APCIC - Vol 07 No 04 - 1982

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO NEWS
Issue Date: April 1982
Volume: 7, No. 4
Publisher: Aerial Phenomenon Clipping Information Center

This issue of UFO NEWS delves into various UFO sightings, investigations, and theories, featuring reports from across the United States and highlighting the work of prominent UFO researchers.

The Dale Spaur Case: Aftermath of a Sighting

The lead article, "Aftermath Of A Sighting" by George Cunningham-Tee, revisits the case of Dale F. Spaur, a deputy sheriff from Portage County, Ohio. On April 16, 1966, Spaur and Deputy Wilbur Neff responded to a call and subsequently witnessed a brightly lighted object. They engaged in a 70-mile pursuit of the object, reaching speeds of 105 mph. The object was described as shaped like an ice cream cone with a partly melted top. Another officer, Wayne Huston, also observed the object. Policeman Frank Panzanella of Conway, PA, also reported seeing a similar object, describing it as the shape of half a football, about 25 to 35 feet in diameter.

The article criticizes the investigation by Project Blue Book officials, citing J. Allen Hynek's assertion that the original inquiry was made via a brief telephone call to Spaur, with the opening question being, "Tell me about this mirage you saw." Hynek, a former consultant to Project Blue Book, found the case personally embarrassing and concluded it was a strong "unidentified." The aftermath for Spaur was severe, with public ridicule and pressure leading to the wreck of his home life, estrangement from his wife, and ruin of his career and health.

Officers Bewildered by Their Sighting of UFO

This section compiles several reports of UFO sightings involving law enforcement officers. In Gaylord, MN, on February 27, 1982, Deputy Bennitt Bade and part-time officer Ellerd Mathwig saw a rapidly moving object with green lights, flying at treetop level, described as having smog or fog underneath. Henderson police chief Norm Pettis reported a similar sighting, seeing blue, green, and white lights and smog underneath. Sibley County Deputy Kevin Guggisberg and other officers also reported seeing the object. The Mankato Free Press reported that LeSueur County Deputy Terry Wento saw a blue-white light near Mankato's airport. Airport officials and radar found no trace of the object, with one official suggesting it sounded like a hoax.

UFO Investigators Visit Delta Residents

This article, by Diane Y. Aaron, reports on Dr. J. Allen Hynek's visit to the Delta County area in Michigan to investigate a recent rash of UFO sightings. Hynek, an astronomy professor and former head of Project Blue Book, was intrigued by reports of six sightings of the same UFO. He interviewed local people, including Tammy Utt, who reported an object shaped like an upside-down cake pan landing on the road, leaving a depression. Dr. Ken Schellhase, UP coordinator for the Center for UFO Studies, found the sightings "significant" and photographed the depression, though he remained skeptical about it being a landing.

Another report details Rick Nyberg's photographs of an object, which Hynek and Schellhase identified as the planet Venus, explaining the erratic movement as a result of the camera tripod being disturbed on a carpet.

UFOs in Vermont

Reports from Fairfield, VT, indicate a continuation of unidentified flying object sightings throughout northwestern Vermont. Strange lights in the night skies have been reported for a couple of months, originating in the Richford area and spreading south. Police officials have been unable to explain these reports.

What's Up? Is it UFOs or meteors?

This piece from Eugene, Oregon, discusses puzzling sightings of darting lights in the sky, with Eugene police receiving 10-15 calls per night. The UFO Center in Washington, D.C., suggested the source might be meteors breaking up in the atmosphere. However, observers like Chris Snyder dismissed this, questioning if meteors fly in formation or turn lights on and off. Snyder described three bright orange objects flying in a horizontal formation, darting into diagonal formations. A controller at the Eugene air control tower reported a call about an unidentified object, but no radar contact was made. A former resident speculated that kites with candles might be the cause, a theory Snyder rejected.

UFO that shocked America

Written by Nancy Bolick, this article revisits the "great airship sighting" of 1896-97, which occurred nearly a decade before the invention of airplanes. Science writer Daniel Cohen is quoted, stating that newspapers carried eyewitness accounts of a strange light with a dark cigar shape. The sightings began in Sacramento in November 1896 and moved eastward, vanishing near Chicago in April 1897. Descriptions from witnesses like Sacramento deputy sheriff Walter Mallory and San Francisco streetcar employees and passengers are included. Mayor Adolph Sutro also reported seeing a light. The UFO appeared in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Illinois, and Indiana during the winter. The Quincy, Illinois, newspaper reported an object with a long, slender body made of bright metal and wings. Some observers heard voices from the craft. Farmer Alexander Hamilton reported seeing a massive UFO hovering over his cattle pen, with strange beings inside, and a line used to drag a calf. The article notes that descriptions of these antique airships match modern craft, leading many ufologists to believe the two waves of sightings are connected.

