FUFOR - 2000 Q1 - Quarterly Report January-March

Magazine Overview

This document is a "QUARTERLY REPORT" from the "FUND FOR UFO RESEARCH," located at P.O. BOX 277, MT. RAINIER, MD. 20712. The report covers the period of the 1st Quarter 2000, from January to March.

News Items

The report notes that December 1999 concluded a slow year for press interest in UFOs, with only slight improvement continuing into the first quarter of 2000. The Fund office received inquiries from The Discovery Channel, which was working on a UFO documentary, and from a California freelance writer interested in the French COMETA report.

Three UFO incidents came to the Fund's attention in December:
1. An Associated Press (AP) story from China detailed numerous sightings over several Chinese cities. The New York Times featured a front-page article on this activity, but otherwise, the press paid little attention.
2. Bob Durant reported an airline sighting where an object was seen by pilots from both Lufthansa and British Airways over the Long Island, New York area on November 17, 1995.
3. An apparent North Carolina angel hair sample was obtained by a researcher, with analysis being arranged and supervised by CUFOS (Center for UFO Studies).

The Fund disseminated a news release in January covering recent Chinese UFO sightings and the COMETA Report, but it received minimal response from the press.

COMETA Report

The English translation of the COMETA Report, prepared by the Fund, has been reviewed by the French Committee for In-Depth Studies and an authorized English version has been produced. The Fund has been granted permission to disseminate the report. Current plans involve distributing 25-30 copies, in consultation with CUFOS, to carefully selected recipients in government, the press, and the scientific community. The COMETA members are seeking a commercial publisher for the report, and the Fund is assisting in this effort.

Mid-Atlantic MUFON Conference

Bruce Maccabee is organizing a Mid-Atlantic MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Conference scheduled for May 6, 2000, in College Park, Maryland. The Fund has committed to underwriting the event, as it has in the past. The conference will feature speakers including Dr. Peter Resta, Dr. David Jacobs, Richard Hall, Susan Swiatek, Rob Swiatek, Allison Reed, and Bruce Maccabee. A morning seminar for investigators is planned, followed by talks in the afternoon and evening.

Publications

Aurora Press is planning to reissue an updated version of Richard Hall's book, "Uninvited Guests."

Jan Aldrich has submitted a large collection of documents to the Fund concerning the enigmatic "ghost rockets" observed over Scandinavian countries shortly after World War II, indicating sufficient material for a new publication.

Fund board member Dr. David Gotlib has compiled all issues of the "Bulletin of Anomalous Experience" onto a CD-ROM. This CD-ROM can be purchased for $20.00 (including shipping) by contacting him at 79 Hilton Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R3E8, or via email at [email protected].

The Coalition, comprising CUFOS, FUFOR (Fund for UFO Research), and MUFON, is having its "Best Available Evidence" published by Dell Publishing Company. Additionally, the entire content will be made available on Joe Firmage's website, who has paid the Coalition for the rights.

"The UFO Evidence II" has been submitted to the publisher, Scarecrow Press, with an unknown publication date.

Richard Hall is finalizing the editing of the Fund's issue paper discussing the societal impact of the confirmation of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Web Site Activity

At the end of February, the Fund's website was updated by deleting old material and revising existing text. Discussions are ongoing regarding plans to upgrade the entire site.

Grant Proposals

The Spanish Anomaly Foundation, which receives an annual Universitas Scholarship from the Fund (previously $300), has requested an increase to $500 per year. The Executive Committee has approved this increase.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The report reflects the Fund for UFO Research's ongoing commitment to documenting UFO/UAP phenomena, facilitating research, and disseminating information. The editorial stance appears to be one of active engagement in the field, supporting conferences, publications, and research initiatives, while also maintaining a focus on the practical aspects of information dissemination and organizational development. There is a clear emphasis on collaboration with other organizations like CUFOS and MUFON, and on engaging with media and academic communities.