Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff
Cal Ripken Commissioners Barry Jordan and Reg Hatfield have announced that Maine will host the first U12 baseball World Series at Purnell Wrigley Field, in Waterville, in 2020.
Photo by Tawni Lively, Central Maine Photography staff
Braden Littlefield, 12, of Benton, boxing with Marion Rodriguez. Littlefield was the winner of amateur fight, 101 pound weight class at pro-am night on April 28. (Photo by Central Maine Photography)
Braden Littlefield is a sixth grader at Benton Elementary School and has always played many sports including football and baseball. A year ago Braden started boxing and hasn’t stopped since. He had 12 boxing matches on the amateur circuit where he traveled as far as Virginia with his teammate Cain Shatzer, from Bethel. Littlefield won a bout at this national tournament.
Recently he and his three other teammates featured in the photo (Cain Shatzer, Braden Littlefield, Emma Jones and Quinton Hernandez) traveled to Worcester, Massachusetts, this past Saturday. All four captured Jr. Olympic titles.
Braden Littlefield, right, and Gracien Giroux, of Benton. Photo by Mark Huard)
This group of youth traveled to Canada this year as part of a USA team that competed internationally. Littlefield has captured a New England Silver Gloves championship, along with his teamate Quinton Hernandez, from Old Town, who both moved on to a Regional Championship bout in Herkimer, New York. Littlefield lost a controversial decision to a more experienced New York fighter, and Hernandez won the Regional Silver Gloves Title, but was unable to compete in the nationals due to fracturing his shoulder in the title bout.
All four of these young boxers train together several times a week at Cugno Boxing Gym, in Lewiston. All of the fighters travel quite a distance to train at this gym. Emma Jones is the only local youth coming out of Auburn. They find various meeting spots, but travel and remain a team. They all spire to go as far as they can in the sport which includes fighting as many bouts as they can to gain ring experience.
These young boxers have many older and more experienced boxers in the gym that they look up to, including Breanna Ingalls, who recently joined the U.S. Coast Guard. They all fight under the name Cugno Boxing, for Glenn Cugno, who is a professional boxer that trained with Joe Gamache Sr. at the Lewiston Armory for over 30 years. Cugno took over the gym but remains coaching with Joe Gamache Sr. Coaches Dan Escobar and Scott Frost making up the rest of the coaching staff. Cugno and the rest of the coaches donate any time they have outside of their full time jobs to help these kids stay on a positive path and reach their dreams.
“Palermo Christian Church, Inc., Palermo Christian Church, Inc.” The lawyer who helped fill out the papers for incorporation emphasized the word “Inc.” every time he came to that word. As he did the legal work, we wonder what went through his mind?
Palermo Christian Church.
As a Belfast lawyer he wouldn’t know the past history of God working in Palermo. He had never heard William Overlock, a minister from Washington, preach revival services at the old school house on the Valley Road where Grace Blanchard taught Sunday School. He didn’t know of the efforts of Annie Tibbets or Elina Turner in establishing a Sunday School at the old school house in East Palermo. If he traveled Old Route 3 he might have seen the Second Baptist Church at Greely Corner or the Branch Mills Union Church, but he may not have known what went on inside the four walls of these two churches, nor would he have known of the ministries carried on inside the First Baptist Church, the Methodist Church or the North Palermo Baptist Fellowship.
We wonder what he would have thought of the impact of student pastors such as Rev. English, Rev. Felts or Wally Bradley from Gordon College. He would not know of the support the community received from people in other communities. Rev. Talcott, a native of Connecticut, visited Lake St. George and preached in town during the summer. George Duff drove over from Morrill and Horace Moffatt from Belfast to fill vacant pulpits. He would not have known of the people who helped shape the spiritual values of people in our community; people like Harold Nutter, Carl and Eleanor Howes, Elmer Hellmout, Howard Hutchings, Barbara Rozell, George Davis, Winifred Reynolds, Eric Wiggin and others.
