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"When we have information of a possible threat we have to treat it very seriously," said FBI Special Agent Linda Vizi, who declined to comment on any specifics due to the ongoing investigation.
The FBI has said this threat will continue from Dec. 15 until Jan. 1.
The threat has been made against a Christian satellite television service known as SAT-7, which relocated its offices from above the State Farm Insurance Company to Easton, Md., "several weeks ago," according to the township.
SAT-7 bills itself as a satellite television service for Christians in the Middle East and North Africa. They also have offices in the United Kingdom, Lebanon, Egypt, Denmark and Cyprus.
Since this information became public late last week, no less than three separate press releases have been passed around Wayne in an attempt to correct the rampant misinformation that prevailed throughout the township.
"Based on all the information we have received about this threat so far, we believe that it is important for all residents to go on with business as usual and to take every reasonable precaution to insure the safety of our children," a township press release stated.
The school district has the same aim.
"It is the intention of Radnor Township School District to conduct school as usual... we will continue to work closely with RTPD [Radnor Township Police Department], township officials and with the FBI to ensure that we are kept apprised of any additional information or developments."
Based on these threats Radnor Police and the FBI are monitoring the area closely and police have added foot and vehicle patrols in the Wayne Business District for added safety.
"We don't feel it's a wise thing for people to alter their lives," said police Superintendent Jerry Gregory at Monday's commissioners meeting. "...What do we do, shut the whole community down for a year or two? You just can't really do that. Once you start doing that type of thing you're responding to scare tactics."
Vizi says since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI has been working very closely with local law enforcement, including RTPD.
The township held a meeting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday for residents and business owners to help answer any of their questions about this terror scare.
Nelson Dayton, president of the Wayne Business Association, said during the meeting, "I think the threat is very low. I personally am going to go in to Wayne and shop more."
Downtown business owners interviewed did not seem to think the recent terror threat has hurt business thus far.
"I had a bad day Friday," said Rochelle Land, owner of Rochelle's in Wayne. "Today's been crazy though. I think the weather has been more of a factor."
Ruth Kilgore, an employee at Robertson's Florist, located at 122 E. Lancaster Ave., said they haven't noticed a slowdown at all and that Tuesday had been very busy.
SAT-7, which was launched in 1995, experienced in September 2002 a serious fire that destroyed the main studio at SAT-7's new media center in Cairo, Egypt, just seven-and-a-half months after the center was opened. The cause of that fire was unknown.
The SAT-7 Web site, www.sat7.org, explains their mission: "The unrestricted ability to broadcast from satellite is of particular significance to the Christian communities of the [Middle East and North Africa]. They have the responsibility of witnessing to Christ in an area where increasing numbers of people are illiterate and many have been exposed to negative propaganda about the Gospel, the Christian Church and Christ himself."
Their Web site is updated and does not list the former Wayne office as a location, and according to Bill Martin, assistant director of finance for the township, SAT-7's Wayne offices were administrative in nature. Township officials also said they did not believe any broadcasting was taking place from that site.
The vacant office is said to be currently locked and secure, according to police.
Meanwhile, down in the coastal town of Easton, Md., where SAT-7 relocated, neither the local police nor the local media were aware of the "credible threat" as of The Suburban's deadline. FBI officials did not immediately return phone calls concerning this aspect of the investigation.
Residents are being asked to report any unusual activity along the 100 block of East Lancaster Avenue to the RTPD at 610-688-0500.
Douglas P. Scott can be reached at dscott@waynesuburban.com or 610-688-3000, ext. 130.