Sorting through theories for an explanation of flying saucers

Dr. Bruce Cordell's article asserts that UFOs are real, with thousands of sightings made globally, but only about 5 percent remain unexplained. He discusses various theories, including the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), championed by individuals like Jim and Coral Lorenzen, and the Ultraterrestrial (UT) hypothesis, suggesting beings from a parallel universe. John Keel believes UTs are evil beings. Leon Davidson suggests the CIA might be creating UFOs to deceive the Russians. Jacques Vallee proposes that earthly powers might be using UFOs to encourage a global belief in interventions. Cordell concludes that more research is needed to form a realistic theory.

Psychic says he willed UFO crash

This brief report features Marc Popelsky, a 25-year-old psychic from Edison, NJ, who claims he may be responsible for an unidentified object crashing into the ocean off Atlantic City on January 12. He described an "electric or magnetic field" and a "humming sound" before being thrown back and seeing the object fall. He felt guilty but initially hesitant to speak out. He also expressed a desire to bring down a UFO in the Pine Barrens and to make contact with the Jersey Devil.

Man reports UFO near Ventura

A Garner man told the Cerro Gordo County sheriff's office he saw an unidentified flying object about two miles west of Ventura, Iowa, traveling at low altitude and high speed.

Local UFO sightings are "significant." — UFO expert.

This article from Gladstone, MI, discusses local UFO sightings that Dr. Ken Schellhase of the Center for UFO Studies deemed "significant." These included a sighting by Tammy Utt, corroborated by five other residents, and reports from James Robinette, Bonnie Lee, and Gary Dubord. While Schellhase confirmed a depression found in the area of Utt's sighting, he was skeptical of it being a landing site.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistence of UFO sightings across different time periods and locations, the challenges in investigating and explaining these phenomena, and the skepticism or alternative explanations offered by official bodies and some researchers. The magazine appears to present a wide range of perspectives, from detailed eyewitness accounts and historical cases to critical analyses and theoretical discussions, suggesting an open but investigative stance on the UFO phenomenon. The publisher, Aerial Phenomenon Clipping Information Center, seems dedicated to collecting and disseminating information on UFOs, as indicated by its name and the publication of news releases.

Title: WEEKLY WORLD NEWS
Issue Date: April 3, 1982
Cover Headline: Face to face with a space being

This issue of Weekly World News features a prominent article detailing a purported close encounter with an extraterrestrial being, based on the testimony of three children in Argentina.

'Face to face with a space being'

The lead article, written by Dick Donovan, recounts an extraordinary event experienced by three children—Daniel Nunez (9), his sister Susan (11), and their friend Maria Montanegro (11)—in the village of Euginio Bustos, Argentina. The children were walking home when they observed a bright light in the sky that descended towards them. Initially mistaking it for an airplane, they soon realized it was something else entirely.

As the object approached, they described it as a round, globe-like shape emitting sparks. It hovered close to the ground, and then, astonishingly, transformed into a man-like creature approximately 7 feet tall. The creature reportedly had eyes that seemed to revolve and antennas, and it emitted a shower of sparks. The encounter left the children terrified, with Daniel and Susan experiencing a sense of paralysis. The entire event vanished suddenly, leaving the children in a state of shock.

Investigator Rafael Baraga, who spoke to The NEWS, expressed his conviction in the truth of the children's story, despite its fantastical nature. He noted the genuine terror displayed by the children, which he believed could not have been faked. Professor Vittorio Corradi, director of Argentina's Institute of Extra-Human Phenomena Studies, who led the investigation, also stated his certainty that the children had witnessed a visitation by a 'super-being from another world.'

Baraga described the creature's appearance, noting it was formed between two lights that came from the sky. The creature had revolving eyes and antennas, and emitted sparks. The experience was so intense that Daniel described it as 'like waking up from a nightmare.'

The children's parents, Francisco and Martha Nunez, corroborated their children's distressed state, noting Daniel's rapid heartbeat and a lingering vision problem for him. The article highlights the baffling nature of the encounter, which psychologists and paranormal investigators found difficult to discredit.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue, like many in the Weekly World News, leans heavily into sensational and extraordinary claims, particularly concerning UFOs and extraterrestrial encounters. The editorial stance appears to be one that embraces the unusual and the potentially unbelievable, presenting such accounts with a degree of seriousness that encourages reader engagement with the unexplained. The focus on children as witnesses adds to the narrative's impact, often portraying them as innocent and credible sources for extraordinary events. The publication seems to cater to an audience fascinated by the paranormal and the possibility of life beyond Earth.

This issue of WEEKEND MAIL, dated March 24, 1982, features a prominent cover story titled "KIDNAPPERS FROM OUTER SPACE," which delves into the phenomenon of UFO abductions. The magazine also includes a report on a UFO sighting by police officers and a detailed account of alleged alien encounters by a family in Wales.

Kidnappers From Outer Space

The lead article, based on claims by UFO investigator Bud Hopkins, posits that aliens from outer space are actively observing and abducting humans for research, particularly for tissue samples. Hopkins estimates that hundreds, possibly thousands, of people have been kidnapped and taken aboard spaceships for examination. He states that memories of these experiences are often erased before the victims are returned, and deep hypnosis is required to recall the events. Hopkins notes that UFO abductions have reached "epidemic" proportions, with around 500 Americans having been kidnapped and released, and potentially tens of thousands more whose encounters have never been revealed.

