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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 150, No. 8
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
February 20, 2020
www.bridgton.com
(USPS 065-020)
95¢
Refugee: Kindness can change people’s lives
SITDOWN TALK — As part of a recent First Church message, Rev. Emily Goodnow (left) interviewed Samar Khuder, who escaped the violence in Iraq to start a new life with her family here in the States. (Rivet Photos)
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Samar Khuder had a simple message as she told a compelling story of living in danger in her homeland (Iraq) which ultimately forced her and her family to seek refuge first in Syria and ultimately here in the United States. Be kind. Be welcoming. You can make a difference in someone else’s life. Samar was recently a guest speaker at the First Congregational Church UCC in Bridgton. She joined Rev. Emily Goodnow in an “interview” setting as part of the Sunday service’s “Message.” “I am very happy to be here and to share my story with you,” said Samar, who was accompanied at the church by her mother and sister. Samar, 23, is a student at the University of Southern Maine, where she is a general biology major. She will graduate this year, and then proceed to dental school. She is an advocate for the New England Arab American Organization, which is collaborating with Through These Doors (Bridgton office on
Main Street) under a three-year grant to help people “bridge any cultural gap.” Samar’s journey to safety and a new life has been long and treacherous. She was born in Iraq, and when war broke out, her life was “turned upside down.” “There was a lot of shooting, something I wasn’t used to. My house was located on the third floor, and we were never safe. I had to hide in the back of the house so the bullets wouldn’t come through the windows and get us. One day, a bullet came through a window and shattered our fish tank. We would wake up every morning and thank God that we were still alive,” she recalled. “We would see dead bodies on the street or sidewalk in the mornings. We worried about my dad’s safety.” There was an empty space between the buildings and “strange people would come and start the shootings.” “Because this happened next to our house, some people thought my dad was part of it. They took him, trying to blame him for this. They took him twice, and my dad had to flee to other people’s houses,” she explained. Her mom, dad and sister fled to Syria.
REFUGEE, Page 4A
Bridgton joins world in V-Day flash mob By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer The image that Valentine’s Day conjures up for many people is that of sweethearts exchanging gifts. Perhaps, a woman receiving her favorite flowers and candy and being treated by her loved one to dinner out at a restaurant. “Valentine’s is not romantic and positive for every individual. For some individuals, it is another day of facing abuse from their partner,” according to Stephanie Noyes, the Lakes Region prevention advocate at Through These Doors. “Globally, the V-Day events are held in recognition of the One Billion Rising movement. There are a lot of global efforts that give rise to awareness of violence against women, that shine a light on violence against women,”
Noyes said. On Friday afternoon, almost 20 people showed up to participate in a flash mob dance in the courtyard of the Bridgton Public Library. The reason was to demonstrate this community’s common ground with the global movement One Billion Rising. The flash mob was a collaboration between grant partners Through These Doors (formerly known as Family Crisis) and the New England Arab American Organization (NEAAO) and also the Bridgton Police Department. The flash mob and other activities are held “on Valentine’s Day because in domestic violence services, Valentine’s has been called V-Day since Eve Ensler started The Vagina Monologues. On V-Day, a lot of groups and colleges and women’s
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — When Robert Cash was seven years old, he went from being able to knock a baseball into the outfield during a Tee-ball game to barely being able to lift his neck up while lying on the floor. Along with the atrophying of his muscles, Cash suffered from painful rashes on his body. What caused this is a disease with a long name: juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). The auto-immune disease weakens the muscles and affects the skin. It took months before the family knew what was going on with Robert, before there was a clear and accurate diagnosis. At first, the family doctor thought it was eczema and sent them home with a bottle of cream, according to his mother Erica Avery. The diagnosis of juvenile dermatomyositis happened right before his 8th birthday, she said. By the time, Cash was nine years old, he was patient at Boston Children’s Hospital with a medical team, she said. Very early on, the treatments went from a few times a week to almost daily, forcing Avery to quit
her job managing homes for developmentally challenged adults. “He was eight years old. Within six months, the therapy went from two to three times a week, to five to six times a week. During that time, he [regressed] from a child who played T-ball. He could hit the ball into the outfield. He was so strong in the skills that he was learning. After six months, he started to fall,” Avery said. Robert’s therapy was no longer a proactive measure but a way of life. “Basically, we had to lift him onto the floor. His muscles had atrophied so much. He was like a three-monthold infant doing tummy time. We had to pick him up and put him on the floor,” she said. He could no longer sit on a chair. He had to use special chairs at home and in the classroom. A belt was required to keep him upright and in the seat. PERSEVERANCE At a young age, Robert had the courage and the energy to insist that he continue to ride his same school bus. “He learned to be quite an advocate for himself. It would have been easier if he rode a special-needs bus.
