By Nick P. Angelides,Special to the Sun Journal

SABATTUS – Police and fire officials addressed a room of residents and selectmen Tuesday night on concerns about a series of four bomb threats made at the Sabattus Central School.

Sabattus Police Chief Thomas Fales and Sabattus Fire Chief Donald Therrien gave details about the events that have taken place over four months.

The most recent threat occurred on Jan. 5 at the school on Ballpark Road when writing was found on a bathroom wall indicating that there was a bomb set to go off somewhere above the gymnasium.

“The writing was reported around 11:43, and the entire building was evacuated a minute and a half later,” Therrien said. “I don’t know how those bus drivers get there that quick, but they did a great job getting those kids out of there.”

No explosive device was found when officials did a thorough walk-through of the school and a small dusty machine room above the gymnasium. “We didn’t find any footprints in that room or in the snow on the roof.”

What they do find are fingerprints that may belong to the writer of the threat.

“We have Officer Gil Turcotte working the case,” Fales said. “We think it is a copycat case, seeing two of the instances have already been resolved.”

Several concerns were addressed to the chiefs on the manner in which the evacuation procedure is conducted. “Some parents at first were not happy that we did not allow children to grab their coats and backpacks while being evacuated,” Therrien said. “Others were not happy that if a threat was called in at 9 a.m., that we would keep the school evacuated for the duration of the day.”

The chiefs said although loss of educational time is important, it is not worth risking lives bringing people back into a possibly dangerous area. “At that point the school becomes a crime scene and we have jurisdiction,” Fales said. “Most of us are on the same page when it comes to this matter and we agree that safety is top priority.”

In past incidents, students have been evacuated from the school and taken to another town building for the duration of the school day. This procedure, although safe and agreed upon, has started to cost the town a lot of money.

“Meals were prepared and wasted, teachers were sent home with pay,” Therrien said. “These threats are costing the town a lot of money and we are working on solving this problem.”

Selectman Mark Duquette said he backs the protocol taken when a threat is called in. “I am not a selectman but I am a parent with a child at that school,” he said. “If there is a threat I want my child out of that building, end of discussion!”

The first of the series of threats was discovered on Oct. 12 when a detailed note was found on a locker giving the location and time of the bomb with a warning not to disarm. Another threat was found on Nov. 8 followed by a threat found on a school bus just eight days later that stated: “I want to blow up the whole school.”

Superintendent Paul Malinski said the school board has invited the police and fire departments to the next school board meeting to work out a plan to help put an end to this problem.

“We are monitoring the bathrooms and keeping them locked when not in use,” he said. “I think our schools are very safe but I also think people don’t understand the fear of just a threat.”

He said the school union is looking at different ways the school can be monitored. The school board meeting will be held on Feb. 1 on the second floor in the Sabattus Central School library. Malinski invites all to attend and said the issue should be discussed around 7:20 p.m.

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