where did George stay while doing research for his column? I bet it wasnt the Caswell

Gee, I wonder why Tewksbury is so attractive to low life scum: you are what you are!

The picture of the Motel Caswell in this article is a telltale indication of the downfall of this establishment, as well as the Motel 6. When you rent a room by the week, at this rate, what type of clientele do you hope to attract? As a longtime Tewksbury resident, I am amazed that there have only been 30 drug arrests since 1994. This motel and Motel 6 were used for years to shelter homeless people. If you were to drive into town on a warm summer afternoon and see the class of people sitting outside the Caswell rooms, you would continue to drive by with a look of horror. Sorry, but the average person would not feel safe falling to sleep in one of those rooms. If the Caswells expect us to believe that they had no idea what was happening at their motel, then they aren't very good at managing a business. They should have invested some of their profits back into their motel before it became so run down. It is a shame that it had to come to this, but it didin't happen over night.

Maybe instead of shutting the place down they can see if the people want to get out of that live style and realize they don't have to live a life of drugs and crime. If they shut this place down these people will have no where to go. They probably are on food stamps as it is. I feel like a lot of people are playing out of sight out of mind. Even if you close this place the people are still going to exist just exist without a place to sleep. Everyone states that it makes Tewksbury look bad. Question to all of you, do you think Tewksbury will look better if these people starting sleeping in the streets or the park benches like they do in the city??

Stop trying to fight against this and work with it.

Thought this might help here......"I suppose you could fine local Hotel/Motels... for every drug offense that takes place on the property that ends in an arrest, oh I dont know... say $5000.00 per incident? Every attempted murder or battery, ah, say, maybe $10,000 per incident... It works when it comes to serving minors, and incidents at places that have licences to serve alcohol. Every now and again a Liquor license is suspended, revoked etc..... I believe there is such a thing as a Inn Holders' License. Im not a big fan of "Big Brother"either , but I'm also not a fan of miscreants who stay in hotels in lieu of a residence on my dime and most likely use more taxpayer funds to purchase drugs, prostitutes.. etc, again...on my dime and then end up in the local news arrest log. nobody asked....just my opinio

I haven't read the article, however that has never stopped me form bloviating beyond my level of expertise. Tell me why we should care about any that George Will has to say ? He is so divorced from main stream thinking that it's beyond me how anyone can take him seriously,yet ABC continues to allow him to embarass himself every Sunday morning. OK now that I've taken a whack at old George I think I'll read his article.

What George wrote is really not a news column. It was more like a biased opinionated blog. 30 arrests for drug dealing? how about the total number of calls to police since 1994. how about the number of times that I have had helicopters hovering the woods in my backyard looking for someone who ran out of there. I bet george doesnt know or care about any of that. How do these people (caswell) sleep at night? is the money that good? I dont agree with taking property but would like to see the place shut down and leveled.. Caswell could sell the property or do whatever he wants with it but get rid of the motel

I (think) what Dave is saying is that the Caswell gives low life scum a place to be, and as long as it is here, they (low life scum) will be attracted to tewlsbury. A few years ago I met a Tewksbury cop (while golfing) who made a comment about the Caswell. He said that Lowell is a giant cauldron of S#@T that tilts and overflows into Tewksbury sometimes. When it does, he said we go to the Caswell, round them up and send them back to Lowell. The place attracts a bad element and I dont know how an owner could not see that.

I feel most of you that are posting here are making valid arguments for cleaning up your town, but missing the real reason that this article was written. The Town of Tewksbury and the Federal Government are in cahoots to take away someones property that they worked hard to pay off. Like the article states: "This would not be happeneing if the property had a huge mortgage." If the town were interested in cleaning up the town, the town would have done something about it long ago. If the Caswells had not paid property taxes, I could understand the lawsuit. Please dont tell me that you want my property if I follow your laws. Just my humble opinion

If Caswell is operating outside the moral and ethical standards of Tewksbury we can enforce or create zoning,health regulations ect. that will crush his operation. Is it just happenstance that Andover or Wellesley looks the way it does ? NO ! They have regulations that reflect the good taste of it's residents. Do they have better taste than Tewksbury residents ? NO they don't !

Like or not like the Caswell, The point is that the US Government and our police department are doing a disservice to the Caswell Family. I hope the Caswell win and win big. Shame on our town and the FBI!

TO Mr Caswell,
I'm glad your getting National attention on this matter now, this is how I found out about this matter by reading todays article in Herald. Keep up the fight, this is appalling to believe that this is even a possibility in year 2012. I don't live in Tewksbury, but I do believe that the town has many eye sores, just like most towns. To be honest I think South Tewksbury is more of an eye sore. This isn't even about the Motel its about our rights and if we allow or support this because we don't like the place then we as a country will all be at risk. For example, if I work hard and purchase investment properties and one of my tenants has is involved in illegal activity, that I am unaware of, the government and local authorities can seize my property and take all the profit that I've worked my entire life for. Isn't this still AMERICA wake up people its so much bigger than Motel Caswell, stand up for something before its too late!

