By Jennifer Ruth
Staff Writer
HOULTON — More than 130 residents led the battle against domestic violence during last Thursday night’s candlelight vigil.
Survivors, family members, volunteers and members of the community took part in the vigil early that evening beginning with opening remarks from members of the Battered Women’s Project and survivors. Words of encouragement and gratitude toward those who have helped were told, but the most emotional part of the evening took part at the Gateway Pedestrian Bridge. 
Photo by Jaime Cleary
LIGHTING A WAY — Three-year-old Tyler Gibbs looks on as a luminary candle is lit during the candlelight vigil held by the Battered Women’s Project last Thursday, Oct. 18.
“We had luminaries lined up on the other side of the bridge and when you were walking down you could see them,” said Leslie Gervais, child/youth educator for the Battered Women’s Project. “It was breathtaking.”
The vigil, which has been held at the Blue Moon Gallery for the past several years, was moved to the bridge with the theme “Flowers on the River.” The vigil is held each year in part with October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Gervais said the new venue made the ceremonies much more emotional.
“We did ‘Remember My Name’ where we read the names of those that had lost their lives to domestic violence,” explained Gervais. “There were several people standing on the bridge and every time we read someone’s name, they through a flower in the river. I remember looking at that and thinking ‘this is really moving.’”
The ceremonies began at the Gentle Memorial Building at 6:30 p.m. Participants than made their way through downtown and concluded down at the river for the final remarks. The Project’s goal in holding this event has been to promote a “non-violent future” for everyone.
Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin attended this year’s event for the first time and he said he was overwhelmed with the numbers in attendance. As a police officer, Chief Asselin said showing the public that the police are in support of preventing and stopping domestic violence is an important thing to do.
“I’m touched by the fact that people had such an interest in preventing domestic violence in this community,” he said. “Any event that affects the safety and quality of life for the well-being of the citizens of Houlton, there should be a police presence.”
Chief Asselin said not only were there women there, but also there were men, children and seniors. He said the diversity showed him that the community was backing up the organization in its efforts to stop abuse.
“It was a good representation of the community as far as attending these sort of things,” he said. “I was touched by that. When you walk into a small room like that and see that every chair is filled, that says a lot.”
The vigil remembered, “those who died because of domestic violence, celebrated the hope, strength and courage of survivors and encouraged others to take a stand as a community against the crime of domestic violence.”
Earlier this year, Maine lawmakers took steps to protect victims of domestic violence. Two bills were introduced before the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety to create a law that would treat domestic violence as a serious crime.
“An Act to Protect Families and Enhance Public Safety by Making Domestic Violence a Crime” — LD 1627 — would change the current law to create a crime called “Domestic Assault.”
LD 1627 is an instrument that law enforcement and prosecutors can use to send the powerful message to both victims and abusers that domestic violence will not be tolerated in “any form, in any context, in any circumstance.”
A third bill relating to adequate funding of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention may be scheduled for a future public hearing as well. It is “An Act to Prevent Violence against Maine Families and to Provide Adequate Intervention in Cases of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault” — LD 1224, which is sponsored by Sen. Bill Diamond (D-Cumberland County).
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity for the community to become involved in something that has been under a public stigma for decades, and continues to be today. By recognizing and remembering the victims and survivors, the public is standing together to voice their feelings that this behavior can no longer be tolerated, said organizers.
According to statistics supplied by the Battered Women’s Project, more than 20 men, women and children from Aroostook County have been killed as a result of domestic violence since 1975. They are: Elizabeth Johnson, Maxine Beaulieu, Linda Pelletier, Lena Morin, Beverly Forrest, Eleanor Burns, Betty Curliss, Audrey Laferriere, Jennifer Smith, Connie Humphrey, Cote Cousins, Cortina Cousins, Tina Cousins, Leonard Daigle, Christina Gray, Vicki Morgan, Michael MacDonald, Stephen Vance Ketsel, Melissa Mendoza and Bonnie Hayes.
For more information on the Battered Women’s Project contact their Houlton office at 532-4004 or toll-free at 1-800-429-2323.