North Palermo Church.
He may have wondered if a small community like Palermo needed another church. The attendance at the existing churches was very low and another church would not seem practical. The first twelve charter members could have answered that question for him. Their initial purpose was not to compete with the other churches, but to consolidate the believers into one church. They were not interested in starting a fourth church, but of making the three churches into one. As all the existing churches were small in number and all held similar doctrinal beliefs, it seemed prudent to work together rather than apart. It was unfortunate that in the first years of the church, there were no church buildings adequate to meet the physical needs of the growing congregation. In North Palermo, for example, about 75 Sunday School students were crowded into four classes, one of which met in the Ladies Aid House and three others which studied in separate corners of the small sanctuary. All the church buildings had an adequate sanctuary, but lacked Sunday School space, running water and modern toilet facilities. When one factors in the historical significance of the buildings and legal questions that arose at that time, it was obvious to this group of people that a new building was needed.
One could see the hand of God working in those early years. The Rossie Construction Company leased the land that the Palermo Christian Church now sits on from Steve and Ann Childs. They brought in fill and gravel to make a parking lot for their big trucks. The vacant lot, including the ready-made parking lot, were donated to the church by the Childs in 1969. The early years were a time of great sacrifice for many. After borrowing $12,000 to start the building and another $3000 to finish it, people went to work. Herbert Dyer supervised the construction and families gave up weeknights and weekends to work on the building. The community pitched in to help. Boy Scout Troup 222 under the supervision of Kenneth Priest, Sr., used six scouts working a total of 39 hours to fiberglass the steeple. On December 6th, 1970 George Duff and Charles Cousens spoke at the dedication service for the new building.
In the late 1970s the youth groups had grown to include between 70 and 80 young people. Palermo had no recreational facilities at that time, so the church voted to build a gymnasium and expand the sanctuary at the same time. Royce Dyer supervised the many workers and on July 20th, 1980, Lt. Col. Jack McGuckin spoke at the dedication of the gym.
In 1996 the church started work on an addition, which includes wood storage, nursery space, a kitchen, bathrooms and space for extra classrooms. The nursery space was finished, dedicated and put to use in September of 1997 providing much improved conditions for the small children who utilize this space. The new kitchen was put to use in the spring of 1998, becoming a well-used tool for times of fellowship and reaching family and friends for Christ. The bathrooms were completed in 1999. The “Upper Room” was completed in 2001 and the Senior High Youth Group promptly took ownership of the space, which is large enough for a good crowd of teens.
2001 was also the year for Palermo Christian Church to receive a new steeple. This project was directed by Neal Pottle who had the vision of a service project for the fifth- and sixth-grade Sunday School class. From July through November the class under Neal’s direction and with many parent volunteers provided the necessary time and effort to see the project to completion. On November 17 the steeple was raised with students and adults working side by side. The physical result of almost 200 hours of prayer, labor and sacrifice is seen atop the church building, pointing to the One who brought it all together.
In 2008 an addition to the gym was begun, adding an improved handicap entrance, three offices, a large classroom as well as more storage. In 2017 construction began on the addition to the front entrance allowing for ease of entrance to the sanctuary, a larger foyer area and improved space for the sound room.