I also do not live in Tewskbury. I live in Las Vegas, NV and this article made my Sunday newspaper, so I am sure it has made many newspapers around the country. This is a very important time for the Caswell Family. To think they saved alot of the money they earned from the Motel. Granted, they probably milked it the last few years without putting any money back into it for repairs. Thats the Caswells right and they have every right to do this. The Caswells have not even been accused or convicted of any crime. We dont know if the Town has warned them about the residents, but isnt it the Caswells right to be protected by the police department? If the Town knew of this activity from as far back as 1994, then why have'nt the Police done anything about it. The Caswells have a right to be protected from these criminals also. They provided the police with everything the police asked. So, as far as we know, the Caswells have not done anything wrong and to think the city can come in a scoop up the Motel is proposterous. I smell something bad going on in the city of Tewksbury. The people who live in Tewksbury have every right to be concerned about the people who stay at the Motel, but the Police must protect the Caswells and every citizen of Tewksbury from anything bad going on. It sure does not sound like that is happening to me.

Malcolm - no kidding! That thing passed like a thief in the night.

I can't believe anyone would want their name (their FAMILY) associated with the crap that goes down at the Caswell. I can't fathom any "pride" in this ownership. I just don't see it. However, some people are crazy, and it isn't within the government's rights to come in and take over just because the owner is seemingly oblivious and delusional.

Perhaps there should be a sign out there "X days without police incident" *chuckle*

There has to more to this story than we are getting. I dont think that TPD woke up one morning and said :"hey lets take Caswells property and then we can sell it" I also find it hard to believe that this would be the first option for solution to the on going Caswell problems. There were no warnings,no talks with Caswell, nothing? All of a sudden, out of the blue, Tewksbury Police and the feds are trying to take someones property.

Steve 123
If by "little effect" you mean telling your kids to stay in the house while the helicopter searches your back yard for the fugitive who just tried to kill his girlfriend and then ran from the Caswell into the woods. I have to say that is more than a "little effect" and they had to build that police station to house everyone that they pluck from the Caswell

Ok Bill, You are the expert on how the police conduct their business.... If what you say is true, the police are at the Caswell Motel once a week since 1994, then I am glad that I live 2500 miles away. Also, calling Mr. Will an "idiot" .....are you qualified to call him that? Sound familiar, Bill ????

So miss Make a Difference, I am an extremist now? Could you define that for me. if it is a person who is not a big fan of having drug and or crime infested motels in my neighborhood then I guess I am.
as far as "having balls" as you so eloquently put it, as long as my comments fall within the parameters of free speech, I will always make them-so will you. telling a judge that he or she is not qualified makes no sense. I am pretty sure that the judge is more qualified than me, you, and carlos put together. Carlos had valid concerns about our government and what power they may have, but the Caswell story is a little more involved than that and has more than one side. Time will tell, Your heart seems to bleed for the people who inhabit the motel, in time your thoughts may change, maybe not. either way good luck to you, and lets hope for an outcome that everyone can live with

Hey Carlos,
still the same Bill. i dont like the motel and I think George failed to paint an accurate picture of what has gone on there for years
I also realize the issue is forfeiture laws. Civil forfeiture is defined as: The loss of ownership of property used to conduct illegal activity. Does this apply to the Caswell? no not at all, the owner of the property did not conduct illegal activity, but for years and years and years the owner in this case seemingly sat content. Content knowing full well what was happening on his property during his watch. I know the popular response here would be "What could he do" I dont know but sitting content would not be my option. i believe he should somehow be held accountable. Should he loose his business and property/? NO and that is where the real problem starts. I have no issue with civil forfeiture as defined but it is a problem if agencies are actively seeking targets for financial gain. Carlos, I found a great article on Forbes.com titled "civil forfeiture laws and the continued assault on private property" written by Chip Mellor Anyone with even remote interest in the Caswell case should read this, it is much more educational than the piece by Mr Will

Carlos, I have to agree with this. If the monetary gains were not possible, the town may also be content with status quo and the Caswell as we know it would continue on. This case will be interesting.
I do find it ironic though that after years of being attractive to a certain clientele, They are now attractive to the feds.
I apologize Carlos for being hostile towards you earlier in the week. Of course you and anyone else has the right to post

Bill.... I enjoyed sparring with you. That is what the foundation of this great country was built on. At least we have a forum to express our opinions, whether we agree or not. I will keep my eye on Tewksbury Massachusetts and hope they clean up that area. By the way, I am familiar with that area. My dad owned a chemical company back in the 60's and early 70's. It was located right behind the Caswell Motel, just over the railroad tracks. You said you lived near there, so you must know where am talking about.

I unfortunately had the pleasure of visiting one of these rooms at the caswell for state business and this place should be condemned. It was the most disgusting pit, cockroaches should not be allowed to live there. Clearly these people do not care about their property, their neighbors or the town. Why not seize their property and teach them a lesson. Really these fine upstanding owners who rent a room by the hour deserve what they get. They are simply slum lords.

"Why not seize their property and teach them a lesson."

The British in 1776 and Hitler in the 1930's couldn't agree more with this statement!

But Steve, it's for the children!

I don't think the government should get involved unless Motel Caswell is doing something to threaten public safety.

Oh look its that respectable establishment which I use lightly and sarcastically, in the news again.

Saturday, August 4

12:09 a.m.: A 911 caller from the office at Caswell Motel stated there was a male beating up a female outside one of the rooms on the property. All cars were sent and one was transported to Saints with an officer on board.