Drive to help teen’s battle
organizations perform The Vagina Monologues — Bowdoin College did it. That morphed into a larger global movement called One Billion Rising,” according to Melinda Thomas, who works as a program assistant for NEAAO. “In 2013, V-Day become a really huge thing to draw attention to violence against women and girls, and harassment against women and girls,” she said. “Even though we are a small town, we wanted to show a little bit of solidarity with women around the world,” Thomas said. “There were flash mobs all over the world. There were groups in India, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela,” she said, adding that in the United States, a well-populated flash mob took place in Washington Square in New York City.
Despite the fact it was probably not even 10 degrees out, taking part in the flash mob was an enriching experience for Thomas and others. “The thing about the flash mob dance, it is upbeat. We use very upbeat music. We dance to empowering music” such Aretha Franklin’s Respect, Thomas said. “Even though we are grappling with a difficult issue, we are framing it in an upbeat, empowering way,” she said. “One of the participants brought her two teenage daughters so they could also take part in the activism,” she said. “The feedback we got was: that they were so glad to participate in an event like this, that Bridgton hasn’t had many events like this, that it was a great opportu-
SIGNS OF SOLIDARITY with global community — On Friday, which was V-Day, Through These Doors employees (from left) Lakes Region Rural Advocate Keisha Rudge and Lakes Region Prevention Advocate Stephanie Noyes hold signs on Main Street. (De Busk Photo) nity to learn about issues,” year on Valentine’s Day. Members of the Bridgton Thomas said. In fact, NEAAO and Police Department showed Through These Doors plan up for the duration of the to have a flash mob next FLASH MOB, Page 3A
MDOT’s plan: What’s in store
What can Lake Region area residents expect to see in terms of state bridge and road projects over the next three years? Details of Maine’s three-year transportation infrastructure work plan, and what it means for the Sebago Lake region was recently released. The plan outlines the Maine Department of Transportation’s strategy for road, bridge and other transportation upgrades and maintenance projects. According to the MDOT, the work plan covers approximately $2.59 billion worth of construction and maintenance, which includes 2,051 work items. The three-year plan estimates MDOT will invest in 171 miles of highway construction and rehabilitation; 858 miles of pavement preservation; 1,800 miles of light capital paving for roads and highways; 170 safety and spot improvements; and 148 bridge projects. Area projects include: Bridgton 2020, light capital paving beginning .24 mile northeast of South High Street extending northeast .65 of a mile, $26,000 2020, ditching on Route 117 beginning at intersection of South High Street extending .65 miles to Route 302, $34,000 2020, ditching and replacing culverts on Route 35, beginning at Route 117 in Harrison and extending north to the BridgtonWaterford town line, $49,000 2020, light capital paving beginning at Harrison Road and extending north 9.98 miles to Route 118, $403,000 2021/22, drainage improvements beginning at Route 37 and extending north .11 of a mile to Wyonegonic Road, $182,000 2021-22, large culvert replacement .50 mile north of Denmark town line, $749,000 BROTHERS BAND TOGETHER— Last summer, Brownfield brothers Garreth and Robert Cash sported Maine 2020, ditching and culvert replacement on Route 5 at Shepherd’s hoodies for a photo outside their home in Naples This ROAD WORK, Page 4A year, the boys are 16 and 14 years old. (Photo courtesy of Erica Avery) As a child having all these things going on, he strongly believed in doing as much as he could in order for him to feel like he was still that same child he was before he got sick,” Avery said. At that time, he attended
Saco Elementary. In addition to being put on steroids to counter the auto-immune deficiency, the doctors had Robert go through rounds of chemotherapy infusions. BATTLE, Page 2A
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