Baileyville to aid 9 pupils hit by tragedy

BAILEYVILLE – In the face of tragedy, the support of friends is a treasure to cherish.

In this community there is a cornucopia of support for nine Woodland Elementary School pupils who saw tragedy up close.

Many have embraced five months’ worth of tragedies and have remained a support structure for youngsters who either suffered through the death of a family member or watched as their house burned.

“For a small mill town we may be isolated from a lot of things that other people have, but we are not isolated from kindness,” Principal Jane Smith said Wednesday. The school has 178 pupils.

At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, pupils, faculty and staff have planned a spaghetti and meatball supper at the Spednic Club on 3rd Avenue. The proceeds will go to the pupils who have been affected by fire or the death of a family member.

“We are a school community … and we feel their loss,” Smith said. “They are not needy children. This is just something we need to do for them as a team.”

The series of misfortunes began in September, when Heather Arthurs, a pupil at the school, lost her brother, Larry Arthurs, in an automobile accident on the Eastern Cut-off Road near the Baileyville line. He was 14 at the time.

Then in November, Samantha Corbett lost her grandfather. Ashlee Gallant lost her father, and Chris, Julia and Ryan Sprague saw their house destroyed in a fire.

In December, Wyatt and Zachary Cox lost their home on the Houlton Road to a fire, but firefighters were able to rescue Oreo, a black and white cat, from the smoke-filled house.

Then on Dec. 30, Mallory Roderick lost her mother, Marie Roderick, in an automobile accident on Route 191 near the Marion Township line. A patch of black ice and sand was blamed for that accident.

“This has been a most unusual school year with the extent of the tragedies, deaths and fires that have taken place,” Smith said. “We as a school community want to reach out to these kids just to show our support.”

Smith noted that the incidents occurred within weeks of each other.

“We really didn’t have time to process all of this,” she said. She said parents gave permission for their youngsters who were affected by the various tragedies to be a part of the benefit supper. “They were more than pleased that we acknowledged their tragic losses,” she said.

There will be an auction, Smith said, and some businesses have donated prizes.

The cost is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and students under 12, and $20 for a family that lives in the same household.

Anyone who cannot attend the dinner can send a check to the Woodland Elementary School.