The article recounts three specific cases:

• A 1973 Maryland Abduction: An art student, under hypnosis, recalled being pulled over on a road by a giant magnet. He encountered three small, white-faced creatures made of putty. He was led up a ramp into a flying saucer, stripped, and examined by a 9ft long, 4ft wide device that descended from the ceiling.
• A 1950 Manitoba Abduction: A seven-year-old girl was abducted from her grandparents' farm. Under hypnosis, she recalled lying on a couch in a UFO while her leg was cut with a scalpel for tissue samples. She was later found back at the farm with a bleeding cut.
• A Later French Abduction: The same girl was abducted again years later while in France. While swimming in a lake, she was taken inside a UFO, and a probe was inserted into her nose for blood and tissue samples.

Hypnosis of a 35-year-old man revealed that as a seven-year-old in Tennessee, he was separated from his family during a holiday and pulled into a UFO. There, a "robot arm" made an incision on his leg, removed something, and closed the wound.

Another case involved a man in Pittsburgh who, fourteen years later, awoke and followed "mental directions" to a lonely spot where a flying saucer had landed.

Hopkins' book, "Missing Time, A Documented Study Of UFO Abductions," describes the aliens as small and skinny, with whitish skin resembling putty, mushrooms, or marshmallow.

Alien! They Told Her They Operated On Another Time Scale

This section details the extraordinary experiences of the Sunderland family from North East Wales. The story begins in the summer of 1976 when nine-year-old Gaynor Sunderland, while cycling near her home, encountered a cigar-shaped spacecraft and a non-human creature about 5 feet 6 inches tall, encased in a silvery suit. The alien had knee-joints three-quarters of the way up his leg and carried a gun-like object that created small craters in the ground. A second, female alien joined him, and they interacted with the craters using a dagger. Despite her fear, Gaynor perceived their manner as friendly.

Gaynor's encounter was the beginning of a series of events. Three of her four siblings and even her parents had experiences hinting at unknown forces. Gaynor, described as having remarkable psychic potential, met the aliens, identified as Parz (male) and Arna (female), several times. On one occasion, she was transported to what appeared to be an alien city. The aliens told her they operated on a different time scale, and in Earth terms, they were around 3,500 years old.

They also told Gaynor and her mother, Marion, that they would reappear the following night. Marion accompanied Gaynor to the field, where Gaynor conversed with her alien friends. Marion glimpsed two shadowy figures before they disappeared. Gaynor explained that the aliens manifested to ordinary people because those with reputations to lose would not dare speak about their experiences. As the craft departed, Marion saw a large white light moving rapidly across the sky.

Gaynor's younger brother, Darren, also reported seeing a spacecraft resting on four legs, surrounded by men in green trousers and silvery pull-overs. These men had prominent teeth, bald heads, and three stiff fingers and a thumb. They could also change their size. Darren's youngest sister, Nerys, reported a strange orange object from which little green men emerged.

The article mentions a book, "Alien Contact" by Jenny Randles and Paul Whetnail, which investigates similar phenomena and details the Sunderland story. The authors and other UFO investigators took a keen interest in the family's experiences.

2 Police Officers Spot UFO in Shenango Township

This report from New Castle, PA, dated March 23, 1982, describes an incident where two police officers, Anthony Nativio and Ronald Bongivengo, witnessed a disc-shaped UFO emitting a white glowing light. The object reportedly followed their cruiser in Shenango Township at dawn. Officer Nativio first mistook it for a star but noticed it moving at the same speed as his car. The object hovered about 800 feet above a house and moved back and forth. It was described as "pretty big" and shaped like a dinner plate, giving off a "glow light."

After observing the object for about 15 minutes, Nativio called Officer Bongivengo. The object was then about 600 yards away and described by Bongivengo as a "search light on the bottom of a helicopter, but larger." When the officers drove away, the object followed them. They drove on Rose Stop Road to Ellwood Road, and the object was about 1000 feet above their car. Officer Robert Shaffer was called and arrived to take pictures, but by then the UFO had risen and disappeared.

Officer Nativio's mother also reportedly saw the object. Township Police Chief David Rishel confirmed other sightings in the Ellwood Road area. Nativio admitted he had seen something similar before but hadn't reported it.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO abductions, alien encounters, and sightings, with a focus on witness testimonies and the investigative efforts of UFO researchers like Bud Hopkins. The magazine appears to present these accounts as credible, highlighting the detailed recollections of abductees, often obtained through hypnosis. The editorial stance seems to be one of serious inquiry into these phenomena, suggesting that such events are not mere fantasy but warrant investigation, particularly when reported by seemingly ordinary individuals and even law enforcement officers. The emphasis on children and ordinary families being the primary witnesses suggests an underlying theme that the establishment or those in positions of authority might be less receptive or less likely to experience these phenomena.