purchasing the property. Although I did not attend the meeting, I feel that Bay Cove, from what I heard secondhand, did an injustice to the people that they should be protecting. Bay Cove should have been able to say to the Cedar Grove Civic Association and to my neighbors that the home would never be used by anybody other than the mentally challenged. As far as the discussion about "sexual offenders" living in the home, Bay Cove, after a short amount of evaluation, should be able to determine the likelihood of a mentally challenged person being a "sexual offender" and should assure the neighbors that no such person with those tendencies would live in the home. Anyone who has observed or had the pleasure of working with the mentally challenged would know that they, for the most part, are timid and shy. By the way, former neighbors, are you aware that there are 255 level 2 and 3 sexual offenders (according to Commonwealth of Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board) registered in Dorchester? Are you also aware that they do not have to go in front of your civic association and ask your approval to move into your neighborhood?

At the end of April, and after the Cedar Grove Civic Association meeting on the subject, my wife and I were viciously attacked verbally by neighbors as we were putting out trash and getting the home ready for sale. I have never felt so much hate in all my life. One neighbor came to my house and told me that his father, whom I had highly regarded, never wanted to talk to me again. The same neighbor asked my why I hadn't asked him before I agreed to sell. Gee, I don't remember the same neighbor asking me if I was ok with his building an unapproved (until he got caught) addition or finishing his basement (there are 4 or 5 illegally finished basements on the street) without a permit. His wife insisted that I could have sold my house to "whomever" (regardless of color, mentally challenged, etc.) I wanted and should not have agreed to sell my home to Bay Cove. For those of you who live in the same twilight zone as she, give the Department of Housing and Urban Development a call (1-800-669-9777) and come back to the 21st century.

My next-door neighbor, with whom we shared many good moments, commented, "I went to your father's funeral." To her I say, "Would you like to be reimbursed for your time?" To the grandmother who would put a "curse" on my wife if anything happened to her grandchildren: "Only those claiming to be the devil can put a curse on someone." To the other grandmother who claims that I "sold out": My property was just appraised, for the second time, for more than what I am selling it."

At least the people mentioned above confronted me. The people who worked behind the scenes, those who sent unsigned flyers degrading me, those who "egged" the house and those who sent sons with their messages, are cowards. To those who picked up the phone to help us during a difficult time, including a political person whose name I will not mention but will always support: "Thank you."

In May I informed Saint Brendan's that I would no longer be a parishioner there. I received a very nice card from Father Clifton. In conclusion, I will borrow his words and ask all of you, "What would Jesus have done?"

Kevin G. Keating