The church has been blessed with Godly leadership over the years. Dale Flynn was the first pastor. He served from May 19, 1968, until August 24, 1968, when he left to teach school in Jacksonville, Florida. The second pastor was Fred Williams. Soon after Dale Flynn left, Fred was asked to serve as interim pastor and fill in when they could not find a pulpit supply. On July 9, 1969, he became the full-time pastor and served until November 22, 1981. Two assistants helped during this time. Dave Jones served as assistant pastor from April 1,1970, until January 14, 1976. Marilyn Spearin, now Marilyn Kibbe, served as music director for several years. Dave Kibbe assisted from September 1978 until November 22, 1981. He then served as interim pastor until the present pastor, Ed Hatch, was inducted on June 20, 1982. He is a graduate of Glen Cove Bible College and has served the church since 1982. In 1995 the church established a board of elders, which presently includes Ed Hatch, Dennis Keller, Ralph Littlefield, Neal Pottle, Buddy Spaulding, Gerald Stillman and Dan Sprague. In 1997 the church voted to hire an administrative assistant and welcomed Susan Williams to the position. Her qualifications and commitment to the church brought a measure of organization to the church office which benefit the whole ministry of the church. In 2001 Sandy Keller was hired to the position following Susan’s resignation. In 2003 the church voted to hire a part-time Youth Pastor. Phil Hubbard came as a graduate of Northland Baptist Bible College in 1995 since serving as Youth Pastor at two other churches. Under his leadership the Youth Ministry has grown using different avenues to attract and challenge the youth while being committed to the presentation of the Gospel and a challenge to grow in Christ.
“INC” is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as “united in one body.” Fifty years ago, a few separate groups of believers united to become one body, to form Palermo Christian Church, Inc. What may have seemed on the outside to be only a legal transaction, has become when viewed from the inside, the building of a spiritual body with eternal benefits.
Palermo Christian Church has been blessed and grown over the years. More people each year become involved in the ministries of the church (leading, serving and being served) and more lives are changed as a result. Our goal continues to focus on giving glory to God through worshiping Him, sharing our faith in Christ with others and helping others grow spiritually. May this continue to be our focus until Christ comes again.
The 50th anniversary celebration takes place on Sunday, May 20. They will begin during a special worship service at 9 a.m. with guests speakers and special music. Following the service there will be a chicken BBQ/potluck lunch. There will be photos on display, tours for those who don’t know the building and time to visit and reminisce with people who have had a part in the life of the church, both past and present. There will be a memory book available to take away and hope that all who come will make even more memories to take away in their hearts.
This article originally appeared on Palermo Christian Church’s website.
China Food Pantry Team (left to right): James Maxwell, Andrew Maxwell, Abigail Maxwell, Caley Pillow, Madeline Durant, Catherine Durant, Christine Durant, Lisa Durant. Ann Austin not pictured.
The Walk To End Hunger, organized by the Maine State Credit Union, took place on April 28 and was a success, according to organizers. Volunteers, seven teenagers and two adults, walked to represent the China Community Food Pantry. Because of the generous support of community people, they raised $725. This money will enable them to purchase much needed food. The food pantry staff thanks all who came out to support the food pantry with money donations, food items and clothing.
Vassalboro School Principal Dianna Gram, third from right, is flanked by, from left to right, Senora Soifer, Meg Swanson, Megan Allen, Stephanie Roy and Robin Corey. All were presented with certificates from the principal. (Contributed photo)
Recently, at Vassalboro Community School, principal Dianna Gram recognized five staff members for their contributions to VCS. This recognition comes from the Portland Seadogs baseball team. Each of these staff members has made a difference here at VCS. The staff members are:
Robin Corey for being a role model and leader. Her work on behalf of students with disabilities has made a huge difference! She has also provided much support to the members of the Special Education team. “You are also helpful and kind to the core!” said Gram.
Stephanie Roy for her hard work to become the teacher she is today. Ms. Roy started at VCS as an Ed Tech and has worked in many grade levels. She has worked more than one job at a time putting herself through college to become a teacher. “VCS thanks you and is proud of all you have accomplished,” said Gram.
Meg Swanson has been a great addition to VCS. She has helped teachers and students in many areas. Her focus on mindfulness and kindness has made the school better. She was thanked for helping the students to learn and grow.
Megan Allen is recognized for her leadership and hard work on curriculum. She has also received her doctorate and will be the next principal, following Gram’s retirement in June. VCS is very fortunate to have you on the team.
