Brooklyn youth relishes summer breathers in Lincoln

Devin Romaine recalled being shocked when he came to Lincoln the first time and was greeted by Tia, the big St. Bernard, at the home of Shannon and Robert Antia.

He didn't know much about dogs.

``The closest thing we have to pets is big subway rats," said Romaine, 16, who lives in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

``The dog ate all my food one time," he remembered with a laugh.

Romaine spends several weeks every year at the Antias' house as part of the nonprofit Fresh Air Fund program, which enables New York City children ages 6 to 18 to spend part of their summer with families in suburban and rural communities in 13 states and in Canada.

Most of the children who enroll in the program are African-American or Latino and come from families whose adults work minimum-wage jobs, according to Janet Foley, a Fresh Air Fund spokeswoman.

The program, founded in 1877, has provided more than 1.7 million children free two-week vacations in the country. Foley said it opens new horizons for them.

``You don't realize it when they're 6 or 7, but when they're older and they say, `Hey, you know what, this has really made a difference in my life,' it hits you," she said.

Romaine, who arrived in Lincoln on Aug. 13 and will stay until Labor Day weekend, had difficulty getting used to life in the small town during his first visit to Lincoln as an 11-year-old.

``In some ways it was difficult because it's like everyone's the same here," Romaine said. ``I thought everybody was a little snobby at first, but I found out that wasn't true."

Over the years, the Antias have become surrogate parents to him. ``Shannon and Bob really make me feel like part of the family," he said. ``This is just like my second home."

Shannon, 47, a stay-at-home mother whose own mother was a Fresh Air Fund host, said she knew someday she would carry on the tradition.

Robert, a 46-year-old risk management executive, said that when Romaine comes to visit, ``we like just hanging and talking. He's like a sponge; he wants to know everything."

He remembered when Romaine first came to the house and expressed disbelief that there were no street blocks in Lincoln.

Last summer was a time of adjustment for the family, as the Antias had just adopted four boys -- Alan, 8; Deron, 9; DQ, 13; and Dareek, 15.

Romaine was slightly disoriented at first, because he was used to being treated like an only child, but now, he said, he relishes his new role.

``At first it was difficult because I was used to being spoiled and getting all the attention, but being a big brother is pretty nice," he said.

While accustomed to the congested streets and polluted air around his cramped apartment in Brooklyn, Romaine said, he enjoys staying in the Weston Road house, where a tree-lined stream meanders through the backyard.

One thing that took some getting used to: dark nights. ``When it gets dark in New York City, you still have the street lights. Here it's just pitch-black; there are no cars, no corner stores, no lights," Romaine said .

Shannon Antia remembers when Romaine first arrived on her doorstep as a small, somewhat timid 11-year-old.

``The changes are just astronomical. . . . He's turned into a young man," she said.

Now, he's a familiar presence in the house, so much so that the Antias have extended his stay from the standard two weeks to three weeks and have invited him to their house for the past three Christmases. Romaine said he has gladly accepted all of the invitations.

The Antias have no special outings planned for his stay, primarily because they don't feel as though they need to treat him as a guest -- he's already a member of the family.

``He's just part of the team. Mostly what Devin likes more than anything is hanging out with my brothers and their kids," said Shannon Antia, who has seven siblings. Other favorite pastimes, Romaine said, include playing in an annual basketball tournament with the nieces and nephews, taking walks through the woods with Robert Antia, and cooking.

On a recent Sunday morning, smells of coffeecake wafted through the kitchen, where Romaine and the Antias' children were hard at work preparing breakfast.

Romaine's mother, Elaine E. Hugee, wanted to keep him away from inner city violence. She found relief in the Fresh Air Fund. The program, she said, has enabled him to take a breather from the frenzied New York City lifestyle and stay out of trouble.

``It's a big difference; we are in the concrete jungle, so for him to be out there with the trees and open space, it's a breath of fresh air," the 43-year-old Hugee, who works for a busing company in Brooklyn, said in a telephone interview. ``Most kids in the city can only dream of that."

It's a dream that Romaine doesn't want to stop living.

``I would consider coming back for as long as I can," he said. ``There's just something different about the air out here."