Finally, recognition goes to Senora Deb Soifer for her work at VCS teaching Spanish. She has brought culture and language learning to many students over the years. Gram stated, “She is retiring this year and we thank her for her work on behalf of kids. Because of her influence students have not only learned a language but have been exposed to another culture. VCS salutes you.”
These staff members were honored at the Portland Seadogs game along with other teachers throughout the state of Maine. Gramm concluded by saying, “Congratulations Mrs. Corey, Ms. Roy, Ms. Swanson, Dr. Allen and Senora Soifer…and know we are all proud of you!”
Let the games begin. These Lawrence High School students getting ready for competition are, left to right, Kaleb Anderson, Justin Trott, Robert Klean and Hunter Dusoe. (Photo by Dan Cassidy)
Students from SAD #49, in Fairfield, and RSU #18, from Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, participated with many students from all over New England in designs programs motivating more than 450,000 young students from in 88 countries to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math skills.
The robotics tournament put teams together to see what students can accomplish using creativity, problem solving and teamwork with the help of mentors from the worlds of education and business. The future workforce learns how to collaborate, encourage one another and persevere in this year’s challenge FIRST Power UP, according to the Pine Tree District Event Planning Committee’s program release.
Students compete on time clocks by using Robots working together to exchange power cubes, climb the scale tower to face the ‘boss’ and try to escape the game. Operators take control for the final two minutes and 15 seconds of the match, scoring points by gaining ownership of the scale or their alliance’s switch, delivering power cubes to the alliance’s vault, using power ups for a timed advantage, parking on the scale platform or climbing the scale to face the boss. The alliance with the highest score at the end of the match defeats the boss and wins.
The program highlights indicate that it’s the hardest fun you’ll ever have.
Bill Green (source: MaineNewsCenter.com)
Hundreds of retired educators and guests are expected to attend MEA-Retired’s 66th annual meeting and convention at the Augusta Civic Center on Thursday, May 3, where Bill Green, of Portland, will be keynote speaker.
Widely known for “Bill Green’s Maine” on WCSH Channel 6, Portland, Bill grew up in Bangor and has lived his whole life in Maine. He attended Bangor schools where Phil Gonyar was his high school social studies teacher. He attended the University of Maine at Orono.
His renowned show, “Bill Green’s Maine,” has been acclaimed the “Most Popular TV Program in Maine” by the readers of Down East Magazine.
In 2015, he won the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for feature reporting. In 2016, “Bill Green’s Maine” won the Regional Emmy as the Outstanding Magazine Program in New England.
Bill Green is an inductee into the Maine Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame, the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, and the Silver Circle of the New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Bill is a registered Maine guide, senior warden at Trinity Episcopal Church, in Portland, and assistant JV baseball coach at Greely High School.
Bill and his wife Pam reside in Cumberland and they have two grown children.
Retirees representing thousands of years of service to teaching Maine’s youth may choose from four breakout sessions as follows:
Dr. David Richards, Director of the Margaret Chase Smith Library, in Skowhegan, will give a presentation on what he considers are the positive outcomes of hitting a moose on Maine’s roadways.
Dr. Richards majored in history at Bates College, in Lewiston, holds a M. A. in New England Studies from the University of Southern Maine and a Ph. D. in History from the University of New Hampshire. He has facilitated more than 400 Maine Humanities Council book discussions since 1996.
Jane Conroy, Extension Educator Emeritus, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will present a “Keep, Take or Toss” session.
Designed to help us purge and downsize our possessions, this session will help us organize important papers, control clutter and save money.
Each workshop participants is asked to bring along a clutter issue, item or question to share with the group.
A lifetime Mainer, Jane graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington as a home economics major and earned her master’s degree in education from the University of Southern Maine.
Jane is very active in her community and is a member of the Piscataquis County Retired Teachers. She serves as chairperson of MEA-Retired Communications Committee.
She and her husband live in Dover-Foxcroft and have three adult children, one granddaughter and five grand dogs.
Paul Johnson, of Oakland, will highlight some of the features of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument— especially along the East Branch.
Since 2008, Paul Johnson has spent a few days each summer working on a campsite and portage trail stewardship project on the section of the Penobscot River’s East Branch below Matagamon Lake.
This has provided him the opportunity to see and appreciate the natural resources of an area that is now part of Maine’s new national monument and to learn about the area’s rich history.
From 1969 to 2005, Paul worked as a fishery biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the Moosehead Lake Region. In retirement he remains committed to efforts to conserve Maine’s natural resources and to maintain their traditional uses.
Currently, he serves on the board of directors of Maine Woods Forever and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation.
Phil Gonyar and Carl Daiker will present a session entitled “Around the Horn in 22 Days,” about their cruise in February 2018 from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Four days of the cruise will be in the waters of Antarctica.
Gonyar is a former social studies chairman and long-time activist in the MEA and MEA-Retired. Daiker retired from 30 years with the Orange County (NY) Department of Planning where he coordinatred federal, state, and local funding of the county’s transit system. Both Gonyar and Daiker have traveled extensively throughout six of the world’s seven continents and are awaiting the sights and sounds of the seventh continent.
The event is open to more retirees and guests: Registration includes lunch and is $20. Checks may be made payable to MEA-Retired and send to June Nickerson-Hovey, 145 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976. Questions? Call 207-474-9472.
Contributed photo
The Winslow High School’s girls basketball team visited the State House, in Augusta, on April 13, to be cited by the Legislature with a legislative sentiment recognizing their Class B state championship victory. During their visit, they were greeted by local delegation, Sen. Scott Cyrway and Rep. Catherine Nadeau, of Winslow.
Dr. Louisa Barnhart speaks in front of a packed house at ACB Memorial Library in China. (Contributed photo)
On April 22, the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library, in China Village, hosted Dr. Louisa Barnhart who spoke to a full room of participants and showed pictures and videos of her three month trip to Southeast Asia with her husband, Michael Klein. Their travels included Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Dr. Barnhart described the visit to Bhutan in detail with pictures and videos. There were dances with elaborate costumes and masks that illustrated the mythology of their culture. Then she described numerous adventures in other cultures, including changes she experienced from travel 35 years ago.
Items were on display from Dr. Barnhart’s Southeast Asia trip.
A display of the textiles, masks used in celebrations, and samples of various foods and drinks representing the area. Participants were able to taste the foods and drinks and get acquainted with some items that Dr. Barnhart brought back from Southeast Asia.
“Both times I visited the school, I was asked my business within seconds of stepping through the front doors.” –Eric Austin (photo source: jmg.org)
“Nothing’s foolproof,” Augusta Deputy Chief Jared Mills told me at the beginning of our meeting on the issue of school safety. “The best laid plans are not going to prevent this from happening.”
What is ‘this’? Take your pick. Terrorists and school shooters. Bomb threats and bullying. Our students and teachers have a lot to deal with these days.
The fact that nothing is completely foolproof hasn’t stopped our local law enforcement and school administrators from laying down the best possible plans. In researching this article, not only did I speak with Deputy Chief Mills, I also sat down with high school principals Chad Bell, of Winslow, and Paula Callan, of Messalonskee; Headmaster Michael McQuarrie, of Erskine Academy; and Detective Sergeant Tracey Frost, of the Oakland Police Department and one of two school resource officers for RSU #18.
Fifty years ago, schools were primarily designed around the fear of fire. Plenty of exits. Regular fire drills. Today, those concerns have shifted to include “access-point control” and lockdown practice. Fire is still a concern, but now each additional exit or entrance is also a point of vulnerability that needs to be considered. Those changes are obvious by looking at the design of our schools over time. Messalonskee High School, built in 1969, has 37 exits, while the middle school, constructed nearly 50 years later, has only ten.
These warring priorities of access and security are a constant theme for administrators looking to update their facilities for the 21st century.
The front entrance at Messalonskee High is now equipped with a buzz-in system (photo source: jmg.org)
Schools have responded to the new safety concerns in various ways. Messalonskee High School, like many area schools, has implemented a buzz-in system for the front entrance, and keycard-only access for outlying classrooms. Anyone coming to the front door is required to press a button which signals the front office. After verifying your identity, the door is unlocked and you can enter. Winslow High School does not have this system yet, but Principal Chad Bell told me its implementation is at the top of the school’s list of priorities. New policies have been implemented in both schools restricting which exits can be used during school hours in order to more carefully monitor who is entering the building.
Erskine Academy has its own set of challenges. It’s the only school without a full-time school resource officer and, located on the outskirts of China, it faces the longest response time from law enforcement in case of emergency. Though Erskine’s main building does not have a buzz-in system, external classrooms now require keycards to enter, and all classrooms have been fitted with deadbolts that lock from the inside.
Security upgrades have not only encompassed entrance and exit points. Classrooms have also received attention. In older buildings, classrooms were primarily designed to prevent students from being accidentally locked inside. As such, classrooms could always be opened from within, but often could only be locked from the outside, with a key. Now, schools are preparing for situations where being locked inside a classroom might be the safest place for a student to be.
Winslow High School Principal Chad Bell
Winslow has come up with a simple and low-cost solution to the problem. Instead of replacing the outdated locks at significant cost, they have installed a thin, magnetic strip that covers the strike plate of the door jamb. Doors are always locked, but with the magnetic strip in place, they can be closed without latching. In the event of a lockdown, anyone can pull the magnetic strip away from the door jamb and close the door, latching and locking it securely. It’s a simple and elegant solution to a problem that can pose a substantial cost to schools faced with regularly insufficient budgets.
Classroom doors at Messalonskee High School are kept locked but left open so they can be pulled closed at a moment’s notice.
Security cameras have also become a fixture at our schools. Winslow High School has 30 security cameras installed, and although there’s no buzz-in system yet, safety and security are a top priority for the staff. Both times I visited the school, I was asked my business within seconds of stepping through the front doors.
Messalonskee High School has only ten cameras, and the system desperately needs replacing. Installed seven years ago, camera resolution is far below current standards and, after operating 24/7 for nearly a decade, quality has degraded even further. The school intends to replace the system and add more cameras soon, but, as always, cost is the driving factor: new books or new cameras?
Each of these improvements can be taxing on schools scrambling for every cent. Take for example what seems at first a simple problem. Most classroom doors have windows installed in them. Administrators can easily walk the halls and see what is going on in each classroom. But when faced with the worst possible situation, an active shooter in the school, that visibility quickly becomes a dangerous liability. To fix the issue, the windows in classroom doors are now fitted with curtains that can be pulled down from the inside. A fairly easy fix, and cheap. And yet: “At $20 a curtain, roughly,” RSU #18 resource officer Tracey Frost explained, “for hundreds and hundreds of doors across the district? The bill came, but we got it done.”
For Tracey Frost, preparation is key. He aims to make lockdown drills as automatic for students as fire drills, and he thinks he’s almost there. “I can have 800 kids out of a line of sight in under a minute,” he told me proudly. “When we first started doing it, it was maybe two to three minutes.”
The lockdown drills students practice today remind me of the old Nuclear Strike Drills from the 1970s that ended only a few years before I entered school. They start with “LOCKDOWN DRILL! LOCKDOWN DRILL!” blared over the intercom speakers. Students lock classroom doors, pull curtains, and shut off lights. Then they gather in a designated “safety spot” in the classroom, keeping as low as possible, and quietly wait for the all-clear. Or as Tracey Frost puts it: “Locks, lights, and out of sight.”
All of the school administrators I spoke to were in the process of investigating additional training programs to help them prepare for the unthinkable. Three specific such programs seem to be most popular here in central Maine.
“Run, Hide, Fight” is a program endorsed by the Maine Department of Education, and offers a low-cost option with support from the state, but it has its detractors. “I’m not too comfortable with the concept of teaching kids to fight a gunman,” SRO Frost confided, “but I can teach them to stack desks in front of the door. If a bad guy spends 30-seconds trying to get into a classroom and can’t, we’ve saved lives and gained half-a-minute, and that’s a long time in such a situation.”
A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) is another popular program many schools are evaluating. It focuses on preparation and planning to, per their website, “proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event.”
The final program, which Officer Frost has adapted in large part for schools in RSU #18, is called the Standard Response Protocol. It was developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation (iloveuguys.org), an organization started by the parents of a girl killed in the school shooting at Platte Canyon High School in 2006. Frost particularly likes the program’s way of presenting its concepts with colorful, kid-friendly materials, and its method of using what Frost terms “teacher speak:” a common lexicon of terms that make communication between students and teachers simple and unambiguous. The foundation was named after the last text message sent from the girl to her parents before she was shot and killed.
Erskine Headmaster Michael McQuarrie
Beyond lockdown drills and hardening schools and classrooms, everyone agrees the best way to prevent school violence is to develop a culture that makes each student feel understood and respected. “[Students] all have to feel valued,” Erskine’s Headmaster Michael McQuarrie told me at the conclusion of our discussion. “If you’re alienated, if you’re disenfranchised and bullied on top of that — that is an incredible variable that we cannot dismiss or underestimate.”
For law enforcement and school officials both, the introduction of the internet has complicated things, especially in the area of identifying possible threats. In the old days, threats came by way of graffiti on bathroom walls, an anonymous phone call or an overheard conversation.
Today, none of those avenues have disappeared, but now there is also Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, email, and internet discussion boards to worry about. Add to this the tendency for children to post their thoughts on the internet without fully considering the implications of their words, and it’s common for casual threats to be bandied about on social media platforms with little thought of serious evil intent. In our current safety-conscious climate, however, each of those casual threats must be run down by law enforcement, which takes time away from other, equally important, tasks.
Thankfully, central Maine is still small enough that this hasn’t become the insurmountable effort that it has in bigger urban areas. “We still have the ability to follow up on every tip,” Augusta Deputy Chief Mills assured me. Local law enforcement works closely with the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the FBI to track down the source of any online threats.
Kids are also figuring out that behavior which might have been viewed as merely mischievous in the past is now considered a serious crime. It starts with parents having a conversation with their kids at home. It continues with teachers and administrators creating a school atmosphere where students feel comfortable bringing their concerns to adults. It ends with law enforcement and the courts, which are dealing out tough sentences for online threats of violence. It’s not unusual for students to be expelled, fined or even jailed for such behavior, as happened in Skowhegan where two boys were recently charged with terrorizing, a class C felony; or in Ellsworth where, this past February, police arrested a 19-year-old student for making threats against the high school in a chat for the online game Clash of Clans.
Messalonskee High’s Principal Paula Callan
New challenges face our schools like never before, with budget shortfalls, teacher shortages, and now safety concerns that would have seemed unthinkable 50 years ago. Still, the brave public servants in our schools are not shrinking from the challenge, and resource officer Tracey Frost is also quick to point out, “[Statistically,] your child is much more likely to get hurt on the drive into school than they are once they enter this building.”
Despite the challenges, school officials are determined to make student safety a priority, whatever the cost. “You can’t put a price on a student’s life,” Messalonskee principal Paula Callan told me firmly, as we shook hands at the end of our talk. In the face of this scary new world, these heroic public servants are taking no chances with the safety of our kids.
Eric W. Austin is a writer and consultant living in China, Maine. He writes about technology and community issues, and can be reached by email at ericwaustin@gmail.com.